03-21-2022, 12:15 PM
Fresh off coach Lele Forood's 500th win, Stanford continues its homestand with a week that will test where this young team stands. #30 UCSB comes to town tomorrow at noon for a rare Tuesday match, and then it's #18 USC at 1:30 on Friday and #13 UCLA at 12:00pm on Saturday.
UCSB (8-5)
Key matches: lost 6-1 to Cal (took the doubles point); beat St. Mary's 4-0; beat Washington State 7-0; lost 4-3 to LMU; beat USC 4-3; beat Texas Tech and TCU by 5-2 scores
Ranked players include #91 Shakhnoza Khatamova and the #61 doubles team of Honer/Reuter
UCSB is dangerous, and their top three of Khatamova, Kiss, and Volodko can do damage. Against St. Mary's, Khatamova was locked in a battle with Kozyreva when the match was clinched. Against Cal, UCSB pushed four matches to third sets, at 1, 2, 3, and 5. Against USC, Khatamova was in a third-set tiebreaker against Cayetano, Kiss lost in three to Ewing, and it was UCSB's depth that beat out USC by taking wins on courts 4-6. So, this isn't a team to look past by any stretch. They are a very good team, and while I think Stanford could win this one by a 4-0 or 4-1 score, it would likely be a lot closer. Don't be surprised to see UCSB take a couple of matches and push a couple more to third sets.
USC (10-8, 3-1 Pac-12)
Key matches: beat Loyola 4-0; beat #23 Miami 4-3 and #22 Baylor 4-3 to qualify for Indoor Nationals; lost 4-1 to Texas; lost 4-1 to Texas A&M, 4-1 to Oklahoma State, lost 4-0 to #2 Oklahoma; lost 4-1 at UCLA; lost 4-3 vs. UCSB; lost 4-2 at Utah; beat ASU 4-1; lost 5-2 at Pepperdine
Ranked players: #6 Eryn Cayetano, #29 Salma Ewing, #60 Snow Han, and the doubles teams of #29 Ewing/Han and #49 Cayetano/Piper
It's a classic USC team--lots of talent but not putting it all together. This is a dangerous team that is underperforming so far this season, but if they click, they could absolutely pull off a big result. I think Stanford takes the doubles point, and then here's how it likely lines up in singles:
1. Ma vs. Cayetano -- as good as Cayetano is, I'm not picking against Ma ever.
2. Yepifanova vs. Salma Ewing -- should go the distance and would be a marquee win for Sasha
3. Blake vs. Snow Han -- I like Blake here
4. Houghton vs. Grace Piper -- #4 has been a weakness for both teams this season
5. Xu vs. Naomi Cheong -- surprised to see Cheong playing #5, I'd have thought she'd be at 3, but Han and Piper have supplanted her
6. Choy vs. Danielle Willson -- Willson gave Higuchi fits because of her height, an
I'll say 4-2 Stanford. It's a more talented team from USC than we saw last year, with Han and Piper joining in the middle of the lineup. But playing at home, we should have enough to get past them.
UCLA (8-3, 4-0 Pac-12)
Key matches: lost 4-3 at home to both Loyola Marymount and UW in a pair of January shockers; beat UCSB 4-0; lost 5-2 at Pepperdine; beat Cal 6-1; beat USC 4-1
Ranked players: #42 Abigail Forbes, #69 Elysia Bolton, #115 Kimmi Hance, and the doubles teams of #23 Catanzarite/Forbes, #33 Bolton/Wagle, and #64 Ong/Wagle.
UCLA started very slow but appears to have turned the corner, and they're reminding everyone why they're one of the teams to beat. They're always tough in doubles, though their top duo has been more vulnerable than usual. I'm used to chalking up a loss to UCLA in the doubles point every time, but we have a real shot this year. Here's how we'd line up in singles:
1. Ma vs. Abbey Forbes -- battle of titans
2. Yepifanova vs. Elysia Bolton -- heck of an undercard
3. Blake vs. Sasha Vagramov -- Blake ought to win here in a tight one
4. Houghton vs. Kimmi Hance -- this is where matches are won and lost, and I'm just not overly confident in our #4s
5. Xu vs. Elisa Wagle -- I like Xu here in a battle of freshmen
6. Choy vs. Ava Catanzarite -- I'll take Choy here.
I'll predict Stanford 4-2 or 4-3 in a match that should let the tennis world know who's at the top of the Pac-12.
