PHILADELPHIA - No. 12 Stanford defeated No. 11 Tufts 6-3 on Sunday morning at the CSA National Championships, securing a third-place Kurtz Cup finish and completing an impressive turnaround after a winless 2022 season.
Flipping the script from a 6-3 home loss to Tufts back on Jan. 4, Stanford (7-6) produced its best record since a 8-5 campaign in 2019, resulting in a third-place Howe Cup finish that was the best in school history.
After finishing 0-11 last season, Stanford took a major step forward in 2023 despite regularly featuring a starting lineup that included seven freshmen. The Cardinal also delivered a third-place finish at the MASC Championships in its first year as a member school.
Tied 3-3 against the Jumbos (13-7), Mary Duffy grinded through a five-set victory at the No. 5 spot to give Stanford a 4-3 advantage.
Si Yi Ma followed with the clincher, prevailing 11-6, 14-12, 11-13, 11-9 at the No. 1 spot as the Cardinal defeated its highest-ranked opponent of the season.
Ma improved to 12-1 at the top 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.
Seeded No. 4 in the Kurtz Cup (B Division), Stanford controlled the top five spots of the lineup while receiving a clutch three-set performance from Leah McGillicuddy on court seven.
The focus now shifts to individual play, with the CSA National Individual Championships set for March 3-5.
No. 12 Stanford 6, No. 11 Tufts 3
1's: Si Yi Ma (STAN) d. Vharshamithraa Dinesh (TUFTS) 11-6, 14-12, 11-13, 11-9
2's: Miriam Cheng (STAN) d. Riddhi Joshi (TUFTS) 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-3
3's: Khushi Kukadia (STAN) d. Caroline Chin (TUFTS) 11-3, 11-9, 11-9
4's: Lucia Bicknell (STAN) d. Aleezah Burhan (TUFTS) 11-2, 11-6, 11-7
5's: Mary Duffy (STAN) d. Nieve Monderer (TUFTS) 2-11, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-4
6's: Sanjana Vissapragada (TUFTS) d. Isabella Rolfe (STAN) 11-8, 11-9, 11-4
7's: Leah McGillicuddy (STAN) d. Isabella Schneider (TUFTS) 11-7, 11-6, 11-5
8's: Ellyn Xu (TUFTS) d. Andrea Kitahata (STAN) 11-1, 11-3, 11-5
9's: Ami Sao (TUFTS) d. Abigail Alemayeho (STAN) 11-6, 11-3, 11-2