STANFORD, Calif. – In an almost perfect offensive outing, the eighth-ranked Stanford women’s volleyball team downed Cal Poly (25-12, 25-10, 25-19), Wednesday, at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif. The Cardinal moves to 6-2 on the season, while the Mustangs fell to 4-6 overall.
Stanford went two full sets without a hitting error, ultimately collecting four in the third set to finish with a .453 attack percentage. Cal Poly was held to a .054 hitting percentage, committing 21 attack errors. The Cardinal also posted 11 blocks in the match to just one by the Mustangs.
Sophomores Jordan Burgess and Inky Ajanaku led the team with eight kills apiece. Burgess added four digs, two blocks and two aces, while Ajanaku posted a season-high six blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Brittany Howard finished with six kills and three digs, while senior middle blocker Carly Wopat had six kills and three blocks.
Sophomore setter Madi Bugg guided the offense with 23 assists and was one dig short of a double-double. She also added two blocks, a kill and a season-high three service aces. Junior libero Kyle Gilbert finished with nine digs and a season-best five assists.
Stanford jumped out to an early lead against Cal Poly and captured the opening set 25-12. The Cardinal played flawlessly on offense, hitting .519 with 14 kills on 27 swings with no errors. Cal Poly hit -.031 (7-8-32). Burgess led Stanford with seven kills and three digs, while Howard added four kills and a solo block. Megan McConnell and Chelsea Hardin tallied three kills apiece to lead Cal Poly.
The Cardinal continued to roll in the second set with a 25-10 victory. Stanford was again errorless in the set, posting 10 kills on 16 attempts for a .625 hitting percentage. Senior Rachel Williams and Wopat led the team with three kills each. Bugg added five assists and five digs in the second, while freshman setter Kelsey Humphreys collected three assists. Junior Lydia Bai chipped in with a kill and two blocks.
Stanford completed the sweep with a 25-19 win in the third. The Cardinal hit .312 as a team, finally committing an attack error. The Mustang hit a match-high .226 in the third. Ajanaku registered all of her eight kills in the third set to lead the Cardinal. Junior Morgan Boukather and sophomore Megan McGehee added two kills each, while Burgess put down two aces. McConnell tallied six kills in the set to lead Cal Poly.
Stanford will play its final non-conference match on Friday, Sept. 20 against visiting Saint Mary’s. First serve between the Cardinal and Gaels is set for 7 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks.