Laura Anderson – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com Breaking news from the Farm since 1892 Mon, 22 Jan 2018 19:53:20 +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 Laura Anderson – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com 32 32 204779320 Women’s basketball delivers in the clutch against USC https://stanforddaily.com/2018/01/22/final-ep-womens-basketball-delivers-in-the-clutch-against-usc/ https://stanforddaily.com/2018/01/22/final-ep-womens-basketball-delivers-in-the-clutch-against-usc/#respond Mon, 22 Jan 2018 19:53:07 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1135332 After trailing for nearly the entire game, Stanford women’s basketball (12-7, 6-1 Pac-12) came back from a 14-point third-quarter deficit against USC (13-5, 3-4) to take a 59-55 win on Friday night. With the victory, the Cardinal are tied for first place in the Pac-12 Conference with No. 7 Oregon.

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After trailing for nearly the entire game, Stanford women’s basketball (12-7, 6-1 Pac-12) came back from a 14-point third-quarter deficit against USC (13-5, 3-4) to take a 59-55 win on Friday night. With the victory, the Cardinal are tied for first place in the Pac-12 Conference with No. 7 Oregon.

Sophomore guard DiJonai Carrington and senior guard Brittany McPhee led the Cardinal comeback in the second half, especially in a fourth quarter where Stanford outscored USC 18-10. Carrington led the team with 15 points, scoring 10 in the third quarter while pulling down six rebounds. McPhee continued to show her leadership in the final frame. The senior scored 10 of her 12 points in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead jump shot with only three minutes left in the game. With 25 seconds remaining and the score tied once again at 55-all, McPhee made a layup after receiving a pass from junior guard Marta Sniezek to give Stanford the lead for good.    

“We stayed together as a team,” said McPhee. “We knew there were 40 minutes in the game — not 20, not 30. We kept playing hard, no matter what.”

The Cardinal struggled during the first 20 minutes of the game. Stanford turned the ball over 13 times in the first half, including once on each of its first four possessions. The miscues stymied opportunities to go on offensive runs and helped the Trojans build an early lead. In fact, all of USC’s first quarter points came off Stanford turnovers.    

“You can’t score if you don’t have the ball,” McPhee commented. “If you keep turning [the ball] over and not putting up shots, you’re not going to win.”

The second half saw a marked improvement in the Cardinal’s ball handling and control. Stanford closed out the fourth quarter by making seven of its last 11 shots while only turning the ball over once in the frame.

“I think it’s staying focussed on winning no matter what that takes. My teammates were still really positive, and they made huge plays that kept us in the game,” said McPhee after the game.

Now, the Cardinal head to UCLA to take on the No. 13 Bruins in another Pac-12 Conference matchup. Currently sitting tied for first in the conference and with No. 7 Oregon playing No. 18 Oregon State, Stanford has the potential to emerge from this weekend as the sole holder of first place in the Pac-12.      

Stanford and No. 13 UCLA will play at 3 p.m. on Sunday in Los Angeles, California. The game will be streamed live on Pac-12 Networks.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand and Gregory Block at gblock ‘at’ stanford.edu.  

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Women’s basketball roundtable: What can the Cardinal learn from a tough road trip? https://stanforddaily.com/2017/11/14/womens-basketball-roundtable-what-can-the-cardinal-learn-from-a-tough-road-trip/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/11/14/womens-basketball-roundtable-what-can-the-cardinal-learn-from-a-tough-road-trip/#respond Wed, 15 Nov 2017 07:34:39 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1133447 Laura Anderson, Ellie Chen and Gregory Block discuss the performance of Stanford women's basketball last weekend in Columbus, and what the team can do moving forward.

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Laura Anderson, Ellie Chen and Gregory Block discuss the performance of Stanford women’s basketball last weekend in Columbus, and what the team can do moving forward.

What is your main takeaway from the season-opening weekend?

Laura Anderson (LA): The Cardinal have their work cut out for them this season. A couple of players, namely senior Brittany McPhee, junior Alanna Smith and sophomore Dijonai Carrington, really stepped up against Ohio State and UConn, but the team overall didn’t seem to be clicking on the court. Luckily for Stanford, it’s just the beginning of the season, and stumbles are to be expected with a young team and a new style of play, but the Cardinal need to look for improved chemistry on both sides of the ball to be competitive with top teams.

Ellie Chen (EC):  I’m not too worried after the two losses to OSU and UConn. Both of those teams provided amazing competition that will prepare Stanford well for the rest of preseason and Pac-12 conference play.  The cardinal are a really young team, so I believe that team dynamic and offensive flow will naturally improve with each game.  Remember, each new game is like 20 percent of the freshmen’s college career! Plus, older players like Brittany McPhee and Alana Smith are still stepping into their increased leadership roles. My main takeaway is that they have a lot of room to improve on, but as the younger players get more experience and as the older players acclimate to new roles, Stanford will have no problem winning some great games as the season progresses.

Gregory Block (GB): The Cardinal have some elite players, but they aren’t an elite team yet. Brittany McPhee, Alana Smith and Dijonai Carrington all showed bursts of brilliance this weekend, but as a collective team, the Cardinal looked slower and less physical than the Buckeyes and the Huskies. Neither of their losses are bad losses, because both of their opponents will be Final Four contenders this year, but if Stanford wants to return to Columbus to avenge these early losses, they are going to have to build chemistry and get more contributions from their young core.

 

After this weekend’s losses, what does the Cardinal need to improve in most?

LA: Stanford needs to focus on rebounding and limiting turnovers. The team was burned by Ohio State on Friday, with the Buckeyes out-rebounding the Cardinal 64-41, including taking 28 offensive boards to the Cardinal’s nine. Even if Stanford plays a clean game and improves its shooting percentage, rebounding will be key to prevent extra point opportunities for the opposition. In terms of giving up opportunities, the Cardinal gave up 22 turnovers against UConn. The Huskies are a tough team defensively to be sure, but Stanford needs to work on clean transition play as the season progresses in order to retain possession on offense.

EC: Getting more consistent scoring across the board will be crucial for the Cardinal moving forward.  At Ohio State, McPhee scored 24 and the next highest scorer had 8. Similarly, versus UConn, Carrington had 21 and the next highest had 9.  In order to contend versus top notch teams, Stanford needs to have multiple players scoring over ten points. It’s hard to win a game with only one player scoring double digits.

GB: Stanford’s losses this weekend exposed a couple of weaknesses, none bigger than rebounding. Offense will come and go, but every team can rebound effectively and take care of the ball, and the Cardinal did neither this past weekend. Against Ohio State, they were outrebounded 64-41, and they allowed the Buckeyes to grab 28 offensive rebounds. Giving an opponent those kinds of second-chance opportunities will make it difficult to win any game. Rebounding starts in the frontcourt with players like Maya Dodson and Alyssa Jerome, but if the whole team can perform better on the glass, the Cardinal will be a much stronger team.

 

Dijonai Carrington scored a career-high 21 points against UConn on Sunday while coming off the bench. Should Carrington start this weekend?

LA: It certainly wouldn’t hurt. Carrington was a spark plug last weekend, and she might be able to get the Cardinal going early against UC Riverside and CSU Bakersfield. Along with her offensive ability, which she showed off against UConn, I like her aggressive rebounding style. By giving her the start, Stanford could set the tone early on defense by battling for boards and potentially earning a few steals to get their opponents off balance.

EC:  Why not? The season is young and VanDerveer has mentioned that there will be a rotation of at least seven to eight people, so it makes sense to keep testing out different combinations of these eight in these preseason games. Carrington is a huge asset whenever she is in the game, so I’m just excited to see her getting more floor time this year than last year.

GB: Carrington was a spark off the bench on Sunday and I think she could be valuable for the Cardinal in that role. But, if there was going to be a time to test out different starting lineups, now would be the best time. VanDerveer still has a lot of work and coaching to do to figure out the most effective rotations, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Carrington started this weekend.

 

 

Contact Ellie Chen at ellie170 ‘at’ stanford.edu, Gregory Block at gblock ‘at’ stanford.edu and Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Field hockey falls in NCAA Tournament https://stanforddaily.com/2017/11/09/field-hockey-falls-in-ncaa-tournament/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/11/09/field-hockey-falls-in-ncaa-tournament/#respond Thu, 09 Nov 2017 09:00:15 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1133062 Taking on Miami (Ohio) University (12-8, 8-0 Mid-American) at home in the Opening Round of the NCAA Tournament, No. 18 Stanford field hockey (13-8, 4-2 America East) couldn’t hold off the RedHawks in the second half, falling 2-1 on Wednesday afternoon to finish the 2017 season.

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Taking on Miami (Ohio) University (12-8, 8-0 Mid-American) at home in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, No. 18 Stanford field hockey (13-8, 4-2 America East) couldn’t hold off the RedHawks in the second half, falling 2-1 on Wednesday afternoon to finish the 2017 season.

Fifth-year senior attacker Kristina Bassi got the Cardinal on the board in the 25th minute of off a pass from freshman midfielder Frances Carstens for her career-high 12th goal of the season. The RedHawks quickly tied it up as junior Paula Portugal backhanded a shot into the net to make the game 1-1 heading into halftime.

While the match was pretty even throughout the first half, Miami came out firing in the second. Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Bing made five saves in the half to keep Stanford in the game, but costly penalty corners kept the Cardinal in their defensive end for much of the period. With under two minutes to go in the game, Portugal struck again after beating three Cardinal defenders and putting a shot in on the left side. Miami will now go on to face No. 2 Duke in the semifinals.

Thus ends the 2017 campaign for Stanford field hockey. The team made the NCAA Tournament for its fourth straight season and earned its second consecutive America East Conference title last weekend. Stanford exploded out of the gate, racking up a seven game win streak before hitting a rough patch in the middle of the season. In their final two matches of the season against Pacific and Cal and through the America East Conference tournament, the Cardinal came together to produce impressive offensive showings, scoring 22 goals in five games before Wednesday’s loss.

The team will bid farewell to six graduating seniors: Goalkeeper Maddy Belin, midfielders Millie Stefanowicz and Sarah Helgeson and attackers Katie Keyser, Kristina Bassi and Marissa Cicione. Part of four NCAA Tournament appearances and three conference titles, the group led a young Cardinal team this season and left their mark on Stanford field hockey history.  

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Women’s basketball roundtable: Season preview https://stanforddaily.com/2017/11/09/final-cf-womens-basketball-roundtable-season-preview/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/11/09/final-cf-womens-basketball-roundtable-season-preview/#respond Thu, 09 Nov 2017 09:00:06 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1132910 As the Cardinal heads East to take on the No. 5 and No. 1 teams in the nations, Ellie Chen, Gregory Block and Laura Anderson discuss Stanford's lineup strength and weaknesses.

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Last weekend, in the exhibition game against UCSD, head coach Tara VanDerveer gave Alexa Romano her first career start. The sophomore scored 11 points, converting three of her six attempts from deep. Can Romano step up even more against top-ranked defenses in the nation and attempt to help fill the void left by Karlie Samuelson?

Laura Anderson (LA): I think we could see Romano have a breakout season. It will be difficult to replace Karlie Samuelson, who was such a force last season, but the duo of Romano and junior guard Marta Sniezek can step up to run the new offense this year. Add in freshman guard Kiana Williams, a top-10 recruit, and the Cardinal could see a dominant fast-break offense this season.

Gregory Block (GB): Romano’s performance on Saturday was big for the Cardinal, who need another guard to pair with Sniezek in the backcourt. Whether it’s Romano, Anna Wilson or freshman Kiana Williams, Stanford’s guard play may be by committee, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be one of the more explosive backcourts in the conference. The Cardinal should be able to stretch the floor, play fast and shoot from the perimeter, and this combination will help fill the large void left by Samuelson and the other senior leaders from last year’s team.

Ellie Chen (EC):  It was amazing to see Romano play so well on Saturday. She is a stellar athlete. In high school, she won the state championship in the 400 meters, high jump and long jump; she definitely has the athleticism to excel against top-ranked defenses. Karlie Samuelson was the heart of the team, and Romano will need to step up as an emotional and vocal leader to help fill that gap.  I’m very excited to see Romano play this year.

 

Against UCSD, the Cardinal lacked a heavy presence in the paint in the first half before freshman Maya Dodson, sophomore Nadia Fingall and senior Kaylee Johnson played more aggressively in the second half. Who, if anyone, will replace Erica McCall as the dominating force in the key for Stanford?

LA: Junior Shannon Coffee, the only center on the team, will get more minutes this season and could be a force by the basket. What’s really exciting about Coffee as a player is her ability to shoot from deep, which could spread the offense and allow for more versatile looks. Another player who might get looks in the key is freshman forward Maya Dodson. Dodson can use her size to play a forward/center hybrid role. Senior forward Kaylee Johnson is another aggressive rebounder for the Cardinal. Johnson averaged 5.1 rebounds per game last year.

GB: Maya Dodson is a force in the paint and by midseason, she will be a dominating presence for the Cardinal. Dodson is only a freshman, but she had three blocks and seven rebounds against UCSD and showed flashes of her defensive potential. She was one of the top recruits in the country and her coaches and teammates have praised her play so far this preseason. Coffee is more experienced, and will also assume a larger role this year, but I think Dodson will quickly become the star of the frontcourt.

EC: I would love to see Fingall step up inside. She is an outstanding athlete, with not only a great mid-range jumper, but also a strong post presence.  With more minutes and more confidence, I think Fingall has the capacity to excel inside. Alana Smith should also establish an inside presence, especially because she can take advantage of driving to the basket/posting inside as teams will have to guard her upfront on the perimeter. Maya Dodson will have to use her length and strength to rebound and score inside as well.

 

Last year, Alanna Smith and Brittany McPhee had breakout seasons, drastically improving their stat lines. The Aussie was the team’s best scorer during the NCAA tournament, while the senior was second most improved conference player. Who do you see having a similarly improved season this year?

LA: I’m excited to see what Nadia Fingall does this season. The sophomore forward started eight games when then-junior Kaylee Johnson was out with an injury, and she also came in off the bench throughout the year. With more playing time, Fingall could fill gaps left by McCall and Briana Roberson, pulling down rebounds and blocking shots with her height.  

GB: I think Anna Wilson could have a surprising year for the Cardinal. She wasn’t able to stay healthy last year, missing 22 games due to injury, but she’s a talented scorer who is hungry to get back on the court. She may not start many games due to the emergence of Alexa Romano, but she could definitely provide a spark off the bench and be a critical piece of Stanford’s likely tournament run.

EC: Marta Sniezek has already been an amazing point guard for the Cardinal, but I expect her to look for her own shot more this season. She’s an assist machine, but she has the potential to score more than she has in the past, and I know Coach VanDerveer has given Sniezek the green light. Without the offensive threat of Roberson and Samuelson on the perimeter, Sniezek will have to seek out her own shot more. I think she will become much more of a scoring presence this season, which will be fun and exciting to see.

 

OSU scored 135 while UConn put up 119 points in their respective exhibition wins last week, how can the Cardinal contain these two very prolific offenses?

LA: The key for Stanford this year will be well-rounded team play. With the loss of three star seniors, the Cardinal need to rely their versatility on both offense and defense in order to be successful. Sophomore guard Dijonai Carrington could step up as an aggressive force as she did mainly off the bench last season. Carrington earned 80 rebounds and had 19 steals in 35 games last year. Stanford has a group of multifaceted forwards including Johnson and freshman Estella Moschkau that will chip in on defense to hold off top teams like OSU and UConn.

GB: Defense is always a team effort, and the Cardinal will need contributions from everyone if they want to match up to two elite opponents. Dijonai Carrington is the defensive leader of this team, but Marta Sniezek will have to hold her own in the backcourt, especially against the Buckeyes, who are led by standout guard Kelsey Mitchell. This early in the season, though, it is rare for teams to have solid defensive chemistry, so it will be a challenge for the young Cardinal against a couple of high-octane and experienced offenses. Stanford probably won’t be able to completely contain the Huskies and Buckeyes, but if the underclassmen can come off the bench and play tough defense, they may be able to slow them down.

