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Freshman setter Joe Ctvrtlik had 17 assists in his first collegiate appearance, leading No. 3 Stanford to a 25-18, 25-20, 25-12 victory over UC Santa Cruz in a nonconference men's volleyball match Friday night at Burnham Pavilion.

Stanford (3-0) used its entire roster – all 18 players – in beating the Banana Slugs (0-3), NCAA Division III's No. 4-ranked team.

Senior outside hitter Jake Kneller led Stanford with five kills, but the match was highlighted by the play of its six freshmen, including Ctvrtlik, the son of Bob Ctvrtlik, a two-time world player of the year.

Ctvrtlik entered at the outset of the second set and played the remainder of the match, finishing as the match leader in assists and digs (seven), and had two service aces. His passing helped guide the Cardinal, which played with four freshmen on the floor throughout the final set, to a season-high .390 hitting percentage.

Next, Stanford opens play in the rugged Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, hosting No. 15 Pacific (1-0, 0-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Burnham.

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