ATLANTA - Senior Taylor Davidson had been there before. Now Stanford is going back.
Davidson shook off third-set deficits of 4-1, 5-4 and 6-5 before outlasting Gabriella De Santis 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (5) to clinch defending NCAA champion Stanford's 4-3 upset of Ohio State on Monday night in the semifinals of the NCAA Championships.
Improving to 11-1 all-time in the postseason, Davidson clinched her fourth career NCAA match, a resume most noted for the deciding victory in the 2016 national championship.
Awaiting No. 7 seed Stanford in Tuesday's NCAA championship (2 p.m. PT, weather permitting) is No. 1 seed Florida, representing the latest chapter of the sport's best rivalry. Stanford has won seven of the last 11 meetings and the rivals will be hooking up for the fifth time in the postseason during that stretch.
Stanford has incredibly won 16 of its last 18 NCAA Tournament matches when seeded lower than its opponent, a battle-tested stretch that dates back to 2010.
Looking to repeat as national champions for the first time since a three-year stranglehold in 2004-06, Stanford (26-2) can point to its never-say-die belief and lower-lineup depth as factors in Monday's victory.
In a match that was shifted 1.5 hours away to Georgia Tech's indoor facility due to rain at the host site, Stanford was playing its second indoor match in as many days. Ohio State (32-3), seeded No. 3 in the draw but ranked No. 2 in the nation, was playing at the facility for the second straight day.
The Buckeyes immediately took control in doubles, dominating play for a 1-0 lead.
The lead swelled to 2-0 when Francesca Di Lorenzo, the nation's top-ranked player, coasted past senior Caroline Doyle 6-1, 6-0.
However, Stanford had booked the first set on the five remaining courts, and appeared to be in great shape for a comeback.
The results came through, one by one. Freshman Emily Arbuthnott cruised to a 6-4, 6-3 victory at the No. 5 spot for her 28th win in 32 matches. Sophomore Melissa Lord improved to 9-0 all-time in the postseason with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 triumph on court two. Freshman Emma Higuchi extended her winning streak to 22 following a 6-3, 7-5 victory at the No. 6 position.
Leading 3-2, Stanford had all the momentum and two capable candidates to clinch in Davidson and sophomore Caroline Lampl.
Ohio State evened it at 3-3 when Miho Kowase edged Lampl 3-6, 7-6 (0), 7-5 on court four.
That left it all riding on Davidson, who had battled back to force a third-set tiebreaker. Tied at 3-3, Davidson collected three straight points before De Santis crept to within 6-5.
After a one-minute and 31-second rally, De Santis' backhand lob sailed wide and Davidson was mobbed by her teammates.
The victory came with a price. Battling fatigue and cramps, Davidson received medical treatment on court following the match. Her status for tomorrow's NCAA championship will be determined Tuesday.
The winningest program in collegiate history with 19 national championships (18 NCAA, 1 AIAW), Stanford must be considered a national title contender regardless of seed. Despite being seeded higher than No. 5 only once (at No. 1 in 2011) over the last nine years, the Cardinal has produced three NCAA crowns (2010, 2013, 2016).
In 2016, Stanford became the lowest-seeded team to win an NCAA title at No. 15, defeating Oklahoma State in a 4-3 thriller. Four years ago, Stanford won it all as a No. 12 seed – at the time the lowest-seeded team to accomplish the feat. In 2010, the Cardinal took home the crown as a No. 8 seed.
Another intriguing storyline is the race between Stanford and UCLA to become the all-time leader in NCAA team championships. Both the Cardinal and Bruins have captured 113 NCAA team titles.
Stanford 4, Ohio State 3
DOUBLES
1) No. 18 Di Lorenzo/Kowase (OSU) vs. No. 39 Arbuthnott/Davidson (STAN) 4-4, abandoned
2) Niehaus/Anna Sanford (OSU) d. No. 46 Doyle/Lord (STAN) 6-2
3) De Santis/Angeles Paz (OSU) d. Higuchi/Lampl (STAN) 6-1
Order of Finish: 2, 3
SINGLES
1) No. 1 Francesca Di Lorenzo (OSU) d. No. 38 Caroline Doyle (STAN) 6-1, 6-0
2) No. 28 Melissa Lord (STAN) d. No. 67 Anna Sanford (OSU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
3) No. 54 Taylor Davidson (STAN) d. No. 95 Gabriella De Santis (OSU) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (5)
4) No. 91 Miho Kowase (OSU) d. No. 90 Caroline Lampl (STAN) 3-6, 7-6 (0), 7-5
5) Emily Arbuthnott (STAN) d. No. 112 Sandy Niehaus (OSU) 6-4, 6-3
6) No. 71 Emma Higuchi (STAN) d. Ferny Angeles Paz (OSU) 6-3, 7-5
Order of Finish: 1, 5, 2, 6, 4, 3