Anders Mikkelsen – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com Breaking news from the Farm since 1892 Wed, 01 May 2013 07:17:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://stanforddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-DailyIcon-CardinalRed.png?w=32 Anders Mikkelsen – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com 32 32 204779320 Freshmen Shaw and Ctvrtlik making their marks https://stanforddaily.com/2013/05/01/shaw-and-ctvrtlik/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/05/01/shaw-and-ctvrtlik/#respond Wed, 01 May 2013 07:17:00 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1076866 When freshmen James Shaw and Josef Ctvrtlik stepped onto Stanford’s campus for the first time this fall, they immediately felt a great burden of responsibility. The two were new members of the Stanford men’s volleyball team, and they had big roles to play.

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When freshmen James Shaw and Josef Ctvrtlik stepped onto Stanford’s campus for the first time this fall, they immediately felt a great burden of responsibility. The two were new members of the Stanford men’s volleyball team, and they had big roles to play.

Freshman James Shaw (HECTOR GARCIA-MOLINA/StanfordPhoto.com)
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.

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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.

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MPSF quarters loom large for Card volleyball https://stanforddaily.com/2013/04/19/mpsf-quarters-loom-large-for-card-volleyball/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/04/19/mpsf-quarters-loom-large-for-card-volleyball/#respond Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:14:09 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1076579 The No. 6 Stanford hits the road this Saturday to take on No. 2 Long Beach State in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) quarterfinals this weekend. At this point, a loss will likely mean the end of the season for the Cardinal (15-12, 12-12 MPSF) as only four teams make the NCAA Tournament.

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The No. 6 Stanford hits the road this Saturday to take on No. 2 Long Beach State in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) quarterfinals this weekend. At this point, a loss will likely mean the end of the season for the Cardinal (15-12, 12-12 MPSF) as only four teams make the NCAA Tournament.

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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.

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Card rebounds after tough loss to UC-Irvine https://stanforddaily.com/2013/04/07/card-rebounds-after-tough-loss-to-irvine/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/04/07/card-rebounds-after-tough-loss-to-irvine/#respond Mon, 08 Apr 2013 06:01:11 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1076230 This weekend, the No. 8 Stanford men’s volleyball team was on the road, taking on No. 4 UC-Irvine and UC-San Diego. The Cardinal was fresh off an impressive turnaround win over Pacific last Tuesday but was unable to keep the win streak going, falling in three sets to Irvine before sweeping UCSD. The Anteaters (20-6, […]

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This weekend, the No. 8 Stanford men’s volleyball team was on the road, taking on No. 4 UC-Irvine and UC-San Diego. The Cardinal was fresh off an impressive turnaround win over Pacific last Tuesday but was unable to keep the win streak going, falling in three sets to Irvine before sweeping UCSD.

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.

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Men’s volleyball looks to end skid on tough road swing https://stanforddaily.com/2013/04/01/mens-volleyball-looks-to-end-skid-on-tough-road-swing/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/04/01/mens-volleyball-looks-to-end-skid-on-tough-road-swing/#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 06:02:38 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1076084 Fresh off two disappointing home losses, Stanford men’s volleyball is back on the road this week to take on Pacific, UC-Irvine and UC-San Diego. Stanford is currently in the midst of its longest slump of the season, having dropped its past four games, but will be looking to turn things around in a major fashion […]

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Fresh off two disappointing home losses, Stanford men’s volleyball is back on the road this week to take on Pacific, UC-Irvine and UC-San Diego. Stanford is currently in the midst of its longest slump of the season, having dropped its past four games, but will be looking to turn things around in a major fashion this week in order to make a final MPSF playoff push.

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.

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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.

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Men’s volleyball falls in double road loss https://stanforddaily.com/2013/03/10/mens-volleyball-falls-in-double-road-loss/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/03/10/mens-volleyball-falls-in-double-road-loss/#respond Mon, 11 Mar 2013 06:25:11 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1075767 The Stanford men’s volleyball team was back on the road this weekend, taking on No. 14 UC Santa Barbara and No. 6 UCLA, two teams that it had defeated in its first meetings earlier in the season. This time around, though, No. 4 Stanford was swept in both games.

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Fresh off two huge five-set victories over No. 5 Pepperdine and No. 13 USC, the Stanford men’s volleyball team was back on the road this weekend, taking on No. 14 UC Santa Barbara and No. 6 UCLA, two teams that it had defeated in its first meetings earlier in the season. Unfortunately for the Cardinal, the time around wasn’t as successful, as No. 4 Stanford was swept in both games.

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)
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.

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Volleyball earns dramatic victories over USC and Pepperdine https://stanforddaily.com/2013/03/04/volleyball-earns-dramatic-victories-over-usc-and-pepperdine/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/03/04/volleyball-earns-dramatic-victories-over-usc-and-pepperdine/#respond Tue, 05 Mar 2013 07:02:08 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1075535 Stanford men’s volleyball pulled out two dramatic five-set victories against No. 5 Pepperdine and No. 13 USC this weekend to avenge early season losses and establish itself as one of the toughest teams in the MPSF.

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Stanford men’s volleyball pulled out two dramatic five-set victories against No. 5 Pepperdine and No. 13 USC this weekend to avenge early season losses and establish itself as one of the toughest teams in the MPSF.

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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.

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Card splits road trip against BYU and Cal Baptist https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/27/card-splits-road-trip-against-byu-and-cal-baptist/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/27/card-splits-road-trip-against-byu-and-cal-baptist/#respond Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:24:52 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1075356 This weekend, the Stanford men’s volleyball team was back on the road again, taking on BYU and Cal Baptist. Despite two very strong performances, it split the matches, losing to BYU in five before defeating Cal Baptist 3-1.

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This weekend, the Stanford men’s volleyball team was back on the road again, taking on BYU and Cal Baptist. Despite two very strong performances, it split the matches, losing to BYU in five before defeating Cal Baptist 3-1.

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
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.

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Men’s volleyball tops CSU-Northridge, falls at Long Beach State https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/18/mens-volleyball-tops-csu-northridge-falls-at-long-beach-state/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/18/mens-volleyball-tops-csu-northridge-falls-at-long-beach-state/#respond Tue, 19 Feb 2013 04:35:36 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1075018 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 […]

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Freshman setter James Shaw (above)
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.

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Men’s volleyball meets its match against national champion UCI https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/11/mens-volleyball-meets-its-match-against-national-champion-uci/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/11/mens-volleyball-meets-its-match-against-national-champion-uci/#respond Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:01:43 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1074796 On Friday night, Stanford (8-4, 5-4 MPSF) met the top team in the nation, defending national champion UCI (10-3, 7-3) in the smaller Burnham Pavilion. Irvine was riding a four-game win streak, but Stanford was determined to not let its 12-game home win streak come to an end. The first two sets, however, were all […]

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On Friday night, Stanford (8-4, 5-4 MPSF) met the top team in the nation, defending national champion UCI (10-3, 7-3) in the smaller Burnham Pavilion. Irvine was riding a four-game win streak, but Stanford was determined to not let its 12-game home win streak come to an end.

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.

[Leigh Kinney/The Stanford Daily]
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.

