BERKELEY, Calif. – Stanford closed out its third season of sand volleyball, Sunday, with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory at rival California in Berkeley, California. The Cardinal ends the year with an 11-4 overall records, while the Golden Bears drop to 7-15.
Stanford moves to 2-0 all-time against Cal in sand volleyball. The Cardinal defeated the Golden Bears 4-1 last season at Stanford.
Trailing 0-2 in the match, Stanford’s top three pairs all posted victories to give the Cardinal the win. Playing in the No. 1 spot, senior Lauren Birks and junior Brittany Howard clinched the win with a 21-16, 15-21, 15-11 win over Cal’s Sarah Cole and Emily Lunt. Birks and Howard finish the season with a 13-7 overall record.
Stanford’s No. 3 pair, junior Jordan Burgess and redshirt freshman Merete Lutz, put the Cardinal on the board with an 18-21, 21-18, 15-10 victory against Cal’s Inanna Eshoo and Katie Regalia. The win pushed the pair’s season record to 11-4.
Junior Madi Bugg and redshirt freshman Ivana Vanjak, playing in the No. 2 spot, evened the match for the Cardinal with a 21-16, 22-20 win over the Bears’ Ashley Johnson and Emily Shults. Bugg and Vanjak moved to 13-5 for the year.
Stanford won the opening set at both No. 4 and No. 5, but Cal pushed each match to a decisive third set where the Bears were victorious. Playing at No. 4, sophomore Kelsey Humphreys and freshman Catherine Raquel end the season with a 5-8 record, while junior Inky Ajanaku and sophomore Grace Kennedy, playing at No. 5, finish 7-6.
Stanford 3, California 2
1) Lauren Birks/Brittany Howard (STAN) def. Sarah Cole/Emily Lunt (CAL), 21-16, 15-21, 15-11
2) Madi Bugg/Ivana Vanjak (STAN) def. Ashley Johnson/Emily Shults (CAL), 21-16, 22-20
3) Jordan Burgess/Merete Lutz (STAN) def. Inanna Eshoo/Katie Regalia (CAL), 18-21, 21-18, 15-10
4) Mackenzie Feldman/Sammy Furlan (CAL) def. Kelsey Humphreys/Catherine/Raquel (STAN), 17-21, 21-15, 15-7
5) Sabrina Blackwell/Allison Leong (CAL) def. Inky Ajanaku/Grace Kennedy (STAN), 20-22, 21-19, 15-13