No. 9 USC Suffers First Conference Loss of the Season to No. 5 Stanford

Women’s Tennis | March 30, 2024

LOS ANGELES – The No. 9 USC women’s tennis team suffered their first Pac-12 loss of the season to No. 5 Stanford on Saturday, March 30, falling 4-1 to the Cardinal at the Taube Tennis Center.
 
With the loss, USC drops to 13-6 and 4-1 in conference play. 
 
Stanford got things going early in doubles play, winning back-to-back matches on courts one and three to haul in the doubles point. First on center court the No. 52 ranked duo of Ma/Yepifanova downed No. 15 ranked Eryn Cayetano and Emma Charney 6-2. The doubles point was decided on court three as Stanford’s Hui/Xu defeated USC’s No. 42 ranked duo of Parker Fry and Grace Piper 6-4 to claim the early lead. USC led on court two when play was suspended.
 
Moving into singles, Stanford would win matches on courts two and five before USC was able to put any points on the board. No. 13 Connie Ma downed USC’s No. 28 Emma Charney in straight sets 6-0, 6-1 to extend Stanford’s lead. Katherine Hui would put the Cardial one point away from clinching as she defeated Lily Fairclough 6-3, 6-1 on court five. 
 
With Stanford leading 3-0, Trojan fifth-year No. 108 Eryn Cayetano fought back, defeating her Cardinal opponent No. 92 Alexis Blokhina 6-3, 6-3 on court four. 
 
Stanford grabbed their fourth and final point of the day on court three as No. 27 Alexandra Yepifanova downed No. 61 Grace Piper 7-5, 6-4 to clinch the match.
 
Due to rain in the area, USC will now face No. 10 Cal tomorrow, Sunday, March 31 at noon PT at the Hellman Tennis Complex in Berkeley. 
 
#5 Stanford 4, #9 USC 1
Saturday, March 30
Taube Tennis Center | Palo Alto, Calif.
 
DOUBLES
1) #52 Ma/Yepifanova (STAN) def. #15 Cayetano/Charney (USC), 6-2
2) Fairclough/Koenig (USC) led Blake/Houghton (STAN), 5-4 UNF. 
3) Hui/Xu (STAN) def. #42 Parker Fry/Piper (USC), 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 3
 
SINGLES
1) #26 Angelica Blake (STAN) vs. # 93 Snow Han (USC), 7-6 (5), 3-1 UNF. 
2) #13 Connie Ma (STAN) def. #28 Emma Charney (USC), 6-0, 6-1
3) #27 Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) def. #61 Grace Piper (USC), 7-5, 6-4*
4) #108 Eryn Cayetano (USC) def. #92 Alexis Blokhina (STAN), 6-3, 6-3
5) Katherine Hui (STAN) def. Lily Fairclough (USC), 6-3, 6-1
6) #103 Valencia Xu (STAN) vs. McKenna Koenig (USC), 7-6 (1), 3-1 UNF. 
Order of Finish: 2, 5, 4, 3
 
 
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