Coming off strong wins at home against Oregon State and Oregon, No. 6 Stanford women’s volleyball (10-4, 4-2 Pac-12) will prepare to go on the road to face Utah (7-10, 1-5) on Friday and Colorado (10-8, 2-4) on Sunday.
The Cardinal have not had as much success on the road as they have at home (6-1 at home vs. 3-3 away) and have yet to win both games on the road in a single weekend. Head coach John Dunning sees this as one of the big challenges facing the team and something the team talks about every year.
“If you’re going to get to the playoffs and you’re going to do well in the playoffs, you’re going to have to go through the road,” Dunning said.
Dunning’s emphasis on road games is understandable; for each of the senior class’s seasons, the team has coasted through tournament play in Maples Pavilion before eventually being eliminated in neutral-site contests.
This particular road trip adds another tricky element for the team: the altitude. The University of Colorado’s campus sits at 5,400 feet above sea level, while the University of Utah is at 5,300 feet above sea level.
“I think what we’re really preparing for is the altitude difference,” said senior outside hitter Brittany Howard. “That’s usually something we have to prepare for every year.”
While the effect of altitude on players’ endurance is well-documented, the altitude also changes the volleyball itself. The ball travels farther at higher altitude and Howard notes that the team has been adjusting the way that it has hit the ball in practice this past week.
Despite the trials and tribulations of the season thus far, Howard believes that the team is finally hitting its stride, particularly after clinching two home wins over the weekend.
“Every week we’ve gotten better bit by bit, and I think this past weekend was a really good confidence boost,” she said.
“I’m really excited about where our team is right now, and I’m really excited about where we can get to,” Dunning added.
Dunning believes that the difference in this upcoming weekend’s two games will be team defense, something that Stanford has uncharacteristically struggled with this year. When the Cardinal’s defense plays well, as in its spectacular blocking day against Arizona, the team can be one of the nation’s best.
But the Cardinal’s poor defense, especially along the back line, is usually at the heart of Stanford’s worst losses — most notably the straight-set loss to North Carolina in which the Cardinal recorded just 37 digs. The Cardinal have been out-dug in all their four losses this season.
The Cardinal have had recent success against this weekend’s opponents, having beaten Utah and Colorado both at home and on the road the past two seasons. However, the Cardinal struggled early in Boulder, losing the first set while recording a .189 hitting percentage.
However, Howard says that past experiences with those teams don’t really affect the team’s mindset going into these games.
“We try not to let the past cloud our judgment,” she said. “We’re a new team. They’re both new teams.”
The Cardinal’s struggles on the road thus far have mirrored their inconsistent season, in which they have alternately played like an elite team and an average one. Nonetheless, the Stanford women’s volleyball team will look to overcome these challenges and return to The Farm with two wins in hand.
Stanford first meets Utah in Salt Lake City on Friday at 7:30 p.m., followed by a Sunday afternoon matchup with Colorado in Boulder at 1 p.m.
Contact Elliott Lapin at elapin ‘at’ stanford.edu.