EC: Versus UCSD, Stanford was out-rebounded 39 to 42. This is not good considering that Stanford had a huge size (and athletic) advantage over the Tritons.  To contain more dynamic teams like UConn and OSU, the Cardinal must do a better job rebounding on both ends of the court.  With their athleticism, UConn and OSU would capitalize on offensive boards, so Stanford must minimize number of second chance opportunities by consistently boxing out. Rebounding wins games, and Stanford will have to be a much better rebounding team this weekend than last weekend to contend with OSU and UConn.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu, Gregory Block at gblock ‘at’ stanford.edu and Ellie Chen at ellie170 ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Field hockey to take on Miami Ohio https://stanforddaily.com/2017/11/07/field-hockey-to-take-on-miami-ohio/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/11/07/field-hockey-to-take-on-miami-ohio/#respond Wed, 08 Nov 2017 06:53:11 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1132823 Three days after clinching a spot in the NCAA tournament with its second consecutive America East Conference Championship victory, No. 18 Stanford field hockey (13-7, 4-2) will return home to take on Miami (Ohio) University (11-8, 8-0 Mid-American) in the opening round of the NCAA playoffs.

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Three days after clinching a spot in the NCAA tournament with its second consecutive America East Conference Championship victory, No. 18 Stanford field hockey (13-7, 4-2) will return home to take on Miami (Ohio) University (11-8, 8-0 Mid-American) in the opening round of the NCAA playoffs.

On Sunday, the Cardinal beat University of New Hampshire in a decisive 4-1 final match to win the conference title and advance to the NCAA tournament for their fourth straight season. The Redhawks won the MAC Conference championship on Saturday by beating Kent State 2-1 in overtime, making the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 2013. Stanford and Miami last matched up in 2015, when the then-No. 6 Cardinal claimed a 1-0 victory in overtime.

The Cardinal and the Redhawks will play on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Varsity Field Hockey Turf. The victor will advance to the semifinals and play No. 2 Duke on Saturday in Durham.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Field hockey claims America East championship https://stanforddaily.com/2017/11/06/field-hockey-claims-america-east-championship/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/11/06/field-hockey-claims-america-east-championship/#respond Tue, 07 Nov 2017 00:46:38 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1132553 “We’re kind of bubbling on the surface and we’re ready now...there’s no other journey this team could have gone on,” said Stanford field hockey head coach Tara Danielson after the final match of the regular season.

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“We’re kind of bubbling on the surface and we’re ready now… There’s no other journey this team could have gone on,” said Stanford field hockey head coach Tara Danielson after the final match of the regular season.

On Sunday afternoon, the No. 18 Cardinal (13-7, 4-2 America East) finished their America East Conference journey by defending their championship title, downing New Hampshire (10-11, 4-4) 4-1 in Lowell, Massachusetts. Four different Cardinal players scored in a dominant first half, which included two goals in the opening 10 minutes.

Freshman attacker Corinne Zanolli started the barrage early, earning her team-leading 15th goal of the year off a penalty corner pass from freshman midfielder Frances Carstens. Less than five minutes later, senior attacker Marissa Cicione put in a diving reverse shot on a breakaway to bring the score to 2-0. Cicione, who broke out offensively in her senior season, scored a goal in all three matches of the America East tournament.

Carstens continued the strong half in the 19th minute when she collected a pass from tournament MVP Sarah Helgeson for a goal. Sophomore attacker Jessica Welch added her first goal of the season off a pass from Cicione in the 30th minute to send Stanford into halftime with a 4-0 lead.

The Wildcats came out with intensity in the second, pouring on 18 shots to Stanford’s three. Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Bing showed her consistency in the cage, turning away the New Hampshire offense and preserving the Cardinal lead. UNH broke through as time expired, with senior Ashley Mendonca putting a penalty corner shot past senior goalkeeper Maddy Belin.

With the championship win, the Cardinal completed a tournament journey that required a dramatic comeback against No. 24 Pacific (10-9, 4-2) on Saturday.

An overtime goal by Cicione capped the come-from-behind victory on Saturday afternoon, as Stanford and Pacific delivered yet another one-goal thriller. The two teams were evenly matched in the first half, with the Tigers claiming a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute off a rebound goal from junior Kriekie van Wyk. In the second half, Pacific added to its lead with a goal from senior Alicia Muiños.

I think in the second half we came together as a team,” said Danielson. “We said at the half that we were going to need three goals to win this game, and the team delivered under pressure.”

One minute after the Muiños strike, freshman defender Sarah Johnson found senior attacker Kristina Bassi for a one-timer. The Cardinal then tied the game up with a penalty corner goal by Carstens.

With the championship at stake, Cicione ensured that Stanford’s journey was not over, taking a pass from Zanolli to put in the game-winning strike.

The conference win also secured a NCAA Tournament berth for the team’s fourth consecutive year. Stanford will continue its journey in the postseason after the Sunday night selection show.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Field hockey rolls over UMass Lowell in first round of playoffs https://stanforddaily.com/2017/11/03/field-hockey-rolls-over-umass-lowell-in-first-round-of-playoffs/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/11/03/field-hockey-rolls-over-umass-lowell-in-first-round-of-playoffs/#respond Fri, 03 Nov 2017 12:51:53 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1132432 Sitting as the number one seed in the Western Division and the defending America East Champions, No. 18 Stanford field hockey (10-7, 5-2 America East) made short work of UMass Lowell (9-11, 3-5) in Thursday’s 5-1 quarterfinal victory in Lowell, Massachusetts.

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Sitting as the No. 1 seed in the Western Division and the defending America East Champions, No. 18 Stanford field hockey (10-7, 5-2 America East) made short work of UMass Lowell (9-11, 3-5) in Thursday’s 5-1 quarterfinal victory in Lowell, Massachusetts.

The Cardinal offense took control early in the match and retained momentum for the majority of the game, piling on 26 shots to the River Hawks’ 13 shots. It was Stanford’s third consecutive win by a four-goal margin, with goals coming from four different Cardinal players.

The team today was dedicated to working for each other, to ensure success for one another – as noticed by our intensity,” said head coach Tara Danielson. “Multiple players contributed to the result of today, showing the team’s effort in working towards a united goal.”

Freshman attacker Corinne Zanolli got the scoring started early with a penalty corner tip-in goal from fellow freshman Sarah Johnson in the eighth minute of play, her 14th goal of the season. Zanolli was recently named America East Rookie of the Year.

“All of the upperclassmen embraced us as a freshman class and have made us feel really welcome and comfortable,” Zanolli said. “Coach [Danielson] places a lot of emphasis on the team playing with each other and for each other, and that has made this season special. It’s great to go out and play with your best friends.”

Stanford proceeded to score three goals in a six-minute span, expanding its lead in a dominant first half. The first of the three came off a corner opportunity, when senior attacker Katie Keyser put in a straight shot from the top of the circle.

Minutes later, sophomore attacker Emma Alderton batted a ball out of the air and into the back of the net for her first goal of the season. Sophomore midfielder Phoebe Crosthwaite followed up with her first of the year on a reverse shot from the middle of the circle that extended the lead to 4-0 headed into halftime.

Stanford’s defense, along with goalkeepers sophomore Kelsey Bing and senior Maddy Belin, held off the River Hawks in an early second half surge, where UMass Lowell put up five shots in six minutes. Bing has played excellently the entire season, and recently received the America East Goalkeeper of the Year award for her efforts.

The River Hawks broke through in the 53rd minute, when attacker Anouk Lalande, the team’s leading goal scorer, capitalized on a breakaway change in front of the net. The Cardinal followed up with an insurance goal from Zanolli with just over eight minutes left in the match, her second of the night, bringing the final score to 5-1.

“We keep saying that this is the time to do,” mentioned Zanolli. “Right now it’s win or go home. We have to play every single second and every single ball like it’s the last chance we have.”

Saturday’s semifinal matchup will start at 11:30 a.m. Stanford will play the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal between No. 24 Pacific and No. 25 Maine.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Field Hockey clinches West division on senior night https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/31/field-hockey-clinches-west-division-on-senior-night/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/31/field-hockey-clinches-west-division-on-senior-night/#respond Tue, 31 Oct 2017 08:22:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1132142 Needing a win to clinch the number one seed in the West Division of the America East Conference, No. 18 Stanford field hockey (10-7, 4-2) produced a dominant performance against UC Davis (1-16, 0-6) on Saturday’s senior night. In their final regular season home game, senior attackers Marissa Cicione and Kristina Bassi led the Cardinal offense to a 6-2 victory, the most goals Stanford has scored in a single game this season.

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Needing a win to clinch the number-one seed in the West Division of the America East Conference, No. 18 Stanford women’s field hockey (10-7, 4-2 America East) produced a dominant performance against UC Davis (1-16, 0-6) on Saturday’s senior night. In their final regular season home game, senior attackers Marissa Cicione and Kristina Bassi led the Cardinal offense to a 6-2 victory, the most goals Stanford has scored in a single game this season.

“It was a senior game, but it was also the last game to clinch the number-one spot for the conference,” head coach Tara Danielson said. “I think the team was really intentional about why we’re here and what we’re doing and how we need to go about it.”

The Cardinal came out with a strong attack, outshooting the Aggies 13-2 in the first half while keeping possession for most of the period. Before the match was two minutes old, Bassi delivered a cross to Cicione, who one-touched the ball to the left corner. The duo connected again just 25 seconds later when Cicione led the attack to send a pass to Bassi for a tip-in goal.

“Coming out hard puts the opponent’s’ confidence down right at the beginning of the game,” Cicione said. “Immediately, we have so much momentum and generate a lot of attack.”

On its first drive of the game, UC Davis tipped the ball into the circle, which was collected for a goal by Aggie midfielder Emily Chen on senior goalkeeper Maddy Belin. Belin started her first career game on her senior night, eventually earning the complete-game win.  

In the 22nd minute, Cicione fought the ball off a defender and sent in a cross to Bassi for the goal to bring the lead to 3-1. On the strong start from the Cardinal upperclassmen, Cicione spoke to the significance of senior night. “I think all of the seniors wanted to go out with a bang, and I think we all left it all on the field,” she said.

Soon after, freshman attacker Corinne Zanolli struck on a penalty stroke to score her team-leading 12th goal of the season. The opportunity was Stanford’s first penalty stroke of the season. Cicione kept piling on a minute later, earning her second goal of the night off a left side cross from Bassi.   

Despite a comfortable 5-1 lead, Stanford came out just as aggressively on offense in the second half. In the 40th minute, freshman defender Sarah Johnson took a pass from Zanolli on a penalty corner to put in her fourth goal of the season. The Cardinal let another goal from Chen slip through with less than one minute left in the match, but the dominant offensive performance ensured the victory and the number-one seed.

“I think the team has been slowly putting pieces together with combination play over the season, and now they’re starting to put a full game together,” Danielson said. “We’re kind of bubbling on the surface, and we’re ready now. I think we’re right at the right place.”     

Boasting the number-one seed in the America East Conference tournament, Stanford looks to defend its 2016 conference title in Lowell, Massachusetts next week. The Cardinal will take on UMass Lowell on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

 

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Field hockey splits weekend matches in tough divisional race https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/24/field-hockey-splits-weekend-matches-in-tough-divisional-race/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/24/field-hockey-splits-weekend-matches-in-tough-divisional-race/#respond Tue, 24 Oct 2017 07:00:07 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1131654 Playing against two conference opponents, No. 17 Stanford field hockey (9-7, 3-2 America East) dropped an away match against Pacific (8-7, 4-2) before coming home to defeat rival Cal (9-7, 4-2) on Sunday.

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Playing against two conference opponents, No. 17 Stanford field hockey (9-7, 3-2 America East) dropped an away match against Pacific (8-7, 4-2) on Friday, before coming home to defeat rival Cal (9-7, 4-2) on Sunday.

Pacific claimed an early lead which it never relinquished. Just 28 seconds into the match, Pacific’s Alicia Muinos scored off a screen in the first drive of the game. The Tigers added another in the 34th minute, heading into halftime leading by two.

Stanford entered the second half with a marked change in intensity, firing eight shots to Pacific’s three in the frame while pressuring the Tigers in the offensive zone. Pacific was able to hold off the attack until the final corner opportunity of the game. As time expired, freshman attacker Corinne Zanolli put in her team-leading 10th goal of the season.

While the late goal did not change the game’s result, head coach Tara Danielson was impressed by the team’s play in the second, “I’ll take our second half effort any day,” she said. “The way the strikers played in the second half influenced the backfield to play with confidence and aggression.”

Facing Cal on Sunday, Danielson and the Cardinal had one goal: “This Stanford team needs to be persistent and tenacious…we need to burn with purpose and play for the team.”

Stanford displayed persistence in the first half against the Golden Bears. The Cardinal were on attack for nearly the entire frame, outshooting Cal 10-2. In the 19th minute, fifth-year senior attacker Kristina Bassi gave Stanford an early lead off a cross from sophomore midfielder Phoebe Crosthwaite.

Major props to [Crosthwaite] who set me up,” Bassi said. “She’s so fast that she just beat the defender with speed. I just popped in front of my defender and laid my stick on the ground. She put it right on my stick.”

Riding the momentum, Zanolli carried the ball into the circle soon after and delivered a strong shot to make the lead 2-0. Another goal by Bassi assisted from freshman midfielder Frances Carstens just before halftime gave Stanford a three-goal lead heading into the break.

Stanford played shutdown defense in the second half, with sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Bing, who claimed her 10th career shutout, remaining consistent as Cal poured on six shots. To seal the match, Bassi scored again in the 53rd minute, the first hat trick of her career. Bassi, who has typically been more of a transition player, currently sits second in team goals with eight on the season.

“[Kristina Bassi] came out with great leadership,” Danielson said. “Not only did she get three goals but she played purposefully. It’s ironic that she scored a hat trick because it was how she defended that really was the difference maker to the team. We kid with her all the time that she’s part-player and part-coach because she comes out with a sense of understanding and maturity. The team responded with a lot of energy.”

Team energy was key to the match, as the Cardinal performed much better than they did in last week’s 4-2 away loss against this same Cal team.

“We had to come out with more energy, more will and more tenacity than the other team,” Bassi said. “We had something to prove from last week and we have something to prove going into playoffs. We want to have that energy and build on this weekend from here on out.”

The seeding for the America East Conference tournament will be tight, as Stanford, Cal and Pacific have all split season series. The Cardinal will play their final regular season match against conference opponent UC Davis next Saturday.

“I think the season for us has been a journey,” Danielson commented. “I tell the team all the time, it’s not about winning or losing, it’s about winning or learning. We’re at the point where we’ve had enough learning that we can start using those learning experiences to our benefit. It takes us in a very experienced, motivated position into the tournament.”

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Rivalry Battle for a top Divisional Spot https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/20/rivalry-battle-for-a-top-divisional-spot/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/20/rivalry-battle-for-a-top-divisional-spot/#respond Fri, 20 Oct 2017 21:16:10 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1131416 Coming off a split last weekend, No. 17 Stanford field hockey (8-6, 2-1 America East) will travel to take on No. 23 Pacific (6-7, 2-2) before returning to the Farm after nine straight road matches to play No. 36 Cal Berkeley (8-6, 3-1).

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Coming off a split last weekend, No. 17 Stanford field hockey (8-6, 2-1 America East) will travel to take on No. 23 Pacific (6-7, 2-2) before returning to the Farm after nine straight road matches to play No. 36 Cal Berkeley (8-6, 3-1).

The Cardinal won seven consecutive games before going 1-4 in their last five, including two tough losses in overtime at No. 24 Ohio State and No. 21 Rutgers. But with three conferences matches left in the regular season, Stanford has a chance to take over the top spot in the America East Conference West Division heading into postseason play. The Cardinal currently sit at second in the division behind the Golden Bears.

Stanford has won its past two matches against Pacific. Earlier this season, the teams met for a rematch of the America East Championship game and the Cardinal squeaked out a 1-0 victory, the same margin by which they claimed the conference title. With similar playing styles and tight defense, Stanford will need top goal-scorer freshman attacker Corinne Zanolli and the offense to make the difference in the game.

