Men’s Volleyball – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com Breaking news from the Farm since 1892 Tue, 20 Feb 2024 10:58:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://stanforddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-DailyIcon-CardinalRed.png?w=32 Men’s Volleyball – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com 32 32 204779320 UC Irvine serves men’s volleyball defeat https://stanforddaily.com/2024/02/20/uc-irvine-serves-mens-volleyball-defeat/ https://stanforddaily.com/2024/02/20/uc-irvine-serves-mens-volleyball-defeat/#respond Tue, 20 Feb 2024 10:58:07 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1242934 No. 5 Stanford men's volleyball lost back-to-back games against No. 7 UC Irvine over the weekend.

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No. 5 Stanford men’s volleyball lost both games against No. 7 UC Irvine on Friday and Saturday despite valiant efforts.

The Cardinal lost Friday’s match by set scores 26-28, 25-22, 19-25, 19-25 and Saturday’s match 22-25, 22-25, 25-20, 21-25. Fifth-year outside hitter Will Rottman and sophomore opposite Moses Wagner were both out due to injuries. 

On Friday night sophomore opposite Theo Snoey led the team in kills with a season-high 19 while hitting .441. Fifth-year setter Nathan Lietzke had an impressive double-double, consisting of 10 digs and 44 assists. The middles for the Cardinal, fifth-year Nathaniel Gates and redshirt senior Ethan Hill, both had high hitting percentages, at .562 and .588, respectively. However, Irvine’s overall hitting percentage was .368 and Stanford was unable to match it at .276.

Friday’s set one proved to be close, even though the Cardinal maintained a solid lead throughout most of the set. The set began with dynamic assists from Lietzke and kills from Snoey, followed by kills from Gates. This set marked the first time sophomore outside Ryan DuRoss started in a collegiate match. Fifth-year middle blocker Adam Chang was subbed in and delivered, acing the Anteaters 18-13. However, at 21-18, the Cardinal lost speed, the Anteaters stacking up 3 kills in a row. Their attacking improvements resulted in a close first-set win for U.C. Irvine.

Despite the first set loss, the Cardinal found success in set two. Hill brought the momentum, racking up two kills at the beginning of the set. Lietzke took advantage of two hitting opportunities, getting kills for the Cardinal off of senior libero Luke Turner and DuRoss’s sets. At 17-17, senior setter Chris Kelly was subbed in to serve, acing the Anteaters and securing the Cardinal lead. The set ended 25-22 with Hill’s attack.

Sets three and four both ended 19-25. In both sets, Stanford started strong but eventually lost momentum, despite Snoey tallying 11 kills in these two sets. The Cardinal couldn’t keep up, ending with a night one win for UC Irvine.

Stanford sought retribution on Saturday at Maples, but ultimately lost in four sets like the night before. While the Cardinal tallied its third-most blocks of the season, the Anteaters dominated, hitting with a .343 compared to the Cardinal’s .254 hitting percentage. 

Despite the result, many Cardinal players achieved career and season-highs. Sophomore outside Alex Rottman was a standout, tying his career-high of 15 kills as the team’s kill leader of the night. He also got five digs, an ace and a career-high of five blocks. Gates also had an incredible match, achieving a season-high of 11 kills and hitting .500. He had a successful match-high of seven blocks and matched his career-best of six digs. Snoey had 13 kills Saturday and DuRoss had a career-high of 12 kills. 

The first set on Saturday went back and forth at the start. At 16-17, Rottman had his seventh kill of the evening, bringing the game to a tie. Lietzke and Gates continued the momentum with a huge block. Moreover, Gates, Snoey and DuRoss got kills shortly after for the Cardinal. However, Stanford lost momentum by the end, and UC Irvine achieved five consecutive points. The final score was 22-25.

Set two proved to be a slow start for the Cardinal, although a kill from DuRoss and a block from DuRoss and Hill resulted in a score of 4-6. The Anteaters followed with 4 points in a row, leaving the Cardinal in a deficit of 4-10. Eventually, the Cardinal climbed back into the game, and Rottman and Gates got two consecutive blocks, resulting in a 21-19 lead. UC Irvine responded with five more kills, clinching a second set win.

The Cardinal fought back in set 3, preventing a sweep. Rottman proved to be a powerful asset, getting the first kill of the set. Stanford kept a significant lead until a sudden surge in energy from Irvine brought the score to 15-14. But the Cardinal regained their strength, and the match closed at 25-20 with multiple kills from DuRoss.

Set four proved to be the final one of the night, as the Cardinal could not maintain their momentum from the third set. Stanford tied the game with a block by Rottman and Hill at 4-5. A set from Rottman resulted in a kill by Lietzke to tie the game at 6 . But ultimately Stanford’s offense didn’t match Irvine’s 17 kills in this set, and Irvine won the final set 25-21.

The Cardinal play Pepperdine in Malibu next weekend, followed by Grand Canyon in Phoenix the weekend after. The games against Pepperdine are scheduled for 6 p.m. PT on Friday and 7 p.m. PT on Saturday.

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Ending in B-ruin: Men’s volleyball loses championship game to UCLA https://stanforddaily.com/2023/04/24/ending-in-b-ruin-mens-volleyball-loses-championship-game-to-ucla/ https://stanforddaily.com/2023/04/24/ending-in-b-ruin-mens-volleyball-loses-championship-game-to-ucla/#respond Tue, 25 Apr 2023 05:42:09 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1226010 After beating No. 12 USC 3-1 in the MPSF Tournament quarterfinals and then besting No. 6 BYU in the semis, No. 8 Stanford came up just short in the finals, losing 3-0 against No. 2 UCLA.

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Last week, No. 8 Stanford (15-13, 6-6, MPSF) men’s volleyball faced off against No. 12 USC (10-16, 3-9, MPSF) in the MPSF quarterfinals and No. 6 BYU (19-7, 9-5, MPSF) in the semifinals, bringing home the win both times. The Trojans proved to be a difficult opponent, but Stanford won 3-1, coming back with force after losing the first set. The 3-2 win against BYU on Thursday proved particularly notable after facing two tough losses to the Cougars the previous week. These wins advanced Stanford to the MPSF finals for the second year in a row, a historical moment in Stanford men’s volleyball history. 

Head Coach John Kosty expressed his excitement over the team getting to play at home for the MPSF tournament. “We had a good crowd, exciting volleyball,” Kosty said. 

Senior middle Nathaniel Gates expressed his gratitude for having the MPSF tournament at home.

“It’s amazing just having the fans there,” Gates said. “Kind of just having the home-court advantage. At the end of the day, it didn’t completely work out for us, but the past two games before this were really fun to have just at home, have a student body.”

On Saturday, the Cardinal competed against No. 2 UCLA (29-2, 12-0, MPSF) in the MPSF championship. This was their third time competing against the Bruins this season, a chance for redemption after losing the previous two matches against Cal. Despite their valiant efforts, the Cardinal lost the MPSF final in three sets. The team utilized impressive back row attacks and powerful tips, with senior outside Will Rottman leading the team with 13 of Stanford’s 29 kills.

For most of set one, Stanford and UCLA stayed neck-and-neck. A memorable moment consisted of senior outside Kevin Lamp setting up freshman opposite Theo Snoey for a kill, allowing the Cardinal to clinch a 4-3 lead. Although UCLA was able to catch up, taking a 9-6 lead over Stanford, a missed serve from the Bruins helped the Cardinal bounce back. A powerful serve by redshirt junior middle Ethan Hill, followed by a huge overpass kill by Lamp, acted as a turning point for the Cardinal. 

Soon after, Snoey achieved a dynamic kill and Gates tricked the Bruins with a deceiving tip. When Snoey went back to serve at 12-13 Stanford, he tied the score with an influential ace. Gates and Snoey were dynamic at the net, shutting down UCLA with a block, bringing the score to 20-18 in favor of the Bruins. Near the end of the set, redshirt senior libero Justin Lui — in his final game — had a notable assist to Rottman. Despite bright moments from members of the team, Stanford lost the first set 25-22. 

