Freshman James Shaw (above) averaged 10.48 assists per game this past season, putting him in the top five in the MPSF. Shaw was also named to the MPSF All-Freshman Team. (HECTOR GARCIA-MOLINA/StanfordPhoto.com)

For one, with last year’s setter Evan Barry ’12 lost to graduation and no setters left on the roster, Shaw and Ctvrtlik were both expected to play large parts in leading the Stanford offense. It was heavy responsibility for players yet to experience the pressure of college volleyball.

Redshirt sophomore opposite Daniel Tublin commented on the spot that they were immediately shoved into, stating that “in their roles as the only two setters, Shaw and Ctvrtlik had to mature quickly to not only learn the tempo and rhythm of the offense, but also lead the other five older guys when things were not running smoothly.” This was certainly a giant task to hand to freshmen untested at that level of play.

Secondly, Shaw and Ctvrtlik had to follow some big footsteps. The previous two key Stanford setters were Barry and Kawika Shoji ’10, legends who both achieved All-American status and are currently playing in professional leagues overseas.

Lastly, both players come from impressive volleyball pedigree. Shaw’s father, Don, is a former Stanford men’s and women’s volleyball coach who led Stanford to four national championships.

Not to be outdone, Ctvrtlik’s father is one of the greatest volleyball players of all time. Bob Ctvrtlik was a two-time most valuable player in the world, as well as a former Olympian. Ctvrtlik appeared in three Olympics, starting in the team that captured gold in 1988, and then serving as team captain for the next two Games, taking bronze in 1992.

Even the jersey numbers inherited by the two carried significant meaning, as Ctvrtlik received four-time All-American Erik Shoji’s No. 1, while Shaw was given Stanford’s all-time block leader Gus Ellis’ No. 3.

With these backgrounds in place, the two faced great expectations the second they walked into Maples Pavilion. At first, both recognized that they were facing unique trials that were unlike anything they had seen at previous levels of competition.

Ctvrtlik stated that “the level of setting in college is a lot quicker than in high school, and all the hitters hit at a much higher spot.” As such, both setters had to adjust their game quickly to adapt to a completely new style of play.

At the same time, Shaw faced another distinct challenge in that he functioned as both an outside hitter and setter on his club and high school teams, and thus had to face the challenge of becoming solely a setter. This transition was tough for him, but ultimately he felt as though “it was one that worked out well for [him] and for [his] future as a volleyball player.”

Neither Shaw nor Ctvrtlik shied away from the challenge. While, in Shaw’s words, “becoming an MPSF caliber player is not easy [and] being a freshman setter is even more difficult,” both worked tirelessly to step up to the plate in their freshman campaign.

Freshman Josef Ctvrtlik (above) collected 33 assists, eight digs and three blocks to lead Stanford past UC-San Diego 3-0 in his first start on Feb. 9. (JOHN TODD/isiphotos.com)

From their debut appearances, it was clear that both were able to adjust to the new setting. Shaw started Stanford’s first game of the season with authority, posting 38 assists, seven digs and six kills on eight attempts. He followed this with 46 assists and 10 digs the next night, for his first collegiate double-double.

Ctvrtlik got his chance to shine in the next match, entering for the final two sets and playing impressively, posting 17 assists and seven digs, both match-highs, and even recording a block despite standing at just six-foot-one.

Even so, both Ctvrtlik and Shaw felt as though there were improvements that could be made to bring their games to the next level. A good portion of this was simply realized through the passage of time. With more time to adjust not only to the style of college volleyball, but also the tendencies of the new teammates they were playing with, both were able to make impressive strides.

Ctvrtlik, for example, commented that he definitely saw a distinct improvement in his game as “[he] became more comfortable with the rate of play, as well as bettered [his] relationship with [the] team.”

Later in the season, Ctvrtlik would be given his first chance to start and seized it, putting up 33 assists, eight digs and three blocks in leading Stanford to a 3-0 victory over UC-San Diego.

Ultimately, even if it was a slight down season for the Cardinal, both freshmen left fans and teammates confident of their successes in the future. Shaw proved himself as a worthy inheritor to the starting setter job, as his 10.48 assists per game placed him in the top five in the MPSF, and his overall strong play earned him a spot on the MPSF All-Freshman Team.

These honors were not enough for him, however, as he has lofty goals in sight. He stated that he would love to see his team “grow, challenge each other and keep each other accountable as a family” while on a competitive level win the MPSF regular season title and compete for the national championship.

At the same time, he will not rest until he has “made [himself] into the best setter in the country.” While this is certainly a lofty goal, it is definitely in reach. Rest assured, he will be pushed the whole way by his teammate, friend and fellow competitor, Ctvrtlik. The two have certainly earned their place as leaders on the Stanford team, and they, along with the rest of their stellar freshman class, will be sure that the Cardinal will be a force to be reckoned with in the MPSF for years to come.

Contact Anders Mikkelsen at amikk ‘at’ stanford.edu.

Outside hitter Daniel Tublin (above) and the No. 6 Stanford men’s volleyball team will face Long Beach State in the MPSF quarterfinals this weekend. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

The two previous meetings with the 49ers have resulted in 3-0 and 3-2 Cardinal losses, but Stanford hopes to reverse that when it matters most.

Long Beach State features a prolific offensive attack lead by junior outside hitter Taylor Crabb. Crabb ranks third in the MPSF with 4.15 kills per set while hitting an exceptional .353 on the season. In the earlier meetings between the two teams this season, Crabb led all players with 15 kills in one match and 17 in the other, while hitting a combined .413. Shutting him down will be crucial for the Cardinal.

Stanford, however, is not to be cowed by Crabb’s numbers. Junior opposite Daniel Tublin stated that the key to stopping any great player down is simply to “take away his tendencies,” and Stanford will be sure to try to do that on Saturday night.

The 49ers are no one-man show, however, as they feature dangerous offensive players at multiple positions—in their last matchup with Stanford on March 30, four players posted double-digit kills. Their offensive attack is controlled by junior setter Connor Olbright, who ranks fourth in the MPSF with 10.76 assists per set.

Long Beach State also brings a lot of balance on the defensive end. The 49ers are ranked first in the MPSF in digs per set, and fourth in opposing hitting percentage. Long Beach State has three players in the top 15 in digs per set, demonstrating that they have defensive playmakers all over the court.

Stanford, however, is more than ready for the challenge of the 49ers. The Cardinal enters the match having won three of its past five games, including a massive 3-2 victory over then-No. 5 Cal Baptist. Stanford also played Long Beach State tough in the last meeting, rallying from a 2-0 to take the match into a fifth set, where the Cardinal ultimately lost.

While Stanford has consistently been led on offense by its star juniors, opposite Brian Cook and outside hitter Steven Irvin, both of whom are in the top 15 in the MPSF in kills per set, the Cardinal has been happy to see other players raising their level of play in recent weeks.

The junior middle blocker tandem of Denny Falls and Eric Mochalski has averaged 15 kills and nine blocks a game between them over the past five games, while Tublin has chipped in eight kills and five digs per contest over the same span.

Similar to the 49ers, the Cardinal features a strong defensive effort, ranked third in the MPSF in digs per set and fifth in opposing hitting percentage. In what is certain to be a defensive battle, Stanford hopes that its recent uptick in offensive performance from supporting players will be enough to overcome Long Beach State.

If Stanford wins, they will still face an uphill battle in the quest for the MPSF championship, as they face the winner between No. 2 UC-Irvine and No. 7-UC Santa Barbara. Surviving that will put them in the championship match, where a rematch with No. 1 BYU likely awaits.

Stanford needs to win all three of these games to put themselves in position to compete for the NCAA Championship. The Cardinal’s quest for its third national championship will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday night in Long Beach.

Contact Anders Mikkelsen at amikk ‘at’ stanford.edu.

Denny Falls (above) posted five blocks and four kills on .571 hitting in Stanford’s 3-0 loss to UC-Irvine on Friday. (ZETONG LI/The Stanford Daily)

The Anteaters (20-6, 17-6 MPSF) had swept the Cardinal (14-11, 11-11) in their past meeting and were looking to repeat that in front of their boisterous home crowd. Stanford, however, was looking for some revenge and certainly looked as if they would get it, cruising to an early 8-4 lead.

Irvine, however, was not intimidated. The Anteaters unleashed a seven-point run, featuring three aces from sophomore opposite Zack La Cavera, turning the four-point deficit into a three-point lead.

The Cardinal still refused to be cowed and stayed close, pulling the game even at 14 apiece. At that point, however, Irvine began to pull away from Stanford, ultimately taking the set 25-20.

The second set saw Irvine get off to a quick start, taking an early 8-3 lead. Again, the Cardinal was able to slowly work itself back into contention, pulling within two as late as 20-18. The Anteaters, however, proved too powerful, winning the second set 25-20.

Stanford needed to capture the third set to avoid its second straight sweep at the hands of Irvine. The Cardinal took the first point of the set but was unable to maintain the lead as the Anteaters cruised to a 25-19 set victory.

Stanford was completely outperformed by Irvine on the offensive end, hitting just .194 while the Anteaters hit .375. Junior opposite Brian Cook and junior outside hitter Steven Irvin continued their strong production, combining for 17 kills. Their fellow junior, middle blocker Denny Falls, had another impressive performance in his return to the starting lineup, posting five blocks and chipping in four kills on .571 hitting.

Following the loss, Stanford traveled down to sunny San Diego to take on the Tritons (7-20, 4-18). Stanford had defeated UCSD in their previous meeting and looked as though they would do so again, coming right out of the gates with three straight points.

The Tritons hung tight, even pulling within three late in the set, but Stanford was able to escape with a 25-20 victory behind four kills each from Cook, Falls and junior middle blocker Eric Mochalski.

The Tritons fought back in the second set, starting with a quick five-point run that put them ahead 5-2. The game turned into a cat-and-mouse affair, with both teams exchanging points and neither able to get the advantage over the other.

UCSD held the set point at 24-23, but a kill from junior opposite Daniel Tublin squared the game at 24. Stanford then had a set point opportunity of its own, but UCSD answered with its own kill. Finally, on Stanford’s second chance, Mochalski crushed a ball down the line for the set-winning kill.

Stanford had to win just one more set to earn its second straight sweep over the Tritons. From the outset, it was clear that UCSD had no intentions of letting that happen. The Tritons started on a 4-0 run that quickly put Stanford in a large hole. Down 19-14, the Cardinal needed to put forth a massive effort to get itself back in the game.

Stanford slowly began to close the gap, but was running out of time as UCSD neared 25 points. The Tritons earned their first game point at 24-22, but Stanford countered with four straight points, closing with a powerful kill from Cook that gave the Cardinal a 26-24 victory.

Cook would finish with 10 kills and six digs, while Irvin added 12 kills, two aces and nine digs. Mochalski had one of his best games of the season, with 10 kills on .533 hitting, as well as four blocks. Falls continued his strong play out of the middle, adding four kills and eight blocks.

With the win, Stanford moved up to seventh in the MPSF, a full game ahead of Cal State-Northridge. The Cardinal needs to stay within the top eight to secure its spot in the MPSF playoffs and ensure a chance at a national championship.

Next weekend, Stanford closes its regular season at Maples Pavilion with rematches against Cal Baptist and BYU.

Contact Anders Mikkelsen at amikk “at” stanford.edu.

The No. 8 Cardinal (12-10, 9-10 MPSF) will first travel down to face Pacific (7-16, 4-15 MPSF). In the teams’ first meeting of the season, the Cardinal was able to prevail 3-2 and will look to do the same this week. The Tigers are fresh off a win against Cal State Northridge, but they had lost 13 of their past 14 games previously.

Freshman setter James Shaw (3) and the Cardinal look to end a season-long four-game skid. (ZETONG LI/The Stanford Daily).

Pacific is led on offense by senior outside hitter Taylor Hughes, who is fifth in the MPSF in kills per set at 4.00. The Tiger attack lacks much depth beyond Hughes, however, as Pacific sits second to last in the MPSF in hitting percentage, third to last in assists and fourth to last in kills per set. The Tigers also rank last in aces, averaging just 0.59 per set.

While it might be weak offensively, Pacific does boast a strong defensive presence. Pacific sits third in the MPSF in blocks, with two middle blockers, senior Christian Ahlin and sophomore Tommy Carmody, sitting in the top 15 in the conference in blocks per set. At the same time, junior libero Javier Caceres leads the MPSF in digs per set, and the Tigers rank second in the MPSF in digs.

After meeting the Tigers on Tuesday, Stanford will have a short break before facing No. 4 UC-Irvine (18-6, 15-6 MPSF) on Friday. The Anteaters defeated the Cardinal 3-1 in their last meeting but have been struggling somewhat as of late, going just 3-3 in their past six games.

UC-Irvine has a number of strong offensive players, but perhaps its most dangerous is senior outside hitter Kevin Tillie. Tillie sits eighth in the MPSF at 3.84 kills per set and has given Stanford trouble in the past, putting up 18 kills on .531 hitting in the teams’ first meeting.

The Anteaters are anchored on defense by sophomore libero Michael Brinkley, who ranks second in the MPSF in digs per set. Tillie is also capable defensively, ranking ninth in the same category. As such, UC-Irvine holds opponents to the third lowest hitting percentage in the MPSF.

