Cal Women's Tennis

A world top-100 doubles ranking, 20 professional tournament wins and all four Grand Slams later, she continues her tennis career as Cal women’s tennis head coach.

Both players had commendable matches, but ended their runs relatively quickly: Alsola in the first round, Giavara in the third.

The stakes are high: Should they reach the round of 16, they would be selected for the All-American team, and a tournament win earns a wildcard into this year’s U.S. Open Championship.

Coming off the back of becoming regular season’s Pac-12 champions — with an 18-7 record in the spring — the Bears had hoped to continue their run in the NCAA national championship. Cal was bested by No. 6 North Carolina State 4-0 in Raleigh, leaving the tournament in the sweet 16.

Blanking the Lumberjacks with a 4-0 win, the Bears dealt seemingly just as easy with their second round opponents Texas Tech on Saturday, earning a trip to North Carolina for the round of 16.

The team once again earned the honor of hosting after a successful season and being seeded 11th. Going in the tournament with a 16-7 record, and as regular season Pac-12 champions, Cal has its sights set high.

Beating Utah in its first match 4-0, Cal women's tennis couldn’t quite bypass Arizona State and fell 3-4 in the semifinals.

As the stands filled with Cal and Stanford fans, anticipation was high as two of the top teams in the conference battled it out for the regular-season Pac-12 championship title.

The only senior on the team will be honored this weekend on Senior Day. The day will also be important because of the opponent: Bay Area rival Stanford.

A skilled player in both singles and doubles, Erin Richardson shines on the court. But what truly makes her stand out as an athlete is her mindset.