Women's Volleyball Falls to Second-Ranked Stanford in NCAA Tournament

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Stanford, Calif. – Junior middle blocker Janet Okogbaa was one of three players to finish with 12 kills, while also recording a match-high five total blocks to lead second-ranked Stanford to a 3-0 win over UAlbany in the first round of the NCAA Division I Volleyball Tournament at Maples Pavilion on Friday evening. The Cardinal won in straight sets with scores of 25-9, 25-11 and 25-21.

Stanford made quick work of the first set, rattling off five straight points behind the service game of senior middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo to get ahead, 12-4. After UAlbany’s Amanda Cowdrey stopped the rally with a kill down the middle, the Cardinal embarked on a four-point run to build a 16-5 margin. Stanford continued posting runs throughout the set, never allowing UAlbany to gain more than one point at a time. A Great Dane service error ended the first set in Stanford’s favor.

UAlbany opened up the second set, taking a 3-1 advantage on back-to-back blocks. Sophomore Teresa Coppiellie recorded a solo block on a Stanford attack, while Kalyn Mostert and Hillary White combined to shut down a second Cardinal attack. Stanford committed a handling error to give the Great Danes the two-point advantage early. However, the Cardinal recorded five straight points, with Erin Waller and Okogbaa combining to stop a UAlbany attack with a block to put Stanford ahead, 6-3.

The Cardinal would build up a 17-8 advantage before recording a service error. Senior middle blocker Kamisha Kellam recorded a kill to pull within 17-10, but Stanford embarked on another five-point run to put UAlbany down 22-10 before Coppiellie ended the run with a kill. Okogbaa and Waller recorded back-to-back kills to end the set for Stanford.

After the intermission, UAlbany returned to the court and didn’t allow Stanford to get ahead more than three points through the beginning of the set. Setter Brooke Stanley and Coppiellie recorded consecutive kills to tie the set at 5-5. The Cardinal gained a three-point advantage at 10-7 on an Alix Klineman kill before Kellam pulled the Great Danes within 12-9 with a kill of her own. Stanford then recorded five straight kills, including three from Akinradewo. A Cardinal attack error put the ball back in UAlbany’s hands, and the teams played error free until a match point attempt at 24-21, with every point being decided by a kill or block by both teams.

Kellam recorded the final three kills for the Great Danes, pulling UAlbany within 20-24 on match point. A Stanford attack error gave UAlbany another chance to come back for the set win, but Akinradewo recorded one of her 12 kills to seal the win for Stanford and advance the Cardinal to the second round of tournament play.

Kellam finished with seven kills and two blocks for the Great Danes, while Coppiellie added six kills. Stanley tallied 21 assists and Cowdrey finished with nine digs and four kills. Klineman was the third player for the Cardinal to post 12 kills, while also notching a team-high 13 digs for a double-double. Okogbaa hit .647 in the match, while sophomore setter Cassidy Lichtman finished with 38 assists.

UAlbany wraps up its season with a 23-9 overall record. Stanford (27-3) advances to play Long Beach State, which defeated Pepperdine, 3-1, earlier in the day.