The Women of Troy Moved past the Cardinal to the semi-finals with a 4-2 victory and will face #1 Ucla for the third time this season, they are 1-1 on the year. After pulling out the doubles with Lao/ Ramos clinching with a 8-6 win after being 6-6, the trojans handled the #4 seed stanford in singles taking 3 of 5 and leading in the remaining match. In singles the cardinal won the first match at #1 singles Nicole Gibbs over Zoe Scandalis 6-1,6-4, Gibbs dominated the first set only losing her serve and finished off Zoe with a tight second set. Gibbs is the #3 ranked player in the ncaa where Scandalis is only #14, plus stanfords #2 player Mallory Burdette is ranked #5.
With the score now 1-1 USC freshman Gabriella DeSimone at #5 singles played the fastest 3 set match I have ever saw, losing the first set 1-6 but taking the next two 6-2, 6-2 to bring the score to 2-1 trojans. Next Stanfords #6 player Veronica Li beat Valeria Pulido in a close match with a 6-4, 7-5 win to bring the score to 2-2. Now it was up to Trojans Danielle Lao, Sabrina Santamaria, and Kaitlyn Christian all in three set matches by now to get 2 points to win the match. Fisrt to finish was Junior Lao at #2 singles beating the higher ranked Burdette 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 with a great comeback. While Lao was closing out her match, Sabrina was in a third set Tiebreaker and took the early lead of 4-2 but then all of a sudden the score was 5-5 and then she won the next to points to clinch the victory. USC lost to Stanford 4-2 up at stanford 3 weeks back, so this was sweet revenge and one of the few win against the Cardinal in the last couple of years.
Next up the #1 ranked Bruins at 10:00 PST monday.
Go Trojans
#5 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (24-3) def. #4 STANFORD (21-2), 4-2 - McWhorter Courts
Head Coaches: Lele Forood (STANFORD) and Richard Gallien (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA)
Doubles
1. #3 Kaitlyn Christian/Sabrina Santamaria (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) def. #2 Mallory Burdette/Nicole Gibbs (STANFORD), 8-6
2. #24 Stacey Tan/Ellen Tsay (STANFORD) def. #49 Valeria Pulido/Zoe Scandalis (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA), 8-5
3. #75 Danielle Lao/Alison Ramos (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) def. Kristie Ahn/Veronica Li (STANFORD), 8-6
Singles
1. #3 Nicole Gibbs (STANFORD) def. #14 Zoe Scandalis (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA), 6-1, 6-4
2. #19 Danielle Lao (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) def. #5 Mallory Burdette (STANFORD), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
3. #26 Sabrina Santamaria (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) def. #25 Stacey Tan (STANFORD) 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(5)
4. Kristie Ahn (STANFORD) vs. #89 Kaitlyn Christian (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA), 6-4, 5-7, 1-2, unfinished
5. Gabriella DeSimone (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) def. #74 Ellen Tsay (STANFORD), 1-6 6-2, 6-2
6. Veronica Li (STANFORD) def. Valeria Pulido (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA), 6-4, 7-5
Order of Finish
Doubles: 2,1,3*
Singles: 1,5,6,2,3