August 31, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

Passing grades in volleyball tests

by Rick Eymer

The women's volleyball players from Hawaii are used to playing before crowds of 10,000 or more, but for Stanford and the other participants of the AVCA/NACWAA Showcase at Qwest Center in Omaha, the record crowds were out of the ordinary.

It's just such experiences that can only promote the growth of the sport, and lend credence to the athleticism of the players.

Third-ranked Stanford dropped a 30-23, 31-29, 33-31 decision to top-ranked and host Nebraska on Saturday night in the championship match after beating No. 5 Penn State, 30-24, 30-24, 28-30, 23-30, 15-10, and Cardinal coach John Dunning called the two-day event a success.

"Nebraska is a tough team to play," Dunning said. "They have six big blockers, and they are going to make a lot of teams hit a low hitting percentage. We just hope to learn from what we experienced and do a little better next time we see them down the road. I think Nebraska has a great chance to be in the Final Four. That's where we hope to be. We showed that we are not too far behind."

Stanford played without junior middle blocker Liz Suiter, who is nursing a sprained ankle. She had 198 blocks last year, second-best ever in school history. At 6-foot-2, the accomplished Suiter would have been a welcome addition against a tall Nebraska squad.

Defending national champion Stanford (1-1) played in front of its second-largest crowd (10,576) ever in a tournament that attracted four of the nation's top five teams. It could have been an early indication of the Final Four.

Junior outside hitter Kristin Richards continued her marvelous career with 13 kills and 10 digs against the Cornhuskers after recording 14 kills and 15 digs in the win over Penn State.

"We didn't doubt ourselves, that's for sure. We're a fighting team, and we did a good job of that," Richards said. "Nebraska is a very good competitor, a great team with a big block. We did a fantastic job of figuring out where we are with fighting ability. That was exciting to see. We have a lot of potential."

Freshman sensation Cynthia Barboza also showed she'll be worth watching as she had 12 kills on the heels of 22 kills against the Nitany Lions.

Richards and Barboza were both named to the all-tournament team.

The Cardinal continue their lengthy road trip with a visit to the Boston College tournament beginning Thursday. Stanford plays the host Eagles on the first day at 4 p.m.

Saturday's crowd, meanwhile, was also the 11th largest in NCAA history. The event drew a total of 20,606 fans.

"When you have a crowd like this, the expectations and the level of competition, you have to play really well," Nebraska coach John Cook said. "I'm really proud of our team for living up to the expectations and giving these fans their money's worth. Also, I'm so impressed with these three teams that are here as well. College volleyball is getting really good."

Stanford won't be playing in its new home until Sept. 15, when nationally-ranked St. Mary's comes to Maples Pavilion (capacity 7,233) for a nonconference match.

The Cardinal, who played their home matches at Burnham Pavilion last season, gained occupancy of the renovated building in the spring.

"I love Maples," Richards said of her first impressions of the improvements.

In addition to Richards and Barboza, sophomore Franci Girard (10 kills) and freshman Foluke Akinradewo (12 kills) also reached double figures against Nebraska.

"Starting with these two teams is a big risk in a way, and it can be a shot to the confidence," Richards said. "It's a chance to show what you're made of. We're going to be really good, and I'm excited about our season. We played some great teams this weekend. It's fun to see where we are."

Barboza, an alternate on the U.S. Olympic team last summer, recorded a hitting percentage of .362 in her first collegiate match. She added 12 digs and a service ace.

"Cynthia is a nice presence on the court," Dunning said. "She is getting better every day in practice. I'm glad she is on our side."

Wrestling

Kevin Klemm, John Clark and recent Stanford grad Matt Gentry were named to join the coaching staff of first-year coach Kerry McCoy.

"I am very excited to have my staff complete," McCoy said. "Kevin Klemm brings a lot of experience in wrestling, as well as experience with the Stanford program. John Clark has a lot of experience as two-time All-American and two-time Big Ten finalist, and will add to the strength of our coaching staff. As Stanford's first national champion and a recent member of the team, Matt Gentry will definitely be an asset to our program. We are ready to move forward. Our goal is to be a top program."

Gentry will serve as a volunteer assistant coach while he continues to train. In 2004, Gentry went 42-0 en route to the NCAA title at 157 pounds. He is the school record holder with 138 career victories and also owns the Stanford record for consecutive wins with 64 from 2003-05.

Women's soccer

Stanford still can't find any offense, and dropped a 3-0 decision to host Portland on Saturday in its season opener.

The Cardinal hope their home opener - against San Jose State on Friday at 7 p.m. - goes a little better.

The seventh-ranked Pilots tested Stanford's defense all night, recording 20 shots while the 14th-ranked Cardinal were limited to three shots.

Stanford freshman goalkeeper Alex Gamble recorded four saves, including a stop of a penalty kick, and helped shut out Portland over the final 57 minutes of play. Gamble recorded three saves in the second half, including a blocked penalty kick, in her collegiate debut.

Field hockey

Stanford picked up where it left off last season - with an overtime loss.

The Cardinal opened their season with a 2-1 loss to visiting Miami of Ohio on Saturday.

Stanford was scheduled to host Delaware on Tuesday.

Jess Zutz gave Stanford the early lead at 7:20 when she tipped in an attempt by Julia Drewes, who was credited with an assist.

Stanford outshot Miami, 14-10, as Liz Robinson took a game-high four shots. The Cardinal also had more penalty corners, 4-3.

Stanford goalie Madison Bell had four saves.

"What we've been doing in practice we didn't really see in the game," Stanford coach Lesley Irvine said. "We had some opportunities, but we didn't finish."

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