STANFORD/BERKELEY, Calif. – For the second time in the last three weeks, the Sun Devil women's tennis team enters a two-match series against two top-15 ranked opponents. Friday features a match-up with No. 4 Stanford (9-1, 1-0) on the Pac-12 Network at 1:30 p.m. PT, followed by Saturday against No. 12 Cal (7-3, 1-1) at 12 p.m. PT.
A year ago, the Devils (7-3, 2-0) upset the Cardinal for just the second time in program history and the first time since 2008 under head coach Sheila McInerney.
"We're going to have to play well at all positions," said McInerney. "Stanford is one of the best teams in the country and they're really deep this year, particularly four through six. They're a lot deeper than they were a year ago, and they play well at home. The kids are excited about it and you have to just control what you can control – take care of your own court whether its singles or doubles."
The Devils were on the heels of upsetting then-No. 9 Pepperdine just two weeks ago, but fell short in a 4-3 loss. However, a few weeks prior, the women finished the upset of then-No. 16 South Carolina with a 4-3 advantage on Jan. 28.
So far this season, Stanford has taken on six ranked teams, including three in the top 10. One of those teams is responsible for their only loss on the season, as No. 1 Florida defeated the Cardinal 4-1 on Feb. 19.
As for the Cal Bears, they're 3-3 in their last six matches dating back to the end of the ITA Team Indoor Championships. The Golden Bears swept USC in two of the last three, while splitting with UCLA. They fell to the Bruins last weekend by a score of 4-3.
For ASU, junior Kelley Anderson – ranked No. 70 in the ITA singles rankings – enters the weekend with a 14-match unbeaten streak on court three. While her last three matches have gone unfinished, her most recent victory came against then-No. 17 Mayar Sherif Ahmed of Pepperdine on March 3.
Fellow junior Nicole Fossa-Huergo is also on quite a tear, winning six of her last seven matches with one unfinished match mixed in. She also upset a ranked player from Pepperdine on March 3, taking down then-No. 51 Laura Gulbe in straight sets.
In doubles, senior Kassidy Jump and sophomore Sammi Hampton – ranked No. 59 together – have won 14 of their last 17 matches with just one loss.
All three of Cal's doubles pairs are ranked, while Stanford's top pair of Caroline Doyle and Melissa Lord are in the top-30 at No. 29. Current senior Alex Osborne and former doubles partner Ebony Panoho defeated Lord and her former partner Carol Zhao in the Pac-12 Doubles Championship last season.
Stanford boasts all six of their players in the top 73 in singles, while Cal bears three in the top 96.
RANKED IN SINGLES
#9 Karla Popovic (Cal)
#13 Melissa Lord (Stanford)
#36 Caroline Doyle (Stanford)
#45 Maegan Manasse (Cal)
#46 Emma Higuchi (Stanford)
#48 Sammi Hampton (ASU)
#67 Emily Arbuthnott (Stanford)
#69 Taylor Davidson (Stanford)
#70 Kelley Anderson (ASU)
#73 Caroline Lampl (Stanford)
#96 Olivia Hauger (Cal)
#97 Kassidy Jump (ASU)
RANKED IN DOUBLES
#23 Popovic/Hauger (Cal)
#28 Manasse/Jansen (Cal)
#29 Doyle/Lord (Stanford)
#44 Osborne/Fossa-Huergo (ASU)
#46 Nelson/Starr (Cal)
#59 Jump/Hampton (ASU)
#65 Jansen/Starr (Cal)
A year ago, the Devils (7-3, 2-0) upset the Cardinal for just the second time in program history and the first time since 2008 under head coach Sheila McInerney.
"We're going to have to play well at all positions," said McInerney. "Stanford is one of the best teams in the country and they're really deep this year, particularly four through six. They're a lot deeper than they were a year ago, and they play well at home. The kids are excited about it and you have to just control what you can control – take care of your own court whether its singles or doubles."
The Devils were on the heels of upsetting then-No. 9 Pepperdine just two weeks ago, but fell short in a 4-3 loss. However, a few weeks prior, the women finished the upset of then-No. 16 South Carolina with a 4-3 advantage on Jan. 28.
So far this season, Stanford has taken on six ranked teams, including three in the top 10. One of those teams is responsible for their only loss on the season, as No. 1 Florida defeated the Cardinal 4-1 on Feb. 19.
As for the Cal Bears, they're 3-3 in their last six matches dating back to the end of the ITA Team Indoor Championships. The Golden Bears swept USC in two of the last three, while splitting with UCLA. They fell to the Bruins last weekend by a score of 4-3.
For ASU, junior Kelley Anderson – ranked No. 70 in the ITA singles rankings – enters the weekend with a 14-match unbeaten streak on court three. While her last three matches have gone unfinished, her most recent victory came against then-No. 17 Mayar Sherif Ahmed of Pepperdine on March 3.
Fellow junior Nicole Fossa-Huergo is also on quite a tear, winning six of her last seven matches with one unfinished match mixed in. She also upset a ranked player from Pepperdine on March 3, taking down then-No. 51 Laura Gulbe in straight sets.
In doubles, senior Kassidy Jump and sophomore Sammi Hampton – ranked No. 59 together – have won 14 of their last 17 matches with just one loss.
All three of Cal's doubles pairs are ranked, while Stanford's top pair of Caroline Doyle and Melissa Lord are in the top-30 at No. 29. Current senior Alex Osborne and former doubles partner Ebony Panoho defeated Lord and her former partner Carol Zhao in the Pac-12 Doubles Championship last season.
Stanford boasts all six of their players in the top 73 in singles, while Cal bears three in the top 96.
RANKED IN SINGLES
#9 Karla Popovic (Cal)
#13 Melissa Lord (Stanford)
#36 Caroline Doyle (Stanford)
#45 Maegan Manasse (Cal)
#46 Emma Higuchi (Stanford)
#48 Sammi Hampton (ASU)
#67 Emily Arbuthnott (Stanford)
#69 Taylor Davidson (Stanford)
#70 Kelley Anderson (ASU)
#73 Caroline Lampl (Stanford)
#96 Olivia Hauger (Cal)
#97 Kassidy Jump (ASU)
RANKED IN DOUBLES
#23 Popovic/Hauger (Cal)
#28 Manasse/Jansen (Cal)
#29 Doyle/Lord (Stanford)
#44 Osborne/Fossa-Huergo (ASU)
#46 Nelson/Starr (Cal)
#59 Jump/Hampton (ASU)
#65 Jansen/Starr (Cal)