LUBBOCK, Texas – Stanford put together its best performance of the season on Saturday, defeating 11th-seeded host Texas Tech 4-1 in the second round of the NCAA Championship in Lubbock.
Coming in at No. 12 in the latest ITA poll, the Red Raiders are the highest-ranked team the Cardinal has beaten this year and its best true road victory since a 5-2 win at No. 9 California on April 19, 2024. Stanford awaits the winner of No. 6 seed Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in next weekend’s Super Regionals.
Stanford set the tone in doubles with some monster efforts on court Nos. 1 and 3. Chidimma Okpara and Morgan Shaffer won 6-3 to snap a seven-match losing streak and pick up their first win since March 21. At No. 1, Valerie Glozman and Connie Ma beat the country’s No. 8 pair of Mariia Hlahola and Avelina Sayfetdinova to secure the Cardinal its first doubles point since April 11 at Wake Forest.
With the early lead in its back pocket, the Cardinal went to work in singles and picked up two crucial, quick points from Caroline Driscoll and Connie Ma. Driscoll was a 6-2, 6-0 winner at No. 3, while Ma moved to an amazing 16-1 this spring with a 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1.
The clincher came from the ACC Freshman of the Year in Valerie Glozman at No. 2. Down 4-0 to Kate Dmitrichenko, Glozman battled back to force a first-set tiebreak, taking that 7-2. Mometum in hand, Glozman breezed in the second to a 6-1 win to send Stanford on.
#25 Stanford 4, #12 Texas Tech 1
DOUBLES
1) #27 Valerie Glozman/Connie Ma (STAN) d. #8 Mariia Hlahola/Avelina Sayfetdinova (TTU) 6-4
2) Caroline Driscoll/Valencia Xu (STAN) tied with Kate Smitrichenko/Hailey Murphy (TTU) 5-5 unf.
3) Chidimma Okpara/Morgan Shaffer (STAN) d. Andreea Lila/Jermine Sherif (TTU) 6-3
Order of finish: 3, 1
SINGLES
1) #12 Connie Ma (STAN) d. Avelina Sayfetdinova (TTU) 6-1, 6-1
2) #8 Valerie Glozman (STAN) d. Kate Dmitrichenko (TTU) 7-6 (2), 6-1
3) #88 Caroline Driscoll (STAN) d. Mariia Hlahola (TTU) 6-2, 6-0
4) Andreea Lila (TTU) led Valencia Xu (STAN) 6-4, 4-3 unf.
5) Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) led Hailey Murphy (TTU) 6-4, 5-5 unf.
6) Jermien Sherif (TTU) d. Chidimma Okpara (STAN) 6-2, 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 1, 6, 2