The nerves were high on the court during the start of set two, with many free balls over the net by the Cardinal. A back row attack initiated by senior setter Nathan Lietzke to Rottman brought the score to 6-4 in favor of UCLA. Rottman continued to be an unstoppable force with an eye for open spots on the court, tipping the ball and getting two other kills soon after. In a coordinated moment, Lietzke faked setting Hill in the front row, but the ball actually went to Rottman, who attacked from the back row. As a result, Stanford gained momentum, bringing the score to 13-10, with the Cardinal close behind the Bruins.

Rottman and Lamp had two more successful back row attacks soon after. Notably, the Cardinal aced the Bruins with one from Lamp, junior outside Aidan Peters (briefly subbing in for Gates) and Rottman. Rottman’s ace tied the score 19-all. Freshman setter Theoren Brouillette also came in to serve for the Cardinal and played strong defense with an impressive dig. However, the Cardinal weren’t able to secure the set win, losing 25-21.

The third set was the closest one yet, an effortful battle characterized by remarkable plays starting with an early Stanford lead. The set began with a slightly new lineup as junior outside Luke Turner came off the bench in place of Lamp. An early 3-1 lead was established due to a fantastic tip by Rottman and a missed serve by UCLA. After intense battling, Turner hit a magnificent kill, preserving Stanford’s lead for a score of 8-6.

Soon after, the Cardinal exhibited an especially spectacular moment of play, where it appeared as if Gates was motioning to hit, but the move played out to be a sensational back-row attack from Turner. Following a phenomenal ace and back row attack from Rottman, there was a great tip by Turner and an amazing suspense-filled rally ultimately won by UCLA. A subsequent ace by Turner, changing the score to 17-14, resulted in a palpable shift in crowd energy as everyone watching grew progressively louder and more excited. Lui covered the court with some extraordinary digs, resulting in an even score of 20 apiece. The Cardinal and the Bruins battled back and forth, but the Bruins eventually acquired the set win 25-23, signaling the end of the match.

Although Stanford lost the match, the team played with energy and grit.

“Great friendships off the court that build those relationships, [and] you can see [them] build strength in our team culture,” Kosty said in reference to the team’s cohesiveness and success this season. “Number two is just resiliency. I mean, three years ago from where they came from to where they are now is just an incredible growth.”

Gates and Rottman also stated how perseverant the team is. 

“We had a lot of ups and downs this year,” Rottman said. “I know I did personally too. I think we showed our glimpses of our best at the end, just not our best all the way through. And I think that’s why we’re here in second place.”

“Favorite moments sometimes are on our highs, sometimes on our lows where we learn the most,” Kosty said when reflecting on the season as a whole. “It’s easy to say getting a win in five against BYU who beat us twice in MPSF conference and then getting them in the semifinals to get to this final. And having Theoren come in and set for us and Luke come in off the bench highly supportive, I think that was a high for the team. And then I go all the way back to playing UBC, Santa Barbara, all of those were [moments] for us in January, which seems such a long time ago. Just the foundation to get us where we are today.”

For the second time in a row, Lui and Rottman were even named to the MPSF All-Tournament Team. This marks the end of an incredible season for the Cardinal.

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“No one really knows me like my brother”: Will and Alex Rottman take to the court https://stanforddaily.com/2023/04/18/no-one-really-knows-me-like-my-brother-will-and-alex-rottman-take-to-the-court/ https://stanforddaily.com/2023/04/18/no-one-really-knows-me-like-my-brother-will-and-alex-rottman-take-to-the-court/#respond Wed, 19 Apr 2023 05:51:43 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1225622 The Rottman brothers are the latest pair in a long tradition of siblings on the men's volleyball team. They say their relationship lets them support each other, both on and off the court.

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Stanford men’s volleyball has a history of siblings playing on the team together. In 1999, two pairs of siblings, the Palacios and Griffiths, were even on the team simultaneously. At the time of this article’s publication, 23 pairs of siblings have played for the Cardinal over the past thirty years.

After more than a decade without a pair of brothers playing for the Cardinal men’s volleyball squad, when Kawika ’10 and Erik ’12 Shoji were teammates, the roster now boasts another pair of brothers: senior and freshman outside hitters Will and Alex Rottman. Going into postseason play this week, the team has an overall attack percentage of .542 percentage, and Will leads the team with a total of 271 kills.

Family

The brothers come from a family with a rich volleyball history. Alex and Will’s father, David, was himself a two-time All-American at UCSB, where he was also teammates with current Stanford head coach John Kosty. David then went on to represent the U.S. on the National Team, play professionally in France and compete on the AVP beach volleyball tour. Will and Alex’s uncle, Steve, competed at USC and on the AVP Tour as well.

“It is a highly competitive family,” Kosty said. “But also there is a highly nurturing part of their family too.” 

Despite their father and uncle playing volleyball at a high level, Alex and Will said they never felt pressured to take up the sport themselves. Nonetheless, they credit their father for instilling a love for the game early on.

“[My father] would always take me down to the beach at like seven in the morning back in Santa Barbara,” Will said. “And I’d watch him play around and that’s kind of how I got into it.”

Both Alex and Will are highly athletic, having played a variety of sports growing up. Before committing to volleyball in middle school, Alex played soccer, basketball and baseball. Will was also a devoted basketball player, competing in both volleyball and basketball until the end of high school. While basketball was the first sport he was passionate about, Will decided by the time he was in middle school (just like his brother) to dedicate his athleticism to volleyball.

For the Rottman family, it’s a point of pride to see the brothers play on a team together. Alex and Will’s grandfather is a lifelong Stanford fan, who, according to Will, comes to all their games. Their 20 or so cousins have also supported the brothers in the stands. But Will emphasizes the caring aspect of his family, adding that above everything, his parents just want him to be happy.

Coach Kosty’s commentary

Although the brothers are both highly competitive, Kosty notes that “they are two different types of players playing the same position.” He describes Will as more expressive and outgoing, while he has found Alex to be more reserved. “But you can see it in his eyes and how he celebrates with the team that he is very competitive,” Kosty said of the freshman.

Despite Alex and Will’s contrasting personalities, Kosty doesn’t coach the two any differently, claiming that any viewers of practices wouldn’t even know that Alex and Will are brothers. The brothers spend time together, but don’t act as a unit separate from the team.

Kosty also commented on the brothers’ relationship. “[It] stems from the competitiveness on the court, to the family off the court, to sometimes the dynamic of the family on the court,” Kosty said.

In Kosty’s words, the familial aspect of Alex and Will’s relationship has helped both of them improve as athletes. And while the team in itself is a kind of family, having two actual family members together has brought a newfound sense of support.

Volleyball players
Will (left) and Alex (right) during a home match against Concordia on April 1, 2023. This is the fourth collegiate season for Will, and the first for Alex. (Photo: GLEN MITCHELL/ISI Photos)

Playing on the same team

Although Will and Alex played beach volleyball together a few times this past summer, and have peppered back and forth growing up, they’ve never competed on the same team before due to being two-and-a-half years apart in age. This current season marks the first time.

For younger brother Alex, Will’s presence has been largely helpful in navigating his freshman year as a volleyball player.

“[Will’s] given me a lot of tips on what I should and shouldn’t do. A lot of the freshmen have to figure it out for themselves,” Alex said. “So in terms of volleyball, it goes down to the littlest things like, pay more attention to your arm… or whatever it is. It’s just very helpful.”

Having his older brother by his side as he enters the collegiate game has also been emotionally reassuring.

“I think you can go to your brother and talk about more personal stuff, is a big thing. When you’re on the team alone, you kind of just have to figure out stuff on your own. So that’s a big advantage,” Alex said.  “Honestly, if I’m feeling anything emotional, or mental that just isn’t sitting right with me. I can talk to him about it. And he’s gone through somewhat the same experience.”

