Stanford at California

Recap

The Big Storyline: After a rough outing in Week 3, California bounced back in its home opener with a season high-tying score to beat its Bay area rival Stanford—who kept pace with the Golden Bears for three rotations and was on track for a season high of its own until a wonky beam rotation spoiled the Cardinal’s night. California was led by its four all-arounders, who all went 39.400 or higher, while Stanford’s Anna Roberts continued her impressive freshman campaign with standout floor and vault.

Implications: California picked up its second conference win of the season and remains undefeated overall while Stanford suffered its first Pac-12 loss. 

Records: The Golden Bears have not lost to the Cardinal in the regular season since 2014.

Preview

Current Rankings: No. 22 Stanford at No. 7 California

Why You Should Make Time to Tune in: These Bay Area rivals always manage to have a competitive meet—last year’s opening dual between the two was decided by half a tenth—and this year should be no different. California’s hot start cooled off a bit last week as it dipped below 197 for the first time while Stanford enters with a trio of consistent scores under its belt and plenty of room to grow with underclassmen-heavy lineups.

Need More Proof? The Cardinal’s top-ranked freshman class is settling in well, as Anna Roberts, Claire Dean and Taralyn Nguyen have all made a positive impact. Roberts’ big Yurchenko one and a half on vault is the 10.0 start value the lineup had been lacking for years. On the other wise, California’s newcomers have also been dynamic, with Ella Cesario shining as a sophomore after missing last season and eMjae Frazier putting up some stellar numbers. However, Frazier was absent from the Golden Bears’ lineups last weekend. She could have just been resting, or it could have been another issue. Keep an eye on that at this meet.