The Anteaters also boast strong net defense, ranking fifth in the MSPF in blocks per game. Junior middle blocker Collin Mehring, who is fifth in the individual category, put up impressive numbers in his last game against Stanford. Mehring, who ranks second in the MSPF in hitting percentage behind only his fellow Anteater junior middle blocker Scott Kevorken, had nine kills on .667 hitting as well as three blocks.

Stanford will close out its road trip Saturday night against UC-San Diego (7-18, 4-16 MPSF). The Tritons are last in the MPSF and were swept in their last meeting with Stanford, but they could still prove to be trouble. They took UC-Irvine to five sets in their last match and were able to pull out a win over USC just two games before.

The Tritons are the weakest offensive team in the MPSF, hitting just .211 on the year, and are second to last with an average of 11.57 kills per set. The Tritons were held to just .181 hitting in their last matchup with Stanford, although junior middle blocker Fred Stahl did post 10 kills on .300 hitting. Stahl ranks 12th in the MPSF in blocks per game and is definitely a force to be reckoned with at the net.

Overall, this is a crucial weekend for the Cardinal. Stanford currently sits eighth in the MPSF. At this point, Stanford seems very unlikely to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, so its only hope for a shot at the national championship is to win the MPSF tournament.

The top eight teams at the end of conference play qualify for the MPSF tournament, so Stanford needs to start winning in order to stay in front of Cal State Northridge, which sits just a half-game back.

Contact Anders Mikkelsen at amikk “at” stanford.edu.

Stanford (12-8, 9-8 MPSF) was faced with a major problem from the start of the match against Santa Barbara, as regular setter James Shaw was out with injury, causing the entire offense to need to make adjustments.

Despite junior outside hitter Brian Cook’s combined 26 kills, Stanford dropped both games in SoCal this past weekend. (StanfordPhoto.com)

UCSB (9-12, 7-10) took advantage of this at the start and cruised out to an early lead. The Cardinal, was able to crawl back into the game, but then the Gauchos took over again, uncorking a 9-3 run that turned a one-point advantage into a 25-18 victory.

Stanford started the second set on a roll, speeding to a quick 7-3 lead, but UCSB was again able to pull ahead with a massive run. The Gauchos took their first lead of the set at 16-15 and didn’t look back, taking the second 25-19.

Thus, Stanford needed to win set number three to avoid being swept for just the third time this season. It was close throughout, neither team able to gain much of an advantage over the other, but with the score locked at 16, the Gauchos took over in a manner similar to the first set, riding a 9-3 run to win 25-19.

Stanford had its second worst hitting performance of the season, with just .165. No Cardinal player hit above .250 and while junior outside hitters Brian Cook and Steven Irvin combined for 26 kills, their teammates chipped in just nine combined.

Two days later, the Cardinal was in Los Angeles to face UCLA (13-9, 9-7). The match was tight at the start, but an early 4-0 run by the Bruins put Stanford in a hole from which it would not be able to escape. The Cardinal would eventually drop the first set 25-21.

The second set was all UCLA at the start, as the Bruins jumped ahead to a quick 8-2 lead. UCLA maintained this large lead for much of the set and had a set point opportunity at 24-19. Stanford rallied, however, winning four-straight points to close within one. The Bruins, however, were able to convert on that point and take the set 25-23.

Thus, Stanford had to win the third to avoid being swept for the second-straight game. UCLA was able to edge ahead, earning a match point opportunity at 24-22, but Stanford was able to convert twice, tying the match at 24.

The crucial set continued to be back-and-forth, with both teams getting opportunities to win and neither able to convert. Stanford’s last opportunity was at 27-26, but UCLA had three straight kills to finish off the Cardinal.

Stanford hit better in this match, at .358, but was unable to limit the Bruins offensively as UCLA hit .470. At the same time, it didn’t take advantage of the home team’s poor service play; the Bruins had 24 service errors in contrast to just 14 for Stanford.

Irvin had a tremendous game, with 18 kills on .593 hitting, as well as five digs, while Cook chipped in 11 kills, hitting .304. Shaw also performed well in his return from injury, with 23 assists and three digs.

The losses put Stanford in a tough position, as it fell to seventh in the MPSF. The Cardinal will more than likely need to win the MPSF tournament to gain a berth in the NCAA Tournament and therefore every win is important. A top-four seed would ensure Stanford home-court advantage in at least the first round of the playoffs. Stanford is 9-1 at home and just 3-7 on the road, so that would definitely be an advantage for the Cardinal.

Stanford will be on break for the next two weeks for finals, but will return with matches against No. 7 Cal State Northridge and No. 3 Long Beach State on Mar. 29 and 30, respectively.

Contact Anders Mikkelsen at amikk ‘at’ stanford.edu.

Redshirt junior Grant Delgado (above) had several spectacular defensive plays as Stanford volleyball took two five-set victories. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

On March 2, No. 4 Stanford (12-6, 9-6 MPSF) took on Pepperdine (9-6, 9-6) in a rematch of their early-season matchup, which the Waves won 3-1 in Malibu.

Junior outside hitter Steven Irvin started the match with a kill and Stanford did not relinquish that lead, taking the first set 25-17.

Stanford continued its strong play going into the second. With the Cardinal up 8-5, however, the Waves came back strong, uncorking a 7-2 run. Despite a small rally from the Cardinal, Pepperdine won the set 25-20.

In the third set, it was Stanford that stormed back after falling behind. A block from freshman setter James Shaw and junior middle blocker Denny Falls would give Stanford its first lead of the set at 23-22 before Irvin put the Waves away with back-to-back kills.

The fourth set was again extremely tight. Up 22-19, Pepperdine seemed to be in control before Stanford opposite hitter Brian Cook took over. The junior unleashed three powerful kills, tying the match back up at 22. The Waves countered, though, to pull out the 25-23 victory.

Stanford held a slight lead for the entirety of the final set on Saturday. With the Card holding a 14-11 lead, Pepperdine countered with two straight points, but Stanford secured the match after a Pepperdine service error.

Cook had another tremendous game, with 24 kills on .476 hitting. Both junior middle blockers had strong games, as Eric Mochalski chipped in five blocks and nine kills and hit .667 while Denny Falls had eight kills and four blocks.

The Stanford defense, anchored by junior libero Grant Delgado, held the Waves to just .277 hitting. Delgado led the match with 12 digs, the majority of which were extraordinary saves. The Cardinal was also strong at the net, tallying 21 blocks.

Delgado credited a newfound mindset for the team’s ability to pull out the victory.

“We focused on small goals rather than big picture,” Delgado said. “As a result, we found out what we have to work on and learned how to focus the energy and fire within ourselves.”

On March 3, the Cardinal faced USC (4-9, 4-9) in what would turn out to be a dogfight on and off the court. Stanford ultimately beat the Trojans for the first time in six meetings between the teams.

“It’s always a battle,” Stanford head coach John Kosty said. “It really started six or seven years ago and it hasn’t subsided.”

The Trojans started quickly, cruising to an early 10-4 lead. The Cardinal then slowly chipped away at the Trojan lead to tie the game at 18. Both teams went back-and-forth, with Stanford saving three straight USC set points before finally falling 28-26.

The second set was relatively even until Stanford pulled away with a dominant 8-1 run, during which the Trojans noticeably expressed frustration to the referees.

With Stanford up 21-16, Delgado made one of the most impressive plays of his career, diving to save a ball and watching it drift over the net for the kill. The Cardinal was also helped by USC’s temper, as Stanford received a point when the Trojan libero earned a yellow card.

After Stanford took the second set 25-17, USC responded with a dominant third set. The Trojans led from the start and won 25-18.

The fourth seemed to be more of the same, as USC edged in front 14-10. However, the Cardinal roared back with a 10-1 run that shifted momentum. Stanford won the set 25-21 to enter a fifth set once again.

The Cardinal began the decisive fifth set with an 8-2 run, putting the match all but out of reach for the Trojans. Stanford would ultimately take the set 15-10 to win the match.

Throughout the set, Trojans players repeatedly shouted at fans and yelled during Stanford serves.

Cook had another strong game for the Cardinal, with 20 kills on .326 hitting, nine digs, four aces and six blocks, while Irvin pitched in 12 kills. The middle blocker tandem was again dominant, with Mochalski displaying his athleticism on a number of powerful kills and blocks. He would finish with eight kills on .333 hitting, two aces and six blocks, while Falls added seven kills and five blocks.

Shaw put up an impressive double-double, with 48 assists and 10 digs, while Delgado chipped in eight assists and one incredible kill to anchor the defense.

“They were two very important wins, and while they weren’t pretty, hopefully they can spark some momentum going into the second half of the season,” Cook said.

Next week, Stanford is back on the road against UC Santa Barbara and UCLA. The Cardinal beat both teams at Maples earlier this season.

Contact Anders Mikkelsen at amikk ‘at’ stanford.edu.

On Saturday night, No. 5 Stanford (10-6, 7-6 MPSF) took on No. 2 BYU (11-3, 10-2 MPSF). While the Cougars were certainly favored, Stanford had won six straight over BYU, despite being underdogs in four of those contests.

Stanford junior outside hitter Brian Cook (5) made 23 kills and seven digs against BYU and 13 kills against Cal Baptist. (SIMON WARBY/Stanford Daily File Photo)

The Cardinal came out hot, starting the first set with a 7-4 run, but the Cougars immediately countered, eventually evening the score at 10 apiece. Both sides traded points, unable to gain an advantage over the other. With the score even at 23, Stanford caught a break when BYU star junior outside hitter Taylor Sander committed an error. The Cardinal immediately seized the opportunity to win the set, as sophomore middle blocker Spencer Haly aced the Cougars.

The second set was again tight, with Stanford slightly edging BYU early. Up 23-20, the Cardinal seemed to be firmly in control, but BYU demonstrated why it is the second-ranked team in the nation. A Sander kill and Stanford error brought the Cougars within one before three straight BYU blocks gave the Cougars the 25-23 set victory and evened the match at one apiece.

Despite the poor end to the second set, Stanford was certain it could stick with the Cougars and again held a close lead throughout the third. Up just 22-21, Stanford junior outsider hitter Steven Irvin fired his seventh third-set kill through the Cougar defense. Stanford closed the third like the first, as a Sander error paved the way for an ace from freshman setter James Shaw, giving Stanford the 2-1 advantage.

Stanford’s second-set collapse ensured it now still had more volleyball to play, as the match headed to four. Both teams were again deadlocked early, but BYU began to pull away. The Cardinal rallied to within one, with BYU up just 21-20, before Sander and freshman teammate opposite hitter Ben Patch took over, combining for three kills in the next five points as BYU won 25-22.

The match was therefore headed into a fifth set, which, in keeping with the entirety of the match thus far, was close throughout. Stanford was ahead 10-9 before BYU seized control with three straight points and put the game out of reach. The Cougars held off Stanford to capture the set 15-13 and pull out an improbable match victory.

It was certainly a match of what-ifs, as Stanford certainly could have secured the victory with a stronger closing performance in the second set.

“I thought we played a good match. Some of the best volleyball we’ve played so far,” head coach John Kosty told GoStanford.com.

The Cardinal hit .354 as a team, one of their strongest performances of the season. Irvin had 23 kills, hitting an incredible .486, as well as seven digs. Junior opposite hitter Brian Cook also added 23 kills and seven digs, while junior middle blocker Eric Mochalski continued his strong play since returning to the starting lineup with eight kills on .462 hitting, as well as five digs and two blocks. Shaw also had another great performance, putting up a career-high 60 assists, while chipping in three kills and eight digs.

Stanford was severely outperformed at the net, as it had just nine blocks compared to BYU’s 24. The Cardinal defense was strong otherwise, however, with 45 digs.

After the disappointing loss, Stanford traveled from snowy Utah to sunny California to take on No. 13 Cal Baptist (6-8, 3-6 MPSF). The powerful offense demonstrated against the Cougars was certainly not on display in the first set on Monday night, as Stanford hit just .036. Despite this, the Cardinal hung tight with the Lancers, losing 25-21.

The second set was close until Irvin put on a dominant show. With Cal Baptist up 9-8, Irvin unleashed a powerful kill before stepping back to serve. At the service line, he had three aces in four attempts, giving Stanford a lead it would not relinquish. The Cardinal would ultimately take the set 25-18.

The third set was closer, with Stanford holding a slight lead throughout. Cal Baptist tied the match up at 21 apiece, but a Lancers service error would give the Cardinal the lead again. Kills from Irvin and Cook would put Stanford on the verge of a set victory, before another Irvin ace put Stanford up 2-1.

Stanford needed just a fourth set victory to end its two-game losing streak. The Cardinal offense completely broke out, as Stanford hit .565, cruising to a 25-21 set victory.

Cook led the way with 13 kills, while Irvin chipped in eight kills and six service aces, one shy of the Stanford all-time record. The middle hitter tandem of Mochalski and fellow junior Denny Falls both had great games, as Mochalski had nine kills on .600 hitting, while Falls had eight kills, hitting .800.

Stanford returns home next week, with rematches against No. 4 Pepperdine (8-5, 8-5 MPSF) and No. 9 USC (3-8, 3-8 MPSF). Both teams defeated the Cardinal in their last meetings, so Stanford will be looking for revenge. The matches will take place at 7 p.m. in Maples Pavilion, with Stanford facing Pepperdine on Saturday and USC on Sunday.

