SMU falls to No. 5 Stanford, comes back to beat Cal Berkeley

Ellagrace Flournoy, Contributor

October 20, 2024

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SMU women’s volleyball plays against Stanford at home in Moody colosseum in Dallas, Texas, on October 16, 2024.

This story has been updated.

The Mustangs won Sun. Oct. 20 against Cal Berkeley but fell short against No. 5 Stanford on Oct. 16 in Moody Coliseum. The Stanford loss comes after a victory against No. 1 Pitt, which moved SMU up in the rankings to No. 12.

While SMU came out with a strong defense led by Nnedi Okammor, Natalie Foster and Naya Shime, it wasn’t enough to stop Stanford’s dominance in all three sets.

In the first set, the Mustangs went toe to toe with the Cardinals, keeping the score tied during the first 15 minutes of the game. SMU held a temporary lead over Stanford (20-18) with strong offensive plays from Maya Trabron and Naya Shime.

SMU Women’s volleyball players block an attack by Stanford in Moody colosseum in Dallas, Texas, on October 16, 2024 (Chloe Casdorph)

Though strong defensive plays by Nnedi Okammor, Natalie Purdue, and Natalie Foster put up points for SMU, an unfortunate challenge by Stanford resulted in the Cardinals taking the first set.

Stanford continued their heavy hitting in the second set. The Mustangs attempted to make a comeback, but Stanford maintained control of the lead. The final set was hard fought as it went on for six set points. Despite strong plays by Celia Cutten, Jamison Wheeler, Shime, and Okammor, Stanford closed out the game in three straight sets.

The Mustangs will face Notre Dame on Fri Oct. 25. at 7 p.m. at Moody Coliseum.