Aug. 28, 2011

HOUSTON, Texas - Sophomores Rachel Williams and Carly Wopat led the No. 6 Stanford women's volleyball team to a 25-20, 25-18, 25-13 win Sunday, at Rice's Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston, Texas. The Cardinal improves to 2-0, while the Owls drop to 0-2.

Junior setter Karissa Cook was named the tournament's MVP, while Williams and Wopat were both selected to the all-tournament team. Williams, who set a career high with 13 kills in the season opener, surpassed that mark once again with 17. She also put down a career best three service aces. Wopat finished with 11 kills, five digs and a block, while Cook posted a double-double with 32 assists and 10 digs. As a team, Stanford hit .303, while holding Rice to .105.

Stanford won the first set, 25-20, with a .406 team attack percentage. Rice kept it close for most of the opening set, not allowing the Cardinal to put together any scoring runs. Williams and Wopat each put down four kills, while Cook racked up 11 assists with two kills of her own. Stanford held Rice to a .263 attack percentage.

The Cardinal took advantage of 13 Rice errors in the second to take a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-18 victory. Stanford led 14-10 early, but a 5-0 run gave the Owls their first lead of the set. However, the Cardinal regrouped and used an 11-3 run to close out the second. Williams and Wopat led the squad again with four kills apiece. True freshman Morgan Boukather made her collegiate debut in the second, registering a kill and two digs.

Stanford closed out the match with a 25-13 win in the third. Williams took over with nine kills on 16 errorless attacks for a .562 hitting percentage in the set. Cook totaled 11 assists and three digs, while Wopat had three kills and a dig. Another true freshman, Lauren Birks, also saw her first collegiate action. The San Diego, Calif., native collected a block in her debut.

It was a homecoming for junior Jessica Walker and sophomore Mary Ellen Luck, who both hail from Houston. Both players had dozens of family and friends in attendance. Walker finished with a kill and two blocks, while Luck tallied four digs and an ace in the win.

Up next, Stanford returns home to host the first of its two preseason tournaments. The Cardinal will face Notre Dame on Friday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. and No. 17 Duke at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3. Saint Mary's will also be in Maples next weekend for the Stanford Invitational.