STANFORD, Calif. - The most storied program in women's college tennis, Stanford (20-5, 9-1 Pac-12) captured its 19th national championship (18 NCAA, 1 AIAW) in 2016, defeating No. 12 Oklahoma State in a 4-3 thriller in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
No. 15 Stanford became the lowest-seeded team to win an NCAA title, knocking off No. 2 Florida (4-3), No. 10 Michigan (4-3) and No. 6 Vanderbilt (4-2) in a span of five days prior to reaching the final. Stanford has now won 14 of its last 16 NCAA matches when seeded lower than its opponent, a streak that covers six years. That includes winning it all as a No. 12 seed three years ago – at the time the lowest-seeded team to accomplish the feat – and taking home the crown in 2010 as a No. 8 seed.
Stanford owns a 142-18 all-time record in the postseason since the NCAA Tournament went to its present format in 1982. However, the Cardinal has entered NCAA's seeded higher than fifth only once (No. 1 in 2011) over the last eight years.
Early in the year, the possibility of contending for an NCAA title seemed like a long-shot at best. Stanford entered February at 1-2 overall, representing the first time in school history that the Cardinal incredibly owned a losing record at any point (spanning 1,032 total matches). Stanford was piling up several uncharacteristic losses, although also buying time until three-time All-American and 2015 NCAA Singles runner-up Carol Zhao was set to return. But the Cardinal was ranked fifth in conference play in late March and – with a ranking just outside the top-16 – was in real danger of not hosting the early rounds of NCAA competition.
So, the Cardinal did what it seemingly does every spring. It caught fire. After a road sweep of the Washington schools, Stanford posted a 4-3 upset of No. 1 California on April 16, the only loss of the season for a Golden Bear squad riding its best start in school history and regarded by many as the NCAA favorite. Four days later, Stanford defeated No. 19 USC in a 4-2 neutral-site win in Ojai, Calif., securing its first conference title since 2012 and 25th overall. Having already knocked off No. 7 Florida back in February and suddenly carrying the Pac-12's automatic NCAA bid in its back pocket, Stanford was brimming with confidence heading into the postseason.
There were two key reasons Stanford was able to once again hoist the trophy in late May. Each member of its singles lineup provided the clinching point somewhere along the way, giving all six players confidence to succeed when the pressure was on. Freshman Caroline Lampl was especially clutch, tallying a team-high seven clinchers and compiling an 11-4 record in three-set matches. Fellow rookie Melissa Lord won 10 of her final 11 matches and was a perfect 6-for-6 in the postseason. Additionally, Stanford didn't panic when facing an early 1-0 deficit. The Cardinal was 7-2 when losing the doubles point, with four of those victories coming during NCAA play.
Four members of Stanford's singles lineup earned final ITA national singles rankings: Zhao (25), Taylor Davidson (35), Caroline Doyle (73) and Krista Hardebeck (123). In doubles, the Cardinal boasted two teams: Davidson/Doyle (11) and Lord/Zhao (40).
Junior Taylor Davidson
ITA All-American (doubles)
All-Pac-12 Second Team
Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention
NCAA All-Tournament Team selection (No. 2 singles)
Junior Caroline Doyle
ITA All-American (doubles)
All-Pac-12 Second Team
ITA Scholar-Athlete
Pac-12 All-Academic First Team
Senior Krista Hardebeck
All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention
ITA Scholar-Athlete
CoSIDA Women's At-Large Academic All-District
Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Pac-12 All-Academic First Team
Senior Lindsey Kostas
ITA Scholar-Athlete
Freshman Caroline Lampl
NCAA All-Tournament Team selection (No. 5 singles)
Freshman Melissa Lord
NCAA All-Tournament Team selection (No. 6 singles)
Junior Carol Zhao
All-Pac-12 First Team
ITA Scholar-Athlete
Pac-12 All-Academic First Team