[GK3]

With the preseason team rankings dropping today, seems like a good time to start a new thread for the spring season. Stanford is #3 preseason, though I have to think that ranking brings with it the expectation of Sasha Yepifanova playing, and that remains a big ol' question mark right now.

Here's the top 25, with scheduled opponents in italics:

1. Georgia
2. Texas A&M
3. Stanford
4. Oklahoma State
5. UCLA
6. UNC
7. Texas
8. Michigan
9. UVA
10. Pepperdine
11. Duke
12. Auburn
13. Cal
14. NC State
15. Ohio State
16. Oklahoma
17. USC
18. Tennessee
19. Florida
20. South Carolina
21. Vanderbilt
22. Alabama
23. Miami
24. Florida State
25. UCF

Lots of tough opponents in there, but we've grown accustomed to annual matches against Pepperdine and Texas, and they're not there. Obviously, no UCLA or USC, either. And our big national rival from the 90s and early 00s, Florida, isn't there, either. 

But what you do get is seven Top 25 opponents from the ACC, with the likelihood that others will climb as the season goes on. And with Indoor Nationals in February, plus the ACC tournament at the end of April, we'll have plenty of chances to get the ten quality wins we need to be one of the top 8 teams and home courts through the Super Regional round of NCAAs.

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Based on our current roster, here's my guess as to how our lineup will look this year if everyone's healthy:

1. Glozman
2. Ma
3. Yepifanova
4. Blokhina
5. Hui
6. Xu

That is absolutely a national championship-caliber roster. It's terrific. But Yepifanova didn't play the fall and I have no idea if she'll play the spring. The rest of the roster includes grad students India Houghton and Chidimma Okpara, junior Emma Sun, and freshman Morgan Shaffer. (Shaffer is a three-star recruit out of Orange, CA, so she was roughly the #150 player in her class, so she's effectively a practice player.) Houghton is definitely the first up out of that group, and Shaffer definitely last, but I don't have strong preferences between Sun or Okpara. 

But the main story is that we're very strong up top and our top 6 can go toe to toe with anyone, but we don't have the same kind of depth we've had in the past if there's an injury or other absence in the top six. Houghton won't embarrass you at 6, but she won't be the kind of dominant force there that Xu would be.

Thanks for the update and look ahead.  I suggest that rather than use Italics, use bold type to highlight our opponents.  On my PC there is little difference between Italics and normal fonts. Plus, what do you think of our Doubles? It has seemed to me that we have relied on the singles matches to win, but I do not think that approach works as well now. Getting on win in the doubles would be a big deal.

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A note on the men's side ... the #1 recruit Jagger Leach decommitted from TCU and will be headed to Stanford next year.  He is the daughter of Lindsay Davenport and will be a great addition to the team next year.  Also, 2026 recruiting is looking very solid on the men's side! Assuming Banerjee stays, we should be pretty solid next year.

An interesting development.  Insight into his reason would be helpful.  I'm guessing TCU has NIL available for the #1 recruit in any sport.

HE is the Daughter?

[GK3]

With the preseason team rankings dropping today, seems like a good time to start a new thread for the spring season. Stanford is #3 preseason, though I have to think that ranking brings with it the expectation of Sasha Yepifanova playing, and that remains a big ol' question mark right now.

Here's the top 25, with scheduled opponents in italics:

1. Georgia
2. Texas A&M
3. Stanford
4. Oklahoma State
5. UCLA
6. UNC
7. Texas
8. Michigan
9. UVA
10. Pepperdine
11. Duke
12. Auburn
13. Cal
14. NC State
15. Ohio State
16. Oklahoma
17. USC
18. Tennessee
19. Florida
20. South Carolina
21. Vanderbilt
22. Alabama
23. Miami
24. Florida State
25. UCF

Lots of tough opponents in there, but we've grown accustomed to annual matches against Pepperdine and Texas, and they're not there. Obviously, no UCLA or USC, either. And our big national rival from the 90s and early 00s, Florida, isn't there, either. 

But what you do get is seven Top 25 opponents from the ACC, with the likelihood that others will climb as the season goes on. And with Indoor Nationals in February, plus the ACC tournament at the end of April, we'll have plenty of chances to get the ten quality wins we need to be one of the top 8 teams and home courts through the Super Regional round of NCAAs.

---

Based on our current roster, here's my guess as to how our lineup will look this year if everyone's healthy:

1. Glozman
2. Ma
3. Yepifanova
4. Blokhina
5. Hui
6. Xu

That is absolutely a national championship-caliber roster. It's terrific. But Yepifanova didn't play the fall and I have no idea if she'll play the spring. The rest of the roster includes grad students India Houghton and Chidimma Okpara, junior Emma Sun, and freshman Morgan Shaffer. (Shaffer is a three-star recruit out of Orange, CA, so she was roughly the #150 player in her class, so she's effectively a practice player.) Houghton is definitely the first up out of that group, and Shaffer definitely last, but I don't have strong preferences between Sun or Okpara. 

But the main story is that we're very strong up top and our top 6 can go toe to toe with anyone, but we don't have the same kind of depth we've had in the past if there's an injury or other absence in the top six. Houghton won't embarrass you at 6, but she won't be the kind of dominant force there that Xu would be.

Thanks for the update and look ahead.  I suggest that rather than use Italics, use bold type to highlight our opponents.  On my PC there is little difference between Italics and normal fonts. Plus, what do you think of our Doubles? It has seemed to me that we have relied on the singles matches to win, but I do not think that approach works as well now. Getting on win in the doubles would be a big deal.

---

A note on the men's side ... the #1 recruit Jagger Leach decommitted from TCU and will be headed to Stanford next year.  He is the daughter of Lindsay Davenport and will be a great addition to the team next year.  Also, 2026 recruiting is looking very solid on the men's side! Assuming Banerjee stays, we should be pretty solid next year.

An interesting development.  Insight into his reason would be helpful.  I'm guessing TCU has NIL available for the #1 recruit in any sport.

HE is the Daughter?