Publication Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2005
STANFORD ROUNDUP
Cardinal teams look ready for NCAA run
Cardinal teams look ready for NCAA run
(October 19, 2005) Cross-country squads defend titles at Pre-NCAA meet; women's volleyball falls to third after a Pac-10 split
by Rick Eymer
The men and women's cross country teams at Stanford are hoping the next few weeks lead to a successful return to Terre Haute, Ind., next month. It would mean a good showing at the NCAA championships.
Stanford took the first steps with victories in both the women and men's races at the Pre-NCAA meet at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course on Saturday.
Last year Stanford won the Pre-NCAA in both divisions, but couldn't repeat that performance at the NCAA meet.
The third-ranked women are in better shape to repeat, with three runners back who scored in the finals, and another who also ran in the race. That experience could help Stanford improve of its fifth-place finish of a year ago.
Arianna Lambie, also one of Stanford's top milers, completed the 6,000-meter course in 20:10.03, good for third place. She was followed in by Teresa McWalters with a 20:14.5. McWalters plus returners Kathy Trotter and Amanda Trotter each scored in the NCAA meet last year, and Lauren Centrowitz was on the racing team.
Lambie did not compete at last year's Pre-NCAA meet or the NCAA championships.
Saturday's effort showed Stanford it could compete with some of the top teams in the nation - 12 of the top 25 teams were involved. The Cardinal will continue to build toward the national championships on Nov. 21 with stops at the Pac-10 finals in Tucson on Oct. 29 and later at an NCAA regional that Stanford will host on Nov. 12.
While the women are more of a known commodity, the fifth-ranked Stanford men will be seeking to put together a championship team over the next month. Jonathon Pierce, who finished sixth on Saturday at 23:51.40 over the 8,000-meter course, is Stanford's top returner. Brett Gotcher is the only other returner who competed in last year's national race
Women's volleyball
Stanford split a pair of Pac-10 games and slipped into a third-place tie with California in the Pac-10 as a result.
The fifth-ranked Cardinal (5-2, 17-3) lost at Arizona, 30-24, 26-30, 29-31, 34-32, on Thursday and came back to beat host Arizona State, 30-22, 30-23, 30-19, on Friday.
Stanford visits Cal on Friday at 7 p.m.
Freshman outside hitter Cynthia Barboza and junior outside hitter Kristin Richards combined for 25 kills in the win over the Sun Devils.
Barboza led Stanford with 14 kills and hit at a .375 clip. Richards had 11 kills and 11 digs. Senior libero Courtney Schultz added 11 digs and junior Nji Nnamani recorded a career-high 12 digs as the Cardinal beat Arizona State for the 36th time in 50 matches.
Richards led Stanford with 20 kills and 19 digs, while Barboza and Foluke Akinradewo each added 19 kills. Barboza collected eleven digs.
Junior middle blocker Lizzie Suiter, who missed two matches last week, returned to the starting lineup against Arizona. She has been sidelined with a bruised retina in her left eye, sustained during a practice session.
Women's basketball
Stanford was picked by the coaches to win the Pac-10 title despite losing four key seniors.
The Cardinal received nine of 10 first-place votes and USC received the remaining first-place nod.
Men's soccer
The good news for Stanford is that it finally scored another goal. The bad thing is that goal went for naught.
After dropping a 1-0 Pac-10 decision to visiting Washington on Friday, the Cardinal (0-4-1, 38-2) lost to conference leader, Oregon State, 3-1.
The Cardinal outshot the Beavers, 10-7, but only Scott Balkan could find the net. It was Stanford's first goal on five games.
Stanford gets a return match with Oregon State in Corvallis on Friday at 1 p.m.
Women's soccer
Stanford dropped a 2-0 decision to visiting California on Saturday, and lost a chance for a share of first place in the Pac-10.
Caroline Lea scored the game-winner for Cal in the 71st minute, while Stephanie Wieger added an insurance goal in the 80th minute. Katie Ratican, who put the ball into play on both corner kicks, picked up the assist pair of goals.
The Cardinal and the Golden Bears paced each other on the day, with Cal just out-shooting Stanford, 11-8. Stanford keeper Alex Gamble finished the day with five saves, while Cal goalie Ashley Sulprizio tallied six saves.
Men's water polo
Fourth-ranked Stanford (12-3) took third place in the NorCal tournament hosted by Cal last weekend.
After Saturday's two wins against No. 16 Air Force Academy and No. 5 UC San Diego, the Cardinal fell to second-ranked USC Sunday morning, 10-9. That dropped Stanford into the third-place game against defending NCAA champion UCLA, where the Cardinal knocked off the Bruins, 6-5.
Senior Peter Varellas had three goals to lead the Cardinal victory, while Michael Bury had two. Sandy Hohener had 10 saves in goal against the defending tourney champs. Hohener had 22 saves in the final two games while Menlo School grad Jimmie Sandman had 18 saves in the first two matches.
Stanford travels to Long Beach State on Saturday. The Cardinal will host UCLA on Oct. 29 at 11 a.m.
Women's swimming
Stanford (1-0) cruised to a 199-114 victory over San Jose State (0-1) in a season-opening nonconference meet for both teams at the Avery Aquatics Center on Friday.
Stanford won 12 of the first 14 events contested before swimming exhibition in the final two events to give first-year head coach and former Cardinal swimmer Lea Maurer a victory in her collegiate coaching debut. The victory was also Stanford's seventh consecutive dual-meet win.
Brooke Bishop (200 back, 2:00.45; 200 free, 1:50.20), Morgan Hentzen (500 free, 4:57.80; 1000 free, 9:59.84), Cassidy Krug (1-meter, 192.80; 3-meter, 185.65), Erica Liu (100 breast, 1:04.71; 200 breast, 2:19.18) and Laura Wadden (100 fly, 56.87; 200 fly, 2:04.62) were all two-time individual event winners for the Cardinal. Bishop put up two of the three NCAA times of the day, reaching the "B" qualifying standard in both of her events.
Stanford will host its alumnae on Saturday at 10 a.m. Perennial national power Texas visits the Cardinal for a two-day meet Oct. 28-29.
Men's swimming
Shaun Phillips scored two victories to help lead the Stanford men's swim team to a 111-94 victory over host Washington on Friday.
Phillips captured top honors in the 200 free (1:41.91) and the 500 free (4:35.97). Phillips also swam the third leg on the 400 free relay team which finished second in a time of 3:07.53. Stanford won seven of the nine individual events.
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