HONOLULU- The Cardinal finished its first road trip of the 2022 season Saturday, marking a win over Saint Mary's but falling to No. 10 Hawai'i in the semifinals. Stanford leaves the Aloha State with two wins and two losses.
Stanford's 5-0 victory over Saint Mary's was the Cardinal's first sweep of the season. Freshmen Emma Morris and Taylor Wilson started the match off with a 23-21, 21-11 win on Court 4, followed by a three-set victory from senior Charlie Ekstrom and sophomore Kate Reilly at the No. 2 spot. Senior Jordan McKinney and Serena Turner clinched the match with a 21-7, 21-13 win at the No. 5 flight. The win over the Gaels marked the program's 100th win, a mark reached in Stanford's 10th season of hosting a varsity beach volleyball team.
The Cardinal fell just shy of a win in its rematch with the Rainbow Wahine. UH took a 2-0 lead with wins on Court 2 and 4, but the Cardinal stormed back with a victory at the No. 5 spot led by Morris and Wilson. With the match on the line, sophomore Xolani Hodel and junior Maddi Kriz on court one and sophomores Emmy Sharp and Maya Harvey on court three pushed their contests to three sets. Sharp and Harvey fought through their third set but were tripped up by the Rainbow Wahine, falling 15-12 to give Hawai'i the win.
The pairs of Ekstrom and Reilly, Hodel and Kriz, and Wilson and Morris return to The Farm with a 3-1 record after their first taste of action in 2022. Stanford's other pairs leave the Aloha State with a combined record of 3-5.
Stanford returns to the Lower 48 with a busy schedule ahead, highlighted by four matches in Southern California March 5-6.
No. 7 Stanford 5, Saint Mary's 0
#1 Xolani Hodel/Maddi Kriz (STAN) def. Jasmin Suarez/Jennifer Laird (SMC) 21-11, 21-10
#2 Charlie Ekstrom/Kate Reilly (STAN) def. Chandler Cowell/Selbie Christensen (SMC) 21-19, 20-22, 15-3
#3 Emmy Sharp/Maya Harvey (STAN) def. Makenna Joyce/Karmin Brown (SMC) 19-21, 21-17, 15-11
#4 Emma Morris/Taylor Wilson (STAN) def. Aeriel Sundt/Trinity Durfee (SMC) 23-21, 21-11
#5 Jordan McKinney/Serena Turner (STAN) def. Megan Chandler/Kristen Erland (SMC) 21-7, 21-13
Order of Finish: 4, 2, 5*, 1, 3
No. 10 Hawai'i 3, No. 7 Stanford 2
#1 Maddi Kriz/Xolani Hodel (STAN) def. Brooke Van Sickle/Kaylee Glagau (UH) 19-21, 21-13, 15-11
#2 Kylin Loker/Riley Wagoner (UH) def. Charlie Ekstrom/Kate Reilly (STAN) 21-19, 21-17
#3 Jaime Santer/Megan Widener (UH) def. Emmy Sharp/Maya Harvey (STAN) 21-17, 17-21, 15-12
#4 sarah Penner/Ilihia Huddleston (UH) def. Maddie Dailey/Camdyn Doucet (STAN) 19-21, 21-12, 15-13
#5 Taylor Wilson/Emma Morris (STAN) def. Amirah Ali/Lea Kruse (UH) 21-14, 21-9
Order of Finish: 2, 4, 5, 3*, 1