Stanford junior Annika Dries scored three goals and the United States national women’s water polo team downed Kazakhstan, 14-4, Thursday to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China.
“After the first game you just don’t know things are going to go,” U.S. coach Adam Krikorian said. “We responded well after that first game (a 7-7 tie with the Netherlands). I don’t know if it makes it any easier we’re playing maybe the best team this summer; Russia. They won the Kirishi Cup, they lost only one game in the World League Super Final, a shootout in which they were leading the whole time. That is going to be extremely extremely difficult.”
Russia placed second in its group, losing to Greece, 6-5. The Russians are heavy favorites to beat Cuba on Saturday and advance to meet the U.S. on Monday.
“We’re going to work hard the next two days,” Krikorian said. “We need to get better. We can’t stop. I feel like we built a little momentum here and the training needs to be difficult to get them the most prepared against a physical and very fast Russia team.”
Cardinal freshman Maggie Steffens scored twice for the Americans, who broke open a close game with nine unanswered goals. Stanford grad Brenda Villa also scored.
Crew
Stanford grad Grace Luczak and teammate Felice Mueller won their heat of the women’s pair Wednesday as the World Rowing U23 Championships open in Amsterdam.
The win puts Luczak and Mueller directly into Friday’s semifinals.
Diving
Incoming Stanford freshman Kristian Ipsen of Clayton finished 31st with a score of 370.60 and did not advance past the preliminaries of the 3-meter springboard competition on Thursday at the FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China.
Ipsen’s synchronized partner, Troy Dumais, finished fifth in the semifinals and advanced to the finals.
Women’s soccer
San Diego Surf defender Laura Liedle, whose team won the ECNL 17U national title over the PDA Slammers, told TopDrawerSoccer.com that she has changed her commitment from North Carolina to Stanford.
Liedle is the soccer web site’s No. 3-ranked player in the 2012 Top 100.
This is a major move for Liedle, who has long been one of the nation’s best prospects and a big part of the U.S. Soccer program. Liedle told TopDrawerSoccer.com that her change of heart “one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make.”
Men’s volleyball
The U.S. National Team dropped a 16-25, 25-17, 25-16, 26-24 decision to Serbia on the first day of the London Volleyball International Invitational on Wednesday.
Evan Patak led the Americans with 18 kills. He added a pair of blocks and two service aces for 22 points.
The U.S. plays Egypt on Thursday at Earls Court in Great Britain, the site of next year’s Olympic tournament. The Invitational is serving as a test event for the Olympic Games.
Beach volleyball
Stanford grad Matt Fuerbringer and teammate Nick Lucena are one of eight U.S. teams that will compete in the FIVB Swatch Quebec Open Jeep, which opens Thursday in Canada.
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