Stanford's late doubles rally and a sweep in singles carried the Cardinal past upset-minded Virginia Commonwealth, 4-0, at the Division I Men's Tennis Championships May 20-28 in Athens, Georgia.

Unseeded Virginia Commonwealth (27-5) appeared poised to win doubles before Stanford's Ali Ansari and Scotty Scott closed fast at No. 3 to prevail, 8-6, over Jose and Fernando Sanchez.

"It looked like we were coming back in doubles,'' said Rams coach Paul Kostin. "But we couldn't finish it out. Stanford is just a good team. I don't know if we had won the doubles point that we would have been able to beat them.''

Stanford ace Alex Kim, named the most outstanding player in the team portion of the tournament and eventual winner of the individual singles competition, defeated Virginia Commonwealth's Daniel Andersson at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-2. Andersson was the nation's second-ranked collegian coming into the tournament.

Ansari followed with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Mattias Hoglund at No. 6, and Scott won, 7-5, 6-1, over Mats Norin at No. 5 to clinch the crown.

"I couldn't figure him out in the first set,'' said Scott. "He was a tall guy, and I thought he would bomb his serve and slug his forehands. But he stayed back. After that first set, we were both exhausted, but I felt good because I had a mental edge on him.''

Scott, a junior, did not play on Stanford's 1998 championship team, and the Cardinal lost its only match last year in the first round to Baylor.

"Last year was a heartbreaker,'' he said. "We had won four championships in a row, and then to lose to Baylor put a pit in my stomach. But we all worked hard over the summer. We had some good freshmen coming back, so I felt good coming into the year.''

Kim's win over Andersson followed his semifinal victory over top-ranked Jeff Morrison of Florida.

"He had a phenomenal two days of tennis,'' Stanford coach Dick Gould said of Kim. "He did a nice job of controlling the tempo today. That is an easy thing to say, but it is a hard thing to do.''

The team title for Stanford (28-1) was the 17th overall and the 13th in the last 16 years, all under Gould. His team total is second among NCAA Division I coaches behind the 18 by UCLA men's volleyball coach Al Scates.

The singles portion of the championships saw Kim roll through the bracket, losing only a tiebreaker in the second set of his semifinal victory over teammate K.J. Hippensteel. Kim then routed Kentucky's Carlos Drada, 6-1, 6-1, in the championship match.

"This is one of the most unbelievable feelings," Kim said. "To come down here and win the team and individual titles and now to play in the U.S. Open is something I never imagined." All NCAA champions earn wild cards into this year's U.S. Open.

Florida's top-seeded Morrison was attempting to become the first collegian to win consecutive titles since Georgia's Mikael Pernfors in 1984 and 1985, but Drada ended his hopes with a 6-2, 6-4 semifinal decision.

In doubles, an unseeded team captured the title for the second straight year as Illinois' Graydon Oliver and Cary Franklin topped Southern California's Ryan Moore and Nick Rainey, 6-4, 6-2. It was the first individual tennis title for the Fighting Illini and the first for the Big 10 Conference.

"I am in shock right now," Franklin said. "This is the perfect way to end my college career. It is great to have this be the last match played in the college tennis season, and to have it be the final match for Illinois this year."

TEAM RESULTS

First Round

Illinois 4, LSU 3; Va. Commonwealth 4, San Diego St. 3; Tennessee 4, Texas A&M 3; UCLA 4, Texas 0; Stanford 4, Minnesota 0; TCU 4, Baylor 1; Florida 4, Southern California, 1; Duke 4, Southern Methodist 2

Quarterfinals

Va. Commonwealth 4, Illinois 3; Tennessee 4, UCLA 1; Stanford 4, TCU 1; Florida 4, Duke 2.

Semifinals

Va. Commonwealth 4, Tennessee 3; Stanford 4, Florida 0.

Championship

Stanford 4, Va. Commonwealth 0

Singles: No. 1 -- Alex Kim, Stanford, def. Daniel Andersson, Va. Commonwealth, 6-4, 6-2; No. 2 -- Suspended; No. 3 -- Suspended; No. 4 -- Suspended; No. 5 -- Scott Scott, Stanford, def. Mats Norin, Va. Commonwealth, 7-5, 6-1; No. 6 -- Ali Ansari, Stanford, def. Mattias Hoglund, Va. Commonwealth, 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles: No. 1 -- Suspended; No. 2 -- K.J. Hippensteel-David Martin, Stanford, def. Mattias Hoglund-Mats Norin, Va. Commonwealth, 8-1; No. 3 -- Ali Ansari-Scott Scott, Stanford, def. Fernando Sanchez-Jose Sanchez, Va. Commonwealth, 9-7.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Singles