Stanford and Cal are tied 53-53-5 all-time in their rivalry games, with the Golden Bears picking up the most recent win last weekend on their home turf. Cal scored twice in the first half of that matchup and won by a final score of 4-2. The four goals were the most Stanford has given up in a game this season. Cal will be a tough test, and the Cardinal will rely on sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Bing to step up against the Bears offense. With a win against Cal the Cardinal can reclaim the top spot in the conference.

Friday’s match against Pacific will begin at 3 p.m. Stanford will return home against Cal on Sunday also at 3 p.m., with the match being streamed live on Pac-12 Networks.      

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Field Hockey returns from competitive road trip with mixed results https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/16/field-hockey-returns-from-competitive-road-trip-with-mixed-results/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/16/field-hockey-returns-from-competitive-road-trip-with-mixed-results/#respond Mon, 16 Oct 2017 07:02:27 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1131089 A weekend road trip for No. 14 Stanford field hockey (8-6, 2-1 America East) came with mixed results, as the Cardinal went 1-1 against conference opponents UC Davis (1-12, 0-2) and No. 35 ranked Cal (8-6, 3-1). The Cardinal cruised to a 5-0 shutout at Davis on Friday afternoon before falling 4-2 to the rival Golden Bears on Sunday.

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A weekend road trip for No. 14 Stanford field hockey (8-6, 2-1 America East) came with mixed results, as the Cardinal went 1-1 against conference opponents UC Davis (1-12, 0-2) and No. 35 ranked Cal (8-6, 3-1). The Cardinal cruised to a 5-0 shutout at Davis on Friday afternoon before falling 4-2 to the rival Golden Bears on Sunday.

The Cardinal offense was clicking against an Aggie defense that has struggled throughout this season. Stanford put three goals on the board before the end of the first half, with senior attacker Katie Keyser starting the barrage in the tenth minute as she put in her first goal of the year off a pass from freshman attacker Corinne Zanolli. Ten minutes later, fifth-year senior attacker Kristina Bassi delivered on her fifth goal of the season, receiving a cross pass from senior attacker Marissa Cicione before putting the ball into the left side. Freshman midfielder Frances Carstens chimed in with less than five minutes to go in the frame when she one-timed a corner pass for her first collegiate goal.

Holding a comfortable lead going into the second half, the Cardinal continued putting pressure on UC Davis, outshooting the Aggies 6-1 in the second period. The consistent pressure paid off for Stanford when, only two minutes into the half, freshman defender Sarah Johnson finished on one of Stanford’s 11 offensive corners to bring the lead to 4-0.

In the 55th minute, Cicione deflected a bouncing pass from Johnson for her fourth goal of the season. Cicione was the fifth different Cardinal player to score in the match, as Stanford displayed the depth of its offensive talent against the struggling Aggies.

Stanford’s much anticipated matchup with Cal Berkeley did not produce the same offensive results, as the Cardinal fell to the Golden Bears for the first time since 2015. Stanford remains in second place behind Cal in the America East Conference West Division with just under two weeks of regular season play remaining.

The Golden Bears claimed the first advantage of the day in the tenth minute, with attacker Melina Moore collecting a long pass up the field and sending a strong backhand shot from the left side past sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Bing. Cal continued to apply offensive pressure as the half progressed, and the Cardinal offense was stymied on two through balls of their own. After holding off two Stanford corner opportunities in quick succession, Cal came down the field to score once again as attacker Megan Rodgers put in an unassisted goal for her fifteenth of the season.

Stanford fought back in the second half, controlling the ball for most of the first fifteen minutes. In the 42nd minute,  Zanolli delivered a diving shot to the top shelf off a cross into the circle to break the shutout. The Cardinal had opportunities soon after to tie the game up on consecutive corners, but the Golden Bears defense turned away both tries.

After giving up 12 penalty corners to Michigan last weekend, the Cardinal played much cleaner defense in their defensive circle, only surrendering five total corners in the two games, but Cal’s first and only opportunity proved costly. On the first major Cal offensive rush of the half, the Golden Bears capitalized on a deflection off the corner to bring the game to 3-1. With a two-goal lead, Cal held on to its momentum to control the pace of the game and move the ball around the field.

Off a Cardinal timeout, head coach Tara Danielson subbed out Bing for an extra field player, as sophomore defender Nina Randolph came on for the final seven minutes of play. The field player advantage was short lived, as Rodgers finished on an offensive rush to score the empty net goal, her second of the day.

Stanford continued to work offensively to the end of the match, as it collected on its seventh offensive corner of the afternoon with just over three minutes left to play. Carstens took the insert from Johnson and rocketed a shot to the top corner to record her second goal in two matches and cut the lead to 4-2. The advantage proved insurmountable however, as Cal retained possession for the final minutes of the game to seal the victory and remain in first place in the division.

The Cardinal have three more regular season matches remaining before the America East Championships. Stanford will play its final road game at Pacific next Friday at 3 p.m. before getting the opportunity for a rematch against Cal on Sunday at the Farm. The game will also begin at 3 p.m. and will be streamed live on Pac-12 Networks.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Field hockey hits the road to face off against UC Davis, Cal https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/12/field-hockey-hits-the-road-to-face-off-against-uc-davis-cal/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/12/field-hockey-hits-the-road-to-face-off-against-uc-davis-cal/#respond Thu, 12 Oct 2017 07:21:34 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1130952 No. 13 Stanford field hockey (7-5, 4-0 America East) currently sits second behind No. 35 Cal Berkeley (7-5, 2-0) in the America East Conference West Division with five conference matchups left in the season. Currently on a three-loss skid, the Cardinal have an opportunity this weekend to get back in the win column and claim the top spot in their division ahead of postseason play. Stanford will hit the road on Friday to take on the UC Davis Aggies (1-11, 0-1) before facing rival Cal on Sunday.

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No. 14 Stanford field hockey (7-5, 4-0 America East) currently sits second behind Cal Berkeley (7-5, 2-0) in the America East Conference West Division with five conference matchups left in the season. Currently on a three-loss skid, the Cardinal have an opportunity this weekend to get back in the win column and claim the top spot in their division ahead of postseason play. Stanford will hit the road on Friday to take on the UC Davis Aggies (1-11, 0-1) before facing rival Cal on Sunday.

After boasting a seven-game win streak, the Cardinal have had a rough start to October, falling in three consecutive matches against No. 25 Ohio State, No. 18 Rutgers and No. 3 Michigan. The first two losses were in extra time, as both the Buckeyes and Scarlet Knights came back from early deficits to tie the game before taking the victory. Against the Wolverines, Stanford’s defense held tough but suffered some costly penalty corners and the offense was stifled by a Michigan team that holds the nation’s highest save percentage.

The Cardinal will need to put the past two weeks behind them as they focus on America East Conference opponents UC Davis and Cal. The Aggies have struggled this season, with their only win coming Sept. 15 against Bryant University. UC Davis is averaging just one goal per game on the year, so Stanford will rely on dominant sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Bing to deliver another strong performance in order to seal the match.

Sunday’s matchup with Cal should prove to be an exciting one. The Golden Bears have also been struggling as of late, with back-to-back road losses against No. 6 Penn State and Ohio State. Stanford and Cal will play twice in as many weeks, with the Cardinal set to host the Golden Bears on Oct 22. Both matches will be crucial as Stanford fights for conference position heading into postseason play.

Friday’s match will begin at 4 p.m. The Stanford vs. Cal game on Sunday will start at 1 p.m. and will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.  

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Field hockey falls to Big-10 teams on the road https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/09/field-hockey-falls-to-big-10-teams-on-the-road/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/09/field-hockey-falls-to-big-10-teams-on-the-road/#respond Mon, 09 Oct 2017 07:25:02 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1130769 In a tough road weekend against two ranked opponents, No. 12 Stanford field hockey (7-5, 4-0 America East) fell in an overtime heartbreaker to No. 20 Rutgers (8-5, 2-2 Big Ten) before seeing its offense dry up against No. 4 Michigan (11-2, 5-0 Big Ten).

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In a tough road weekend against two ranked opponents, No. 12 Stanford field hockey (7-5, 4-0 America East) fell in an overtime heartbreaker to No. 20 Rutgers (8-5, 2-2 Big Ten) before seeing its offense dry up against No. 4 Michigan (11-2, 5-0 Big Ten).

The Cardinal took an early lead in their Saturday match against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. When the game was just four minutes old, Stanford scored on its first shot of the afternoon off a penalty corner. Freshman defender Sarah Johnson started the corner play, which fellow first-year attacker Corinne Zanolli deflected to senior attacker Marissa Cicione for the tip-in goal, her sixth goal of the season. Rutgers was able to come back to tie on a corner opportunity of its own before the half was over, with midfielder Linde van Schaik putting in a shot off the left post.

In the second half, the Cardinal relied heavily on the play of goalkeeper Kelsey Bing, who delivered another strong performance between the pipes with five saves. Neither team was able to break through in the period and the match went into overtime tied up at one.

The Scarlet Knights outshot Stanford 16-12 in the game, with three shots on goal coming during extra time. With the pressure on, the Cardinal surrendered another penalty corner, which proved costly. In the 82nd minute, Rutgers midfielder Daphne Groothuis collected a rebound off a corner shot and fired into the back of the cage to claim the victory by a score of 2-1.

Penalty corners have been the Cardinal’s achilles heel this season — Stanford has given up 90 corners while only being awarded 48. Against Michigan on Sunday, penalty corner opportunities spoiled gritty defense as Stanford was overpowered by the Wolverine offense.

Michigan piled on 14 shots in both the first and second half of the early-afternoon matchup. Bing and the Cardinal defense held off the barrage for 19 minutes before a chip shot rebound by forward Meg Dowthwaite went in for her 15th goal of the season. Although the Cardinal did not record a shot until the final ten minutes of the match, the team defense continued to fight against the Wolverines. However, Michigan was able to convert on a penalty corner deflection before the end of the first half, bringing the score to 2-0.

The second half was much the same, and Michigan took advantage of another corner opportunity — one of 12 on the day — to secure a tip-in insurance goal in the 48th minute. The fourth-ranked Wolverines claimed their eighth straight win with the 3-0 victory.

With five matches against America East Conference opponents left in the season, the Cardinal will need to focus on cutting down penalty corner chances in order to make a run for their second-straight conference title. Still ranked nationally, Stanford has the talent on both sides of the ball to take on top opponents as long as it reduces the free opportunities.

The Cardinal will continue on the road next week as they take on UC Davis on Friday at 4 p.m. and Cal on Sunday at 1 p.m. Sunday’s matchup with the Golden Bears will be streamed live on Pac-12 Networks.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

 

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Field hockey heads into weekend road trip against ranked opponents https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/05/field-hockey-heads-into-weekend-road-trip-against-ranked-opponents/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/05/field-hockey-heads-into-weekend-road-trip-against-ranked-opponents/#respond Thu, 05 Oct 2017 08:42:33 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1130624 No. 8 Stanford field hockey (7-3, 4-0 America East) won seven games in a row before last week's 2-3 overtime loss to Ohio State. Over their seven-game winning streak, the Cardinal outscored their opponents 20-10 and claimed two overtime victories. Now, Stanford looks to rebound and start a new win streak as it travels to Ann Arbor, Michigan to take on No. 23 Rutgers (7-4, 2-1 Big Ten) and No. 4 Michigan (9-2, 4-0 Big Ten).

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No. 8 Stanford field hockey (7-3, 4-0 America East) won seven games in a row before last week’s 2-3 overtime loss to Ohio State. Over their seven-game winning streak, the Cardinal outscored their opponents 20-10 and claimed two overtime victories. Now, Stanford looks to rebound and start a new win streak as it travels to Ann Arbor, Michigan to take on No. 23 Rutgers (7-4, 2-1 Big Ten) and No. 4 Michigan (9-2, 4-0 Big Ten).

Rutgers is coming off a 3-2 loss to No. 10 Northwestern and will play Michigan on Friday before its matchup against the Cardinal. Michigan, on the other hand, has won six games in a row, five of which have been shutouts. Stanford will need to bring top offense against the Wolverines. Freshman attacker Corinne Zanolli leads the Cardinal with her eight goals on the year. Zanolli has been on fire lately, scoring five goals in her last three games.

On defense, Stanford continues to rely on dominant goalkeeping from sophomore Kelsey Bing, who ranks third in the nation with a 0.813 save percentage. Bing has been a constant for the Cardinal this season, starting in all 10 games so far, racking up 65 saves.

Stanford’s will play Rutgers on Saturday at 1 p.m. before a Sunday match against Michigan at 11 a.m.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Women’s volleyball heads to Oregon for two-game road trip https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/05/womens-volleyball-heads-to-oregon-for-two-game-road-trip/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/05/womens-volleyball-heads-to-oregon-for-two-game-road-trip/#respond Thu, 05 Oct 2017 08:28:38 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1130593 Going for its seventh straight win, No. 2 Stanford women's volleyball (11-2, 4-0 Pac-12) will travel to Oregon to take on Pac-12 opponents No. 16 Oregon (9-3, 2-2) and Oregon State (10-6, 0-4).

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Going for its seventh straight win, No. 2 Stanford women’s volleyball (11-2, 4-0 Pac-12) will travel to Oregon to take on Pac-12 opponents No. 16 Oregon (9-3, 2-2) and Oregon State (10-6, 0-4).

On Friday, the Cardinal beat the Arizona Wildcats (7-6, 1-3) at home in straight sets. Sophomore setter Jenna Gray, who leads the Pac-12 Conference in assists per set, dominated throughout the match, racking up 35 helpers while delivering a career-best eight blocks. Gray is one of a number of talented sophomores on the team. Sophomores outside hitter Kathryn Plummer and middle blocker Audriana Fitzmorris paced the Cardinal offense with 12 and nine kills, respectively. Fitzmorris was also part of a strong duo with fellow middle blocker, junior Tami Alade. The two combined for 12 of Stanford’s 14 blocks in the match. The Wildcats would manage only one block in the game.

Holding a 17-7 lead in the third set, Stanford closed out the match with a powerful eight straight points behind serving by freshman defensive specialist Kate Formico. The seven points were the lowest set total by any Cardinal opponent this season. Of Stanford’s 11 victories this year, 10 have been in straight sets. Only No. 3 Penn State and No. 25 Colorado have won sets against the Cardinal.

With both the offense and defense clicking, Stanford begins October play with a ton of Pac-12 Conference competition ahead. All remaining regular season matches – 16 in total – will be against conference opponents. The Cardinal currently sit in first place in the Pac-12 with an undefeated conference record.

Friday’s match against Oregon will begin at 8 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPNU. Stanford will play Oregon State on Sunday at 1 p.m., with live streaming on Pac-12 Networks.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Field hockey streak snapped against Ohio State https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/01/field-hockey-streak-snapped-against-ohio-state/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/10/01/field-hockey-streak-snapped-against-ohio-state/#respond Mon, 02 Oct 2017 05:59:28 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1130481 Playing for its eighth win in a row on Saturday afternoon, No. 11 Stanford field hockey (7-3, 4-0 America East) couldn't hold onto a second-half lead, falling in overtime by a score of 3-2 to Ohio State (5-5, 0-3 Big Ten) in Davis, California. The match marked the seventh one-goal decision of the season for the Cardinal and was the team's first loss since an Aug. 26 game against then-No. 14 Northwestern

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Playing for its eighth win in a row on Saturday afternoon, No. 11 Stanford field hockey (7-3, 4-0 America East) couldn’t hold onto a second-half lead, falling in overtime by a score of 3-2 to Ohio State (5-5, 0-3 Big Ten) in Davis, California. The match marked the seventh one-goal decision of the season for the Cardinal and was the team’s first loss since an Aug. 26 game against then-No. 14 Northwestern.

The teams traded goals throughout the game, with Stanford taking the first lead. In the 14th minute, freshman defender Sarah Johnson capitalized on a penalty corner rebound to claim her second goal of the year. Soon after, the Buckeyes came back on a corner of their own, one-timing a shot past sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Bing.