 

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Men’s volleyball scrapes past Hawaii in first game, but falls short in rematch https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/03/mens-volleyball-takes-hawaii-in-first-game-but-falls-short-in-rematch/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/03/mens-volleyball-takes-hawaii-in-first-game-but-falls-short-in-rematch/#respond Mon, 04 Feb 2013 06:24:23 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1074588 In what was certainly a dramatic weekend for the No. 3 Stanford men’s volleyball, the Cardinal played 10 hard-fought sets against the Hawaii Warriors, barely coming away with a win Friday night before dropping a heartbreaker on Saturday.             Hawaii (4-7, 3-5 MPSF) was in control for much of the first set on Friday. Midway […]

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In what was certainly a dramatic weekend for the No. 3 Stanford men’s volleyball, the Cardinal played 10 hard-fought sets against the Hawaii Warriors, barely coming away with a win Friday night before dropping a heartbreaker on Saturday.

[MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily]
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.

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Men’s volleyball looks to prove itself on road for first time https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/01/mens-volleyball-looks-to-prove-itself-on-road-for-first-time/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/02/01/mens-volleyball-looks-to-prove-itself-on-road-for-first-time/#respond Fri, 01 Feb 2013 09:46:56 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1074558 Bright and early Thursday morning, the No. 3 Stanford men’s volleyball team got on a plane and headed for the island paradise of Hawaii to play back-to-back matches with the Hawaii Warriors.

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Bright and early Thursday morning, the No. 3 Stanford men’s volleyball team got on a plane and headed for the island paradise of Hawaii to play back-to-back matches with the Hawaii Warriors.

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)
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.

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M. Volleyball: Stanford serves up victory over Bruins https://stanforddaily.com/2013/01/23/m-volleyball-stanford-serves-up-victory-over-bruins/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/01/23/m-volleyball-stanford-serves-up-victory-over-bruins/#respond Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:24:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1074252 On Tuesday, the Stanford men's volleyball team recovered from just one day of rest after a brutal road trip to pull out a 3-1 victory over UCLA at Maples Pavilion.

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The Stanford men’s volleyball team entered Tuesday’s matchup with No. 4 UCLA having had just one day of rest after a brutal road trip. As it turned out, one day’s rest was all the team needed, as the weary Cardinal imposed its will upon the Bruins, pulling out a 3-1 victory in front of a boisterous home crowd.

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.

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M. Volleyball: Third-ranked Stanford rallies, holds off No. 15 Pacific https://stanforddaily.com/2013/01/14/m-volleyball-third-ranked-stanford-rallies-holds-off-no-15-pacific/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/01/14/m-volleyball-third-ranked-stanford-rallies-holds-off-no-15-pacific/#respond Mon, 14 Jan 2013 22:35:16 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1074077 In a weekend dominated by great moments in the NFL playoffs, perhaps the most exciting match was the Saturday showdown between the Stanford men’s volleyball team and the University of the Pacific. Despite facing six match points, the Cardinal was able to rally back and win a thrilling five-set battle 3-2.

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In a weekend dominated by great moments in the NFL playoffs, perhaps the most exciting match was the Saturday showdown between the Stanford men’s volleyball team and the University of the Pacific. Despite facing six match points, the Cardinal was able to rally back and win a thrilling five-set battle 3-2.

M. Volleyball: Third-ranked Stanford rallies, holds off No. 15 Pacific
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.

 

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W. Volleyball: Stanford ‘fired up’ as NCAA Tournament play begins https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/29/womens-volleyball-stanford-fired-up-as-ncaa-tournament-play-begins/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/29/womens-volleyball-stanford-fired-up-as-ncaa-tournament-play-begins/#respond Fri, 30 Nov 2012 04:31:40 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1073453 No. 2 Stanford begins its bid for a seventh NCAA title Friday against Jackson State at 8 p.m.

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“We’re fired up, we’re confident, and we’re ready to go to war with teams.” Senior setter Karissa Cook’s quote perfectly sums up the attitude of the No. 2 Stanford women’s volleyball team, whose bid for its seventh NCAA title begins on Friday against Jackson State.

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.

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W. Volleyball: Stanford wins three straight to close out regular season, earns No. 2 seed for NCAA tournament https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/25/w-volleyball-stanford-wins-three-straight-to-close-out-regular-season-earns-no-2-seed-for-ncaa-tournament/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/25/w-volleyball-stanford-wins-three-straight-to-close-out-regular-season-earns-no-2-seed-for-ncaa-tournament/#respond Mon, 26 Nov 2012 07:05:19 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1073325 After seeing its 22-game win streak come to an end, the No. 2 Stanford women’s volleyball team had to begin anew, starting with its matchup with UCLA on November 16. Three games and three victories later, the Cardinal had officially regained its mojo, ready to take on any opponent in the NCAA Tournament.

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After seeing its 22-game win streak come to an end, the No. 2 Stanford women’s volleyball team had to begin anew, starting with its matchup with UCLA on November 16. Three games and three victories later, the Cardinal had officially regained its mojo, ready to take on any opponent in the NCAA Tournament.

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.

W. Volleyball: Stanford wins three straight to close out regular season, earns No. 2 seed for NCAA tournament
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.

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W. Volleyball: No. 8 USC ends Stanford’s 22-match winning streak https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/16/w-volleyball-no-8-usc-ends-stanfords-22-match-winning-streak/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/16/w-volleyball-no-8-usc-ends-stanfords-22-match-winning-streak/#respond Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:07:29 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1073171 The last time the Stanford women’s volleyball team lost a match, Stanford was not close to being in session and Barack Obama and Mitt Romney were a month away from their first presidential debate. Thursday night in Los Angeles, Cardinal’s incredible 22-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of No. 8 USC, 3-1.

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The last time the Stanford women’s volleyball team lost a match, Stanford was not close to being in session and Barack Obama and Mitt Romney were a month away from their first presidential debate. Thursday night in Los Angeles, Cardinal’s incredible 22-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of No. 8 USC, 3-1.

W. Volleyball: No. 8 USC ends Stanford's 22-match winning streak
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.

 

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W. Volleyball: Pac-12 title now within reach https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/12/w-volleyball/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/11/12/w-volleyball/#respond Mon, 12 Nov 2012 20:36:13 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1072966 The Stanford women’s volleyball team continued its reign of excellence this week, beating both Washington State and Washington to extend its winning streak to 22-straight and give the Cardinal a solid claim to the title of hottest team in the nation in any sport.

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The Stanford women’s volleyball team continued its reign of excellence this week, beating both Washington State and Washington to extend its winning streak to 22-straight and give the Cardinal a solid claim to the title of hottest team in the nation in any sport.

W. Volleyball: Pac-12 title now within reach
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.

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W. Vball: Stanford sweeps past Arizona https://stanforddaily.com/2012/10/25/w-vball-stanford-sweeps-past-arizona/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/10/25/w-vball-stanford-sweeps-past-arizona/#respond Thu, 25 Oct 2012 12:26:20 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1072301 On Wednesday, the No. 2 Stanford women’s volleyball team returned home to Maples Pavilion riding a 16-game winning streak, matching the Cardinal’s longest streak since 2008. Three sets later, they had swept the Arizona Wildcats and extended the streak to 17.

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On Wednesday, the No. 2 Stanford women’s volleyball team returned home to Maples Pavilion riding a 16-game winning streak, matching the Cardinal’s longest streak since 2008.

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.

W. Vball: Stanford sweeps past Arizona
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.

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W. Vball: It’s a sweet sixteen for Stanford https://stanforddaily.com/2012/10/22/w-vball-sweet-sixteen-for-stanford/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/10/22/w-vball-sweet-sixteen-for-stanford/#respond Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:23:01 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1072120 The games were certainly closer than anyone would have hoped, but the Stanford women’s volleyball team managed to continue its winning ways and roll through another weekend with two Pac-12 wins. The Cardinal pulled off five-set road victories over Washington and Washington State, extending its winning streak to 16 games.