Contact Anders Mikkelsen at amikk ‘at’ stanford.edu.

Freshman setter James Shaw (above) and No. 4 Stanford topped No. 8 Cal State Northridge but fell to No. 4 Long Beach State in a weekend SoCal road trip. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

The No. 3 Stanford men’s volleyball team, fresh off an impressive sweep of UC-San Diego, hit the road this past weekend to face two very tough teams: No. 8 Cal State Northridge and No. 4 Long Beach State. It was certainly a tale of two matches, as the Cardinal rallied past the Matadors on Friday before being overpowered by the 49ers in three sets on Saturday.

Stanford (9-5, 6-5 MPSF) entered its matchup with Northridge (7-5, 5-5) just 1-3 in road matchups this year and thus was looking to make a resounding statement in the first game of a tough road trip.

Neither team was able to take a distinct advantage over the other in the first set, trading points back and forth. The Cardinal held a slight 21-20 lead, but back-to-back errors by Stanford gave Northridge a lead it did not relinquish, as it took the first set 25-22.

The second set, however, was all Stanford, as the Cardinal offense was absolutely dominant. Stanford hit .778 in the set, led by junior outside hitter Brian Cook, who posted eight of his 21 kills in the second as the Cardinal won 25-16.

The powerful Stanford attack continued in the third, as Stanford hit .619 and took the set 25-17, while holding Northridge to just .115 hitting.

Stanford entered the fourth set with momentum on its side, ready to win its second straight game. The Cardinal started hot, with a 6-3 opening run, taking an early lead and refusing to be challenged throughout. Behind six kills from Cook and four each from junior outside hitter Steven Irvin and senior opposite Jake Kneller, Stanford took the set 25-21.

Irvin posted 14 kills on the match, hitting .522 while also recording eight digs. Junior middle blocker Eric Mochalski, back in the starting lineup, chipped in 10 kills on .533 hitting along with two service aces. Freshman setter James Shaw also had a remarkable game in his return to the lineup with 52 assists, four kills, five digs and three blocks.

Mochalski credited the impressive performances from Shaw and junior libero Scott Sakaida as the catalysts for the offensive explosion, highlighting “great passing and setting, allowing for easier opportunities on the offensive end.”

After a big win, Stanford entered its next-day matchup with Long Beach State (11-4, 9-3) feeling confident but could not live up to its tenacious performance against Northridge. A day after hitting a season-high .466, the Cardinal hit a season-low .152.

The 49ers started off hot, taking a quick 9-3 lead. Stanford fought back, however, countering with a 6-1 run of its own to pull within one. The Cardinal even took a brief lead at 19-18 before Long Beach regrouped, riding a 6-2 run to a 25-20 set victory.

The Cardinal countered to start the second, taking a 6-2 lead. Long Beach fought their way back into the game, however. Holding a slim 16-15 lead, the 49ers never looked back, scoring five straight points to put the set out of reach for the Cardinal.

The third set was all Long Beach, as the 49ers lead from start to finish, dominating Stanford and winning 25-11. Cook had 10 kills to lead Stanford, while Mochalski chipped in six kills on .308 hitting, as well as an ace.

The road continues for Stanford next weekend, with the Cardinal traveling to take on No. 1 BYU and No. 11 Cal Baptist.

Contact Anders Mikkelsen at amikk “at” stanford.edu.

The first two sets, however, were all Irvine, as the Anteaters took both handily, winning both 25-18. The match seemed to be sewn up, but the Cardinal refused to give in.

Stanford started the third set with six straight points, shifting the momentum of the match back into its favor. Led by junior outside hitter Brian Cook, who recorded seven kills in the set, Stanford never trailed and captured the third 25-20.

Freshman setter Joe Ctvrlik totaled 33 assists, eight digs and three blocks in a stunning performance on Saturday. [Leigh Kinney/The Stanford Daily]

The fourth set again seemed to be all Irvine, but Stanford again refused to quit. The Anteaters cruised to a quick 11-4 lead to start the set, putting the Cardinal into a deep hole.

Cook and fellow junior Steven Irvin, however, put it on themselves to pull Stanford back into the game. The pair combined for two aces and 14 kills in the set, and Stanford began to crawl back into the game.

The Cardinal was able to tie the match at 17 after an Irvine error, shifting the momentum of the match and leading all in attendance to believe a fifth set was destined to occur.

The Anteaters, however, were determined not to go to five and were able to compose themselves impressively. Irvine didn’t allow Stanford to take a lead in the set, holding off each attack and squeaking out a 25-23 victory.

Irvin led all players with 21 kills on .375 hitting, giving him his third straight 20-kill game. Before the streak, his previous game-high had been 18. Cook added 18 of his own on .421 hitting, as well as eight digs. The Cardinal was hurt by a lack of offensive contribution from the rest of the team, as all other Stanford players combined for just seven kills.

After the loss, Stanford went into its match with UCSD (4-10, 2-8) knowing that it had to reverse the losing tide with a victory over one of the bottom teams in the MPSF. Coach John Kosty, in an effort to find a winning combination, tried a new starting lineup with junior Denny Falls at middle blocker and freshman setter Joe Ctvrtlik receiving his first start.

Ctvrtlik certainly capitalized on his opportunity, with 33 assists, eight digs and three blocks, despite being the one of the shortest men on the court for much of the match. Junior setter Grant Delgado, who tallied seven digs on the match, was impressed with the freshman’s performance, stating that “he is a fast, agile setter who gets his hands on everything, has great court presence and brings positive energy out on the court.”

The first set was a back-and-forth affair, with UCSD leading for much of it. The Cardinal battled back, however, pulling the score square at 20 before a surge of Triton errors brought Stanford to the verge of victory. After a Cook kill, Stanford was able to pull out the first, 25-22.

Stanford was again stuck playing catch-up for much of the second set, as UCSD started on a 4-0 run that put them firmly in control. The Cardinal slowly chipped away, with a powerful kill from Cook giving Stanford its first lead of the set at 20-19. Cook finished with a match-high 12, and Stanford was again able to pull out a close victory, 25-22.

Stanford held a close lead for much of the third set, but UCSD refused to give in. The Cardinal held an opportunity to close the Tritons out with a 24-21 match-point, but UCSD converted twice, hoping to complete an incredible comeback. Senior outside hitter Jake Kneller wouldn’t let that happen, however, with an emphatic kill to close out the Tritons, 25-23.

Kneller had one of his best matches of the season, with nine kills on .538 hitting. Irvin chipped in 10 kills, while sophomore middle blocker Spencer Haly had five kills and four blocks.

Junior opposite Daniel Tublin, who had to sit out the matches with injury, echoed the importance of strong middle play, stating that “it was great to see our connection with the middles develop,” as “it will help open up [their] offense against teams looking to slow down [their] outside hitters.”

Stanford is back on the road next weekend, taking on Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State. Both should be solid tests for the young Cardinal team.

Contact Anders Mikkelsen at amikk@stanford.edu.

Junior outside hitter Steven Irvin’s 27 kills propelled Stanford to a 3-2 victory over Hawaii on Friday, but the Warriors repaid the favor the very next day, defeating the Cardinal 3-2. [MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily]

            Hawaii (4-7, 3-5 MPSF) was in control for much of the first set on Friday. Midway through, the Cardinal (7-3, 4-3) faced a 15-11 deficit but refused to give in. Stanford uncorked a 6-0 run, quickly seizing control of the set. While the Warriors kept it close, Stanford was able to win 25-23.
The Warriors again started the next set off strong, with Stanford struggling to play catch-up. Down 22-17, the Cardinal again made a strong push, cutting the lead to one behind a Hawaii error and three kills from junior outside hitter Steven Irvin.
This paved the way for the important third set, which proved to be one of the most dramatic Stanford has played this season. Both teams fought hard but struggled to gain an advantage over the other. Hawaii seemed in position to squeak out a win, but the Cardinal absolutely refused to give in. Stanford faced eight set points and managed to fight off each one of them.

With Hawaii up 31-30, the Cardinal tied the match back up on a kill from senior opposite Jake Kneller. Irvin followed that with a kill of his own, before a Hawaii error sealed the unbelievable 33-31 set victory for Stanford. Irvin played a crucial role in the win, hammering eight of his career-high 27 kills in the set alone.

There was still volleyball to be played, however, and Hawaii made it clear they were not about to concede victory, leading from start to finish and taking the fourth set 25-20.

The fifth set was all Stanford, however. The Cardinal started on a 5-2 run before putting the game out of reach behind back-to-back-to-back kills from Irvin. The junior absolutely killed the Warriors in the final set with four kills and two aces. Irvin, who hit an unbelievable .548 for the match, had three aces on the match, as well as eight digs.

Irvin’s fellow junior outside hitter Brian Cook also had an impressive day, with 20 kills and eight assists. At the same time, freshman setter James Shaw had 53 assists while Kneller had a double-double with 10 kills and 14 assists. Junior libero Grant Delgado continued his strong defensive play of late, chipping in a career-high 15 digs.

After all the drama from the first night, there was still more volleyball to be played on Saturday. Stanford controlled the first set from start to finish, winning 25-20, and seemed prepped to do the same in the second before the Hawaii offense woke up. The Warriors unleashed an 8-1 run, turning a 19-14 deficit into a 22-20 lead, shocking the Cardinal and taking the first set 25-23.

As a result, for the second-straight day Stanford and Hawaii entered the third set tied, and again Stanford managed to come out with a victory. This time, however, little drama unfolded as the Cardinal led almost the entire way, winning 25-21.

This gave Stanford the opportunity to put the Warriors away then and there, and Irvin certainly seemed determined to do so. The junior added seven of his match-high 22 kills in the set, putting Stanford in position to take the set.

An ace from Irvin gave Stanford its first match point, 24-23, but Hawaii opposite JP Marks was able to answer with a kill of his own, tying the score at 24. An Irvin kill again gave Stanford the match-point opportunity, but Marks again tied the game up. The Warriors then converted the next two points, taking the fourth set 27-25.

The game again came down to a decisive fifth set. After its incredible rally, however, the momentum was firmly in Hawaii’s camp, as the Warriors led all the way, taking the final set 15-11.

With the exception of Irvin, the Cardinal had a poor night on the offensive end, hitting a season low .203. Despite this, the defense was smothering, holding Hawaii to a .187 hitting percentage.

Stanford will return home to Maples Pavilion this weekend, with matches against No. 2 UC-Irvine and No. 13 UC-San Diego.

Freshmen Conrad Kaminski and Joe Ctvrtlik have not seen a road win as a Cardinal middle, as Stanford is 0-2 on the road this year. The team looks to change its fortunes at Hawaii this weekend. (JOHN CHRISTOFFERSON/The Stanford Daily)

The Cardinal (6-2, 3-2) is fresh off two impressive home victories over No. 5 UCLA and No. 12 UCSB, but has yet to prove that it can win on the road. Both of its losses so far this season have come away from Maples Pavilion. It will hope to buck that trend soon, as four of its next six games are on the road. The unranked Warriors (3-6, 2-4) are second-to-last in the MPSF, but they have proved formidable at home, beating No. 4 Pepperdine twice last weekend.

Stanford is definitely in good position to bring home some victories this weekend, as much of the team is playing its best volleyball of the season. Junior outside hitter Brian Cook has been consistently dominant for weeks, while fellow outside hitter Steven Irvin is coming off back-to-back strong efforts.

After an awful match in which it committed 25 service errors, the Cardinal has turned its service game around, committing just 19 service errors in its last two games combined.

The Cardinal defense has been absolutely ferocious as of late, as the new two-libero system put in place by Coach John Kosty has proved immensely effective. Since the second set against UCLA, Stanford has outscored opponents by an average of 25-17 a set, a dominant figure.

For Stanford to beat the Warriors, they will have to limit the outside hitting tandem of freshman Sinisa Zarkovic and sophomore Brook Sedore. They have combined for 66 kills on .400 hitting over their last two games, and will certainly be tough for the Stanford defense to contain.

The Hawaii offense is controlled by setter Joby Ramos. While he is not much of a threat to get a kill, the junior put up 90 assists in the past weekend, while leading his team to a .350 hitting percentage.

However, besides Zarkovic, Sedore and sophomore opposite JP Marks, the Warriors do not boast many talented offensive players. The threesome accounted for 83 percent of the team’s kills against Pepperdine. Therefore, shutting just one of them down will have huge ramifications on the rest of the team.

Ultimately, these two matches could prove to be a pivotal point in the Stanford season. Many figured that the Cardinal would take a step back after losing four starters and three All-Americans to graduation, but Stanford’s performance this past week has proved that it can hang with the best of the MPSF.

If the Cardinal can prove that it can take down a quality team on the road, all other MSPF opponents are sure to be nervous, especially considering Stanford owns one of the largest home-court advantages in college volleyball. Stanford has not dropped a game on its home court since last March, coincidentally to Hawaii.

Stanford will play at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday night.

The Bruins (6-4, 2-2 MPSF) led for much of the first set, but the Cardinal (5-2, 2-2 MPSF) stayed calm and refused to bow to UCLA pressure. Down 20-16, Stanford broke out, unleashing a 6-2 run that tied the game at 22. After failing to convert on two set points, the Cardinal finally sealed the set 27-25 with a powerful three-way block by junior outsider hitter Brian Cook, sophomore middle blocker Spencer Haly and freshman setter James Shaw.

