No. 4 Stanford women’s volleyball swept the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in straight sets before falling to No. 6 Louisville, snapping a 20 home game win streak for the Cardinal.
The Cardinal (12-3, 3-1 ACC) started their weekend on a high note, beating Notre Dame (5-7, 2-2 ACC) in straight sets. Their effort was led by senior outside hitter Elia Rubin ’26 and redshirt sophomore outside hitter Julia Blyashov ’28, as well as middle blocker and two-time Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Week recipient Erika Sayer ’29, each tallying 12 kills. The three combined for more kills than Notre Dame’s entire team, which had a collective 31.
Stanford took control of the game right from the start. Strong outside hitting allowed the Cardinal to dominate for much of the first set. At set point, however, with all of Maples Pavilion on its feet, the Fighting Irish managed a late 4-0 run. Notre Dame managed to reduce the score to just a two-point deficit, forcing Stanford into a timeout. Upon resuming play, sophomore middle blocker Lizzy Andrew ’28 sealed the set with a strong attack down the middle of the court, securing a 25-22 win for Stanford.
The competition of the second set was much closer as the Fighting Irish and the Cardinal traded points. Over the course of the period, Louisville sustained eight lead changes and a tied game as late as 24-24. Ultimately, consecutive attacks from Sayer and Blyashov helped Stanford secure a 26-24 win.
Carrying the momentum of the first two sets into the third, the Cardinal controlled the set from start to finish. Stanford held offensive dominance throughout the three sets: their hitting percentage was 35.7 compared to Notre Dame’s 8.7. They closed out the third set much the same as the second, with kills from Sayer and Blyashov.
Over the course of the game, freshman setter Logan Parks ’29, who also boasts two ACC Freshman of the Week honors, racked up 37 assists. Her additional three kills, five digs and singular ace fueled the Cardinal’s steady offensive flow.
Just two days later, Stanford returned to Maples Pavilion to take on Louisville (12-2, 4-0 ACC) in a highly anticipated top-10 matchup. Sunday’s game was a rematch from the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament, which was one that saw Louisville to the semi-finals and ended Stanford’s postseason run. As such, not only were the Cardinal fighting to keep a 20-game home win streak alive — they were playing for redemption.
The first set began with high energy and aggressive scoring from both sides of the floor. Following a 6-0 run by Louisville, Stanford opted to take a timeout. The Cardinal returned with renewed vigor and a decisive kill from Sayer, taking the lead and surging to a 25-21 win.
Louisville’s offensive efficiency proved to be a problem in the second set. They had 17 kills, in addition to significant blocks by Cara Cresse. Stanford battled in a nearly one-minute set point, ultimately losing the set on a kill by Louisville’s Payton Peterson.
The Cardinals continued their offensive productivity with a 6-0 run early in the third set. Stanford, in turn, made good use of their timeouts. They effectively shut down Louisville’s momentum and went on 3-0 and 5-0 runs of their own following Stanford head coach Kevin Hambly’s two timeouts. Hambly also brought in sophomore setter Taylor Yu ’28 to replace Parks, continuing with their 5-1 offensive setup. Rubin produced one of the set’s highlights in a solo block, punctuating a 5-0 Stanford run and tying the game at 20-20. Louisville responded, closing out the set in a 25-20 win.
The fourth set was the match’s most competitive. Both teams traded points, but neither was able to build much offensive flow. Consecutive kills from Louisville’s Chloe Chicoine and Nayelis Cabello ultimately handed the Cardinal their first in-conference loss and broke a 20 home game win streak in Maples.
Despite falling in four sets, Stanford’s key players put on a show for their fans in Maples Pavilion. With a match-high 19 kills and 14 digs, Elia Rubin marked her fifth double-double of the season. Junior opposite Jordyn Harvey and Andrew tallied 14 and 12 kills, respectively. Setters Parks and Yu facilitated with 33 and 21 assists each.
Stanford aims to bounce back to their winning ways as they head to the east coast to continue conference play against Boston College on Friday and Syracuse on Sunday.