When asked about how he is supporting Will, Alex believes it’s through his frankness.

“Yeah, I feel like I can be super candid with Will, because I’m his brother. I can be super straight up with him,” Alex said. “The other guys sometimes tiptoe around the reality sometimes. So maybe I’ve helped him in that aspect a little and kind of just got straight to the chase.”

Will also feels that the brothers have helped one another in preserving identities separate from volleyball and not letting their performances on court define them.

“[I]t brings me back to my roots a little bit and I feel like we all have friends and relationships on the team and some of my teammates are my closest friends and like they know me very well,” Will said. “But no one really knows me like my brother and I’d say that’s true for me to Alex as well.”

Alex said that he has enjoyed seeing his brother’s role within the team dynamic.

“Will is super fiery, and I admire that about him. I definitely say we’re different,” Alex said. “I like staying composed and calm a little bit more. But that being said, I think sometimes the fire gets out of me and we’ll go back and forth.”

Alex and Will were also able to speak on each other’s special talents outside of volleyball. According to Alex, Will is a very talented singer. When asked to comment on it, Will said his brother brought it up because he’s very bad at it.

When asked to share Alex’s skills, Will replied that his younger brother has a talent for dancing, specifically belly dancing. He also said that Alex is a strong baseball player.

But going into the MPSF Tournament and postseason play, which opens on Wednesday for 3-seed Stanford (13-12, 6-6 MPSF) against 6-seed USC (10-15, 3-9 MPSF), both Will and Alex are grateful to have their brother alongside them. As Will put it, “you’re not gonna lose yourself when you have a sibling on.”

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Stanford upsets Pepperdine to split conference opener https://stanforddaily.com/2023/02/19/stanford-upsets-pepperdine-to-split-conference-opener/ https://stanforddaily.com/2023/02/19/stanford-upsets-pepperdine-to-split-conference-opener/#respond Mon, 20 Feb 2023 01:53:21 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1221849 The victory marked Stanford’s first against Pepperdine since 2017, as well as their first home triumph over the Waves in nearly a decade.

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No. 9 Stanford men’s volleyball (8-5, 1-1 MPSF) split its series with No. 7 Pepperdine (9-5, 1-1 MPSF) this weekend to kick off conference play. After being swept by the Waves on Friday, the Cardinal settled in to outlast their MPSF foes in five sets the following night.

The victory marked Stanford’s first against Pepperdine since 2017, as well as their first home triumph over the Waves in nearly a decade. Saturday night’s performance was also notable given that Stanford was missing leading point scorer and First Team All-American senior outside Will Rottman due to an injury sustained during last week’s matchups with No. 1 Hawaii (11-0, 0-0 Big West). But in Rottman’s absence, several Cardinal players stepped up to split the weekend series.

Friday: 19-25, 16-25, 22-25

Pepperdine made relatively quick work of Stanford on Friday night in a straightforward three-set victory. They were led on the attack by four-time AVCA All-American honorable mention Jaylen Jasper ʼ21, who played for the Cardinal for several seasons before transferring to Pepperdine following the since-overturned decision to cut the Stanford men’s volleyball program

In his return to the Farm, Jasper continued his dominance as he hit a blistering .783 while leading the Waves with 20 kills. The Cardinal struggled to shut down Pepperdine’s solid offense, quarterbacked by setter Bryce Dvorak and his 40 assists. In the end, Pepperdine hit .571 to Stanford’s .317.

Despite the straight-set loss, the Cardinal’s performance had several bright spots. They out-blocked the Waves with seven total blocks, while Pepperdine managed just three. Four of Stanford’s blocks came from senior middle blocker Nathaniel Gates, whose .800 attack percentage on eight kills with no errors marked a team best on the season. Freshman outside Theo Snoey led the Cardinal offensively with nine kills.

But while set three proved more competitive than the first two, Stanford was ultimately unable to shut down the Waves’ building momentum. A kill from Pepperdine’s Akin Akinwumi, followed by a service ace on the hand of teammate Ryan Barnett, closed out the sweep for the Waves.

Saturday: 20-25, 25-20, 25-17, 23-25, 15-12

When Pepperdine held its composure to take set one on Saturday in Maples Pavilion, the prospect of another straight-set loss loomed for the Cardinal. But by set two, Stanford was not only competing with its opponents, but outplaying them.

One of Pepperdine’s only weaknesses on Friday appeared to be in its service game. The team recorded 18 over three sets, in comparison to Stanford’s 10. And, facing a seemingly tighter Cardinal squad on Saturday, these errors began to rack up at inopportune moments. The Waves finished the night with 26, opening the door for Stanford offensively.

Senior setter Nathan Lietzke ran a strong offense, successfully feeding the team’s pin hitters to maximum effect and finishing with 45 assists to his name. The result was the best night of senior outside Kevin Lamp’s career on the attack: 18 kills while hitting .500. Snoey continued to show his maturity as a freshman, contributing 14 kills and two aces, while junior opposite Luke Turner stepped up with 10 kills.

Though without their kill leader in Rottman, the Cardinal showed both the depth of their bench and the ability to compete with a top team in their conference. After an ace from Lietzke claimed the second set 25-20, they set the stage early in set three with a commanding 12-4 lead. Pepperdine never worked their way back into the set, which Stanford won comfortably on a setter dump from Lietzke, 25-17. 

Set four saw Stanford battling to close out the match, while the Waves fought to keep their chances alive. In the end, well-timed kills from Akinwumi and Barnett gave Pepperdine the set 25-23 and forced a fifth.

Taking advantage of the opposition’s mounting errors, the Cardinal found an 8-5 lead and held onto it, despite consistent attempts by Pepperdine to cut it down through both on-court play and timeouts. Jasper denied Stanford one match point. But it was only fitting that, on a weekend defined by new standouts, the matchup was sealed with a kill from Snoey, 15-12.

Conference play will continue for Stanford on the road next week against No. 12 USC (6-6, 0-2 MPSF). First serve against the Trojans is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. PT.

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Men’s volleyball goes 1-1 at First Point Collegiate Challenge https://stanforddaily.com/2023/01/22/mens-volleyball-goes-1-1-at-first-point-collegiate-challenge/ https://stanforddaily.com/2023/01/22/mens-volleyball-goes-1-1-at-first-point-collegiate-challenge/#respond Mon, 23 Jan 2023 05:06:25 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1217681 The team prevailed over No. 15 Lewis, but fell short against No. 4 Penn State.

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No. 8 Stanford men’s volleyball (5-1, 0-0 MPSF) traveled to Austin, Texas this weekend to compete in the First Point Collegiate Challenge. Although the Cardinal beat No. 15 Lewis (3-4, 0-0 MIVA) 3-1 on Friday, the team then suffered its first loss of the young season, falling to No. 4 Penn State (6-0, 0-0 Big Ten) 1-3 on Saturday.

Stanford vs. Lewis (24-26, 25-23, 25-20, 25-22)

Stanford had a strong showing on Friday night against Lewis. The team posted a .339 cumulative hitting percentage and kept Lewis to .282 overall. Freshman outside hitter Theo Snoey had a dominant performance, hitting .500 with a career-high 21 kills, seven digs, two aces and two blocks. The Cardinal also saw career highs from senior outside hitter Will Rottman, with seven assists, and senior setter Nathan Lietzke, who racked up three kills in his hometown. 

Stanford got out to an early lead in the first set. Up 10-4, the Cardinal looked confident. However, a 5-point run from the Flyers brought them back into the game. Lewis ultimately tied Stanford at 24-all, before a Flyer kill brought them ahead for the first time in the set. Another kill sealed set one for Lewis.

