Women's Tennis - Printable Version

Women's Tennis - Printable Version

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Women's Tennis - ColoradoTree - 02-26-2021

It's a month or two after most other teams, but whatever, there is Stanford women's tennis today. Today! At 2:00pm! After nearly a year without it, an actual tennis match with Stanford and an actual other team will take place. At Stanford.

We're playing Santa Clara, who is not great (though Maddie Pothoff remains a dangerous player). But there's a little family drama here nonetheless--Santa Clara freshman JennaMarie Gordon is our Michaela's younger sister, and she transferred from Gonzaga after not playing in the covid-shortened season.

Since the result isn't in doubt, I'm mostly curious about our lineup and how it shakes out after Michaela Gordon at #1. Does Blake jump ahead of Arbuthnott at #2? Does Shin drop down in the lineup rather than stay at 4? Do the freshman crack the lineup, and if so, where? Do we even see Emma Higuchi in the lineup? (I kind of think her time has come and gone at #6, what with the need to get not just our freshmen some match experience, but to help develop players like Madurawe and Mossmer, who have seen minimal time and whose ceilings are likely higher than Higuchi's if they were given more matches.) And what are the doubles pairings?

As always, we cheerfully defer to Lele, because there's not a coach at Stanford who has more thoroughly earned the benefit of the doubt on lineup decisions. I'm just curious to see what the lineup shows about Lele's perception of how each player has improved/regressed through this pandemic, and how she is deciding to balance a certain known level of performance with allowing for more development of other players. I'd like to see Houghton and Geller both in the lineup, frankly, but that's from a pre-covid outsider's view.

So happy that we get to wonder about these things again, my friends. The world is still rough out there, and things are hard, but this is one more small ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds.

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - BobK - 02-26-2021

I’m ready

http://streamingtennis.com/Cardinal/?DB_OEM_ID=30600

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - oldalum - 02-26-2021

An even bigger ray of sunshine would be if the Pac-12 would start allowing limited # of fans for outdoor sports. For most regular season tennis matches there's far fewer than 50 spectators there. Would be much safer than, say, outdoor dining.

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - eb388 - 02-26-2021

(02-26-2021, 10:15 AM)ColoradoTree Wrote: We're playing Santa Clara, who is not great (though Maddie Pothoff remains a dangerous player). But there's a little family drama here nonetheless--Santa Clara freshman JennaMarie Gordon is our Michaela's younger sister, and she transferred from Gonzaga after not playing in the covid-shortened season.

It doesn't look like Pothoff played in either of the first two matches and Michaela's sister played #1. I wonder if they'll face off today.

Excited for another season of Stanford tennis.

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - oldalum - 02-26-2021

the live stream shows in doubles, SCU Gordon playing at #2 vs. Choy, and our Geller at #3.

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - TheFarm07 - 02-26-2021

ColoradoTree, I am sorry if I missed this in another thread, but how high is our team's ceiling this year? Can we contend for a national title?

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - Lorcan - 02-26-2021

(02-26-2021, 04:00 PM)TheFarm07 Wrote: ColoradoTree, I am sorry if I missed this in another thread, but how high is our team's ceiling this year? Can we contend for a national title?

I think this year the challenge is that there are teams like Texas, UNC, and UCLA that are absolutely loaded with seniors who returned for an extra year. While Stanford has the capability to be good, there are others a notch above due to returning seniors combined with fantastic freshman.

Interesting that Higuchi is playing #2 today.

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - oldalum - 02-26-2021

So far, out of 28 singles games, SCU has won only 1.

Our singles lineup is
Gordon (vs. her sister)
Higuchi
Geller
Choy
Shin
Houghton

No Blake Arbuthnott
Madurawe Mossmer.

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - Treefence - 02-26-2021

Should we be reading anything into the lineups this game, or are we likely experimenting? It's interesting seeing Higuchi at #2, given she's been essentially a life long #6. I'd assume she'd drop down below Blake and Arbuthnott, but does anyone have insight?

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - ColoradoTree - 02-26-2021

(02-26-2021, 04:05 PM)Lorcan Wrote:
(02-26-2021, 04:00 PM)TheFarm07 Wrote: ColoradoTree, I am sorry if I missed this in another thread, but how high is our team's ceiling this year? Can we contend for a national title?

I think this year the challenge is that there are teams like Texas, UNC, and UCLA that are absolutely loaded with seniors who returned for an extra year. While Stanford has the capability to be good, there are others a notch above due to returning seniors combined with fantastic freshman.

Basically this. We're a top 5 team, but I think UNC is the clear favorite. Now, any top 5 team can absolutely contend, but this isn't one of those years where I look at the various rosters and think to myself, "oh, absolutely, this team is gonna be right there at the end." Stanford women's tennis has won national titles in such years, but the shortened schedule with Texas/UCLA playing several matches against top teams already makes a tough task even tougher.

