ORLANDO – Low seed. High seed. Doesn't matter.
All that matters, is Stanford is still Stanford.
After winning its last four NCAA titles as a No. 8 seed or lower, Stanford once again flexed its muscle as the No. 3 seed, routing top-seeded Georgia 4-0 on Sunday night and repeating as national champions for the first time since a three-year stretch from 2004-06.
Building championship habits since day one.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/BqtRWJ7mWZ
— Stanford Women's Tennis (@StanfordWTennis) May 20, 2019
The most decorated program in college history and the winningest program on The Farm, Stanford has incredibly won 20 of the possible 38 NCAA championships. The Cardinal, which was appearing in its fourth consecutive final, has won 21 national championships overall (20 NCAA, 1 AIAW).
Stanford (28-1, 10-0 Pac-12) closed its season on a 23-match winning streak and avenged its only loss, a 4-3 setback to Georgia (28-2, 13-0 SEC) back on Feb. 11 in the semifinals of the ITA National Indoor Championships. The Cardinal improved to 50-5 during the month of May since 2010, a stretch that has produced five NCAA titles (2010, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019).
The Cardinal established the tone early, capturing the doubles point for a 1-0 lead. However, Stanford had been in the same situation back in February, winning the doubles point only to see Georgia respond with four singles wins.
There would be none of that on Sunday.
When you have a ring for each finger and everyone wants to know the secret...#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/QYWrz0NaBF
— Stanford Women's Tennis (@StanfordWTennis) May 20, 2019
Showcasing its superior depth and championship experience on the big stage, Stanford quickly secured four of six first sets and was off and running.
The Cardinal put immense pressure on the Bulldogs thanks to convincing victories from battle-tested seniors Caroline Lampl and Melissa Lord, and both will depart The Farm with three NCAA championship rings in four seasons. In fact, only two four-year classes (1992-95, 1993-96) did not win at least one national championship during their time on The Farm.
One day after her 23-match winning streak – the longest since Kristie Ahn (24) in 2011 – was snapped in a loss to North Carolina, Lampl was unstoppable in a 6-2, 6-4 win over Lourdes Carle at the No. 3 spot to put Stanford ahead 2-0.
Melissa Lord extended it to 3-0, cruising past Marta Gonzalez 6-2, 6-4 at the No. 2 position. Lord wrapped up her career with a 20-1 record in NCAA team competition, including the clinching point in last season's final against Vanderbilt.
High seed. Low seed. Doesn't matter. Stanford matters. #GoStanford
A post shared by Stanford Women's Tennis (@stanfordwtennis) on May 19, 2019 at 7:14pm PDT
Stanford's 3-0 lead felt safe, despite Georgia having taken the first sets on two courts and fighting to stay in the match.
The clincher came from Janice Shin on court five, as she defeated Elena Christofi 6-2, 6-4 to remain unbeaten in eight career NCAA matches.
Sunday's NCAA title was the 10th for head coach Lele Forood, who improved to 466-44 in her 19-year tenure on The Farm while matching former head coach Frank Brennan with 10 national titles.
Stanford owns a 159-19 all-time record in the postseason since the NCAA Tournament went to its present format in 1982.
Stanford varsity teams have won 122 NCAA championships (65 men, 57 women). The Cardinal has won at least one NCAA championship during each of the last 43 years, dating back to the 1976-77 campaign.
Stanford has won five NCAA championships in 2018-19, also claiming titles in women's volleyball, women's swimming, men's gymnastics and women's water polo. Since 2000, Stanford has captured 46 NCAA crowns and 60 national team championships overall. Of Stanford's 122 NCAA championships, 32 have been won in the fall, 28 in the winter and 62 in the spring. Stanford's six NCAA titles in 1996-97 remains the national benchmark for an academic year.
