STANFORD, Calif. - No. 4 Stanford hosts No. 9 Texas on Saturday afternoon at Taube Family Tennis Stadium, representing the Cardinal's last chance for key nonconference victory.
Stanford (6-1) is halfway through its two-match stretch against top-10 competition, defeating No. 7 Vanderbilt 6-1 last weekend in a rematch of the 2018 NCAA championship. The victory over the Commodores also increased head coach Lele Forood's record to 444-44 in 19 seasons on The Farm.
Next up is a visit from Texas (5-2), an opponent Stanford will be facing for the second time this season. The Cardinal defeated the Longhorns 4-3 in the quarterfinals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships three weeks ago in Seattle, Washington. Stanford was tested throughout the match, with Texas hanging close despite losing the doubles point.
There's a likely chance Saturday's match might also be shifted indoors, with rain in the forecast for the Bay Area this weekend.
Booking another signature nonconference win will be important for Stanford, which begins Pac-12 play on March 10 against Oregon. There will be additional opportunities in league play, with No. 5 UCLA, No. 16 California, No. 22 Washington, No. 31 Washington State and No. 32 USC all ranked among the top-50.
Melissa Lord was named Pac-12 Player of the Week, providing one of five singles victories against Vanderbilt. Lord's victory came nearly nine months after she provided the clinching point in Stanford's 2018 NCAA championship victory over Vanderbilt. Last May, Lord outlasted Fernanda Contreras 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 in the deciding contest to secure the Cardinal's 19th NCAA crown in a 4-3 win over the Commodores.
Stanford leads the country with eight players appearing in the singles rankings, led by No. 16 Michaela Gordon (11-7 overall, 3-2 duals) and No. 19 Emily Arbuthnott (19-4 overall, 6-1 duals). Meanwhile, No. 59 Caroline Lampl (15-6 overall, 6-0 duals) is riding a eight-match winning streak and stands nine victories shy of 100 for her career.
The Cardinal is also well represented with four ranked doubles teams. Lampl and Kimberly Yee (11-4 overall, 5-0 duals) check in at No. 12 while Arbuthnott and Gordon (7-3 overall, 2-0 duals) are right behind at No. 15.