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - Lorcan - 02-26-2021

(02-26-2021, 04:00 PM)TheFarm07 Wrote: ColoradoTree, I am sorry if I missed this in another thread, but how high is our team's ceiling this year? Can we contend for a national title?

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - ColoradoTree - 02-26-2021

(02-26-2021, 04:28 PM)Treefence Wrote: Should we be reading anything into the lineups this game, or are we likely experimenting? It's interesting seeing Higuchi at #2, given she's been essentially a life long #6. I'd assume she'd drop down below Blake and Arbuthnott, but does anyone have insight?

I am not reading much into this lineup as far as what it means for the season. Higuchi at #2 feels like a reward for a loyal player (not sure if she's ever played a singles match on a stadium court in her career here before), not a realistic projection of where she'll be this year (heck, I don't think Higuchi should really be in the singles lineup at all, given the talent everywhere else in the lineup that's younger with a higher ceiling). Let's see what things look like next week as we get into conference play, but even then, Utah/Colorado could see us throw some non-standard lineups, so I'd wait and see what we look like against ASU the following week. That's the first gut check moment of what Lele thinks our top 6 really is.

THAT SAID, here's what I'm reading into the lineup/results:

* Choy above Shin doesn't feel like an experiment, given that they were 4-5 the other way last year. Maybe a data point that Lele is noticing Shin's regression/failure to develop and is slotting her accordingly?
* Excited to see Geller at 3 and hopeful for what that might mean. Even more excited to see her be the first one off court with a dominant win.
* Houghton with her first career clincher! Love it.
* Geller being above Houghton (and three lines above her, to boot) suggests Lele sees Geller as clearly ahead.
* There's gonna be rust. So, the fact that Choy and Shin aren't running away with their second sets isn't a big deal, but I do want to see them respond and turn on the jets. The talent differential is so big that there's no excuse for not pulling away here.

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - Softball Fan - 02-26-2021

Thanks for the analysis ColoradoTree. I hope some matches are televised. While Stanford's livestream is good resolution, the image size and camera angle make it hard for me to follow the action. Someone who is more than a casual observer probably can recognize the players and is ok with the livestream.

I know in the AVCA beach volleyball rules the recommended placement of players in the lineup is only a guideline so sandbagging is technically legal. That means a coach could strategically position teams to sacrifice one match in order to have a better chance of winning two or three matches. I'm sure this is not happening as the tennis coach experiments with what will be the best lineup.

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - oldalum - 02-26-2021

The regular season matches are usually not televised and I don't see any scheduled for this season. The matches are too long and are of uncertain length. Occasionally the men will have a live commentator over live stream, I haven't seen that for the women. But the Pac-12 championship match has been televised (at least since they moved to the team match format), and the NCAA team championship match is.

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - ColoradoTree - 02-26-2021

(02-26-2021, 04:59 PM)paloalto Wrote: Thanks for the analysis ColoradoTree. I hope some matches are televised. While Stanford's livestream is good resolution, the image size and camera angle make it hard for me to follow the action. Someone who is more than a casual observer probably can recognize the players and is ok with the livestream.

I know in the AVCA beach volleyball rules the recommended placement of players in the lineup is only a guideline so sandbagging is technically legal. That means a coach could strategically position teams to sacrifice one match in order to have a better chance of winning two or three matches. I'm sure this is not happening as the tennis coach experiments with what will be the best lineup.

Tennis is historically pretty strict on this, and the "one line" rule--a player can only move one line per match--limits the ability to completely stack a lineup. That said, players can be out of the lineup entirely and come back in later at a different line, and there are allowances for injury, so perhaps that's at play here--Higuchi will likely be out of the lineup altogether next week. Otherwise, if you wanted to get her back to 6, you'd have to play her at 3 against Utah, and then 4 against Colorado, etc.

But in the first match of the year, with big talent differentials on every court, this is either experimenting, or it's just giving Higuchi a reward knowing that she'll likely be out of the lineup the next few weeks at least.

(02-26-2021, 05:08 PM)oldalum Wrote: The regular season matches are usually not televised and I don't see any scheduled for this season. The matches are too long and are of uncertain length. Occasionally the men will have a live commentator over live stream, I haven't seen that for the women. But the Pac-12 championship match has been televised (at least since they moved to the team match format), and the NCAA team championship match is.

We get the commentators a decent amount on the women's side, actually! I'd expect it for the high-profile non-conference matches and the big rivalry matches like Cal, UCLA, USC, etc.

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - oldalum - 02-26-2021

(02-26-2021, 05:11 PM)ColoradoTree Wrote: We get the commentators a decent amount on the women's side, actually!

