GAINESVILLE, Fla. - In the latest chapter of the sport’s best rivalry, No. 10 Stanford gave No. 2 Florida all it could handle before falling 4-3 on Sunday afternoon.
Stanford (7-1) suffered its first loss of the season, an impressive feat considering the Cardinal has navigated through such a challenging nonconference schedule. All eight of Stanford’s opponents have been ranked No. 54 or higher, including four among the top 20.
Florida (8-1), which extended its home winning streak to 138 consecutive matches, picked up only its third victory over the last eight meetings in the series. The Cardinal and Gators have combined to win the last four of the last five NCAA championships.
The rivalry has continued on an annual basis, with the powerhouses alternating home matches during the regular season. Stanford blanked Florida 7-0 last February on The Farm.
The Cardinal grabbed an early 1-0 lead by winning the doubles point. With the first two matches split, Taylor Davidson and Carol Zhao defeated Brooke Austin and Kourtney Keegan in a battle of duos ranked among the nation’s top five.
Florida evened the match at 1-1 following a 6-0, 6-2 victory against Lindsey Kostas.
The Gators continued their momentum with two more wins at the bottom of the lineup, moving in front 3-1. Belinda Woolcock topped Krista Hardebeck 6-0, 7-5 minutes before Keegan took down Ellen Tsay 6-2, 6-1.
However, Stanford refused to quit. In a battle of top-10 players at the top spot of the lineup, 10th-ranked Zhao outlasted sixth-ranked Austin 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Davidson followed with yet another clutch victory, rallying past Josie Kuhlman 2-6, 6-0, 7-6 (8) to knot the match at 3-3.
Brianna Morgan provided the clincher, pulling away late in the third set from Caroline Doyle in a 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 triumph.
Stanford returns home on Sunday, March 1, hosting California in a match that will be televised on Pac-12 Networks. The contest starts at 12:30 p.m. PT.
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No. 2 Florida 4, No. 10 Stanford 3
DOUBLES
1) No. 5 Davidson/Zhao (STAN) d. No. 4 Austin/Keegan (FLA) 8-6
2) No. 12 Doyle/Tsay (STAN) d. No. 9 Kuhlman/Porter (FLA) 8-2
3) Spencer Liang/Woolcock (FLA) d. Hardebeck/Kostas (STAN) 8-0
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
SINGLESS
1) No. 10 Carol Zhao (STAN) d. No. 6 Brooke Austin (FLA) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
2) No. 14 Taylor Davidson (STAN) d. No. 3 Josie Kuhlman (FLA) 2-6, 6-0, 7-6 (9)
3) No. 13 Brianna Morgan (FLA) d. No. 16 Caroline Doyle (STAN) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
4) No. 27 Belinda Woolcock (FLA) d. No. 92 Krista Hardebeck (STAN) 6-0, 7-5
5) No. 44 Kourtney Keegan (FLA) d. Ellen Tsay (STAN) 6-2, 6-1
6) No. 91 Peggy Porter (FLA) d. Lindsey Kostas (STAN) 6-0, 6-2
Order of Finish: 6, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3