STANFORD, Calif. - No. 2 Stanford begins its title defense Friday on the road at Long Beach State. The Cardinal will also face Iowa and Wright State at the LBSU Invitational at Walter Pyramid.
The Cardinal returns five starters from last season's NCAA championship squad. The best blocking team in the nation in 2016 at 3.36 per set, Stanford should again present a physical presence at the net. Fifth-year opposite Merete Lutz, a three-time All-American, is the lone senior on the roster. Converted outside hitter Kathryn Plummer, the AVCA National Freshman of the Year, middle blocker Audriana Fitzmorris, libero Morgan Hentz and setter Jenna Gray will all be back in the lineup to start their sophomore seasons.
Picked to finished second in the Pac-12 by the league coaches, Stanford was the only school with four players on the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team (Lutz, Plummer, Fitzmorris and Hentz).
Both Stanford and Long Beach State are under new leadership in 2017 after the Cardinal's John Dunning and the 49ers' Brian Gimmillaro announced their respective retirements after both spending 32 years in the business.
Stanford will be directed by Kevin Hambly, who spent eight seasons as the head coach at Illinois. Hambly led the Illini to six NCAA regional appearances and the 2011 national title match, while compiling a 178-86 overall record while in Champaign. Former LBSU setter Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer has returned to her alma mater as head coach, and is joined by her husband, associate head coach Matt Fuerbringer, who was a four-time All-American at Stanford and led the Cardinal men's team to its first national title in 1997.
The Cardinal is 15-2 all-time against Long Beach State and last made a trip to the Pyramid in 2007. Saturday will be the first meeting between Stanford and Iowa and Stanford and Wright State.
Friday's match will be streamed live for free by BigWest.TV. All three of Stanford's opening weekend matches will also be broadcast on KZSU radio.
