The No. 2 ranked Stanford women’s volleyball team (10-1, 2-0 Pac-12) continues its three game homestand on Wednesday night as it plays host to UCLA (6-3, 1-1) in Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal are undefeated in the Pac-12 and are riding an 8-game win streak that has lasted since they fell to BYU nearly a month ago.
Stanford has looked nearly unstoppable when all cylinders are clicking on offense and impossibly sloppy when things aren’t working out too well. The team is averaging nearly 15 and a half errors per game, and every set it ends up dropping in its many victories is almost assuredly due to error, rather than being out-killed.
The thing is, when the team isn’t committing errors, it is absolutely gorgeous to watch. There isn’t a single weak link in head coach Kevin Hambly’s elite volleyball machine. They have a multitude of offensive threats on the team, headlined by the AVCA player of the year, junior ace Kathryn Plummer. The offense is facilitated by the Pac-12 setter of the year, junior Jenna Gray. And they never have to worry about defending opponents’ spikes because they’re as good as dug up already by the Pac-12 libero of the year, junior Morgan Hentz.
Stanford is out-hitting its opponents .302 to .174 this season. It’s out-assisting its opponents 13.7 assists per set to 10.6 assists per set. It’s out-digging its opponents 12.6 digs per set to 11.8 digs per set. And, perhaps most importantly, it’s out-blocking its opponents 3.1 blocks per set to 2.0 blocks per set.
Stanford’s defense has been outstanding this season. Hambly himself described the team’s identity as changing to more of a “defensive transition team.” Its defensive prowess is held together on the ground by Hentz and sophomore defensive specialist Kate Formico. But it is created at the net by junior opposite Audriana Fitzmorris, senior middle blocker Tami Alade and freshman middle blocker Holly Campbell. To have Campbell, a freshman, come in and immediately produce is astonishing, and she’s been excellent in jumping blocks and hitting slides as well.
Plus, there’s just the fact that Stanford is a massive team. Every member of the starting rotation is above six feet, and Kathryn Plummer, a wing attacker, is taller than both middle blockers AND the opposite. Plus, their setter is 6’1” as well. That’s just straight-up intimidation at the net.
Stanford volleyball has been outstanding this season and will look to continue its success against the struggling UCLA on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
Contact Bobby Pragada at bpragada “at” stanford.edu