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The games were certainly closer than anyone would have hoped, but the Stanford women’s volleyball team managed to continue its winning ways and roll through another weekend with two Pac-12 wins. The Cardinal pulled off five-set road victories over Washington and Washington State, extending its winning streak to 16 games.

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.

W. Vball: It's a sweet sixteen for Stanford
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.

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W. Vball: Trojans overpowered by streaking Cardinal https://stanforddaily.com/2012/10/11/w-vball-trojans-overpowered-by-streaking-cardinal/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/10/11/w-vball-trojans-overpowered-by-streaking-cardinal/#respond Thu, 11 Oct 2012 08:30:06 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1071711 With the eyes of the Pac-12 squarely on Palo Alto for Wednesday’s women’s volleyball showdown between No. 6 USC and No. 4 Stanford, the Cardinal proved that it is a major force to be dealt with in both the conference and national title picture.

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With the eyes of the Pac-12 squarely on Palo Alto for Wednesday’s women’s volleyball showdown between No. 6 USC and No. 4 Stanford, the Cardinal proved that it is a major force to be dealt with in both the conference and national title picture.
While the Trojans (16-3, 4-3 Pac-12) came into Maples Pavilion as one of the hottest teams in the league, with a lineup featuring the league’s two most recent Player of the Week winners, it took just three sets for Stanford to stretch its winning streak to 13 games.
W. Vball: Trojans overpowered by streaking Cardinal
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.

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Senior Sit Down: Karissa Cook https://stanforddaily.com/2012/09/25/senior-sit-down-karissa-cook/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/09/25/senior-sit-down-karissa-cook/#respond Tue, 25 Sep 2012 07:54:08 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1071058 The Stanford Daily will be sitting down to talk with senior athletes once a week. Our first subject is women's volleyball setter Karissa Cook, who talks about the team's chances and all things Stanford athletics.

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In her first year as the volleyball team’s starting setter, senior Karissa Cook earned Pac-12 honorable mention honors and ranked 20th in the country with 11.32 assists per set. One of the Cardinal’s most respected players this year, Cook has been sidelined by an injury but was still named a candidate for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. The Daily sat down with Cook to talk all things Stanford volleyball.

 

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.

 

Senior Sit Down: Karissa Cook
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.

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M. Basketball: Cardinal takes on Cleveland State at Maples in first round of NIT https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/13/m-basketball-cardinal-takes-on-cleveland-state-at-maples-in-first-round-of-nit/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/13/m-basketball-cardinal-takes-on-cleveland-state-at-maples-in-first-round-of-nit/#respond Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:59:15 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1061259 After a seventh-place Pac-12 regular season finish and a loss in the second round of the conference tournament, many thought Stanford’s season was over. But in a surprising turn of events, the Cardinal was one of four Pac-12 teams invited to the postseason NIT.

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After a seventh-place Pac-12 regular season finish and a loss in the second round of the conference tournament, many thought Stanford’s season was over. But in a surprising turn of events, the Cardinal (21-11, 10-8 Pac-12) was one of four Pac-12 teams invited to the postseason National Invitational Tournament (NIT), where it received a No. 3 seed in its region and will face fifth-seeded Cleveland State (22-10, 12-6 Horizon League) at home on March 13.

 

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.

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M. Basketball: Randle’s record day propels Stanford past ASU https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/08/m-basketball-randles-record-day-propels-stanford-past-asu/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/08/m-basketball-randles-record-day-propels-stanford-past-asu/#respond Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:03:27 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1060802 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.

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M. Basketball: Randle's record day propels Stanford past ASU
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.

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M. Basketball: Card erases Cal’s regular-season title hopes in physical 75-70 Senior Night win [AUDIO] https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/05/m-basketball-card-erases-cals-regular-season-title-hopes-in-physical-75-70-senior-night-win/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/05/m-basketball-card-erases-cals-regular-season-title-hopes-in-physical-75-70-senior-night-win/#respond Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:03:10 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1060439 In Stanford's biggest game of the season, the Cardinal was able to beat rival Cal and deny the Golden Bears a share of the Pac-12 regular season title. The victory secured Stanford's first 20-win season since 2007-08 and gave the squad plenty of momentum going into the season-ending conference tournament.

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In Stanford’s biggest game of the season, the Cardinal was able to beat rival Cal and deny the Golden Bears a share of the Pac-12 regular season title. The victory secured Stanford’s first 20-win season since 2007-08 and gave the squad plenty of momentum going into the season-ending conference tournament.

 

M. Basketball: Card erases Cal's regular-season title hopes in physical 75-70 Senior Night win [AUDIO]
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:

 

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M. Basketball: Stanford slips with one-point loss at lowly Utah https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/27/m-basketball-stanford-slips-with-one-point-loss-at-lowly-utah/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/27/m-basketball-stanford-slips-with-one-point-loss-at-lowly-utah/#respond Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:48:10 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1059483 After demolishing Colorado in Boulder Thursday night, the Stanford men’s basketball team traveled to face conference bottom-feeder Utah on Saturday. In what was a back-and-forth game from start to finish, the Cardinal was unable to pull off a victory, dropping a heartbreaker to the Utes, 58-57.

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After demolishing Colorado in Boulder Thursday night, the Stanford men’s basketball team traveled to face conference bottom-feeder Utah on Saturday. In what was a back-and-forth game from start to finish, the Cardinal was unable to pull off a victory, dropping a heartbreaker to the Utes, 58-57.

 

M. Basketball: Stanford slips with one-point loss at lowly Utah
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.

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M. Basketball: Card trounces Colorado in blowout https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/24/m-basketball-card-trounces-colorado-in-blowout/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/24/m-basketball-card-trounces-colorado-in-blowout/#respond Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:50:42 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1059369 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. 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.

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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.

M. Basketball: Card trounces Colorado in blowout
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.

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M. Basketball: Owens’ 20-point effort not enough in loss to Oregon https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/21/m-basketball-owens-20-point-effort-not-enough-in-loss-to-oregon/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/21/m-basketball-owens-20-point-effort-not-enough-in-loss-to-oregon/#respond Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:44:11 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1058828 The Stanford men’s basketball team controlled the first 35 minutes of its matchup against Oregon, but in the last five the Cardinal couldn’t stop forward E.J. Singler, as the junior scored 10 straight points to help the Ducks squeak out a 68-64 win.

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The Stanford men’s basketball team controlled the first 35 minutes of its matchup against Oregon, but in the last five the Cardinal couldn’t stop forward E.J. Singler, as the junior scored 10 straight points to help the Ducks squeak out a 68-64 win.

 

M. Basketball: Owens' 20-point effort not enough in loss to Oregon
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.

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M. Basketball: Cardinal squeezes by feisty Beavers https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/17/m-basketball-cardinal-squeezes-by-feisty-beavers/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/17/m-basketball-cardinal-squeezes-by-feisty-beavers/#respond Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:48:35 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1058701 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.

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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.

M. Basketball: Cardinal squeezes by feisty Beavers
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.

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M. Basketball: Squad stays alive in hunt for Pac-12 tourney bye with win over USC https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/13/m-basketball-squad-stays-alive-in-hunt-for-pac-12-tourney-bye-with-win-over-usc/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/13/m-basketball-squad-stays-alive-in-hunt-for-pac-12-tourney-bye-with-win-over-usc/#respond Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:48:02 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1058049 The Stanford men’s basketball team was tired of losing. Having dropped five of its last six games, the Cardinal traveled down to USC hungry for a win. While the Trojans put up a fight, Stanford pulled away in the second half to emerge with a 59-47 victory.