Set two was all UCLA, however. While the Cardinal kept it somewhat close, Stanford never led, dropping the set 25-19.

At first, the third set seemed as though it was destined to be a battle. The loud pro-Stanford crowd, however, began to get inside the Bruins’ heads, causing a number of careless mistakes that the Cardinal was only too happy to capitalize on. The Cardinal had particularly strong defense at the net, with six blocks in the set alone, as Stanford blew UCLA out, 25-14.

The fourth set was more of the same; UCLA became more and more flustered by the Stanford attack. The Bruin defense was simply unable to handle the powerful Cardinal offense, with important contributions coming from all Stanford players.

Junior outside hitter Steven Irvin was especially dominant, uncorking three of his match-high four aces in the fourth set. Fittingly, the Cardinal ended UCLA’s misery on one of Irvin’s aces, capturing the set 25-12. Irvin also finished with 14 kills and eight digs, while hitting .480.

Shaw had yet another impressive match, with 36 assists, seven digs and three blocks. He even contributed five kills, sneaking the ball over the net with attacks that UCLA had no chance to recover.

Stanford hit .346 for the match, while holding UCLA to just .228 hitting. Each of the Bruins’ top four hitters hit below their season averages, with Dane Worley leading the way at .199.

Just two days after Stanford committed an egregious 25 service errors, the Cardinal showed incredible poise behind the line, with eight aces and just 10 errors.

All in all, it was an incredibly impressive victory for the young Cardinal team, putting Stanford back on the map and showing that it is a force to be reckoned with in the MPSF. Few teams can match the versatility of Shaw, outsider hitter combination of Cook and Irvin, or the sheer power of junior middle blocker Eric Mochalski.  The Cardinal will certainly be trouble for any opponent it faces.

Stanford is back in action on Saturday night against UC Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. in Maples Pavilion.

Juniors Brian Cook (left) and Eric Mochalski (right) played important roles in Stanford’s thrilling comeback win against Pacific on Saturday. Cook led the team with a match-high 24 kills, and Mochalski chipped in with 10 kills and five blocks as the Cardinal beat the Tigers 3-2. (MICHAEL KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

No. 3 Stanford (4-0, 1-0 MPSF) opened its weekend against UC-Santa Cruz, ranked fourth in Div. III. The match served as a good opportunity for the Cardinal to get a final tune-up before conference play began, with all 18 players on the Stanford roster getting a chance to shine.

Sophomore middle blocker Sean Kemper, who recorded two blocks and a kill on his only attack, commented that the relative ease Stanford had with the Banana Slugs played a large role in their performance against No. 15 Pacific, as “the starters only had to play one set, allowing them to be fresh for the five sets the next day.”

Freshman setter Joe Ctvrtlik, making his collegiate debut, had an impressive performance after subbing in for fellow freshman James Shaw in the second set, putting up a match-high 17 assists and seven digs, while also chipping in two aces and three kills. He even chipped in a block despite standing just 6-feet tall.

The dominant 25-18, 25-20, 25-12 victory gave the Cardinal confidence entering its matchup with the Tigers. It was apparent from the start, however, that the game was going to be a struggle.

The first set was back-and-forth, with both teams unable to get an advantage on the other. The largest separation between the teams was just three points, but the Cardinal was able to maintain either a lead or a tie for the entire set, closing the Tigers out 25-23 on a block by junior outside hitter Brian Cook and sophomore middle blocker Spencer Haly.

The second set appeared to be more of the same, with both teams exchanging points, but Pacific soon seized control with a powerful 7-2 run. The Cardinal was unable to close the gap, ultimately dropping the set 25-17.

Stanford started the third set on a hot streak, but the Tigers swiftly fought themselves back into the game. Not to be undone, Stanford uncorked a 4-0 run, which Pacific immediately answered with a 5-0 run of their own, tying the score at 20 apiece. The score soon ballooned to 25-all, at which point Pacific’s junior middle blocker Christian Ahlin recorded two straight kills to give Pacific the set and a 2-1 match advantage.

Knowing it needed a fourth-set victory to preserve its unbeaten season, Stanford refused to let come down to another close ending. With the Tigers holding a 8-7 lead, Stanford uncorked a quick 7-1 run, giving the Cardinal a lead it would not relinquish, as Stanford took the fourth set 25-17.

Accordingly, the match came down the fifth and final set, with both teams fired up at the chance to take the other down. The Tigers came out with a new ferocity, opening the set with three straight kills, putting Stanford in a deep opening hole.

Down 14-11 and on the brink of defeat, Stanford was able to galvanize itself, converting on three straight match-points to tie the score at 14. Pacific and Stanford began to trade points, with the Tigers serving for two more match points before allowing the Cardinal to tie the game back up.

Facing a 17-16 deficit and Pacific’s sixth match point of the game, the Cardinal offense finally broke out. Shaw was somehow able to reach a wayward pass over the net, flicking it to junior middle blocker Eric Mochalski who unleashed a vicious kill, tying the game at 17. Mochalski followed that with another kill, giving the Cardinal its first lead of the set and first match-point opportunity.

This was not something the Cardinal was willing to waste, a fact junior opposite Daniel Tublin made abundantly clear, smashing home the game-winning kill and completing the incredible comeback.

Tublin painted the best picture of the moment: “James [Shaw] gave me a rear back set, and I just aimed high. It hit their hands, and it fell through to the ground. No feeling like it: having the chance to close out a match where the whole team made an unreal comeback. I yelled in relief and was quickly mobbed by my team. That 5th game was a total team effort, and I couldn’t have been happier to share the victory with my peeps in that huddle.”

Stanford had a number of impressive individual performances, highlighted by Shaw. The freshman recorded a double-double, with 54 assists and 12 digs, while adding five kills. Cook had his usual standout offensive day, with a match-high 24 kills on .302 hitting. His fellow junior outside hitter, Steven Irvin, also made big contributions on the offensive end, posting his first double-double of the season with 14 kills and 14 digs.

Stanford will hope to keep its momentum going into next week as it goes on the road for the first time this season. The Cardinal will face its two toughest opponents yet, with No. 8 USC on Friday and No. 4 Pepperdine on Saturday.

The week was a big one for the team, as coach John Dunning earned his fourth Pac-12 Coach of the Year honor, while four Cardinal players were named to the 14-player All-Pac-12 team: junior middle blocker Carly Wopat and three freshmen, middle blocker Inky Ajanaku and outside hitters Jordan Burgess and Brittany Howard. Junior opposite Rachel Williams was also selected as an honorable mention pick to the All-Pac-12 team, while Ajanaku, Burgess, Howard and setter Madi Bugg were named to the All-Freshman team.

The numerous accolades awarded to the team were a perfect way to cap off an impressive regular season, but the Cardinal has its eyes set on a loftier prize: a national title.

The Cardinal (27-3) will open its 2012 title quest against the Jackson State Lady Tigers (24-11). Jackson State won the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) for the second straight year after going undefeated in conference play, and are riding a 22-match winning streak.

Jackson State features a dynamic offensive attack led by senior outside hitter Christine Edwards, who is in the top 50 in the nation with 4.12 kills per set. The senior dominated in the SWAC tournament, posting 28 kills in the final to secure Jackson State’s spot in the NCAA Tournament. She was named the SWAC Tournament MVP, and will be a force to be reckoned with for the Cardinal.

Jackson State is especially powerful off the serve, leading the nation with 2.15 aces per set. Edwards also leads the nation in that category, averaging almost an ace each set. She recorded 118 aces during the season, over 40 more than her closest competitor.

The Lady Tigers are also led on offense by junior outside hitter Paige Williams, who was second on the team with 2.53 kills per game and was named to the All-SWAC Tournament Team. Freshman middle blocker Mikayla Rolle also had an impressive season, averaging over a block a set and posting 10 kills and seven blocks in her last match.

If the Cardinal gets past Jackson State, it will play the winner of No. 17 Western Kentucky Lady Toppers (32-3) and Loyola Marymount Lions (18-12), who face off at 5:30 p.m. in Maples Pavilion.

The Lady Toppers won the Sun Belt Conference in dominant fashion, going undefeated throughout the season and entering the tournament on a 24-game winning streak. They have not lost a match since Sept. 8, when they played against Ohio State.

Western Kentucky features a balanced offensive attack, in which four players average over two kills a set. The setter for the Lady Toppers, junior Melanie Stutsman, is No. 20 in the nation with 11.35 assists per set.

The Lions snuck into the tournament with an at-large bid despite finishing just sixth in the WCC. They did close their season on a high note, however, winning five of their last seven games.

The Lions are led on offense by the dynamic attacking duo of junior outside hitter Kathleen Luft and sophomore middle blocker Litara Keil. Luft finished the season averaging 4.14 kills per set, as well as 1.86 digs per set, while Keil contributed 3.13 kills, 1.32 digs and 1.04 blocks per set.

The winner of Stanford-Jackson State and Western Kentucky-Loyola Marymount will face off at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Maples, with the winner proceeding to the regional semifinals in Berkeley.

If Stanford makes it to Berkeley, they are likely to face either Cal, who will have home court but has been swept by Stanford twice this year, or No. 15 Iowa State. Both could prove to be tough matchups, but the largest obstacle potentially standing in the way of the Cardinal’s road to the Final Four is No. 7 UCLA, the second seed in the region.

Stanford has beaten the Bruins twice this season, but both were close contests. If the Cardinal reaches the regional final and meets the Bruins there, expect the reigning national champs to not go down without a fight.

The other tough out in the Berkeley regional is Big East champ No. 10 Louisville, who would love to get to the Final Four and play in front of its home crowd.

The winner of the Berkeley regional will face the winner of the Austin regional, which features two very strong teams in No. 3 Texas and No. 6 USC. The Trojans are one of just three teams to hand Stanford a loss this season.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 1 Penn State, which handed Stanford its second loss of the season, travels through the West Lafayette regional on the road to the Final Four, with its highest ranked potential opponent being No. 8 Minnesota. The Nittany Lions are ranked first in the nation and have won four out of the last five national championships.

The Omaha regional should be a dogfight, with two very strong teams in No. 5 Oregon and No. 4 Nebraska, as well as No. 13 Washington, No. 12 BYU, and Hawaii, the third team to beat Stanford this season.

Stanford tips off at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, around the time Stanford Football’s Pac-12 Championship Game should end, as it attempts to end its season with a national championship.

The Cardinal’s toughest opponent was the fifth-ranked Bruins (21-7, 13-6 Pac-12), who were clearly itching to continue to kick Stanford (26-3, 18-1) while it was down and send the Cardinal to its second straight loss.

Blockers Carly Wopat (#2) and Rachel Williams (#6) took over the second set as No. 2 Stanford swept Cal on Friday. After snapping its 22-game win streak less than two weeks ago, the Cardinal won its last three game of the regular season and enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed. (IAN GARCIA-DOTY/The Stanford Daily)

Stanford was determined not to let that happen, however, coming out with five straight points and grabbing a lead it would not relinquish, taking the first set 25-22. Freshman outsider hitter Jordan Burgess had six kills in the first set alone. She would finish with 15 total, as well as 11 digs for her tenth double-double of the season.

The second set paralleled the first, with the Cardinal starting on a 4-0 run and cruising to a 25-18 victory. UCLA was clearly not willing to go down without a fight, however, coming back at the Cardinal with authority in the third set. With the score locked at 11 apiece, the Bruins went on a dominant 14-4 run to send the match to a fourth set.

Said set was deadlocked from the start, with neither team able to gain an advantage over the other. With the score tied at 25-25, Stanford struck, and kills from junior outside hitter Rachel Williams and freshman setter Madi Bugg closed out the Bruins. With this victory, the Cardinal officially clinched the Pac-12 title.

Bugg had one of the greatest performances of her young career, posting 51 assists, 13 digs, five kills and two blocks. Williams also had a terrific game, with a team-high 16 kills on .400 hitting.

Next, Stanford faced Colorado (14-17, 4-15) on Senior Night in Maples Pavilion. After honoring the team’s four seniors—defensive specialist Hannah Benjamin, setter Karissa Cook, outside hitter Hayley Spelman and middle blocker Jessica Walker—Stanford was ready to face the Buffaloes.

Colorado came out firing, determined to ruin Stanford’s big night. In an offensive battle, Colorado took the first set 25-21. But Stanford wasn’t fazed, downing the Buffaloes 12-19 in the second set before dominating them in a 25-13 third set victory.

Again forced to go to a fourth set, the Cardinal didn’t flinch, finishing off Colorado with another solid victory, 25-16. The Cardinal was led on offense by freshman outside hitter Brittany Howard, who tied her career high with 15 kills, while also contributing nine digs. Cook had a strong performance on her Senior Night, with 16 assists and seven digs.

The Cardinal then traveled to Berkeley for the final game of the regular season against archrival Cal (15-14, 9-10). The Golden Bears had disappointed so far this season, but still posed a potential problem for the Cardinal. Stanford, however, was determined to not close its incredible season on a loss.

The Cardinal came out hot, with three straight points to open the first set. While the Golden Bears were able to stay competitive, they were unable to close the early deficit, permitting Stanford to cruise to a 25-20 victory for that set.

The second set looked as though it would go to Cal. The Golden Bears grabbed an early lead, up by as much as four over the Cardinal. Stanford slowly closed the gap, however, grabbing its first lead of the set on a kill from junior middle blocker Carly Wopat at 21-20. Wopat and Williams then took over to lead Stanford to victory. Williams added two kills, Wopat had one and the two combined for a block to lead a 4-2 run and take the second set 25-20.

