[johnbar]

Stanford fell 1-4 to GCU and swept SMC.  But it was more interesting than that.

The dual with GCU initially looked like it might be a complete disaster.   Stanford's 2s and 4s lost in straight sets, with the 2s (Ekstrom/Kriz) in particular seemed over-matched.  Then the 1s, 3s, and 5s all dropped their first sets.  But the 1s and 3s turned it around and won their second sets, and for a moment it look like the 5s might, too.  But the 5s fell in extra points (21-15, 25-23). The 1s (Hodel/Reilly) won their set, and the 3s led 8-3. But they couldn't finish it, and GCU won that, too.

After the senior day ceremony, I was hoping for quick wins, since the match was starting almost a half hour late.  The 2s seemed in control their first set, but the 4s dropped theirs.  The fortunes reversed, and SMC easily won the second set at the 2s, and Stanford's 4s won their second. Stanford's Ekstrom & Kriz did get a small lead in the third, but SMC tied it at 13 and had match point four times (IIRC), before Stanford finally got match point at 18-17 and won it 19-17.  A few minutes earlier, the Stanford 4s also won their third set.    By this point, the 5s were underway, and they (Morris & McKinney) made pretty quick work of SMC, winning 21-15, 21-12.  The 1s and 3s won their first sets; the 1s easily (21-10) and the 3s just barely (22-20).   At that point I had to leave, but Stanford did complete the sweep (though the 3s went 3 sets).

https://gostanford.com/news/2022/4/24/be...night.aspx

They end the regular season 23-9.  I think they will be the #3 seed in the Pac-12 Championship, and I would expect them to end up in third place, after UCLA and USC.  (Cal is the only other serious competition for third, I think.  Arizona beat Cal once, but also lost to Oregon.)

I certainly expect them to make the expanded NCAA tournament. I really hope they win their first-round match this year (on May 4th), since the first round is single elimination. After that it reverts to double-elimination.

The regular season is over, and pac-12.com still has no records listed on their 'standings' page.
https://pac-12.com/beach-volleyball-standings

[johnbar]

Stanford fell 1-4 to GCU and swept SMC.  But it was more interesting than that.

The dual with GCU initially looked like it might be a complete disaster.   Stanford's 2s and 4s lost in straight sets, with the 2s (Ekstrom/Kriz) in particular seemed over-matched.  Then the 1s, 3s, and 5s all dropped their first sets.  But the 1s and 3s turned it around and won their second sets, and for a moment it look like the 5s might, too.  But the 5s fell in extra points (21-15, 25-23). The 1s (Hodel/Reilly) won their set, and the 3s led 8-3. But they couldn't finish it, and GCU won that, too.

After the senior day ceremony, I was hoping for quick wins, since the match was starting almost a half hour late.  The 2s seemed in control their first set, but the 4s dropped theirs.  The fortunes reversed, and SMC easily won the second set at the 2s, and Stanford's 4s won their second. Stanford's Ekstrom & Kriz did get a small lead in the third, but SMC tied it at 13 and had match point four times (IIRC), before Stanford finally got match point at 18-17 and won it 19-17.  A few minutes earlier, the Stanford 4s also won their third set.    By this point, the 5s were underway, and they (Morris & McKinney) made pretty quick work of SMC, winning 21-15, 21-12.  The 1s and 3s won their first sets; the 1s easily (21-10) and the 3s just barely (22-20).   At that point I had to leave, but Stanford did complete the sweep (though the 3s went 3 sets).

https://gostanford.com/news/2022/4/24/be...night.aspx

They end the regular season 23-9.  I think they will be the #3 seed in the Pac-12 Championship, and I would expect them to end up in third place, after UCLA and USC.  (Cal is the only other serious competition for third, I think.  Arizona beat Cal once, but also lost to Oregon.)

I certainly expect them to make the expanded NCAA tournament. I really hope they win their first-round match this year (on May 4th), since the first round is single elimination. After that it reverts to double-elimination.

The regular season is over, and pac-12.com still has no records listed on their 'standings' page.
https://pac-12.com/beach-volleyball-standings