I guess I really don't know for the women because I often go to the good matches in person!
-ds

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - Treefence - 02-26-2021

(02-26-2021, 04:54 PM)ColoradoTree Wrote:
(02-26-2021, 04:28 PM)Treefence Wrote: Should we be reading anything into the lineups this game, or are we likely experimenting? It's interesting seeing Higuchi at #2, given she's been essentially a life long #6. I'd assume she'd drop down below Blake and Arbuthnott, but does anyone have insight?

I am not reading much into this lineup as far as what it means for the season. Higuchi at #2 feels like a reward for a loyal player (not sure if she's ever played a singles match on a stadium court in her career here before), not a realistic projection of where she'll be this year (heck, I don't think Higuchi should really be in the singles lineup at all, given the talent everywhere else in the lineup that's younger with a higher ceiling). Let's see what things look like next week as we get into conference play, but even then, Utah/Colorado could see us throw some non-standard lineups, so I'd wait and see what we look like against ASU the following week. That's the first gut check moment of what Lele thinks our top 6 really is.

THAT SAID, here's what I'm reading into the lineup/results:

* Choy above Shin doesn't feel like an experiment, given that they were 4-5 the other way last year. Maybe a data point that Lele is noticing Shin's regression/failure to develop and is slotting her accordingly?
* Excited to see Geller at 3 and hopeful for what that might mean. Even more excited to see her be the first one off court with a dominant win.
* Houghton with her first career clincher! Love it.
* Geller being above Houghton (and three lines above her, to boot) suggests Lele sees Geller as clearly ahead.
* There's gonna be rust. So, the fact that Choy and Shin aren't running away with their second sets isn't a big deal, but I do want to see them respond and turn on the jets. The talent differential is so big that there's no excuse for not pulling away here.

I agree with pretty much all of what you said, Higuchi early on was a great #6, but I think the college game has passed her standing as a dominate automatic point there, and I think we might have 6 or 7 better players. I did like seeing Geller at #3, and read that to mean she's impressed so far. I a bit worried our Junior class, Choy and Madurawe may not ever be big contributors, hopefully I wrong there. Blake seemed like she had the potential to be a legit blue chipper in the college ranks, but again only time will tell.

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - ColoradoTree - 02-28-2021

Choy and Madurawe struck me as definitely starter-caliber, but not necessarily top-3 caliber--which is fine! We've got an unquestioned ace in Gordon, and as far as younger players, we've got plenty (e.g., Blake, Houghton, Geller, next year's incoming freshmen) who project as top-of-the-lineup players.

And I definitely think Blake has the goods. She was terrific in a covid-shortened freshman season, and no reason to think she won't impress again this year. (I'd expect to see some liberal rotations in the first few matches, just to see what we have, since Lele is without the benefit of a fall tournament season to get some matchplay in to see how the lineup shakes out. So, assuming Blake is healthy, I'd expect to see her at #2 or #3 in our next match.)

Oh, and speaking of our next match, there's apparently a match against UC Davis this Tuesday at 2pm. Not on the schedule, but it was noted in the gostanford.com gamer.

RE: Women's Tennis: Season Opener Today! - ColoradoTree - 03-01-2021

Adding more matches on the fly. In addition to UC Davis (tomorrow at 2pm), which is now on the schedule, the schedule reflects two midweek matches next week, after this weekend's trip to the mountain schools. So the new next ten days looks like this (all times Pacific):

Tuesday, Mar. 2: vs. U.C. Davis (2pm)
Friday, Mar. 5: at Utah (12:30pm)
Sunday, Mar. 7: at Colorado (9:00am)
Tuesday, Mar. 9: vs. Portland (11:00am)
Thursday, Mar. 11: vs. St. Mary's (2:00pm)

The weekend after that is open for the time being--nothing on the schedule on Friday the 12th, Saturday the 13th, or Sunday the 14th. But I imagine that'll change as we try to cobble a schedule together. After St. Mary's, the next match currently on the schedule is a home date vs. Arizona on Saturday, 3/20 at 1:00pm. No ASU date on the schedule (they're playing at Cal the same time as Arizona plays us), but Cal is hosting Arizona on Friday the 19th, so I'm not sure why Stanford-ASU isn't on the schedule for Friday. (With such a limited schedule, we need every match against a tough conference opponent we can get, and ASU is one of just a few ranked Pac-12 teams.)

No Cal date on the schedule yet, either. But other than Cal and ASU, the rest of our conference opponents are on the schedule.

For what it's worth, Cal scheduled a home-and-home with Pepperdine to fill in some of these non-conference gaps. I'd like to see that on our end, too. Playing Cal, UCLA, and USC twice should also be in the discussion, even if only one counts for Pac-12 standings. We need tough matches.

RE: Women's Tennis - martyup - 03-02-2021

Will there be a livestream of today's match with Davis?