Post by bigfan on Sept 27, 2007 15:06:06 GMT -5
So Cal rivals await Card
daily.stanford.edu/article/2007/9/27/soCalRivalsAwaitCard
The Stanford women’s volleyball team opened Pac-10 play with a win against Cal last weekend after an undefeated preseason run that included wins over seven ranked opponents. The No. 2 Cardinal will need two more big performances this week, as it plays host to a pair of top conference foes, No. 4 USC and No. 5 UCLA.
Stanford (12-0, 1-0), picked to repeat as conference champion in 2007, is the highest ranked team in the Pac-10 at No. 2 in the national poll. The Trojans (12-0, 2-0) and Bruins (12-1, 2-0) are not far behind, however, with No. 8 Washington and No. 10 California right on their heels.
The Trojans come into the weekend with the same 12-0 record as Stanford after beating Arizona State and Arizona last week. So far in 2007, three opponents have forced USC into a fifth game, most recently Arizona, but the Trojans have come away with the victory each time. Against the Wildcats, USC lost the first and third games before rallying to tie the match and finish with a 15-10 game five.
Outside hitter Asia Kaczor leads the squad with 196 kills, hitting at a .315 clip. Bethany Johansen has a team-high .376 percentage and 43 total blocks. Libero Geena Urango averages 3.7 digs and half an ace per game. Setter Taylor Carico has already dished out over 500 assists.
Last season, both Stanford and USC pulled off upsets on the road, with the Cardinal winning in straight games in Los Angeles — spoiling the opening of the Trojans’ brand new Galen Center and ending their unbeaten streak at 17 matches — before USC swept Stanford in Maples later in the season.
Junior outside hitter Cynthia Barboza led the Cardinal in last year’s upset of the Trojans with 18 kills, two aces and 14 digs. Senior middle blocker Franci Girard had a match-high five blocks.
In USC’s win, junior middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo hit .433 with 15 kills, and junior defensive specialist Jessica Fishburn had 21 digs for Stanford, but Kaczor dominated the match with 26 kills on .500 hitting in the three games.
Stanford ended an even longer winning streak for UCLA in 2006, pulling out a dramatic win the day after beating USC. The Bruins, who made it to the Final Four, opened the season with 20 straight victories, but Stanford battled back from 2-1 to win the match in five games. Though the all-time series is nearly even, the Cardinal has not lost to the Bruins since head coach John Dunning arrived on the Farm in 2001.
Barboza and Kristin Richards ‘07 each had 21 kills and Richards recorded a career-high 26 digs in the five-game match in Los Angeles. Akinradewo had 18 kills on .457 hitting and notched seven blocks.
With Akinradewo out with an injury, the Cardinal beat the Bruins for a second time, winning at home in four games. Barboza’s 15 kills and 20 digs were both team highs, and junior right side Erin Waller and Lizzie Suiter ‘07 had six blocks apiece.
After losing to Nebraska in the first weekend of the preseason, UCLA has beaten 11 straight opponents, including a 3-1 win over Arizona and a sweep of Arizona State last weekend.
Ali Daley and Rachell Johnson have led the Bruins’ attack in 2007, with 156 and 149 kills, respectively. Setter Nellie Spicer averages over 13 assists per game, putting her in the top 20 nationally.
With nearly 14 assists per game, Stanford’s senior Bryn Kehoe ranks third among setters in Division I. She is currently about 250 assists short of the Stanford career record.
Freshman outside hitter Alix Klineman leads the Cardinal attack with 158 kills, and Barboza has 150. With 146 kills, Akinradewo ranks fifth nationally in hitting percentage at .478. She is also the leading blocker with 50. Freshman libero Gabi Ailes has a team-high 170 digs.
