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03.16.2026College Women
stanford women 2024 ph oscar lopez
Try time for Journey Washingtonhigh. Photo Oscar Lopez.
Author: Alex Goff

Stanford secured top spot in the Pacific Mountain South Women's D1 conference with an emphatic 26-5 win over Cal Saturday.

With the win Stanford is in place to compete for the CRAA D1 title. Speedster wing Journey Washingtonhigh scored two tries in the win to pace the Cardinal while No. 8 Kirsten Lee and flanker Jara Emtage Cave and also scored.

Emtage Cave scored the opener off a maul at midway. Flanker Sydney Davis, who has been excellent for Stanford all season, threw into the lineout, took the ball at the back of the maul, and then popped off the back to send a smartly-fashioned flat ball for Lee to burst on and charge through for 30 meters.

Chisa Ogaki made the difficult conversion.

Still, Cal scored via Esther Morrison and it was only 7-5 Stanford at the break. 

Washingtonhigh's first try was right off the second-half kickoff. A little loose passing form Cal saw the ball on the deck and Washingtonhigh smartly toed it ahead twice, controlling the ball well and setting it up so she could dive on it to score.

Ogaki was accurate on the kick once more.

Midway through the second half Stanford was able to get a turnover, and they sent the ball back to Ogaki who thumped it downfield.The ball rolled into in-goal and when the ensuing goalline drop went out on the gull, Stanford got a five-meter scrum.

That was red meat for Lee, who gobbled it up and scored on a virtually uncontested eightman pick.

With time winding down, hands out saw Davis to Emtage Cave and then to Washingtonhigh, and the winger finished in the corner. Ogaki clotted her third very difficult conversion to ice it 26-5.

It was a crucial score because that bonus point made sure Stanford stayed ahead of Cal Poly for the conference title.

So that sets up the playoff scenario for CRAA women's D1. Stanford and Cal Poly joins Life, BYU, Grand Canyon, Western Washington, and Claremont Colleges. There is one other wild card team to be confirmed.

For Stanford, which won the CRAA D1 (before BYU and Life moves into this division), this will be a tough ask. Injuries have plagued them and in this game against Cal they lost their flyhalf. Emma Cruz, who had been the scrumhalf before making way for Vivian Studdert, became a crucial part of the team at outside center, and the shifted to flyhalf in this game.

"Our senior players have kind of become Swiss Army Knives for us," said Head Coach Rich Ashfield. "Well, whatever happens, we will persevere and move on."

 

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