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The Stanford men’s basketball team was tired of losing. Having dropped five of its last six games, the Cardinal traveled down to USC hungry for a win. While the Trojans put up a fight, Stanford pulled away in the second half to emerge with a 59-47 victory.

 

 

M. Basketball: Squad stays alive in hunt for Pac-12 tourney bye with win over USC
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.

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M. Basketball: Desperate Cardinal starts L.A. trip against UCLA https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/09/m-basketball-desperate-cardinal-starts-l-a-trip-against-ucla/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/09/m-basketball-desperate-cardinal-starts-l-a-trip-against-ucla/#respond Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:45:21 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1057494 Fresh off a disappointing home loss to Arizona, the Stanford men’s basketball team is back on the road for rematches with UCLA and USC

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Fresh off a disappointing home loss to Arizona, the Stanford men’s basketball team is back on the road for rematches with UCLA and USC. The Cardinal (16-7, 6-5 Pac-12) currently sits three games back of conference-leading Washington and needs to complete a season sweep over both teams to stay in the hunt for the Pac-12 title.

M. Basketball: Desperate Cardinal starts L.A. trip against UCLA
Sophomore guard Aaron Bright (above) will face a test from Lazeric Jones and the UCLA backcourt as the Cardinal travels to Los Angeles to face the Bruins tonight. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

 

First up for Stanford is UCLA. The Bruins (13-10, 6-5) have been one of the most disappointing teams in the country so far. As the preseason pick to win the Pac-12 and the No. 17 team in the nation, they were expected to cruise to the NCAA Tournament. Yet between the 1-4 start to the season and the dismissal from the team of Reeves Nelson, UCLA’s leading scorer and rebounder last season, the potential dream season has instead turned into a nightmare for the Bruins.

 

UCLA’s last meeting with the Cardinal ended in dramatic fashion, with Stanford forward Josh Huestis blocking a potential game-winning jumper by UCLA’s Lazeric Jones with three seconds left on the clock.

 

Stopping Jones will definitely be a priority for the Cardinal. The guard leads UCLA in both points per game and assists per game, with 13.3 and 4.4 respectively. Jones scored a career-high 26 points in the teams’ last meeting and will be looking to put on another show in front of his home crowd.

 

For Stanford to beat the Bruins again, it must continue its strong work on the boards. The Cardinal has been outrebounded just four times this season, and has been especially dominant in terms of offensive rebounding.

 

Stanford may catch a break, as UCLA forward Travis Wear missed the team’s last game with an ankle sprain and is questionable for tonight. The big man is second on the team in both scoring and rebounding. His absence would be a major blow to the Bruins, as Wear, his twin brother David Wear, and center Joshua Smith provide frontcourt depth few can match. The three average 16.3 rebounds combined per game, and would definitely put up a fight for control over the boards.

 

With Travis Wear hobbled, Smith has stepped up in a big way. The sophomore had the best game of his college career last Thursday against Washington, posting a career-high 24 points to go with nine rebounds. Two nights later, he had 19 points and five rebounds to lead the Bruins over Washington State.

 

After tonight’s test against UCLA, the Cardinal will travel to USC to take on the bottom-dwelling Trojans. USC (6-18, 1-10) has been a far cry from the team that made the NCAA Tournament last year, posting the program’s worst season in recent memory. The Trojans have won just one of their last 12 games, losing by an average of 12.5 points per game, and have more losses this year than in any year since 1994-95.

 

The Trojans are led on offense by sophomore guard Maurice Jones, who averages 14 points per game. The guard also averages 38.4 minutes per game, by far the most in the Pac-12. In fact, he has played the entire 40 minutes in eight of USC’s 24 games, as well as 49 minutes in an early-season overtime loss. The tough schedule could be taking a toll on Jones as the regular season comes to a close, which could account for his single-digit point totals in each of USC’s last two games.

 

The Trojans have also had major injury issues this year, losing five players to season-ending injuries. Their two leading rebounders, Aaron Fuller and DeWayne Dedmon, are each out, leaving them with no frontcourt depth. Just two big men remain on the roster, forward Garrett Jackson and little-used center James Blasczyk. Look for Stanford’s Josh Owens and Huestis to try to exploit this depleted USC roster.

 

Stanford needs to battle hard in both games in its quest to earn one of the top four spots in the Pac-12 Tournament and the first-round bye that comes with it. Head coach Johnny Dawkins said that the Cardinal has a “lose and go home mentality,” which may be just what Stanford needs in order to replicate its early-season success.

 

Stanford tips off against UCLA at 8 p.m. tonight and will face USC at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

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M. Basketball: Poor shooting dooms Card against Arizona https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/06/m-basketball-poor-shooting-effort-dooms-card-against-arizona-puts-squad-three-games-back-in-pac-12/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/06/m-basketball-poor-shooting-effort-dooms-card-against-arizona-puts-squad-three-games-back-in-pac-12/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:03:05 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1056981 The Stanford men’s basketball team entered its Saturday matchup with the Arizona Wildcats knowing it needed a win to stay on the bubble for next month’s NCAA tournament. The Cardinal put up a great fight in front of an energetic home crowd, but ultimately the Wildcats proved to be too much, pulling away at the […]

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The Stanford men’s basketball team entered its Saturday matchup with the Arizona Wildcats knowing it needed a win to stay on the bubble for next month’s NCAA tournament. The Cardinal put up a great fight in front of an energetic home crowd, but ultimately the Wildcats proved to be too much, pulling away at the end for a 56-43 victory.

 

M. Basketball: Poor shooting dooms Card against Arizona
Senior forward Josh Owens was one of the lone bright spots for the Cardinal on both sides of the court against Arizona on Saturday, coming up with 10 points, five offensive rebounds and three blocks. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

Stanford (16-7, 6-5 Pac-12) had its worst shooting performance of the season, shooting just 25.4 percent from the field and scoring its fewest points in a home game in over 25 years. Despite the offensive woes, the Cardinal kept the game close through tremendous defense. The Wildcats (16-8, 7-4) were held to just 38.3 percent shooting and only put up 56 points, their second-lowest total of the season.

 

At the start of the game, an Arizona blowout seemed likely, as the Wildcats stormed to an early lead. However, down 20-12 with six minutes left in the half, Stanford redshirt senior forward Josh Owens took over.

 

The captain recorded a massive block, then got an offensive rebound on the other end and converted the jumper. On the very next possession, Owens blocked another shot, which led to a three by freshman guard Chasson Randle. With the Wildcat’s lead down to just three, the momentum had clearly shifted Stanford’s way.

 

The Cardinal eventually tied the game at 23 and found itself down only 24-23 at the half. Stanford’s attack continued after the break, as sophomore guard Aaron Bright’s incredible dart into the lane for a layup gave the Cardinal its first lead of the game since the early first half.

 

The two teams traded buckets until the nine-minute mark, when an Owens offensive board and putback gave Stanford a 37-35 lead — although it would prove to be the Cardinal’s final lead of the game. At this point, Stanford began to struggle from the field. The Cardinal did not hit another field goal until Bright’s layup at the 2:36 mark, a drought that lasted long enough for the Wildcats to grab the lead for good.

