No. 17 Stanford (4-1, 0-1 Pac-12)
No. 23 California (5-1, 1-0 Pac-12)
San Jose State (0-5)
Sun, Jan. 24 • 2 p.m. (PT)
Burnham Pavilion • Stanford, Calif.
Live Statistics • Available via GoStanford.com
STANFORD, Calif. – No. 17 Stanford makes its home debut Sunday at 2 p.m. (PT) when it plays host to No. 23 California and San Jose State.
It will be the second meeting this year between the three programs after competing together at the season-opening NorCal Classic at San Jose State. The Golden Bears (5-1, 1-0 Pac-12) placed first in the meet, followed by Stanford (4-1, 0-1 Pac-12) and the Spartans (0-5).
It will be Stanford’s second competition of the week after earning an upset victory at No. 15 Georgia on Monday. The Cardinal rallied from nearly a point deficit at the halfway point of the meet to defeat the Bulldogs. Tied at 195.700 with one performance remaining for each team, Melissa Chuang tied teammate Ivana Hong with a meet-high 9.900 to boost Stanford’s score to 195.875 and secure the victory.
California is coming off a second-place finish in a tri-meet at No. 4 Oklahoma and Texas Women’s University, while San Jose State dropped a dual meet decision to Sacramento State.
Big Dogs on Campus
• Stanford trailed through the first half of the competition at Georgia but continued its focus on hitting routines. The Cardinal's resiliency paid off in the third rotation when it took a 146.675-146.450 lead after four-of-six Georgia gymnasts missed their routines on beam and five Stanford gymnasts scored 9.700 or higher on floor.
• The Cardinal completed the comeback win with its strongest showing in an event on the day with a 49.200 on beam. Melissa Chuang and Ivana Hong earned 9.900's and every Stanford gymnast scored 9.725 or higher in the event.
• Four Stanford gymnasts combined for six top-three finishes on the day, while Elizabeth Price and Taylor Rice claimed the top two spots in the all-around with scores of 39.425 and 39.200, respectively.
Highlights from Stanford's victory at Georgia.
Double the Price
• Price continued her hot start to the year, winning the all-around (39.425), tying for second on bars (9.900), and placing third on floor (9.875) and fourth on vault (9.875).
• Price was named the Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week for the second consecutive week for her performance against the Bulldogs.
• Price has scored 9.850 or higher in seven-of-eight performances this season and 9.900 or higher in 24-of-33 performances during her collegiate career.
Consistency from McNair
• Nicolette McNair continued to be one of Stanford’s most consistent gymnasts, hitting all three of her events including 9.800’s on vault and bars, and a 9.725 on beam. She has scored 9.800 or higher in five-of-six routines this season.
• McNair has hit 77-of-83 routines (93 percent) on vault, bars and beam in her career.
Finding Her Balance
• After a rare fall on beam last week, Ivana Hong returned in a big way with a meet-high 9.900 in the fourth position at Georgia. Her score helped the Cardinal keep pace with the Bulldogs and position Melissa Chuang to complete the comeback.
A Welcome Return
• Melissa Chuang missed the 2015 season due to injury but has made immediate contributions in 2016, including a standout performance at Georgia. Chuang provided the decisive performance on beam to earn the victory for the Cardinal and contributed scores on vault and floor.
Doing It All
• Taylor Rice was Stanford’s primary all-around competitor a year ago and has picked up where she left off. The 2015 Pac-12 First Team selection in the all-around placed second at Georgia (39.200) and earned a third-place result on beam (9.850).
• Rice has competed in the all-around in 12 of the past 16 meets, dating back to the 2015 season opener.
A Fresh Start
• Freshman Taryn Fitzgerald competed in three events at Georgia and made significant contributions. She produced a 9.725 on floor and contributed a 9.775 on beam to help spark a strong finish by the Cardinal in the event.
Sunday’s Opponents: No. 23 California, San Jose State
• California went 194.225 to finish second last weekend, falling to Oklahoma (197.125) and defeating Texas Women’s University (188.250). The Bears excelled on floor, posting the highest score of the meet with a 49.025.
• San Jose State dropped a 194.900-193.400 decision at home against Sacramento State this past weekend. Erica Matos and Allison Bellingham tied for first on vault and uneven bars to highlight the Spartans’ individual performances.
In the Rankings
• Stanford is ranked in the top 25 in the following events based on its season average:
Vault: t-21st, 48.763
Bars: 11th, 49.088
Beam: 13th, 48.888
• Stanford gymnasts are ranked in the top 25 in the following events based on their season average:
All-Around
Elizabeth Price, 4th, 39.462
Vault
Elizabeth Price, t-16th, 9.863
Bars
Elizabeth Price, t-3rd, 9.900
Floor
Elizabeth Price, t-18th, 9.887