The Golden Bears appeared competitive at the start of the third set as well, trading points with the Cardinal until both teams were tied at 9. Stanford then went on a 6-1 run, putting Cal in a hole it would be unable to climb out of. The Cardinal took the final set 25-19 to secure its victory and end its season in fitting fashion with a sweep.

Stanford received the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and the No. 1 seed in the Berkeley region. The Cardinal and No. 1 Penn State are the only two teams to appear in all 32 NCAA Tournaments. Stanford will open its national championship quest against Jackson State (24-11) at 5:30 p.m. on Friday at Maples Pavilion.

The No. 1 Stanford women’s volleyball team’s 22-match win streak ended Thursday night against No. 8 USC, but the Cardinal is still two games ahead in the Pac-12 with three matches left to play. (IAN GARCIA-DOTY/The Stanford Daily)

During No. 1 Stanford’s dominant stretch, the Cardinal (24-3, 16-1 Pac-12) had made a habit of starting slow and finishing strong, blowing teams out of the water during the second half of most sets. As USC (25-4, 13-4) grabbed an early lead, signs pointed towards the Cardinal making a quick comeback.

Down 12-8 in the opening set Stanford started to do just that, going on a 5-1 run that briefly tied the game at 13 apiece. The Trojans rallied back, however, earning three straight points and putting the Cardinal in a hole it would be unable to climb out of. Backed by six kills from freshman outsider hitter Samantha Bricio and five from senior opposite Katie Fuller, USC was able to pull out a 25-19 victory.

The second set was entirely back-and-forth, as the teams exchanged blows without either managing to gain an advantage over the other. With USC up 21-20 late in the set the Trojans finally erupted. Fuller posted back-to-back kills, leading the Trojans on a 4-0 run and giving them a 25-21 second set victory.

Knowing that it needed a third set victory to have a chance of keeping its streak running, Stanford came out after the break with absolute intensity. Unfortunately for Cardinal fans, the Trojans refused to quit, matching Stanford blow-for-blow.

Neither team was able to gain more than a three-point lead, trading blows left and right. With Stanford down 26-27 and on the verge of defeat, the Cardinal finally took off. Freshman outside hitters Jordan Burgess and Brittany Howard recorded back-to-back kills, and freshman middle blocker Inky Ajanaku was able to put the Trojans away, giving Stanford the 29-27 set victory.

The fourth set was again do-or-die for the Cardinal, and again incredibly even. With the score tied at 21, Bricio put it on herself to end Stanford’s streak. The freshman recorded three kills in the next six points, helping the Trojans to a 25-22 set win and four set victory.

Bricio would finish with a match-high 19 kills as well as 22 digs. Trojan libero Natalie Hagglund added an incredible defensive effort, posting 44 digs and consistently frustrating the Stanford attackers, holding them to .187 hitting for the match.

The Stanford defense put forth its usual incredible effort, however, causing the Trojans to hit just .250. Sophomore libero Kyle Gilbert posted 32 digs, while Burgess had 25 digs and three blocks to go along with her 15 kills.

Howard, fresh off winning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week and her second straight freshman-of-the-week honors, had another strong effort with 15 kills and 22 digs.

While it was a disappointing loss for the Cardinal, Stanford still sits in first in the Pac-12, with a two-game lead over Oregon and three games to play. The Cardinal will face No. 5 UCLA in Los Angeles tomorrow night in the hopes of starting a new streak.

Carly Wopat (2) continued her run of stellar play as Stanford swept past Washington and Washington State (SAM GIRVIN/The Stanford Daily).

No. 1 Stanford (24-2, 16-0 Pac-12) started its week with a bang, sweeping the Washington State Cougars (12-16, 2-14) on Wednesday. The Cougars had given the Cardinal fits in their last matchup, as Stanford barely edged out a five-set victory.

Washington State continued to match-up well against the Cardinal, playing Stanford to a draw throughout the first set. With the score locked at 19-19, Stanford finally broke out in a big way. Freshman middle blocker Inky Ajanaku and senior outside hitter Hayley Spelman each racked up two kills as the Cardinal closed out the Cougars with a 6-0 run.

The Cougars continued to play well in the second set, however, going back-and-forth with Stanford. The teams were tied as late as 17-17, before Stanford again began to close with authority. Freshman setter Madi Bugg recorded four assists and two kills, leading Stanford on an 8-4 run.

As the Maples Pavilion fans were entertained by the annual “Libero Bounce Contest” between men’s volleyball players Grant Delgado and Scooter Sakaida, the Stanford women readied themselves to prevent Washington State from giving them any more trouble in the decisive third set.

From the start, it was clear that the break was exactly what the Cardinal needed, as it reeled off an early four-point run and didn’t look back, closing the Cougars out 25-15 for its third sweep in a row.

Junior middle blocker Carly Wopat, fresh off winning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors, again played a starring role, recording 12 kills and three blocks while hitting a career high .706.

Her fellow junior, outside hitter Rachel Williams, also had a big game, hitting .429 on her way to 11 kills. Freshman outside Brittney Howard also chipped in 10 kills, earning her sixth double-double of the season as she also recorded 12 digs.

On Thursday night, Stanford had another tough matchup against No. 5 Washington (20-5, 11-5), who also took the Cardinal to five sets in their previous meeting.

The Huskies seemed to control the first set, taking an early lead and refusing to look back. Stanford, however, refused to give up and fought back. After two straight Washington errors gave Stanford its first lead of the game at 21-20, the Cardinal refused to let Washington regain the advantage, squeaking out the 25-23 victory.

The second set was an absolute different story, as the Cardinal dominated the Huskies in all facets of the game, taking the set 25-11. Stanford played well on offense, hitting .371 in the set, but stole the show with its ferocious defense. The Huskies were held to .000 hitting, as the Cardinal recorded 28 digs in the set alone.

Howard led the defensive movement in the best game of her young career, recording 12 digs in the second set alone. She would finish with 31 digs, which tied former Stanford libero Gabi Ailes for third most in Cardinal history. She also led the team with 12 kills, earning her seventh double-double of the season.

Sophomore libero Kyle Gilbert chipped in 10 of her 24 digs in the set as well, continuing her excellent play of late.

The Husky defense fought back in the third set, holding Stanford to a .034 hitting percentage. While the Cardinal gave Washington a fight, the Huskies were able to prevail 25-21, preventing Stanford from earning its fourth straight sweep.

The fourth set seemed as though it would go to Washington as well, with the Huskies taking an early lead. Washington led 22-18 and seemed poised to take Stanford to five sets again, before the Cardinal took over.

Stanford rallied off a 7-0 run behind three kills from Williams and two from Wopat. The duo also combined for a block, as the Cardinal held off the Huskies for a 25-22 win.

With just four games left, Stanford is securely in first in the Pac-12, holding a three-game lead over No. 2 Oregon. The Cardinal does have a tough road trip ahead, having dates with No. 8 USC on Thursday and No. 6 UCLA on Friday. Stanford will then return home for its final games of the regular season against Colorado and Cal before awaiting its seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Just three sets later, Stanford dispatched the Arizona Wildcats and stretched their streak to 17.

The Wildcats (12-10, 4-7 Pac-12) entered their showdown with the Cardinal having won three of their last four matches, an impressive turnaround after a five-game losing streak. Unfortunately for Arizona fans, it didn’t take long for them to return to their losing ways.

The Cardinal (19-2, 11-0) beat Arizona 3-1 in Tuscon in their last meeting, and was able to do one better this time around, winning 25-19, 25-18, 25-20.

The first set began relatively back-and-forth, with both teams putting together large runs, but neither gaining an advantage over the other. With the teams locked at 12-12, Stanford finally seized control with four straight kills. The deficit proved too large to overcome, as the Cardinal took the first set 25-19.

Freshman middle blocker Inky Ajanaku was the star of the set, recording six kills and three blocks in the set. She finished with 11 kills and four blocks, while hitting .526 on the match.

The Wildcats came out firing in the second set, winning four of the first five points. The Cardinal soon stormed back to tie the set at four apiece, beginning a back-and-forth volley in which neither side gained an advantage.

Freshman Inky Ajanaku (12) and the No. 2 Cardinal swept past Arizona on Wednesday in three sets (VERONICA CRUZ/The Stanford Daily).

With the game tied at 16-all, junior outside hitter Rachel Williams entered the game and immediately made her presence felt. Her kill started a 9-2 Stanford run that ended the set in a 25-18 Cardinal victory. Williams accounted for five of the nine points herself, with four kills and a block. She finished with eight kills and five blocks on the night, while hitting .412.

Stanford entered the third set knowing that a victory would stretch their win streak to 17, but the Wildcats refused to go down without a fight. Arizona won the first three points and didn’t back down, refusing to relinquish the lead until freshman outside hitter Jordan Burgess’s back-to-back kills gave Stanford the 11-10 advantage.

Williams followed Burgess with two kills of her own, giving the Cardinal a decisive lead. Stanford would ultimately take the final set 25-20, causing yet another team to leave Maples Pavilion in defeat.

The Cardinal was led on offense by its middle blocking tandem of Ajanaku and junior Carly Wopat, who continued her strong play of late by tallying nine kills and three blocks while hitting .500.

Stanford only hit .292 on the match, but was able to put the Wildcats away through their usual tremendous defense, holding Arizona to just .130 hitting. Sophomore libero Kyle Gilbert continued her terrific defense, with 18 digs on the night.

The setter combination of senior Karissa Cook and sophomore Madi Bugg had 22 and 18 sets, respectively, while contributing eight digs each.

Ultimately, the game was another impressive triumph for the Stanford team, giving it a solid claim for a No. 1 national ranking. On Friday, the Cardinal hopes to extend its win streak against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

On Friday, No. 2 Stanford (18-2, 10-0 Pac-12) faced off with the No. 5 Washington Huskies (16-2, 7-2), one of its strongest competitors in the Pac-12. The match certainly didn’t start well for the Cardinal, as it dropped the first set to the Huskies 25-10. Stanford hit .-175 in the set and looked entirely out of sorts on the offensive end.

Stanford and freshman outside hitter Brittany Howard (16) won its 16th straight match on Sunday, but needed a comeback in the fifth set to knock off Washington State (VERONICA CRUZ/The Stanford Daily).

The Cardinal refused to go down without a fight, however, trading blow for blow with the Huskies throughout the second set. After Washington rallied to tie the score at 10-10, neither team managed to take a lead greater than two until Stanford finally put the Huskies away 28-26.

The third and fourth sets played as near replicas of the first two. Stanford performed terribly on the offensive end in the third, hitting negative and dropping the set 25-10 again. In the fourth, it managed to take an early lead before Washington roared back. The rest of the set was again back-and-forth, with the Cardinal finally squeaking out a 26-24 win.

Ultimately, with the match down to the fifth set, the Cardinal came out as an entirely new team. Stanford roared to an early 5-1 lead and didn’t look back, capturing the decisive set 15-7. Stanford hit .400 in the fifth and looked nothing like the team that had been blown out in two of the first four sets and barely escaped from the other two.

In the end, however, the Cardinal managed to continue its win streak and defeat one of the biggest rivals to its success this year, despite a season-low hitting percentage. They were led on the offensive front by junior middle blocker Carly Wopat, who tallied 15 kills and two blocks. A week after winning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors, sophomore libero Kyle Gilbert had 25 digs, tying her career high.

After its shaky performance against Washington, the Cardinal seemingly lucked out on Sunday, facing the Washington State Cougars (10-12, 0-10), the only team winless in Pac-12 play. The Cougars certainly seemed outclassed by Stanford at the start, as the Cardinal dominated on the offensive front, hitting .467 and claiming the first set 25-14.

Washington State came out with more fire in the second set, but Stanford finished on a 10-5 run to put the Cougars away, 25-17. Freshman outside hitter Jordan Burgess led the Cardinal with four kills, part of her 16 in the match.

With the match looking all but over, Washington State rallied in a big way. The Cougars won the first point of the third set and didn’t look back, refusing to relinquish that early lead. The Cougars claimed the set 25-21, despite Wopat tallying six kills. The junior continued her strong play of late, hitting .467 in the game while leading the team with 16 kills and seven blocks.

Washington State began the fourth set on a 5-0 run, a lead that Stanford was unable to overcome, again dropping the set 25-21. For the third straight game Stanford found itself needing to play a fifth set, and for the third straight game it found a way to win that decisive set.

The home crowd was into the match and the momentum was solidly with the Cougars, who caught a lucky break when the referee ruled against Stanford on a ball that was blocked at the net.

But after taking a 6-5 lead in the final set, Washington State couldn’t come through in what would have been the first Stanford loss to the Cougars since 2002. The Cardinal defense was suffocating, holding the Cougars to just .053 hitting and posting three blocks in the set. Using some nice plays from freshman outside hitter Brittany Howard–who had three kills, two blocks and an assist in the set– Stanford took the set 15-10, securing its 16th straight victory and preventing the Cougars from claiming their first Pac-12 win in a major upset.

As always, the stellar Stanford freshmen made their impact felt during the road trip. Burgess had eight kills and 19 digs against Washington, and tallied 16 kills against Washington State. Howard added 17 kills and 22 digs on the weekend, while freshman middle blocker Inky Ajanaku had 13 kills and 10 blocks.