 

With just two minutes left, the Cardinal was down eight, and Randle attempted to lead a dramatic comeback. The freshman had proven himself to be utterly fearless throughout the game, constantly slashing into the paint and using his superior speed and acrobatic moves to get to the rim.

 

Randle cut to the hoop again, just missing what would have been an unbelievable layup, getting his own rebound and converting the bucket to cut the lead to six. Despite his height disadvantage, Randle finished with six rebounds to go along with 10 points.

 

The Cardinal controlled the offensive boards the entire game, with 15 offensive rebounds to the Wildcats’ six. Owens had five offensive rebounds, while sophomore forward Josh Huestis added three. As was the story for much of the game, the Cardinal was simply unable to convert the putbacks and take advantage of its numerous opportunities. In fact, Stanford took 16 more shots than the Wildcats, yet made two fewer baskets.

 

With time winding down, the Cardinal frantically pushed the ball down the court, but committed two straight turnovers as it tried to create a miracle. Randle fouled out with 48 seconds left in the game, but at that point Stanford was down nine points and out of the contest.

 

Arizona capped the game with two thunderous dunks from freshman guard Nick Johnson, who had been harassed the entire game with chants of “air ball” after an embarrassing first half miss.

 

With the loss, Stanford fell to a tie for sixth in the Pac-12, three games behind leader Washington with just seven regular season games left. The Cardinal will head back on the road this week to face underachieving preseason favorite UCLA and Pac-12 bottom-dweller USC, needing wins badly as the Cardinal struggles to stay relevant in the conference and keep in the hunt for a berth in the Big Dance this March.

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M. Basketball: Stanford falls to Cal, extends losing streak to three https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/30/m-basketball-stanford-falls-to-cal-extends-losing-streak-to-three/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/30/m-basketball-stanford-falls-to-cal-extends-losing-streak-to-three/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:48:19 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1056067 Hoping to rebound from a tough journey through Washington that saw it drop from first to fifth in the Pac-12, the Stanford men’s basketball team (15-6, 5-4 Pac-12) traveled to Berkeley Sunday night to take on the rival California Golden Bears. Despite a strong first half, the Cardinal was not able to stick with the Bears, ending a disappointing road trip with its third straight loss, 69-59

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Hoping to rebound from a tough journey through Washington that saw it drop from first to fifth in the Pac-12, the Stanford men’s basketball team (15-6, 5-4 Pac-12) traveled to Berkeley Sunday night to take on the rival California Golden Bears. Despite a strong first half, the Cardinal was not able to stick with the Bears, ending a disappointing road trip with its third straight loss, 69-59.

 

Cal (17-5, 7-2) was coming off a surprising defeat at the hands of Washington State, but had been utterly dominant at home, entering the matchup with a sterling 13-0 record at Haas Pavilion.

 

Sophomore forward Dwight Powell made his second straight appearance in the starting lineup after being hampered by injuries for much of the season, and he immediately made his presence felt. Powell had scored 20 points in Stanford’s last meeting with the Bears and seemed poised for another big game, scoring nine of the Cardinal’s first 14 points.

 

The rest of the Stanford team, however, couldn’t buy a bucket, and the Bears roared to a 25-16 lead 15 minutes into the first half. At this point, sophomore center Stefan Nastic took over. The big man, who had played over 10 minutes just once this season, scored eight of his career-high 11 points in the last five minutes as Stanford stormed back to take a 33-32 lead into the half.

 

Both teams came out of the locker room weakly, combining for just five points in the first five minutes. The poor shooting continued, leaving Cal clinging to a slim 44-43 lead at the 10-minute mark.

 

At that point the wheels started to come off for the Cardinal. Stanford shot 6-for-14 from the field to close the game, as well as a horrendous 4-for-9 from the charity stripe. The Cardinal also committed nine of its 25 fouls over that time frame, with Powell fouling out at the 4:55 mark.

 

Poor shooting has been a recurring theme for the Cardinal, as it suffered from its third straight horrible performance, hitting just 38.5 percent from the field, 63 percent from the line and 13.3 percent from three-point range. It marked Stanford’s seventh straight game making fewer than 70 percent of its free throws, a terrible figure that head coach Johnny Dawkins needs to work on correcting as the Cardinal falls further and further from NCAA Tournament contention.

 

Stanford was outrebounded for just the fourth time this year (yet second time in a row). The Cardinal was especially hurt by a weak performance on the offensive boards, as it managed just four to Cal’s 10.

 

Cal’s senior point guard Jorge Gutierrez managed to snag 12 rebounds, more than doubling his season average and equaling the number of boards grabbed by Stanford’s leading rebounders Josh Owens and Josh Huestis combined.

 

The Bears pulled away after halftime due primarily to an impressive effort from senior forward Harper Kamp. Kamp scored 13 of his 15 points in the last 15 minutes while taking just five shots from the field the entire game.

 

For the second straight game, Stanford was unable to stop the opposing guard play. Gutierrez, Allen Crabbe and Justin Cobbs combined for 42 of the Bears’ 69 points, with Crabbe leading all scorers with 18.

 

With another loss, Stanford has now fallen into a tie for fifth in the conference, two games back from leaders Cal and Washington. The Card will return to Maples Pavilion this week to take on Arizona State and Arizona, needing wins in order to stay in the hunt for the Pac-12 crown and an NCAA Tournament bid.

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W. Volleyball: Cardinal falls early at hands of Michigan https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/07/w-volleyball-cardinal-falls-early-at-hands-of-michigan/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/12/07/w-volleyball-cardinal-falls-early-at-hands-of-michigan/#respond Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:51:41 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1053281 The No. 11-seeded Stanford women’s volleyball team entered the NCAA Tournament with high expectations and hopes of turning its tumultuous regular season around after dropping three of its last five matches. Unfortunately, just two days into the tournament the Cardinal (22-8) found itself knocked out, victims of a huge upset at the hands of unseeded Michigan (22-12).

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The No. 11-seeded Stanford women’s volleyball team entered the NCAA Tournament with high expectations and hopes of turning its tumultuous regular season around after dropping three of its last five matches. Unfortunately, just two days into the tournament the Cardinal (22-8) found itself knocked out, victims of a huge upset at the hands of unseeded Michigan (22-12).

 

W. Volleyball: Cardinal falls early at hands of Michigan
Outside hitter Rachel Williams and middle blocker Carly Wopat had strong sophomore seasons on the Farm, earning All-Pacific Region honors. Despite combining for 26 kills against Michigan, the duo was unable to take Stanford to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. (SIMON WARBY/The Stanford Daily)

The Cardinal’s first-round matchup was against Sacred Heart (27-8), the winner of the Northeast Conference. Eager to prove that it was ready to compete for a national title, Stanford came out in force in the first set. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Lydia Bai stole the show early, posting seven kills and two blocks while leading the Cardinal to a 25-14 victory in the set. Overall, the Stanford defense was tremendous, holding the Pioneers to a .057 hitting percentage.

 

The second set did not go quite as well for Stanford, however. The Cardinal looked sloppy throughout, committing five net violations and nine total errors. Despite four kills and six digs from sophomore outside hitter Rachel Williams, who would finish with 18 and 11 for her 20th double-double of the year, Stanford dropped the second set 25-23.

 

The Cardinal began to regain its dominance in the third set, primarily as a result of its net defense. Sophomore middle blocker Carly Wopat had one of her strongest games in college, posting a career high 13 blocks to go with her nine kills. She registered five blocks in the third set alone, as Stanford eked out a 25-22 win.