While they never pulled away, the Cardinal led for most of the second set. Back-to-back kills from Snoey brought Stanford ahead 20-16 and prompted a Flyers timeout. It failed to stop the Cardinal, however. A kill from senior outside hitter Kevin Lamp, followed by a solo block from Snoey, gave the Cardinal their largest lead of the set. Rottman landed a kill to claim the set, tying the match 1-1.

In the third set, the Cardinal took the lead 5-4 with back-to-back kills from Snoey and held onto it for the rest of the set. Senior middle blocker Nathaniel Gates also came through with consecutive kills to help Stanford maintain its advantage. An attack error from the Flyers gave set three to the Cardinal, putting them ahead in the match 2-1. 

As in the previous two sets, Stanford and Lewis traded the first few points. The Cardinal then pulled ahead with a 4-point run, including back-to-back kills and aces from Lamp and Snoey, respectively. The Cardinal kept a comfortable lead and a kill by Snoey sealed the set 25-22 and the match 3-1 for the Cardinal.

Stanford vs. Penn State (18-25, 17-25, 25-20, 23-25)

Saturday was a different story for Stanford, as it brought the team’s first loss of the season thus far. Playing against the fourth-ranked Nittany Lions, the Cardinal were not helped by the absence of starting setter Lietzke. While freshman setter Theoren Brouillette saw his first career start on Saturday, replacing Lietzke, Penn State’s dominance was clear as they led Stanford in hitting percentage, kills, digs, blocks and aces.

Rottman led the Cardinal with 14 kills. Snoey and redshirt junior middle blocker Ethan Hill each had eight, while the Nittany Lions had three players finish with double-digits in the kill category.

Stanford stayed close with the Nittany Lions at the start of the first set. However, five consecutive points from Penn State brought their lead to 13-9 and the Cardinal were unable to recover. A block gave the Nittany Lions set one, 25-18.

While the score was tight to begin set two, half of the Cardinal’s first 10 points came from Penn State service errors. Similar to the first set, the Nittany Lions gained a comfortable 12-9 lead with 4 consecutive points. The team maintained their advantage with an impressive .500 hitting percentage in the set, which a Stanford service error wrapped up the game 25-17 in Penn State’s favor.

The Cardinal finally found their stride in the third set. Kills from Gates and both Rottman brothers — Will was joined on The Farm this season by his younger brother and fellow outside hitter, freshman Alex Rottman — gave the Cardinal an early 5-2 lead, which they maintained for the rest of the set. Stanford earned its first set win of the match with an attack from Will, 25-20. 

The fourth set was a again must-win for the Cardinal, and they showed it with persistent play. Redshirt senior libero Justin Lui demonstrated why he was recently back-to-back MPSF defensive player of the week with an impressive save that led to a successful attack from Will, putting Stanford ahead 18-17. But the Nittany Lions came roaring back for a 24-22 lead. Hill extended the match with a kill, but Penn State claimed the next point to win the set, 25-23 and the match, 3-1.

Next, men’s volleyball will head to Santa Cruz to take on UC Santa Cruz (5-0). First serve is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. PT.

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Men’s volleyball stays undefeated with two wins over No. 10 UCSB https://stanforddaily.com/2023/01/15/mens-volleyball-stays-undefeated-with-two-wins-over-no-10-ucsb/ https://stanforddaily.com/2023/01/15/mens-volleyball-stays-undefeated-with-two-wins-over-no-10-ucsb/#respond Sun, 15 Jan 2023 20:48:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1217247 The Cardinal continued their hot start with another pair of victories over the Gauchos.

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Coming off consecutive wins against Saint Francis, No. 7 Stanford men’s volleyball (4-0, 0-0 MPSF) remained undefeated this weekend with back-to-back victories over No. 10 UC Santa Barbara (1-4, 0-0 Big West) at home in Burnham Pavilion. The Cardinal swept the Gauchos in the first game and won the second matchup in a close five-set thriller. 

Stanford’s Friday sweep 

(25-16, 26-24, 25-18)

Freshman outside hitter Theo Snoey and senior outside hitter Kevin Lamp led the Cardinal on Friday with 11 kills each. Overall, Stanford posted a .420 hitting percentage and held the Gauchos to a cumulative .125. Senior middle blocker Nathaniel Gates led the Cardinal in blocks with a season-high of seven.

Head coach John Kosty commended the middle for his standout performance: “I think Gates played a really nice match, from blocking balls, he had that spectacular dig-kill, and so I think he had a special night tonight.”

The first set started close, with Stanford and Santa Barbara trading points. But the Cardinal soon found their stride. With a four-point run, including a block from Gates and senior setter Nathan Lietzke, Stanford overtook UCSB’s 7-6 lead and never looked back. 

The Cardinal built on their lead with an impressive block from Lamp and redshirt junior middle blocker Ethan Hill, which gave Stanford a 16-11 advantage and prompted UCSB to call a timeout, but to no avail. The Cardinal ultimately won the set 25-16 thanks to a kill from Lamp.

Although the match remained close throughout, Stanford never trailed in the second set. The Gauchos eventually tied the Cardinal at 22-all, leading to a nerve-wracking ending. Stanford and Santa Barbara exchanged points before a kill from Snoey gave the Cardinal set point at 25-24. Hill came through with a solo block to close the set and give Stanford a 2-0 advantage in the match.

The Cardinal sealed the deal in the third set. Hill posted Stanford’s only ace of the game, while Gates had an impressive dig-kill to tie the Gauchos 10-10. 

From there, the Cardinal took the lead. A kill from senior outside hitter Will Rottman brought the score to 18-15, leading to a timeout from UCSB. Again, it failed to stop Stanford’s momentum, with the Cardinal scoring the next three points. A block from Gates and Snoey brought on set point, and a kill from Lamp concluded the sweep. 

Lamp credited a solid team effort and the atmosphere in Burnham Pavilion for the win:  “Everyone played really well…I mean the fans were awesome, the bench was awesome…the energy was great.”

Five Set Fight

(20-25, 25-22, 24-26, 26-24, 15-12)

Unlike the first match, the second was not smooth sailing. But the Cardinal ultimately grinded out the win, even though Santa Barbara out-attacked them .297 to .271 overall. Rottman led Stanford with a season-high 22 kills, followed by Snoey and Lamp with 10 each. Redshirt senior libero Justin Lui finished with a career-high 19 digs, while Lietzke and Hill led the team in blocks with four each.

Once again, the Cardinal got out to a slow start in the first set. Back-to-back kills from Rottman brought the Cardinal ahead 17-15, but a Stanford service error and a kill from Santa Barbara tied it up. Even with kills from Lamp and Rottman, the Gauchos prevailed, winning the set 25-20.

An ace from Lamp and consecutive kills from Rottman brought the Cardinal ahead 11-8 in the second set, but Santa Barbara kept it close. When Stanford took their next big lead at 20-17, the Gauchos came back to tie it up at 21-all. In the end, a service error from Santa Barbara helped Stanford to win the second set 25-22. 

The Cardinal were ahead for most of the third set but the Gauchos gained the lead near the end. A service error from Santa Barbara tied the game at 24-24, but a hitting error from Stanford gave the Gauchos the set and a 2-1 lead.

The fourth set was the most intense, with six lead changes and 15 tied scores. A Stanford service error foiled the team’s first set point and tied it up again at 24-24. But the Cardinal managed to pull ahead and Lamp’s hit deflected out of bounds won Stanford the set 26-24 and forced a fifth.

The Cardinal finished the job in the fifth set. Lietzke had a one-time kill and an ace. A kill from Snoey brought the game to match point and a service error from Santa Barbara clinched the win for Stanford, 15-12.

Looking Ahead

Anticipating the rest of the season, the team is optimistic. This season, the program brought in six new players, the first full recruiting class since 2020

“We’re super balanced, which is kind of new for us and exciting…Something I haven’t really had since my freshman year,” Rottman said. “It’s obviously great. You’re not constantly worrying about having only twelve guys. It was hard to even get a full practice sometimes.”