Freshman Madi Bugg, splitting time at setter with senior Karissa Cook, continued to play at a high level, with 37 sets against Washington and 27 against Washington State. She also added 14 digs against the Cougars, completing her eighth double-double of the season.

The Cardinal will look to continue its winning ways this week against Arizona and Arizona State, both of which are in the bottom half of the Pac-12 standings. The Wildcats come to Maples Pavilion on Wednesday, while the Sun Devils will face the Cardinal on Friday.

Stanford cruised to a three-set victory over visiting USC to extend its winning streak to a season-high 13 games (Stanford Daily File Photo).

The Cardinal has proven to be quite formidable at home, winning all seven of its matches at Maples. And while the first set went back-and-forth, it didn’t take too long for Stanford to prove why.
USC held a 16-15 lead when Stanford went on a massive run, recording seven straight points to jump out to a 22-16 lead. The streak featured three straight blocks, part of the eight Stanford totaled in the set. Ultimately, USC couldn’t combat Stanford’s dominant stretch and the Cardinal took the set 25-18. Junior middle blocker Carly Wopat was especially brilliant, recording five blocks in the first set while simultaneously leading the team with four kills.
Stanford’s hot streak continued into the second set. The Cardinal started with four straight points and didn’t look back, ultimately taking the set 25-16. Freshman outside hitter Brittany Howard recorded five kills, proving unstoppable against what was touted before the match as a stout Trojan defense.
The final set again began back-and-forth, with neither side gaining much of an advantage over the other. With the score 8-7 in the Trojans’ favor, the Cardinal went on yet another run, winning eight points out of nine and seizing a lead that it would never relinquish. Unable to make up any ground, the Trojans dropped the last set 25-18 as the Cardinal claimed its second straight sweep and 13th straight win.
The heralded Stanford freshman all had standout games. Howard and middle blocker Inky Ajanaku led the team with 12 kills each while hitting .414 and .529, respectively. Jordan Burgess, also an outside hitter, added seven kills and 19 digs, while hitting .467.
The Stanford defense was particularly tough on the Trojans, holding the USC stars, freshman outsider hitter Samantha Bricio and senior opposite Katie Fuller, to -.042 and -.037 hitting, respectively.
Bricio won last week’s AVCA Player of the Week, Pac-12 Player of the Week and her third straight Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors last week, but was unable to get anything going against the vicious Cardinal defense. She recorded more errors (12) than kills (10), slowing the USC attack.
The Cardinal had 26 blocks in the match, with Wopat putting up seven and junior outside hitter Rachel Williams and Ajanaku adding six each. At the same time, sophomore libero Kyle Gilbert was all over the court, with 22 digs on the match, demonstrating just how daunting the Cardinal defense can be.
The Cardinal will put its 13-game winning streak to the test against the No. 7 UCLA Bruins on Friday in Maples Pavilion at 6 p.m.

The Stanford Daily (TSD): Being injured is always tough—how optimistic are you about your chances of getting back on the court soon?

Karissa Cook (KC): I am very optimistic about my chances of getting back on the court soon. The goal is to be back as soon as possible, and we have the most talented athletic trainers, physical therapists and physicians making that very possible.

Setter Karissa Cook is nursing an injury, but was an All-Pac-12 honoree in her first season as the Cardinal’s setter last year. The senior hopes to return to the court soon. (Stanford Daily File Photo)

TSD: This season has definitely started well for the team, considering that you have won your last seven games. How do you feel about your chances going forward?

KC: Our team is not only talented this year, but we are also very deep. Everyone on the team is capable of coming into big matches and contributing, and going forward into a long season, that’s often what makes the big difference. Everyone is pushing each other in practice, in the weight room and on the court, and if we can keep that same momentum we will be a force to be reckoned with.

TSD: The freshmen have gotten off to a scorching start so far and have certainly made the adjustment to Division I play well. How impressed have you been with their performance? Will the team continue to rely upon them going forward?

KC: I am especially proud of our freshman class. We’ve already needed them to step up in tough games and in new roles, and they’ve proven that they’re a crucial piece of the puzzle.

TSD: Heading into your senior season, you were named as one of the top 30 candidates for the 2012 Senior CLASS Award. What does this honor mean to you?

KC: I’m very grateful to be considered a part of such a wonderful and humbling group of people. I’m still in denial about being a senior though, so I’m assuming it’s all part of an elaborate prank.

TSD: Looking back on your career thus far, what has been your best volleyball memory?

KC: My best volleyball memory is the moment that [coach] John [Dunning] called me and told me that I was invited to join the Stanford women’s volleyball team. It made my life.

TSD: Off the court, how have you enjoyed your time at Stanford? What have you most enjoyed about life on the Farm? What is the best class that you have taken?

KC: I’ve enjoyed the people here the most. You learn more from late-night conversations about life here than in the classrooms, where I promise, you still learn a lot. My favorite class here might have been foam-core monsters in ME 101, the machine shop with ME 203 or Existentialism.

TSD: As a senior, what are you most looking forward to during your last year?

KC: I am looking forward to another awesome season with the most baller group of girls on campus, not having to bike to winter weights in the morning and hanging out in my new home in the Enchanted Broccoli Forest.

TSD: Last season, you were unfortunately bounced from the NCAA tournament in the second round. What lessons did you take away from that loss that will allow you to come back stronger this season and push towards your first championship?

KC: It was a good reminder about how much we hate to lose. We’ve grown a lot since then. We’re tougher now, and we like winning and we’re trying to do a lot of that this year.

TSD: This week you will take on tough teams in Arizona and Arizona State, both on the road. What have you been focusing on in practice to get ready for these matches?

KC: Every weekend in the Pac-12 is full of tough teams, and we work hard every week to be the best that we can both in the short and long term. Heading to Arizona, we are working hard on our sideout game and controlling the match early.

TSD: Lastly, your brother, Brian, stars for the men’s team at Stanford. How have you enjoyed being able to watch him these past two years?

KC: It’s been awesome to have Brian here at Stanford, and he’s on one of the most fun teams at this school to go cheer for. Even though he’s an outside hitter, I taught him everything he knows.

Sophomore guard Aaron Bright averaged 16.8 points per game in the NIT, never scoring below double figures, and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after Stanford dominated Minnesota 75-51 in the final. (RICH SCHULTS/Stanford Athletics)

“This season has been a little bit of a roller coaster ride for us,” said head coach Johnny Dawkins. “We started off so strong, battled through some adversity in the middle and then we ended as strong as we ever could have imagined.”

As the No. 3 seed in its region, Stanford faced No. 6 Cleveland State in the opening round. The Cardinal took an early lead, but the Vikings mounted a furious comeback, cutting the Stanford advantage to just one at the half.

After the break, an early three by Cleveland State gave the Vikings their first lead of the game at 33-31. Forward Anthony Brown then scored six unanswered points as the Cardinal retook control of the game. Stanford pushed the lead as high as 20 points with three minutes remaining, ultimately winning 76-65.

Brown led the Cardinal, as the sophomore complemented his 15 points with a career-high 12 rebounds in one of his greatest games at the Farm. Sophomore guard Aaron Bright also had the first of his many brilliant tournament performances with a game-high 17 points.

In the second round, Stanford found itself pitted against No. 7 Illinois State, which was coming off a stunning overtime upset of No. 2 Ole Miss in the opening round and was looking to do the same to the Cardinal.

The matchup was back and forth for the first half, yet Illinois State began to pull away in the second. The Redbirds took an 11-point lead before Bright took over with nine straight points, and the Cardinal began to even the game up.

With the game tied at 78 and 20 seconds left on the clock, Stanford held the ball hoping for a last-second victory. Unfortunately, a contested three by freshman guard Chasson Randle would fall off the mark, sending the game to overtime. While the Redbirds continued to put up a fight, the Cardinal prevailed 92-88 in the extra session.

The star of the game was again Bright, who put up a game-high 29 points while shooting 11 of 13 from the field. The sophomore hit six threes and also dished out six assists. His backcourt mate Randle added 19 points, while sophomore forward Dwight Powell had a season-high 18 as well as nine rebounds off the bench.

The victory secured Stanford’s spot in the NIT’s Elite Eight, where the Cardinal hosted No. 5 Nevada. The Wolf Pack had not been seriously tested in either of its first two games, defeating both No. 4 Oral Roberts and No. 8 Bucknell with ease.

In front of a home crowd for the last time this season, Stanford put on a show. The Cardinal cruised to a 15-point lead in the first half and didn’t let up, thrashing Nevada, 84-56. Senior center Josh Owens made the most of his final game at Maples Pavilion, pouring in a game-high 15 points, while Randle was his usual brilliant self, also scoring 15 as Stanford headed to the Final Four in New York.

Stanford brought in Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis as its pre-game motivational speaker before the Cardinal’s semifinal matchup with Massachusetts, and his speech propelled the team to play its best basketball of the year.

“If you ain’t pissed off for greatness, then you’re okay with being mediocre,” Lewis told the Stanford players. Unfortunately for the UMass Minutemen, the Card was definitely pissed off for greatness that Tuesday night.

Stanford controlled much of the first half, riding the wave of momentum from Lewis’ pep talk to take an early lead. Nearly every offensive possession resulted in an easy bucket. A pair of 3-pointers from Bright and Randle gave the Cardinal its biggest lead of the first half, as the squad went up 26-14.

But UMass would turn it around, buckling down on defense and heating up offensively. The Minutemen began playing selfless basketball, spreading the ball around and setting themselves up with open shots to go on a quick 9-1 run and pull to within two points of the Card. Stanford could not break away from UMass, and at the end of the first half, Stanford led just 36-33 with a chance to play for the NIT championship on the line.

Neither team managed to find its offensive rhythm for the first few minutes of the second half, as they combined for just two field goals in the first 2:44. The Minutemen managed to keep pace with the Cardinal, answering each Stanford score with a bucket of their own. With just 7:17 remaining, sophomore guard Chaz Williams hit a jumper to tie the game at 52 apiece, but Bright countered almost immediately with a jumper on Stanford’s next possession. The sophomore had a great game for the Cardinal, scoring 13 points off the bench. The Cardinal would not lose their lead, going on to beat UMass 74-64 and earning the chance to play Minnesota in the finals.

The last time Stanford played in the NIT championship game was 1991, when it beat Oklahoma to capture the crown. The Cardinal was hoping for a similar result against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, a No. 6 seed that had played well to earn its bid in the championship game.

In the title matchup, the Cardinal delivered its most impressive performance of the season against a Minnesota team that was completely overwhelmed. Stanford could not have picked a better game to shoot 50 percent from the field and 46 percent from the 3-point line, as well as force 22 turnovers and grab 36 rebounds. After senior Jarrett Mann grabbed a steal and converted the transition layup to even the score at 21, Stanford would not look back, closing out the first half on a 10-4 run to take a six-point lead.

The second half would be a completely different story. Stanford scored 11 straight points to open the period, cruising by Minnesota on its way to an easy 75-51 victory. The Cardinal was firing on all cylinders, converting both in the paint and beyond the arc. The guard combination of Randle and Bright led the way, scoring 15 points each to help Stanford earn its first NIT championship in 21 years. Bright’s performance won him Most Valuable Player honors for the tournament.

“We have had good runs before, but never on a stage of this magnitude where you’re playing for a championship,” Dawkins said of the dominant second half. “It says a lot about our kids, their belief and them being able to share in those experiences.”

The season could not have ended on a more positive note for the Card, and their dominant performance provided just a glimpse of things to come. While seniors Mann, Josh Owens, Andrew Zimmerman and Jack Trotter will be missed — along with associate head coach Dick Davey, who is retiring after a storied career — the Cardinal boasts a young core that will help it make a mark on the NCAA next season and hopefully earn an elusive spot in the Big Dance.

With sophomores Bright, Anthony Brown and forward Josh Huestis back next year along with freshman standout Randle, Stanford has the pieces in place to make a run at a Pac-12 title — and maybe even a little more.

Stanford’s season was up and down throughout, but the Cardinal’s impressive out-of-conference performance was especially appealing to the selection committee. Stanford almost upset No. 2 Syracuse in an early-season matchup and was the only Pac-12 team to defeat three RPI top-50 schools: Colorado State, Cal and North Carolina State.

With the bid, the Cardinal will make its first appearance in the postseason since the 2007-08 season. Stanford has made five trips to the NIT in its history, most recently in 2006, where it fell to Missouri State in the second round. The Cardinal has won the NIT before, defeating Oklahoma in the 1991 title game.

Cleveland State finds itself in the NIT after finishing second in the Horizon League and falling in the semifinals of the season-ending tournament for the second straight time. The Vikings were a surprise snub from the NCAA tournament last season, when they were led by guard Norris Cole, who led the team in scoring, assists and steals. Cole was picked in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, but was traded to the Miami Heat on draft day.

As such, this year’s Cleveland State team entered the season with low expectations, but they promptly obliterated those expectations by defeating No. 7 Vanderbilt 71-58 to open the season. After leading the Horizon League for much of the season, a rough stretch of five straight losses saw them drop out of contention for the league title.

The Vikings feature a balanced offensive attack in which five players average over eight points per game. Their leading scorer, senior guard Trey Harmon, is talented but inconsistent, putting up 20 points at times but single digits at others. After scoring just eight in Cleveland State’s season-ending loss, Harmon will be looking to bounce back against the Cardinal.

