STANFORD, Calif. - Riding a season-high seven-match win streak, No. 36 Stanford finds itself in position to make an even bigger splash this weekend.
The Cardinal (13-4, 4-0 Pac-12) has an opportunity to land two signature victories, hosting No. 15 UCLA on Friday (4 p.m. PT) and No. 5 USC on Saturday (2 p.m. PT) at Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
The annual visit from the SoCal schools coincides with Cardinalpalooza, a free all-day sports festival that includes Saturday’s contest against USC, along with six other Cardinal teams in action. Highlighted by the Cardinal & White Spring Football game at 1 p.m., Cardinalpalooza also features tailgating opportunities, food trucks in Pac-12 plaza, merchandise discounts and post-event interaction with competing teams.
Stanford’s biggest win of the season is a 4-3 road upset of No. 14 California, but the Cardinal is winless in four attempts against top-30 opponents. Meanwhile, Stanford has dropped seven in a row to UCLA and nine straight to USC.
But with its next victory, Stanford will match its win total from a 14-6 overall finish last season. The Cardinal, which is unbeaten in eight home matches, is coming off a sweep in the Pacific Northwest last weekend, defeating No. 51 Oregon and No. 59 Washington.
The Cardinal boasts two nationally-ranked players in singles, led by Tom Fawcett (41) and John Morrissey (100). A strong rookie season continues for Fawcett, who leads the club with a 23-7 overall record while playing all of his matches at the No. 1 spot. Morrissey has settled in at the No. 2 position, chalking up a 13-7 overall record while going 11-4 in duals.
David Wilczynski is the third Cardinal player with at least 20 overall wins while totaling an 11-4 record in duals. Stanford’s hottest player at the moment might be Robert Stineman, who has won a team-best eight matches in a row. Everyone on the roster has contributed at some point, with 10 different players competing in at least one dual match.
Morrissey and Stineman comprise the only ranked doubles team, checking in at No. 36 thanks to a 9-3 record at the No. 1 spot with five straight wins.
