Nov. 27, 2004
Tucson, Ariz. - Senior outside hitter Ogonna Nnamani tallied a match-high 22 kills to lead the seventh-ranked Stanford women's volleyball team to a 3-0 sweep of No. 21 Arizona tonight before a crowd of 1,425. Game scores were 30-16, 33-31, 30-27. The Cardinal end the regular season with a record of 24-6, 15-3 in the Pac-10 while the Wildcats are 18-10, 10-8 in league action.
Game one remained close until Stanford opened up a 12-7 lead after a kill by Ogonna Nnamani force an Arizona timeout. The Cardinal continued to roll going up 16-7 on an attack error by Wildcat Kim Glass. A kill by Jennifer Hucke put Stanford up 21-11 as the Cardinal pushed forward. Lizzie Suiter recorded a kill off a quick set to give Stanford game point at 29-16 while another Hucke kill closed it out, 30-16.
Arizona led 9-6 in game two when the Cardinal took their first timeout after a block by Arizona's Kim Glass and Bre Ladd. Stanford called their final timeout trailing 11-15 after a Cardinal attack went wide. Stanford would rally to tie the match at 22-all on a block by Suiter and Hucke. With the game tied at 28-all, Arizona reached game point on a kill by Ladd but the Cardinal hung tough to tie it up at 29-all on a kill by Franci Girard. Stanford would hold off two more game points before taking the lead at 32-31 to record their own game point. Ogonna Nnamani sealed the win with a kill at 33-31.
With game three tied at 11-all, Arizona would go on a 8-2 run to go up 19-13 on a Stephanie Butkus service ace that forced a Cardinal timeout. The Wildcats continued to lead taking the 27-20 advantage on a kill by Kim Glass. Stanford would rally behind the serve of Ogonna Nnamani and tie up the match at 27-all on an Arizona hitting error. Lizzie Suiter would record her fourth block solo to give the Cardinal the 28-27 lead. A kill by Jennifer Hucke put Stanford at game and match point at 29-27. A block by Suiter and Hucke capped off the comeback and the 30-27 win.
Jennifer Hucke added 12 kills, eight digs and four blocks to the Cardinal effort while Lizzie Suiter led the match with eight blocks. Kristin Richards and Courtney Schultz each tallied nine digs on the night.
Stanford outblocked the Wildcats, 11 to five for the match as well.
Arizona was led by Jennifer Abernathy's 13 kills and Kelli Mulvany's 12 digs.
Stanford now awaits word on their postseason fate as the NCAA selection show takes place Sunday, November 28 on ESPNews at 3:45 p.m. PT.