STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford’s 21-match win streak and 2022 season was spoiled by the San Diego Toreros Saturday night, falling 3-2 in the NCAA Regional Finals at Maples Pavilion.
The Cardinal finishes its 2022 season with a 27-5 record, the program’s 23rd conference championship and its 42nd postseason appearance. With the win, the Toreros head to the national semifinal for the first time in program history, boasting a NCAA-best 28 consecutive victories.
Kendall Kipp led the team with a career-best matching 24 kills, along with five digs and six blocks. Freshman Elia Rubin posted her second consecutive double-double performance, totaling 13 kills and 10 digs, while Caitie Baird had 10 kills, seven digs, and three blocks. Defensively, Elena Oglivie led the Cardinal with 22 digs, along with two service aces, and Sami Francis led the team with nine blocks in just her second appearance for the Cardinal since Oct. 24.
The Toreros saw double-digit kills from four players, led by 20 kills from Katie Lukas. Defensively, Annie Benbow led San Diego with 18 digs while Leyla Blackwell and Breana Edwards each registered seven blocks.
The Cardinal started the evening strong with a first-set win, 25-19, rebounding from an early 3-1 run by the Toreros and with a 9-2 run of its own that held throughout the rest of the frame.
The Toreros fought back in the second set, earning a 25-22 victory. The teams handed off points to a 13-13 tie, but a 6-3 run by San Diego to take a 19-16 lead gave them the margin they needed to hold off the Cardinal’s ensuing multiple comeback attempts.
Stanford used two strong runs throughout the third set to take a 2-1 lead. The Cardinal’s 24-15 lead late in the set allowed Stanford to battle through five set points to seal the win, 25-19.
The fourth set was a back-and-forth battle between the two teams, as Stanford catapulted back from an early 13-10 deficit. With the score tied at 22-all, San Diego closed out the set with a 3-1 run to win 25-23 and tie the match at 2-2.
The final set of the night was a battle for both teams through the first nine points. However, it was all Toreros to finish the match, as San Diego scored the final six points of the match and held the Cardinal scoreless after taking a 10-9 lead late in the fifth set.
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