Stanford Sweeps Pacific to Close Non-Conference Schedule

  0 Carly DeMarque | September 18th, 2016 | College - Women's Indoor, Division I Mid-Major, News, Pac 12

Match Stats

No. 12 Stanford swept Pacific, hitting for .355, while holding Pacific to a .179 hitting percentage.

Ivana Vanjak led the Cardinals with 10 kills, hitting .474. Teammate Michaela Keefe put down eight kills and picked up 13 digs.

Tiger Emily Baptista recorded a match-high 15 kills, hitting for .297. Lexi Elman produced a double-double with 10 kills and 15 digs.

Stanford begins Pac-12 play against rival California on Sept. 20 at 7pm. Pacific opens up West Coast Conference play against Portland Sept. 22 at 7pm.

Press Release

Courtesy of Stanford Athletics

STOCKTON, Calif. – In a complete team effort, the No. 12 Stanford women’s volleyball team defeated Pacific, 25-21, 25-22, 25-17, Saturday at the Alex G. Spanos Center.

Stanford (6-2) hit a season-best .355 in its final tune-up before Pac-12 play starts on Tuesday. The Cardinal recorded 47 kills with just eight attack errors, while holding Pacific (6-6) to a .179 clip. Stanford also held an edge in blocks (7.0-1.0) and digs (53-47).

Redshirt junior outside hitter Ivana Vanjak led the team with 10 kills and just one error on 19 swings to hit .474. Freshman outside hitter Michaela Keefe, who earned her second straight start, finished with career-highs of eight kills and 13 digs.

Redshirt senior Inky Ajanaku and redshirt junior Merete Lutz each tallied eight kills for the Cardinal while hitting .300 or better. Freshman opposite Kathryn Plummer added seven kills on .438 hitting and four blocks.

Setters Kelsey Humphreys (26 assists) and Jenna Gray (17 assists) controlled the offense, while freshman libero Morgan Hentz once again led the team in digs with 17.

Stanford opened the match with a 7-2 lead in the first before the Tigers battled back to tie it 13-13. In total, there were six tie scores and five lead changes in the first until the Cardinal outscored the Tigers 8-4 down the stretch. Stanford never trailed in the second or third sets.

Emily Baptista led Pacific with 15 kills and six digs, while Lexi Elman posted 10 kills and 15 digs. Setter Andie Shelton racked up 37 assists and eight digs.

Up next, Stanford opens Pac-12 play on the road at Bay Area rival California on Tuesday, Sept. 20. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Pac-12 Network.

Press Release

Courtesy of Pacific Athletics

Stockton, Calif. – The Pacific volleyball team fell to No. 12 Stanford, 3-0, on night two of the WCC/Pac-12 Challenge, 25-21, 25-22, 25-17, as the Tigers split the two games against Pac-12 schools.  Emily Baptista led the Tigers with 15 kills, hitting .297.

Lexi Elman added 10 kills and 15 digs for the Tigers. Ashlyn Fleming chipped in seven kills, while Andie Shelton doled out 37 assists. Katrin Gotterba pulled up 10 digs.

The Tigers split their action in the WCC/Pac-12 Challenge, after sweeping Cal Friday. Pacific’s bid for a 225th program win over a ranked team fell short in their third attempt this season. Pacific falls to 6-6 on the year.

The Tigers three-match win streak came to an end as the Cardinal, who’s starting rotation measures in at an average of four inches taller than the Tigers, hit .355 for the match and use their length to keep the Tigers offense from racking up kills.

Stanford (6-2) used a balanced attack as Ivana Vanjak led the Cardinal with 10 kills and Michaela Keefe, Inky Ajanaku and Merete Lutz each totaled eight.

The Cardinal held a 7-1 advantage in blocks.

Stanford jumped out to a 7-2 lead early, but the Tigers posted three straight points as Fleming and Elman tallied kills and Janie Feldsher posted a solo block. The Tigers closed to within 13-12, as Skylar Wine and Baptista posted kills. Elman drilled a ball own the line for a 14-13 lead, and again for a 16-15 lead. But the Cardinal rallied to tie. A block from the Cardinal provided a 21-19 lead. Fleming added a kill, but a point off an overpass gave Stanford a 23-20 lead. Facing set point, Baptista blasted a kill to the back line, but the Cardinal answered with a kill for a 25-21 win.

The Tigers hit .333 to open set two, but Stanford slugged at .667 to build an 11-6 lead. Elman added a service ace, but the Cardinal maintained a 13-9 advantage. Pacific closed the margin to 14-12, and 16-14, but the Cardinal picked up points on an error and a service ace to keep Pacific at arms length.

Feldsher, Wine recorded kills, and the Tigers fed Baptista for three straight Pacific kills as the Tigers rallied to tie at 21-21, but the Cardinal picked up a kill, and the Tigers were called for four hits off a ball sent back by the Cardinal blockers as Stanford took a 2-0 lead into the break, 25-22.

Gotterba served up an ace early in set three, and Baptista’s 10th kill tied the set at 4-4. Stanford took an 9-6 lead on a kill from Keefe. Wine brought Pacific within 9-8, but the Cardinal gained separation on a block and a kill from Kathryn Plummer. Three kills from Baptista kept the Tigers within 15-13, but the Tigers would get no closer as the Cardinal reeled off five straight points to seize control. Feldsher added a late kill for the Tigers, but a block from Plumer and Audriana Fitzmorris on match point sealed the win for the Cardinal.

Stanford improves to 6-2 overall, while Pacific falls to 6-6.

Pacific will open West Coast Conference play next week, as the Tigers welcome Portland to town on Thursday at 7 p.m., and Gonzaga on Saturday at noon.

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About Carly DeMarque

Carly DeMarque

Carly DeMarque has been involved with competitive volleyball for the majority of her life, playing competitively at the club and collegiate level for 15 years and coaching club for five. Now a retired Division I volleyball athlete out of McNeese State University, she continues her volleyball enthusiasm by stepping back into …

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