The Stanford women’s golf team showed determination this week, refusing to roll over in its third round at the NCAA Championship in West Lafayette, Indiana.

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Freshman Kelly Husted takes a swing in her first postseason appearance. She closed out the day’s competition with an 82. #gallery http://daily.stanford.edu/image/full/2771
Mark Schrumpf

Freshman Kelly Husted takes a swing in her first postseason appearance. She closed out the day’s competition with an 82.

After a disappointing second round, the Cardinal came out and played its best golf yet, recording a 19-over-par 307. However, the team was only able to move into 18th place out of 24.

In the team race, No.3 Southern California increased its lead over the rest of the pack. The Trojans took a seven-stroke lead over No. 4 Pepperdine into Thursday’s final round.

The day also brought drastic realignment in the battle for top individual honors in the tournament.

Annie Thurman of Oklahoma State, who led the competition for the first two rounds, slipped back to third as USC’s Mikaela Parmlid and Florida’s Andrea Vander Lende surged into a two-way tie for the lead.

Parmlid, the nation’s No. 3 player, shot a 70, and Vander Lende shot an electric 3-under-par 69, the event’s best round so far.

Cardinal senior Kimmy Rowton struggled throughout the day, shooting a 7-over-par 79.

Although the All-Pacific-10 performer started the Thursday in a tie for eighth place overall, she slipped down the leader board and heads into Friday’s final round tied for 25th.

Junior Angela Rho played her best round of the tournament so far, recording a 4-over-par 76. A birdie on her final hole of the day capped off a solid second nine, and Rho moved up into 68th place.

The Cardinal’s star on Thursday, however, was junior Kim Kouwabunpat. After scuffling through her first two rounds, she turned things around in dramatic fashion, posting a 1-over-par 73.

After a topsy-turvy back nine that included four birdies, three bogeys, and only two pars, Kouwabunpat will begin Friday’s final round tied for 72nd place.

Sophomore Wendra Liang fired her second consecutive 79, dropping back in the standings to 86th place overall.

Rounding out Thursday’s scoring for Stanford was freshman Kelly Husted. The only starter without postseason experience, she has struggled a bit this week, turning in rounds of 81 and 82 on the first two days.

Her 11-over-par 83 on Thursday sent her sliding down the leader board once again, and she ended the day in a tie for 105th place.