STANFORD, Calif. — The final day of the MPSF Mid-Season Rumble featured a lot of drama between top 10 teams late on Saturday afternoon and into the evening. No. 5 Stanford was right in the middle of most of that high-intensity beach volleyball, dropping a close 3-2 decision to No. 3 USC before beating No. 9 California 3-2 in dramatic fashion to secure a split on the day.
In a 3-2 loss to No. 3 USC, the most exciting match came on court four, when Chloe Hoffman and Clara Stowell came from behind to send the second set beyond 21 points, trading points back and forth until eventually claiming a 31-29 set two win. The Trojans wound up taking the third set to take a 2-0 team lead before Daria Gusarova and Emmy Sharp won on court five for the Card’s first point of the afternoon. Closing out the dual, Kelly Belardi and Avery Jackson pulled out a 21-19 and 21-16 win on court three for their fourth win in a row, the longest active streak on the team.
Stanford got on the board first against No. 9 California with a 23-21 and 21-16 win on court two. The opening set saw a dramatic Cardinal comeback, with Charlotta Bell and Taylor Wilson down 20-17 before they scored the next three points to tie it at 20-20 and then scored three of the next four to win. California got the next two team points and seemed positioned to get at least one more on courts five and three, both of which were in a third set.
That’s when Stanford pulled off a dramatic comeback. On court five, it was Daria Gusarova and Emmy Sharp going back and forth to win 19-17 after it went deep into the third set, tying the team score at 2-2. Just moments later on court three, Kelly Belardi and Avery Jackson took control late to win their third set 15-10 and secure a home win for the Cardinal over the Golden Bears.
The Cardinal will remain at home next weekend with four matches beginning on Friday, March 14. Stanford welcomes in Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Utah on Friday before a rematch against Texas A&M Corpus Christi and a dual with Saint Mary’s on Saturday.
No. 3 USC 3, No. 5 Stanford 2
1. Madison White and Zoey Henson (USC) def. Brooke Rockwell and Ruby Sorra (STAN) 21-18, 21-17
2. Ashley Pater and Kennedy Coakley (USC) def. Charlotta Bell and Taylor Wilson (STAN) 21-17, 21-14
3. Kelly Belardi and Avery Jackson (STAN) def. Delaney Karl and Ella Larkin (USC) 21-19, 21-16
4. Madison Goellner and Kaileigh Truslow (USC) def. Chloe Hoffman and Clara Stowell (STAN) 21-19, 29-31, 15-11
5. Daria Gusarova and Emmy Sharp (STAN) def. Mabyn Thomas and Jess Horwath (USC) 21-11, 21-18
6. Indigo Clarke and Logan Tusher (STAN) vs. Grace Hong and Ava Brizard (USC), 21-10, 17-21
Order of finish: 2, 4, 5, 1*, 3
No. 5 Stanford 3, No. 9 California 2
1. Emma Donley and Portia Sherman (CAL) def. Brooke Rockwell and Ruby Sorra (STAN) 21-17, 21-16
2. Charlotta Bell and Taylor Wilson (STAN) def. Sierra Caffo and Gia Fisher (CAL) 23-21, 21-16
3. Kelly Belardi and Avery Jackson (STAN) def. Marilu Pally and Alex Young (CAL) 19-21, 21-12, 15-10
4. Christine DeRoos and Jenna Colligan (CAL) def. Chloe Hoffman and Clara Stowell (STAN) 17-21, 21-15, 11-15
5. Daria Gusarova and Emmy Sharp (STAN) def. Ella Sears and Ella Dreibholz (CAL) 18-21, 21-14, 19-17
6. Sophie Kubiak and Emma Morris (STAN) vs. Mila Vugrincic and Maile Somera (CAL) 21-16, 16-21
Order of finish: 2, 4, 1, 5, 3*