Lamp agreed: “We’re confident in what we can do this year…I think we’re in a really good spot to make a deep run into playoffs.”

“We have a lot of tests this season. We play all of the top teams in the country,” Kosty said, but he echoed his players in expressing excitement for the challenges ahead. “I like what I see from our guys, and I’m hopeful about the season.”

The Cardinal continue their season next weekend at the First Point Collegiate Challenge in Austin, Texas with games against No. 15 Lewis (3-2, MIVA 0-0) on Friday and No. 4 Penn State (4-0, EIVA 0-0) on Saturday.

First serve against the Flyers is scheduled for Friday at 5 p.m. PT.

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Men’s volleyball earns exhibition win over British Columbia https://stanforddaily.com/2022/12/31/mens-volleyball-earns-exhibition-win-over-british-columbia/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/12/31/mens-volleyball-earns-exhibition-win-over-british-columbia/#respond Sat, 31 Dec 2022 22:00:29 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1216737 Stanford men's volleyball opened up play with an exhibition victory over British Columbia on Friday. After a close first set, the Cardinal finished the game off in commanding fashion, needing only three sets to walk away victorious.

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Stanford men’s volleyball (0-0, 0-0 MPSF) took on British Columbia last night in a preseason exhibition match, registering a 3-0 win. The first set proved to be close, although senior outside Will Rottman, senior middle Nathaniel Gates and freshman opposite Theo Snoey had some strong attacks. While the Cardinal maintained the lead for most of the first set, the Thunderbirds were able to tie the game at 17-17 and eventually take the lead at 18-17. However, a surprise setter dump and two aces by senior Nathan Lietzke allowed Stanford to take the lead. Gates brought the Cardinal to game point with an effective tip, and senior outside Kevin Lamp executed a kill to achieve a 25-21 set win for Stanford.

Despite the first set being close, the Cardinal dominated sets two and three. Lietzke and redshirt junior middle blocker Ethan Hill connected for a huge block to shift momentum in favor of the Cardinal, which was followed by a dynamic kill to put them up 8-5. The Cardinal maintained their lead, and a backrow attack by Lamp and an ace by Rottman brought the score to 15-8. Stanford continued to serve well this set, as Rottman continued the pace with a service run and freshman outside Ryan DuRoss made his collegiate debut with an ace. The Cardinal took the second set 25-12.

In set three, Stanford continued to serve well against British Columbia. Lietzke, first up to serve, set the momentum with an ace. Lamp, junior setter Chris Kelly and Rottman also contributed aces later in the set. Libero redshirt senior Justin Lui covered the court, allowing Lietzke to effectively set up the hitters. Snoey also performed well, with a notable down the line kill early on to set the tone. Rottman’s powerful cross court kill brought the score to 17-7, extending an impressive Cardinal lead. In the final moment of the match, Gates finished things off with a kill, concluding a 25-10 set and 3-0 match win. 

The Cardinal take on British Columbia again this afternoon at 4 p.m. PT in Burnham Pavilion, and return to action after the new year against Saint Francis on Jan. 6 and Jan. 7 at Maples Pavilion.

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‘Sense of community’: Men’s volleyball players and alumni come together to play beach volleyball https://stanforddaily.com/2022/10/30/sense-of-community-mens-volleyball-players-and-alumni-come-together-to-play-beach-volleyball/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/10/30/sense-of-community-mens-volleyball-players-and-alumni-come-together-to-play-beach-volleyball/#respond Sun, 30 Oct 2022 22:04:32 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1211738 Men's volleyball was once set to be cut from Stanford Athletics. Now, more than a year after being reinstated, alumni and current players came together.

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The current players and alumni of the Stanford men’s volleyball team met up at the Stanford Beach Volleyball Stadium last weekend for some pickup volleyball and networking.

In head coach John Kosty’s words, the reunion tournament was established to give men’s volleyball alumni the chance to “come back and re-engage and feel like they’re continually part of our volleyball family.” It was also an opportunity for the current team “to network and to see the foundation of where our program comes from.”

For senior outside hitter Will Rottman, the reunion tournament is not only “a great networking opportunity, but it’s also amazing to hear [the alumni players’] stories.” The chance to play volleyball and build relationships with alumni, according to Rottman, “enhances the sense of community this program has.”

Like his older brother, freshman Alex Rottman, also an outside hitter, emphasized the community that volleyball brings. “Any time there’s any volleyball community event it’s always super cool because it’s such a small world and you can connect super easily.” 

Another freshman, setter Theoren Brouillette, also liked meeting the alumni “and seeing where they’ve come from, what they’ve done and how they’ve used Stanford to benefit themselves.” 

“It’s really fun reuniting with other players in my class, playing a bit of volleyball, catching up,” said Cole Paullin ‘20.

Athletes were especially excited about the alumni tournament this time around after facing a number of challenges in recent years. In July 2020, the men’s volleyball program and 10 other varsity teams were set to be discontinued. However, a reversal decision in May 2021 reinstated all 11 cut sports. Despite the reinstatement of men’s volleyball, the alumni tournament hasn’t occurred since 2019 due to COVID-19 concerns.

“It’s really cool to meet all the alumni, especially after our program being cut,” said junior setter Chris Kelly. “And then, it’s like now we’re able to come and play because our program’s back. We get to meet these people that otherwise we wouldn’t have ever met in our life.”

“I’m excited because a third of our team, six guys, are freshmen, new to the collegiate game,” Kosty said. “But we also have our elder statesmen who are veterans of the game now and understand what it takes to win at the level we want to win at. It’s a great blend, the team is a really cohesive, great culture.”

The volleyball players have many goals in mind, the most prominent one being a national championship. But besides the championship title, the athletes have a number of goals set out for themselves along the way. A goal for Alex Rottman is to “build a very strong connection with [the] team.” For Brouillette, it’s to “adjust to college play.” As for Will Rottman, an AVCA First Team All-American, his goal is for the team to reach its full potential.

“I want our guys to compete every point, every set, every match,” Kosty said.

The team will open fall competition this Saturday at USC before coming back and hosting the Movember Tournament on The Farm. Games will take place at Burnham Pavilion and Ford Center on Stanford campus.

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Dead heat: Stanford breaks down Grand Canyon to advance in MPSF tourney https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/21/dead-heat-stanford-breaks-down-grand-canyon-to-advance-in-mpsf-tourney/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/21/dead-heat-stanford-breaks-down-grand-canyon-to-advance-in-mpsf-tourney/#respond Fri, 22 Apr 2022 00:20:36 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1201190 After falling to GCU twice during the regular season, No. 13 Stanford men's volleyball (13-13, 4-8 MPSF) defeated the Lopes when it mattered most, in the quarterfinals of the MPSF tournament on Wednesday. With the win, the Cardinal earned their first trip to the semifinals since 2014.

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After closing out its regular season last Saturday, No. 13 Stanford men’s volleyball (13-13, 4-8 MPSF) traveled to Los Angeles for the MPSF tournament, facing No. 10 Grand Canyon (16-12, 6-6 MPSF) in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The Cardinal defeated the Lopes 3-1 to earn their first semifinal berth in the tournament since 2014.

In the two teams’ previous meetings just over a fortnight ago, GCU convincingly dispatched the Cardinal. But Stanford appeared a vastly different team this time around, breaking several stalemates in sets three and four to defeat the Lopes. It was a monumental victory for the team, whose first round loss in the same tournament last year was thought to be its last

The Cardinal set the tone from the first serve, taking an early lead which they refused to relinquish for the remainder of the set. Their relentless attack was aided by errors from Grand Canyon. 

