HONOLULU – Led by milestone victories for fifth-year Charlie Ekstrom and senior Maddi Kriz, No. 7/9 Stanford started off its season with two wins, topping Stephen F. Austin, 4-1, and No. 9/10 Hawai'i, 3-2, at the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic.
The Cardinal started the day with a 4-1 victory over first-time opponent Stephen F. Austin, with all four match points coming from straight-set wins. Kriz and partner junior Maya Harvey started off Stanford's winning ways with a 21-12, 21-7 victory on court two, marking Kriz's 50th career victory in a Cardinal uniform. Freshman duo Ashley Vincent and Kelly Belardi earned their first collegiate victory with a 21-14, 21-12 win on court three, while Ekstrom and partner junior Kate Reilly sealed the deal with a 21-12, 21-17 triumph on court one. Ekstrom notched her 60th career victory, tied for second-most by any Cardinal player in program history. Also recording her first career victory was freshman Sophie Kubiak, who alongside junior Emmy Sharp captured a 21-18, 21-16 win on court five.
Stanford then fought to the wire with No. 9/10 Hawai'i, earning its first top-10 victory of the season on its opponent's home beach. Ekstrom and Reilly finished the day 2-0 on court one, topping Santer/Van Sickle 22-20, 21-12, while freshman Vincent and Belardi followed suit on court four with a 21-19, 21-14 victory over Kruse/Russo. With the victory, Ekstrom now holds sole possession of the second-most wins by an individual in Stanford Beach Volleyball history. Sophomores Emma Morris and Taylor Wilson sealed the victory for the Cardinal, fighting off a UH comeback attempt to win 21-14, 16-21, 15-12 on court three.
The Cardinal continues action in Hawai'i tomorrow, meeting No. 1/1 UCLA and local foe Saint Mary's College of California at Queen's Beach. Action against the Bruins is set for 12:15 p.m. PT, while Stanford's meeting with the Gaels is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT. Live scoring will be available for both games.
#7/9 Stanford 4, Stephen F. Austin 1
1. Charlie Ekstrom/Kate Reilly (STAN) def. Madison Hall/Madison Morrow (SFA) 21-12, 21-17
2. Maya Harvey/Maddi Kriz (STAN) def. Natalie Bennett/Lizzie Denyer (SFA) 21-12, 21-7
3. Hannah Ogden/Olivia Duhon (SFA) def. Emma Morris/Taylor Wilson (STAN) 22-20, 19-21, 15-11
4. Ashley Vincent/Kelly Belardi (STAN) def. Kelly Johnson/Chloe Culver (SFA) 21-14, 21-12
5. Sophie Kubiak/Emmy Sharp (STAN) def. Toby Sherman/Rylee Erwin (SFA) 21-18, 21-16
Order of finish: 2, 4, 1*, 5, 3
#7/9 Stanford 3, #9/10 Hawai'i 2
1. Charlie Ekstrom/Kate Reilly (STAN) def. Jaime Santer/Brooke Van Sickle (UH) 22-20, 21-12
2. Kylin Loker/Riley Wagoner (UH) def. Maya Harvey/Maddi Kriz (STAN) 22-20, 21-19
3. Emma Morris/Taylor Wilson (STAN) def. Kaylee Glagau/Caprice Lorenzo (UH) 21-14, 16-21, 15-12
4. Ashley Vincent/Kelly Belardi (STAN) def. Lea Kruse/Sofia Russo (UH) 21-19, 21-14
5. Ilihia Huddleston/Sophie Buschmann (UH) def. Sophie Kubiak/Daria Gusarova (STAN) 21-15, 21-16
Order of finish: 4, 5, 1, 2, 3*