HONOLULU – Stanford beach volleyball history was made on Queen's Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii Thursday as the No.7 Cardinal downed No. 1 USC, 3-2, for the first time in program history after topping No. 5 LMU, 3-2, on its opening day of play of the 2024 season at the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic.
Sophomore duo Kelly Belardi and Ashley Vincent sealed the win over the No. 1 Women of Troy on court four in extra points, besting USC's Madison White and Gabby Walker 21-16, 15-21, 16-14.
The two top-five upsets Thursday pushed the Cardinal to an early 2-0 start on the 2024 campaign, its second straight season kicked off with two victories.
Thursday began with a 3-2 victory over the LMU Lions, guided by victories on courts two, four and five. Junior Taylor Wilson and Ruby Sorra began the Cardinal's winning ways with a 25-23, 21-9 victory on court two. Vincent and Belardi followed with a 21-15, 21-17 decision on court four to give Stanford an early 2-0 match lead. The Lions came back fighting with wins on court three and a three-set decision on court one to tie the match at 2-2, but a three-set shootout on court five went the Cardinal's way as senior Maya Harvey and freshman Clara Stowell earned the deciding match point with a 21-19, 19-21, 19-17 victory.
Stanford entered the day with an 0-13 all-time ledger against the Women of Troy. It was wins on the same courts as earlier in the day that sealed the deal against the Cardinal's Pac-12 foe, with the first point of the match secured by Harvey and Stowell over USC's Ainsley Radell and Ashley Pater in a 21-17, 21-14 victory on court five. The Women of Troy tied the match up with a two-set victory on court one, and the rest of the match would come down to decisions in the third sets on courts two, three, and four. The Cardinal retook the lead with a win over USC's Audrey Nourse/Nicole Nourse on court two, as Wilson and Sorra topped the 2023 NCAA Championship-clinching pair 21-18, 13-21, 15-8. USC did not back down, capturing a 21-10, 16-21, 15-13 decision on court three to re-tie the match, but Belardi and Vincent outlasted White and Walker to secure the match victory for the Cardinal on court four.
Stanford continues play in Hawaii Friday, taking on No. 9 Hawaii at 11 am and No. 2 UCLA at 1:30 p.m. PT. Live stats for the Cardinal's matchup with the Rainbow Wahine can be found here while live stats for its matchup with the Bruins can be found here.
#7 Stanford 3, #5 Loyola Marymount 2
1. Vilhelmiina Prihti/Michelle Shaffer (LMU) def. Brooke Rockwell/Xolani Hodel (STAN) 21-19, 15-21, 15-13
2. Taylor Wilson/Ruby Sorra (STAN) def. Isabelle Reffel/Abby Thorup (LMU) 25-23, 21-9
3. Anna Pelloia/Jacinda Ramirez (LMU) def. Chloe Hoffman/Kate Reilly (STAN) 21-19, 21-16
4. Ashley Vincent/Kelly Belardi (STAN) def. Chloe Hooker/Jaeya Brach (LMU) 21-15, 21-17
5. Maya Harvey/Clara Stowell (STAN) def. Cassie Chinn/Madi Firnett (LMU) 21-19, 19-21, 19-17
Order of finish: 2, 4, 3, 1, 5*
#7 Stanford 3, #1 USC 2
1. Laynie Maple/Megan Kraft (USC) def. Brooke Rockwell/Xolani Hodel (STAN) 25-23, 21-13
2. Taylor Wilson/Ruby Sorra (STAN) def. Audrey Nourse/Nicole Nourse (USC) 21-18, 13-21, 15-8
3. Grace Seits/Maddi Kriz (USC) def. Chloe Hoffman/Kate Reilly (STAN) 21-10, 16-21, 15-13
4. Kelly Belardi/Ashley Vincent (STAN) def. Madison White/Gabby Walker (USC) 21-16, 15-21, 16-14
5. Maya Harvey/Clara Stowell (STAN) def. Ainsley Radell/Ashley Pater (USC) 21-17, 21-14
Order of finish: 5, 1, 2, 3, 4*