No. 3 Stanford Earns Fourth Consecutive Bid to NCAA ChampionshipNo. 3 Stanford Earns Fourth Consecutive Bid to NCAA Championship
Beach Volleyball

No. 3 Stanford Earns Fourth Consecutive Bid to NCAA Championship

Notables

  • No. 3 Stanford heads to the 2024 NCAA Championship for the fourth consecutive season Friday, this time with its highest-ever seed. The No. 3-seed Cardinal is slated to take on No. 14-seed Georgia State in the first round of competition May 3 at 1 p.m. PT (3 p.m. CT) on ESPNU. 
  • Stanford found out Sunday morning its fate as one of eight at-large bids to the national championship tournament during the NCAA Selection Show on NCAA.com. The Cardinal earned the second-highest at-large bid (UCLA, No. 2 seed) and was seeded above eight of the nine automatic qualifiers. 
  • Stanford enters the national championship tournament off of its second consecutive top-three finish at the Pac-12 Championship April 24-26, falling to No. 2-seed UCLA in the winners bracket April 25 and eventual winner and No. 1-seed USC April 26 in the contenders bracket final. 
  • The Cardinal entered the postseason on a 10 dual-match win streak, its second 10-match win streak of the 2024 season. With its win over Arizona State April 25, the streak extended to 11, matching its second-best win streak in program history. 
  • The Cardinal set a new program record for wins in a single season with its victory over No. 12 Washington April 26, tabbing its 30th win of the year. Stanford topped its record set just one season ago of 29 wins, with its 29th win coming at the NCAA Championships over Grand Canyon, its first-ever victory at the national championship tournament. 
  • Stanford’s 28-3 record was its best entering the postseason in program history-- its most wins and fewest losses.
  • The Cardinal is the only team in the nation to have beat both No. 1 USC and No. 2 UCLA this season.  
  • The Cardinal’s four wins to close out the regular season at Stanford Beach Volleyball Stadium solidified an undefeated season at home for just the second time in program history, and the first time since 2013 (the team’s inaugural season).  
  • Kate Reilly and Clara Stowell came back from a 22-24 defeat in its first set against Josie Ulrich and Scarlett Dahl April 19 at home to top the Washington duo in a third set, 39-37. It is believed to be the longest third set in NCAA Beach Volleyball history.
  • Out of Stanford’s five pairs, two are made up of one senior member and one freshman member-- the ones pair (Xolani Hodel- senior, Brooke Rockwell- freshman) and fours pair (Kate Reilly- senior, Clara Stowell- freshman). All five of Stanford’s pairs include at least one underclassmen member, and every pair put on the court this season by head coach Andrew Fuller has included a member that is in their first or second athletic year of eligibility.