Ohio State pressured Bing and the Cardinal defense in the second half, taking 10 shots on goal. The Buckeyes would outshoot Stanford 16-7 over the course of the game. Still, backed by strong goaltending, the Cardinal took a one-goal lead once again in the 55th minute. A cross from the left side by fifth-year senior attacker Kristina Bassi found freshman attacker Corinne Zanolli, who put in a diving shot for her team-leading eighth goal of the season.

Stanford managed to hold the lead for five minutes before the constant pressure from the Buckeye offense broke through. On one of the Buckeyes’ 10 penalty corners of the game, Ohio State’s Lauren Carroll collected a rebound and put in the equalizer to send the game to overtime.

Fewer than two minutes into overtime, a shot from the right side from Ohio State midfielder Casey Cole bounced over Bing to give the Buckeyes their first lead of the night and the victory. Stanford is now 2-1 in overtime matches.

After going 7-1 in September, the Cardinal will have a week of practice before traveling to Ann Arbor, Michigan to take on Rutgers and Michigan on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Saturday’s match will begin at 1 p.m., and Sunday’s game will start at 11 a.m.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Women’s volleyball hits five straight with Sun Devil sweep https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/30/womens-volleyball-hits-five-straight-with-sun-devil-sweep/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/30/womens-volleyball-hits-five-straight-with-sun-devil-sweep/#respond Sat, 30 Sep 2017 12:22:44 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1130420 In the second set of second-ranked Stanford's (10-2, 3-0 Pac-12) 25-12, 25-18, 26-24 home sweep of Arizona State (10-5, 0-3), Lutz claimed her 1,000 career kill, becoming just the 18th Stanford player since 1986 to reach that mark.

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Women's volleyball hits five straight with Sun Devil sweep
Fifth-year senior opposite Merete Lutz (right) had her 1,000 career kill and moved into Stanford’s all-time top-ten for blocks in a career.(SYLER PERALTA-RAMOS/The Stanford Daily)

It was a career night on Wednesday for fifth-year senior opposite Merete Lutz. Lutz, the only senior on a team filled with young talent, is known for being a consistent performer, earning All-Pac-12 Conference honors in each of her previous seasons. In her fourth and final year as a Cardinal, Lutz has begun to carve her place in Stanford women’s volleyball history. In the second set of second-ranked Stanford’s (10-2, 3-0 Pac-12) 25-12, 25-18, 26-24 home sweep of Arizona State (10-5, 0-3), Lutz claimed her 1,000 career kill, becoming just the 18th Stanford player since 1986 to reach that mark.

Ever the focused competitor, Lutz seemed unaware at first of her milestone kill, rotating off the court to speak with head coach Kevin Hambly before briefly cheering with her teammates. The fifth-year senior’s record-breaking night was not over, however, as she also reached Stanford’s all-time top ten with her 425th career block.

After a closely contested five-set victory against Colorado last Sunday, the Cardinal came out of the gate strong against the Sun Devils. Hitting .432 to Arizona State’s .227 on the night, Stanford claimed an easy first and second set. Behind sophomore outside hitter Kathryn Plummer’s 13 kills, the Cardinal out-powered the Sun Devils for much of the night. Arizona State put more pressure on the Stanford defense in the third set, tying the frame 24-24 and threatening to extend the match, but junior middle blocker Tami Alade’s six blocks and freshman outside hitter Meghan McClure’s five digs kept the Sun Devils at bay. Back-to-back kills McClure and Plummer sealed the victory, Stanford’s fifth straight and seventh straight at home.

The Cardinal will play at home once more this week before an extended streak of road matches. On Friday, Stanford looks to continue its win streak against Pac-12 Conference opponent Arizona. The game will begin at 7 p.m.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Women’s volleyball claims 5-set comeback against Colorado https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/26/womens-volleyball-claims-5-set-comeback-against-colorado/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/26/womens-volleyball-claims-5-set-comeback-against-colorado/#respond Tue, 26 Sep 2017 16:13:57 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1130214 Sitting fourth in the nation, Stanford women's volleyball (9-2, 2-0 Pac-12) came into its match against No. 25 Colorado (10-3, 0-2) having only lost sets against Penn State, otherwise dominating opponents with a combination of stellar team defense and powerful outside hitters. On Sunday, however, the Cardinal had to recover from an injury to star sophomore middle blocker Audriana Fitzmorris and battle back to win a close five-set decision 20-25, 25-13, 27-29, 29-27, 15-12.

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Sitting fourth in the nation, Stanford women’s volleyball (9-2, 2-0 Pac-12) came into its match against No. 25 Colorado (10-3, 0-2) having only lost sets against Penn State, otherwise dominating opponents with a combination of stellar team defense and powerful outside hitters. On Sunday, however, the Cardinal had to recover from an injury to star sophomore middle blocker Audriana Fitzmorris and battle back to win a close five-set decision 20-25, 25-13, 27-29, 29-27, 15-12.

Stanford struggled in the first set as players filled in for the loss of Fitzmorris, who missed a game for the first time in her career. Fifth-year senior opposite Merete Lutz transitioned to play middle blocker, where she played during her first two seasons as a Cardinal. Lutz stepped up in a big way as the game progressed, notching season-highs with 17 kills and five blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Kathryn Plummer also switched her position, taking over the right side and delivering 18 kills and a career-high 19 digs.

Over the long match, Stanford hit .282 to Colorado’s .181, relying on the team’s offensive depth. Sophomore setter Jenna Gray led the Cardinal throughout the match with her career-high 64 assists, controlling the offense, which saw four Cardinal players finishing with double-digit kills. Four players also recorded double-digit digs. Junior middle blocker Tami Alade had perhaps the best match of her career, topping her previous career-best seven kills with her 17 kills on the day. The junior also finished with nine of Stanford’s 15 blocks. Freshman outside hitter Meghan McClure earned her first career double-double against the Buffaloes, notching 10 kills and 14 digs.

In the must-win fourth and fifth sets, Cardinal defense had to come up big to hold off Colorado, especially junior outside hitter Alexa Smith, who finished with a match-high 25 kills. Sophomore libero Morgan Hentz helped Stanford stay in the match, contributing 18 digs while also scoring her first kill of the season.

After recording sweeps for all previous wins, the Cardinal showed their tremendous depth against Colorado. With a consistent offensive performer in Audriana Fitzmorris out, the team rallied behind season-best performances by Lutz, Plummer, Alade, Gray and McClure to take the hard-fought match. While not the dominant performance of previous victories, Stanford displayed resiliency in one of its hardest matches of the year so far, coming out ahead after a full team effort.

The Cardinal will return home to take on two more Pac-12 Conference opponents this Wednesday against Arizona State and Friday against Arizona. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Field hockey extends win streak to seven after weekend road trip https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/24/field-hockey-extends-win-streak-to-seven-after-weekend-road-trip/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/24/field-hockey-extends-win-streak-to-seven-after-weekend-road-trip/#respond Mon, 25 Sep 2017 01:33:36 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1130158 Boasting a winning record and a four-game win streak heading into its weekend three-spot against conference foes, No. 12 Stanford field hockey (7-2, 4-0 America East) displayed a depth of talent to take all three victories and remain undefeated in the America East Conference. While the Cardinal had scored nine goals in six games to […]

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Boasting a winning record and a four-game win streak heading into its weekend three-spot against conference foes, No. 12 Stanford field hockey (7-2, 4-0 America East) displayed a depth of talent to take all three victories and remain undefeated in the America East Conference. While the Cardinal had scored nine goals in six games to start the season, Stanford offense exploded against UMass Lowell (5-5, 0-1), New Hampshire (3-5, 0-1) and Maine (6-3, 0-1), putting up 11 goals over the three games.

The action began on Thursday against Massachusetts-Lowell as senior attacker Marissa Cicione delivered the first hat trick of her career to lead the Cardinal to a 4-3 victory. Stanford’s four goals came off of 34 shots in the game, the team’s highest total since 2015.

Before the game was ten minutes old, Cicione finished on a pass from junior midfielder Kennedy Schumacher to give the Cardinal an early lead. The Riverhawks answered the goal with two in quick succession, scoring on two of their four shots in the half. Sophomore star Anouk Lalande struck first, taking advantage of a breakaway opportunity to claim her eighth goal of the young season. Three minutes later, freshman Sophie Gehrels put in a rebound for her first career goal.

Stanford was not done, however. In the 30th minute, a penalty corner set up fifth-year senior attacker Kristina Bassi for a tip-in to tie the match at 2-2 into the half.

In the second half, Cicione started the scoring early once again as she delivered on another tip-in goal from a penalty corner. After the Riverhawks tied the game 3-3 off a Stanford defensive breakdown, the Cardinal needed one more goal from Cicione to take the victory. The senior collected a cross from Bassi with less than two minutes remaining to put the game-winning goal in the back of the net.

On Friday, sophomore midfielder Phoebe Crosthwaite made a strong return after a pre-season arm injury and freshman attacker Corinne Zanolli scored twice to help the Cardinal claim a 3-2 double overtime win against New Hampshire.

The Cardinal and the Wildcats traded corners early in the game, with Stanford striking first as freshman defender Sarah Johnson and senior attacker Katie Keyser set up Zanolli for a goal. Although the team out shot UNH 9-2 in the half, the Wildcats kept the game close with a penalty corner goal and stellar goaltending from junior Kelsey Rudert. Stanford was able to claim a one-goal lead heading into halftime, as Bassi finished top shelf off a pass from freshman defender Kaylie Mings in the 30th minute.

New Hampshire took advantage of another penalty corner in the second half, tying the match at two-all in the 44th minute to send the contest into extra time. After a scoreless first overtime period, Crosthwaite and Zanolli connected two minutes into double overtime, with a Crosthwaite cross setting up Zanolli for the clincher, her fifth goal of the season.

After two close matches early in the road trip, the Cardinal wasted no time in a 4-1 victory over Maine on Sunday. Zanolli shined once again, racking up two goals and an assist while senior midfielder Millie Stefanowicz dished out two assists in a dominant performance. Stanford struck twice in the first half, as Bassi redirected a Zanolli pass in the second minute to take the early lead before Zanolli claimed a goal of her own in the 14th minute. The Black Bears would score their only goal of the day as the Cardinal once again had trouble with penalty corner defense in the 15th minute. Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Bing made sure that the score would be Stanford’s only break, shutting down the Black Bears in the second half.

The Cardinal doubled their total in the second, with Stefanowicz and Zanolli connecting in the 53rd minute before Johnson put in a penalty corner goal late in the match for her first career goal.

Stanford will hold on to its seven-game win streak for a week, as it will travel to take on Ohio State on Saturday at 12 p.m.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Field hockey edges out rival Pacific https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/19/field-hockey-edges-out-rival-pacific/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/19/field-hockey-edges-out-rival-pacific/#respond Tue, 19 Sep 2017 23:41:59 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1130083 Tensions were running high on Thursday as No. 12 Stanford (4-2, 1-0 America East) took on No. 24 Pacific (3-5, 0-2) at home in a rematch of last year’s America East Field Hockey Championship. In that November matchup, the Cardinal scored in the 16th minute and held on to win 1-0 for their first conference title […]

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Tensions were running high on Thursday as No. 12 Stanford (4-2, 1-0 America East) took on No. 24 Pacific (3-5, 0-2) at home in a rematch of last year’s America East Field Hockey Championship. In that November matchup, the Cardinal scored in the 16th minute and held on to win 1-0 for their first conference title in program history. Thursday’s game also only needed one goal. Behind a second-half strike from fifth-year senior attacker Kristina Bassi and shutdown goalkeeping by sophomore Kelsey Bing, Stanford withstood early pressure from the Tigers to take a close 1-0 victory.

The Cardinal defense was tested in the first half with six quality shots from Pacific. While Bing continued to show her dominance, Stanford showed a complete team effort throughout the half. The Tigers had one of their best chances of the night on a 16th-minute penalty corner opportunity, but senior midfielder Millie Stefanowicz made a clutch stop near the goal-line to keep the score knotted at zero. Later in the night, sophomore defender Nina Randolph came through with another defensive save, making her contribution to the Cardinal’s first shutout of the season.

Stanford’s golden opportunity came in the second half. The team pressured Pacific with eight shots, twice as many as in the first half. In the 58th minute, the team finally broke through. Freshman attacker Corinne Zanolli used a creative move through the legs of a Pacific defender to send a cross pass to Bassi. Bassi finished confidently, banking the ball into the middle of the goal for the eventual game-winner.

Riding a four-game win streak, Stanford will travel over the weekend to take on three conference opponents. The Cardinal will fly to Massachusetts to play Massachusetts-Lowell on Thursday at noon before heading to Durham, N.H. for matches against New Hampshire and Maine on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Field hockey takes three straight in opening home weekend https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/06/field-hockey-takes-three-straight-in-opening-home-weekend/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/06/field-hockey-takes-three-straight-in-opening-home-weekend/#respond Thu, 07 Sep 2017 03:20:47 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1129997 Coming off back-to-back losses to start the season, No. 13 Stanford field hockey (3-2) returned to the Farm with a point to prove, searching for its first win of the year. The team stepped up to that task in a huge way, taking down three ranked opponents in No. 17 Iowa (2-3), No. 22 Massachusetts […]

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Coming off back-to-back losses to start the season, No. 13 Stanford field hockey (3-2) returned to the Farm with a point to prove, searching for its first win of the year. The team stepped up to that task in a huge way, taking down three ranked opponents in No. 17 Iowa (2-3), No. 22 Massachusetts (2-2) and No. 20 Harvard (2-1) in thrilling fashion. Led by stellar goaltending from sophomore Kelsey Bing, the Cardinal played strong defensively while finally breaking out on offense — putting up eight goals over the three matches after being held scoreless in their first two games of the season.

Friday’s match against Iowa was highlighted by impressive home debuts from several freshmen. Attacker Corinne Zanolli put two on the board, including the game-winning goal, and defender Kaylie Mings tallied early in the second half in a well-rounded 3-2 win over the Hawkeyes.

The Cardinal fell behind early in the first half as Iowa scored in the fourth minute off a low strike by senior Mallory Lefkowitz. Stanford would not allow the Hawkeyes to take the lead into halftime, however, as Zanolli converted on a penalty corner as time expired with assists from freshman defender Sarah Johnson and senior attacker Katie Keyser.

Although Stanford came out of halftime with a 39th-minute goal from Mings, Iowa soon answered as Lefkowitz tipped in a penalty corner rebound to earn her second goal of the night and knot the score at 2-2. The Cardinal were not to be outdone. In the 62nd minute, senior attacker Marissa Cicione fought for a steal and sent a pass through the middle of the circle to Zanolli, who one-touched the ball into the back of the net for the game-winning goal.

Cicione stayed hot in Sunday’s game against UMass, posting a career-high two goals in the game to lead Stanford to a 3-1 win over the Minutewomen.

In the game’s second minute, Cicione one-touched a shot to the back left corner off a cross from junior defender Emma Christus to take the early lead. The Cardinal would double their lead in the 10th minute. Although Massachusetts finished the match with 11 penalty corners to Stanford’s one, the Cardinal made their lone opportunity count as Johnson and Keyser set up Zanolli for a rocket to the top shelf.

The offense clicked again in the 51st minute, as Cicione put in a rebound to make the game 3-0. The goal gave Stanford some insurance, as UMass converted on a one-touch shot against senior goalkeeper Maddy Belin in the 64th minute, its lone goal of the game.

Stanford carried confidence into Monday’s match against Harvard, which turned into a 2-1 shootout thriller. Both teams brought their best defense to the field, shutting down opportunities throughout the first half and remaining strong in the second and extra time. The Cardinal allowed only three shots in the first as the period ended in a scoreless tie.

The first strike came in the 46th minute, as senior midfielder Sarah Helgeson crashed the net to finish off a shot to the top corner. With Stanford defense playing securely, the game seemed over before a last-second corner by the Crimson. Senior Hannah Wellington delivered the tip-in to tie the score at one and send the match into overtime.

Harvard rode its momentum into the first overtime period, putting up five shots while Stanford managed just one in return. Bing held strong and made three huge saves to send the game into double overtime. Both teams fell short offensively in the second, and a game that featured strong goaltending throughout would fittingly be decided in a shootout.

Kelsey Bing did not disappoint.

