Feb. 8, 2006
Stanford, Calif. - Stanford upset No. 14 Pacific in straight games tonight in MPSF action at Burnham Pavilion. With the win, Stanford's record improves to 3-9 overall and 2-6 in MPSF play. The Tigers fall to 3-8 overall and 2-6 in MPSF action.
Stanford jumped out to an early lead in game one, with senior William Clayton serving for six points, including two aces to propel the Cardinal to a 12-5 lead. Pacific's Brian Adamson recorded a kill to break Clayton's run, but Stanford was able to battle right back with a backset by senior Jeremy Jacobs and a kill down the line by senior opposite Ben Reddy. Reddy followed his kill with an ace and the Cardinal never looked back, finishing the game with four service aces and 18 team kills. Senior Nick Manov recorded five kills and a .714 hitting percentage, while sophomore Matt Ceran added four kills and hit for a .571 hitting percentage.
Stanford kept their momentum in game two, winning points early in the game for a 14-5 lead. The Cardinal maintained the lead throughout the game and ended game two on a kill by Jacobs after a Pacific overpass on Manov's serve. Stanford ended the game with a .345 team hitting percentage and an additional four aces. Seniors Chris Ahlfeldt and William Clayton led the way with five kills each.
Game three was a tighter battle, as the teams traded points back and forth. Clayton had a dominating kill down the line for the Cardinal to put them up 15-13. Jacobs added a one handed assist that Ceran smashed for a kill and a 27-22 lead. Reddy finished game three and the match with his match-high 13th kill.
For the match, the Cardinal hit .267, led by Manov at .500 and Ceran at .467. Junior Brian Lindberg led the match with nine digs and Jacobs led the match with 43 assists. Pacific only hit .169 on the night, but was led by sophomore Pekka Seppanen who recorded 11 kills.
The Cardinal hits the road early tomorrow morning, traveling to the East Coast to take on Springfield College and Penn State in the Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Mass. Stanford will play Springfield College on Friday night at 8 p.m. EST and Penn State on Saturday night at 5 p.m. EST.