[ColoradoTree]

We now have the final "fall" singles/doubles rankings from the ITA, and as expected, Connie Ma and Alexandra Yepifanova jumped right near the top, with Ma ranked #9 and Yepifanova ranked #21. Meanwhile, Blake/Ma are the #38 doubles team. No other Stanford players are currently ranked, so while Michaela Gordon and Angelica Blake were ranked in the preseason, their lack of fall results means they fall out. FYI, these rankings are basically just a reflection of the fall season, so if a player didn't play collegiate tournaments and instead focused on pro events or had an injury or just a limited schedule, they're not going to impress in these rankings. The preseason rankings are poll-based and reflected at least some tennis folks' view of how players stack up. So, in evaluating how good teams are or how dangerous an individual player may be come spring, both sets of numbers will be relevant for a while. 

Pac-12 players in the ITA Top 125:

1. Eryn Cayetano, Jr., USC
9. Connie Ma, Fr., Stanford
12. Salma Ewing, Sr., USC
21. Alexandra Yepifanova, Fr., Stanford
39. Snow Han, RS Fr., USC
49. Sasha Vagramov, Jr., UCLA
68. Abigail Forbes, Jr. UCLA (this is just silly)
98. Naomi Cheong, So., USC
108. Valentina Ivanov, Jr., Cal
110. Jessica Alsola, Fr., Cal

Compare that with the preseason Top 125:

2. Forbes, Jr., UCLA
14. Vanessa Wong, 5th year, UW
17. Haley Giavara, Jr., Cal
18. Ewing, Sr., USC
24. Michaela Gordon, 5th year, Stanford
47. Michaela Bayerlova, 5th year, WSU
56. Cayetano, Jr., USC
61. Sedona Gallagher, Sr., ASU
81. Cheong, So., USC
87. Angelica Blake, Jr., Stanford
106. Julia Rosenqvist, 5th year, Cal
118. Danielle Willson, Sr., USC
119. Ivanov, Jr., Cal
123. Giulia Morlet, So., ASU
124. Sarah-Maude Fortin, So., UW

Now, Abbey Forbes didn't all of a sudden get substantially worse. Neither did Vanessa Wong--she just had the misfortune to run into Yepifanova at Northwest Regionals, which meant she didn't have many more opportunities in the fall to show her stuff. Michaela Gordon and Angelica Blake didn't forget how to play tennis. Neither did Haley Giavara. You get the idea. It's a snapshot in time based on limited data, so take it for what it is. That said, it's still pretty exciting to see two Stanford freshmen in the Top 25.

[ColoradoTree]

We now have the final "fall" singles/doubles rankings from the ITA, and as expected, Connie Ma and Alexandra Yepifanova jumped right near the top, with Ma ranked #9 and Yepifanova ranked #21. Meanwhile, Blake/Ma are the #38 doubles team. No other Stanford players are currently ranked, so while Michaela Gordon and Angelica Blake were ranked in the preseason, their lack of fall results means they fall out. FYI, these rankings are basically just a reflection of the fall season, so if a player didn't play collegiate tournaments and instead focused on pro events or had an injury or just a limited schedule, they're not going to impress in these rankings. The preseason rankings are poll-based and reflected at least some tennis folks' view of how players stack up. So, in evaluating how good teams are or how dangerous an individual player may be come spring, both sets of numbers will be relevant for a while. 

Pac-12 players in the ITA Top 125:

1. Eryn Cayetano, Jr., USC
9. Connie Ma, Fr., Stanford
12. Salma Ewing, Sr., USC
21. Alexandra Yepifanova, Fr., Stanford
39. Snow Han, RS Fr., USC
49. Sasha Vagramov, Jr., UCLA
68. Abigail Forbes, Jr. UCLA (this is just silly)
98. Naomi Cheong, So., USC
108. Valentina Ivanov, Jr., Cal
110. Jessica Alsola, Fr., Cal

Compare that with the preseason Top 125:

2. Forbes, Jr., UCLA
14. Vanessa Wong, 5th year, UW
17. Haley Giavara, Jr., Cal
18. Ewing, Sr., USC
24. Michaela Gordon, 5th year, Stanford
47. Michaela Bayerlova, 5th year, WSU
56. Cayetano, Jr., USC
61. Sedona Gallagher, Sr., ASU
81. Cheong, So., USC
87. Angelica Blake, Jr., Stanford
106. Julia Rosenqvist, 5th year, Cal
118. Danielle Willson, Sr., USC
119. Ivanov, Jr., Cal
123. Giulia Morlet, So., ASU
124. Sarah-Maude Fortin, So., UW

Now, Abbey Forbes didn't all of a sudden get substantially worse. Neither did Vanessa Wong--she just had the misfortune to run into Yepifanova at Northwest Regionals, which meant she didn't have many more opportunities in the fall to show her stuff. Michaela Gordon and Angelica Blake didn't forget how to play tennis. Neither did Haley Giavara. You get the idea. It's a snapshot in time based on limited data, so take it for what it is. That said, it's still pretty exciting to see two Stanford freshmen in the Top 25.