Junior setter Nathan Lietzke attacked on the second touch for 14-10, and two GCU attack errors extended the Cardinal’s advantage to 16-10. Though the Lopes found openings and managed to rein in the deficit slightly — they got within two points at 19-17 — it was not enough. A second kill from Lietzke brought on set point, and junior outside hitter Kevin Lamp sealed the set for the Cardinal 25-21. 

As a team, Stanford posted a blistering hitting percentage of .550 in the opening set. It put Grand Canyon on notice.

Looking to respond to the Cardinal’s decisive performance in set one, GCU raced out to a 7-4 lead in the second set. Junior outside hitter Will Rottman landed a kill, and Lamp blocked the Lopes’ opposite Hugo Fischer, as the Cardinal started to close in on their opponent. 

Stanford continued to apply pressure and was aided by GCU’s attack errors. Strong offensive and defensive play allowed the Cardinal to pull ahead. They held off a mini comeback from the Lopes to take the set 25-20 and a 2-0 lead in the match.

The two sides kept the score tight as the match entered its third set. After Grand Canyon took an early lead, kills from sophomore opposite Luke Turner and Rottman evened the score at 12. 

The Lopes’ quick start in the third set demonstrated that they were not backing down. But neither were the Cardinal. The teams traded points for the latter part of the set, and Grand Canyon clung to a 22-20 lead going into another Stanford timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Lopes quickly closed out the set 25-22.

The Cardinal still led the match 2-1, but the Lopes had evaded a sweep and demonstrated exactly why they were the No. 4 seed going into the MPSF tournament.

“We came into this match understanding how they were going to try to attack us,” said head coach John Kosty. “They’ve got some big arms on the outside. And so we knew they were going to come back from the service line and really put pressure on our side-out game.”

The opportunity of advancing to the semifinal was not one that Stanford was willing to give up. Kills from junior middle blocker Nathaniel Gates, Lamp and Rottman helped the team to a 7-4 lead early in the fourth set. 

The Lopes charged back to take the lead, and Stanford responded to the quick turn of events with a timeout. Rottman emerged from the timeout to post several kills and help the Cardinal to a 15-12 advantage.

Play began to resemble the stalemate of the previous set. But GCU quickly broke the impasse, going on a three-point run to lead 21-18. Stanford responded with its own three-point run, restoring the dead heat at 21-all. Turner broke the tie at 22-all, and Rottman gave the Cardinal set point. 

Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Ethan Hill and Lietzke teamed for one final block, clinching the set 25-22 and the match 3-1. Stanford had put together a 7-1 scoring run exactly when they needed it. 

“I thought it was an awesome team win,” Kosty said. “Everybody who played, including the bench, did a tremendous job. And you know, I’m just so proud of our team.”

Rottman led the Stanford squad with a match-high 25 kills. 

“The growth of our team is the growth of Will,” Kosty said. “He’s just a player out there who has a specific job to do and he’s learning how to do it really, really well.”

Lamp and Gates followed Rottman with nine and five kills, respectively. Lietzke hit .750 with three kills of his own and led the team with 35 assists and 11 digs.

“Lietzke set a wonderful offense tonight,” Kosty said, adding that the setter “just did a terrific job of giving the sets that Will needed and everybody else needed to get those clutch kills, especially late in the fourth set.” 

Redshirt junior libero Justin Lui had six digs, while Rottman contributed five. Hill posted seven blocks for the Cardinal, with Lamp and Lietzke close behind him with four each. Junior middle blocker Adam Chang recorded three service aces.

Next up, Stanford will face No. 1 UCLA (21-3, 11-1 MPSF) in the semifinals. The Cardinal are responsible for the Bruins sole conference defeat this season, but this time they will face off on UCLA’s turf. Kosty said his team is looking forward to the matchup.

“It’s exactly what you draw up,” he said. “You want the best team in the conference, and you get to play them on their home court… I think we’re up for the challenge.”

First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT in Pauley Pavilion.

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Men’s volleyball falls in regular season finale, looks toward postseason https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/18/mens-volleyball-falls-in-regular-season-finale-looks-toward-postseason/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/18/mens-volleyball-falls-in-regular-season-finale-looks-toward-postseason/#respond Mon, 18 Apr 2022 22:44:39 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1200588 After the Waves’ comfortable sweep in the doubleheader’s first match on Thursday, Stanford forced a fiery five-set battle on Saturday.

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No. 12 Stanford men’s volleyball (12-13, 4-8 MPSF) entered its regular season finale against No. 8 Pepperdine (16-9, 7-5 MPSF) in pursuit of an away victory that eluded them all season. After the Waves’ comfortable sweep in the doubleheader’s first match on Thursday, Stanford forced a fiery five-set battle on Saturday. Even so, the Cardinal came up just short of a reverse sweep, as errors, challenges and timeouts abounded in their dramatic finale of MPSF conference play.

Forcing five in season finale (21-25, 21-25, 25-13, 25-23, 11-15)

Pepperdine looked to have found their stride early, racing out to a 10-5 lead. With the match still in its infancy, the Cardinal’s junior outside hitter Will Rottman argued with an official over a call and received a yellow card. It was his second yellow card in a week; he earned one last Saturday during the team’s victory over unranked Brigham Young University (8-15, 3-8 MPSF). 

While Rottman managed to use his emotions for the team’s offensive benefit by recording a kill, Pepperdine outside hitters Spencer Wickens and Alex Gettinger pushed back, each contributing a kill of their own to extend the Waves’ lead to 12-6. With things off to a tough start, Stanford called a timeout.

Even after the timeout, nothing seemed to be going in the Cardinal’s favor, as they received a net violation. Head coach John Kosty challenged the call, but after review, the previous judgment stood, and the Waves retained their 13-7 lead. Just as in its sweep of Stanford two days before, Pepperdine appeared firmly in control of the set as the team held onto the early advantage.

As the set progressed, Stanford junior outside hitter Kevin Lamp made crucial contributions which brought his team within striking distance. A kill from sophomore opposite Luke Turner brought the Cardinal even closer, diminishing Pepperdine’s lead to just 22-21. But just as Stanford seemed to be finding its footing in the first set, two kills from Pepperdine middle blocker Austin Wilmot quickly brought on set point for the Waves. An attack error cost the Cardinal the set, as it went to Pepperdine 25-21.

The Waves were able to hold Rottman, the Cardinal’s top scorer and the sixth-ranked hitter in the NCAA for kills per set, to just two kills in the opening set.

A tight second set followed, with the Cardinal and the Waves fighting for alternating points. Errors prevented either team from pulling ahead early on. Around the set’s midway point, however, Wickens and outside hitter Jaylen Jasper — a former Cardinal volleyball player — started to find holes in Stanford’s defense. The two landed several well-timed kills, allowing their team to hold a slight edge 15-13 going into a Stanford timeout.

Kills from Turner and junior middle blocker Nathaniel Gates helped the Cardinal pull even with Pepperdine. But the Waves have proved dangerous, especially when they are behind, and they took the lead again. A marathon rally shortly thereafter ultimately went Pepperdine’s way, extending the Waves’ lead to 22-19. A pair of Cardinal errors then gave the Waves set point, which they converted to take the second set 25-21 and a 2-0 lead in the match.

Rottman started the Cardinal off strong in the third set with back-to-back kills. The team appeared energized, keeping Pepperdine’s attack at bay and finding an 11-7 lead. Rottman landed an ace — coupled with Pepperdine errors and kills from Turner and redshirt sophomore middle blocker Ethan Hill, the Cardinal’s lead increased to 15-8. The Cardinal held on, and kills from Rottman and Gates gave them a serious advantage at 20-11. Pepperdine looked discombobulated for perhaps the first time in the doubleheader.

Stanford continued to persist on the attack, as errors by the Waves furthered Stanford’s lead, giving them set point at 24-12. The Cardinal converted it a couple points later, claiming the third set convincingly 25-13. As a team, they had posted an intimidating combined attack percentage of .632 in the set, compared to the Waves’ .043. The Waves still led 2-1, but the fight was on.

