CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 12 Stanford's season came to an end on Saturday, as No. 5 Virginia out-lasted the Cardinal, 4-2, in the NCAA Super Regional.
With rain in the forecast, the match was moved up and play began outside. Virginia (24-4) grabbed the first match of the doubles competition with a 6-2 win at No. 1, but Stanford (19-7) looked to even it up as Sameer Kumar and Timothy Sah held a 5-2 lead with match point at No. 2. On court three, Jack Barber and Sangeet Sridhar were in a battle with Gianni Ross and William Woodall of the Cavaliers, tied at 3-3. The UVA duo surged ahead, however, capturing the next two games and won the match 6-4 to give the Cavaliers the doubles point.
Shortly into singles play, the expected rain came and play was suspended for the next hour as the match headed indoors to the Boar's Head Resort near campus. The change in venue changed momentum in Stanford's favor.
Kumar continued his strong play with a 6-4, 6-1 victory at No. 4 in his final collegiate match to even the dual. Sah then put Stanford ahead in the dual with the same victorious result at No. 5.
Meanwhile, Axel Geller and Alexandre Rotsaert stormed back from first-set defeats to even things up with strong second sets in their singles matches at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Geller, ranked No. 13 in the latest ITA poll, faced a 6-0, 5-0 hole, before winning seven straight games to take the second set and send it to a decisive third set against No. 3 Carl Soderlund. Rotsaert bounced back from a 6-1 setback in the opening set to take the second set, 6-4, over Brandon Nakashima.
Playing in front of its home crowd, the Cavaliers were able to hold off the charging Cardinal in the end, however. They got their second point with a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win by Aswin Lizen over Sangeet Sridhar at No. 6.
Nakashima won the decisive third set against Rotsaert, 6-3, to give UVA its third point. Soderlund clinched it for Virginia with a 6-1 third-set win at No. 1.
The defeat ended Stanford's season, as the standout careers of Sameer Kumar and Michael Genender came to a close. Kumar finished tied for 32nd in program history with 46 career dual victories. Saturday's match marked Stanford's 31st all-time appearance in the Round of 16 and its the 12th appearance since 2000. No. 5 Virginia 4, No. 12 Stanford 2
DOUBLES
1. No. 33 Henrik Wiersholm/Brandon Nakashima (UVA) d. No. 21 Axel Geller/Alexandre Rotsaert 6-2
2. Sameer Kumar/Timothy Sah (STAN) led Carl Soderlund/Aswin Lizen (UVA) 5-2
3. Gianni Ross/William Woodall (UVA) d. Jack Barber/Sangeet Sridhar (STAN) 6-4
Order of Finish: 1,3
SINGLES
1. No. 3 Carl Soderlund (UVA) d. No. 13 Axel Geller (STAN) 6-0, 5-7, 6-1
2. No. 82 Brandon Nakashima (UVA) d. No. 63 Alexandre Rotsaert (STAN) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
3. No. 114 Henrik Wiersholm (UVA) led No. 91 William Genesen (STAN) vs. 7-6 (3), 5-5, UNF
4. Sameer Kumar (STAN) d. Gianni Ross (UVA) 6-4, 6-1
5. Timothy Sah (STAN) d. Ryan Goetz (UVA) 6-4, 6-1
6. Aswin Lizen (UVA) d. Sangeet Sridhar (STAN) 7-6 (5), 6-2
Order of Finish: 4,5,6,2,1