STANFORD, Calif. – No. 7 Stanford opened its 2023 home scheduling with two wins over Portland and Saint Mary's Wednesday at the Beach Volleyball Stadium. With the two victories, head coach Andrew Fuller earned his 99th and 100th career wins as the head coach of the Cardinal.
Stanford kicked off the midday matches with its first sweep win of 2023, topping the Portland Pilots 5-0. Freshman Line Andersson and sophomore Taylor Wilson kicked off the Cardinal's winning ways with a 21-13, 21-11 win on court four, followed by a dominant victory by senior Maddi Kriz and junior Maya Harvey on court two, 21-3, 21-17. Fifth-year Charlie Ekstrom and Kate Reilly secured the dual match win with a 21-17, 21-7 win on court one. Freshman duo Kelly Belardi and Ashley Vincent moved to court three for the matchup with the Pilots but continued their previous unbeaten streak and earned a 21-12, 21-15 victory. The new pairing of junior Ellie Gamberdella and senior Kylee Matheson won their first match of the season, marking a 21-19, 21-16 win on court five.
The Cardinal then took on the Gaels for the third time this season, topping their Bay Area foe 4-1 for Fuller's 100th career victory. Graduate student Kate Bierly and sophomore Serena Turner earned the winning match point of the dual, earning a 21-13, 21-16 victory on court five to mark Bierly's first win in a Cardinal uniform (transferred from California). Saint Mary's recorded its lone point of the match with a win on court two, but Stanford's stellar freshman Belardi and Vincent fired back with their eighth consecutive victory as a pairing on court four to tie the match up at one point a piece. After SMC earned the first point of the match, Stanford rattled off four consecutive victories on courts one, three, four, and five to earn the win.
Stanford now travels to Los Angeles to compete in the Pac-12 South Beach Invitational. The Cardinal will meet No. 16 Washington, No. 4 USC, RV Arizona State, and Utah March 4-5 with the first two of its matches televised by the Pac-12 Networks.
#7 Stanford 5, Portland 0
1. Charlie Ekstrom and Kate Reilly (STANFORD) def. Jayde Harris and Grace Zilbert (PORT) 21-17, 21-7
2. Maya Harvey and Maddi Kriz (STANFORD) def. Annika Stammberger and Noelani Helm (PORT) 21-3, 21-17
3. Kelly Belardi and Ashley Vincent (STANFORD) def. Taylor Helle and Brodie Baker (PORT) 21-12, 21-15
4. Line Andersson and Taylor Wilson (STANFORD) def. Elin Larsson and Sophie Lee (PORT) 21-13, 21-11
5. Ellie Gamberdella and Kylee Matheson (STANFORD) def. Charity Bradley and Keilani Mumolo (PORT) 21-19, 21-16
Order of finish: 2, 4, 1*, 5, 3
#7 Stanford 4, Saint Mary's 1
1. Charlie Ekstrom and Kate Reilly (STAN ) def. Paola Peralta and Genevieve Bane (SMC) 21-15 21-8
2. Hawley Harrer and Daniella Kensinger (SMC) def. Maya Harvey and Maddi Kriz (STAN ) 21-19 21-15
3. Xolani Hodel and Taylor Wilson (STAN ) def. Karmin Brown and Hannah Couch (SMC) 21-15 17-21 15-12
4. Kelly Belardi and Ashley Vincent (STAN ) def. Allie Cataldo and Sadie Shipman (SMC) 21-17 21-15
5. Kate Bierly and Serena Turner (STAN ) def. Megan Chandler and Hailee Garcia (SMC) 21-13 21-16
Order of finish: 2, 4, 1, 5*, 3,