Stanford Athletics announced on Thursday that the women’s volleyball team’s (1-3, 1-3 Pac-12) pair of upcoming matches against Oregon State has been canceled due to an insufficient number of Cardinal players.

Trying to bounce back from a slow start that resulted in the program falling out of the AVCA Top 25 rankings for the first time since its inception in 1982, Stanford’s postseason chances are hurting with every missed match. 

Stanford’s injuries and COVID-19 issues have now forced four total match cancellations in consecutive weekends after the team’s meeting with Washington State was also scratched from the schedule. Including the two lost matches against the Beavers, Stanford (1-3, 1-3 Pac-12) has played against just two of its scheduled six opponents this year. COVID-19 regulations forced the Cardinal to cancel its opening two weekends of play before the season even began.

Assuming no more cancellations this season, the Cardinal will finish with 14 matches played, which is still above the 10 required for tournament eligibility. Whether the team will be worthy of a spot in the committee’s eyes will be another question. 

Due to the strength of the Pac-12 and the Cardinal’s remaining opponents, there are still plenty of opportunities to climb the rankings. Stanford’s five remaining head-to-heads include No. 7 Utah, No. 9 Washington and No. 15 UCLA.

Stanford is expected to return to play against the undefeated Utes on March 5 in Salt Lake City, UT.