[BostonCard]

How good is USC?  3 in the top 50 and 4 in the top 100, would, at the surface, suggest this is a team to be reconned with.  Then again, I think the caveats you added go both ways, and it is possible that they just had a very good fall, no?

BC

[BostonCard]

How good is USC?  3 in the top 50 and 4 in the top 100, would, at the surface, suggest this is a team to be reconned with.  Then again, I think the caveats you added go both ways, and it is possible that they just had a very good fall, no?

BC

[ColoradoTree]

How good is USC?  3 in the top 50 and 4 in the top 100, would, at the surface, suggest this is a team to be reconned with.  Then again, I think the caveats you added go both ways, and it is possible that they just had a very good fall, no?

BC

They're really good, and while I don't think they're quite this good, they have the talent to be a legitimate title contender. Cayetano is a dangerous #2 singles player, but she's not the #1 player in the country. She had a great fall. I think we're a bit better than USC, but really, it's by a hair. That'll be a great battle this spring. 

It's been a few years since we've had a top four in the Pac-12 that all have the horses to challenge for a national title, but I think we're there this year, with the four California schools. Can't wait!

[ColoradoTree]

How good is USC?  3 in the top 50 and 4 in the top 100, would, at the surface, suggest this is a team to be reconned with.  Then again, I think the caveats you added go both ways, and it is possible that they just had a very good fall, no?

BC

They're really good, and while I don't think they're quite this good, they have the talent to be a legitimate title contender. Cayetano is a dangerous #2 singles player, but she's not the #1 player in the country. She had a great fall. I think we're a bit better than USC, but really, it's by a hair. That'll be a great battle this spring. 

It's been a few years since we've had a top four in the Pac-12 that all have the horses to challenge for a national title, but I think we're there this year, with the four California schools. Can't wait!

[ColoradoTree]

The spring schedule is out! Rather than start a new thread, I figured I'd just drop it here.

January 14-16: Freeman Memorial in Las Vegas; Torero Tennis Classic in San Diego

• These are two tournaments--sort of a continuation of the fall season. The Freeman usually has an impressive entry field, so I'd expect our top group to go to Vegas and the bottom half of the roster to head to San Diego, with possible exceptions for doubles pairs Lele wants to keep together. 
  

Thurs., Jan. 20: vs. UC Davis

ITA Kick-Off Weekend (in Charlottesville, VA)
Fri., Jan. 28: vs. Arkansas 
Sat., Jan. 29: at UVA/James Madison 

Thurs., Feb. 3: vs. USF
February 11-14: ITA National Women's Team Indoor Championship ("Indoor Nationals"), if we qualify by beating UVA
Fri., Feb. 18: vs. St. Mary's
Fri., Feb. 25: vs. Texas
Sat., Feb. 26: vs. UNLV
Fri., Mar. 4: vs. Oregon
Sun., Mar. 6: at Pepperdine
Mar. 11-13: Weekend off
Fri., Mar. 18: vs. Colorado
Sun., Mar. 20: vs. Utah
Tues., Mar. 22: vs. UCSB
Fri., Mar. 25: vs. USC
Sat., Mar. 26: vs. UCLA
Wed., Mar. 30: vs. Hawaii
Fri., Apr. 1: at Arizona
Sat., Apr. 2: at Arizona State
Fri., Apr. 8: at Washington
Sun., Apr. 10: at Washington State
Sat., Apr. 16: at Cal

April 20-23: Pac-12 Championships in Ojai, CA

Quick Thoughts

Our non-conference schedule has two elite teams (Texas and Pepperdine) and then some teams that won't do a whole lot to boost our ranking. Kick-Off Weekend adds a third elite team in UVA (that we are very likely but not certain to play), and if we win that match, it opens up a few more elite non-conference matches at Indoor Nationals. But as usual, our schedule is a bet that we win nearly every match, which will put us in good position to host and be a top 4-5 seed. But it's not hard to imagine a couple of Pac-12 losses, losing at UVA and losing to either Texas or Pepperdine and all of a sudden we're barely a top 25 team and we're on the road at a top seed again. You play more teams ranked in the teens and twenties and you give yourself more of a margin for error. 

The Pac-12 is top-heavy. We've got four great teams in Stanford, Cal, USC, and UCLA. It's unclear whether we'll see challenges from the other teams. I'm relieved we get USC/UCLA at Taube, but I'm not looking forward to finishing the regular season with five straight on the road. Wouldn't be surprised at all if the match at Cal decides the top seed in the conference tournament.

[ColoradoTree]

The spring schedule is out! Rather than start a new thread, I figured I'd just drop it here.

January 14-16: Freeman Memorial in Las Vegas; Torero Tennis Classic in San Diego

• These are two tournaments--sort of a continuation of the fall season. The Freeman usually has an impressive entry field, so I'd expect our top group to go to Vegas and the bottom half of the roster to head to San Diego, with possible exceptions for doubles pairs Lele wants to keep together. 
  