The sophomore stopped the first Harvard attacker before senior midfielder Millie Stefanowicz converted to give Stanford a 1-0 advantage. Bing again turned away a shot and Zanolli succeeded to make it 2-0. A penalty on Bing and subsequent stroke cut the Cardinal advantage in half and Harvard kept the match going with another tally to tie the shootout 2-2.

Bing held off two quality shots from freshman Hannah Pearce to set up a game-clinching goal from Keyser.

Stanford will get a well-deserved long break before taking on America East rival Pacific at home on Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Women’s volleyball splits Texas A&M Tournament https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/04/womens-volleyball-splits-texas-am-tournament/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/09/04/womens-volleyball-splits-texas-am-tournament/#respond Tue, 05 Sep 2017 02:20:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1129983 On the road at the Texas A&M Tournament in College Station, Texas, No. 4 Stanford women’s volleyball (4-1) dropped its first match against No. 3 Penn State (5-0) — the team’s first loss since Nov. 12, 2016 — but rebounded with a win against Texas A&M (2-2). The Cardinal kept Friday’s match close against their […]

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On the road at the Texas A&M Tournament in College Station, Texas, No. 4 Stanford women’s volleyball (4-1) dropped its first match against No. 3 Penn State (5-0) — the team’s first loss since Nov. 12, 2016 — but rebounded with a win against Texas A&M (2-2).

The Cardinal kept Friday’s match close against their rival Penn State, but the Nittany Lions played a cleaner game, outhitting Stanford .257 to .214 on the night to take the 26-24, 25-17, 18-25, 25-19 four-set win. Penn State also committed fewer errors in over the match, combining for 16 to the Cardinal’s 26.

Despite the result, Stanford showed strong play throughout, a promising sign for the season to come. Sophomore outside hitter Kathryn Plummer delivered a career-high 27 kills with 11 digs. Fellow sophomore Michaela Keefe also tallied a career-high with 15 kills in the match. Guiding the offense, sophomore setter Jenna Gray was outstanding, finishing with 54 assists to go along with four kills, six digs and two blocks.

Defensively, sophomore libero Morgan Hentz and freshman defensive specialist Kate Formico packed a one-two punch in the back row. Hentz collected a match-high 21 digs and Formico finished with 16 for a career high. Junior middle blocker Tami Alade also had a strong night, finishing with six of the team’s seven blocks.

Looking to rebound against host Texas A&M on Sunday, the Cardinal delivered a 25-17, 25-20, 25-17 sweep, buoyed by Plummer’s 22 kills and a dominant team defensive performance. Stanford held the Aggies to a .089 attack percentage, and the team combined for 11.0 blocks in the match.

Alade and sophomore middle blocker Audriana Fitzmorris led the way with their blocks, posting six and five, respectively. Freshman outside hitter Meghan McClure added three blocks and a career-best 10 digs to her five kills in the match — the freshman has played in every set of the young season. Hentz was consistent once again in her role as libero, tallying 12 digs and a career-high seven assists, earning her the tournament’s ‘Best Libero’ accolade. Two Cardinal were recognized at the end of the tournament, with Plummer receiving the ‘Best Attacker’ award.

The Cardinal will travel again next weekend to compete in the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge. Stanford will take on host Illinois on Friday at 5 p.m. before getting a rematch against Penn State on Saturday at 3 p.m.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

 

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Women’s volleyball goes 3-0 to start season at LBSU Invitational https://stanforddaily.com/2017/08/28/womens-volleyball-goes-3-0-to-start-season-at-lbsu-invitational/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/08/28/womens-volleyball-goes-3-0-to-start-season-at-lbsu-invitational/#respond Mon, 28 Aug 2017 21:29:13 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1129958 Defending national champion Stanford women’s volleyball (3-0) cruised in its opening weekend at the Long Beach State University Invitational, sweeping Long Beach State (1-2) on Friday before delivering Saturday doubleheader sweeps of Iowa (2-1) and Wright State (0-3). Despite playing without fifth-year senior opposite Merete Lutz due to injury, the Cardinal rolled past Long Beach […]

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Defending national champion Stanford women’s volleyball (3-0) cruised in its opening weekend at the Long Beach State University Invitational, sweeping Long Beach State (1-2) on Friday before delivering Saturday doubleheader sweeps of Iowa (2-1) and Wright State (0-3).

Despite playing without fifth-year senior opposite Merete Lutz due to injury, the Cardinal rolled past Long Beach State 25-19, 25-21, 25-13 in their season opener. Sophomore outside hitter Kathryn Plummer proved why she was named AVCA Freshman of the Year last season, dominating the 49ers with a match-high 12 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore setter Jenna Gray guided Stanford to .229 hitting with her 30 assists. Gray also delivered the final kill to win the match.

On defense, sophomore libero Morgan Hentz earned a match-best 18 digs while sophomore middle blocker Audriana Fitzmorris collected seven blocks, including four solo. Freshman defensive specialist Kate Formico put in a solid effort in her first collegiate match, finishing with eight digs and two assists. Stanford defense held LBSU to a -.010 hitting percentage and forced 26 errors, staying consistent throughout the match, including holding the 49ers to just 13 points in the decisive third set.

A Saturday doubleheader yielded similar results. Although Iowa brought the score to a tie five times in the first set, Stanford never relinquished the lead in game one, downing the Hawkeyes 25-23, 25-16, 25-10. The Cardinal hit .333 to Iowa’s .111, led by Plummer’s 16 kills and Gray’s 33 assists. Freshman outside hitter Meghan McClure was impressive once again, recording eight kills in the first two sets. Sophomore outside hitter Michaela Keefe came in to deliver seven kills of her own, helping the Cardinal offense in the second and third sets.

Up two sets to none, Stanford did not take its foot off the gas, using a 14-3 run to put the match away in the third set. Fitzmorris recorded four of her five blocks in the final frame. The sophomore also contributed seven kills in the match.

In game two, Stanford produced an all-around team effort, rolling past Wright State 25-19, 25-11, 25-21. Plummer, McClure and Michaela Keefe shared much of the offensive responsibility throughout the match. Plummer and McClure both racked up nine kills while Keefe finished with eight. The Cardinal remained crisp during the game, hitting .349 while holding the Raiders to a .087 hitting percentage. Stanford committed just seven errors to Wright State’s 25, and the Cardinal out-blocked the Raiders 12-4.

With three wins in the books, Stanford looks ahead to another road weekend in College Station, Texas at the Texas A&M Tournament. The No. 2 Cardinal will play No. 6 Penn State on Friday at 4:30 p.m. and Texas A&M on Sunday at 9:00 a.m.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

 

 

 

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Yim returns to Stanford as women’s gymnastics head coach https://stanforddaily.com/2017/08/26/yim-returns-to-stanford-as-womens-gymnastics-head-coach/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/08/26/yim-returns-to-stanford-as-womens-gymnastics-head-coach/#respond Sat, 26 Aug 2017 20:30:47 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1129922 On Wednesday, former Stanford gymnast and assistant coach Tabitha Yim ’08 was named head coach of the women’s gymnastics team, where she hopes to continue her success in the sport after a two-year head coaching stint at Arizona. As an assistant coach at Stanford, Yim coached all four events while leading team recruiting efforts. Relying […]

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On Wednesday, former Stanford gymnast and assistant coach Tabitha Yim ’08 was named head coach of the women’s gymnastics team, where she hopes to continue her success in the sport after a two-year head coaching stint at Arizona.

As an assistant coach at Stanford, Yim coached all four events while leading team recruiting efforts. Relying on previous competition experience as an athlete, Yim specialized in choreographing beam and floor routines for Cardinal gymnasts. During her time on the coaching staff, Stanford earned its two highest team scores at an NCAA championship competition in team history at the 2012 and 2015 Super Six competition.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Tabitha back to The Farm,” said Director of Athletics Bernard Muir. “Her credentials as a gymnast and a coach speak for themselves, and I know she’s ready to help our student-athletes reach their full potential in the gym, in the classroom, and in their lives beyond campus.”

Along with previous coaching experience, Yim brings a wealth of competing experience. After helping the U.S. National Team win a team bronze medal at the 2001 World Championships, Yim dominated the collegiate gymnastics field, earning 14 All-America honors, the most in school history. An all-around performer, she placed in the top 10 in the NCAA all-around competition all four years and received Pac-10 and Regional Gymnast of the Year honors during her senior season.

“I want to thank Bernard Muir and the staff at Stanford for this opportunity,” said Yim. “I am thrilled to be returning home to The Farm and am passionate about carrying on the amazing legacy of this program and university.”

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

 

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Women’s volleyball set to start season at LBSU Invitational https://stanforddaily.com/2017/08/23/womens-volleyball-set-to-start-season-at-lbsu-invitational/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/08/23/womens-volleyball-set-to-start-season-at-lbsu-invitational/#respond Wed, 23 Aug 2017 19:11:18 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1129851 Stanford women’s volleyball reached a pinnacle last season, capturing the NCAA championship against Texas in December, its first national title since 2004 and seventh in program history. A talented group of returning starters and a new coaching staff will begin the quest for another championship this weekend at the LBSU Invitational, where the Cardinal will […]

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Stanford women’s volleyball reached a pinnacle last season, capturing the NCAA championship against Texas in December, its first national title since 2004 and seventh in program history. A talented group of returning starters and a new coaching staff will begin the quest for another championship this weekend at the LBSU Invitational, where the Cardinal will play Long Beach State, Iowa and Wright State.

Picked to finish second in the Pac-12 in a vote among conference coaches (just behind Washington), Stanford will surely rely heavily on returners like fifth-year senior opposite Merete Lutz and reigning National Freshman of the Year Kathryn Plummer for leadership and continuity. With sophomores Audriana Fitzmorris, Jenna Gray and Morgan Hentz also coming back from the strong 2016 squad, one might expect a similar team dynamic and playing style, but with a new head coach and four incoming freshmen, the Cardinal are looking to start the season with a clean slate.

“When you win one championship, and the next year there’s lots of talk about repeating, obviously lots of people get stuck in the pattern of wanting to do the same thing,” Lutz told NCAA.com. “But what’s unique about our team is so much has changed, and so many people have been switched out. We lost three girls who played this past year. So I don’t think it’s the same team, and I don’t think we’ll fall into the trap of wanting to do the exact same thing because so much is different.”

One major change is head coach Kevin Hambly, who joins the program after spending eight seasons as the head coach at Illinois. Hambly was named Volleyball Magazine’s National Coach of the Year in 2011 after guiding Illinois to the NCAA title match for the first time in program history.

“Win or lose, you have to reinvent your team every year,” Hambly said. “It’s a different team. I think if I’d been here, I’d have the same approach, looking at it like a unique season with its unique problems and its unique dynamics. But the expectations don’t change.”

New to the team are four freshman players — defensive specialist Kate Formico and outside hitters Meghan McClure, Blake Sharp and Sidney Wilson. Hambly spoke confidently about the newcomers, who will join a talented roster in the team’s first match on Friday:

“We are excited to have this group join our program,” said Hambly. “They will add depth to our roster and bring an energy to practice each and every day. The thing that impresses me the most about the group is their serve receive and ability to play defense at a high level. I am looking forward to getting them in the mix with the returning players.”

Stanford’s first action will be Friday at noon against Long Beach State. The Cardinal will play a doubleheader on Saturday with matches against Iowa and Wright State at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

 

 

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Baseball roundtable: Season wrap-up https://stanforddaily.com/2017/06/07/baseball-roundtable-season-wrap-up/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/06/07/baseball-roundtable-season-wrap-up/#respond Wed, 07 Jun 2017 07:42:53 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1128984 With the season complete after Saturday night's regional elimination against Cal State Fullerton, No. 8 Stanford baseball will bid farewell to legendary head coach Mark Marquess, who served at the helm for 41 seasons. The offseason search begins for his replacement, a coach who will have big shoes to fill in the upcoming years. Writer Jose Saldaña and editor Laura Anderson reflect on the Cardinal season and discuss future of Stanford baseball.

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With the season complete after Saturday night’s regional elimination against Cal State Fullerton, No. 8 Stanford baseball will bid farewell to legendary head coach Mark Marquess, who served at the helm for 41 seasons. The offseason search begins for his replacement, a coach who will have big shoes to fill in the upcoming years. Writer Jose Saldaña and editor Laura Anderson reflect on the Cardinal season and discuss future of Stanford baseball.

The team finished with an overall record of 42-16, finishing ranked eighth in the nation. The numbers are impressive on their own — Stanford won 21 of its final 23 games heading into the postseason — but what impressed you the most about the Cardinal this season? Did anything, in particular, stand out?

Laura Anderson (LA): I think what impressed me the most about this Cardinal team — and what made them so dangerous — was their depth on offense. It seemed like every win had a different hero. Injuries happen over the course of the season, but Stanford continued to plug in players who got the job done. Take junior Jesse Kuet, for example, who only got one start in the first two months of the season and then became a staple of the lineup in the back half, hitting .333 for the season and winning Pac-12 Player of the Week. Stanford took advantage of its high-caliber bench throughout the season, which kept the offensive output varied.

Jose Saldaña (JS): The offense dominated all season, but some of the performances from Stanford’s rotation of southpaws were downright jaw-dropping. Junior Andrew Summerville set the tone of great pitching with a six-inning shutout gem in his first start. His pitching earned him Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week and he combined for the fifth one-hitter in the program’s history. Then, in a late April matchup against the Pac-12’s best offense, Arizona, Stanford ace senior Chris Castellanos had some of his filthiest pitches going as he blanked the vaunted Wildcats offense through eight innings. He ended the game with a career-high 12 strikeouts and only gave up three hits. Sophomore Kris Bubic opened the NCAA Stanford Regionals with a gem against Sacramento State. His performance helped give Stanford the win and a chance to move on in the regionals. Also, don’t forget junior closer Colton Hock who led the nation with a school record 16 saves on the season and was named to the All-Pac 12 team. These performances were memorable in a season of indelible moments.

Stanford baseball without Coach Marquess will be a different Stanford baseball. How can the team build on its triumphs this season to continue producing victories without Nine in the dugout? 

LA: Whether Stanford promotes a current assistant coach for the head coach position or brings in a completely new face, the new head coach should not make it a goal to fill the shoes of Coach Marquess. Instead, they should use the system of dedicated teamwork and responsibility already set in place from the Marquess era to create continuity next season. Current assistant coaches and players will need to step up to continue this culture on the team.

JS: Laura hit the nail on the head – no one person can replace Coach Marquess. It will take the next head coach, the assistant coaches and current players to help continue the culture of excellence set by Marquess for 41 years. Ideally, Stanford’s deep and persistent offense should continue with many starters returning – every member of the All-Pac 12 team on offense should return. The offense made Stanford hard to beat this past season and if the coaches can promote growth and consistency even with Marquess gone, then Stanford baseball will be all right next season.

Which returning Cardinal players are you most excited to watch next season? Is there any player that could break out as a team leader in 2017-2018?

LA: The returning core of Nico Hoerner, Duke Kinamon, Matt Winaker and Quinn Brodey will be looked on to produce offensively and guide the team as upperclassmen. I’m excited to see what current freshman Daniel Bakst does in his sophomore season, because he definitely broke out in the latter half of this season and has the talent to keep that up next year. Current sophomore Kris Bubic should step into the number-one role on the mound with the graduation of senior Chris Castellanos. Much of the team is staying on, so the coaching will be the larger hole to fill for next season.

JS: Infielder/DH Daniel Bakst will hopefully be better next year, which would be tough because he was brilliant as a freshman this past season. He batted .311 and totaled 38 RBI. He was a consistent offensive catalyst coming out of the cleanup spot in the lineup. Sophomore pitcher Kris Bubic will also be incredibly exciting to watch. He ended his year with a 2.75 ERA and a couple of gems against Washington State and Sacramento State. Bubic was the Cardinal’s best pitcher at times last season, and next season he can become a full-fledged ace and leader of a fun pitching staff.

