After closing out the 2018-19 season with a 4-0 shutout victory over No.1 Georgia, Stanford claimed its second consecutive NCAA championship title and is now days away from kicking off the 2019-20 season with back-to-back tournaments this weekend.
Beginning Thursday in Malibu, members of the women’s team will represent the Cardinal at the Women’s Collegiate Classic; closer to home, other Stanford players will take the court at the Saint Mary’s Invitational, hosted Friday through Sunday in Moraga, CA.
Despite losing five seniors, including standout captains Caroline Lampl ’19 and Melissa Lord ’19, the Cardinal have seven returning players ready to show off their talents. Stanford welcomes two freshmen, Angelica Blake and Nicole Mossmer, to the Farm. Emily Arbuthnott, now a senior, was a key player for the Cardinal last year, clinching several crucial victories; Arbuthnott’s 28th career clincher came with the defeat of Pepperdine’s Dzina Milovanovic (6-1, 6-4) and pushed Stanford to a 4-1 victory and a Final Four berth.
Also gearing up for another successful season is junior Michaela Gordon, who ended the 2018-19 season as Stanford’s highest-ranked player, ending at No. 10 in collegiate women’s singles nationwide. Earning the accolade Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year, Gordon boasted a 13-9 record against nationally ranked opponents and an impressive 13-2 record against Pac-12 foes. A dangerous doubles duo, Arbuthnott and Gordon repeatedly asserted their dominance on their way to a 22-8 overall record last season.
While the Women’s Collegiate Classic is new to Stanford’s schedule this year, the Saint Mary’s Invitational has been a showcase for the Cardinal’s talent for years. Last year, the tournament featured the collegiate debuts of now sophomores Niluka Madurawe and Sara Choy, with Madurawe competing in the Singles A Division before pairing up with Choy in the Doubles A Division. Madurawe left no room for fans to doubt her abilities when she debuted, fighting through five matches to claim the singles title.
This weekend also marks the beginning of head coach Lele Forood’s 20th season with the Cardinal. Under Forood, Stanford women’s tennis has been the most decorated program in all of women’s collegiate tennis.
Contact Savanna Stewart at savnstew ‘at’ stanford.edu.