STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford plays host to the Stanford Bay Area Kickoff this weekend, opening the team's home slate for the season. The Cardinal welcomes Bay Area teams Saint Mary's, San Francisco, Sacramento State, Santa Clara and Pacific at Stanford Beach Volleyball Stadium this Friday and Saturday.
"We are excited to host this weekend's Bay Area Kickoff," said head coach Andrew Fuller. "As fans across the country can see, parity in beach volleyball is increasing each season, and our venue is a terrific place to see Bay Area schools compete."
STANFORD BAY AREA KICKOFF SCHEDULE
| Date | Time (PT) | Matchup |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, March 2 | 9:00 a.m. | Santa Clara vs. San Francisco (Courts 1 & 2) |
| Friday, March 2 | 9:00 a.m. | Pacific vs. Sacramento State (Courts 3 & 4) |
| Friday, March 2 | Noon | Stanford vs. Saint Mary's (Courts 1 & 2) |
| Friday, March 2 | Noon | Pacific vs. Santa Clara (Courts 3 & 4) |
| Friday, March 2 | 3:00 p.m. | Stanford vs. San Francisco (Courts 1 & 2) |
| Friday, March 2 | 3:00 p.m. | Saint Mary's vs. Sacramento State (Courts 3 & 4) |
| Saturday, March 3 | 9:00 a.m. | Santa Clara vs. Sacramento State (Courts 1 & 2) |
| Saturday, March 3 | 9:00 a.m. | Saint Mary's vs. San Francisco (Courts 3 & 4) |
| Saturday, March 3 | Noon | Stanford vs. Sacramento State (Courts 1 & 2) |
| Saturday, March 3 | Noon | Pacific vs. San Francisco (Courts 3 & 4) |
| Saturday, March 3 | 3:00 p.m. | Stanford vs. Pacific (Courts 1 & 2) |
| Saturday, March 3 | 3:00 p.m. | Saint Mary's vs. Santa Clara (Courts 3 & 4) |
LAST TIME OUT
The Cardinal began its season in Hawai'i at the Rainbow Wahine Classic last weekend, where they played a pair of dual matches against No. 2 Hawai'i and No. 3 UCLA. On the first day of competition, No. 16 Stanford dropped its first match to UCLA, 5-0, and their second to Hawai'i, 4-1. On the second day of action, the Cardinal lost a pair of 3-2 decisions to each opponent. The No. 4 pairing of Courtney Bowen and Kate Formico compiled a 3-1 record to lead the Cardinal.
BEACHBLOG
Throughout the season, Catherine Raquel will write a weekly blog to provide readers with a behind-the-scenes look at the Stanford program. Raquel, the team's lone senior, played in every match last season. She was named Pac-12 all-academic honorable mention in 2017 as a junior.
STANFORD INVITATIONAL
Stanford's home slate continues March 7-10 when it plays host to the Stanford Invitational. The Cardinal welcomes San Jose State, Tulane, Boise State, and Arizona State to Stanford Beach Volleyball Stadium, with the Boise State and Arizona State matches selected to be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks.
STANFORD BEACH VOLLEYBALL STADIUM
The Cardinal's entire home schedule will be played at the Stanford Beach Volleyball Stadium. Opening in 2015, the stadium has four 75-foot long courts, grass berms for seating and is outlined with 10 palm trees to give it a 'beach' feeling, making it the premier collegiate beach venue in the nation.