The Stanford Athletics has showcased a consistent performance in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball title this season. The top-seeded Cardinals faced two defeats before locking horns against the Arizona Sun Devils in the semifinals. ASU, the most successful program in the title history, had several factors in their bag to motivate them in the semifinal against the Cardinals. 

However, Stanford smiled at last in the semifinal against the Sun Devils. The opposite from Stanford marked remarkably in that semifinal in NCAA Women’s Volleyball 2023.

Stanford shines in the Sweet 16 of the 2023 NCAA Women’s Volleyball 

ASU’s jealous history in the Stanford regional quite tells their story itself. The program’s score remains 28-6, marking the second-best performance in the history of NCAA Women’s Volleyball. But on December 8, No. 1 seeded Stanford fought valiantly against the Sun Devils to gain their win. On this occasion, their opposite, Kendall Kipp stood up to the challenge with a personal best 23-kill hitting. The NCAA Women’s Volleyball took to the X to celebrate the performance with the caption, “KENDALL PUT IN THE WORK LATE LAST NIGHT”. 

Kendall Kipp’s heroics are not new in this season. She has recorded the hit at a minimum. 300 in 18 matches in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball. The Newport-origin opposite has received acknowledgment for that. Previously, she claimed the title of the Pacific-North Region Player of the Year as the second cardinal after Kathryn Plummer to boast the accolade repeatedly. The daunting task of gaining the upper hand on the ASU, she needed to carry on her phenomenal form in the Maples Pavilion. She just did that. 

A hard-earned win for the Cardinals 

The Sun Devils came hard on the Cardinals in the Sweet 16 match. The presence of their coach JJ Van Niel on the sideline created an extra effect as he had been conferred with the Pac-12 Coach of the Year title just a few days back. Eventually, ASU took away the first set (25-22) from the top-seeded team. But Kendall Kipp couldn’t slip away the whole match. 

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The opposite scored 23 kills, 10 digs, 4 blocks, and an ace in the penultimate game. It was Kendall Kipp’s sixth double-double this season. Those heroics helped the Cardinals to take back the final three sets by the scoreline of 25-21, 25-20 and 25-23.

Before facing the Cardinals in the semifinal, Arizona State had won 28 games. But that was not enough for them in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball this year. With this win, they might have lost the final berth, but volleyball regained popularity again in the region.

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