STANFORD — Top-seeded Stanford didn’t need its star midfielder Friday night to advance to the second-round of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament.

The Cardinal’s leading scorer Andi Sullivan missed her school’s runaway 4-0 victory over visiting Houston Baptist because she is playing for the U.S. senior national team that ends its year Sunday in Carson.

The junior midfielder wasn’t worried.

“They’re going to do well with me or without me,” Sullivan said this week.

The Cardinal (18-1-1) did very well by outshooting Houston Baptist 29-0 and forcing goalkeeper Alanis Guevara to make eight saves. The players rallied around their star to open the postseason in convincing fashion.

“It’s extra motivation to show we can perform without her,” senior leader Maddie Bauer said.

The tournament’s No. 1 overall-seeded team gets Sullivan back next week at home when facing the winner of Saturday’s Santa Clara-Long Beach State game. Stanford will have a midfielder who is starting for the United States for the rest of the season as it tries to reach the College Cup on Dec. 2-4 in San Jose. The Cardinal is shooting for its seventh trip to the championships in nine years.

Coach Paul Ratcliffe experimented with the lineup against the Huskies (10-11-1) by putting some players in new positions. It didn’t seem to slow his team.

Stanford wasted little time scoring with Kyra Carusa getting her sixth goal of the season for a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute. She buried a shot off a cross into the penalty area by fellow sophomore Michelle Xiao.

Stanford doubled the lead in the 17th minute when a high ball from Sam Tran bounced into the net that appeared to be an own goal. Then Xiao turned it into a rout in the 25th minute when dribbling into the box unmarked and firing the ball into the upper right corner. Xiao’s sixth goal of the season led to a 3-0 margin.

“Michelle is such a quality player,” Ratcliffe said. “She’s just starting to hit her stride.”

Logan Karam got the only second-half goal with a blistering shot in the 83rd minute while goalkeeper Jane Campbell tied Nicole Barnhart’s school record with her 35th career shutout although not facing a single shot.