The Stanford Cardinal women’s volleyball team faces a tough challenge ahead. After four straight home wins, Ipar Kurt & Co. will hit the road to take on No. 12 SMU in Dallas, Texas, on October 16. With a 13-2 overall record in the 2024-25 season, the Cardinal are riding high on confidence. However, No. 1 Pittsburgh awaits, offering Stanford a chance to prove their worth on October 20.

While the No. 5 Stanford volleyball team may look stronger on paper compared to SMU, they should remember that SMU is the team that handed the Huskers their only defeat of the season. Naturally, the stakes are high, and the Cardinal will need to step up—and fast. However, they might have just the motivation they need!

Stanford volleyball team uses October to spread a special message

The official NCAA Women’s Volleyball X account shared the special message that’s going to fuel the Stanford ladies’ fire for their upcoming matches on the road. “Pink October,” reads the caption of the post, as the Stanford volleyball squad can be seen sporting pink sleeves on their jerseys. The move is in line with celebrating October as the Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In their four previous games this month, the Cardinals rocked the pink-sleeved uniforms in style, and have clean-swept their opponents in three of those matches.

Naturally, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to think a similar fate could await SMU. However, the SMU squad is also riding high on confidence after their recent victory against Pittsburgh at the Moody Coliseum. But for the Stanford women, this match will be about more than just adding another win to their record. Instead, they’ll be following in Nebraska’s footsteps to do something meaningful for society.

The Cardinals’ ACCN conference is currently riding on a 5-1 record, making them a force to be reckoned with. On the other hand, spreading the message about breast cancer is an equally noble cause that seems to be adding more fuel to the Stanford team’s motivation. But they certainly aren’t the only collegiate volleyball team who are taking the chance to do so!

Others join the Cardinals to amplify the message

On October 11, the RIT Women’s Volleyball team hosted its annual Breast Cancer Awareness match against Bard at the Clark Gymnasium. A raffle outside the gym was held with the proceeds benefiting Sustain Inspire Survive (SIS), and the fans didn’t hesitate to join in by pulling their weight. Nebraska Huskers did something similar on October 13 during their match against Rutgers. “We all fight together,” was the official message from the Nebraska camp, with their actions also focusing on boosting the efforts of the SIS. “Pink Night at the Bob” was a resoudning success, and it was proved that a worthy cause can also act as a bonding activity for the team.

The PCC vs. Rio Hondo match on October 16 aims to raise awareness about the gravity of breast cancer and how deeply it affects patients and their families. The athletes from 1United Volleyball also took the opportunity to do their part in educating aspiring volleyball stars on the significance of fighting this disease and the importance of doing it together. What are your thoughts on how collegiate volleyball teams are stepping up to shed more light on breast cancer? Do you have any suggestions for making these efforts even more engaging or impactful? Drop a comment to let us know!