STANFORD, Calif. – No. 8 Stanford finished the regular season with a 3-1 showing at the Stanford Invitational, splitting Sunday's efforts with a 4-1 loss to No. 7 Grand Canyon and a 5-0 sweep of Saint Mary's. The Cardinal's 2022 regular season will go down in history as Stanford's best, as the team tied the program's most wins in a single season (23) with its victory over the Gaels.
With sophomores Xolani Hodel and Kate Reilly's two victories on Sunday, Reilly set a new program record for most wins in a single season by an individual, with 24 so far this season. The previous record of 23 wins was held by Sunny Villapando and Courtney Bowen, who both achieved their historic marks during the 2018 season.
The Cardinal kicked off its action Sunday with a battle against the 'Lopes of Grand Canyon University, falling to the No. 7 team in the nation 4-1 to open up senior-day action. After all five pairs lost their first sets, Stanford's ones and threes each fought back from their defeats, with both Hodel and Reilly and sophomore Emmy Sharp and freshman Taylor Wilson posting 21-14 victories in set two. Hodel and Reilly collected Stanford's lone point of the match with a 15-13 win in set three on court one.
After celebrating its seniors in a pre-match ceremony, the Cardinal's seniors came out firing on all ends to earn the win over Saint Mary's. Senior Charlie Ekstrom and junior Maddi Kriz held off a Gaels' comeback attempt on court one, winning 21-17, 14-21, 19-17, while senior Maddie Dailey and sophomore Maya Harvey came back from a first-set defeat to win in three. After the first flight of play, the Cardinal was up 2-0. Senior Jordan McKinney and partner freshman Emma Morris sealed the match for Stanford with a 21-15, 21-12 win on court five.
The Cardinal sits with a 23-9 record to cap off the regular season. Stanford now awaits its seeding for the 2022 Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship, slated for April 27-29 at Bear Down Beach in Tucson, Ariz.
#7 GCU 4, #8 Stanford 1
#1 Xolani Hodel/Kate Reilly (STAN) def. Anaya Evans/Jessica Vastine (GCU) 10-21, 21-14, 15-13
#2 Alli Hansen/Allanis Navas-Sanchez (GCU) def. Charlie Ekstrom/Maddi Kriz (STAN) 21-14, 21-13
#3 Teagan DeFalco/Samaya Morin (GCU) def. Emmy Sharp/Taylor Wilson (STAN) 21-14, 17-21, 15-12
#4 Abbie Hughes/Krista Rowan (GCU) def. Maddie Dailey/Maya Harvey (STAN) 21-16, 21-16
#5 Cami Sanchez/Dana Roskic (GCU) def. Emma Morris/Jordan McKinney (STAN) 21-15, 25-23
Order of finish: 2, 4, 5*, 1, 3
#8 Stanford 5, Saint Mary's 0
#1 Xolani Hodel/Kate Reilly (STAN) def. Chandler Cowell/Selbie Christensen (SMC) 21-10, 21-12
#2 Charlie Ekstrom/Maddi Kriz (STAN) def. Jasmin Suarez/Boo Laird (SMC) 21-17, 14-21, 19-17
#3 Emmy Sharp/Taylor Wilson (STAN) def. Makenna Joyce/Karmin Brown (SMC) 22-20, 20-22, 15-10
#4 Maddie Dailey/Maya Harvey (STAN) def. Aeriel Sundt/Hawley Harrer (SMC) 17-21, 21-18, 15-13
#5 Emma Morris/Jordan McKinney (STAN) def. Ella Sandt/Genevieve Bane (SMC) 21-15, 21-12
Order of finish: 4, 2, 5*, 1, 3