A volleyball showdown has Pac-10 title impact A volleyball showdown has Pac-10 title impact (October 07, 2005)

Cardinal women play host to No. 2-ranked and undefeated Washington on Saturday night with conference lead at stake

by Rick Eymer

The Stanford women's volleyball team has never gone longer than three years between Pac-10 titles. If the third-ranked Cardinal (4-0, 15-1) want that trend to continue then this weekend takes on even more importance than usual.

Second-ranked and undefeated Washington (3-0, 12-0) comes to Maples Pavilion on Saturday for a 7 p.m. match filled with title aspirations of its own.

"If I'm a player this match excites me the most," Stanford coach John Dunning said. "There are special matches that keep you coming back to the weight room, or keeps you focused on repetitive drills with an honest commitment to getting better."

Stanford has finished second in the Pac-10 the past three years, while Washington is the defending conference champion.

Stanford and Washington played three memorable matches last year, with Stanford winning the last two times they met.

The Cardinal ended Washington's undefeated season last year in one of the most memorable matches ever played on the Stanford campus. Stanford looked defeated after dropping the first two games in a sold out Burnham Pavilion, but rallied from 11 match points for the victory in a stunning upset that helped pave the way for the Cardinal's run to the NCAA title. Stanford had to beat Washington again in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament.

"Washington is a proven entity," Dunning said. "We've had great matches with them last year, they are well-coached, have lots of seniors and juniors and are on a roll. It's a big match in the Pac-10 and the Pac-10 matters a lot. It's a key match"

Stanford also hosts Washington State (1-2, 8-8) on Friday at 7 p.m. and the Cougars are a much improved team, though they have never won at Stanford.

"Washington State is interesting because they have a completely different team from last year," Dunning said. "There's more quality, with the new people, than I thought."

The good news for Stanford is that junior middle blocker Liz Suiter and freshman middle Erin Waller are rounding into shape. Both players have been bothered by injuries and have been limited early in the season.

"They are both competing for a spot on a daily basis," Dunning said. "They are both to the point they can do reps in practice and handle matches."

Suiter was a big reason for Stanford's run to the national title last year as a first-year starter. She had one of the best blocking seasons ever at Stanford. Waller came to Stanford as one of the nation's top recruits.

Junior Nji Nnamani, the younger sister of Olympian and former Stanford star Ogonna Nnamani, and sophomore Franci Girard have both contributed on the right side. Girard filled a valuable role last year, and has been getting more playing time lately, while Nnamani played more often earlier in the year and has been effective when she does play.

Stanford, which is on a 14-match winning streak, has won 45 of 52 games played this year. Washington has won all 36 games it has played.

"This is great volleyball," Dunning said. "Playing in a great place, playing a great team and it matters."

The 14-match winning streak is the eighth longest in school history and the third longest under Dunning. The Cardinal won their last 15 matches last year and won 19 straight on the road to the 2001 NCAA title.

Stanford has won 10 Pac-10 titles and finished second nine other times in the 20-year history of the conference.

Junior outside hitter Kristin Richards needs 20 digs to move into sole possession of ninth place (Kristin Klein, 1,047) on the all-time list.

Field hockey

Stanford makes its final road trip of the season, beginning with a match at Davidson today at 3:30 p.m.

The Cardinal (1-2, 3-9) then play third-ranked North Carolina on Sunday and top-ranked Wake Forest on Sunday.

Freshman Caroline Hussey and sophomore Jess Zutz lead the Cardinal in scoring, each with five goals.

After its three-game road trip, the Cardinal returns to The Farm to conclude regular season NorPac play.

Women's soccer

Stanford opens Pac-10 play with a pair of home matches. The 19th-ranked Cardinal (6-3-1) take on Washington State on Friday at 7 p.m. and Washington on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Sophomore middle fielder Rachel Buehler was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week after scoring goals in wins over then No. 5 Santa Clara and Colorado College last week.

Buehler was also named to the Top Drawer Soccer and Soccer Buzz National Teams of the Week.

Men's soccer

Stanford (3-5-2, 0-1-1 Pac-10) hosts No. 18 California (7-2-1, 0-2-0 Pac-10) on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Maloney Field in conference action. This game will be televised live on Comcast Sportsnet.

Stanford opened the Pac-10 season with a 1-1 tie against San Diego State at the SDSU Sports Deck last Friday. It was the second draw of the season for the Cardinal and it also ended its two-game winning streak. Last Sunday, Stanford was shut out by UCLA, 2-0, in Los Angeles.

Sophomore midfielder Marcus Ryan currently leads the Cardinal in scoring with four goals for the season, two of which were game-winners. Junior goalkeeper Andrew Kartunen ranks seventh in the conference in saves and save percentage, with numbers of 13 and .765, respectively. Stanford ranks fourth in the Pac-10 in goals against average, at 0.76.

The Cardinal lead the all-time series against the Bears, 19-11-7. In their most recent match up (November 2004), Cal defeated Stanford, 3-2, in Berkeley in double overtime. The two teams' last meeting at Maloney Field in 2004 ended in a 2-2 tie in two overtime. Stanford's last victory over the Golden Bears came in 2001 (a 2-0 win in Berkeley).

Senior forward Calen Carr currently leads the Bears in scoring with six goals for this season, four of which have been game-winners. Cal also features two former local prep standouts, Gunn grad Andrew Jacobson and Menlo-Atherton grad Javier Hil.

Women's tennis

The 2005-06 tennis season has begun and Stanford newcomers Celia Durkin and Jessica Nguyen have gotten their first taste of collegiate competition at the ITA All-American Championship Qualifier at the Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades.

The main draw of the ITA All-American Championship begins today. Stanford's returning All-Americans, senior Alice Barnes and juniors Anne Yelsey and Theresa Logar will compete in singles. Barnes and Yelsey will also team up in doubles.

Durkin, a sophomore who is in her first season after transferring from Harvard, lost a pair of decisions this week, after facing fifth-seeded Diana Srebovic fo Florida in the first round of qualifying.

In doubles, Durkin and Nguyen posted an 8-3 first-round win over Texas Tech's Tara Browning and Lakann Wagley, before falling to third-seeded Jenna Long and Sara Anundsen of North Carolina.

Men's tennis

All-American JC Corkery and teammates James Wan and freshman Matt Bruch opened play Thursday in the main draw of the Polo Ralph Lauren Men's Tennis Championships at the University of Tulsa.

Bruch beat Tommy Garrison of Oklahoma, 6-2, 6-0, Wednesday to advance to the main draw.

Corkey, seeded ninth in singles, will team with Menlo School grad James Pade in the doubles competition.

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