STANFORD, Calif. – No. 8 Stanford swept UC Merced, 25-19, 25-19, 25-22, Friday, at Burnham Pavilion.
Stanford (7-5) hit .280 as a team while holding UC Merced (2-8) to a .126 clip.
Making their first collegiate starts for the Cardinal were sophomores Ignacio Brito and Carson Kneisl and freshman Ryan Gant.
Brito and Kneisl combined for 22 of Stanford’s 33 kills. Brito also recorded five digs and an ace, while Kneisl was in on all four of the Cardinal’s blocks.
Gant finished with 23 assists, three kills and a match-high eight digs. Freshman Kai Schmitt started his second match at libero, collecting seven digs and five assists.
Freshman David Wolff started his third consecutive match at outside hitter, totaling three kills, three digs and an ace. Junior middle blocker Luke McFall added three kills on .375 hitting and two blocks, while sophomore Gray Mandelbaum had two kills, two digs, a block and an assist.
Stanford is back in action on Saturday, hosting No. 14 UC San Diego at 6 p.m. in Burnham Pavilion.