STANFORD, Calif. -- The 13th season of Stanford beach volleyball continued to write new pages in the history books as the program secured its first-ever conference title in its inaugural season as a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) while matching the program’s single-season wins record and taking down two No. 1s in the process.
Stanford started the year with a bang by taking down then-No. 1 USC at the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic, the second consecutive season earning a top-ranked upset at the annual tournament in Honolulu, Hawai’i. The Cardinal’s win over the Women of Troy was the first of four victories throughout the 2025 campaign, quadrupling its previous win total over its MPSF foe.
The Cardinal captured 19 top-20 ranked wins throughout the 2025 season, including victories over two then No. 1-ranked teams (USC (Feb. 21), UCLA (April 24)) and an upset of then-No. 3 Cal Poly (April 11).
Stanford’s success in the regular season included a 15-2 record at Stanford Beach Volleyball Stadium, the most home wins in a regular season in program history. The Cardinal secured three ranked wins at home, including a senior day victory over No. 9 California (April 18) and a sweep of No. 19 Washington (April 19). With a 2-0 record over the Golden Bears throughout the 2025 season, Stanford captured its second consecutive campaign with a flawless record over its Bay Area foe.
The Cardinal also captured impressive wins on the road, including three top-11 victories (No.7 Florida State, No. 8 Texas, No. 11 LSU) at the Death Volley Invitational in Baton Rouge, La., three top-20 wins (No. 11 Long Beach State, No. 16 North Florida, No. 19 Washington) at Best in the West in Laguna Beach, Calif., and three top-10 triumphs (No. 3 Cal Poly, No. 6 USC, No. 7 Florida State) at the Cal Poly Center of Effort in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
While in Louisiana, senior Taylor Wilson and freshman Ruby Sorra earned straight-set wins over the No. 2 pairs from No. 2 TCU, No. 7 Florida State, No. 8 Texas and No. 11 LSU. With the four wins, the duo became the second-winningest pair in program history with a total of 38 victories together (as of March 29) over the past two seasons. The pair completed the season with 43 wins, setting the bar high for future Stanford pairs to make their mark in the record books. The pair also won the Cardinal’s lone MPSF Pair of the Week honor for their performance in Baton Rouge.
The Cardinal’s performance at the Cal Poly Center of Effort drew national attention as freshman Logan Tusher and sophomore Chloe Hoffman were named AVCA Pair of the Week on April 14. While in San Luis Obispo, Calif., Hoffman and Tusher posted a 4-0 ledger with wins over pairs from No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Cal Poly, No. 6 USC, and No. 7 Florida State. Two of those victories, straight-set wins over Southern California’s Maya Gessner/Mabyn Thomas and Florida State’s Makenna Wolfe/Myriah Massey, clinched the overall match wins for the Cardinal.
Stanford made its mark at the inaugural MPSF Beach Volleyball Championships, capturing the conference’s first-ever team title dominantly. The Cardinal swept seventh-seeded Oregon 4-0 in the first round of the MPSF Championship Tournament April 23, with all five duos winning the first set on all five courts. Every Stanford pair secured at least a three-point victory in the opening frame, setting the tone for a dominant outing.
The Cardinal then took on the Women of Troy in the morning of April 24 for a spot in the semifinals and captured the program’s first-ever sweep of USC.
The MPSF semifinals pitted Stanford against the No. 1 Bruins on the afternoon of April 24 for a spot in the championship match. The Cardinal concluded a statement day at the conference championship with an exciting 3-1 defeat of UCLA, just its fourth-ever victory over its Los Angeles, Calif.-based opponent. The deciding point came from Stanford’s No. 3 pair of junior Kelly Belardi and Charlotta Bell, who won the opening set on court three 24-22, but dropped the second set 23-21. It all came down to a decisive third set, and the pair again played into extra points and secured a 16-14 victory on Belardi’s shot down the line to clinch the match for Stanford.
Stanford was pitted against USC for the sixth time in the 2025 season in a battle for the inaugural conference crown. The Cardinal captured its first-ever conference title by edging No. 5 USC 3-2 with the clinching point coming once again from Belardi and Bell who rallied for a come-from-behind win over USC’s Mabyn Thomas and Maya Gessner, 18-21, 21-13, 15-9.
After the tournament, Stanford’s twos pair of freshman Avery Jackson and sophomore Brooke Rockwell were named to the MPSF All-Tournament Team while Bell and Belardi were named the tournament's most valuable pair.
The post-tournament awards from the conference kicked off an incredible awards season, where the Cardinal saw four student-athletes named AVCA All-Americans, secured a conference-leading eight MPSF all-conference honors, Belardi and Bell earn an AVCA Top-Flight award, and seven were named to the inaugural MPSF All-Academic Team.
AVCA All-Americans
Avery Jackson- Second Team
Brooke Rockwell- Second Team
Ruby Sorra- First Team
Taylor Wilson- Second Team
All-MPSF Honors
Kelly Belardi- Second Team
Charlotta Bell- Second Team | Freshman Team
Avery Jackson- First Team | Freshman Team
Brooke Rockwell- First Team
Ruby Sorra- First Team
Taylor Wilson- First Team
MPSF All-Academic Team
Kelly Belardi, Jr., Communication
Chloe Hoffman, So., Undeclared
Brooke Rockwell, So., Undeclared
Emmy Sharp, Gr., Engineering (BS)/Earth Systems (MA)
Ruby Sorra, So., Undeclared
Clara Stowell, So., Undeclared Yorba Linda, Calif.
Taylor Wilson, Sr., Management Science and Engineering
Stanford wrapped up its 2025 season with its fifth consecutive NCAA Championships appearance. After a decisive 3-0 sweep of Boise State to earn the program’s third-ever win at the national title chase, Stanford’s season came to a close with a 3-1 loss to No. 6 Cal Poly in the quarterfinals.
The Cardinal’s future outlook is strong. In 2026, Stanford will return all but two members of its NCAA Championship lineup. Stanford’s youth-driven roster and stellar incoming recruiting class will continue the program’s drive to compete and win a national title.