Thurs., Jan. 20: vs. UC Davis

ITA Kick-Off Weekend (in Charlottesville, VA)
Fri., Jan. 28: vs. Arkansas 
Sat., Jan. 29: at UVA/James Madison 

Thurs., Feb. 3: vs. USF
February 11-14: ITA National Women's Team Indoor Championship ("Indoor Nationals"), if we qualify by beating UVA
Fri., Feb. 18: vs. St. Mary's
Fri., Feb. 25: vs. Texas
Sat., Feb. 26: vs. UNLV
Fri., Mar. 4: vs. Oregon
Sun., Mar. 6: at Pepperdine
Mar. 11-13: Weekend off
Fri., Mar. 18: vs. Colorado
Sun., Mar. 20: vs. Utah
Tues., Mar. 22: vs. UCSB
Fri., Mar. 25: vs. USC
Sat., Mar. 26: vs. UCLA
Wed., Mar. 30: vs. Hawaii
Fri., Apr. 1: at Arizona
Sat., Apr. 2: at Arizona State
Fri., Apr. 8: at Washington
Sun., Apr. 10: at Washington State
Sat., Apr. 16: at Cal

April 20-23: Pac-12 Championships in Ojai, CA

Quick Thoughts

Our non-conference schedule has two elite teams (Texas and Pepperdine) and then some teams that won't do a whole lot to boost our ranking. Kick-Off Weekend adds a third elite team in UVA (that we are very likely but not certain to play), and if we win that match, it opens up a few more elite non-conference matches at Indoor Nationals. But as usual, our schedule is a bet that we win nearly every match, which will put us in good position to host and be a top 4-5 seed. But it's not hard to imagine a couple of Pac-12 losses, losing at UVA and losing to either Texas or Pepperdine and all of a sudden we're barely a top 25 team and we're on the road at a top seed again. You play more teams ranked in the teens and twenties and you give yourself more of a margin for error. 

The Pac-12 is top-heavy. We've got four great teams in Stanford, Cal, USC, and UCLA. It's unclear whether we'll see challenges from the other teams. I'm relieved we get USC/UCLA at Taube, but I'm not looking forward to finishing the regular season with five straight on the road. Wouldn't be surprised at all if the match at Cal decides the top seed in the conference tournament.

[ColoradoTree]

The first ITA team rankings of the year just dropped, and here's the top 25, with Stanford bolded and teams on our schedule in italics:

1. Texas
2. Pepperdine
3. North Carolina
4. Georgia 
5. UCLA
6. Duke
7. Virginia
8. NC State
9. Cal
10. Ohio State
11. Baylor
T12. UCF
T12. Georgia Tech
14. Texas A&M
15. Florida State
16. Michigan
17. Stanford
18. USC
19. Oklahoma
20. Florida
21. LSU
22. Tennessee
23. Princeton
24. Miami
25. Auburn

https://www.wearecollegetennis.com/2022/...ches-poll/

This poll is a coaches' ballot; as per usual, later rankings will use the rankings algorithm. #17 is similar to where we finished last year, at #23 (but where we had Pepperdine on the ropes both times). This says we're slightly better. I think that's wrong. I think we're a lot better, and we'll start proving that in a couple of weeks. As you can see, we'll have our opportunities, with three of the top 5 and five of the top 10 on our schedule. If we can manage to beat UVA in Charlottesville, we'll have even more top matches. 

For a preview that is more in line with my thoughts on how our team is--really good, and with the freshmen, potential to be great--here's a writeup from Cracked Racquets that has us ranked #7: https://www.crackedracquets.com/college-...rd-211214/

[ColoradoTree]

The first ITA team rankings of the year just dropped, and here's the top 25, with Stanford bolded and teams on our schedule in italics:

1. Texas
2. Pepperdine
3. North Carolina
4. Georgia 
5. UCLA
6. Duke
7. Virginia
8. NC State
9. Cal
10. Ohio State
11. Baylor
T12. UCF
T12. Georgia Tech
14. Texas A&M
15. Florida State
16. Michigan
17. Stanford
18. USC
19. Oklahoma
20. Florida
21. LSU
22. Tennessee
23. Princeton
24. Miami
25. Auburn

https://www.wearecollegetennis.com/2022/...ches-poll/

This poll is a coaches' ballot; as per usual, later rankings will use the rankings algorithm. #17 is similar to where we finished last year, at #23 (but where we had Pepperdine on the ropes both times). This says we're slightly better. I think that's wrong. I think we're a lot better, and we'll start proving that in a couple of weeks. As you can see, we'll have our opportunities, with three of the top 5 and five of the top 10 on our schedule. If we can manage to beat UVA in Charlottesville, we'll have even more top matches. 

For a preview that is more in line with my thoughts on how our team is--really good, and with the freshmen, potential to be great--here's a writeup from Cracked Racquets that has us ranked #7: https://www.crackedracquets.com/college-...rd-211214/