Sept. 16, 2011
STANFORD, Calif. - Sophomore Rachel Williams posted her fifth straight double-double to lead the No. 2 Stanford women's volleyball team to a sweep over visiting Utah, Friday, at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal improves to 7-1 overall and 1-1 in the Pac-12, while the Utes drop to 6-5 and 1-1 in the conference.
Williams, an outside hitter, led all players with 16 kills and 13 digs. Middle blocker Carly Wopat added eight kills on 19 errorless attacks for a .421 hitting percentage. The sophomore also collected four digs and six blocks. Junior setter Karissa Cook controlled the offense with 30 assists while adding five kills and 13 digs for her team-leading sixth double-double. Junior libero Hannah Benjamin also posted 13 digs in the win. As a team, Stanford hit a season-best .333, while holding Utah to a .126 percentage.
After hitting a season-low at Cal on Tuesday, Stanford came out swinging against Utah, capturing the first set 25-19. The Cardinal hit .314 in the set, while holding the Utes to a .136 clip. Stanford capitalized on 12 Utah errors, while committing just six. Williams and Wopat combined for nine of the Cardinal's 13 kills. Cook tallied 11 assists and four digs in the opening set. Utah's Morgan Odale registered five kills and six digs for the Utes.
A 25-18 victory in the second gave the Cardinal the 2-0 lead in the match. Williams led Stanford with five kills, while Wopat chipped in four. Cook added two kills, 10 assists and five digs in the set. As a team, the Cardinal registered a .342 hitting percentage. Chelsey Schofield paced the Utes with four kills.
Stanford completed the sweep with a 25-17 win in the third set. Williams continued to lead the squad with six kills, while redshirt freshman Lydia Bai chipped in with three kills. Benjamin picked up five digs and registered her first career kill in the set. Leading the Utes was Schofield with five kills, while Odale added four kills in the third.
Stanford concludes the weekend against visiting Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 17. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Maples Pavilion.