STANFORD, Calif. – The Stanford sand volleyball team edged Santa Clara, 3-2, Thursday, at the Stanford Sand Volleyball Stadium in Stanford, Calif. The Cardinal moves to 10-4 on the season, while the Broncos fall to 7-7.
Stanford moves to 6-1 all-time against Santa Clara in sand volleyball.
Santa Clara took an early 1-0 lead as Katrina Inch and Sarah Vaccaro defeated sophomore Kelsey Humphreys and freshman Catherine Raquel in the No. 4 spot. The pair drop to 5-7 on the year.
Stanford junior Inky Ajanaku and sophomore Grace Kennedy evened the match with a 21-12, 19-21, 15-5 decision in the No. 5 spot. Ajanaku finished off the third set with an emphatic kill as the pair moved to 7-5 overall.
The Broncos pulled ahead 2-1 after their top pair, Nikki Hess and Danielle Rottman, defeated senior Lauren Birks and junior Brittany Howard, 21-11, 25-23. Birks and Howard fall to 12-7 on the season. Stanford’s No. 3 pair, junior Jordan Burgess and redshirt freshman Merete Lutz, evened the match with a 21-18, 21-15 win over GiGi Cresto and Mary Shepherd. The pair improves to 10-4 overall.
Stanford junior Madi Bugg and redshirt freshman Ivana Vanjak clinched the win with a 24-22, 18-21, 15-13 hard-fought win over Sabrina Clayton and Kirsten Mead. Bugg and Vanjak move to 12-5 on the year.
Stanford caps off the 2015 season on the road at California on Sunday, April 26. Play begins at 3:30 p.m. PT in Berkeley, California.
Stanford 3, Santa Clara 2
1) Nikki Hess/Danielle Rottman (SCU) def. Lauren Birks/Brittany Howard (STAN), 21-11, 25-23
2) Madi Bugg/Ivana Vanjak (STAN) def. Sabrina Clayton/Kirsten Mead (SCU), 24-22, 18-21, 15-13
3) Jordan Burgess/Merete Lutz (STAN) def. GiGi Cresto/Mary Shepherd (SCU), 21-18, 21-15
4) Katrina Inch/Sarah Vaccaro (SCU) def. Kelsey Humphreys/Catherine/Raquel (STAN), 21-16, 21-16
5) Inky Ajanaku/Grace Kennedy (STAN) def. Lacey Maas/Gianna Ruggeroli (SCU), 21-12, 19-21, 15-5
Exh. Sarah Benjamin/Karina Robinson (STAN-set 1)/Sidney Brown/Dana Ritchie (STAN-set2) def. Natasha Calkins/Claire Healey (SCU), 21-10, 21-11