WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Perhaps no player's individual season has mirrored Stanford's furious stretch run more than Caroline Lampl, who had not lost more than seven matches in each of her first two seasons but battled inconsistency - by her lofty standards - during the first two months of 2018.
Entering March with six losses, Lampl has predictably rebounded with 11 wins over her last 12 matches, the latest coming Monday afternoon in what seemed to be a never-in-doubt 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 comeback over Kaitlyn McCarthy, powering No. 15 Stanford to a 4-2 victory over No. 3 Duke in the semifinals of the NCAA Championships.
Riding its momentum as the hottest team in the country with 19 consecutive wins, Stanford (23-3, 9-0 Pac-12) now stands one win away from its 20th national championship (18 NCAA, 1 AIAW). Boasting a 152-19 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament and the winningest program in the sport, the Cardinal will appear in its third straight national final when it faces Vanderbilt on Tuesday at 10 a.m. PT.
Stanford is threatening to duplicate its 2016 NCAA title run, when the Cardinal became the lowest-seeded team to win national championship at No. 15.
Yep. Still here. ??????? #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/pV5BHDtD3n
— Stanford Women's Tennis (@StanfordWTennis) May 21, 2018
Lampl, along with fellow juniors Melissa Lord and Kimberly Yee, are the lone holdovers of that NCAA title team, in which Lampl played at No. 5 and Lord at No. 6 in singles. It's that type of experience that paid dividends for both players on Monday in Stanford's first NCAA meeting with Duke since the 2006 quarterfinals.
You'll have to forgive the Cardinal if this year's postseason ambush has a "been there, done that" feel. Five years ago, Stanford won it all as a No. 12 seed – at the time the lowest-seeded team to accomplish the feat. In 2010, the Cardinal took home the crown as a No. 8 seed. Put it all together and Stanford has won 19 of its last 22 NCAA matches when seeded lower than its opponent.
Even more impressively, those wins have come in all different shapes and forms, whether it be convincing blowouts or dramatic nail-biters. There was once again no panic on Monday when Duke seized the doubles point for a 1-0 lead. That's because Stanford has won 14 of its last 19 matches when losing doubles and facing an early deficit.
Much like its 4-1 rout of North Carolina on Thursday in the round of 16, Stanford overwhelmed Duke by ripping off three straight singles wins. Just like that, the Cardinal led 3-1 and pressure mounted on the Blue Devils, who were playing in front of a sizeable contingent of fans making the nearby drive from Durham.
Third straight appearance in the NCAA final. We'll be ready tomorrow.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/3UyL4jPcVf
— Stanford Women's Tennis (@StanfordWTennis) May 21, 2018
Stanford evened the match at 1-1 following a 6-4, 6-0 victory from Emma Higuchi over Hannah Zhao at the No. 6 spot. It was the 16th consecutive win for Higuchi, who has lost since Feb. 24.
Next door at No. 5, Janice Shin delivered a 6-1, 6-1 win over Ellyse Hamlin. Shin, who has already clinched two matches in the postseason, extended her winning streak to 10.
The Cardinal moved in front 3-1 when Melissa Lord hung on to defeat Meible Chi 6-2, 7-6 (0) at the No. 2 position. Stanford's lone All-American in singles, Lord improved to 14-0 in her career in NCAA team matches.
Duke crept to within 3-2, collecting a point on the top spot of the lineup as sixth-ranked Samantha Harris took down Michaela Gordon 6-2, 7-6 (3). It was the first completed postseason match for Gordon, Stanford's highest-ranked player at No. 15 and the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.
Stanford remained in good shape, needing to book only match between Lampl at No. 3 and Emily Arbuthnott at No. 4. Lampl outlasted McCarthy, improving to 15-13 career in three-setters and providing her second clincher of the season.
Tuesday's NCAA final will be a rematch from Feb. 3, in which Vanderbilt easily blanked Stanford 7-0 in Nashville. However, the Cardinal's lineup on that day featured three players out of their current position and Lord unavailable due to a shoulder injury.
