STANFORD, Calif. - Three from Stanford finished with double-digit kills as the No. 1 seed Cardinal rallied from an early first-set deficit to sweep No. 5 seed Houston on Thursday in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament at Maples Pavilion.
The win is the 21st-straight for Stanford and the 135th NCAA Tournament victory for the Cardinal - the most all-time. Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1998, this is the 16th regional final appearance for Stanford but first since 2019.
Feeling elite ??
— espnW (@espnW) December 9, 2022
Stanford is back into the NCAA Regional Final following a three-set win over Houston??
(??: @StanfordWVB) pic.twitter.com/kV9IoB7fmU
Stanford is now 70-8 at Maples Pavilion under Kevin Hambly, the Montag Director of Women's Volleyball, including 15-0 in postseason matches.
It was an inauspicious start for Stanford as the Cougars raced out to a quick lead and seemed well on their way to a 1-0 advantage in the match. Facing as big as an eight-point deficit, down 19-11, the Cardinal rallied for an improbable comeback, going on an 11-3 run to eventually even the set at 22-22 before taking its first lead of the match at 23-22. The Cardinal needed only two set point chances before sealing the win, 26-24.
?????? @KippKendall
— Stanford Women's Volleyball (@StanfordWVB) December 9, 2022
?? » https://t.co/7UNjvaCVEU#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/G7tmzhqkoR
It was much smoother sailing for the top-seeded Card after that, as Stanford grabbed a 10-2 edge in the second set and a 19-10 lead in the third to eventually win both, 25-16 and 25-17, respectively.
Kendall Kipp led the way for the Cardinal with 19 kills, hitting .472, along with six digs and three blocks. Freshman Elia Rubin posted a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs, followed closely by Caitie Baird with 11 kills and seven digs. Defensively, Elena Oglivie led the Cardinal with 15 digs, along with three service aces, and McKenna Vicini's four blocks were a team high.
Another night, another @KippKendall masterclass ?????
— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 9, 2022
Kipp tallied 19 kills on .472 hitting in (1) @StanfordWVB's sweep of (5) Houston.#NCAAWVB pic.twitter.com/hFeyxryC5l
Sami Francis reappeared in the starting lineup for the Cardinal, her first game action since Oct. 23. She finished with three kills and three blocks.
Stanford overcame a .282 hitting percentage in the first set, hitting .424 in each of the two final frames for a match total of .371, holding Houston to .238 hitting. The Cougars were led by nine kills from Isabel Theut and four blocks from Kellen Morin.
Stanford will face the region's No. 2 seed San Diego for the first time in the NCAA Tournament for a chance at the Final Four on Saturday at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.