No. 2 Stanford Sweeps No. 1 UCLA in Volleyball, 15-7, 15-10, 15-6

In a battle between the top two volleyball teams in the nation, No. 2-ranked Stanford easily defeated top-ranked UCLA, 15-7, 15-10, 15-6, Wednesday night before 1,600 fans at Pauley Pavilion.

With the victory, the Cardinal, 20-5 overall, closed within a half-game of the Bruins in the Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. with a 15-3 record. UCLA fell to 16-3 in the league and 26-5 overall.

Last week, the Bruins defeated the Cardinal at Palo Alto, getting off to a fast start. This time, Stanford returned the favor, racing to a 7-1 lead in the first game before winning, 15-7.

“Our quick start set the tone of the match,” Stanford Coach Fred Sturm said. “We were able to stay on top of them and not let them have too many opportunities.”

Stanford completely outhit, outblocked and outhustled the Bruins in a match that, according to Sturm, established Stanford as one of the top threats in the NCAA playoffs.

“There are several teams that are capable of winning it all,” Sturm said. “The top teams are UCLA, Pepperdine and us.”

Stanford used a balanced attack with middleblockers Scott Fortune and Dan Hanan leading the way.

Fortune, who finished with 20 kills, helped rally the Cardinal from a 10-6 deficit in the second game by serving eight straight points.

“We were able to see their blockers better and see the holes in their defense,” said Fortune, who also had seven blocks.

In the third game, Stanford again rallied after trailing, 5-3, outscoring UCLA, 12-1.

Stanford needs to win its last two matches, against Loyola and Pepperdine, to force a playoff with the Bruins, assuming that they beat USC Friday night in their final match.

For Stanford, John Alstrom also had 20 kills, and Hanan added 18. UCLA was led by Trevor Schirman with 19 kills and Anthony Curci with 15.