Program-First NCAA Championship VictoryProgram-First NCAA Championship Victory
Justin Tafoya/Clarkson Creative Photography/isiphotos
Beach Volleyball

Program-First NCAA Championship Victory

Box Score

GULF SHORES, Ala. – With the match on the line, freshman duo Kelly Belardi and Ashley Vincent pulled off a come-from-behind three-set victory on court four to help No. 9 Stanford to its first-ever win at an NCAA Championship Friday, upsetting No. 6 GCU 3-2. 

Belardi and Vincent recorded their 28th win as a pair, bettering their own school record for wins in a single season as a duo. The pair handled immense pressure with the team's season on the line and held off a Lopes' duo who battled back multiple times in the third set, including tying the match up at 13-13. 
 



The Cardinal topped No. 6 GCU for the second time in the 2023 campaign and ended the Lopes' season in the first round of the national championship tournament.

Stanford's first match point came on court three, as AVCA Top Flight duo of juniors Emmy Sharp and Kate Reilly swept GCU's pair of Anaya Evans and Cami Sanchez 21-17, 21-17.
 



After the Lopes quickly took a 2-1 dual match lead with wins on courts one and two, the newly minted pair of sophomore Taylor Wilson and freshman Daria Gusarova came back from a first-set defeat to tie the dual match up at 2-2 with a three-set victory over GCU's Dana Roskic and Jessica Drake.
 



The Cardinal now moves on to the quarterfinals, taking on No. 2 TCU at 9 am PT (11 am CT) on ESPN2. 

#9 Stanford 3, #6 Grand Canyon 2
1. A. Hansen/A. Hughes (GCU) def. Xolani Hodel/Maddi Kriz (Stanford) 22-20, 22-20
2. S. Morin/A. Navas (GCU) def. Charlie Ekstrom/Maya Harvey (Stanford) 13-21, 21-13, 15-9
3. Emmy Sharp/Kate Reilly (Stanford) def. A. Evans/C. Sanchez (GCU) 21-17, 21-17
4. Ashley Vincent/Kelly Belardi (Stanford) def. B. Birch/K. Rowan (GCU) 17-21, 21-17, 15-13
5. Taylor Wilson/Daria Gusarova (Stanford) def. D. Roskic/J. Drake (GCU) 19-21, 21-18, 15-13 
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1, 5, 4*