STILLWATER, Okla. - Stanford's season came to a conclusion on Thursday, as the Cardinal wrapped up competition in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. The week was highlighted by a run to the quarterfinals in singles by junior Alexandra Yepifanova.
Stanford featured three players selected into the singles draw and one doubles team. Yepifanova was joined by Angelica Blake and Connie Ma in singles, while parternering with Ma in doubles.
Yepifanova's run cemented All-America status for the third-year Cardinal, her second consecutive honor following last year's Round of 16 appearance. Her tournament kicked off with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over fourth-seeded Kari Miller of Michigan, before continuing with a three-set win in the second round over Georgia's No. 41 Alexandra Vecic 6-7, 6-2, 6-2. She took down No. 50 Luciana Perry of Ohio State in the Round of 16 7-6, 6-1 before running into eighth-seeded Alexa Noel of Miami, to whom she fell 6-2, 6-3. Yepifanova wraps up her season at 26-8 overall in singles, including a 16-4 record against nationally-ranked opponents.
Ma also achieved All-America honors by virtue of her No. 6 seed in the singles tournament, where she advanced to the Round of 16. She earned a 7-6, 6-2 win over No. 58 Reilly Tran of North Carolina in the first round and followed that up with 6-1, 6-3 victory over Texas A&M's No. 45 Mia Kupres in the second. Ma was ousted by Georgia's No. 16 Dasha Vidmanova 6-3, 6-4. Her year ended with a 40-6 overall singles record.
Blake, the Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year, lost in the opening round on Monday to North Carolina's No. 22 Elizabeth Scotty 7-6, 6-2. She went 14-6 overall this season and had a nine-match winning streak over six weeks that propeled Stanford to the quarterfinals of the team draw in Stillwater.
In doubles, Ma and Yepifanova opened by beating Michigan's Jaedan Brown and Kari Miller 6-4, 6-7, 10-5, before losing to Celia-Belle Mohr and Anessa Lee of Vanderbilt in the Round of 16 6-4, 6-0.
Stanford boasts 14 NCAA singles champions all-time, its last coming in 2013 as Nicole Gibbs won her second straight title.
NCAA SINGLES FIRST ROUND (May 20)
No. 29 Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) d. No. 5 Kari Miller (MICH) 6-1, 6-2
No. 7 Connie Ma (STAN) d. No. 58 Reilly Tran (UNC) 7-6 (2), 6-2
No. 22 Elizabeth Scotty (UNC) d. No. 25 Angelica Blake (STAN) 6-2, 7-6 (4)
NCAA SINGLES SECOND ROUND (May 21)
No. 29 Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) d. No. 41 Alexandra Vecic (UGA) 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-2
No. 7 Connie Ma (STAN) d. No. 45 Mia Kupres (TAMU) 6-1, 6-3
NCAA SINGLES ROUND OF 16 (May 22)
No. 29 Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) d. No. 50 Luciana Perry (OHST) 7-6, (4), 6-1
No. 16 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) d. No. 7 Connie Ma (STAN) 6-3, 6-4
NCAA SINGLES QUARTERFINALS (May 23)
No. 10 Alexa Noel (MIA) d. No. 29 Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) 6-2, 6-3
NCAA DOUBLES FIRST ROUND (May 21)
No. 10 Connie Ma/Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) d. No. 9 Jaedan Brown/Kari Miller (MICH) 6-4, 6-7 (5), 10-5
NCAA DOUBLES ROUND OF 16 (May 22)
No. 33 Anessa Lee/Celia-Belle Mohr (VANDY) d. No. 10 Connie Ma/Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) 6-4, 6-0