ORLANDO - Less than 24 hours after capturing the NCAA title, Stanford returned to the court with three participants on the opening day of competition at the NCAA Singles Championship.
Sophomore Michaela Gordon cruised past North Carolina's Makenna Jones 6-2, 6-1 for the Cardinal's only victory of the day. The result was a sharp contrast from two days earlier, when Gordon outlasted the fifth-ranked Jones 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to help clinch Stanford's NCAA semifinal win over North Carolina. Gordon has won nine of her last 10 overall.
Senior Melissa Lord and junior Emily Arbuthnott were both eliminated in a pair of three-setters. Lord dropped a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 decision to VCU's Paola Delgado while Arbuthnott was outlasted 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 by Kentucky's Justina Mikulskyte.
Lord closed out her final season on The Farm at 28-10 overall and 21-4 in duals, with Monday's loss snapping a four-match winning streak. Lord, who finished the year winning 15 of her last 16 contests, wrapped up a stellar career in which she was 20-1 all-time in NCAA team competition.
Arbuthnott is Stanford's winningest player at 33-7 overall and 20-3 duals. Arbuthnott concluded the season winning 15 of her final 18 matches while leading the Cardinal with 10 clinchers.
NCAA SINGLES FIRST ROUND
May 20: No. 24 Michaela Gordon (STAN) d. No. 5 Makenna Jones (UNC) 6-2, 6-1
May 20: No. 77 Paola Delgado (VCU) d. No. 29 Melissa Lord (STAN) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
May 20: No. 27 Justina Mikulskyte (KY) d. No. 44 Emily Arbuthnott (STAN) 3-6, 6-4, 7-5
NCAA SINGLES SECOND ROUND
May 21: No. 24 Michaela Gordon (STAN) vs. No. 46 Jada Hart (UCLA) – 9 a.m. PT
NCAA DOUBLES FIRST ROUND
May 21: No. 19 Caroline Lampl/Kimberly Yee (STAN) vs. No. 6 Nina Khmelnitckaia/Janet Koch (KAN) – 9:30 a.m. PT
May 21: No. 29 Emily Arbuthnott/Michaela Gordon (STAN) vs. No. 2 Jessie Aney/Alexa Graham (UNC) – 5 p.m. PT