HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – No. 3 Stanford captured its first-ever conference title on Friday, edging No. 5 USC 3-2 in the MPSF Championship match to win the league’s inaugural tournament at Spiker Beach in Huntington Beach, Calif.
The clinching point came from Stanford’s No. 3 pair, freshman Charlotta Bell and junior Kelly Belardi, who rallied for a come-from-behind win over USC’s Mabyn Thomas and Maya Gessner, 18-21, 21-13, 15-9. Their victory sealed the Cardinal’s historic first conference crown.
With the win, Stanford earned an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Championship, set for May 2–4 in Gulf Shores, Ala.
Now 31-8 on the season, the Cardinal is just one win shy of tying the program’s single-season victory record.
Stanford’s title run was fueled by four straight wins, including three against top-five teams. Throughout the 2025 season, the Cardinal has defeated 18 ranked opponents, 11 of them in the top 10.
The championship dual, played in two waves, opened with a dominant performance on court two. Freshman Avery Jackson and sophomore Brooke Rockwell delivered a 21-13, 21-16 victory, highlighted by Jackson’s six aces across two sets.
USC quickly responded on court four, where the Women of Troy handed Stanford’s Chloe Hoffman and Logan Tusher their first loss as a pair since March 14, winning 21-17, 21-14.
Stanford reclaimed the lead with a straight-set win on court one. Senior Taylor Wilson and sophomore Ruby Sorra earned their 18th win together by defeating USC’s Madison White and Zoey Hensen, 21-18, 21-15.
USC evened the match again on court five, where Daria Gusarova and Emmy Sharp fell 21-15, 21-17.
That set the stage for Bell and Belardi on court three—a role they’ve grown accustomed to. Just a day earlier, the duo had clinched the dual over USC with another three-set victory. Once again, they rose to the occasion, rebounding from a first-set loss to secure the MPSF title.
Stanford now turns its attention to the NCAA tournament, with the selection show airing Sunday at 10 a.m. PT on NCAA.com.