STANFORD, Calif. - No. 26 Stanford (17-6, 6-1 Pac-12) will be making its 36th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance when first round competition gets underway at campus sites next weekend.
The Cardinal will square off against No. 40 Tennessee (14-12, 5-7 SEC) on May 8 in Durham, N.C., for its NCAA Tournament opener. The next edition of the rankings, which will be used throughout the postseason, will be released on Friday.
Duke, ranked No. 9 in the country but the tournament’s No. 10 overall seed, will host first and second competition on May 8-9. The Blue Devils will square off against South Carolina State in the opening round.
 Friday, May 8 (First Round): No. 26 Stanford (17-6, 6-1 Pac-12) vs. No. 40 Tennessee Volunteers (14-12, 5-7 SEC) - 7 a.m. PT Friday, May 8 (First Round): No. 9 Duke (22-6, 8-4 ACC) vs. South Carolina State (14-4, 4-0 MEAC) - 10 a.m. PT Saturday, May 9 (Second Round): First-round winners - 10 a.m. PT |
Stanford will open NCAA Tournament play on the road for the third consecutive season. The Cardinal has dropped its first-round match in each of the last two seasons after back-to-back NCAA quarterfinal efforts in 2011-12.
Ranked between No. 24-43 throughout the season, Stanford completed one of its best seasons in recent memory, clinching a share of the Pac-12 regular-season championship for the first time since 2010. The Cardinal also reached the Pac-12 Tournament final for the first time in school history, falling 4-3 to USC.
Prior to a loss against California in the regular-season finale, Stanford had won 10 consecutive matches, its longest winning streak since ripping off 13 straight victories in 2011. In addition to its surprising Pac-12 regular-season finish, the Cardinal defeated UCLA and USC at home and owns two victories against California. Stanford’s six losses have all come against teams ranked among the top-30.
Making this year’s campaign even more impressive, the Cardinal showcases a singles lineup featuring three freshmen, led by rookie Tom Fawcett’s team-leading 26-9 overall record.
Stanford owns a 103-20 all-time record in the postseason. The Cardinal has won 17 NCAA championships, including 15 since the NCAA Tournament went to its present format in 1977. The most recent crown came back in 2000, when Stanford blanked VCU 4-0.