STANFORD, Calif. - No. 11 Stanford defeated No. 22 Bates 6-3 on Friday, notching its first victory in nearly three seasons.
The Cardinal (1-3) flexed its muscle by comfortably controlling the top six spots of the lineup, including five straight-set wins.
Despite playing short-handed and with a lineup featuring seven underclassmen, Stanford won for the first time since a 5-4 victory over Drexel in the consolation semifinals of the CSA National Championships on Feb. 22, 2020.
The Cardinal finished 0-11 last season and did not compete during the 2020-21 campaign, aligning with similar decisions made by peer institutions and coupled with the CSA's decision to cancel its national championship events due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Si Yi Ma remained unbeaten in four matches at the No. 1 spot of the lineup, building off her momentum from 2022 in which she produced a team-best 14-1 record while becoming Stanford's first Holleran Cup champion since Madeleine Gill in 2013.
Stanford's four-match, three-day stretch in Maine continues Saturday against No. 16 Bowdoin (7 a.m. PT) and No. 10 Dartmouth (11:30 a.m. PT).
No. 11 Stanford 6, No. 22 Bates 3
1's: Si Yi Ma (STAN) d. Andrea Martagon (BATES) 12-10-, 11-9, 11-7
2's: Khushi Kukadia (STAN) d. Aasya Patel (BATES) 11-9, 11-9, 11-8
3's: Lucia Bicknell (STAN) d. Erika Maria Parker-Schmidt (BATES) 11-8, 11-3, 11-4
4's: Mary Duffy (STAN) d. Grace Flaherty (BATES) 11-8, 12-14, 11-2, 11-6
5's: Leah McGillicuddy (STAN) d. Cordelia Dotson (BATES) 11-3, 11-3, 11-6
6's: Isabella Rolfe (STAN) d. Victoria Haghigi (BATES) 11-2, 11-6, 11-8
7's: Dainalee Velezx (BATES) d. Abigail Alemayeho (STAN) 11-6, 5-11, 10-12, 13-11, 12-10
8's: Abigail Zerbey (BATES) d. Riya Saran (STAN) 11-0, 11-5, 11-4
9's: Caroline Taggart (BATES) d. Riya Saran (STAN) 11-9, 12-10, 9-11, 12-10