Cal Faces Stanford In Big Slam

Berta Passola Folch and No. 27 Cal take on the Cardinal with Pac-12 Championship seeding on the line.

WTEN4/19/2023 2:19 PM | By: Cal Athletics

BERKELEY – The 27th-ranked California women’s tennis team concludes the regular season when the Golden Bears (11-7, 7-2 Pac-12) take on No. 7 Stanford (17-2, 9-0) in the Big Slam on Friday at 1:30 p.m. PDT on The Farm. The match pits last year’s Pac-12 regular-season champion, Cal, against this year’s regular-season conference champ in the Cardinal.
 
The Bears bring a four-match winning streak to the Taube Family Tennis Center, while Stanford has won 14 straight.
 
The live stream and live scores for Saturday’s match are available by clicking here. Fans can also follow updates of all Cal matches on Twitter at @CalWomensTennis.
 
Poll Position
Cal moved to No. 27 in Tuesday’s ITA team poll. The sophomore duo team of Jessica Alsola and Katja Wiersholm (16-11) remained at No. 9 in doubles and Alsola (27-3) – who has won 18 consecutive singles matches – also stayed at No. 48 in singles.
 
Bears Sweep Washington Teams
Cal drubbed each of the Washington teams 6-1 in the Bears’ last two matches, with Katja Wiersholm clinching both victories at the Hellman Tennis Complex. Against Washington State last Friday, the ninth-ranked pair of Wiersholm and Jessica Alsola defeated the 53rd-ranked Eva Alvarez Sande and Elyse Tse, 6-4, to secure the doubles point. Later, Wiersholm bested Tse, 7-6(5), 6-1, to hand Cal the overall win.
 
Before playing No. 19 Washington on Saturday, Cal celebrated the careers of Haley Giavara and Erin Richardson in its Senior Day ceremony. The Bears dominated the Huskies in singles, with highlights including Giavara – in perhaps her last match at Hellman – beating the 101st-ranked Hikaru Sato, 6-1, 6-2, the 48th-ranked Alsola defeating Astrid Olsen, 6-0, 6-1, to win her 18th straight singles match, and Wiersholm topping Sarah-Maude Fortin, 6-3, 6-1, to clinch and close Cal’s regular-season home schedule.
 
Last Time Vs. Stanford
Cal wrapped up last season’s Pac-12 regular-season championship when the Bears defeated Stanford, 5-2, on April 16  in Berkeley. Then-senior Julia Rosenqvist clinched the victory with a 7-6(8), 6-3 win over India Houghton. Rosenqvist – playing on Senior Day – also…