STANFORD, Calif. – No. 17 Stanford will be making its 38th NCAA Tournament appearance when it hosts first and second round competition next weekend.
The Cardinal (16-8, 4-3 Pac-12), seeded 16th overall in the postseason draw, hosts Idaho (16-7, 9-2 Big Sky) at 2 p.m. PT on Friday, May 12, in the first round. Michigan (22-6, 10-2 Big Ten) will face Valparaiso (23-3, 7-0 Horizon League) earlier that day at 11 a.m. The winners meet in the second round on Saturday, May 13, at 4 p.m.
Stanford will open NCAA Tournament play at home for the first time since 2012. Last season the Cardinal advanced to the round of 16 after topping Notre Dame 4-1 and upsetting host No. 14 Northwestern 4-3 before falling 4-2 to No. 2 UCLA.
"I'm very excited for our team to get the opportunity to play the first two rounds in the comfort of their own home," stated Taube Director of Men's Tennis Paul Goldstein. "This has been a goal for the team this year and represents a step for the program. This is certainly not the ultimate goal for us, but it is a meaningful progress. We would love to see Taube packed next weekend with support for these incredible student-athletes."
Taube Family Tennis Stadium will play host to NCAA first and second round competition on May 12-14, also serving as a host site on the women's side. All seats are general admission. Single-day tickets are $8 (adult) and $5 (student/youth/senior). Tickets are available by calling 1-800-STANFORD or visiting www.gostanford.com. Tickets will go sale Wednesday, May 3, at 9 a.m. PT.
Ranked between No. 15-44 throughout the season, the Cardinal rallied to claim a five-match win streak including a benchmark 4-1 win over No. 5 USC. In addition, Stanford advanced to the Pac-12 semifinal match for the third straight year. Seven-of-eight of the Cardinal's losses have come against ranked opponents.
Stanford owns a 106-22 all-time record in the postseason. The Cardinal has won 17 NCAA championships, including 15 since the NCAA Tournament went to its present format in 1977. The most recent crown came back in 2000, when Stanford blanked VCU 4-0.