The No. 2 Stanford women’s volleyball team hosted two highly-ranked conference rivals last week and protected its undefeated record, improving to 14-0, 3-0 Pac-10. Perhaps more impressive, though, the Cardinal made it look easy.

After dispatching No. 4 USC (13-1, 3-1) in three games, 30-21, 30-27, 30-21, on Thursday night, Stanford swept No. 5 UCLA (13-2, 3-1) the next night, 30-20, 30-23, 31-29.

“We knew they were really good,” head coach John Dunning said. “I thought our team did a nice job of getting ready and knew them very well. There is lots of motivation on our team, generally for the season and also specifically for USC, after they beat us at home so badly last year.”

This time, the Trojans and Bruins were both overwhelmed by the three-pronged attack of freshman outside hitter Alix Klineman, junior outside hitter Cynthia Barboza and junior middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo.

Klineman and Akinradewo each averaged about five kills per game, and Barboza chipped in more than four. Akinradewo had only two errors to go with her 30 kills on the weekend, hitting .596.

The UCLA match turned out to be a defensive tilt, with neither team yielding a kill easily. The Cardinal won by far the longest rally of its season — nearly a minute of back-and-forth action — midway through the third game.

“We have worked very hard on defense,” Dunning said. “And I think in both matches we played excellent defense. We dug some great balls and also the ones that we should dig. Very few balls are dropping right now because we are learning to play together, and we also have great effort and concentration in the back row.”

Four players on each team recorded double-digit digs in the match, which saw the Cardinal and Bruins combine for 158. Stanford’s 87 was its highest total of the season and over 30 more than in its five-game win over No. 3 Penn State two weeks ago.

Klineman and UCLA libero Jade Machado recorded 19 digs each to lead their teams. For Stanford, Barboza and senior setter Bryn Kehoe each had 17, and freshman libero Gabi Ailes contributed 14.

The Stanford block was also a major factor in the victory, stuffing five balls in game one and eight overall while slowing down several Bruins attacks to help their diggers.

Stanford wasted no time claiming a first-game lead over the Bruins, who had won a five-gamer at No. 10 California the night before. Stanford reeled off the first four points of the match, including a service ace by junior opposite Erin Waller.

“We knew we did not start fast against Cal, and it hurt us,” Dunning said of Stanford’s four-game win last week. “So we tried to start fast in both matches this week, and we did a good job of that.”

UCLA finally got on the board, but the Cardinal would not be stopped, pushing its lead to double digits at 17-7 on a pair of Barboza kills. Stanford led by as much as 13 and eventually won the game 30-20 on a Bruin’s service error.

Stanford opened the second game with another quick run, scoring three points on a kill by Klineman and two by Akinradewo. UCLA fought back to tie at 10 and then 11 before a five-point Stanford run. Klineman scored four of the five with kills, the fifth being a Barboza ace. The Bruins stayed close but could not even the score, and Stanford won 30-23 on an Akinradewo kill.

UCLA led for the first time in the match at the start of the third game, with three straight service aces by Juliane Piggott. Stanford fought back into a tie, but UCLA again pulled out in front, leading by as much as five. Trailing 27-22, Stanford stepped up its game with five in a row to tie.

Stanford staged a similar comeback in its win over Cal, overcoming a six-point deficit to win the game on a 10-2 run.

“Once you do it once and you know that you are capable, odds are you can do it again,” Dunning said. “Against UCLA, we knew the situation we were in, and we had just been there and been successful. So we did not get anxious or upset or nervous; we just played, and we played better.”

The Cardinal took its first lead of the game at 29-28 and closed out the match with kills by Barboza and Akinradewo.

Klineman had a match-high 19 kills, just three short of her career best, and 19 digs. Akinradewo tallied 12 kills on .500 hitting and notched six blocks to go with a career-high seven digs. Barboza had 11 kills and 17 digs, while Kehoe also had 17 digs and dished out 51 assists, with five blocks as well.

The only bad news from the weekend’s sweeps is the loss of redshirt sophomore Alex Fisher, who fell and jammed her wrist against USC and wore a splint on her left hand the next night.

“She was playing great,” Dunning said. “She went in and changed the game against USC with a block and four kills. She has just been getting better and better. We know she is out for a little while, but she is going to a doctor who specializes in hands and wrists to get it checked out early this week.”

The Cardinal will be back in action on the road this week at Oregon State (8-8, 1-3) and No. 21 Oregon (14-2, 3-1) on Thursday and Friday. Both matches will be broadcast live on KZSU.