The No. 2 Stanford women’s volleyball team (22-1, 14-0 Pac-12) remains second in the AVCA college volleyball poll again this week, still just behind No. 1 Brigham Young University, whom they lost to earlier in the season. However, the team is still in sole possession of first place in the Pac-12 this season, with an undefeated conference record. They will look to extend this conference lead at home this weekend with matches against No. 17 Oregon (16-8, 9-5 Pac-12) and Oregon State (11-15, 1-13 Pac-12).
The Cardinal have not dropped a match since their third of the season, against the BYU Cougars. This puts them on a staggering 20-game win streak with six games left in the regular season. The team only lost one division game last year, to the Washington Huskies, and look to rectify that mistake with a perfect Pac-12 record.
The team is also in the middle of a 29-game home winning streak, dating back to 2016. Under head coach Kevin Hambly, the Cardinal have only lost nine sets at home, two of which came last Friday against Colorado. The expectation for the team is a resounding pair of wins this weekend, as they look to make a strong push into the postseason.
Oregon remains ranked in the AVCA poll this week, coming in at No. 17. The Cardinal are 12-1 versus ranked opponents this season. The Ducks are tied for third in the Pac-12 with Washington State, and their chances of catching Stanford are incredibly slim.
The Ducks are second in the conference in hitting percentage at .261 on the year. They also hold the second spot in kills per set and assists per set, with 14.71 and 13.79 respectively. They are led by senior outside Lindsey Vander Weide with 3.45 kills per set and 2.98 digs per set. The Ducks certainly have the talent to confront the Cardinal.
The Beavers, on the other hand, are the worst team in the Pac-12, with only one division win on the year. They are in 12th place in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage, offering up an average of .169 on the year. Their offense is led by sophomore outside Maddie Goings, who leads the team with 3.41 kills per set and 2.62 digs per set.
The Cardinal take on Oregon on Thursday at 8 p.m. PST and Oregon State on Friday at 7 p.m. PST in Maples Pavilion.
Contact Bobby Pragada at bpragada ‘at’ stanford.edu