STANFORD, Calif. - No. 4 Stanford opens its season this weekend with a four-match road trip to Philadelphia.
The four matches represent the only fall competition for the Cardinal, which returns to action on Jan. 9 for its lone home contest of the season, hosting George Washington.
On tap this weekend for Stanford are No. 6 Penn (Friday, 1:30 p.m. PT), No. 3 Princeton (Saturday, 9 a.m. PT), No. 12 Virginia (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. PT) and No. 9 Drexel (Sunday, 8 a.m. PT).
Stanford produced a successful 2017-18 campaign, highlighted by both team and individual accomplishments as the Cardinal finished 16-4 overall.
Earning a No. 5 final national ranking, Stanford outlasted Penn 5-4 in the consolation final of the CSA National Championships. The Cardinal, which posted a nation-best 16 victories, dropped a 5-4 decision to Yale in the opening round and cruised past Cornell 8-1 in its consolation opener before defeating the Quakers for the second time this season.
Stanford won six of its final seven matches down the stretch. The Cardinal was undefeated in seven home matches and also finished 7-4 overall against top-10 opponents, including a 6-3 win at Yale during the regular season. Meanwhile, two of its four losses came against eventual national champion Harvard.
Stanford produced 136 individual victories, ranking second in the country behind Williams College (144). Caroline Neave (15-2) is Stanford's leading returner, however seven Cardinal players registered double-digit win totals.