Contact Jose Saldana at jsaldana ‘at’ stanford.edu and Laura Anderson at lauraanderson ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Coach Marquess, by the numbers https://stanforddaily.com/2017/06/04/coach-marquess-by-the-numbers/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/06/04/coach-marquess-by-the-numbers/#respond Sun, 04 Jun 2017 22:28:00 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1128952 Stanford's NCAA regional elimination loss on Saturday marked the end of an era. Head coach Mark Marquess, who announced his retirement at the beginning of the season, has guided the team for decades, becoming a fixture of Cardinal baseball.

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Stanford’s NCAA regional elimination loss on Saturday marked the end of an era. Head coach Mark Marquess, who announced his retirement at the beginning of the season, has guided the team for decades, becoming a fixture of Cardinal baseball. The following is a breakdown of Marquess’ key accomplishments over his long career at the helm.

1,627: Total wins

Marquess is one of just four Division I coaches to reach the 1,600-win milestone, and one of three to do it at one school. He also holds the honor of having the most wins in Pac-12 history. Over Marquess’ career, the Cardinal have gone 1,627-878-7.

41: Number of seasons as head coach

Stanford has flourished during Marquess’ four decades as skipper. The team finished .500 or better in 39 of those 41 seasons, putting together six years with 50 wins, 21 40-win campaigns, 37 30-win seasons. The Cardinal finished this year with 42 wins, their most since the 2004 season.

Coach Marquess, by the numbers
Photo of the National Championship winning Cardinal taken in 1988. (Courtesy of Stanford Athletics)

2: NCAA team championships

The Cardinal won back-to-back team titles in 1987 and 1988 after 53- and 46-win seasons, respectively. The 1987 win came after surviving LSU with a 1oth-inning walk-off grand slam by then-freshman Paul Carey in an elimination game. “Winning the national championship was an experience no one on our team will ever forget,” said Marquess in 1987. “To realize the dream of being champions is a very special feeling. It’s something that stays with you forever.”

3: NCAA Coach of the Year awards

Marquess was named National Coach of the Year in 1985, 1987 and 1988. He was also awarded Conference Coach of the Year a fitting nine times, most recently in 2003.

1: Olympic gold medal

Serving as the head coach, Marquess lead the United States to victory in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, culminating in a 5-3 win against reigning champion Japan. As baseball was considered a demonstration sport in the 1988 Games, medals were awarded, but did not count in the respective national medal totals. The U.S. National Team placed first one other time — in the 2000 Sydney Games.

60: Major Leaguers who played under Marquess

Along with 1987 hero Paul Carey, Marquess guided a host of future MLB players. Ed Sprague, who was part of the NCAA Championship teams, would go on to win two World Series titles with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993. Most recently, pitcher Jeremy Guthrie was part of Kansas City’s pennant runs in 2014 and 2015, earning a World Series ring in 2015 for his contributions.

9: A historic jersey number

Known colloquially by his jersey number, “Nine” will surely go down as one of the most successful head coaches in Stanford history. Part of the program for well over the majority of its 58 years, Marquess left his mark on Cardinal baseball with his leadership ability, developing players with an attention to teamwork and responsibility. Marquess’s jersey number was retired following his final regular season home game on May 21, the first retired number in program history.

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Baseball roundtable: Can the Cardinal continue to roll through the NCAA regionals? https://stanforddaily.com/2017/05/30/baseball-roundtable-can-the-cardinal-continue-to-roll-through-the-ncaa-regionals/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/05/30/baseball-roundtable-can-the-cardinal-continue-to-roll-through-the-ncaa-regionals/#respond Wed, 31 May 2017 06:41:34 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1128681 Senior staff writer Olivia Hummer, contributing writer Ariana Rollins and editors Lorenzo Rosas and Laura Anderson discuss Stanford’s postseason hopes.

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Ranked as a national seed for the first time since 2004, No. 8 Stanford baseball (40-14, 21-9 Pac-12) will serve as a regional host for the NCAA championships from June 1-5. Coming off of an impressive 40-win season with wins in 21 of their last 23 games, the Cardinal are hoping to make a statement against Sacramento State (32-27, 12-12 WAC), their first round matchup. Senior staff writer Olivia Hummer, contributing writer Ariana Rollins and editors Lorenzo Rosas and Laura Anderson discuss Stanford’s postseason hopes.

Both Stanford and Sacramento State are coming into the regional matchup on hot streaks. The Cardinal most recently swept Washington State in dominant fashion, and the Hornets are coming off an underdog Western Athletic Conference championship win over the weekend. What does Stanford need to focus on in regional play to be successful against a team that it has not seen since 2009?

Olivia Hummer (OH): Above all, Stanford will need to rely on what got it to this point: exceptional pitching and a never-say-die attitude. One mark of a good team is the ability of any player to provide a late-game spark, and the Cardinal have that in spades. If the rotation remains as locked-in as it has looked in the last few starts, I can’t see Stanford dropping this one. The bats are hot, and with strong play on the mound, the Cardinal should be more than able to provide run support.

Ariana Rollins (AR): The thing that really stands out to me for the Hornets in the Western Athletic Conference Championship is that they held their opponents to eight runs over four games while Sacramento State themselves scored 36. This speaks to a team with great work in the outfield, something Stanford has sometimes struggled against this season. The Cardinal need to focus on their offense – in particular on trying to get some hits in early – in order to be successful against a team coming off of such a strong streak.

Lorenzo Rosas (LR): Ultimately, as Ariana mentioned, Sacramento State finished the season on fire while marching to the WAC championship largely due to exceptional pitching from the Hornet pitching staff, highlighted by tournament MVP senior Justin Dillon. Dillon returned to the mound in the tournament final on short rest and continued to flaunt his abilities, delivering a one-hit, five-inning outing that effectively shut out the opposing offense for the entirety of the match.

Therefore, the Cardinal’s prolific top four batters in the lineup – junior Matt Winaker, sophomore Nico Hoerner, senior Quinn Brodey and freshman Daniel Bakst – are absolutely critical for Stanford’s success, and they will need to prevent the high-flying, streaking Hornet pitchers from attaining rhythm on the mound. All four are currently batting over .300 for the season and hold the majority of Cardinal runs and RBIs, and as playoff season begins, each batter will need to continue to produce as both the each at bat holds significantly more importance and opposing teams stop making regular season mistakes.

Laura Anderson (LA): I think what has made the Cardinal so successful this year has been their ability to deliver long rallies, with a variety of players chipping in. Creating four- or five-run innings really puts a damper on an opponent’s offense and gives the pitchers some room to breathe. If Stanford can continue to put up those long innings and score in bunches, it will be a serious contender throughout the postseason, especially against teams like lower-seeded Sacramento State.

 

An impressive aspect of the Cardinal season has been the pitching staff, who have combined for a 3.44 ERA over the course of the season and have racked up a total 390 strikeouts. As strategic planning is crucial in the postseason, who is likely to start on the mound for the Cardinal on Thursday against Sacramento State? What should the rotation look like during Regional play?

OH: Given the double-elimination format of the regional round, there is a bit of a question mark on the mound, but I don’t think it’s worth overthinking. With Andrew Summerville’s status questionable after being preemptively pulled for a blister in his last start, the ball should be placed in the hands of sophomore ace Kris Bubic, unless Marquess is looking to save Bubic for the second game, in which case he could start senior Chris Castellanos. That being said, I’d be surprised to see anyone but Bubic on the mound against Sac State. Nine has a lot of faith in each of his starters, and messing with the rotation seems like a no-go at this point, especially after Castellanos tossed 8.0 innings on Saturday. Stanford should open emphatically to build momentum going forward, and Bubic has earned his place at the top of the rotation.

AR: This is a tricky question, in part because we have so many great pitchers! Kris Bubic has started most of the last series, but would the team want to save him for later and maybe put senior Chris Castellanos up? Junior southpaw Andrew Summerville left early as a precaution due to an injury last week, so he’ll be well-rested, though Marquess could still be cautious about using him too early. My vote is to stick with what works and start with Kris Bubic again, knowing that we have great options for relief pitchers should the team want to allow him to rest.

LR: Similar to the reasons mentioned above and below, I strongly believe that Marquess will hand the ball to the team’s strikeout leader sophomore Kris Bubic over the likes of senior Chris Castellanos and junior Andrew Summerville. While Summerville’s injury may have cleared up after the week rest, I can’t imagine a scenario where the Cardinal gain an advantage from taking a chance by starting the junior over strong, healthier starters in Castellanos and Bubic. In addition, Castellanos may own the team lead in wins, but Bubic’s strong season saw the sophomore rank 7th in conference individual ERA, a sincere accomplishment when considering the deeply talented Pac-12. Furthermore, unlike Bubic, Summerville does have experience working in relief, appearing twice this season while also coming off the bench in seasons past.

LA: I could see Bubic getting the start on Thursday. He’s coming off nearly a week of rest after a stellar performance on Friday against Washington State, so he should be gearing to go for the Cardinal. And while Castellanos has more wins (eight on the season), he recently pitched eight innings on Sunday and could be in for a longer period of rest. In a double-elimination regional, Marquess might decide to save his senior star for a potential final game on Saturday/Sunday and give Summerville (if he’s healthy) or freshman Erik Miller the start on Friday.  

 

Contact Olivia Hummer at ohummer ‘at’ stanford.edu, Ariana Rollins at arianar ‘at’ stanford.edu, Lorenzo Rosas at enzor9 ‘at’ stanford.edu and Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Baseball roundtable: Marquess’s final regular season series https://stanforddaily.com/2017/05/24/baseball-roundtable-marquesss-final-regular-season-series/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/05/24/baseball-roundtable-marquesss-final-regular-season-series/#respond Wed, 24 May 2017 07:45:56 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1127940 Riding high after a dominant weekend at home against the Washington Huskies, No. 10 Stanford (37-14, 18-9 Pac-12) will travel to Washington State (24-26, 10-17) for last weekend of regular season play. Senior staff writer Olivia Hummer and editors Lorenzo Rosas and Laura Anderson discuss how the Cardinal can ensure a winning weekend against a […]

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Riding high after a dominant weekend at home against the Washington Huskies, No. 10 Stanford (37-14, 18-9 Pac-12) will travel to Washington State (24-26, 10-17) for last weekend of regular season play. Senior staff writer Olivia Hummer and editors Lorenzo Rosas and Laura Anderson discuss how the Cardinal can ensure a winning weekend against a lesser opponent and the future of the team in years to come.

 

The Cardinal are coming off a three-game sweep of Washington over the weekend and have won 18 of their last 20 games. While the team as a whole has been successful this season, who are the players most likely to provide a spark for Stanford on its final road trip against Washington State and in the NCAA regionals?

Olivia Hummer (OH): One of the biggest assets for this Stanford squad has been its depth. Nearly every member has the ability to step up and make a big contribution in a big spot. That being said, it’s worth keeping an eye on the top of the order where Matt Winaker, Nico Hoerner and Quinn Brodey have been putting up strong showings nearly every game. But, again, you can discount anyone on this team. Junior Jesse Kuet – who stepped up off the bench to fill in for injured third baseman Mikey Diekroeger – went 10-for-18 (.556) this week with six RBI and was named Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week. It’s a strong lineup from top to bottom and anyone on this Cardinal team can start a rally.

Lorenzo Rosas (LR): What has been the most incredible aspect of the Cardinal’s successful season thus far – in which Stanford has guaranteed its best finish since the Pac-12 expansion – is the quality on the mound from Stanford’s pitching staff both from a quartet of left-handed starters and locked-in relievers that effectively close the door on opponents.

Left handed pitchers freshman Erik Miller, sophomore Kris Bubic, junior Andrew Summerville and senior Chris Castellanos comprise four of the five starters for the Cardinal this season as Stanford has started a left-hander in 42 consecutive games and all but two of its 45 games on the season. In relief, Stanford is an undefeated 26-0 when leading after six innings in addition to going 9-2 during one-run games this campaign.

The combination of the two have propelled Stanford to 24th-best in the nation on the mound by Earned Run Average and continue to be a major reason behind the Cardinal’s success thus far. If the pitching staff continues to throw lights out against opponents, I can’t imagine a mediocre Washington State lineup (seventh in the Pac-12 with a .271 team batting average) challenging the high-flying Cardinal.

Laura Anderson (LA): I agree with Olivia that the Cardinal have benefitted throughout the season from their depth on offense. When every part of the order can contribute, Stanford can start long rallies and come back from deficits like on Sunday against Washington. Brandon Wulff and Jesse Kuet are holding career-high hit streaks heading into this weekend, and Daniel Bakst has been really impressive in his freshman season.

Although the offense has impressed, the pitching has perhaps been even more clutch this year. If the team can get a lead early in the game, Colton Hock can shut any opponent down. That the Cardinal closer can be lights out game after game and power through long saves like the eight-out save on Saturday gives the team an edge heading into its final series.

 

This weekend against the Washington State Cougars is the final regular season series for the Stanford seniors and head coach Mark Marquess. Marquess has spent 41 years at the helm, shaping the program for nearly half a century. What will be the key factors for the baseball program to continue building on Marquess’ legacy?

OH: It’s tough to imagine Stanford baseball without Nine at the helm. That being said, he’s set this team up for success in the future. It’s stocked with young talent on both sides of the ball, with sophomore pitching stars Kris Bubic and Tristan Beck (last season’s opening day starter who was sidelined with a back injury this year) and offensive performers like freshman Daniel Bakst and sophomores Hoerner and Wulff, all of whom have already made major marks on the season.

However, if you talk to the senior players, most are quick to highlight Marquess’s impact off the field. For 41 years he’s emphasized academics, and his focus on his players’ character over strictly baseball performance is a quality the next head coach of the Cardinal is likely to seek to replicate.
LR: While replacing a legend and one of only three coaches to ever reach 1,600 wins with a single program in No. 9, Marquess has not only gifted the Cardinal success in his 41 seasons at the Farm but also successfully positioned Stanford for success in the future as Olivia mentioned. A major factor behind Stanford’s victorious campaign thus far has been the ascendance of underclassmen such as Daniel Bakst who owns the longest hitting streak for the Cardinal on the season at 11 games and has recorded a hit in 28 of his 34 games.
That being said, replacing the Pac-12 leader in wins will also entail continuing the legacy of responsibility and accountability within the Cardinal program that the coaching veteran has instilled. Stanford baseball athletes are expected to be responsible both on and off the diamond; student-athletes must account for the upkeep of Sunken Diamond while also must be at least one quarter ahead by their junior year, reflecting the discipline Marquess requests from his team. The biggest challenge for the Stanford moving forward, thus, will be continuing the legacy of accountability in the locker room and the lion’s share of this task will fall on the continuity of players Marquess has taught in the upcoming years.
LA: The team has definitely had a source of inspiration this season as it has honored Nine and that should extend into the final weekend of the regular season. But while the inspiration might be coming from a retiring coach, Marquess has emphasized a strong team dynamic over his time at Stanford that factors into the comeback performances and long rallies. The next head coach of the team will surely emphasize a similar “never give up” mentality. That being said, much of the continuity should come from the players who have played under Marquess. The Cardinal will look to upperclassmen like Matt Winaker and Quinn Brodey next season to step up and continue encouraging the mindset that Marquess developed over the past 41 years.
Contact Olivia Hummer at ohummer ‘at’ stanford.edu, Lorenzo Rosas at enzor9 ‘at’ stanford.edu and Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Women’s lightweight rowing takes victory against Princeton https://stanforddaily.com/2017/05/07/womens-lightweight-rowing-takes-victory-against-princeton/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/05/07/womens-lightweight-rowing-takes-victory-against-princeton/#respond Mon, 08 May 2017 06:15:33 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1127145 In its final regatta of the regular season and a rare dual race against the No. 4 Princeton Tigers, No. 1 Stanford women’s lightweight rowing raced to a win on Saturday in New Jersey, taking the top positions in the varsity eight and varsity four events. With the varsity eight win, the Cardinal claimed the […]

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In its final regatta of the regular season and a rare dual race against the No. 4 Princeton Tigers, No. 1 Stanford women’s lightweight rowing raced to a win on Saturday in New Jersey, taking the top positions in the varsity eight and varsity four events. With the varsity eight win, the Cardinal claimed the Class of 2015 Cup.

