Sept. 14, 2010

STANFORD, Calif. -

This week's live Stanford TV, radio and webcast schedule listed below.

Men’s Cross Country
No. 1 Stanford has such a strong returning team that it will be difficult for any of the 10 highly-touted freshmen to crack the top seven. However, one runner, Graham Bazell, does have a leg up because he was actually admitted to Stanford in 2008, but chose to defer a year. He enters the season a year older and with an extra year of training. His talent is not in question as he qualified for the 10,000 meters at the USA Junior Track and Field Championships over the summer, finishing second overall.

Women’s Cross Country
This marks the first season the team has done its preseason training camp in Lake Tahoe, instead of its usual spot in Mammoth Lakes, where it has been for over a decade. The Cardinal benefits from altitude training and is able to bond as a team before classes begin.

Field Hockey
Following its three-match road sweep over the weekend, the Cardinal once again moved up in the latest edition of the Kookaburra/NFHCA National Coaches Poll. Stanford climbed three spots this week, checking in at No. 16. The Cardinal has now spent 12 consecutive weeks in the national rankings dating back to Sept. 18, 2009.

Football
Stanford’s 35-0 victory over UCLA on Saturday was the Cardinal’s first victory in Pasadena since 1996 and marked its first shutout of the Bruins since 1941. The 35 points were Stanford’s largest margin of victory over the Bruins since a 57-0 victory in 1929.

Stanford is ranked 19th this week in both major polls, marking the program’s highest ranking at this point in the season since 1997, when the Cardinal was ranked 17th in the AP poll after two weeks of play.

After finishing the 2009 season ranked 90th in total defense, Stanford has limited its first two opponents to just 8.5 points a game and an average of 200.0 yards in total offense. The Cardinal has allowed just one offensive touchdown so far this season. Stanford’s defense will face its toughest test of the young season Saturday, when it faces the high-scoring Wake Forest. The Deacon Demons enter ranked third nationally in scoring, averaging 53.5 points a game.

Saturday’s 8:15 p.m. starting time is believed to be the latest kickoff time in Stanford history. In 1985, Stanford’s game at San Diego State kicked off at 8 p.m.

Men’s Soccer
The Cardinal has struggled, opening the season with an 0-4 record. The team continues to try to find the right lineup, using 22 players in the first four matches, and 15 starters. All of Stanford’s matches have been close. No team has ever led by more than one goal.

Women’s Soccer
With two victories in its home-opening tournament, Stanford extended its home winning streak to 24, and its home unbeaten streak to 26. The Cardinal hasn’t tied at home since 2008, or lost at home since 2007. Stanford extended its winning streak on Friday by rallying from a late deficit to beat Georgia in overtime, 2-1, on the strength of two Christen Press goals.

Synchronized Swimming
Former Cardinal synchronized swimmer Poppy Carlig is a contestant on this season's reality program the Apprentice. The show premieres Thursday at 10 p.m. on NBC.

Women’s Volleyball
After sweeping No. 1 Penn State and breaking the Nittany Lions' 109-match win streak, Stanford has taken over the top spot in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. It is the Cardinal's first No. 1 ranking since the final poll of the 2004 season – the last time Stanford won a national title. Senior Alix Klineman was named Most Valuable Player at the Nike Big Four Volleyball Classic in Gainesville, Fla., marking the third consecutive weekend she has taken home MVP honors.

Wrestling
Former Stanford wrestler and assistant coach Matt Gentry competed at the World Championships in Moscow, Russia, over the weekend for his native Canada. Gentry finished the tournament with a 1-1 record, defeating Gele Sagirashvili of Georgia before falling to Volodymyr Syrotin of Ukraine.

Men’s Water Polo
Stanford resumes action at the NorCal Invitational at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Calif., with an opening game against UC Davis at 10:20 a.m. on Saturday. The tournament, which concludes Sunday in Berkeley, features the top teams in the country: No. 1 Cal, No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Stanford, and No. 4 USC. Of the 16 teams in the field, 15 finished among the nation’s Top 20 in 2009. Stanford will compete in Bracket C with No. 6 UC Santa Barbara, No. 11 UC San Diego and No. 15 UC Davis. The tournament was held at Stanford last season, with the Cardinal beating Cal, 8-7, in the semifinals and UCLA, 6-5, in the finals. Stanford (2-0) hasn't played since opening the season at the UC Irvine Invitational Sept. 4-5.

The week's media listings for live Cardinal sports: