STANFORD, Calif. - No. 23 Stanford looks to continue its late-season surge this weekend, hosting No. 26 Oregon on Sunday at Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
Winners of seven straight, the Cardinal (11-3, 5-0 Pac-12) has not lost since a 4-3 home defeat to Florida back on Feb. 24. Stanford, which has notched five shutouts during its winning streak, enters the month of April leading the Pac-12 standings.
It's essential for Stanford to keep piling up wins in order to position itself among the nation's top-16, typically recognized as the cutline for NCAA hosting honors. The Cardinal has been receiving a boost from playing at home, having now won 44 of its last 47 contests at Taube Family Tennis Stadium dating back to 2015.
This weekend's contest against No. 26 Oregon (12-6, 3-3 Pac-12) represents an opportunity for another quality win. The Ducks, who face California on Friday during their Bay Area road swing, have been ranked as high as No. 17 in the country, their highest ranking in school history.
Stanford will also honor its lone senior, Paulette Wolak, with a Senior Day tribute prior to Sunday's match. A native of Los Altos Hills, California, Wolak arrived on The Farm as a walk-on and was a member of Stanford's 2016 NCAA title team.
Among the reasons for Stanford's hot streak: the return of junior All-American Melissa Lord, who had been sidelined since November with a shoulder injury. Lord, who wrapped up 2017 ranked No. 19 in the country after finishing 29-6 overall and 19-4 in duals, won two matches in straight sets last week while comfortably sliding into the No. 2 position. In doubles, Lord paired up with Janice Shin at the No. 3 spot and the duo won three matches, surrendering only four games overall.
With Lord back in the lineup, Stanford is now finally at full strength and can rely on its superior depth, especially on the lower courts where Emily Arbuthnott, Shin and Emma Higuchi have slotted in at 4-5-6.
Also leading the Cardinal has been freshman Michaela Gordon, who collected Stanford's first Pac-12 Player of the Week honor of the season on Tuesday.
Gordon went undefeated in three matches last week, surrendering 11 games combined over six sets. Ranked No. 16 nationally, Gordon is 19-5 overall and 10-4 in duals and has been anchoring the top spot of the lineup during Lord's absence. Gordon is also 9-0 against Pac-12 opponents and has defeated a pair of top-10 foes this season.