No. 3 Stanford 4, No. 2 Georgia 0
DOUBLES
1) No. 28 Carle/Jokic (UGA) d. No. 19 Lampl/Kimberly Yee (STAN) 6-1
2) No. 29 Arbuthnott/Gordon (STAN) d. Christofi/Wolff (UGA) 7-5
3) Lord/Shin (STAN) d. Gonzalez/Kowalski (UGA) d. 6-3
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
SINGLES
1) No. 2 Katarina Jokic (UGA) led No. 24 Michaela Gordon (STAN) 7-5, 3-2, unfinished
2) No. 29 Melissa Lord (STAN) d. No. 19 Marta Gonzalez (UGA) 6-2, 6-4
3) No. 66 Caroline Lampl (STAN) d. No. 69 Lourdes Carle (UGA) 6-2, 6-4
4) No. 72 Vivian Wolff (UGA) led No. 44 Emily Arbuthnott (STAN) 7-5, 3-3, unfinished
5) No. 108 Janice Shin (STAN) d. Elena Christofi (UGA) 6-2, 6-4
6) No. 107 Emma Higuchi (STAN) led No. 122 Meg Kowalski (UGA) 7-6 (4), 0-2, unfinished
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 5
All-Tournament Team
Most Outstanding Player - Melissa Lord, Stanford
No. 1 Singles - Katarina Jokic, Georiga
No. 2 Singles - Melissa Lord, Stanford
No. 3 Singles - Sara Daavettila, North Carolina
No. 4 Singles - Vivian Wolff, Georgia
No. 5 Singles - Janice Shin, Stanford
No. 6 Singles - Meg Kowalski, Georgia
No. 1 Doubles - Lourdes Carle/Katarina Jokic, Georgia
No. 2 Doubles - Emily Arbuthnott/Michaela Gordon, Stanford
No. 3 Doubles - Melissa Lord/Janice Shin, Stanford
Head Coach Lele Forood
"We're really happy to win the doubles point. The conditions were really rough with the wind and stuff; it wasn't the most artistic doubles. These two especially (Caroline Lampl and Melissa Lord) came out so strong and so quick and really forged big leads in their matches, and that made it more comfortable for all of us. Then we were winning some other matches as well. It's just a great effort on the part of the whole team and especially these two, who set the tone right from the start of the singles."
"Well, we did use our freshmen a lot this season, and even one of them played in the win yesterday. They were a part of this, both of them. But obviously having these seniors is very helpful; they've been in these situations before and they pretty much know how to handle it. That's a big part of the continued winning of our program."
"I don't know if I'd say if any of our matches were in any way routine. I think there were ups and downs to all of them. There were a lot of great teams here. We're just happy to get by all of them."
"We had the opportunity to play College MatchDay here a couple years ago, and we just loved it. The atmosphere there, the situation with the courts was just amazing. When we found out they were going to be hosting the NCAA Championships, I think we were very excited to come here and play in Orlando at the USTA's home. I'm one who would like to see a permanent home for this tournament. I'm hoping it's here someday permanently."
"Our seniors are a fun group. They just have a really good time with each other, sometimes too good of a time, during practice when we have to tone them down. When you're going to see people for nine months a year almost daily, it's better to have them having a good time and enjoy being there and making practice and competitions fun. That will be what I miss."
Senior Caroline Lampl
"There's so many amazing things that come with playing college tennis, let alone being on the Stanford's women's tennis team. The biggest thing I will miss personally is just having a family that really genuinely cares about you, not only on the court but off the court as well. These girls are just my best friends and it's been such an honor being able to play by them the last four years. Our coaches — our mentors — having guided us pretty much through life the past four years, it's been a really unbelievable experience. It's something I'll cherish forever."
"Collegiate tennis in general has just been the best years of my life. It's so much fun going out there and playing all these teams, having the opportunity to compete against the best players in the nation. The four years I will never forget."
"Coming into Stanford, I was very intimidated. So many legends come out of this program like Nicole Gibbs, Hilary Barte, the Burdette sisters. It's really intimidating at first to live up to what they've set the tone for us. To add three more titles to the legacy, just really means so much. I'm really proud of the work that our class put in and our whole team. It's an unbelievable feeling."
"It's definitely a lot of fun watching my teammates out there. It takes the stress off of me, getting off the court. You want to be the first off the court; you want to set the tone. But it's also extremely stressful watching your teammates, too. I have so much faith in all of them on the court but you always get really nervous. We're on the sidelines grabbing each other throughout the point and the nerves are just definitely going through our heads. It's so much fun watching my teammates competing out there and really amazing to be able to support them."
"I'm not going to lie, Stanford is hard, and there are going to be ups and downs. The downs just make you an even stronger person. My last four years at Stanford have transformed me and made me a better person. I don't regret anything. The school has been the best experience."
Senior Melissa Lord
"Looking around the courts and seeing your teammates also winning definitely takes the pressure off. Having the support of my teammates really calmed me down in the end."
"Definitely will miss the people, having teammates that support you on and off the court. Also, the coaches that care about you, not only as tennis players, but as people. The support system we've had throughout our entire college career ... there's nothing like it."
"First day on the practice court, we came on and we were like, 'Oh we love these courts.' Just the atmosphere, everything about it was just great. We loved it."
"Going to Stanford, it's a dream come true. Obviously, this is where we wanted to go from the start. Just playing here for four years has been unmatched. To all the student-athletes out there, it's not easy. There's going to be bumps in the road. It's the best experience of your life. Looking back at it, I wouldn't regret anything."