Boise State falls to Stanford in beach volleyball national championship opener

Boise, ID (CBS2) — Boise State’s beach volleyball team faced a tough challenge in their first-ever appearance at the Beach Volleyball National Championship, falling to No. 3 Stanford with a 3-0 defeat in the opening round on Friday afternoon in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Stanford’s No. 5 pair, Daria Gusarova and Emmy Sharp, secured the first point by defeating Boise State’s Charlee Ellena and Lily Patock, 21-11, 21-15. Shortly after, the Cardinal’s No. 4 duo, Chloe Hoffman and Logan Tusher, claimed another victory against Emilia Guerra-Acuña and Elli Wolthuis, 21-14, 21-13. The decisive win came from Stanford’s No. 3 team, Kelly Belardi and Charlotta Bell, who overcame Avery Allen and Abbie Wolf, 21-18, 21-12.

Boise State head coach Allison Voigt expressed pride in her team’s achievements. “This group should be incredibly proud of the season that they had. This team accomplished something that no other team in Boise State history has ever accomplished. They set a goal at the beginning of the season to reach the National Tournament and they went out and did it. It sucks losing in the moment but this group has so much to be proud of,” said Voigt.

Voigt also looked to the future, acknowledging Stanford’s prowess. “As a coach, I’m wired to constantly be thinking of the future. Stanford is an incredible team. It took them a couple of years to get used to it here and now they’re one of the top teams in the nation. We just got to this tournament and got a taste of what it’s like. Now we have to come back. Our program has been on the rise the last couple of years and we have zero plans of slowing down,” she said.

The Broncos concluded their historic season with a 23-12 record.