STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford's reward for coming away with an encouraging road split last week against a pair of top-6 opponents?
A head-scratching 20-spot drop in the rankings, with the Cardinal checking in at No. 25 entering Sunday's showdown against No. 7 Vanderbilt at 12 p.m PT.
Most programs would have been satisfied with Stanford's outcomes last weekend. On Feb. 17, the Cardinal, ranked No. 5 at the start of the trip, defeated No. 6 Oklahoma State 4-1 in a rematch of the 2016 NCAA championship played at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. Two days later, Stanford suffered a 4-1 loss at No. 1 Florida, undefeated in nine matches and boasting an NCAA-best 183 consecutive home wins.
So, how do you explain Florida and Oklahoma State retaining their same rankings one week later, while Stanford (4-1) plunged 20 spots?
It's the first week of the ITA's computerized rankings after a committee had determined each team's poll position over the previous six weeks. For this first edition, the computer system takes into account each team's four best wins, and with the exception of last Friday's victory against Oklahoma State, Stanford's remaining three wins came against unranked Saint Mary's, Sacramento State and San Jose State. The number of required victories factored into a team's national ranking will continue to increase over the next two months.
The computer formula has been a hot topic of debate for years. If anything, it places added importance on matches such as Sunday's nonconference tilt against Vanderbilt (4-3). A triumph over the seventh-ranked Commodores would certainly initiate Stanford's rise in the poll. Not to mention, the Cardinal will have other opportunities to rack up quality wins, with Texas and Pepperdine still to come, along with the usual challenging Pac-12 slate.
However, the temporary rankings slide means Stanford faces an uphill climb to ensure it ends the season ranked among the nation's top 16, typically recognized as the cutline for NCAA hosting duties.
Then again, rankings have meant very little in previous years. In 2016, No. 15 Stanford became the lowest-seeded team to win an NCAA title. The Cardinal won it all as a No. 12 seed in 2013 and took home the 2010 crown as a No. 8 seed.
Every member of Stanford's singles lineup is ranked, led by No. 8 Melissa Lord (13-1 overall, 4-0 duals). Emma Higuchi (15-3 overall, 4-0 duals) leads the Cardinal in wins and is ranked No. 43. The doubles team of Caroline Doyle and Lord checks in at No. 39.