It’s all set for the NCAA Women’s Championship final at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, California. Stanford, a dominant force in college golf, is squaring off against UCLA, a team led by a first-year head coach and fueled by three transfers.
Top-ranked Stanford secured their spot in the championship by overcoming USC with a 3-1-1 victory. This marks Stanford’s fourth appearance in the national championship since 2015, having previously won twice, in 2015 and 2022, and finishing as runners-up once.
On the other side, UCLA defeated Oregon 3-2 to earn their place in the final. The Bruins, who have three national titles under their belt, most recently in 2011, are looking strong under new head coach Alicia Um Holmes. Holmes, who took over after Carrie Forsyth’s retirement, has had a fantastic first season.
Holmes brought in three key transfers: Meghan Royal from Arkansas, Kate Villegas from UC Riverside, and Natalie Vo from Colorado. These players joined forces with Zoe Campos and Caroline Canales to make UCLA a top-10 team all season and a formidable opponent in match play. Vo clinched the winning point against Oregon with a 2-and-1 victory, and Canales and Royal secured convincing wins as well.
Meanwhile, Stanford’s Megha Ganne turned in an impressive performance by winning four consecutive holes to defeat Brianna Navarrosa. Kelly Xu followed up by winning three straight holes against Catherine Park, securing a 3-and-2 victory. Sadie Englemann also contributed with a dominant 6-and-5 win over Cindy Kou.
“It’s kind of unbelievable, in our first year to make it this far,” Holmes remarked. “It’s just been a great ride with this team.” Stanford’s head coach Anne Walker is equally proud of her team’s performance. “We have had a great year,” Walker said. “We have won five times. You still have to come here and be ready to play, and that is what they are doing.”
The stage is set for an exciting final between two top teams. With Stanford’s experienced squad and UCLA’s fresh lineup, it promises to be a thrilling match. May the best team win!
