May 31, 2010
Doubles Title Follows Up NCAA Team Championship
ATHENS, Ga.- Junior Hilary Barte and senior Lindsay Burdette now must clear some space for another trophy.
Six days after playing key roles in Stanford's NCAA team championship victory over Florida, Barte and Burdette captured the NCAA doubles title.
Appearing in the national championship doubles match for the second straight year following a runner-up finish in 2009, Barte and Burdette outlasted Tennessee's Natalie Pluskota and Caitlin Whoriskey 7-5, 4-6, 6-0 on Monday afternoon at the 2010 NCAA Women's Tennis Championships.
Monday's doubles championship was a battle of the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 doubles squads, with the second-ranked tandem of Barte and Burdette prevailing to claim the victory.
This was the third meeting of the year between the teams, with the series split at 1-1. The Lady Vols' duo picked up an 8-4 win back on Oct. 9 during the second round of the ITA All-American Championships. But the Cardinal pair rebounded with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4) decision in the championship match of the ITA National Indoor Championships on Nov. 8.
Barte and Burdette were in the same spot last year, reaching the national title match before falling 6-3, 6-4 to California's team of Mari Andersson and Jana Juricova.
 Barte and Burdette were 10-4 this season against doubles teams ranked in the top-10 at the time of the match.  | |
This time around, Stanford's All-American duo was tough down the stretch and came away on top in a three-setter that started out competitive before ending in a rout. The first two sets were hard-fought, with Barte and Burdette taking the opening stanza 7-5 before Pluskota and Whoriskey answered with a 6-4 win in the second set.
But the Cardinal duo stepped on the gas in the final frame, coasting to a 6-0 victory.
Barte and Burdette bring home Stanford's 13th overall collegiate doubles title in school history, and sixth since the since the NCAA adopted its current format in 1982. Stanford's most recent NCAA champion doubles team was Alice Barnes and Erin Burdette in 2005, as the duo defeated Amber Liu and Anne Yelsey 6-3, 6-4 in an all-Stanford final.
Also capturing NCAA doubles crowns for Stanford were: Linda Gates/Elise Burgin in 1984, Linda Gates/Leigh Anne Eldredge in 1985, Meredith McGrath/Teri Whitlinger in 1990, Lauren Kalvaria/Gabriela Lastra in 2002 and Alice Barnes/Erin Burdette in 2005.
Winning doubles titles prior to 1982 were: Linda Yeomans/Carol Hanks (1962), Jane Albert/Julie Anthony (1967), Susie Hagey/Diane Morrison (1976), Susie Hagey/Diane Morrison (1977), Barbara Jordan/Kathy Jordan (1978), Kathy Jordan/Alycia Moulton (1979) and Caryn Copeland/Alycia Moulton (1981).
Earning All-American honors for the third straight season as a doubles team, Barte and Burdette wrap up a stellar 2009-10 campaign with records of 42-6 (overall) and 22-4 (duals). The duo opened the year winning 20 of its first 21 matches, posted a 23-5 mark against nationally-ranked opponents and a 19-3 ledger against Pac-10 foes.
Burdette has received All-America accolades in doubles all four years in addition to singles recognition as a freshman. Barte has now earned All-America honors in both singles and doubles during her first three seasons.
NOTES:
Hilary Barte and Lindsay Burdette become the second Stanford tandem since 1982 to capture an NCAA doubles championship in Athens, Ga., as Alice Barnes and Erin Burdette accomplished the feat in 2005 ... Barte and Burdette have been playing as a doubles team for three seasons. The duo went 17-12 overall and 17-11 in duals during the 2008 campaign and 27-8 overall and 20-4 in duals last year. During their time on The Farm, Barte and Burdette have combined for 86 doubles victories overall ... Barte and Burdette were 17-3 on neutral courts, 10-1 in road matches and 15-2 at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium ... The duo won a season-high 19 consecutive matches from Oct. 23-Feb. 24, losing its first match of the year on Oct. 9 before suffering just its second loss of the season on Feb. 27 ... Barte and Burdette had reached the doubles title match of a tournament four times this year prior to the NCAA Doubles Championship: ITA Northwest Regionals on Oct. 26- defeated California's Mari Andersson and Jana Juricova 8-3; ITA National Indoor Championships on Nov. 8- defeated Tennessee's Natalie Pluskota and Caitlin Whoriskey 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4); NCTC Classic on Jan. 17- defeated UCLA's Andrea Remynse and Yasmin Schnack 8-6; Pac-10 Championship on Apr. 25- lost to UCLA's Andrea Remynse and Yasmin Schnack 6-1, 6-0) ... Barte and Burdette were 10-4 this season against doubles teams ranked in the top-10 at the time of the match ... Barte and Burdette have not lost back-to-back matches since Feb. 13-14, 2009, falling to duos from Notre Dame and North Carolina at the National Team Indoor Championships.
No. 2 Hilary Barte/Lindsay Burdette at the 2010 NCAA Doubles Championship
May 27- First Round: d. No. 23 Irina Falconi/Sasha Krupina (Georgia Tech) 6-4, 6-2
May 28- Round of 16: d. No. 17 Alexa Guarachi/Courtney McLane (Alabama) 6-3, 6-2
May 29- Quarterfinals: d. No. 11 Csilla Borsanyi/Lenka Broosova (Baylor) 6-4, 6-4
May 30- Semifinals d. No. 4 Andrea Remynse/Yasmin Schnack (UCLA) 6-0, 6-1
May 31- Championship: d. No. 1 Natalie Pluskota/Caitlin Whoriskey (Tennessee) 7-5, 4-6, 6-0
No. 4 Hilary Barte at the 2010 NCAA Singles Championship
May 26- First Round: d. No. 52 Michaela Kissell (Marshall) 6-3, 6-1
May 27- Second Round: d. No. 88 Ute Schnoy (Denver) 6-1, 6-2
May 28- Round of 16: d. No. 44 Kristi Boxx (Mississippi) 6-3, 6-2
May 29- Quarterfinals: d. No. 40 Bianca Eichkorn (Miami) 6-4, 6-4
May 30- Semifinals: lost to No. 12 Chelsey Gullickson (Georgia) 7-6 (6), 6-3
No. 33 Mallory Burdette at the 2010 NCAA Singles Championship
May 26- First Round: d. No. 58 Alexa Guarachi (Alabama) 6-1, 6-3
May 27- Second Round: lost to No. 7 Laura Vallverdu (Miami) 6-4, 6-0
THEY SAID IT:
Hilary Barte, Stanford:
"We played really solid and up to our potential."
Lindsay Burdette, Stanford:
"It's really tough to be dominant all the time. It feels great. It also lets us know how much hard work we had to put in."
Frankie Brennan, Stanford assistant coach:
"The best team doesn't always win. I feel like this year, the best team won."
Caitlin Whoriskey, Tennessee:
"Stanford really buckled down in the third set. They made us hit great shots and didn't give up many free points. We weren't able to hold our serve in response and couldn't keep up."
"Senior year has been a lot of fun. Natalie [Pluskota] and I went further in doubles this year than we had last year, and this finals run caps off a great season. I would have liked to win, but we're both proud of what we've accomplished over the course of the year."