March 14, 2026

California Memorial Stadium
Berkeley, CA
 

Stanford 26 – Cal 5

The Cardinal traveled to Berkeley to play long-time Bay Area rivals Cal at California Memorial Stadium. The sun was out in full force for the 2:30 p.m. kickoff as both teams dialed in for the highly anticipated match-up for players and fans alike.

The gravity of the game was felt by everyone in the stands as the opening minutes were intense and hard-hitting from both sides. The stakes were clear: if Cal won, they would advance to the playoffs and knock Stanford out of contention. If Stanford secured the win and a four-try bonus point, the Cardinal would claim first place in the conference and eliminate the Bears from playoff contention.

The first ten minutes were back and forth. Hard carries, prideful defensive stands, and big collisions could be heard from the sidelines as each team conceded its share of penalties. In the 10th minute, after a penalty on Cal, flyhalf Cara Feit '26 put the ball into touch to set up a lineout at midfield. Sydney Davis '26 nailed the lineout throw to Kirsten Lees '27, and the ensuing maul rolled a strong 20 meters before Davis found fellow backrower Jara Emtage-Cave on a line. Emtage-Cave still had plenty of work to do, fending off defenders and pumping her legs through for the try. The Cardinal went up 7–0 after Chisa Ogaki '28 nailed the conversion from out wide.

The hard-fought battle continued, and it was not until the 28th minute that the next score occurred, this time at the hands of Cal for an unconverted try. The teams went into halftime with Stanford leading 7–5.

The second half did not let up as both teams pushed through fatigue and the persistent heat. Cal started with possession, and a big run by their flanker put them on the front foot at midfield. The ball moved out to the backs, but a dropped pass led to a scramble for the loose ball. Emma Cruz '26 kicked ahead, and Journey Washingtonhigh '26 added a couple more dribbles off the foot to push the ball into the try zone. Washingtonhigh outpaced the defenders in a footrace and dove on the ball for the try. Ogaki slotted her second conversion from the edge to extend the lead to 14–5 with 35 minutes remaining.

The match remained tight, as expected in a Division I match-up featuring 14 graduating seniors across both squads. It remained anyone's game as Cal brought in fresh legs while Stanford leaned on the experience of their starters, with the exception of the addition of Elisabeth Holm '26 who amplified the energy and intensity off the bench.

The game opened up for the Cardinal in the 58th minute. Ogaki put foot to ball down the pitch, and the ball was made dead in the try zone for a Cal goal-line drop. A goal-line drop must travel five meters and land in the field of play. Cal kicked the drop directly into touch, which awarded Stanford a five-meter scrum in prime scoring position.

Lees had one thing in mind. She picked the ball from the scrum, fended off a defender, and dotted down for the try, bringing the lead to 19–5 with 20 minutes remaining.

While this boded well for the Cardinal, they knew the final 20 minutes would be hard fought as their starters continued to push. The Cardinal also knew that one more try would secure the crucial bonus point needed for a playoff spot.

That security came with just five minutes left in the game when Lees found Washingtonhigh on the edge for her second try of the match.

The Cardinal finished on a high note as Cal spent the final two minutes knocking on Stanford's try line. The Cardinal's goal-line defense was remarkable; Cruz then stole the ball on the line to bring the game to a close with a 26–5 victory.

The bonus-point win for the Cardinal clinched first place in the Pacific Mountain Rugby Conference, with Cal Poly claiming second place and the Bears finishing a close third. The top two teams from the conference advance to the CRAA Division I Regionals.

The opening round and semifinals for both CRAA Division I and Division II will be held at Steuber Rugby Stadium at Stanford from March 26–29.

Follow us on Instagram @stanford_rugby for the game schedule and on YouTube @StanfordClubSport for the game replay and regional live streams.

Tries
Jara Emtage-Cave
Journey Washingtonhigh (2)
Kirsten Lees

Conversions
Chisa Ogaki (3)

Stanford Women's Rugby vs Cal
Eva Lieberman ? Audrey Kaplan ? Leila Wang Gaouette ? Zoe Colloredo-Mansfeld ? Paige Fitzpatrick ? Jara Emtage-Cave ? Sydney Davis ? Kirsten Lees ? Vivian Studdert ? Cara Feit ? Journey Washingtonhigh ? Jacqui McLean ? Emma Cruz ? Josie Davidson ? Chisa Ogaki ? Katherine Lai ? Elisabeth Holm ? Jana Gomri ? Emma Lewis ? Anabella Hernandez ? Isabelle McNabb ? Karina Byzek ? Frankie Lewitton

Stanford Women's Rugby vs Cal — B-Side 10s Match
Score: 5–5
Try: Emma Lewis

Jana Gomri ? Emma Lewis ? Anabella Hernandez ? Isabelle McNabb ? Karina Byzek ? Frankie Lewitton ? Priyanka Patel ? Anubha Mahajan ? Artem Arzyn ? Willow Black ? Katherine Lai