After a nearly two-week hiatus from match play, No. 1 Stanford women’s tennis will get its chance to rebound from its first loss in 90 matches as the Cardinal hosts twin Pacific-10 Conference powerhouses No. 5 Southern California and No. 15 UCLA this weekend.

As freshman Lindsay Burdette explained, the team has been anxious to get back on the court after its Feb. 3 loss against Georgia Tech.

“I think that right now, coming off of our loss in Madison, this is the absolute best time to be playing [USC and UCLA],” she said. “We’re all fired up, and really positive. We’re ready to go after these guys.”

Stanford (3-1) has not competed in match play in nearly two weeks, but, according to Coach Lele Forood, that could be to the Cardinal’s advantage.

“We’re really anxious to get going again,” Forood said. “That’s what the mood is. We really look forward to being finally able to play.”

The matches against the team’s Southern California conference rivals could mean a lot for Stanford. Both USC (5-0) and UCLA (5-2) are nationally ranked, and, moreover, the matches will mark the opening of the Pac-10 season for the Cardinal.

Burdette spoke about the challenge that Stanford expects to face against the two Los Angeles schools.

“They’re really tough teams,” Burdette said. “They’re deep — they’re two of the three [other] teams that make the Pac-10 so tough. Each team has really highly ranked No. 1 and 2 players — they’re dangerous for sure.”

“They’re both really great teams,” Forood added. “I fully expect them to be in the top 10 [of the national rankings], even if they’re not currently ranked there.”

Senior Theresa Logar elaborated on the depth of talent among the Cardinal’s Pac-10 rivals.

“They have a lot of tricky players,” Logar said. “Every girl’s going to pose some sort of challenge for us, whether it’s going to be hard hitting or a lot of spin. They’re not going to be easy matches.”

In particular, both the Bruins and the Lady Trojans could give Stanford trouble with its Nos. 1 and 2 players. Lindsey Nelson, USC’s top player, was ranked No. 8 in the ITA preseason singles rankings; she is known for her offensive power.

“She hits really big off the ground — she’s definitely beatable, though,” Burdette said.

“Lindsey is arguably the best player in the country right now,” Forood added. “She’s going to be tough to handle. Their lineup is very solid all the way down, too — it’s not like it’s just her. She just happens to be the name on the top, but they have quality players all the way down.”

Logar, currently playing in the No. 1 slot for the Cardinal, commented on the challenge that she expects to see from the highly-touted Nelson.

“I have a solid game, as does she,” Logar said. “We both match up well against each other, and it’ll be a battle. It’s going to be tough, and I think that both of us will try to really tug each other around on the court.”

UCLA also features talent at the top of its lineup in freshman Yasmin Shnack and junior Riza Zalameda. Both players are nationally ranked and should provide the Cardinal with a formidable challenge.

“On any given day, [Zalameda is] as good as anybody,” Forood said. “She presents a good obstacle to us.”

Aside from its opponents, Stanford will also be battling injuries and illness. According to Burdette’s, the team’s lineup of six players is currently “tight.” Forood, however, was confident in her team’s ability to compete, even given the current state of her roster.

“We’re going to be ready to play tomorrow,” she said.

In any case, the upcoming matches should be a good test for the Cardinal, giving Stanford a chance to re-establish its dominance both on regional and national levels.

Stanford is slated to face USC today at 1:30 p.m., followed by UCLA tomorrow at noon. Both matches will take place at the Taube Family Tennis Center.