Aug 22, 2008

Cardinal prepared for a run in Pac-10

Trio of big hitters has volleyball club at No. 2 in nation

By John Reid / Daily News Staff Writer

BERKELEY - Stanford, with six national titles on its resume, has reached the Final Four five times since John Dunning took over as coach in 2001, winning two national crowns. The Cardinal has fallen in the NCAA championship match the past two years, losing to Penn State in a five-game heartbreaker in 2007. But with a trio of All-Americans returning, including national player of the year Foluke Akinradewo, Dunning isn't mincing his words when he says the Cardinal will be formidable in 2008. Stanford is ranked No. 2 in the nation to commence the season.

"We have a definite chance to be real good," Dunning said. "We have a lot of veteran players on our team. We have to get to the point where we are really playing to-gether. The faster we can progress, the better it will be. We have to stay healthy and work hard."

The biggest question mark for the Cardinal is who will replace departed setter Bryn Kehoe, the school's all-time assists leader. The leading candidates are sophomore Cassidy Lichtman and junior Joanna Evans. Lichtman played defensive specialist as a freshman.

"Bryn (Kehoe) was a wonderful player, but she's done," Dunning said. "Now we go to the next step. Whomever is going to step in and set for us, what helps them is that they have veteran ball-control and hitters. That makes their job easier. They don't have to be perfect right at the start. We'll use two setters at the start of the season. They both deserve it. Evans has set forever and is very experienced. Cassidy is a very versatile player. Because of her volleyball IQ, she knows how to play volleyball."

Akinradewo, a middle blocker, and outside hitter Cynthia Barboza are senior captains. The 6-foot-3 Akinradewo led the nation last year with a .499 hitting percentage, the second-best mark in history. Barboza (6-0) had 467 kills on her way to joining Akinradewo as a first-team All-American. Sophomore outside hitter Alix Klineman (6-4) earned a second-team All-America honor as a freshman, in addition to being the Pac-10 freshman of the year. Klineman totaled 499 kills, leading the Cardinal with 4.12 per game.

Replacing Franci Girard in the middle is junior Janet Okogbaa (6-3), though true freshman Jessica Walker (Booker T. Washington/Houston, Texas) is pushing hard for playing time. Redshirt freshman Stephanie Browne (6-4) is out with an injury, but should be on the floor when she returns.

"Janet (Okogbaa) had a dominant spring," Dunning said. "And she's picked up in fall camp where she left off. Jessica (Walker) has really surprised everyone, she's doing so well."

Sophomore Gabi Ailes had 533 digs last season, including a single-match school-record 31 digs at USC. Competing for the opposite position are seniors Erin Waller and Alex Fisher, a Menlo School product.

Stanford has been picked by the coaches to win its third straight Pac-10 title, but Dunning knows it's not going to be a breeze. Six Pac-10 teams are ranked in the top 10 of the coaches' poll.

"Last year might have been the best year ever for the Pac-10," Dunning said. "But I don't think we have ever had six teams in the top 10 of the preseason poll. That's an indication that this year is even better."

Stanford sets out on a 10-day road trip next week, opening up with No. 7 Nebraska in the AVCA Showcase in Omaha next Friday. The Cardinal's first home match is Sept. 11 vs. New Mexico State in the Stanford Invitational. Stanford kicks off the Pac-10 season vs. Oregon State on Sept. 26.



E-mail John Reid at

jreid@dailynewsgroup.com.