 

And Stanford proceeded to win the fourth and deciding set 25-11 in impressive fashion. Junior setter Karissa Cook registered 10 assists and two blocks in the set. She, too, would finish with huge offensive numbers, putting up 46 assists, 14 digs and a career-high eight blocks in the match. The Cardinal improved to 31-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and awaited its matchup with Michigan the next day.

 

The first set with the Wolverines was a back-and-forth affair, but Williams stole the show with six kills on a .600 hitting percentage. She would ultimately finish with a team-high 16. The Cardinal was able to hold the Wolverines to a .158 hitting percentage while hitting .314 itself and took the first set 25-20.

 

For the second straight day, Stanford struggled in the second set. Michigan took an early lead and never relinquished it, winning 25-17. Junior libero Hannah Benjamin played tremendous defense with seven of her 19 digs in the set, but it was simply not enough to stop the ferocious Wolverine attack.

 

Stanford went into the break knowing it needed to turn its game around or risk ending its season in the second round at home. The third set was competitive early, with neither team taking a lead of over one point. Then, with Stanford nursing a slight 11-10 advantage, Michigan began to take over. The Wolverines scored four straight points and eight of the next 10 to take a commanding lead. Redshirt junior opposite Claire McElheny paced Michigan with five kills in the set, as the Wolverines won 25-18. McElheny would finish with a match-high 18 kills on a .410 hitting percentage.

 

The fourth set was again close early, but two straight service aces by freshman setter Lexi Dannemiller helped the Wolverines pull away. Dannemiller would finish with five aces, and Michigan had 12 as a team. The terrific service game of the Wolverines had a major impact on the match’s ultimate outcome. Stanford dropped the final set 25-20, losing the match and ending its season.

 

Thus, Stanford’s quest for its seventh NCAA championship ended much earlier than anyone could have expected. Luckily, with just two graduating seniors and three returning all-Pac-12 honorees — Williams, Wopat and Cook — the Cardinal figures to be strongly competitive for years to come.

 

Michigan will travel to Gainesville to play Florida, which upset No. 6 overall seed Northern Iowa in the round of 32. The winner of that match will play the winner of the matchup between the No. 3 overall seed Illinois and Ohio State.

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W. Volleyball: Tournament time https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/30/w-volleyball-stanford-starts-journey-for-seventh-national-title/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/30/w-volleyball-stanford-starts-journey-for-seventh-national-title/#respond Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:03:28 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1052435 Despite a slight stumble down the stretch, the Stanford women’s volleyball team once again finds itself in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship this weekend, the team’s 31st consecutive appearance in the tournament. Stanford is one of just two teams to qualify for all 31 NCAA Tournaments (the other being No. 9 Penn State) and is looking to add a seventh title to its mantle.

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W. Volleyball: Tournament time
All-Pac-12 First Team honoree Carly Wopat (No. 2) and the Stanford women’s volleyball team are the No. 11 overall seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament. The Card will face Sacred Heart in its first match this Friday. (SIMON WARBY/The Stanford Daily)

Despite a slight stumble down the stretch, the Stanford women’s volleyball team once again finds itself in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship this weekend, the team’s 31st consecutive appearance in the tournament. Stanford is one of just two teams to qualify for all 31 NCAA Tournaments (the other being No. 9 Penn State) and is looking to add a seventh title to its mantle.

No. 6 Stanford (21-7) is the No. 11 overall seed in the tournament, as well as the No. 3 seed in the Gainesville regional. The Cardinal’s road to the Final Four will start Friday against Sacred Heart. However, the Pioneers are no easy foe as they went 27-7 this season and won the Northeast Conference (NEC) for the second year in a row. They head to Maples Pavilion riding a nine-game winning streak and would love to pull off a major first-round upset over the reeling Cardinal.

The Pioneers are led on offense by senior middle blocker Kimmee Roleder, who ranks third in the NEC in kills per set and points per set, with 3.94 and 4.60 respectively. But Sacred Heart’s other star is sophomore outside hitter Dianis Mercado, who led the conference in aces per set and also ranked in the top ten in kills. The dynamic duo is heavily featured in the Pioneers’ offense, and together they accounted for over 50 percent of the team’s total hitting attempts for the season. Limiting them will be the key to a Cardinal victory.

The winner of the Stanford-Sacred Heart matchup will face the winner of the match between Baylor (18-14) and Michigan (20-12). No. 22 Michigan finished its season ranked eighth in the Big Ten and had to rely on strong out-of-conference performances to earn its at-large bid to the tournament. The Wolverines feature one of the strongest service games in the nation, with three players ranking in the top 10 in the conference in aces per set.

The Bears did not perform well in their conference either, finishing seventh out of the nine Big 12 volleyball teams. They enter the tournament riding a three-game losing streak and would like to turn things around against the Wolverines. The Bears are fronted by All-Big 12 First Team senior middle blocker Briana Tolbert, who led the team in kills, kills per set and hitting percentage.

Overall, the Cardinal will face a tough task on the road in pursuit of another berth in the NCAA title match–which would be its seventh in the last 11 years. If Stanford makes it past Sacred Heart and the Michigan-Baylor winner, it will likely face the University of Northern Iowa in the round of 16. No. 11 UNI received the No. 6overall seed in the tournament, despite its low AVCA ranking. In fact, the No. 1 seed in the Gainesville regional, Illinois, is ranked No. 7 in the nation, also below the Cardinal.

 

But the inconsistencies in the NCAA seeding compared to the AVCA rankings appear to be in Stanford’s favor. Not one team from the Pac-12, widely considered the strongest conference in women’s volleyball, is in its regional, and the Cardinal finds itself as the top-ranked team in Gainesville.

 

If Stanford does manage to make it to the Final Four, it will face a major test against the winner of the Honolulu regional. In yet another demonstration of the strangeness of the tournament seeding, the top three teams in the nation (Pac-12 champion USC, Big Ten champion Nebraska and WAC champion Hawaii) were all placed in the same regional. No. 10 Cal, which finds itself unseeded despite at one point being ranked No. 1 in the nation, No. 13 Oregon and No. 18 Pepperdine were also placed in the Honolulu region, and none should go down easily. Whichever team survives Honolulu will be a major obstacle in Stanford’s path to the championship game.

 

The other side of the bracket figures to be competitive as well. The Lexington regional features the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, Big 12 champion, No. 5 Texas; the defending national champions, No. 9 Penn State and No. 4 UCLA, who finished second in the Pac-12. Whoever survives Lexington will face the winner of the Minneapolis regional, which appears to be the weakest of the four. No. 14 Iowa State received the top seed and the only top-10 team is No. 8 Purdue.

 

Stanford kicks off its NCAA Tournament at Maples Pavilion at 7 p.m. Friday after the 4:30 Michigan-Baylor showdown. The winner of the two matchups will face one another in Maples at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

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W. Volleyball: Card needs weekend sweep and a bit of help to keep Pac-12 title hopes alive https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/17/w-volleyball-card-needs-weekend-sweep-and-a-bit-of-help-to-keep-pac-12-title-hopes-alive/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/17/w-volleyball-card-needs-weekend-sweep-and-a-bit-of-help-to-keep-pac-12-title-hopes-alive/#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:03:42 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1051863 Fresh off last weekend’s disappointing loss to Washington, the Stanford women’s volleyball team heads home for a pair of must-win matches against Oregon and Oregon State. The Cardinal currently sits three games back of conference-leading USC with just three games to play and needs to win out to have any hope of competing for the Pac-12 title.

