Friday Date with Virginia

STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford field hockey is back in action this week as the Cardinal continues conference action with a pair of bouts out east, heading to the Commonwealth of Virginia to take on the Virginia Cavaliers before ending the weekend with a tilt against Louisville. First strike against the Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Va., is slated for 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET. 

FIRST STRIKE

Stanford is back on the road having completed a three-game homestand, earning a clinical 4-1 win over in-state foe UC Davis. Goalkeeper Anya Jackson secured a three-quarter shutout in the win while Star Horlock nabbed her second collegiate brace in the win. 

Stanford also hosted a pair of highly-touted competitions during the homestand, battling hard in a 3-1 loss to No. 1 Northwestern before beginning Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) action against North Carolina. Jackson recorded a career-high 12 saves in the matchup against the Wildcats as the Cardinal staved off a feisty offense from the visitors for a majority of the contest. Against UNC, the Cardinal did well to dispel the threatening Tar Heel attack but could not overcome a first-half deficit, falling in its ACC opener.  

Star Horlock leads the Cardinal in goals and points this season after her second collegiate brace last Tuesday. Horlock’s six goals and 13 points tie her career-high in both categories. Jenny O’Grady has also posted a new career high in goals as the junior secured her fourth of the season in the win against UC Davis to place second on the squad in goal-scoring.

Natalie Hoppe continues to lead the team in helpers with a career-high six on the campaign while Caroline Richard, Grace Essalih, Liv Martin and Opal Sparling slot second with two on the season. In total, 12 Cardinal have recorded a point while nine players have secured a goal including eight who have scored multiple times this season.

Defensively, two Cardinal have started all nine games this season (Puja Nanjappa, Caroline Richard) while Natalie Hoppe leads the team in minutes played with 463. Mia Clark follows with 430 minutes of action while Nanjappa and freshman Opal Sparling slot tied for third with 417 minutes played entering Friday. Stanford’s penalty corner defense has showed strong this season as the Cardinal is 31-for-39 on penalty corner clearances. Between the posts, Anya Jackson has earned the start and decision in each of the nine games this season, recording her first collegiate shutout in the win over Holy Cross earlier this season. 

Jackson has posted a new career high in wins (7) while recording a 1.76 goals-against average coupled with a .737 save percentage. Jackson earned a career-high 12 saves in the loss to Northwestern, becoming the third goalkeeper to record 12 saves in a game since the 2019 season (Kelsey Bing: 2019, Daisy Ford: 2025).

Stanford’s bout against the Cavaliers is the fifth meeting all-time between the two programs after two showings in the 2025 season. Stanford pushed the Cavaliers to the brink in the latest meeting in the ACC Quarterfinals, falling 4-3, while Friday’s matchup marks another chance for the Cardinal to strike down the Cavaliers for the first time in program history.