UCLA at Stanford

Recap

The Big Storyline: In a shocking upset, Stanford upped its season-high by over half a point to fend off a road high from UCLA to beat the Bruins and earn its first dual meet win of the season. Senior Kyla Bryant closed out the meet with a clutch floor routine to seal the deal and earn herself the floor and all around titles while leading the Cardinal to season high event totals on three events (vault, bars, floor). UCLA improved on its season-best away total by over half a point, highlighted by Jordan Chiles’ second perfect 10.

Implications: The Pac-12 conference regular season standings got a shake-up, with the Cardinal now tied for fourth and the Bruins sliding to sixth. UCLA will also have additional injury concerns moving forward, with Norah Flatley and Sara Ulias going down with injury during the meet.

Records: Two Stanford freshmen upped their career-best marks to 9.900, with Brenna Neault doing so on bars and Anapaula Gutierrez doing so on floor. UCLA freshman Emma Malabuyo set a new career-high all-around score with a 39.475.

Preview

Current Rankings: No. 16 UCLA at No. 19 Stanford

Why You Should Cancel Plans for It: With the Bruins currently ranked fourth and Stanford fifth among Pac-12 schools, this matchup sets up a great battle between two teams fighting for a spot in the evening session of the conference championship. Although UCLA’s season best is well over a point higher than Stanford’s, the inconsistency on the road from the Bruins this season means anything can happen.

What We’re Watching: Stanford senior Kyla Bryant will help make for an incredible all-around battle between her and UCLA’s roster of talent, including Chae Campbell, Jordan Chiles, and Norah Flatley. A cast of Canadians have both these teams ranked highest on beam, so make sure to watch for the Cardinal’s Isabela Onyshko and the Bruins’ Ana Padurariu.