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Fresh off last weekend’s disappointing loss to Washington, the Stanford women’s volleyball team heads home for a pair of must-win matches against Oregon and Oregon State. The Cardinal currently sits three games back of conference-leading USC with just three games to play and needs to win out to have any hope of competing for the Pac-12 title.

W. Volleyball: Card needs weekend sweep and a bit of help to keep Pac-12 title hopes alive
It's desparation time for sophomore defensive specialist Mary Ellen Luck and Stanford if they want to secure a Pac-12 title. The Cardinal will need to win out to even have a shot at tying conference-leader USC. (SIMON WARBY/The Stanford Daily)

First up, No. 5 Stanford (20-5, 14-5 Pac-12) faces a tough test in No. 15 Oregon (18-8, 11-7). The Ducks are currently tied with Washington for fifth in the conference, just two-and-a-half games back from fourth-place Stanford. A victory this Friday over the Card would make a huge statement and help propel Oregon into the Pac-12 elite. The last meeting between the two teams resulted in a 3-1 Stanford victory at Oregon, and Stanford would like to replicate the feat in front of its home crowd.

The key to victory for the Cardinal will be containing the powerful Duck offense. The Ducks rank behind just conference-leading USC in both kills and assists, riding one of the strongest outsider hitter-setter combos in the league. Redshirt junior outside hitter Alaina Bergsma is second in the conference with 4.61 kills per set, while sophomore setter Lauren Plum ranks second in the Pac-12 with 11.77 assists per set. In the last meeting between the two teams, Bergsma lit up the Cardinal defense for a match-high 26 kills, while Plum posted a double-double with 47 assists and 17 digs. Keeping this dynamic duo in check will instrumental for a Stanford victory.

On Sunday, Stanford will face Oregon State (14-14, 6-12). In the last meeting between the two teams, Oregon State managed to take a set from the Cardinal before falling 3-1. The Beavers enter the rematch on a four-match losing streak and currently sit in eighth place in the conference, but a victory over Stanford would help build confidence for a young team that could be carried into next year. The Beavers have eight freshmen on the roster, including two-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week middle blocker Arica Nassar, and expect to compete on a higher level as they gain more experience.

The Beaver offense is led by junior outside hitter Camille Saxton, who ranks in the top-10 in the Pac-12 in kills, points and aces per set. In the last meeting between the two teams, Saxton posted a double-double of 22 kills and 12 digs, as well as two service aces. On defense, Oregon State is anchored by sophomore libero Becky Defoe, who ranks fifth in the Pac-12 with 4.65 digs per set.

If either Oregon or Oregon State is going to make a statement, they would have to get past the terrific Stanford trio of sophomore outside hitter Rachel Williams, junior setter Karissa Cook and sophomore middle blocker Carly Wopat. Williams and Cook are currently tied for the Pac-12 lead in double-doubles, while Wopat leads the conference in blocks per set, with 1.57.

The series kicks off at Maples Pavilion at 7 p.m. on Thursday against Oregon, and then continues at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon against Oregon State.

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W. Volleyball: Tough split in Washington https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/15/w-volleyball-tough-split-in-washington/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/15/w-volleyball-tough-split-in-washington/#respond Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:37:02 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1051802 The Cardinal found Washington to be a different team on the road, however, losing to the Huskies 3-2. Stanford again had little trouble with the Cougars, however, defeating them 3-1

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When the Stanford women’s volleyball team last took on Washington and Washington State, it easily dismantled both opponents in straight-set victories. The Cardinal found Washington to be a different team on the road, however, losing to the Huskies 3-2. Stanford again had little trouble with the Cougars, however, defeating them 3-1.

W. Volleyball: Tough split in Washington
Sophomore middle blocker Carly Wopat and the Stanford women's volleyball team had a strong defensive effort against Washington, recording 87 digs and 11 blocks. It wasn't enough, though, as the Huskies came back to win in five sets. The Cardinal bounced back with a four-set win over Washington State. (NICK SALAZAR/The Stanford Daily)

Ultimately, the story of the weekend was the rematch with No. 10 Washington (19-7, 11-7 Pac-12). Entering the weekend, the No. 5 Cardinal (20-5, 14-5) stood two games back of conference leaders USC and UCLA and needed a sweep of the Washington schools to stay in the hunt for the Pac-12 title. Washington was coming off straight-set losses to both USC and UCLA and was hoping to find redemption by putting a dent in Stanford’s conference-title hopes. Coming into the match, the Huskies held an 11-1 home record and had definitely played tougher volleyball in Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

Right off the bat, the Huskies looked like a different team than the one Stanford swept in their last meeting. Washington took a 5-4 lead in the first set and never looked back, ultimately taking a 25-18 victory.

The second set looked to be more of the same, as Stanford fell behind early and seemed to be headed into a 2-0 hole. The Cardinal soon roared back, however, tying the set at 24-24 before taking its first lead of the set, 26-25. Senior middle blocker Stephanie Browne’s kill would cement the comeback and tie the match up at one set apiece. Junior setter Karissa Cook was largely responsible for the set victory, recording assists on 15 of the 16 Cardinal kills. She would finish with a career-high 54 assists and 16 digs for her Pac-12-leading 15th double-double.

Stanford’s momentum continued into the third set, as it led the entire way for a 25-19 victory. The Cardinal captured the set largely due to its dominant defensive effort, holding the Huskies to just a .051 hitting percentage in the set. Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Williams had 10 digs in the set alone and would ultimately tally 20 digs and 20 kills for her 15th double-double, tying her with Cook for the conference lead.

The Huskies were not going down without a fight, however, and rallied to capture the fourth set 25-22, sending the Cardinal to its first five-set match since September. Washington roared to an early lead, and Stanford was unable to make up ground within the shorter fifth set, falling 15-10 and losing the match.

While it will go down in the books as a loss, Stanford played very well. The Cardinal had one of its strongest defensive efforts of the season, recording 87 digs and 11 blocks. Junior libero Hannah Benjamin and sophomore defensive specialist Mary Ellen Luck both recorded career-high dig totals, with 19 and 16 respectively. The Cardinal held the Huskies to a .193 hitting percentage, compared to Stanford’s .215. Freshman outside hitter Morgan Boukather had one of her best games for Stanford, posting 11 kills on .455 hitting while also recording seven blocks.

Incredibly, Stanford managed to lead the Huskies in almost every relevant statistical category except the area that ultimately was the team’s downfall: serving. Stanford had a service percentage of just .854, compared to a .944 percentage for Washington. The Cardinal also had 15 service errors, while the Huskies had only six.

Stanford’s matchup with Washington State (12-16, 4-14), however, went much smoother, as the Cardinal won 25-23, 25-11, 19-25, 25-15. Stanford, as usual, was led by Williams and Cook, who cemented their spots as the Pac-12 leaders in double-doubles. Williams posted 16 kills and 13 digs, while Cook had 47 assists and 10 digs.

Stanford’s victory can be credited to its ferocious defense and efficient offense. Entering the match, Washington State’s senior outside hitter Megan Ganzer led the Pac-12 in both points per set and kills per set. While she did lead all players with 18 kills for the match, the Stanford defense was able to hold her to a .097 hitting percentage.

After completing its final road trip of the season, Stanford heads home next weekend to take on the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers.