The Cardinal will face USC on Thursday and UCLA on Friday, each at 7 p.m. in Maples. Students will be admitted free to both matches. Friday will also feature the annual Dig for the Cure event, with fan donations pledged per dig going to breast cancer research.
daily.stanford.edu/article/2007/9/27/soCalRivalsAwaitCard
The Stanford women’s volleyball team opened Pac-10 play with a win against Cal last weekend after an undefeated preseason run that included wins over seven ranked opponents. The No. 2 Cardinal will need two more big performances this week, as it plays host to a pair of top conference foes, No. 4 USC and No. 5 UCLA.
Stanford (12-0, 1-0), picked to repeat as conference champion in 2007, is the highest ranked team in the Pac-10 at No. 2 in the national poll. The Trojans (12-0, 2-0) and Bruins (12-1, 2-0) are not far behind, however, with No. 8 Washington and No. 10 California right on their heels.
The Trojans come into the weekend with the same 12-0 record as Stanford after beating Arizona State and Arizona last week. So far in 2007, three opponents have forced USC into a fifth game, most recently Arizona, but the Trojans have come away with the victory each time. Against the Wildcats, USC lost the first and third games before rallying to tie the match and finish with a 15-10 game five.
Outside hitter Asia Kaczor leads the squad with 196 kills, hitting at a .315 clip. Bethany Johansen has a team-high .376 percentage and 43 total blocks. Libero Geena Urango averages 3.7 digs and half an ace per game. Setter Taylor Carico has already dished out over 500 assists.
Last season, both Stanford and USC pulled off upsets on the road, with the Cardinal winning in straight games in Los Angeles — spoiling the opening of the Trojans’ brand new Galen Center and ending their unbeaten streak at 17 matches — before USC swept Stanford in Maples later in the season.
Junior outside hitter Cynthia Barboza led the Cardinal in last year’s upset of the Trojans with 18 kills, two aces and 14 digs. Senior middle blocker Franci Girard had a match-high five blocks.
In USC’s win, junior middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo hit .433 with 15 kills, and junior defensive specialist Jessica Fishburn had 21 digs for Stanford, but Kaczor dominated the match with 26 kills on .500 hitting in the three games.
Stanford ended an even longer winning streak for UCLA in 2006, pulling out a dramatic win the day after beating USC. The Bruins, who made it to the Final Four, opened the season with 20 straight victories, but Stanford battled back from 2-1 to win the match in five games. Though the all-time series is nearly even, the Cardinal has not lost to the Bruins since head coach John Dunning arrived on the Farm in 2001.
Barboza and Kristin Richards ‘07 each had 21 kills and Richards recorded a career-high 26 digs in the five-game match in Los Angeles. Akinradewo had 18 kills on .457 hitting and notched seven blocks.
With Akinradewo out with an injury, the Cardinal beat the Bruins for a second time, winning at home in four games. Barboza’s 15 kills and 20 digs were both team highs, and junior right side Erin Waller and Lizzie Suiter ‘07 had six blocks apiece.
After losing to Nebraska in the first weekend of the preseason, UCLA has beaten 11 straight opponents, including a 3-1 win over Arizona and a sweep of Arizona State last weekend.
Ali Daley and Rachell Johnson have led the Bruins’ attack in 2007, with 156 and 149 kills, respectively. Setter Nellie Spicer averages over 13 assists per game, putting her in the top 20 nationally.
With nearly 14 assists per game, Stanford’s senior Bryn Kehoe ranks third among setters in Division I. She is currently about 250 assists short of the Stanford career record.
Freshman outside hitter Alix Klineman leads the Cardinal attack with 158 kills, and Barboza has 150. With 146 kills, Akinradewo ranks fifth nationally in hitting percentage at .478. She is also the leading blocker with 50. Freshman libero Gabi Ailes has a team-high 170 digs.
The Cardinal will face USC on Thursday and UCLA on Friday, each at 7 p.m. in Maples. Students will be admitted free to both matches. Friday will also feature the annual Dig for the Cure event, with fan donations pledged per dig going to breast cancer research.