The Vikings are weak on the boards, however. They average just 32 rebounds per game, as opposed to Stanford’s 37. Cleveland State has just one elite rebounder in freshman forward Anton Grady, who pulls down 6.3 boards per game.

Additionally, Cleveland State is a very slow, deliberate team, scoring just 66 points per game. Look for Stanford to attempt to push the Vikings out of their comfort zone by speeding up the pace of the game.

By no means will Cleveland State go down without a fight, as its top three scorers (guards Harmon, D’Aundray Brown and Jeremy Montgomery) are all seniors. This is likely the Vikings’ seniors’ last chance to compete on a big stage for some time.

If Stanford were to defeat the Vikings, the Cardinal would face the winner of No. 2 Mississippi and No. 7 Illinois State in the second round. Mississippi had an uneven season, finishing seventh in the Southeastern Conference, but played its way into the NIT with a run to the semifinals of the season-ending tournament, where the Rebels fell to eventual champion Vanderbilt. Illinois State finished its season third in the Missouri Valley Conference, yet also made an impressive run in its season-ending tournament. The Redbirds defeated regular-season champion No. 14 Wichita State in the semifinals before falling in overtime to No. 24 Creighton.

The matchup tips off in Maples Pavilion on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Two other Pac-12 teams, Washington and Oregon, will also be in action Tuesday, with the first-seeded Huskies taking on Texas-Arlington and the third-seeded Ducks battling LSU. Arizona, the top-seeded team in Stanford’s region, will face Bucknell on Wednesday.

Freshman Chasson Randle set a conference tournament record with his 27-point first half in the Cardinal's victory over Arizona State. (IAN GARCIA-DOTY/The Stanford Daily)

Chasson Randle may be just a freshman, but he in no way seemed intimidated by his first trip to the big stage of the Pac-12 tournament. The guard was impossible to stop on Wednesday night, scoring a career-high 30 points, as Stanford cruised by Arizona State 85-65 in the opening round.

The Cardinal (21-11, 11-8 Pac-12) entered the tournament as the No. 7 seed but appears to be reverting back to the winning ways that had it leading the Pac-12 at the start of the season.

From the start, it was apparent that Arizona State (10-21, 6-13) was again unable to keep up with the Cardinal. Stanford proved unstoppable from behind the arc early, as Randle, sophomore guard Aaron Bright and sophomore forward Anthony Brown connected on a series of threes. The Cardinal went an incredible nine of 15 behind the three-point line in the first half alone.

Throughout the first half, Randle demonstrated why he was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team earlier this week. The guard alternated between attacking the rim and draining threes, shredding any defense thrown at him. He had 27 of his 30 points in the first half, setting a conference-tournament record for most points in a half, and also contributed three steals on the defensive end.

In an attempt to slow him down, the Sun Devils resorted to fouling Randle almost every time he touched the ball, and the freshman made them pay. A 73.8-percent free-throw shooter this season, Randle got 12 attempts from the free-throw line in the first half and sunk 10 of them.

He was equally dangerous from the field, hitting five of six threes in the first half and six of eight on the game. He scored his 30 on just 11 shot attempts in the most efficient and productive game of his young career.

Despite his hot shooting hand, Randle showed no interest in padding his stats in the second half, preferring to get his teammates into the action. He took just three shots, as head coach Johnny Dawkins allowed the bench to get some tournament experience. The comfortable lead held by the Cardinal allowed Dawkins to rest his starters, knowing that Stanford still has three more games to win if it hopes to capture the Pac-12 title.

Overall, Dawkins has to be happy with how the Stanford team played, as the Cardinal shot 47.3 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from three-point range, and out-rebounded Arizona State 32-28. Stanford also controlled the ball far better than usual, committing just 10 turnovers.

With Arizona State behind them, Stanford turns to a rematch with Cal, the tournament’s No. 2 seed. In their meeting Sunday, the Cardinal defeated its rival 75-70, preventing the Golden Bears from winning the Pac-12 regular season title. Stanford would love to earn its second victory over Cal in less than a week by knocking them out of tournament-title contention as well.

The Golden Bears will definitely not go down without a fight, however. Not only do they want to avenge the loss that cost them the No. 1 seed, but a victory could ensure them a spot in the NCAA tournament. Cal and Washington are the only Pac-12 teams with the potential to earn at-large bids, but an early loss in the Pac-12 tournament would greatly hurt their chances.

To beat Cal, Stanford has to do a better job of stopping forward Harper Kamp and guard Allen Crabbe. Kamp has averaged just 11.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season, but has put up an average of 17 and 6.5 in Cal’s two meetings with Stanford this year. Crabbe, the Golden Bears’ leading scorer, has averaged 19 points against Stanford, well above his 15.4 average for the season.

Another key to defeating Cal is to force the Golden Bears to rely on their bench. Although Stanford has exceptional depth, Cal does not, with the entire bench averaging just five points per game against Stanford. If Cal’s starting lineup gets into foul trouble, like it did last Sunday, the reserve unit will struggle to pick up the scoring slack.

The Cardinal will face off with Cal tonight at 6 p.m. at the Staples Center. The winner of that matchup will face the winner of the 8:30 p.m. game between No. 3 seed Oregon and No. 6 seed Colorado.

Senior forward Andrew Zimmermann (right) had one of the best games of his Stanford career in his last regular-season contest at Maples Pavilion. Though Zimmermann's 13 points fell one short of his career-high, he was a constant thorn in the Golden Bears' side, playing the entire second half with three fouls but staying out of trouble late in the game. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

The Cardinal (20-10, 10-8 Pac-12) came into the game knowing that, win or lose, it would finish the regular season seventh in the Pac-12. Cal (23-8, 13-5), however, had the regular season conference title on the line and was sure to come out fighting. Stanford was determined to ruin this for the Golden Bears, as well as provide a great end to the season in front of an energetic home crowd on Senior Night.

The Cardinal came out hard, roaring to a 17-7 lead eight minutes into the game. As usual, the catalyst for the offense was freshman guard Chasson Randle, who scored eight early points and finished with a team-high 17.

Despite Stanford’s offensive push, the game got off to a chippy start with two early technical fouls called on an exchange between Cal guard Justin Cobbs and Stanford senior guard Jarrett Mann in the first three minutes. The two squads would eventually combine for 40 fouls, though the Maples Pavilion crowd was audibly upset with many calls — the Golden Bears only had seven fouls to Stanford’s 19 at one point in the second half.

Stanford took one of its largest leads of the game, 14 points, at the 7:30 mark due to a rare three from senior Andrew Zimmermann. The forward was definitely determined to take advantage of his final home regular-season game, scoring a season-high 13 points while playing his highest minutes total of the season.

Head coach Johnny Dawkins made sure to point out Zimmermann’s contributions, even with his three first-half fouls.

“[Zimmermann] came out and gave us a big lift,” Dawkins said. “I felt good with Zimmermann in the game, and I knew he understood how to play with three fouls. I knew he wouldn’t go out there and pick up another one quick, and that’s the trust you have to have in a player, especially a senior.”
Cal couldn’t be counted out, however, as the Golden Bears took advantage of Stanford’s 12 first-half fouls. Senior forward Harper Kamp, also playing his final regular season game, scored nine of his 19 points in the final eight minutes of the half and sunk five free throws as Cal closed the gap to single-digits, 39-34, at the break.

A three-pointer from sophomore guard Allen Crabbe cut the Stanford lead to two to start the half. Crabbe, Cal’s leading scorer, had a game-high 20 points, with 13 coming in the second half.

Stanford, however, refused to give up any ground, going on a 9-2 run to keep the momentum on the Cardinal side and hold onto its advantage into the final minutes. The Golden Bears struck back time and time again, finally cutting the Cardinal lead to 72-70 with 1:11 to go.

With the game on the line and 42 seconds remaining, sophomore guard Aaron Bright put it on himself to win the game for the Cardinal. After he was fouled, Bright hit the first free throw but missed the second. The 5-foot-11 guard may have been the smallest guy on the court, but he was not intimidated, grabbing the offensive rebound of his own shot and drawing another foul.

Bright again hit the first and missed the second to make it 74-70, but yet again, he was able to collect the offensive rebound. He would be fouled and hit one more free throw to stretch the Stanford lead to five and seal the game for the Cardinal.

Stanford was outrebounded for one of the only times all year, but made up for it with one of the squad’s best shooting performances of the season. The team shot 46.7 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from behind the arc to best the Golden Bears, whose 24-for-59 afternoon fell short of Cal’s conference-leading clip of 48.1 percent.

Stanford has now won four of its last six games with the two losses being a one-point heartbreaker at Utah and a four-point loss against Oregon in which the Cardinal led for the first 37 minutes.

Momentum is key for Stanford heading into the Pac-12 tournament this week, as the Cardinal’s poor middle of the season has left it with no chance of receiving an at-large bid to the Big Dance.

“We know that we have to win the tournament [to make the NCAA tournament],” Zimmermann said. “We’re playing with nothing to lose and that’s always a great feeling, because some of the other teams might be a little tighter.”

As the 7th seed in the tournament, Stanford will face Arizona State (10-20, 6-12) in the first round. The Cardinal played the Sun Devils earlier in the year and demolished them, winning 68-44. A victory against Arizona State would give Stanford a rematch with Cal in the second round.

Dawkins feels optimistic about the Cardinal’s chances.

“There are a number of teams that have a chance at winning the Pac-12 tournament,” he said. “It starts with believing, first of all, and it starts with going out there and executing.”

After last night’s victory, Stanford definitely believes it can pull off a Cinderella story and make it to March Madness. All that’s left to do is execute.

Listen to excerpts from both teams’ press conferences below:

Stanford:

Cal:

Despite his team's heartbreaking one-point loss to Utah, freshman guard Chasson Randle has been emerging as a star on the perimeter for the Cardinal, with 15 of his 19 points Saturday coming from behind the three-point arc. (IAN GARCIA-DOTY/The Stanford Daily)

At the start of the game it seemed as though Stanford (19-10, 9-8 Pac-12) was going to run away with a sweep of the season series with Utah. The dominance the Cardinal had displayed against Colorado seemed to be in full effect, as it stormed to a 23-14 lead 10 minutes into the half.

Freshman guard Chasson Randle was largely responsible for the early dominance, scoring eight quick points. The freshman had yet another strong game, leading Stanford with 19 points and hitting five threes.

The Cardinal still held a nine-point lead at the eight-minute mark, at which point the Stanford offense went cold. The Cardinal only had two field goal attempts over the next three minutes, missing both, and turned the ball over three times.

This cold spell gave Utah (6-22, 3-13) a golden opportunity, and the Utes seized it. By the five-minute mark the Stanford lead had been cut to one, and soon thereafter, a three-pointer from junior guard Chris Hines tied the game up. Hines matched Randle with 19 points to lead Utah.

Stanford went into halftime down 34-33 and struggled coming out of the break. The Cardinal did not score a point for the first five minutes but was still down just five thanks to similar scoring struggles from the Utes. A layup by sophomore forward Stefan Nastic and a Randle three tied the game at 38 moments later.

What followed was a period of back-and-forth scoring in which neither team could take a definitive lead. With just two minutes left, the game was again tied, this time at 53.

A free throw from Nastic gave Stanford a one-point edge, but it was quickly eliminated by a jumper from center Jason Washburn on the other end. Washburn had a tremendous game for the Utes, putting up 17 points, five rebounds and six blocks.

An offensive rebound and tip by sophomore forward Dwight Powell gave the Cardinal the lead one last time, but Hines drained a three to give the Utes a two-point advantage with just 30 seconds to play.

After a timeout, the Cardinal was able to draw the foul on the other end, sending redshirt senior forward Josh Owens to the line. The captain made just one of two free throws, however, keeping Utah on top, 58-57.

After Washburn missed a free throw, Stanford got one last chance to pull off the win. Randle rebounded the ball and raced down the court, attempting a long, running three. It didn’t fall, however, and Utah was able to pull off the upset.

Poor shooting doomed the Card. Stanford shot just 36.8 percent from the field, a figure that is not terrible on its own, but is lacking when compared to Utah’s 44.7 percent. The Utes also shot 17-for-21 from the charity stripe, making Stanford pay for its numerous early fouls by sinking 14 first-half free throws, and also went 7-for-12 from three-point range.

Ultimately, quality over quantity proved to be a winning strategy for Utah, as the Utes took 19 fewer shots than the Cardinal but drained them at a much higher clip.

Stanford again had a great game on the offensive boards, with 15 rebounds compared to Utah’s four. The Cardinal simply needed to take better advantage of its numerous put-back attempts.

Looking ahead to the impending Pac-12 Tournament next week, the Cardinal still sits in seventh place in the conference, just a half game behind UCLA for the sixth seed.

The Cardinal will close its season against conference-leading California this week in a critical matchup. If Stanford beats California and UCLA drops one of its last two games against Washington State and Washington, then the Cardinal will pass the Bruins in the conference standings due to its higher overall record.

If the Cardinal is able to earn the sixth seed, it would mean a rematch with Utah in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament.

Last night, the Stanford men’s basketball team made its first in-conference trip to Boulder to face Colorado. The Cardinal clearly enjoyed the mountain air, as it crushed the Buffaloes 74-50.

