STANFORD, Calif. – Western Athletic Conference Tournament Champion CSU Bakersfield volleyball team opened the first round of the NCAA Tournament on the road against the third ranked team in the country, the Stanford Cardinals.  Stanford would show why they are one of the favorites to win the National Championship by defeating the `Runners in three sets 25-11, 25-15, 25-17.

The `Runners went on a 6-4 run to open up the first set against the number three team in the country Stanford, but the Cardinals would answer with a 4-0 run to take an 8-6 lead.  The Cardinals front line really took control of the set and went on a 21-5 run to win the first set 25-11.  Most of the time the three Cardinals on the frontline were going one at 6'8" and two were 6'6". 

The `Runners were led by senior Sydney Haynes and freshman Desiree Sukhov's two kills each in the first set.  The set was tied twice and once Stanford took the lead, that was the only lead change of the first set.

The Cardinals continued to show why they are the third ranked team in the country and opened up a 12-3 lead to begin the second set, forcing CSUB Director of Volleyball Giovana Melo to call timeout.  Senior Aleksandra Djordjevic would have back to back aces and the `Runners would cut Stanford's lead to 13-6.  After Djordjevic dunked one on the Cardinals and cut the Cardinals lead to 18-11, the home crowd started to get a little restless in Maples Pavilion.  The Cardinals would finish the second set on a 7-4 run to win the set 25-15. 

Djordjevic would have four kills to lead the `Runners through two sets and senior Fabiana Andrade would have six assists to pace the `Runners.

CSUB opened the third set on a 3-1 run, but Stanford answered with a 5-1 run of their own.  Eventually the Cardinals run went to 13-2 and Stanford led 14-5 and `Runners Melo would call timeout to try to stop the run.  The timeout worked.  The `Runners would go on a little run of their own, but in the end, Stanford would be too much.  The Cardinals would win the third set 25-17 and the match in three sets to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Melo said at the postgame press conference, "my girls fought until the end.  Even when we were down big in the third set, they did not quit against the third ranked team in the country."

The `Runners would finish the season 19-14, but that does not even begin to tell the story of the season this CSUB volleyball team had. CSUB would go 9-5 in the WAC and would enter the conference tournament as a four seed.  After sweeping Seattle U to open the tournament, the `Runners would defeat Regular Season Conference Champion New Mexico State.  Six days earlier, NMSU defeated CSUB at CSUB in straight sets.  The `Runners would earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a four set victory over conference tournament host and number two seed UTRGV.  That is called peaking at the right time and that is a testament to Melo and the entire `Runners coaching staff.