Stanford’s varsity eight squad won by open water against the Tigers, clocking in at 6:13.8. Princeton finished in 6:22.6. The team performed well in a final regular season tune-up before the Pacific Coast Rowing Championships next weekend. Stanford also showed its prowess under lightweight rowing head coach Kate Bertko, who rowed as a Princeton Tiger in her collegiate career, winning the varsity eight NCAA Championship in 2006.

The schools also each fielded two varsity four boats in the other race. Stanford once again lead the pack of four boats, placing first and second with times of 7:17.2 and 7:26.4, respectively. Princeton finished third (7:28.1) and fourth (7:41.5).

Stanford will compete again next Saturday at Lake Natoma near Sacramento, California in the Pacific Coast Rowing Championship.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

 

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Brodey resuscitates Cardinal offense against Santa Clara https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/26/brodey-resuscitates-cardinal-offense-against-santa-clara/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/26/brodey-resuscitates-cardinal-offense-against-santa-clara/#respond Wed, 26 Apr 2017 08:01:51 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1126473 Two home runs from junior Quinn Brodey highlighted a late-inning offensive explosion on Tuesday, as Stanford baseball (24-12, 8-7) trounced Santa Clara (8-31, 4-11) by a score of 8-2. The victory brought the Cardinal's win streak to five games and continued Stanford's high scoring week, where it has eight or more runs in three straight games.

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Two home runs from junior Quinn Brodey highlighted a late-inning offensive explosion on Tuesday, as Stanford baseball (24-12, 8-7) trounced Santa Clara (8-31, 4-11) by a score of 8-2. The victory brought the Cardinal’s win streak to five games and continued Stanford’s high-scoring week, where it has eight or more runs in three straight games.

After going down 2-0 by the sixth inning, Brodey flipped the script, blasting a three-run home run over the right field fence to give Stanford the lead, which it held for the remainder of the game. The hit seemed to jolt the Cardinal offense into high gear, as the team put up a total of five runs in the remaining two innings to take the game.

Freshman Erik Miller started the game by retiring the first eight batters, but Santa Clara came back in the third with a solo home run to left field. The Broncos extended their early lead in the fifth inning off a wild pitch. However, those would be the only runs for Santa Clara, as senior Brett Hanewich came on in relief, maintaining the lead while striking out four batters over four innings of work.

Coming off Brodey’s blast in the sixth, the Cardinal offense continued strong, scoring three unearned runs in the seventh off an error, balk and a wild pitch. Junior Matt Winaker was in the middle of all the small ball, hitting a RBI single to center field at the beginning of the frame and showing heads-up baserunning to advance on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Nico Hoerner. Brodey capped off the inning with another home run, this time a solo shot to right field.

Stanford wasn’t done, coming back in the eighth frame with two runs. Sophomore Duke Kinamon singled and stole a base before coming around to score the Cardinal’s seventh run. The team would finish up scoring with a RBI single from freshman Maverick Handley.

With its win streak sitting at five, Stanford will hope to continue its winning ways against Arizona. The Cardinal will play the Wildcats in a three-game home series starting on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

 

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Modi, Neff claim individual titles as men’s gymnastics places fourth at NCAA Finals https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/23/modi-neff-claim-individual-titles-as-mens-gymnastics-places-fourth-at-ncaa-finals/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/23/modi-neff-claim-individual-titles-as-mens-gymnastics-places-fourth-at-ncaa-finals/#respond Mon, 24 Apr 2017 06:04:59 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1126343 Behind individual NCAA titles by senior Akash Modi and junior Robert Neff, No. 2 Stanford men’s gymnastics placed fourth at the NCAA Championships on Saturday for the second time in program history with a team score of 421.500. The Cardinal finished behind No. 1 Oklahoma (431.950), No. 3 Ohio State (423.700) and No. 4 Illinois […]

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Behind individual NCAA titles by senior Akash Modi and junior Robert Neff, No. 2 Stanford men’s gymnastics placed fourth at the NCAA Championships on Saturday for the second time in program history with a team score of 421.500. The Cardinal finished behind No. 1 Oklahoma (431.950), No. 3 Ohio State (423.700) and No. 4 Illinois (422.100). No. 5 Minnesota (414.200) and No. 7 Nebraska (412.900) placed fifth and sixth, respectively.

Modi, Neff claim individual titles as men's gymnastics places fourth at NCAA Finals
Senior Akash Modi made the most of his final meet as a Stanford gymnast, winning the all-around and parallel bars titles at the NCAA Championships. The Cardinal team finished fourth overall. (HECTOR GARCIA-MOLINA/Stanford Athletics)

Modi impressed in the final meet of his collegiate career. After receiving the Nissen-Emery Award — which is given annually to the nation’s most outstanding senior gymnast — on Thursday, Modi continued his hot streak over the weekend, claiming his second national all-around title with a score of 87.900 and his second event title on parallel bars (15.300).

“I do not think there is another student-athlete in this class that has achieved so highly on every front,” said head coach Thom Glielmi about Modi on Thursday. “I think it’s a very special award when it epitomizes the standard of what the NCAA wants to see in student-athletes.”

Neff racked up a 14.850 on high bar to claim his first-career individual NCAA title. A member of the U.S. National Team, Neff was a consistent performer on the high bar all season, and will surely be a crucial part of team leadership next season.

Departing senior Andrew Misiolek made the most of his final meet as a Cardinal, delivering an eighth-place finish on pommel horse with a score of 14.500. The performance earned Misiolek his first All-American honor, a well-deserved finish to a strong Stanford career.

The meet marks the end to an impressive Cardinal season. The team remained ranked No. 2 in the nation every week of the season, earning regular season victories in all but two matchups. Modi put up a record-breaking season of his own, racking up individual titles and awards throughout the season and finishing with a NCAA all-around win. With top talent graduating after this season, the Cardinal gymnasts have big shoes to fill looking towards next year. Neff will play a key leadership role, as will sophomores Josiah Eng and Grant Breckenridge. Eng has consistently been Stanford’s top performer on still rings this season, and Breckenridge was named to the U.S. National Team in February for his performance in the all-around at the U.S. Winter Cup Challenge.

With the NCAA Championships complete, Stanford bids farewell to senior gymnasts Modi, Misiolek, Jordan DeClerk, Taylor Seaton and Drew Willoughby. The talented group helped Stanford finish in the top five as a team in each NCAA Championship of their careers.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

 

 

 

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Men’s gymnastics contends for its sixth national title https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/19/mens-gymnastics-contend-for-its-sixth-national-title/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/19/mens-gymnastics-contend-for-its-sixth-national-title/#respond Thu, 20 Apr 2017 06:09:46 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1126186 Two weeks after placing second at the MPSF Conference Championships, No. 2 Stanford men’s gymnastics (15-3) will travel to West Point, New York this weekend to vie for its sixth national title at the NCAA Championships.

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Two weeks after placing second at the MPSF Championships, No. 2 Stanford men’s gymnastics (15-3) will travel to West Point, New York this weekend to rally for its sixth national title at the NCAA Championships.

Stanford will compete in session one against No. 3 Ohio State, No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Nebraska, No. 10 Air Force and No. 11 Michigan. The top three teams in each of the Friday sessions will advance to Saturday’s finals.

Men's gymnastics contends for its sixth national title
Akash Modi has been Stanford’s top performer with a record-breaking season. He won the conference all-around title and was named MPSF Gymnast of the Year for the fourth consecutive season. (Mike Kheir / The Stanford Daily).

The Cardinal’s major competition will come should they reach Saturday’s finals. No. 1 Oklahoma remains the only collegiate team to have beaten Stanford this season, edging out a victory in a March 4 dual meet and in the recent MPSF Championships. Taking down the nation’s number one team will be a tough task, and Stanford will rely heavily on senior star Akash Modi over the weekend.

Modi is coming off a record-breaking season. The senior took the MPSF all-around title with a score of 88.000 and was later named the MPSF Gymnast of the Year for the fourth consecutive season. Modi became the first gymnast in MPSF history to receive the award all four years of his collegiate career.

Modi is joined by a strong Cardinal team, which has several gymnasts ranked in the top 10 nationally on events. Sophomore Josiah Eng has earned five event titles on still rings this season, placing him second in the country on the apparatus. Junior Robert Neff, a member of the U.S. Senior National Team, has shown consistency as well this season, holding the third ranking on high bar. Stanford will also rely on senior Taylor Seaton, who has dominated this year, currently ranked in the top 25 in four of six events.

With what will be the final competitive weekend for seniors Modi, Seaton, Jordan DeClerk, Andrew Misiolek and Drew Willoughby, Stanford will hope to deliver a top team score in order to have a chance to take down the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

The Cardinal will compete in session one of the NCAA Championships on Friday at 10 a.m.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.   

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After weekend ‘L,’ Cardinal bounce back against Cal https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/19/after-weekend-l-cardinal-bounce-back-against-cal/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/19/after-weekend-l-cardinal-bounce-back-against-cal/#respond Wed, 19 Apr 2017 07:52:59 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1126118 Coming off a disappointing weekend series loss against UCLA, Stanford baseball (20-12) came back in a big way on Tuesday, taking down rivals Cal Golden Bears (16-18) by a final score of 6-4 at the Sunken Diamond. The Cardinal delivered during a big third inning to take a commanding five-run lead that established a Stanford lead […]

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Coming off a disappointing weekend series loss against UCLA, Stanford baseball (20-12) came back in a big way on Tuesday, taking down rivals Cal Golden Bears (16-18) by a final score of 6-4 at the Sunken Diamond.

The Cardinal delivered during a big third inning to take a commanding five-run lead that established a Stanford lead for the remainder of the game. The five runs were enough for the pitching staff, as freshmen Erik Miller and Will Matthiessen combined for four scoreless innings to open the game. Cal showed some life in the seventh and eighth innings, tallying four runs over the two frames, but junior Colton Hock was lights out in the ninth, shutting down any hope of a Golden Bear comeback by striking out all three batters he faced and to earn his 17th career save.

The save moved Hock into second place on Stanford’s all-time career saves list.

Stanford’s bats exploded in the third inning, during which the team recorded five runs on five hits, which included three consecutive singles to start the frame. Junior Quinn Brodey once again got the offense going, notching an RBI to score junior Matt Winaker from second base. After two RBIs from junior Mikey Diekroeger and sophomore Duke Kinamon brought the Cardinal lead to 3-0, senior Jack Klein cemented the advantage with a two-RBI single to end the inning.

With the lead cut to 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh, freshman Daniel Bakst drove a double to right field to bring his hitting streak to six games and get on base. Stanford benefitted by two Cal errors, a wild pitch and another error by the pitcher, which scored Bakst from second.

This win marks the final home game against rival Cal for head coach Mark Marquess. The Cardinal also finished off a weeklong homestand with the matchup, where they went 2-2. Stanford will now travel to Eugene, Oregon to take on the Ducks for a three-game series on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

 

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Impact on the sidelines https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/13/impact-on-the-sidelines/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/13/impact-on-the-sidelines/#respond Fri, 14 Apr 2017 03:41:41 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1125870 It’s a tied match, headed into a decisive fifth set against UC San Diego, and the Stanford bench is going crazy. The yelling and screaming continue as the Cardinal take an early lead, continuing point after point. A kill by senior outside hitter Colin McCall brings Stanford to match point, with the team leading 14-10. […]

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It’s a tied match, headed into a decisive fifth set against UC San Diego, and the Stanford bench is going crazy.

The yelling and screaming continue as the Cardinal take an early lead, continuing point after point. A kill by senior outside hitter Colin McCall brings Stanford to match point, with the team leading 14-10. UCSD fights back with a kill of its own, before finally, a Triton makes a service error and the comeback is complete.

Bedlam.

The bench rushes the court to celebrate clinching a conference playoff spot in the team’s final regular season match at Maples Pavilion. With the win, Stanford had completed a turnaround to stay undefeated in five-set matches, improving to 4-0 for the season.

One of Stanford’s hallmarks this season has been its ability to come back to win close games, fighting and winning five-set matches time and time again. In a sport that requires focus and energy on each point, especially late in matches, Stanford is known for hanging on and delivering in the most crucial moments. If you ask junior setter Kyle Dagostino, this special energy comes from the bench.

Impact on the sidelines“In that three-minute break going into those fifth sets, we come together as a group and really try to rally as much energy as we possibly can, hoping that that feeds into the match the first few points of that fifth set,” said Dagostino. “Our job as the bench is to just keep those guys going and make sure they have enough energy to feed off of for the remainder of that fifth set.”

This season is not an anomaly. The Stanford men’s volleyball bench has developed a life and culture of its own, with its history being passed down from season to season.

“It started with Jake Kneller [‘13] back in the day,” recalls head coach John Kosty. “Jake started this concept of ‘bennergy,’ where the bench can give as much energy to the court as the guys on the court can give to what they’re doing.”

“Bennergy,” or bench energy, is evident to anyone who watches the team play. Cheering is loud, celebrations are exuberant and the enthusiasm is seemingly endless.

The running onto the court often comes much to the chagrin of referees, who work to keep the Cardinal bench in control. Although the bench has received warnings in the past, Kosty seems to find those warnings worthwhile:

“I love it when down-refs warn our bench to stay back, stay off the court, stop running across the court. When we were down at Irvine, we were warned three or four times to stay back and stop running all the way across the back of the court. I love that because it means that our whole team is engaged, and we’re playing as one.”

The history of “bennergy” as it stands for the current Stanford team might have started last year, in an early season matchup against the BYU Cougars. BYU is known for producing competitive teams every season and is also known for a devoted crowd of fans. The two teams have developed somewhat of a rivalry over the past few seasons, playing to packed crowds in each matchup. BYU leads the overall series history 33-21 and has defeated the Cardinal in the last three regular season contests, but Stanford is the last team to win in a postseason matchup.

“The fans are right on your back, and they’re twiddling their fingers right in your face as you’re back to serve and barking down your ear,” said Dagostino. “When we went to BYU that first weekend of MPSF play, we went crazy because we knew that we had to compete with the crowd of four or five thousand BYU fans.”

That match, played on January 15, 2016, was yet another five-set comeback win for the Cardinal. The then-No. 11 team had gone down two-sets-to-one against then-No. 1 BYU before rallying to win the fourth set and fighting again to win the fifth by a score of 15-11. The upset was BYU’s first loss of the 2016 season and set the tone for the Cardinal going forward.

“It sort of became our MO for the season to go out and have these series of celebrations that we were going to do at any given time and organize them in a way that we could excite our team with specific plays,” said Dagostino.

With the energy high, Stanford played to a 19-6 record for the season, tying for second in the MPSF while leading the nation with three AVCA first-team All-Americans.

Having experienced the success of “bennergy” in 2016, the team approached the 2017 season with intentionality, setting the standard for bench participation early on. And yet with a new roster, the bench found itself developing a somewhat different dynamic.

“We’ve moved away from specific cheers and it’s become more about paying attention and being a little more tuned to what our team needs at the time,” noted Dagostino.

What does that look like?

“[Freshman] Eli Wopat does a fantastic job of just getting hyped every play and every big point,” noted Dagostino. “When you go back and watch film, Eli is running around the court in the back lines, he’s flexing his muscles through the net, he’s doing everything he can to have fun and show our team on the court that he’s enjoying himself. Before Colin McCall was put into the starting lineup, we would do this celebration where any time the other team served the ball out or hit the ball out, I would stand in front of him, and he would put his arms underneath my armpits and lift me up, and I would just wave to the crowd and the other team.”

Dagostino serves as an example of a crossover. Although the junior has made an appearance in every match this season, he has only started in six of 25 matches, coming off the bench to provide a strong service game and defensive game. As one of the ringleaders on the bench, he has learned to balance a complex role.

“I’m not quite as celebratory as some of the other guys [on the bench], but I like to feed information,” he said. “If you see me in matches, you’ll often see me turning to the bench and saying ‘Great job, keep this energy going’ or ‘We need more.’ But when you’re on the bench, you have a narrower scope of focus. You’re doing everything with your body and your voice to try to excite those around you.”

