02-06-2019, 01:46 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-06-2019, 02:17 PM by ColoradoTree.)
Quick LSU preview:
Lineups
The Tigers are top-heavy, with just one ranked singles player (#19 Eden Richardson) and one ranked doubles team (#6 Golovin/Richardson), though that doubles team is the defending NCAA champion. Aside from Gordon at #1 and Lampl/Yee at #1 doubles, however, we have the advantage on the remaining courts. While it's still early and we could see a little movement in the lineups from what they've had the last few matches, this is our established order and LSU's Kick-Off Weekend lineup:
Singles
1. #23 Gordon (9-5, 1-0) vs. #19 Eden Richardson (11-3 overall, 2-1 duals)
2. #46 Lord (9-5, 2-0) vs. Jessica Golovin (7-4, 4-0)
3. #57 Lampl (11-6, 2-0) vs. Taylor Bridges (10-5, 5-0)
4. #14 Arbuthnott (16-3, 3-0) vs. Kennan Johnson (12-4, 3-0)
5. #37 Shin (13-2, 3-0) vs. Paris Corley (13-3, 5-0)
6. #44 Higuchi (10-2, 1-0) vs. Anna Loughlan (3-5, 1-0)
Doubles
1. #11 Lampl/Yee (8-4, 2-0) vs. #6 Golovin/Richardson (11-2, 4-1)
2. #13 Arbuthnott/Gordon (6-3, 1-0) vs. Johnson/Loughlan (6-4, 1-1)
3. #31 Lord/Madurawe (5-1, 3-0) vs. Bridges/Corley (9-3, 3-1)
Season to date
LSU is 6-0, but their lone ranked win is 4-1 over #24 Tennessee, which wasn't yet ranked when LSU played them. Other than that, though, they've handily beaten a few respectable-but-not-great teams (Rice, Clemson, Tulane, USF) and a cupcake (Southern). I believe they've played all of their matches outdoors so far, so there shouldn't be any sort of indoor competitive advantage.
Of course, we haven't really been tested yet, either, with wins against overmatched teams from St. Mary's, Washington State, and Princeton. So far, LSU has had the tougher schedule, but that's just a matter of degree--both haven't been strong, but ours has been weaker. That all changes this weekend, though.
Analysis
We're better, and we're deeper. Gordon will, as always, have the biggest challenge, and Lampl/Yee won't play many better doubles teams this year, but I'd expect us to get the doubles point behind wins at #2 and #3, and then get three more points from somewhere between #2 and #6 singles. FYI, Paris Corley played #3 singles for Arizona last year when we played them, and Lampl led her 6-4, 5-1 when the match was abandoned. The year before, she played at #2 singles when we played Arizona, and she pushed Caroline Doyle to a third-set tiebreaker, which Doyle won. The talent is certainly there to push Shin, so we'll see if she has more success further down in the lineup. But overall, I just don't see a reasonable path to four points for LSU, so a Stanford loss would be a stunning upset. Higuchi hasn't been the first off court yet this year, so she's due--I'll predict the doubles point, and then wins from Higuchi, Arbuthnott, and Lampl to clinch a 4-0 win.
LSU signed Ann Li, last year's top recruit, in what was seen as a recruiting coup, but Li chose not to enroll and is trying the pro tour instead. Golovin is the team's lone blue chip recruit, three others were 5-star recruits (Bridges, Johnson, and Corley), and Richardson and Loughlan are both Brits and thus not included in the recruiting rankings.
One last rankings note
No one else has 8 ranked singles players. Vanderbilt has 6 (so, their entire lineup), UNC, Georgia, and Michigan have 5, and Duke, Texas, Cal, and Oklahoma State all have 4. That won't last, as Choy and Madurawe slowly drop off the rankings due to a lack of matches, but it shows that our depth is unmatched. Injuries happen, so to be in a position where we could still be a championship-caliber team even after losing two or three starters is a testament to the marvelous job of roster building that Lele Forood has done here.