First round: Shuon Madden, Texas A&M, def. Jason Marshall, Purdue, 6-4, 6-1; Jeff Laski, Illinois, def. Eduardo Gordilho, La.-Lafayette, 6-2, 7-6; Brandon Hawk, Texas, def. Francisco Rodriguez, Alabama, 6-0, 6-0; Andres Pedroso, Duke, def. Rodrigo Echagaray, Kansas, 0-6, 7-5, 6-3; Ramsey Smith, Duke, def. Matt Wright, Michigan, 6-3, 6-1; Alexander Hartman, Mississippi, def. Patrick Gottesleben, Southern California, 6-2, 6-2; Jong-Min Lee, UCLA, def. Mike Halperin, Cornell, 6-2, 6-1; Jeff Morrison, Florida, def. Erik Scharf, St. John's (N.Y.), 6-2, 6-4; Oliver Maiberger, San Diego St., def. Josh Goffi, Clemson, 7-5, 6-3; Jean-Noel Grinda, UCLA, def.

Martin Woisetschlager, UAB, 6-3, 6-3; Brian Vahaly, Virginia, def. Tom Hand, LSU, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2; Stephen Huss, Auburn, def. Jonas Piibor, Indiana St., 7-5, 6-1; Justin O'Neal, Florida, def. Kyle Kliegerman, Princeton, 6-1, 6-4; Oskar Johansson, Arkansas, def. Jeremy Bayon, Mississippi St., 6-2, 6-3; Esteban Carrill, TCU, def. Tyler Cleveland, Iowa, 7-6, 6-3; Matias Boeker, Georgia, def. Dusty Beard, Oklahoma, 6-3, 6-3; Alex Osterreith, Arizona St., def. Ryan Sachire, Notre Dame, 7-6, 6-3; Johann Jooste, Baylor, def. Frantisek Stejskal, Pennsylvania, 6-2, 6-4; Cary Franklin, Illinois, def. Adam Seri, Georgia, 6-4, 6-2; Mark Parsons, Tennessee, def. Nenad Toroman, Tulsa, 7-6, 6-2; Alex Waske, San Diego St., def. Michal Chmela, LSU, 6-2, 6-4; Carlos Drada, Kentucky, def. Peter Luczak, Fresno St., 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Johan Hesoun, Kentucky, def. Sebastian Graeff, Pepperdine, 6-3, 6-4; Guillermo Carter, Oregon, def. Michael Blue, Texas, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2; Matt Amgwerd, New Mexico, def. Dennis Lundberg, Tulane, 7-6, 6-1; Marco Baron, Mississippi St., def. Leif Meineke, Boise St., 6-1, 7-5; Tripp Phillips, North Carolina, def. Simon Shen, UC Santa Barb., 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; K.J. Hippensteel, Stanford, def. Doug Root, Duke, 7-6, 7-6; Daniel Andersson, Va. Commonwealth, def. Olivier Lejeune, Fresno St., 6-3, 6-1; Alex Kim, Stanford, def. Toby Hansson, Southern Methodist, 6-2, 6-0; Robert Kendrick, Pepperdine, def. Frank Moser, Va. Commonwealth, 6-2, 6-2; Geoff Abrams, Stanford, def. Andrew Nisker, Vanderbilt, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Second round: Laski, Illinois, def. Grinda, UCLA, 6-3, 6-4; Carter, Oregon, def. Boeker, Georgia, 7-6, 6-3; Vahaly, Virginia, def. Smith, Duke, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Morrison, Florida, def. Parsons, Tennessee, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-3; Madden, Texas A&M, def. Hawk, Texas, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4; Pedroso, Duke, def. Baron, Mississippi St., 7-6, 5-7, 6-4; Drada, Kentucky, def. Franklin, Illinois, 5-7, 6-5, 7-6 (4); Hippensteel, Stanford, def. Hartman, Mississippi, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Huss, Auburn, def. Andersson, Va. Commonwealth, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2; Kim, Stanford, def. Maiberger, San Diego St., 6-3, 7-6; Phillips, North Carolina, def. Geoff Abrams, Stanford, 7-5, 6-4. 6-4; Lee, UCLA, def. Amgwerd, New Mexico, 6-4, 6-0; Jooste, Baylor, def. Osterreith, Arizona St., 6-4, 6-2; Kendrick, Pepperdine, def. Waske, San Diego St., 7-6 (1), 6-2; O'Neal, Florida, def. Hesoun, Kentucky, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5; Carrill, TCU, def. Johansson, Arkansas, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3.

