STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford was well represented among this year's All-Pac-12 Team, dominating the selections with its entire singles lineup and three specialty award honorees.
The Cardinal (18-3, 9-0 Pac-12) has relied on its superior depth throughout the season, with the All-Pac-12 recognition serving as the latest example. Stanford's nine overall all-conference selections are the most in school history, surpassing the previous best of six, achieved three times but most recently in 2006.
Highlighting Stanford's haul were the recipients of three specialty awards: Michaela Gordon winning Freshman of the Year, Gordon and sophomore Emily Arbuthnott pairing up as the Doubles Team of the Year and Lele Forood tabbed the Coach of the Year.
Additionally, every member of Stanford's singles lineup was recognized. Gordon was named to the first team, junior Melissa Lord booked a spot on the second team while Arbuthnott, sophomore Emma Higuchi, junior Caroline Lampl and freshman Janice Shin all earned honorable mention accolades.
Ranked No. 15 nationally, Michaela Gordon is Stanford's first top conference rookie since @kristieahn in 2011. #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/tSqaxjWswy
— Stanford Women's Tennis (@StanfordWTennis) May 8, 2018
This year's honors are even more impressive considering the Cardinal was without a first-team honoree in 2017, representing a first in school history.
Ranked No. 43 nationally, Arbuthnott (24-7 overall, 14-2 duals) shares the team lead in victories and owns an 8-1 record at the No. 4 spot. She has provided a team-best six clinching points, owns a 5-1 record in three-setters, is 10-2 against Pac-12 opponents and 9-5 versus nationally-ranked foes. Arbuthnott will also compete in the NCAA Singles Championships.
Stanford's top-ranked player at No. 15 in the country, Gordon (21-8 overall, 12-7 duals) has played all of her dual matches at the top spot of the lineup during her rookie season. Gordon, who will compete in the NCAA Singles Championships, ranks second on the team with four clinchers and is 11-3 against Pac-12 players and 8-6 against nationally-ranked opponents. Gordon is Stanford's first top conference rookie since Kristie Ahn was selected as Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2011.
One year after being named to the second team, Higuchi (24-6 overall, 16-3 duals) has compiled another impressive campaign. Ranked No. 102 nationally and sharing the team lead in victories, Higuchi is riding a 12-match winning streak, having not lost since Feb. 24. She is 11-2 against conference opponents and unbeaten in four career three-setters.
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Lampl (17-7 overall, 11-4 duals) owns Stanford's 72 career victories, the most of any player on the active roster. Ranked No. 93 nationally, Lampl has settled in at the No. 3 position, posting a 7-2 mark at that spot of the lineup. Lampl enters the postseason having won eight of her last nine overall.
Checking in at No. 40 nationally, Lord (14-4 overall, 6-1 duals) has made an immediate impact since returning to the lineup in late March following a shoulder injury. Stanford's lone All-American, Lord is 10-0 all-time in NCAA team competition and is making her second career appearance in the singles tournament. Lord was a second-team pick last year.
Shin (21-4 overall, 12-3 duals) has enjoyed a productive rookie season, cleaning up at the No. 5 spot with an 8-1 record. Shin is also cruising into the postseason, having won seven in a row and chalking up an 8-2 record against Pac-12 opponents.
Arbuthnott and Gordon (16-4 overall, 8-3 duals) were awarded a spot in the NCAA Doubles Championships and tabbed the No. 3 overall seed while also being ranked No. 3 in the country. The Cardinal's top pairing is 8-2 against nationally-ranked duos and captured the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships title in November. Arbuthnott and Gordon captured Stanford's first conference honor since Taylor Davidson and Carol Zhao in 2015.
Sixth conference honor for #lele. #GoStanford ????
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Forood was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year, earning her sixth conference coach of the year honor but first since 2011. The Cardinal posted an 18-3 overall record and went 9-0 in Pac-12 play for the program's 11th undefeated conference slate. Stanford won its second straight Pac-12 Tournament title, collecting its third consecutive conference title overall for the first time since a similar stretch in 2010-12. During Forood's coaching tenure, the Cardinal has compiled a 432-43 record, participated in 17 NCAA Tournaments and captured eight NCAA team championships, the most recent coming in 2016 as a No. 15 seed.
Stanford, which has hosted NCAA first and second round competition every year since the inception of the 64-team format in 1999, will host St. Johns (17-5, 4-1 BIG EAST) at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 11, in its postseason opener. The regional's other Friday matchup pits No. 17 Michigan (17-9, 10-1 Big Ten) against Hawai'i (12-6, 6-2 Big West) at 11 a.m.
The winners meet in the second round on Saturday at 4 p.m., with a berth in next week's NCAA Championships in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on the line. All seats are general admission while single-day tickets are priced at $8 (adult) and $5 (student/youth/senior).
Seeded No. 15 overall in the postseason draw, the Cardinal is seeking its 20th national championship (18 NCAA, 1 AIAW). Making its 37th consecutive postseason appearance, Stanford owns a 147-19 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament.