Stanford hit the court for the Crossovers Tournament at San Jose State with intensity, grit, and a desire to grow as a unit. The two-day competition featured high-level teams, and though Stanford faced tough battles, the squad delivered standout moments and showed major resilience.
The tournament opened with a matchup against Sacramento State. Stanford's offense found a rhythm early, with strong swings and quick ball movement creating scoring opportunities. However, defensive miscues and challenges closing the block gave Sac State an edge. Despite a hard-fought effort, Stanford dropped the match in two sets.
In the second match, UC Davis presented another challenge. Stanford came out sluggish, and Davis capitalized early. While the Cardinal showed flashes of offensive strength, they were ultimately outplayed on both sides of the ball and fell 2-0.
But just before the final match of the day, word spread that their next opponent, Chico State, had been talking trash. That rumor lit a fire under the team. The first set, however, didn't go as planned, and Stanford dropped it by a wide margin. Then came the turnaround. Led by an electric 11-point serving run from Carter Sun, the team responded with sheer dominance in set two, blowing out Chico State by double digits. In the deciding third set, Stanford rallied behind massive blocks from Jeffery Kwan, Skye Hathaway, and Michael Hemker to shut down Chico's offense and close out the win — a gritty, fiery end to Day One.
Riding the high of their comeback win, Stanford came out aggressive against Sonoma State to start Day 2. Every player contributed, and with clean execution across the board, they swept the match 2-0.
The second game of the day brought a tough opponent: the University of Nevada, Reno. The first set was a tight battle, with big kills from Sun and Kwan keeping Stanford close. Reno, however, took the opener. In the second set, Stanford ramped up the pressure and managed to get into their opponents' heads, forcing errors and taking the set. The final frame went back and forth, but two crucial blocks from Reno gave them the edge and handed Stanford a narrow loss.
Despite the ups and downs, Stanford left Crossovers proud — playing with heart, responding to adversity, and setting the tone for what's next.
