STANFORD, Calif. -- The Sacramento State women's tennis team battled back from down 3-1 in the match to tie things up at three-all in singles play, but came up short in the day's final contest as host and No. 11-ranked Stanford staved off the Hornets' upset bid for a 4-3 win on Monday afternoon at the Taube Family Tennis Center South Courts in Stanford, Calif.

Sacramento State fell to 3-3 overall on the year in the first meeting with the Cardinal since the 2017 campaign, but took three points off Stanford for the first time in nine all-time meetings between the two programs. Monday marked the first point won by the Hornets since a 6-1 defeat in 2009 and surpassed the two points in a 5-2 defeat back in 2005.

The Cardinal, who had lost three straight, evened their record at 3-3 with the win.

Stanford quickly jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a sweep of doubles, the took singles wins at No. 2 and No. 4 in straight sets around a victory by senior Palina Saulevich at No. 6 to make it a 3-1 contest. Saulevich moved to 4-2 in singles play this year with a 6-2, 6-2, win over Morgan Shaffer to get the Hornets on the board.

Freshman Cami Maldonado Gutierrez kept the momentum going, drawing Sacramento State to within a point with a 6-3, 6-4, win at the No. 5 spot over Emma Sun. The victory marked the newcomer's fifth singles win in six tried this year, winning her third straight.

Redshirt junior Lou Baudouin then came up big at the No. 3 spot against Tianmei Wang, winning the first, 6-4, before being shutout in the second. Baudouin then jumped out to a quick lead in the third and cruised to a 6-2 win to clinch the Hornets' third point of the afternoon, remaining unbeaten in singles on the year at 5-0 and sending all eyes to Court No. 1.

Battling the No. 44-ranked player in the nation, Reese Walker and Monika Ekstrand traded 6-3 wins over the first two sets before the Sacramento State junior got the jump on her opponent in the third, sprinting out to a 4-2 lead in the set before the Cardinal rallied. Ekstrand answered by fighting off and winning three consecutive deuce points before closing out the contest for a 6-4 victory and the match.

The Hornets return home for a dual against Fresno State on Saturday (Feb. 14) at 11 a.m., before making the short trip to Stockton, Calif., for a dual at Pacific on Sunday (Feb. 15) at 10:30 a.m.

NCAA WOMEN'S TENNIS
#11 Stanford 4, Sacramento State 3
Feb. 9, 2026 // Stanford, Calif. (Taube Family Tennis Center South Courts)

DOUBLES
1. Caroline Driscoll / Monika Ekstrand (STAN) def. Cami Maldonado Gutierrez / Irene Riva (SAC), 6-3
2. Alyssa Ahn / Tianmei Wang (STAN) def. Lou Baudouin / Emilija Pranyte (SAC), 6-2
3. Sein Myoung / Morgan Shaffer (STAN) def. Palina Saulevich / Reese Walker (SAC), 6-2

Order of finish: 2, 3*, 1

SINGLES
1. #44 Monika Ekstrand (STAN) def. Reese Walker (SAC), 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
2. #113 Carolina Driscoll (STAN) def. Irene Riva (SAC), 6-0, 6-1
3. Lou Baudouin (SAC) def. Tianmai Wang (STAN), 6-4, 0-6, 6-2
4. Sein Myoung (STAN) def. Emilija Pranyte (SAC), 6-1, 6-3
5. Cami Maldonado Gutierrez (SAC) def. Emma Sun (STAN), 6-3, 6-4
6. Palina Saulevich (SAC) def. Morgan Shaffer (STAN), 6-2, 6-2

Order of finish: 2, 6, 4, 5, 3, 1*