UCSB (8-5)
Key matches: lost 6-1 to Cal (took the doubles point); beat St. Mary's 4-0; beat Washington State 7-0; lost 4-3 to LMU; beat USC 4-3; beat Texas Tech and TCU by 5-2 scores
Ranked players include #91 Shakhnoza Khatamova and the #61 doubles team of Honer/Reuter
UCSB is dangerous, and their top three of Khatamova, Kiss, and Volodko can do damage. Against St. Mary's, Khatamova was locked in a battle with Kozyreva when the match was clinched. Against Cal, UCSB pushed four matches to third sets, at 1, 2, 3, and 5. Against USC, Khatamova was in a third-set tiebreaker against Cayetano, Kiss lost in three to Ewing, and it was UCSB's depth that beat out USC by taking wins on courts 4-6. So, this isn't a team to look past by any stretch. They are a very good team, and while I think Stanford could win this one by a 4-0 or 4-1 score, it would likely be a lot closer. Don't be surprised to see UCSB take a couple of matches and push a couple more to third sets.
USC (10-8, 3-1 Pac-12)
Key matches: beat Loyola 4-0; beat #23 Miami 4-3 and #22 Baylor 4-3 to qualify for Indoor Nationals; lost 4-1 to Texas; lost 4-1 to Texas A&M, 4-1 to Oklahoma State, lost 4-0 to #2 Oklahoma; lost 4-1 at UCLA; lost 4-3 vs. UCSB; lost 4-2 at Utah; beat ASU 4-1; lost 5-2 at Pepperdine
Ranked players: #6 Eryn Cayetano, #29 Salma Ewing, #60 Snow Han, and the doubles teams of #29 Ewing/Han and #49 Cayetano/Piper
It's a classic USC team--lots of talent but not putting it all together. This is a dangerous team that is underperforming so far this season, but if they click, they could absolutely pull off a big result. I think Stanford takes the doubles point, and then here's how it likely lines up in singles:
1. Ma vs. Cayetano -- as good as Cayetano is, I'm not picking against Ma ever.
2. Yepifanova vs. Salma Ewing -- should go the distance and would be a marquee win for Sasha
3. Blake vs. Snow Han -- I like Blake here
4. Houghton vs. Grace Piper -- #4 has been a weakness for both teams this season
5. Xu vs. Naomi Cheong -- surprised to see Cheong playing #5, I'd have thought she'd be at 3, but Han and Piper have supplanted her
6. Choy vs. Danielle Willson -- Willson gave Higuchi fits because of her height, an
I'll say 4-2 Stanford. It's a more talented team from USC than we saw last year, with Han and Piper joining in the middle of the lineup. But playing at home, we should have enough to get past them.
UCLA (8-3, 4-0 Pac-12)
Key matches: lost 4-3 at home to both Loyola Marymount and UW in a pair of January shockers; beat UCSB 4-0; lost 5-2 at Pepperdine; beat Cal 6-1; beat USC 4-1
Ranked players: #42 Abigail Forbes, #69 Elysia Bolton, #115 Kimmi Hance, and the doubles teams of #23 Catanzarite/Forbes, #33 Bolton/Wagle, and #64 Ong/Wagle.
UCLA started very slow but appears to have turned the corner, and they're reminding everyone why they're one of the teams to beat. They're always tough in doubles, though their top duo has been more vulnerable than usual. I'm used to chalking up a loss to UCLA in the doubles point every time, but we have a real shot this year. Here's how we'd line up in singles:
1. Ma vs. Abbey Forbes -- battle of titans
2. Yepifanova vs. Elysia Bolton -- heck of an undercard
3. Blake vs. Sasha Vagramov -- Blake ought to win here in a tight one
4. Houghton vs. Kimmi Hance -- this is where matches are won and lost, and I'm just not overly confident in our #4s
5. Xu vs. Elisa Wagle -- I like Xu here in a battle of freshmen
6. Choy vs. Ava Catanzarite -- I'll take Choy here.
I'll predict Stanford 4-2 or 4-3 in a match that should let the tennis world know who's at the top of the Pac-12.