OJAI, Calif. - No. 26 Stanford fell just short in its bid for a Pac-12 Tournament title, dropping a 4-3 decision to No. 8 USC on Saturday night.
Stanford (17-6, 6-1 Pac-12) built a 3-2 lead before USC (22-4, 6-1 Pac-12) rallied to win both remaining matches and secure its second Pac-12 Championships crown since the team format was established in 2012.
Both squads entered Saturday’s match in good shape for the NCAA Tournament, but Saturday’s outcome means USC will receive the conference’s automatic bid. The Trojans have won five of the last six NCAA championships.
The Cardinal added another accomplishment to what has become a season of milestones. Stanford was participating in the tournament final for the first time in school history, thanks to a 4-3 victory over USC two weeks ago on The Farm which gave the Cardinal its first share of the regular-season conference title since 2010.
Stanford, which has been ranked between No. 24-43 throughout the dual match season, should feel confident about its postseason chances. In addition to its impressive Pac-12 regular-season finish, the Cardinal owns a victory over UCLA and two wins against California. Stanford’s six losses have come against teams ranked among the top-30.
Meanwhile, the gap between USC continues to close. Stanford had lost nine in a row to the Trojans before its victory two weeks ago. The last two matches have resulted in 4-3 margins, while the Cardinal had not earned more than two points in any match over the previous nine meetings.
For the 13th consecutive match, Stanford captured the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead with Tom Fawcett and Maciek Romanowicz clinching the point with an 8-5 win on court two.
One of the biggest reasons the Cardinal has been able to remain competitive with USC this season has been the play of its freshmen. Stanford moved in front 3-2 thanks to Fawcett’s 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 comeback against 11th-ranked Yannick Hanfmann and David Hsu’s 7-5, 6-4 triumph over Max de Vroome playing one spot higher at the No. 5 position.
Trailing 3-2, USC knotted the match with a victory at the No. 6 spot and clinched the title when Eric Johnson outlasted Morrissey 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 on court two.
Stanford will find out its postseason status when the NCAA Tournament selection show airs Tuesday, April 28.
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No. 8 USC 4, No. 26 Stanford 3
DOUBLES
1) No. 13 Morrissey/Stineman (STAN) d. No. 3 Hanfmann/Quiroz (USC) 8-6
2) No. 83 Fawcett/Romanowicz (STAN) d. de Vroome/Johnson (USC) 8-5
3) Crystal/Thibault Forget (USC) d. Wilczynski/Paige (STAN) 8-2
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2
SINGLES
1) No. 30 Tom Fawcett (STAN) d. No. 11 Yannick Hanfmann (USC) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
2) No. 100 Eric Johnson (USC) d. No. 69 John Morrissey (STAN) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
3) No. 22 Roberto Quiroz (USC) d. David Wilczynski (STAN) 6-4, 6-4
4) No. 38 Jonny Wang (USC) d. Nolan Paige (STAN) 6-2, 6-2
5) David Hsu (STAN) d. No. 86 Max de Vroome (USC) 7-5, 6-4
6) No. 67 Nick Crystal (USC) d. Maciek Romanowicz (STAN) 7-6, 6-4
Order of Finish: 4, 3, 1, 5, 6, 2