 

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W. Volleyball: Time to rally after tough loss https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/03/w-volleyball-time-to-rally-after-tough-loss/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/03/w-volleyball-time-to-rally-after-tough-loss/#respond Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:49:55 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1051398 Following a tough loss at the hands of No. 1 UCLA, Stanford faces another challenge on the road against new Pac-12 members Colorado and Utah.

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Following a tough loss at the hands of No. 1 UCLA, Stanford faces another challenge on the road against new Pac-12 members Colorado and Utah. The Cardinal’s last meetings with each of the two teams went exceptionally well, as Stanford picked up straight-set victories against both squads, but repeating the sweep might be slightly more difficult away from home.

No. 3 Stanford (17-4, 11-4 Pac-12) hopes to prove that its performance Saturday night was nothing but a momentary blip in an otherwise terrific season and use the weekend series to make up even more ground in the Pac-12 standings. It currently sits two games back from top teams UCLA and USC with just seven games to go.

W. Volleyball: Time to rally after tough loss
Junior libero Hannah Benjamin (above) and the Stanford women's volleyball team had a tough loss to No. 1 UCLA last weekend, and is looking to get back on track on the road this weekend. (SIMON WARBY/The Stanford Daily)

The last showdown the Cardinal had with Colorado (5-18, 0-15) resulted in a dominant victory in which Stanford hit .387 and won 25-14, 25-15, 25-15. The Buffaloes have lost 15 straight games but are looking to make Stanford’s first trip to their home court a tough one for the Cardinal. Last Friday, they almost completed a memorable comeback against Oregon State, winning the third and fourth sets before falling in the fifth.

If Colorado is able to pull off an incredible upset, it will most likely be due to the play of junior outside hitter Kerra Schroeder and sophomore libero Megan Beckwith. In their last matchup with Stanford, Schroeder led Colorado with 13 kills. Shutting her down will be the main concern for the Cardinal defense. Beckwith will also be a huge factor in the game, as she is one of the top defensive players in the Pac-12, averaging 4.25 digs per set.

Utah (9-15, 4-11) is also not an opponent to be taken lightly. Last weekend, the Utes managed to pull off a 3-2 upset victory on the road over the Oregon Ducks and will be gunning for Stanford come Saturday.

The Utes have one of the strongest net defenses in the game, as both sophomore middle blocker Erin Redd and senior middle blocker Danielle Killpack rank in the top 10 in the Pac-12 in blocks per set. This dynamic duo will be looking to shut down the Cardinal attackers. They will especially be targeting sophomore outside hitter Rachel Williams, who recorded 16 kills against the Utes in their last meeting.

Coach John Dunning stated that the keys to both matchups will be “playing relentless defense and serving tough,” a mantra that Stanford has certainly followed so far this year. In their last matchup with Utah, they held the Utes to a .126 hitting percentage (while hitting .333 themselves) and recorded six service aces, including five by junior setter Karissa Cook alone.

It will certainly be an interesting weekend in women’s volleyball, as Colorado and Utah attempt to make an impressive statement and prove they belong in the Pac-12, while Stanford hopes to regain some momentum and finish the season strong.

The series kicks off in Colorado at 5 p.m. Thursday night.

 

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W. Volleyball: Stanford splits revenge matches https://stanforddaily.com/2011/10/31/w-volleyball-stanford-splits-revenge-matches/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/10/31/w-volleyball-stanford-splits-revenge-matches/#comments Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:45:00 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1051300 Riding an eight-match winning streak, the No. 5 Stanford women’s volleyball team headed home this weekend for rematches with two of the three teams that defeated the Cardinal earlier this season

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Riding an eight-match winning streak, the No. 5 Stanford women’s volleyball team headed home this weekend for rematches with two of the three teams that defeated the Cardinal earlier this season. Stanford had mixed success, sweeping No. 4 USC before being swept by No. 6 UCLA.

W. Volleyball: Stanford splits revenge matches
Blocking was key early for the No. 5 Stanford women's volleyball team, as the Cardinal had six first-set blocks on the way to a sweep of No. 4 USC. Stanford lost all its momentum Saturday night, though, falling in straight sets to No. 6 UCLA. (NICK SALAZAR/The Stanford Daily)

The last time Stanford (17-4, 11-4 Pac-12) faced USC (18-4, 13-2), the Cardinal was utterly outclassed, failing to win a set for the only time this year. Friday’s match, however, was another story. The Trojans left Maples Pavilion with a straight-set loss, and the Cardinal’s winning streak improved to nine.

The first set was a true back-and-forth affair, but the Cardinal defense was able to keep the potent USC offense in check. Stanford recorded six blocks in the first set alone and finished with 13 overall. On offense, junior outside hitter Hayley Spelman led the way, recording a team-high four kills to go with two blocks.

The second set became the Rachel Williams show, as the sophomore superstar led the way with six kills and seven digs as Stanford cruised to a 25-14 victory. She would finish with 14 kills and 13 digs for her 12th double-double of the season.

Following the 10-minute break, however, Cardinal dominance did not seem quite so secure. Led by senior Alex Jupiter, who tallied six kills in the set and a match-high 16 overall, USC jumped to an early lead. Down 17-12, Stanford promptly killed the USC rally with a furious comeback. Junior setter Karissa Cook led the charge as usual, with 15 assists and six digs in the last set alone—she had 41 and 12, respectively, for the match—as well as the game-winning block as the Cardinal completed the straight-set victory, 25-23.

Ultimately, the story of the match was the ferocity of the Cardinal defense and the efficiency of the offense. The Trojans entered with the highest hitting percentage in the Pac-12 (.284), but they were held to just a .161 clip for the game. Stanford, however, hit .339 overall, led by sophomore middle blocker Carly Wopat’s season-high .611 with 11 kills on 18 attempts.

Unfortunately for Stanford, UCLA had just as much momentum coming into its Saturday showdown, as the Bruins had dismantled No. 2 California the night before in Berkeley. UCLA (20-3, 13-2) had won its previous meeting with the Cardinal and hoped to complete a season sweep for the first time in 11 years.

Right off the bat, Stanford appeared to be in trouble, falling into a 12-7 hole. The Cardinal regrouped, roaring back to hold a 24-21 advantage. However, despite holding three set points, Stanford was unable to close out the Bruins, and UCLA rode three Cardinal errors to a 26-24 first-set victory.

The second set was another close affair. Stanford managed to take a 24-22 lead, but again wasted three set points and fell 27-25. Williams anchored the team with five kills in the set. She would finish with 11 kills and 12 digs for her 13th double-double.

The third set, on the other hand, was all UCLA. The Bruins held Stanford to just a .056 hitting percentage while hitting .448 themselves to take a 25-10 victory in the set. With that, the Bruins were able to complete their season sweep of the Cardinal and hand Stanford its first home loss of the season.

The UCLA match was a stark contrast to Stanford’s hitting prowess just 24 hours before. The Cardinal committed 39 errors and recorded its third-lowest hitting percentage of the season, .140. Part of this can be attributed to the tremendous defense of the Bruins, who made a number of unbelievable saves and recorded 57 digs, compared with a well-below-average 44 for the Cardinal.

Overall, it was a wild weekend for Pac-12 women’s volleyball. With two wins, the Bruins moved up to a tie for first place with USC. Cal lost twice to fall back to a tie for third with Stanford, which managed to move up a spot in the standings despite Saturday’s loss.

Next week, Stanford looks to bounce back as it travels to face Pac-12 newcomers Colorado and Utah.

 

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