Seashore volleyball takes second at Outrigger Basic

No. 7 Stanford seashore volleyball (4-2, 0-0 Pac-12) claimed second place on Saturday within the group’s season opener on the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Seashore Basic in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Cardinal began off the match in a spherical robin towards No. 1 UCLA (6-0, 0-0 Pac-12), Saint Mary’s (2-5, 0-0 WCC), Stephen F. Austin (0-5, 0-0 SBC) and No. 10 Hawaii (3-3, 0-0 BWC). The group defeated Hawaii within the semifinals to advance to the championship match, which it misplaced 4-1 to UCLA.

The primary day was a hit for the Cardinal, starting with a 4-1 win over Stephen F. Austin. Senior Maddi Kriz—who reached her fiftieth win with the Cardinal—and junior Maya Harvey succeeded 21-12, 21-7 within the second slot. Of their first collegiate match, freshmen Ashley Vincent and Kelly Belardi have been additionally victorious, defeating Stephen F. Austin 21-14, 21-12 because the fourth pair. Sophie Kubiak, additionally a freshman, collected her first school victory alongside junior Emmy Sharp, beating the Lumberjacks 21-18, 21-16, as fifth-year Charlie Ekstrom and junior Kate Reilly introduced in one other win for the Cardinal, 21-12, 21-17. This additionally marked Ekstrom’s sixtieth profession victory, tying her for the second highest variety of wins of any seashore volleyball athlete in Cardinal historical past.

Stanford then secured a 3-2 victory over Hawaii. Ekstrom and Reilly triumphed 22-20 in a decent first set, adopted by a 21-12 win within the second. Vincent and Belardi continued to shine, defeating Hawaii 21-19, 21-14. The third pairing of sophomores Emma Morris and Taylor Wilson got here out on high after a three-set battle, profitable 21-14, 16-21, 15-12.

Stanford started the second day with a decent 3-2 loss to UCLA, the match favorites. Vincent and Belardi impressed with a 21-16, 21-12 win on courtroom 4, but it surely was not sufficient to safe the victory as UCLA received matches on courts one, three and 5. Nevertheless, Kriz and Harvey managed to publish a robust efficiency on courtroom two, coming back from a one set deficit to beat the top-ranked group. 

Stanford responded effectively to this slim defeat of their subsequent matchup towards Saint Mary’s, as they dominated the Gaels 4-1. Vincent and Belardi continued their unbeaten streak profitable 21-2, 21-13 whereas Kubiak and Sharp additionally received in straight units on courtroom 5, 21-10, 21-10. The efforts of Ekstrom and Reilly on courtroom three ended the twin on a excessive word because the Cardinal concluded day two with a 3-1 report in spherical robin play. 

Saturday afternoon noticed a Stanford-Hawaii rematch within the semifinals during which the Cardinal knocked out the house group, 3-2. Wilson and freshman Line Andersson on courtroom three have been pressured to 3 units, however managed to shut it out 15-21, 21-18, 15-9. Equally, on courtroom 5, Kubiak along with her new associate, freshman Phoenix Clarke, got here again from a 18-21 loss within the first set to win the following two 21-14, 15-12 and clinch a spot within the championship sport. Stanford would face the Bruins as soon as once more. 

Sadly, the Cardinal have been unable to avenge their earlier loss to UCLA because the Bruins claimed the ultimate match 4-1. UCLA swept the Cardinal on each courtroom moreover courtroom 4, the place Vincent and Belardi firmly held their floor, extending their win streak to 6, 21-18, 21-16. Whereas Stanford needed to accept second place, Ekstrom was celebrated with the match’s award for greatest blocker.