Third round: Vahaly, Virginia, def. Carter, Oregon, 6-2, 6-1; Madden, Texas A&M, def. Lee, UCLA, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3; Kim, Stanford, def. Laski, Illinois, 6-0, 6-2; Hippensteel, Stanford, def. Carrill, TCU, 6-7 (7), 6-3, 7-6 (6); Huss, Auburn, def. O'Neal, Florida, 7-5, 6-4; Drada, Kentucky, def. Pedroso, Duke, 6-2, 6-3; Morrison, Florida, def. Kendrick, Pepperdine, 7-6 (5), 6-2; Phillips, North Carolina, def. Jooste, Baylor, 7-6, 6-2.

Quarterfinals: Kim, Stanford, def. Vahaly, Virginia, 6-3, 7-5; Hippensteel, Stanford, def. Huss, Auburn, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Morrison, Florida, def. Phillips, North Carolina, 6-3, 6-4; Drada, Kentucky, def. Madden, Texas A&M, 6-2, 6-4.

Semifinals: Kim, Stanford, def. Hippensteel, Stanford, 6-2, 6-7 (1), 6-2; Drada, Kentucky, def. Morrison, Florida, 6-2, 6-4.

Championship: Kim, Stanford, def. Drada, Kentucky, 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles

First round: Ryan Moore-Nick Rainey, Southern California, def. Scott Bornstein-Ahn-Ahn Liu, Princeton, 6-3, 6-2; Michael Blue-Nick Crowell, Texas, def. Charlie Roberson-Rick Warren, Oklahoma, 6-1, 6-3; David Hodge-Mark Williams, Baylor, def. Gert Vilms-Damien Ward, Brigham Young, 6-3, 6-2; Erik Dmytruk-Scott Kintz, California, def. Ed Dus-Rodrigo Echagaray, Kansas, 6-3, 6-2; Maxim Belski-Francisco Rodriguez, Alabama, def. Guillermo Carter-Leslie Eisinga, Oregon, 7-6 (6), 6-2. Toby Hansson-Jon Wallmark, Southern Methodist, def. Javier Taborga-Aaron Talerico, Notre Dame, 6-4, 6-2; Cary Franklin-Graydon Oliver, Illinois, def. Josh Goffi-Darrin Knight, Clemson, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1; Rob Cheyne-Andy Scorteanu, Fresno St., def. Jeff Morrison-Nathan Overholser, Florida, 7-5, 6-4; Sebastian Graeff-Anthony Ross, Pepperdine, def. Thomas Haug-Martin Michalowski, Minnesota, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (10), 6-3; Vikrant Chadha-James Shortall, Mississippi, def. Salil Seshadri-Akran Zaman, Columbia, 7-6 (8), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (0); Marco Baron-Charles Sevigny, Mississippi St., def. Jeff Laski-Jamal Parker, Illinois, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Michal Chmela-Dan Kiernan, LSU, def. Daniel Andersson-Frank Moser, Va. Commonwealth, 6-2, 6-4; Dumitru Caradima-Shuon Maddem, Texas A&M, def. Stephen Huss-Mark Kovacs, Auburn, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (7); Leif Meineke-Wesley Moodie, Boise St., def. Matias Boeker-Travis Parrot, Georgia, 7-6 (4), 7-5; Doug Root-Ramsey Smith, Duke, def. Matt Amgwerd-Nic Dubey, New Mexico, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-1; Geoff Abrams-Alex Kim (2), Stanford, def. Huntley Montgomery-Brian Vahaly, Virginia, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1.

Second round: Baron-Sevigny, Mississippi St., def. Chmela-Kiernan, LSU, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; Moore-Rainey, Southern California, def. Hansson-Wallmark, Southern Methodist, 6-3, 7-5; Graeff-Ross, Pepperdine, def. Belski-Rodriguez, Alabama, 6-3, 6-3; Franklin-Oliver, Illinois, def. Blue-Crowell, Texas, 6-3, 6-4; Chadna-Shortall, Mississippi, def. Hodge-Williams, Baylor, 6-3, 6-4; Root-Smith, Duke, def. Cheyne-Scorteanu, Fresno St., 4-6, 6-1, 6-4; Meineke-Moodie, Boise St., def. Caradima-Madden, Texas A&M, default; Dmytruk-Kintz, California, def. Abrams-Kim, Stanford, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Quarterfinals: Franklin-Oliver, Illinois, def. Graeff-Ross, Pepperdine, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2; Moore-Rainey, Southern California, def. Meineke-Moodie, Boise St., 4-6, 7-6, 7-6; Root-Smith, Duke, def. Baron-Sevigny, Mississippi St., 6-7, 7-5, 7-5; Chadha-Shortall, Mississippi, def. Dmytruk-Kintz, California, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Semifinals: Moore-Rainey, Southern California, def. Root-Smith, Duke, 6-4, 6-4; Franklin-Oliver, Illinois, def. Chadha-Shortall, Mississippi, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Championship: Franklin-Oliver, Illinois, def. Moore-Rainey, Southern California, 6-4, 6-2.