No. 15 Stanford 4, No. 3 Duke 2
DOUBLES
1) No. 9 Hamlin/McCarthy (DUKE) d. No. 3 Arbuthnott/Gordon (STAN) 6-3
2) No. 84 Lampl/Kimberly Yee (STAN) d. No. 6 Chen/Harris (DUKE) 6-4
3) Chi/Zhao (DUKE) d. Lord/Shin (STAN) 7-5
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
SINGLES
1) No. 6 Samantha Harris (DUKE) d. No. 15 Michaela Gordon (STAN) 6-2, 7-6 (3)
2) No. 40 Melissa Lord (STAN) d. No. 55 Meible Chi (DUKE) 6-2, 7-6 (0)
3) No. 93 Caroline Lampl (STAN) d. No. 116 Kaitlyn McCarthy (DUKE) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
4) No. 43 Emily Arbuthnott (STAN) led No. 28 Kelly Chen (DUKE) 4-6, 6-3, 4-3, unfinished
5) No. 96 Janice Shin (STAN) d. No. 84 Ellyse Hamlin (DUKE) 6-1, 6-1
6) No. 102 Emma Higuchi (STAN) d. Hannah Zhao (DUKE) 6-4, 6-0
Order of Finish: 6, 5, 2, 1, 3
Stanford Head Coach Lele Forood:
"It was a tough match today. We were a little overwhelmed in doubles, initially, but we fought back into it and came up just a little bit short. This year, however, losing the doubles point has not fazed us. We have a lot of faith in our singles lineup, so we just tried to move on as quickly as possible, knowing that we needed to find four singles wins. We started pretty well in singles, and we got a bunch of first sets. Especially at No. 5 and No. 6, that set the tone. It was very helpful to get those two points on the board, and then Melissa (Lord) following on No. 2. We lost a tight one on No. 1. Then obviously No. 3 and No. 4 were in third sets. Caroline (Lampl) was fortunate enough to get hers first."
"We played Vanderbilt in one of the first matches of the season at their place. At that time, it was preseason more or less and they billed it as the No. 1 vs. the No. 2, because that's where we were in the rankings. They smacked us pretty good. So we are really excited to be back and have the chance to play them at the end of the season."
Stanford Junior Caroline Lampl:
"Kaitylin (McCarthy of Duke), first of all is a great player. I knew going into the match that it was going to be a battle no matter what. She just won her doubles match, so I knew she had a lot of confidence going into singles. I started out playing well. It went one-all, two-all, then she just dominated the rest of the first set from there. She played really well. She had a lot of winners on me and was playing very aggressive. It was overwhelming at times, so I have to give it to her. It turned around in the second set when I decided I was going to fight out there and I was going to be a warrior. And that's what I did. I tried to get every single ball back, and she started making more errors as I did that, which definitely helped me. I was putting more elevation and topspin on my balls too, which helped me get shots to move up on and have opportunities. I just fought out there and gave it my all, which is what I love to do for this team. It just means so much to me."
"We want to be good role models on and off the court, and show to our team what it means to play for the national championship and be in the final. That is giving it your all, not just for yourself, but for the team and what Stanford University means to us, which is a lot."
Duke Head Coach Jamie Ashworth:
"Nothing really fazes Stanford. The conditions don't faze them. They are so mentally tough. I mean losing the doubles point on their side doesn't faze them. It was a great effort on their part. I thought after doubles we could take some momentum, and we have done a very good job this year after the doubles point of coming out and winning a quick singles match and we just weren't able to do that. At Nos. 5 and 6 we just got in a hole there. We definitely battled and competed, and I am really really proud of the season we had. Having it here at Wake is a great thing for us. A couple of years ago when I saw it was going to be here it was something as a program we were excited about. About the possibility of playing a match like today close to home. It is a great thing for our program."