STANFORD, Calif. – No. 13 Stanford lost a pair of duals to No. 1 UCLA and No. 20 Saint Mary's in the finale of the Stanford West Coast Classic Sunday afternoon.
"I'm really happy about the way the players have been flexible, adaptable, and steadfast in developing new partnerships midway through the season," said head Coach Andrew fuller of the Cardinal. "It's a great life lesson, and while we are resolute in our goal of improving on the court over the course of the season, I think our team is seeing the value of mindset shifts outside of just sports."
Stanford played top-ranked UCLA for the third time this season, looking to avenge the two losses to the Bruins to start the season at the Rainbow Wahine Classic in February.
The Bruins outpaced Stanford through the first two sets, earning two points with wins at the Nos. 5 and 2 flights.
The Cardinal showed its resilience at the No. 1 match, where Morgan Hentz and Amelia Smith fought a three-set battle. After dropping the first set 21-11, the duo won the second set 21-19, but ultimately fell in the third 15-8 and UCLA clinched the dual.
Get UP, @catherineraq! ???
— Stanford Beach Volleyball (@StanfordBeachVB) April 8, 2018
Card takes the first set at the three, 21-19.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/46FdM7OkxT
Stanford's No. 3 pairing of Kate Formico and Catherine Raquel earned the lone point for the Cardinal. The couple engaged in a close match with UCLA, taking the match in three sets.
The Cardinal returned to the sand to take on No. 20 Saint Mary's in what would be a close contest.
The Gaels struck first with a three-set win over Stanford's Shannon Richardson/Blake Sharp at the five position.
Stanford responded at the two, where Courtney Bowen and Sunny Villapando earned a point for the Cardinal with a 21-19, 21-18 straight-set match victory.
"Crispyyyyy cutty from Sunny Villapando." - @Camwin11
— Stanford Beach Volleyball (@StanfordBeachVB) April 8, 2018
Couldn't have said it better ourselves.
??: @Pac12Network | #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/3f6tksugOj
After Saint Mary's took the No. 1 flight over Hentz/Smith in straight sets, it was up to the No. 4 pairing of Payton Chang and Caitlin Keefe to keep the Cardinal's hopes alive.
The duo won its first set, 21-19. The pair played strong defense all afternoon, resulting in a 21-14 win in set two.
Payton Chang and Caitlin Keefe win their match to tie it up for @StanfordBeachVB.
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) April 9, 2018
It all comes down to Kate Formico and Catherine Raquel.
Watch: https://t.co/ZhZuI5ezsa pic.twitter.com/AU81oO9nIp
With the match tied at two points apiece, the came down to Formico/Raquel at the three. Saint Mary's took the first set, 21-14. The Cardinal responded well in the second set, owning a 12-9 lead at the first technical break. However, the Gaels made a comeback and later used an 8-0 run to clinch the set, 21-14, and the match, 3-2.
Up next, Stanford heads to Seattle, Washington for the Pac-12 North Invitational. The Cardinal will face Oregon, USC, California and Washington from April 14-15.
Full Results
UCLA 4, Stanford 1
1. McNamara/McNamara (UCLA) def. Hentz/Smith (STAN): 21-11, 19-21, 15-8
2. Justine/Sponcil (UCLA) def. Bowen/Villapando (STAN): 21-8, 21-18
3. Formico/Raquel (STAN) def. May/Simo (UCLA): 21-19, 15-21, 15-12
4. Carey/Muret (UCLA) def. Chang/Keefe (STAN): 21-13, 21-11
5. Yeomans/Zappia (UCLA) def. Richardson/Sharp (STAN): 21-17, 21-10
Exh. Holoroyd/Sanchez (UCLA) def. Anderson/Red-Horse Mohl (STAN): 21-16, 22-20
Saint Mary's 3, Stanford 2
1. Hughes/Rund (SMC) def. Hentz/Smith (STAN): 21-15, 21-17
2. Bowen/Villapando (STAN) def. Bible/L. Knudsen (SMC): 21-19, 21-18
3. Chase/Hernandez (SMC) def. Formico/Raquel (STAN): 21-14, 21-14
4. Chang/Keefe (STAN) def. Calvin/K. Knudsen (SMC): 21-17, 21-14
5. Wilkerson/Young (SMC) def. Richardson/Sharp (STAN): 13-21, 21-18, 18-16
Exh. Laird/Kendrick (SMC) def. Anderson/Red-Horse Mohl (STAN): 21-6, 21-16