The fourth set resembled the first two, as the score remained close throughout. The one difference, however, was the Cardinal’s increased confidence. After a slow start to the match, Rottman appeared to finally find his swing, hitting around Pepperdine blocks and collecting critical points for the Cardinal.

The Waves showed once again that they are not to be taken lightly, fighting back from a 12-14 deficit to take the lead 15-14. Both sides continued to trade points, as an ace from Rottman gave the Cardinal a 19-18 advantage. He followed this with a back row attack for the 20-18 lead, and another kill shortly after to give Stanford the 22-20 advantage. He and Turner proved to be a lethal offensive pair, giving the Cardinal the set point at 24-22. Turner ultimately converted this opportunity to clinch the set 25-23 and force a deciding fifth set.

“Even though we lost two sets early on, we knew there were things we could fix, do better and play more as a team,” said Kosty. “And that’s exactly what we did to get ourselves back in that match and have an opportunity to play the fifth set.”

The tension was palpable, as both teams clawed for the 15 points necessary to claim the victory. While Pepperdine got off to the faster start, kills from Gates, Rottman and Turner kept the Cardinal within reach. But the team struggled with service errors and Pepperdine’s constant attacks, prompting Kosty to call his second timeout of the young set with Stanford down 11-8.

This pause did not stop Jasper and Wilmot from continuing their offensive campaign, and the Waves found several match points at 14-10. Wilmot blocked Turner to close out the set 15-11 and the match, 3-2.

“There were great performances all the way,” Kosty said of the five-set game. “I just wish we could have gotten those one or two points even early on to give us an opportunity at the end.”

It was a hard-fought loss for the Cardinal, and the team still turned in solid performances across the board. Rottman led Stanford with 21 kills, Lamp had 12 and Turner recorded 10. Gates and Hill both hit well over .500 with six kills apiece. Junior setter Nathan Lietzke ran the team’s offense with 47 assists. He also had eight digs to complement redshirt junior libero Justin Lui’s nine. Hill managed five blocks, while Rottman had three.

MPSF tournament preview

The Cardinal will now move on to the postseason after closing out the regular season on Saturday. 

“As I told the team at the conclusion of the Pepperdine match,” Kosty said, “it is now championship time.”

Entering the MPSF tournament as the fifth seed, Stanford will play No. 10 Grand Canyon University (16-11, 6-6 MPSF) in its first match of the knockout draw.

“Pepperdine and Grand Canyon are similar in the respect that the tempo of offense that they run is pretty fast,” Kosty said, previewing the matchup. 

“I think we’re mentally tough enough to go out and do some damage in the tournament,” he added.

Though the Cardinal hold a 4-8 conference record this season and lost both matches in their doubleheader against GCU a fortnight ago, Kosty feels his team can rise to the occasion.

“This is what we’ve been training for the entire season,” he said. “To go play one match with everything on the line.”

First serve against GCU is scheduled for April 20 at 8 p.m. PT at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.

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Men’s volleyball swept by Pepperdine Waves https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/14/mens-volleyball-swept-by-pepperdine-waves/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/14/mens-volleyball-swept-by-pepperdine-waves/#respond Fri, 15 Apr 2022 06:05:59 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1200444 In the first game of its final regular season doubleheader, Stanford men's volleyball (12-12, 4-7 MPSF) could not contain Pepperdine's (15-9, 6-5 MPSF) offense and lost in straight sets. The Cardinal will have a chance to get revenge in their final regular season game against Pepperdine on Saturday.

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Following a pair of victories last weekend that demonstrated the young team’s potential, No. 12 Stanford men’s volleyball (12-12, 4-7 MPSF) headed down to Malibu for its final conference doubleheader of the regular season against No. 8 Pepperdine University (15-9, 6-5 MPSF). Despite glimpses of the skilled play that has helped them at home all season, the Cardinal could not escape the Waves’ offensive riptide and were swept in straight sets.

Stanford entered the match on Thursday night still seeking its first win on the road this season, and its first win against Pepperdine since 2017. 

Additionally, Stanford faced a former teammate in Pepperdine outside hitter Jaylen Jasper. Jasper earned three All-American honorable mentions while playing for the Cardinal and has similarly excelled at Pepperdine, posting a season high 33 kills — besting his previous record of 29 kills for the Cardinal — this year after opting out of playing for Stanford during the 2021 season. 

Jasper was in on the action from the start as the Waves took an early lead. He and middle blocker Austin Wilmot denied Stanford junior outside hitter Kevin Lamp with a block to extend Pepperdine’s advantage to 6-3. Jasper’s strong serving further stretched the gap to 9-4. Only a couple points later, he landed a kill to make it 10-5.

Pepperdine built on that lead, as setter Bryce Dvorak ran a diverse offense allowing for wave after wave of attacks which Stanford struggled to contain. The Waves took the set comfortably, 25-18.

Stanford raced out to a 4-1 lead in set two, but Pepperdine quickly regained its rhythm from the opening set to bridge the gap. The teams traded points but neither could seem to find a foothold. 

Up 12-11, the Waves took advantage of Cardinal errors and their own offensive prowess to extend their lead to 15-11. They applied relentless pressure at the net, forcing Stanford out of system and denying junior outside hitter Will Rottman’s persistent swings. A kill from Jasper and an ace by Dvorak gave the Waves set point at 24-18. Though Rottman edged out a two-man block to deny one set point, a Cardinal service error gave Pepperdine the set 25-19, and a 2-0 lead in the match.

Heading into the third set, Stanford found itself in a similar position to the team’s previous match. Down two sets to none against unranked Brigham Young University (8-14, 3-7 MPSF) last Saturday, the Cardinal launched an unwavering comeback to take the reverse sweep in a dramatic fifth set.

A block from junior middle blocker Nathaniel Gates and junior setter Nathan Lietzke clinched the opening point and set the tone for Stanford’s play throughout most of the set. The Cardinal varied its offense, employing strong attacks from both sides, as well as from the back row by Rottman. Stanford remained neck-and-neck with Pepperdine, even finding momentum to take a three-point lead 13-10. The Cardinal’s early-set play was reminiscent of last week’s doubleheader sweep.

The advantage proved to be temporary, however, as Pepperdine quickly reined in the gap.

Though the two teams would trade the lead a few more times, from the moment the divide was closed, the Waves appeared in control. Stanford called two timeouts late in the set, but neither managed to reenergize the team. 

While the Cardinal narrowed the deficit to 22-19, that was as close as they could get. An attack error from Rottman brought on match point, and another ace by Dvorak — his fourth of the match — earned Pepperdine the set 25-19, and the doubleheader’s first match, 3-0.

In the end, Stanford had a combined hitting percentage of just .259 compared to Pepperdine’s .419. Rottman led the team with nine kills, while redshirt sophomore middle blocker Ethan Hill and true sophomore outside hitter Luke Turner were close behind with seven apiece. Lietzke tallied 29 assists, and he, Turner and redshirt junior libero Justin Lui each posted five digs.

Stanford’s roster of just 14 is almost half the size of Pepperdine’s, which clocks in at 26 players. This is a reality that the Cardinal, who did not welcome a recruiting class due to the University’s since-overturned decision to discontinue the program, have had to manage all season.

“It’s been a long season,” said head coach John Kosty following last week’s victory over BYU. “We’ve tried to manage our really small roster and allow them to be fresh.”

With the postseason right around the corner, Kosty says the team is readying itself for MPSF tournament play. The second match of the doubleheader against Pepperdine will be its last in the regular season. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. on April 16 in the Firestone Fieldhouse.

“We are now in the last stage of our training,” Kosty said last Friday. “It’s now tapering, in swimming terms. And just fine tuning and giving them that emotional and physical rejuvenation to finish out the season strong.”