Pac-12 ranked singles players:
14. Emily Arbuthnott
18. Elysia Bolton (UCLA)
23. Michaela Gordon
24. Salma Ewing (USC)
28. Olivia Hauger (Cal)
37. Janice Shin
41. Julia Rosenqvist (Cal)
44. Emma Higuchi
46. Melissa Lord
55. Shweta Sangwan (Oregon)
57. Caroline Lampl
63. Michaela Bayerlova (WSU)
68. Niluka Madurawe
T72. Daniela Nasser (Oregon)
77. Abi Altick (UCLA)
80. Sara Choy
86. Danielle Wilson (USC)
87. Katarina Kopcalic (UW)
92. Anna Bright (Cal)
97. Stacey Fung (UW)
112. Maria Smith (Cal)
T115. Tiffany Mylonas (WSU)
T115. Melisa Ates (WSU)
117. Ayan Broomfield (UCLA)
Lineups
The Tigers are top-heavy, with just one ranked singles player (#19 Eden Richardson) and one ranked doubles team (#6 Golovin/Richardson), though that doubles team is the defending NCAA champion. Aside from Gordon at #1 and Lampl/Yee at #1 doubles, however, we have the advantage on the remaining courts. While it's still early and we could see a little movement in the lineups from what they've had the last few matches, this is our established order and LSU's Kick-Off Weekend lineup:
Singles
1. #23 Gordon (9-5, 1-0) vs. #19 Eden Richardson (11-3 overall, 2-1 duals)
2. #46 Lord (9-5, 2-0) vs. Jessica Golovin (7-4, 4-0)
3. #57 Lampl (11-6, 2-0) vs. Taylor Bridges (10-5, 5-0)
4. #14 Arbuthnott (16-3, 3-0) vs. Kennan Johnson (12-4, 3-0)
5. #37 Shin (13-2, 3-0) vs. Paris Corley (13-3, 5-0)
6. #44 Higuchi (10-2, 1-0) vs. Anna Loughlan (3-5, 1-0)
Doubles
1. #11 Lampl/Yee (8-4, 2-0) vs. #6 Golovin/Richardson (11-2, 4-1)
2. #13 Arbuthnott/Gordon (6-3, 1-0) vs. Johnson/Loughlan (6-4, 1-1)
3. #31 Lord/Madurawe (5-1, 3-0) vs. Bridges/Corley (9-3, 3-1)
Season to date
LSU is 6-0, but their lone ranked win is 4-1 over #24 Tennessee, which wasn't yet ranked when LSU played them. Other than that, though, they've handily beaten a few respectable-but-not-great teams (Rice, Clemson, Tulane, USF) and a cupcake (Southern). I believe they've played all of their matches outdoors so far, so there shouldn't be any sort of indoor competitive advantage.
Of course, we haven't really been tested yet, either, with wins against overmatched teams from St. Mary's, Washington State, and Princeton. So far, LSU has had the tougher schedule, but that's just a matter of degree--both haven't been strong, but ours has been weaker. That all changes this weekend, though.
Analysis
We're better, and we're deeper. Gordon will, as always, have the biggest challenge, and Lampl/Yee won't play many better doubles teams this year, but I'd expect us to get the doubles point behind wins at #2 and #3, and then get three more points from somewhere between #2 and #6 singles. FYI, Paris Corley played #3 singles for Arizona last year when we played them, and Lampl led her 6-4, 5-1 when the match was abandoned. The year before, she played at #2 singles when we played Arizona, and she pushed Caroline Doyle to a third-set tiebreaker, which Doyle won. The talent is certainly there to push Shin, so we'll see if she has more success further down in the lineup. But overall, I just don't see a reasonable path to four points for LSU, so a Stanford loss would be a stunning upset. Higuchi hasn't been the first off court yet this year, so she's due--I'll predict the doubles point, and then wins from Higuchi, Arbuthnott, and Lampl to clinch a 4-0 win.
LSU signed Ann Li, last year's top recruit, in what was seen as a recruiting coup, but Li chose not to enroll and is trying the pro tour instead. Golovin is the team's lone blue chip recruit, three others were 5-star recruits (Bridges, Johnson, and Corley), and Richardson and Loughlan are both Brits and thus not included in the recruiting rankings.
One last rankings note
No one else has 8 ranked singles players. Vanderbilt has 6 (so, their entire lineup), UNC, Georgia, and Michigan have 5, and Duke, Texas, Cal, and Oklahoma State all have 4. That won't last, as Choy and Madurawe slowly drop off the rankings due to a lack of matches, but it shows that our depth is unmatched. Injuries happen, so to be in a position where we could still be a championship-caliber team even after losing two or three starters is a testament to the marvelous job of roster building that Lele Forood has done here.
Pac-12 ranked singles players:
14. Emily Arbuthnott
18. Elysia Bolton (UCLA)
23. Michaela Gordon
24. Salma Ewing (USC)
28. Olivia Hauger (Cal)
37. Janice Shin
41. Julia Rosenqvist (Cal)
44. Emma Higuchi
46. Melissa Lord
55. Shweta Sangwan (Oregon)
57. Caroline Lampl
63. Michaela Bayerlova (WSU)
68. Niluka Madurawe
T72. Daniela Nasser (Oregon)
77. Abi Altick (UCLA)
80. Sara Choy
86. Danielle Wilson (USC)
87. Katarina Kopcalic (UW)
92. Anna Bright (Cal)
97. Stacey Fung (UW)
112. Maria Smith (Cal)
T115. Tiffany Mylonas (WSU)
T115. Melisa Ates (WSU)
117. Ayan Broomfield (UCLA)