12-21-2020, 10:08 AM
(12-19-2020, 02:25 AM)Sakibomb25 Wrote:(09-03-2020, 08:14 AM)ColoradoTree Wrote: Going back several years, a freshman started the season at #1 singles in 2018 (Michaela Gordon), but that was due to Lord's injury, and while Lele hasn't talked about it, I'm confident that Lord would have started that year at #1 if she'd been healthy. Before that, you have to go back to the 2008 season to find a freshman (Hilary Barte) who finished the year at #1, but she actually started the year at #3 before playing her way up the lineup and spending most of the year in the top spot. Laura Granville started the year at #1 as a freshman in the 2000 season but mostly played #2 that year behind sophomore Marissa Irvin, who missed the first couple of matches. You have to go back to the 1999 season when we had a freshman (Irvin) start the year at #1 and be the unquestioned #1 all year.I think you forgot another Cardinal great: Amber Liu. She started all four years at No. 1, amassing a 70-17 record at the top spot. She also won the NCAA singles title as a freshman and sophomore.
That said, Gordon held #1 when Lord came back, so perhaps an asterisk there is unfair.
Oh gosh, how could I forget Amber?? Duh, yes, all-time great Amber Liu is the last freshman (in the '02-'03 season) to start the year at #1 and remain the unquestioned #1 all year.