Dagostino is one of many players that have found success coming off the bench this season. Injuries have caused players to step into new roles both throughout the year and in long matches. Kosty, known for utilizing his full lineup, will often turn to the bench to provide energy on the court as well, something that he doesn’t hesitate to do with the game on the line.

“They’re in tune and ready and still warm and hyped up,” said Kosty. “Those guys come on and give us either a shot in the arm or that one extra point to put us over the top in those tight matches.”

As the season has progressed, the “bennergy” has only increased. Heading into this weekend’s MPSF quarterfinal matchup against BYU, the team knows that the bench will be a huge factor as Stanford again competes with not only the Cougars, but a large crowd.

“We talk about bennergy a lot, and I think it’s grown and has a life of its own now, especially in playoffs,” Kosty remarked. “To compete against five thousand people at BYU with only about 45 of them cheering for Stanford, you can feel that energy coming from our sideline.”

That Stanford will face BYU this Saturday seems only fitting, as the 2016 comeback in Provo, Utah sparked the “bennergy” legacy of this group of players. The Cardinal hope to replicate that upset again, something that will take a full team effort, including increased energy from the bench.

The full-circle nature of this matchup was not missed on Dagostino: “I’m excited for our team to go back to BYU this weekend because that was sort of the inception of what I came to know as bennergy last season. I’m excited to see how it’s going to be different and how we’re going to match up with the crowd. I know that we won’t disappoint, I know that for a fact.”

No. 9 Stanford will take on No. 3 BYU in the MPSF quarterfinals on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Provo, Utah.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Men’s gymnastics places second in MPSF as Modi earns top honors https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/09/mens-gymnastics-places-second-in-mpsf-as-modi-earns-top-honors/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/09/mens-gymnastics-places-second-in-mpsf-as-modi-earns-top-honors/#respond Mon, 10 Apr 2017 06:24:36 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1125509 Gunning for the team’s fifth conference title and first since 2011, No. 2 Stanford men’s gymnastics (15-3) put up its second-highest score of the year to place second at the MPSF Championships on Saturday at Berkeley.

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Gunning for the team’s fifth conference title and first since 2011, No. 2 Stanford men’s gymnastics (15-3) put up its second highest score of the year to place second at the MPSF Championships on Saturday at Berkeley.

Men's gymnastics places second in MPSF as Modi earns top honors
Senior Akash Modi won the individual all-around title at the MPSF Championships on Saturday. Modi became the only gymnast in MPSF history to receive the Gymnast of the Year award all four years of his career. (MIKE KHEIR/The Stanford Daily)

Stanford’s team score of 426.850 was only behind the nation’s top-ranked Oklahoma, who took the title with a staggering 432.200. No. 11 Cal (410.100) and No. 10 Air Force (402.900) came in third and fourth, respectively.

Senior Akash Modi posted his second highest all-around score of the season with a 88.000 to take the individual all-around title. Modi also received the MPSF Gymnast of the Year award, becoming the only gymnast in MPSF history to earn the award all four years of his career and only the third athlete in conference history to take four titles. The senior also stands as the most-awarded Gymnast of the Week in NCAA history.

Guided by Modi and a second-place individual performance by senior Andrew Misiolek, the Cardinal delivered a 68.750 on their first event, pommel horse. The score was the team’s third highest of the year, giving Stanford an early lead.

Up next, Stanford posted a season-best on still rings with a 72.250, led by sophomore Josiah Eng, whose score of 15.100 earned him a second-place overall finish on the event. Both Modi (14.800) and junior Robert Neff (14.250) delivered their best scores of the season on the apparatus, closing out the rotation in strong fashion.

The Cardinal placed second as a team on both vault and parallel bars. Senior Taylor Seaton notched a fifth-place finish after his powerful vault, recording a 14.650. Modi delivered another season-best on parallel bars, scoring 15.450 to take second place in the event.

Trailing Oklahoma with two rotations to go, Stanford took back-to-back team titles on the high bar and floor exercise. The team’s 71.350 on high bar was headlined by Neff (14.850) and Modi (14.700), who finished second and third, respectively. On floor exercise, four Stanford gymnasts finished in the top five to bring the team score to 71.800 on the event. Seaton led the way with a 14.650 — good enough for second. Modi finished third with his 14.600, with Neff and senior Jordan DeClerk tying for fourth place with matching scores of 14.350.

With the finish, Stanford took second once again to No. 1 Oklahoma, which remains the only NCAA team to have beaten this season’s Cardinal squad. Stanford will head to the NCAA Championships in two weeks, where it will compete for national honors on the campus of the United States Military Academy.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Baseball topples Cal in prolific fourth inning https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/05/baseball-topples-cal-in-prolific-fourth-inning/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/05/baseball-topples-cal-in-prolific-fourth-inning/#respond Wed, 05 Apr 2017 07:19:23 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1125359 After three missed opportunities to deliver a milestone win for head coach Mark Marquess, No. 20 Stanford baseball (15-9, 3-4 Pac-12) exploded on offense in the fourth inning to put away rival Cal (12-14, 4-6) by a score of 8-4 on Tuesday at the Sunken Diamond.

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After three missed opportunities to deliver a milestone win for head coach Mark Marquess, No. 20 Stanford baseball (15-9, 3-4 Pac-12) exploded on offense in the fourth inning to put away rival Cal (12-14, 4-6) by a score of 8-4 on Tuesday at the Sunken Diamond.

With the victory, Marquess earned his 1,600th career win as skipper, the fifth coach in NCAA history to do so, and the third to attain the feat at one school. In this his 41st and final season, Marquess continued to show why he is one of the most decorated coaches in college baseball, developing a consistent and focused Cardinal team.

Down two after the third inning, Stanford came back in a big way in the bottom of the fourth, knocking in all eight of its runs in the frame. The decisive rally saw 13 Cardinal batters come to the plate, batting around the lineup while racking up eight hits. Six of the eight runs were scored with two outs in the inning.

The action started with a double to left field by freshman Daniel Bakst, extending his hit streak to 10 games, the longest of the year for the Cardinal. Back-to-back RBIs by seniors Alex Dunlap and Jack Klein tied the game at 2-2.

With two outs and a tied game, Stanford was just getting started.

The Cardinal hit six straight singles to blow the game open, chasing out Cal starting pitcher Rogelio Reyes and forcing the Golden Bears to rotate through three pitchers in the frame. The final two-RBI single came in Bakst’s second at-bat of the inning, a bloop hit to right field that pushed Stanford’s total to eight.

With a cushion after the dominant fourth, Stanford pitching did not disappoint. Freshman starter Erik Miller held the Golden Bears close in the early innings, giving up two earned runs while striking out one. Cal answered the long rally with two runs in the top of the fifth, but freshman Will Matthiessen closed out the inning by forcing a pop-fly, stranding a Cal runner and keeping Stanford up 8-4.

Senior Tyler Thorne and juniors Keith Weisenberg and Colton Hock each pitched a scoreless inning in relief, shutting down the Bears by giving up no hits.

The resounding team effort to earn his 1,600 win was not missed on Marquess:

“It’s special,” Marquess said. “I’ve been very fortunate to be at one place all this time, which is great. But the coaches don’t play, the players play. I’ve been very fortunate that we’ve had great players come here and I’m very proud of that. It’s really about the players. There are so many that went into those wins, a lot of them sitting in the dugout here. I’m just very blessed, very fortunate.”

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Senior class leads men’s gymnastics in triumph over Cal to end season https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/03/senior-class-leads-mens-gymnastics-in-triumph-over-cal-to-end-season/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/03/senior-class-leads-mens-gymnastics-in-triumph-over-cal-to-end-season/#respond Tue, 04 Apr 2017 06:17:50 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1125238 With postseason competition on the horizon, No. 2 Stanford men’s gymnastics did not let its final regular season matchup go to waste, sweeping No. 11 Cal on all apparatuses, defeating the Bears 422.900-406.000 to claim the team title at home on Saturday.

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With postseason competition on the horizon, No. 2 Stanford men’s gymnastics did not let its final regular season matchup go to waste, sweeping No. 11 Cal on all apparatuses, defeating the Bears 422.900-406.000 to claim the team title at home on Saturday.

Senior standout Akash Modi racked up four individual titles in the meet, earning the top score on floor, pommel horse, parallel bars and the all-around. Modi’s fifth all-around title was won with a combined score of 87.650, his third highest score of the season. Fellow senior Taylor Seaton claimed a pair of titles, taking the vault and high bar events. Sophomore Josiah Eng completed the sweep with an individual victory on the still rings.

Saturday afternoon celebrated the contributions of Stanford’s five graduating seniors — Modi, Seaton, Jordan DeClerk, Andrew Misiolek and Drew Willoughby. The five have been reliable performers throughout the season and have been part of successful Cardinal squads in the past three years, leading Stanford to two second-place finishes and one third-place finish at the national championships.

Stanford started the meet with a season-high team score of 73.600 on the floor exercise, a trouncing that saw the Cardinal take all but one of the top five scores on the event. Modi delivered a season-best 15.250 for a first-place finish.

The Cardinal continued their momentum on pommel horse as Stanford seniors filled the podium. Modi took first with a score of 14.550, followed by Willoughby (14.150) and Misiolek (13.750). The team would add to its lead with stellar performances on still rings, capped by Eng’s 14.200, his fifth event title on the apparatus this season.

Vault proved successful for Stanford as well, with Seaton (14.850), Modi (14.600) and freshman Bailey Perez (14.500) rounding out the top three. Perez’s score was a career best, as the freshman class continues to show that although the Cardinal will surely miss the graduating seniors next year, the team is in good hands in the future.

Up by more than 11 points after four rotations, Stanford did not let up on parallel bars. The team posted a season-high 71.500 on the event, led yet again by Modi (15.400). DeClerk (14.650) and junior Robert Neff (14.250) took second and third place, respectively.

Seaton closed out the meet with his first title-winning high bar performance of the year, earning a score of 14.300. The score put Stanford ahead of Cal by nearly 17 points, a confidence-boosting blowout to end the regular season.

Stanford will begin postseason competition next Saturday at the MPSF Championships. The team will seek its fifth conference title at the meet, which is set to start at 4 p.m. in Berkeley.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Baseball drops three in weekend series against No. 1 Oregon State https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/03/baseball-drops-three-in-weekend-series-against-no-1-oregon-state/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/03/baseball-drops-three-in-weekend-series-against-no-1-oregon-state/#respond Mon, 03 Apr 2017 08:27:54 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1125185 With head coach Mark Marquess just one win away from becoming the fifth coach in NCAA history to reach 1,600 career wins, No. 15 Stanford baseball (14-9, 2-4 Pac-12) missed the opportunity to deliver the victory over the home weekend, dropping three straight against top-ranked Oregon State (24-1, 9-0).

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With head coach Mark Marquess just one win away from becoming the fifth coach in NCAA history to reach 1,600 career wins, No. 15 Stanford baseball (14-9, 2-4 Pac-12) missed the opportunity to deliver the victory over the home weekend, dropping three straight against top-ranked Oregon State (24-1, 9-0).

Despite keeping Friday’s game close, the Cardinal were overpowered by the Beaver offense, allowing a combined 25 runs in three games.

Needing to get a strong start again the top-ranked Beavers, Stanford instead found itself trailing early on Friday, as Oregon State picked up a run just three batters into the game after a leadoff single and RBI double. After the early knocks, sophomore starter Kris Bubic found his rhythm, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the third while striking out six in 5.2 innings.

Oregon State added to its advantage in the fifth, where another RBI double increased its lead to 2-0. Stanford would respond, however, in the bottom of the frame, creating a run with some small ball play. With junior Mikey Diekroeger on base after a walk and single from sophomore Brandon Wulff, the Cardinal relied on a sacrifice bunt from senior Jack Klein and RBI sacrifice fly to center from junior Matt Winaker to bring a run across. The tally was just the third run Oregon State ace Luke Heimlich has allowed this season.

The Cardinal had a golden opportunity with the tying run on third with one out in the eighth, but Heimlich responded by forcing two ground outs, ending the threat. Oregon State would add a run in the ninth frame, stretching the final score to 3-1 and ending freshman Will Matthiessen’s 16.2-inning scoreless streak to start his career.

After the close game one, Stanford looked to improve on Saturday. Instead, the game was an offensive exhibition, with the top two pitching units in the Pac-12 Conference giving up 20 earned runs and 36 hits in the 15-7 Oregon State win.

Although Stanford led 1-0 after the first inning, the Beavers were quick to respond, scoring four in the second frame after five straight hitters reached base. The Cardinal tied up the game at four-all in the third off a home run by senior Alex Dunlap and used the momentum to swing a 6-4 lead in the fourth.

The hits would keep coming, as Oregon State proved why it is the top team in the nation, scoring in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to retake a two-run lead. An RBI double to right center by sophomore Duke Kinamon put Stanford within reach, but the Beavers shut down the Cardinal in the eighth, bringing seven across in a monster frame that all but decided the game.

Despite outhitting Oregon State 9-8 on Sunday, Stanford was held scoreless for the afternoon, falling 7-0 against the Beavers. Senior Chris Castellanos saw his 10-game win streak snapped in his complete-game effort. The lefty gave up just three earned runs, but costly errors in the third and seventh innings and too many runners left on base proved the Cardinal’s undoing.

Stanford had opportunities in almost every inning, stranding runners in eight of nine frames. After the offensive explosion on Saturday, the team couldn’t manage to get runners across, ending the weekend sweep with a shutout.

The Cardinal will hope to recover from the weekend series and clinch the 1,600th victory for Coach Marquess on Tuesday against Cal. The matchup will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Sunken Diamond.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Men’s volleyball closes out Senior Night with a five-set comeback https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/03/mens-volleyball-closes-out-senior-night-with-a-five-set-comeback/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/03/mens-volleyball-closes-out-senior-night-with-a-five-set-comeback/#respond Mon, 03 Apr 2017 08:26:25 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1125181 On a senior night that recognized the final regular season match at Maples Pavilion for three Cardinal players, No. 9 Stanford men’s volleyball (12-11, 7-9 MPSF) delivered a five-set comeback victory over UC San Diego (7-17, 3-13) on Saturday, ending a four-game losing streak and clinching a spot in the MPSF playoffs, its ninth in the past ten years.

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On a senior night that recognized the final regular season match at Maples Pavilion for three Cardinal players, No. 9 Stanford men’s volleyball (12-11, 7-9 MPSF) delivered a five-set comeback victory over UC San Diego (7-17, 3-13) on Saturday, ending a four-game losing streak and clinching a spot in the MPSF playoffs, its ninth in the past 10 years.

Fifth-year senior outside hitter Gabriel Vega came up big in his final match at home, tying his career-high with 21 kills while recording seven digs and two blocks. After a slow start, Vega picked up the pace in the final two sets, racking up 10 kills in the fourth set alone before hitting five-for-five in the tiebreaker. Senior outside hitters Clay Jones and Colin McCall recorded 12 and seven kills, respectively, in their last regular season contest at Maples. Senior middle blocker Kevin Rakestraw added to the upperclassman output with 11 kills on .450 hitting and four blocks.

The Cardinal dominated the Tritons in the opening set, looking unstoppable in a 25-12 trouncing. But the team’s offensive faltered in the second and third sets, hitting with less than .090 percent accuracy in both sets, compared to a staggering .450 hitting percentage in the first.

Needing to victory the fourth set in order to extend the match, Stanford answered the call, taking a tight 25-23 win. Freshman setter Paul Bischoff guided the offense to 18 kills in the set, adding helpers to his second 50-assist match of his career. On defense, junior libero Evan Enriques continued his strong season, leading the Cardinal with 12 digs. Stanford defense forced UC San Diego to make 26 errors, which proved decisive in the close contest.

The Cardinal took an early lead in the fifth set and never relinquished the advantage, closing out the regular season home stand in 15-11 comeback fashion. Stanford has staged dramatic comeback victories in three previous matches this season, and the team improved to 4-0 in five-set contests with Saturday’s win.

With their regular season home matches complete, the Cardinal will hit the road for a final week of matches before the postseason. The team will take on UC Irvine on Friday before a rematch with these same Tritons on Saturday. Stanford will then prepare for MPSF playoff competition beginning on April 15.

 

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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