STANFORD, Calif. – Four Cardinal players registered double-digit kills as the third-ranked Stanford women’s volleyball team defeat rival California, 25-16, 22-25, 25-17, 25-21, Friday, on Senior Night at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif. The Cardinal finishes the regular season 24-5 overall and in second place in the Pac-12 with a 17-3 record. Cal drops to 17-12 and ends Pac-12 play 10-10.
Stanford’s four seniors, Lydia Bai, Mary Ellen Luck, Rachel Williams and Carly Wopat, who were playing in their final regular season match at Maples Pavilion, were honored in a ceremony prior to the start of the match. The Cardinal improved to 28-1 at home since the start of the 2012 season, and is on a season-best nine match winning streak.
Stanford, which won its fourth consecutive match against Cal, hit .380 as a team and recorded nine team blocks. Cal finished with a .203 hitting percentage and six blocks.
Sophomore setter Madi Bugg controlled the offense with 60 assists, one shy of her career high, adding six digs and a season-high tying three aces. Sophomore outside hitter Jordan Burgess tied her career high with 19 kills to lead all players, including the her 600th career kill. She also registered 10 digs for her fifth double-double of the season.
Williams, who leads the Cardinal with 10 double-doubles, tallied 15 kills on 34 attempts with just one error to hit .412, while also collecting 11 digs. Sophomore middle blocker Inky Ajanaku finished with 15 kills on a .417 hitting percentage and three blocks, while sophomore outside hitter Brittany Howard added 11 kills and 11 digs for her seventh double-double of the year.
Wopat recorded nine kills and a match-high six blocks in the win. Junior libero Kyle Gilbert racked up a match-best 24 digs. She has now recorded double-digit digs in 27 of the team’s 29 matches this season.
Junior Christina Higgins led Cal with 18 kills and two blocks, while sophomore Lara Vukasovic finished with 12 kills and three blocks.
Stanford now awaits its postseason fate as the NCAA selection show will air on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. PT on ESPNU. Should the Cardinal host the first and second rounds, they would be played on Thursday, Dec. 5 and Friday, Dec. 6, respectively. The Cardinal is one of just two teams in the nation to have appeared in all 32 NCAA Tournaments.