May 26, 2005
Stanford places duo of doubles teams in semifinals again
Stanford's doubles teams of Alice Barnes and Erin Burdette and Amber Liu and Anne Yelsey both advanced to Friday's semifinals, marking the fourth time the Cardinal has supplied half of the final four teams in the draw. In 2001, Stanford's duos of Laura Granville and Gabriela Lastra lost in the championship match, while Lauren Barnikow and Lauren Kalvaria fell in the semifinals. In 1996, Cardinal pairs of (now volunteer assistant coach) Julie Scott and Kim Shasby and Ania Bleszynski and Katie Schlukebir both lost in the semifinals. In 1990, Stanford provided both teams in the championship match, with Meredith McGrath and Teri Whitlinger defeating Sandra Birch and Debbie Graham, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Stanford now has supplied 12 doubles semifinalist teams in the 24-year history of the NCAA Tennis Championships.
Burdette does better as unseeded doubles performer
Stanford senior Erin Burdette, one of the nation's top double players during her collegiate career, has advanced to the NCAA semifinals for the first time ever. As a freshman in 2002, Burdette and Lauren Barkinow were unseeded but advanced to the quarterfinals. In 2003 and 2004, Burdette and Barnikow were the top-seeded team in the NCAA draw but lost in the quarterfinals and first round, respectively.
Cohen lone remaining in both singles and doubles
Northwestern's Audra Cohen is the only player still alive in the singles and doubles draws -- a first since 2002. In 2002, Stanford's Gabriela Lastra and Erin Burdette and Florida's Jessica Lehnhoff all made it to the semis in both singles and doubles. Only two players have won both the singles and doubles titles in the same year -- Keri Phebus of UCLA in 1995 and Linda Gates of Stanford in 1985.