SANTA CLARA, Calif. – After an upset over then-No. 50 UNLV and promising performances at the ITA Kick Off three-weeks ago, the No. 56 Santa Clara women's tennis team picks back up into dual season competition with a two-match road trip this weekend. For the first non-conference match, the Broncos take on No. 2 Stanford on Fri., Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. and then will travel to San Luis Obispo to take on Cal Poly on Sun., Feb. 16 at 11 a.m.
"We are excited to play the defending NCAA Champions," said Bronco head coach Ben Cabell. "We know they are very good, but it's a great opportunity to see what we can do against them. Katie had a fantastic win last year at Stanford. What we took away from the Cal match at the ITA Kick Off was that we can compete at this level. That match gave us a lot of confidence and will help us for the rest of the season."
Santa Clara' overall record is 1-1, with a loss 0-4 to then-No. 8 Cal and a 4-0 win over then-No. 50 UNLV at the ITA Kick Off in Berkeley, Calif. over the weekend of Jan. 24.
The Broncos will look to the senior talents of No. 28 Katie Le as she performs at the No. 1 position in singles and doubles over the weekend.
Stanford
The Cardinals are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation by the ITA after five weeks at No. 1. The defending NCAA Champions Stanford (4-0; 0-0 Pac-12) is coming off a sweep in its first road trip of the year last weekend. After defeating No. 17 Texas 6-1, the Cardinal followed up with a 5-2 victory at No. 22 Rice. Stanford, which has also registered shutouts over UC Davis and No. 69 Princeton, has rescheduled its match against No. 37 Saint Mary's for later in the month due to rain.
No. 5 Kristie Ahn has paced the Cardinal, compiling a 16-1 overall record and holding down the No. 1 spot in both singles and doubles. Ahn has also been named Pac-12 Player of the Week for her performance against Texas and Rice, earning the honor for the second time in three weeks.
Cal Poly
The Mustangs (2-2; 0-1 Big West) have competed against two WCC opponents this season. Cal Poly dropped its opening match, 5-2, to University of San Francisco and earned its first road victory of 2014 with a 5-2 victory at Loyola Marymount. Mustang senior Jennifer Cornea was named Big West Conference Athlete of the Week on Wednesday afternoon after winning in three of her four total matches and helping Cal Poly to a weekend road split.
Following a 13-day break, Cal Poly takes on San Jose State on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. before hosting the Broncos on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Last Year versus the Cardinal and Mustangs
On April 4, 2013 the Santa Clara fell, 5-2, to No. 12 Stanford in a midweek non-conference evening match. The highlight was when then-No. 28 Le took down the defending 2012 NCAA Singles and Doubles Champion then-No. 20 Nicole Gibbs. Le was the last Bronco off the courts as she battled through a long and tough three-set match, winning by a score of 6-7(1), 6-3, 1-0(8). Santa Clara's second point came from freshman Chelby Cooke. At the No. 4 position, Cooke topped her first ranked opponent of the 2012-13 season. The Bakersfield, Calif. native was leading No. 93 Stacey Tan in the first set, 3-2, after Tan had to retire.
On Feb., 24, 2013, then-unranked Santa Clara came up victorious at home with a 4-0 win over a shorthanded Cal Poly team. The Broncos solidified the doubles point with two more wins from the partnership of Kelly Lamble and Maggie McGeorge and Katie Le and Jessica Agra. In singles competition, sophomore Stephanie Skaras swept her Mustang opponent Anna Klavins without dropping a game, 6-0, 6-0. Nationally ranked Bronco, then-No. 25 Katie Le, also defeated her competitor Jen Corena at the No. 1 singles position. Le finished off the match by a score of 6-3, 6-1.
Game Notes
Fri., Feb. 14
No. 56 Santa Clara vs. No. 2 Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif. @ 3:00 p.m (Taube Tennis Center)
Sun., Feb. 16
No. 56 Santa Clara vs. Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif. @ 11:00 a.m. (Mustang Tennis Complex)
GO BRONCOS!
