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.
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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.
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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. Â Â
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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. Â Â
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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.
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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.
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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.
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With Friday's win, Stanford finished the regular-season 9-1 at Taube Family Tennis Center. Â
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No. 20 Stanford 4, No. 42 California 0
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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
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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: 4,6,1Â
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