THIS WEEK: The No. 14 Stanford women's volleyball team (11-5, 5-3 Pac-12) travels to Los Angeles this week, taking on No. 15 UCLA (14-4, 5-3 Pac-12) on Friday, Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. and No. 25 USC (13-6, 5-3 Pac-12) on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 2 p.m.
CATCH THE CARDINAL: Live stats for the matches can be found on the women's volleyball schedule page on GoStanford.com. Friday's match will be televised on Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Bay Area, and Pac-12 Los Angeles while Sunday's match will air on ESPNU.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook.com/StanfordWVB
Twitter: @StanfordWVB
Instagram: @stanfordwvb
Snapchat: StanfordWVB
SCOUTING UCLA: UCLA enters the week with a 14-4 overall record and in a seven-way tie for second place in the Pac-12 at 5-3. The Bruins pace the Pac-12 in digs (18.38) and rank second in kills (14.37), assists (13.47) and opponent hitting percentage (.155). A veteran squad, UCLA is led by senior outside hitter Jordan Anderson, who is 10th in the conference in kills per set (3.21). Junior outside hitter Reily Buechler is also averaging 3.21 kills per set and 2.41 digs per set. Bruin middle blockers, seniors Claire Felix and Jennie Frager, rank seventh (.361) and eighth (.353), respectively, in hitting percentage. Senior libero Taylor Formico anchors the defense with 5.06 digs per set, good for second in the conference.
THE SERIES WITH THE BRUINS: Stanford has won seven consecutive matches against UCLA, dating back to 2012. The Cardinal holds a 48-35 lead in the all-time series. Stanford defeated UCLA in five sets in Los Angeles in the only meeting in 2015.
SCOUTING USC: The Trojans are 13-6 overall, having won five of their last six, and also in a seven-way tie for second place in the conference at 5-3. USC is second in the Pac-12 in digs (16.32) and fourth in kills (14.07) and assists (13.10). Freshman Khalia Lanier leads the Trojans and is fourth in the conference with 4.01 kills and 4.52 points per set. Senior Elise Ruddins leads the Pac-12 with a .470 attack percentage, while senior libero Taylor Whittingham is third with 5.05 digs per set.
THE SERIES WITH THE TROJANS: Stanford 59-24 overall against USC. The Trojans outlasted the Cardinal in five sets in Maples Pavilion in 2015, the only meeting between the teams in 2015.
LAST TIME OUT: Stanford split its matches last week at home, falling to Arizona in four before sweeping Arizona State. It marked the first three-set win at home this season for the Cardinal. Redshirt senior Inky Ajanaku led the team with a .543 attack percentage in the two matches, notching 20 kills on 35 swings with just one error. Stanford utilized a 5-1 for the first time this season, beginning in the third set against Arizona. Freshman Jenna Gray controlled the offense, averaging 10.14 assists per set in the two matches.
?? @CardinalChannel highlights from the sweep over ASU » pic.twitter.com/yuOYfsOJt5
— Stanford Volleyball (@StanfordWVB) October 16, 2016
NATIONAL POLL: Stanford dropped to No. 14 in the AVCA top 25 this week, its lowest mark of the season. Nebraska regained the top spot, followed by Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and San Diego. Seven Pac-12 squads are ranked in the top 25, including No. 7 Washington, No. 15 UCLA, No. 18 Washington State, No. 20 Utah, No. 23 Oregon and No. 25 USC.
IN THE NATION: Stanford leads the country with 3.42 blocks per set, thanks in large part to Inky Ajanaku and Audriana Fitzmorris. Ajanaku (1.55 bps) is second in the Pac-12 and is sixth in the nation, while Fitzmorris (1.46) is fourth in the conference and 16th in the country.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Redshirt senior Inky Ajanaku began her final season on The Farm ranked ninth in program history in total blocks (435). She is currently in fifth place with 536, passing Jennifer Detmer (1997-00), Jenn Harvey (2000-03), Laura Olesen (1985-89) and Kerri Walsh (1996-99). Ajanaku's 1.29 career average is the seventh-best mark in school history.
BY THE NUMBERS: 2015 marked Stanford's 35th consecutive NCAA postseason appearance. The Cardinal is one of only two programs in the nation to have appeared in every NCAA Tournament since the NCAA Championship began in 1981 (Penn State is the other). Stanford has won more NCAA Tournament matches (109), made more Final Four appearances (19) and been in the national championship match (14) more times than any other program in the nation.
TOP OF HER CLASS: Redshirt senior Inky Ajanaku is one of 30 candidates in the nation for the Senior CLASS Award. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their athletic platforms to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
??? @ajana_WHO is a @SnrCLASSAward candidate #GoStanford https://t.co/8F9xpIW6F8
— Stanford Volleyball (@StanfordWVB) October 14, 2016
FAMILIAR FACE: Former Cardinal All-American and U.S. National Team member Cassidy Lichtman joined the coaching staff as an assistant in June. She was a member of four Pac-10 championship teams from (2007-10), reaching the NCAA finals twice (2007, 2008). A versatile athlete, Lichtman played multiple positions during her career (setter, outside hitter, opposite and defensive specialist), racking up 51 career double-doubles, including 14 triple-doubles.
PAC-12 CONFERENCE FINISHES: The Cardinal finished third in the Pac-12 for the first time in program history in 2015. It marked the 28th top-3 standing in conference play in the past 30 seasons. Stanford has won 16 conference championships in the Pac-10/12 era, and 19 overall in program history. Stanford has claimed seven of the past 10 Pac-12 titles and eight overall under head coach John Dunning.
HEAD COACH JOHN DUNNING: Head coach John Dunning is one of the most accomplished and decorated coaches in the collegiate volleyball world. Dunning has four national championships under his belt, has taken teams to 10 Final Fours and carried six of his 15 Stanford teams to the national title match.
DUNNING BY THE NUMBERS: In 31-plus years as a head coach, John Dunning is 872-183 (.827), giving him a winning percentage that ranks among the top 5 all-time for Division I coaches. He is 435-81 in his 16 seasons on The Farm, leading all active coaches in the conference by winning percentage (.843).