Nov. 5, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY - Sophomores Rachel Williams and Carly Wopat led the third-ranked Stanford women's volleyball team to a 25-18, 25-22, 25-18 sweep at Utah, Saturday, at Crimson Court in Salt Lake City. Stanford moves to 19-4 overall and 13-4 in the Pac-12, while Utah drops to 9-17 on the year and 4-13 in the conference.
Williams finished with 12 kills, nine digs and three blocks to lead the Cardinal. Wopat recorded 10 kills on 18 swings with just one error for a .500 attack percentage. Wopat also recorded six blocks and three digs. Redshirt freshman Lydia Bai chipped in with nine kills, three blocks and three digs. Junior setter Karissa Cook posted her 14th double-double of the season with 36 assists and 14 digs. Junior libero Hannah Benjamin finished with 11 digs to lead the defense.
Stanford opened the match with a 25-18 win in the first set. The Cardinal hit .206 in the set, while holding the Utes to a .139 clip. Wopat led the team with four kills, while Bai and junior Hayley Spelman each tallied three. Defensively, Benjamin and sophomore Mary Ellen Luck each recorded five digs for the Cardinal. Utah out blocked Stanford, 5-3. Freshman Shelby Dalton led Utah with three kills and two blocks.
The Cardinal held on to edge the Utes, 25-22, in the second set. Stanford led throughout most of the set, but allowed Utah to make a run down the stretch to keep it close. Stanford hit better in the second with a .270 attack percentage. Utah registered a .250 hitting percentage in the set. The Utes continued to block well, posting 3.5 blocks , while Stanford registered two blocks in the set. Williams led the team with seven kills and four digs in the second. Bai and Wopat each chipped in with four kills apiece. Cook anchored the defense with five digs and a block. Utah's Morgan Odale led the Utes with four kills and three digs.
Stanford completed the sweep with a 25-18 win in the third set. Stanford hit .225, while forcing Utah to hit a negative .023 percentage. The Cardinal posted six blocks in the set, led by Wopat's four. Freshman Morgan Boukather entered the match in the third and recorded four kills and two blocks. Williams added three kills, while Bai and Wopat each pitched in with two kills. Utah's Chelsey Schofield finished with eight kills, eight digs and two blocks to lead the Utes.
Stanford remains on the road next weekend as it travels to the Pacific Northwest. The Cardinal will face the Washington Huskies on Friday, Nov. 11 in Seattle and the Washington State Cougars on Sunday, Nov. 13 in Pullman, Wash.