Nov. 16, 2007
Stanford, Calif. - Freshman outside hitter Alix Klineman drilled 16 kills and the fourth-ranked Cardinal women's volleyball team cruised to its 18th sweep of the year tonight in Maples Pavilion. Four players posted double-figure kills, four hit over .400 and the squad held onto the conference lead with a 30-27, 30-24, 30-14 victory. The Cardinal improves to 25-2 overall and 14-2 in the Pac-10 with the win, while ASU falls to 15-13, 7-8 Pac-10.
Klineman's 16-kill performance led all players, and junior outside hitter Cynthia Barboza turned in her 16th double-double of the year (11 kills, 16 digs). Foluke Akinradewo hit a match-high .647 with 13 kills and junior Erin Waller had another stellar night with 11 kills and a season-high five blocks. Senior setter Bryn Kehoe chipped in 51 assists, and Stanford outhit Arizona State .379 to .134. ASU was the 21st squad to hit below .200 against the Cardinal this season. Freshman Sarah Reaves led the way for the Sun Devils with 10 kills.
Akinradewo helped Stanford race out to a quick lead in game one, driving three early kills to put the team at an 8-4 advantage. Arizona State fought back, converting Stanford mistakes into a 7-2 run, and taking its first lead at 9-8. A block by Franci Girard and Waller briefly claimed the Cardinal lead back at 13-12, but the Sun Devils had another string of five straight points in store. An ASU block but the visitors up 17-13, but Stanford methodically chipped away at the lead. Barboza trimmed it to one at 22-21, but Stanford slipped back to a three-point disadvantage at 24-21. Girard stepped up and took charge for Stanford, however, turning things around for good. The senior middle blocker put up two kills and a block in a 5-0 Cardinal run to give the team a 26-24 lead, and Klineman picked up where Girard left off. The freshman added two kills to push Stanford forward, and sealed the win with one at 30-27. Klineman's seven kills in the opening game paced the team, helping the squad outhit its opponent, .302 to .159
ASU was out of the gates quickly in game two, taking a 5-1 lead early on. This time, it was Waller who stepped up to erase the deficit, as the junior served two aces and five straight points to take the lead back, 8-6. Stanford continued to roll, as Akinradewo, Barboza and Klineman sent down a line of kills to extend the lead to 11-8. The Sun Devils answered with a 6-1 run, prompting another lead change and a 14-12 ASU advantage. The Sun Devils held on until 18-16, but Stanford unloaded another powerful run to take the game. Akinradewo had two kills and a block in a six-point Cardinal onslaught to go up 22-18, and Girard led a 4-0 run a few points later to put Stanford out of reach, 27-20. Waller pounded a ball to give Stanford game point, 29-24, and Klineman popped a kill of the Arizona State block to end the game, 30-24. Barboza notched six kills in the game two win, and Stanford outhit the Sun Devils, .346 to .204.
The first point of game three went in favor of the Sun Devils, but the 1-0 lead would be their last. Waller caught fire, racking up four kills and a block in an 8-1 Stanford run, and Akinradewo capped a 4-0 spurt a few points later with a kill and a block to make it 13-4. Stanford didn't let up, unleashing a 7-1 run that turned the game into a rout. Three Klineman kills led the effort and Stanford went ahead 20-7, but, even then, the Cardinal wasn't finished. After an ASU point, Stanford's hitters continued the rally, using a 6-1 run to make it 26-9. The Cardinal took game point on a Sun Devil attack error at 29-11, and despite a brief comeback attempt by ASU, finished things off at 30-14 with an Akinradewo kill. Led by five kills apiece by Klineman and Waller, the Cardinal outhit Arizona State .593 to .000 in the final game.
Stanford returns to the court tomorrow night for a contest with the Arizona Wildcats at 7 p.m. in Maples Pavilion.