STANFORD, Calif. – No. 20 Stanford women's tennis raised the banner as Pac-12 Champions once again, securing the conference's regular-season title with a 4-0 victory over No. 42 California Friday at Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
Hard to find a team playing better tennis than the Cardinal, which registered its 11th consecutive victory, completed the conference slate with a perfect 9-0 mark, and blanked its ninth opponent of the season. Stanford improved to 15-3 overall, while California moved to 11-8 overall and 6-4 in the conference.
Third straight and 27th overall conference title for the Cardinal. #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/L7DSrsr4ye
— Stanford Women's Tennis (@StanfordWTennis) April 20, 2018
The Cardinal heads into next week's Pac-12 Championships in Ojai, California, as the No. 1 seed and will receive a bye into the quarterfinals on Thursday. Stanford won the inaugural conference tournament title last season.
Stanford went on top early against its Bay Area rival in Friday's match, but the doubles point wasn't secured easily. With the Cardinal winning at No. 1 and the Bears taking No. 2, the coveted doubles point came down to the third match. Melissa Lord and Janice Shin were tied with Olivia Hauger and Julia Rosenqvist at 5-5 in the decisive contest. The Cardinal duo took control from there, winning the next two games to secure the point for Stanford.
The Cardinal continued its momentum from there. Sophomore Emily Arbuthnott surrendered just two games in dispatching her opponent at No. 4 singles for her team-best 22nd win of the season.
Fellow sophomore Emma Higuchi posted a 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 6 – her 21st win of the season – to inch Stanford closer to the match win.
Moments later, freshman Michaela Gordon won her 20th match of the season, providing her third clincher of the year with a 6-2, 6-4 victory at No. 1 to seal the conference regular-season title.
With Friday's win, Stanford finished the regular-season 9-1 at Taube Family Tennis Center.
No. 20 Stanford 4, No. 42 California 0
Doubles
1) No. 3 Emily Arbuthnott/Michaela Gordon (STAN) d. No. 52 Olivia Hauger/Julia Rosenqvist (CAL) 6-1
2) Anna Bright/Vivian Glozman (CAL) d. No. 56 Caroline Lampl/Kimberly Yee (STAN) 7-5
3) Melissa Lord/Janice Shin (STAN) d. Hana Mraz/Maria Smith (CAL) 7-5
Order of Finish: 1,2,3
Singles
1) No. 22 Michaela Gordon (STAN) d. No. 34 Julia Rosenqvist (CAL) 6-2, 6-4
2) No. 64 Melissa Lord (STAN) led No. 41 Anna Bright (CAL) 6-1, 3-5
3) No. 48 Olivia Hauger (CAL) led No. 102 Caroline Lampl (STAN) 7-6 (1), 0-1
4) No. 45 Emily Arbuthnott (STAN) d. Maria Smith (CAL) 6-2, 6-0
5) No. 96 Janice Shin (STAN) led Vivian Glozman (CAL) 6-1, 5-5
6) No. 100 Emma Higuchi (STAN) d. Hana Mraz (CAL) 6-2, 6-1
Order of Finish: 4,6,1