The No. 2 Stanford women’s tennis team would have notched another tournament sweep this weekend, had it not been for UCLA’s Riza Zalameda.

At the National Collegiate Tennis Classic (NCTC) in Indian Wells, Calif., freshman Carolyn McVeigh repeatedly upset some of the nation’s top players in her Cinderella run to the finals.

Sophomore Lindsay Burdette, who also competed at the NCTC, lauded her teammate’s effort.

“I watched basically every single one of her matches and they were unbelievable,” Burdette said.

In the opening day of play, McVeigh easily dispatched two Los Angeles opponents: UCLA’s Elizabeth Lumpkin and Sarah Fansler of Southern California.

The next day, McVeigh came out strong against two top opponents. She upset the tournament’s first seed, Maya Johansson of Georgia Tech 6-4, 6-2, and then defeated USC’s No. 1 player, Lindsay Nelson 6-2, 6-2.

“She didn’t know what to do,” Burdette said of Nelson. “Nelson called out trainers and was pressuring Carolyn’s calls, but Carolyn just took it to her.”

On the final day, McVeigh fell in the championship match 6-2, 6-3 to UCLA’s Zalameda.

“The last day, after playing two matches on Saturday, Carolyn was a tiny bit tired,” Burdette said. “But Zalameda played unbelievabl[y]. Carolyn had an awesome tournament.”

Zalameda, a seasoned junior and UCLA’s No. 1 singles player, is ranked 25th in the latest ITA polls. McVeigh, in her first collegiate season, is ranked 58th.

“Zalameda is a very talented and experienced player,” Burdette said. “She’s played pro tournaments since she was really young, but when it comes to pressure situations, she doesn’t quite do as well. In NCAAs she only won one singles match, but she’s still a very good player.”

Zalameda defeated Burdette 7-5, 6-2 in the quarterfinals en route to the championship. Despite her early exit, Burdette is pleased with her game so far.

“I definitely didn’t go as far as I would have liked,” she said. “But I got some awesome matches and I feel like my strokes and ball striking are right where I want [them] to be at this point before we begin the season. With more matches, the rest of it will come.”

McVeigh and Burdette also teamed up in doubles, and advanced to the semifinals.

They were again met by Zalameda, playing with Tracy Lin of UCLA. The Bruins prevailed in an 8-6 decision.

“The match that we did play ended up being a really good match,” Burdette said. “We had a ton of chances and we definitely could have won. I felt it was the first match [where] Carolyn and I really meshed, figuring out which balls go to whom. We worked really well together.”

Zalameda and Lin would eventually win the doubles championships along with Zalameda’s singles title.

Overall, the NCTC proved to be another learning experience for the Cardinal squad.

“The tournament was really positive, especially for the team, because we proved that even our youngest members on the team can compete with the best,” Burdette said.

This Friday, Stanford will open up dual match play against UC Davis at home. After a long fall season, the Cardinal women are geared up for the challenge.

“We’re all raring and ready to go,” Burdette said. “We’re so ready to get out there and work, starting with Davis. There’s nothing like dual matches in tennis.”