SEATTLE - Facing its stiffest competition of the season, No. 6 Stanford fell short of No. 5 Georgia on Friday morning, 4-2.
The Cardinal had a chance, with two singles victories and another two courts in three sets, but couldn't complete the comeback against the Bulldogs.
Stanford notched a win in the first doubles match on court one, a 6-2 win for Angelica Blake and Alexis Blokhina, but UGA rallied for wins on three and two to take the first point of the day.
Blake kept her momentum alive in singles, racing ahead to win the first set 6-0 and closing it out 6-2 in the second for a ranked win over No. 39 Mell Reasco on court three. Alexandra Yepifanova held on as long as she could before losing on court two, but Stanford quickly evened things up again with a straight-set win for Sara Choy on court six.
Blokhina's loss on court three gave the Bulldogs three points, and despite Stanford winning the first set on courts one and five, UGA rallied to force a deciding set on each. No. 11 Lea Ma soared past No. 3 Connie Ma in the third set to clinch the win for Georgia, with No. 88 Valencia Xu just one game away from a victory and Stanford's third point.
The Cardinal will face the loser of Duke and Oklahoma on Saturday at 12 p.m.
#5 Georgia 4, Stanford 2
DOUBLES
1. Angelica Blake/Alexis Blokhina (STAN) d. Guillermina Grant/Mai Nirundorn (UGA) 6-2
2. Meg Kowalski/Mell Reasco (UGA) d. #46 Valencia Xu/Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) 7-5
3. Ania Hertel/Anastasiia Lopata (UGA) d. Sara Choy/Connie Ma (STAN) 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
SINGLES
1. #11 Lea Ma (UGA) d. #3 Connie Ma (STAN) 5-7, 6-4, 6-1
2. #40 Dasha Vidamanova (UGA) d. #41 Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) 6-1, 7-6(6)
3. #31 Angelica Blake (STAN) d. #39 Mell Reasco (UGA) 6-0, 6-2
4. Meg Kowalski (UGA) d. #56 Alexis Blokhina (STAN) 6-3, 7-5
5. #88 Valencia Xu (STAN) vs. Anna Hertel (UGA) 7-5, 4-6, 5-4 (DNF)
6. Sara Choy (STAN) d. Guillermina Grant (UGA) 7-5, 6-4
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 6, 4, 1