Dec. 3, 2011
STANFORD, Calif. - The 11th-seeded Stanford women's volleyball team's season came to an end, Saturday, as the Cardinal dropped a 25-20, 17-25, 18-25, 20-25 decision to Michigan in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal finishes the year 22-8 overall, while the Wolverines improve to 22-12.
Sophomore Rachel Williams led the Cardinal with 16 kills, six digs and three blocks. Sophomore middle blocker Carly Wopat added 10 kills and four blocks, while redshirt freshman Lydia Bai had eight kills and two digs. Senior middle blocker Stephanie Browne finished with three kills and five blocks in her final match in a Stanford uniform.
Junior setter Karissa Cook recorded her 20th double-double of the year with 40 assists and 15 digs. Junior libero Hannah Benjamin finished with 19 digs. As a team Stanford hit .228 in the match, while Michigan posted a .291 clip.
The Cardinal and Wolverines battled in the opening set and Stanford came out on top, 25-20. There were nine tie scores and six lead changes in the set in which the Cardinal hit .314 and posted four blocks. Michigan was held to a .158 attack percentage. Williams led Stanford with six kills and a .600 hitting percentage. Junior Hayley Spelman added three kills and two blocks, while Wopat tallied two kills, an ace and a block. Benjamin led the defense with five digs. Michigan senior Alex Hunt led the Wolverines with four kills and three digs.
Michigan tied the match up with a 25-17 win in the second. The Cardinal fell behind early and trailed by as many as nine points. The Wolverines outhit the Cardinal .361 to .184. Bai, Williams and Wopat all recorded three kills to lead Stanford. Cook racked up 11 assists in the second, while Benjamin again anchored the defense with seven digs. Senior Courtney Fletcher and sophomore Jennifer Cross each posted four kills to lead Michigan.
The third set remained close early, but Michigan pulled away down the stretch winning 25-18. The Wolverines continued to hit well offensively, posting a .382 attack percentage in the third. Stanford recorded a .206 hitting percentage, but Williams was limited to just one kill. Cook, Wopat and freshman Morgan Boukather each registered three kills to lead the Cardinal attack. Hunt and senior Claire McElheny each collected five kills to lead the Wolverines.
Michigan won the fourth set, 25-20. The Wolverines capitalized on 11 Stanford errors and held the Cardinal to a .211 hitting percentage. Despite posting four blocks in the set, Stanford had five reception errors in the set. Williams led the team with six kills and two blocks, while Wopat had two kills and two blocks. Hunt finished with 17 kills and 13 digs to lead the Wolverines.
Michigan advances to the Gainesville Regional, held Dec. 9-10, and will face host Florida in the regional semifinals.