Sophomore forward Anthony Brown (above) scored 9 points in Stanford's 74-50 rout of Colorado in Boulder on Thursday night, helping the Cardinal improve to 19-9 overall. (IAN GARCIA-DOTY/The Stanford Daily).

The Cardinal (19-9, 9-7 Pac-12) entered the matchup 2.5 games back from Colorado (18-9, 10-5 Pac-12) in the standings, knowing it needed a win to make up ground in the standings in order to receive a better seed for the Pac-12 tournament.

From the start, Stanford seized control. Freshman Chasson Randle sunk a three to start the game, giving the Cardinal a lead it would never relinquish. The team cruised to a 9-1 advantage just five minutes into the game and took a 40-20 lead into the half.

After the break, the teams were slightly more even, but the damage was already done by the Card. Coach Johnny Dawkins allowed the bench to get some playing time, with all but one Cardinal player getting into the game.

The Buffaloes came into the matchup as the one unbeaten team at home in Pac-12 play, with a sterling 7-0 record. Against the suffocating Stanford defense, they were simply unable to get baskets to fall, shooting a horrendous 29.6 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from the line.

The Cardinal not only limited Colorado’s shooting, but also dominated them on the boards. Stanford had 45 rebounds to the Buffaloes’ 23, with redshirt senior forward Josh Owens collecting a season-high 12 in just 26 minutes.

On offense, the Cardinal was buoyed as usual by Randle. After an off night against Oregon last weekend, the freshman came back hard and led all scorers with 20 points. He shot 7-10 from the field and 3-4 from three, making the most of his 29 minutes.

The rest of the Stanford offense was spread fairly evenly amongst the players, as only sophomore forward John Gage scored in double-digits. The forward played just 11 minutes, but hit 3 of 4 three pointers for 11 points. Owens, sophomore Aaron Bright and sophomore Anthony Brown added nine apiece.

As a whole, the Cardinal shot extremely well (49.1 percent) from the field. The team went 9-18 from three-point range and shot 75 percent from the stripe.

While almost everything was smooth sailing, Stanford struggled again with turnovers. The Cardinal committed 18 turnovers, having the ball stolen nine times. Stanford also committed 25 fouls to Colorado’s 15.

But the win was undoubtedly a big step toward Stanford’s quest to receive better seeding in the season-ending Pac-12 tournament. The Cardinal will play Utah, the second-worst team in the conference, on Saturday. Stanford then comes home to close its season against conference-leading California.

Stanford is currently seventh in the conference, just half a game back from UCLA and 1.5 back from Colorado and Oregon. If the season was to end today, Stanford would play Arizona State in the first round and, if the Cardinal was to win, Washington in the second. A sweep to end the season would hopefully vault Stanford up the standings, providing a better road to the Pac-12 championship and potentially the NCAA tournament berth that is awarded to the conference champion.

The Cardinal has now won three of its last four, with the lone exception being a game in which it led for 37 minutes against Oregon. Stanford appears to have regained the form that had it sitting atop the Pac-12 at the start of the season, and a late run has the potential to put the team back on the brink of an NCAA tournament invitation for the first time since 2008.

Senior Josh Owens was unstoppable in the paint on Sunday, but his efforts were for naught as Stanford fell to Oregon in Maples Pavilion. (SIMON WARBY/The Stanford Daily)

Stanford (18-9, 8-7 Pac-12) entered the game knowing it needed a win to have any chance of earning a first-round bye in the Pac-12 conference tournament. From the start, this scenario seemed likely as the Cardinal scored the first points of the game, taking a lead it would not relinquish for the next 38 minutes. The Ducks (19-8, 10-5) stuck with the Cardinal throughout, however, and finally seized their opportunity when Singler went off.

The Cardinal were struck by an early blow when senior forward Andrew Zimmermann, playing his second-to-last game in Maples Pavilion, went down with an injury six minutes into the first half. The senior scored four of Stanford’s first six points and brought a level of toughness that was sorely missed in his absence.

After Zimmermann went down, Stanford stayed on top of the Ducks due to the play of another senior, forward Josh Owens. The captain was unstoppable in the paint, scoring 20 points. The Cardinal’s other big men also played well, as 6-foot-9 sophomore forwards Dwight Powell and John Gage scored 11 and eight, respectively.

Although they were efficient on offense, the Cardinal forwards had issues on the defensive end, as for just the fourth time this season they were out-rebounded.

“They had 16 second-chance points, which means that they got some offensive rebounds that we should have had as defensive rebounds,” Owens said.

Stanford still held the lead at the five-minute mark when a layup by Singler cut the Cardinal lead to two. Singler, the younger brother of former Duke All-American Kyle Singler, would prove to be unstoppable. He hit a three-pointer, scored a layup, then drained yet another three to give Oregon its first lead of the game with just 2:47 left to go.

Stanford still had a chance to win the game, as no one scored for the next two minutes. The Cardinal held the ball with 22 seconds on the clock, down 66-64 and hoping for a last-second miracle. The ball was inbounded to freshman guard Chasson Randle, who had been silent for most of the night. Randle’s go-ahead shot missed, but was rebounded by Powell. Randle got one more chance to tie the game but missed a tough layup with nine seconds left.

Two free throws by Oregon’s leading scorer, Devoe Joseph, sealed the game as the Ducks escaped with the victory. The win moved them to fourth in the Pac-12 and into position for a first-round bye. Stanford, however, fell to seventh and now faces tough odds as the season comes to a close.

Along with poor rebounding, the Cardinal suffered from poor free-throw shooting. Stanford went 11-22 from the line, a figure that definitely had an impact on the game.

“It was a four-point game, and shooting 50 percent from the foul line when you shoot 22 free throws, that alone [could have been the difference],” Owens said.

Stanford’s quiet offensive performance was partially due a rare off-game offensively from its backcourt duo of Randle and sophomore Aaron Bright. The two combined for just eleven points, just a few days after torching Oregon State for 44.

This week, the Cardinal is back on the road for its first trip to new Pac-12 additions Colorado and Utah. Stanford defeated both the Utes and the Buffaloes in its matchups earlier this season at Maples. Stanford has just three games left in the regular season and sits four games back from conference leaders California and Washington. With a regular-season title out of the question, the Cardinal have to make a serious run in the Pac-12 tournament to have any hope at earning an NCAA tournament bid.

Thursday night’s matchup with Colorado looks to be challenging. The Buffaloes are 10-4 in conference play and currently sit in third. Saturday night’s game against Utah looks to be easier, given the Utes are 2-12 and rank above only USC in the Pac-12. The Cardinal will then travel back to Maples Pavilion to close the regular season against rival California on Sunday, March 4.

The Stanford men’s basketball team’s last meeting with Oregon State was filled with drama—a four-overtime thriller in which the Cardinal barely prevailed. The Beavers stuck with Stanford again Thursday night, but a strong second half helped the Cardinal pull away and secure an 87-82 victory.

The 87 points was the Cardinal’s third-highest output of the season, only surpassed by its last matchup with Oregon State (15-11, 5-9 Pac-12) and season opener against Central Arkansas. The shooting woes that Stanford (18-8, 8-6) has faced of late seemingly vanished, as the Cardinal shot 52.9 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from behind the arc.

Sophomore Aaron Bright (above) had one of his best games of the season by scoring 20 points to help the Cardinal narrowly defeat Oregon State 87-82 in Corvallis. (IAN GARCIA-DOTY/The Stanford Daily)

The Cardinal stormed to an early lead behind the hot hand of freshman guard Chasson Randle, who hit two three-pointers in the first three minutes as the Cardinal took a 8-2 lead. The Beavers kept themselves in it, however, behind guard Roberto Nelson. The sophomore scored 15 of his 19 points in the last 12 minutes of the first half, giving Oregon State a 41-40 lead at the break.

The teams remained close to start the second half, but Stanford began to pull away behind the strong play of sophomore guard Aaron Bright. With the teams deadlocked at 45, Bright assisted a three by sophomore forward John Gage to give the Cardinal a lead it would not relinquish for the rest of the game. He then added two additional three-pointers and assisted an Anthony Brown jumper to put the Cardinal up 56-47.

In his second game coming off the bench, Bright had one of his best games of the season. The sophomore scored 20 points and added seven assists and two steals.

The Beavers refused to go away, however, and cut the lead to three before Randle took over again. The freshman hit two threes to halt any momentum the Beavers gained, despite being consistently swarmed by the Oregon State defense.

Randle had a third straight exceptional game, with 24 points and 5 assists. His point total was a career-high, breaking his record of 20, which was set against Oregon State. The freshman is averaging 18.7 points over his last three contests, while shooting 55.6 percent from the field and an unbelievable 76.4 percent from three-point range. He hit six of seven threes against the Beavers, despite being contested on almost all of them.

“I’m very happy we won and glad the shots went down,” Randle said afterward. “Honestly, all that matters is that we won the game.”

Oregon State still kept themselves in the game, however, with a combination of tough defense and incredible play on the offensive end. Threes by Nelson and 6-foot-10 junior center Angus Brandt cut the Stanford lead to just three with 15 seconds left. Two subsequent free throws by Brown managed to ice the game for the Cardinal, giving the sophomore 11 points for the night.

Throughout the game, the Cardinal demonstrated the form that had it cruising to the top of the Pac-12 standings earlier this year. Stanford again dominated the boards, with 33 rebounds to Oregon State’s 24. The offensive rebound differential was just as striking, with a 10-4 Cardinal advantage.

The quality win wasn’t perfect, however, as the Cardinal struggled taking care of the ball, committing 18 turnovers. While the program definitely has a bright future with all its young talent, the inexperience of the squad was evident at times. The team made up for it with tremendous play on the offensive end and its typical strong defense.

Currently two and a half games back from conference leaders California and Washington, Stanford hopes to continue its strong play on Saturday against Oregon. The Ducks sit right above the Cardinal in the standings, and a victory over Oregon is crucial in Stanford’s quest to finish the regular season in the top four of the conference. The top four teams in the Pac-12 earn a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament, meaning the Cardinal would be one step closer to earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Stanford and Oregon tip off Sunday at Maples Pavilion at 4:30 p.m.

Senior forward Andrew Zimmermann had a rare start fot Stanford, finishing with seven points and seven rebounds in a 59-47 win at USC. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

The Trojans (6-20, 1-12 Pac-12) have suffered through a brutal season hindered by injuries and were utterly outclassed by Stanford on Sunday. The Cardinal (17-8, 7-6) dominated USC in every facet of the game, leaving no doubt as to which side would prevail.

As a whole, the Cardinal had one of its better shooting games in recent memory. Stanford shot 44.9 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. The team also played tremendous defense, holding USC’s leading scorer Maurice Jones to just 10 points on 2-of-14 shooting and the team to just 31.3 percent shooting.

Coming into the game, many expected Stanford’s big men to dominate, as injuries have reduced USC’s roster to the point that they have just one forward and one center on the roster. The Cardinal did not disappoint, controlling the paint for the entirety of the game. The Trojans were out-rebounded by a shocking 44-18 margin and mustered just one offensive rebound to Stanford’s 12.

However, the Trojans were able to stay in the game due to sloppy play by the Cardinal, which committed 19 turnovers to USC’s eight. The teams went back and forth to start the game, with Stanford going into the half up just two.

After the break, Stanford began to take charge. The Cardinal scored eight unanswered points to stretch the lead to 10. In fact, Stanford held USC without a field goal for the first five and a half minutes of the second half, at which point it had taken a commanding lead.

Freshman guard Chasson Randle led the Cardinal charge, dropping all 16 of his points in the second half. The freshman shot 6-for-11 from the field and 4-for-5 from behind the arc, continuing the hot shooting he has exhibited throughout the Cardinal’s road trip to LA. Three nights earlier against UCLA, Randle also had 16 points, again on 6-for-11 shooting.

Randle had a major impact on other aspects of the game as well, notching three of the team’s four steals and committing just one turnover, proving why he is one of the top freshmen in the Pac-12.

Redshirt senior center Josh Owens, Stanford’s leading scorer, had another dominant game against the depleted USC frontcourt. The captain scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting and added five rebounds.

With the win, Stanford completed its first season sweep over the Trojans since 2005, which was also the last time Stanford was able to beat USC on the road. In fact, after its loss to UCLA Thursday night, Stanford had lost its last 13 games in the city of Los Angeles. With the victory, however, the Cardinal moved back up to a tie for sixth in the conference, three games behind leaders Washington and California.

While an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament still seems very unlikely, Stanford does have a chance to play its way into March. Three of the Cardinal’s last five games come against teams ranked above it in the Pac-12, and victories against each would greatly increase its chances of finishing the regular season in the top four of the conference and receiving a first round bye in the season-ending Pac-12 tournament.

This week, Stanford returns home to face Oregon State and Oregon. The Beavers are up first and would love to get revenge for their quadruple-overtime loss to the Cardinal earlier this season. Oregon State sits two games back from Stanford in the standings.

Oregon presents the greater challenge for the Cardinal. The Ducks are third in the conference, two games above Stanford. They beat the Cardinal by 11 points in the team’s last meeting, and the Cardinal would love to make a statement on its home court. A sweep of the two Oregon teams would be great for the Cardinal as it strives to make a late season comeback.
Stanford and Oregon State tip off at 7 p.m. at Maples Pavilion this Thursday night.