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Cardinal bite back: Men’s volleyball reverse sweeps Cougars in home finale https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/10/mens-volleyball-reverse-sweeps/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/10/mens-volleyball-reverse-sweeps/#respond Mon, 11 Apr 2022 03:58:04 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1199863 The victory marks the first time since 2015 that Stanford has gone 2-0 versus BYU in a single season. Next up, the Cardinal will face Pepperdine in Malibu.

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In any other season, the last game in front of a home crowd would mark a triumphant senior night. But this year’s home finale victory proved why every member of the small Cardinal team is set on returning to compete next year. 

No. 12 Stanford men’s volleyball (12-11, 4-6 MPSF) was down 2-0 early on Saturday night, but the Cardinal banded together, surging back to complete a reverse sweep against Brigham Young (8-14, 3-7 MPSF). 

The victory marks the first time since 2015 that Stanford has gone 2-0 versus BYU in a single season. 

“Gritty, courageous fortitude,” said head coach John Kosty. “These are the things that we’ve been working on all season. To have these opportunities and […] show that we can grind it out with anybody.”

Looking to repeat Friday’s dominant performance and complete the series sweep against the Cougars, Stanford entered the building on Saturday with renewed energy. It quickly became clear, however, that BYU had something different in mind. 

After the two teams traded points early in the first set, Brigham Young gained the first separation of the night, taking a 9-6 advantage. But redshirt junior libero Justin Lui stepped up, diving into center-court to dig consecutive swings from BYU outside hitter Davide Gardini and bring the Cardinal within one point. 

Later, down 18-15, junior outside hitter Will Rottman recorded his fifth kill, sending a powerful swing through a two-man block to put Stanford within striking distance. Any run that Stanford had in store was stifled by Gardini’s offensive attack, however, and the Cardinal dropped the first set 25-19.

The Cardinal looked more like themselves in the second set. After sending a freeball over the net to the Cougars, junior setter Nathan Lietzke denied the attack with his first solo block of the night. Moments later, he served an ace into the back right corner. Forcing BYU out of system, Stanford stretched the early lead to 9-3 after multiple BYU attacking errors.

Despite keeping the Cougars at bay for the majority of the set, offensive errors started to pile up for Stanford late in the set as the lead narrowed to 21-20. Junior opposite Luke Turner gave Stanford some room to breathe, rising up from the left side line for his second kill of the night. Two points later, Turner did it again, giving Stanford a 24-23 lead and a chance to even the game at one set apiece.

With a chance to ice the set, Turner couldn’t get the ball through the block. The two teams locked at 24. Gardini and Rottman traded kills to a tie at 25. But a service error from Rottman followed by an attacking error handed BYU the comeback victory in the second set.

The Cardinal are used to playing from ahead when they win, striking first in all of their previous 11 victories this year. Prior to Saturday, Stanford had not overcome a two-set deficit since 2017. This time, in front of a raucous home crowd, there was a palpable difference. 

From the huddle on the sideline, Kosty could be heard shouting, “right back, right back.” As Stanford walked back on to the court, Turner paced between his teammates, repeating, “We’re taking that back right now.” That sentiment is a part of a larger mentality that Kosty said the team has been cultivating all season.

“With a young team, they like to look behind them and worry about the last play that they made, not the next play they can make,” Kosty said. “So that’s part of the training we’re in right now — always looking forward, keeping your eyes up and staying positive.”

From that point on, Stanford refused to fold. In a set that closely mirrored the second, the Cardinal drew first blood, taking an early 10-6 lead.

The intensity almost boiled over as Rottman and Gardini exchanged words for the second time of the night, earning Rottman a yellow card. Over the course of the set, Rottman showed that he was capable of turning that fire into results, racking up six kills and a solo block in the set. Up 15-13 after a four-point run from BYU, junior middle blocker Adam Chang entered the game and made a huge dig to set up another Rottman kill, forcing a Cougar timeout. 

But BYU would not let up, putting together two more runs and narrowing the lead to 21-20. Looking to escape a fate similar to the second set, the Cardinal subbed in sophomore outside hitter Aidan Peters, who quickly recorded his first kill of the night. On set point, Stanford was bailed out by a BYU service error, and the Cardinal won 25-23.

“After the second set, we were obviously kind of down but we had no doubt that we were still going to come back and win that match,” Lui said. “It was echoed by the coaches and the players’ attitudes and body language.”

Looking to force a fifth set, the battling Cardinal started to find points easier in the fourth. Stanford’s defense made all the difference, as multiple early blocks from Lietzke and junior middle blocker Nathaniel Gates stifled the BYU offense. Peters, who stayed on the court for the rest of the game, stepped up as well, recording four kills in the set. Stanford’s versatile attack kept the Cougars guessing, and the Cardinal took the set 25-20.

“He’s a spark plug,” Kosty said of Peters. “He’s just a great volleyball player, and his defense and his intelligence helped us.”

This season, home court advantage has been a major factor for Stanford, who has an 11-2 home record and a winless record on the road.

If the crowd presence was not already noticeable at Maples, it became undeniable in the fifth set. Chants followed every point, and the home fans made the blue sea of BYU fans look more like a pond.

“No doubt, it definitely helped swing the energy our way,” Lui said.

Entering the third hour of a marathon match, the Cardinal needed all the extra energy they could get on Saturday night. The set started off quickly, with both teams trading early runs. Down 11-9 in the fifth set, which goes to only 15 points, the Cardinal dug their heels in. For three straight points, Stanford looked like a brick wall, as Gates and Lietzke came up big with blocks and Rottman added to his kill tally. With Stanford leading 14-12, the fans rose to their feet, a historic comeback victory firmly within the Cardinal’s grasp. But for the first time all night, Peters faltered — his serve hit the tape and fell back on Stanford’s side, and two swings narrowly missed the sideline. With the score knotted at 16, the battle was on.

Needing a two-point margin to win, neither team could string anything together. Attack error followed block; service error followed kill. For 13 straight points, the Cardinal and the Cougars traded blows.

Leading 23-22 and following an unforced error from BYU, Stanford had one more chance to put the game away. On Stanford’s ninth match point, Peters went back to the line, sending a jump serve just within reach of the diving Brigham Young libero. Gates and redshirt sophomore middle blocker Ethan Hill rose up, blocking a powerful Gardino swing. A Cougar miscue gave Rottman a freeball, which he sent right back at Gardino, ricocheting into the stands.

In the third longest game in MPSF history, Stanford completed its largest comeback of the season, winning 3-2. Rottman led the team with 32 kills on .391 hitting, and Lietzke totaled a season-best 58 assists.

The Cardinal will face No. 8 Pepperdine (14-9, 5-5 MPSF) in Malibu on Thursday, as they look to end the season on a hot streak heading into MPSF playoffs.

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Men’s volleyball sweeps BYU at home for first time since 2012 https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/09/byu-at-home/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/09/byu-at-home/#respond Sat, 09 Apr 2022 20:31:29 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1199839 The upset marked the Cardinal’s first win against Brigham Young in over six years, the first home win over the Cougars since 2015 and the first sweep over BYU in a decade

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The last time No. 12 Stanford men’s volleyball (11-11, 3-6 MPSF) took on their longtime rivals from Brighman Young (8-13, 3-6 MPSF), the Cougars made quick work of the Cardinal in Provo, winning both 2021 matches in straight sets. But on Friday, the Stanford squad appeared worlds away from the team BYU had faced just a year ago. They gave the Cougars little breathing room on the way, sweeping the doubleheader’s first match.

The upset marked the Cardinal’s first win against Brigham Young in over six years, the first home win over the Cougars since 2015 and the first sweep over BYU in a decade.

For junior outside Will Rottman, who led the team with 18 kills on Friday and had a career-high attack percentage of .680, the victory was a long time in the making.

“I’ve never played BYU here,” he said of Maples Pavilion. “I’ve played them on the road three or four times in my career, and I haven’t beaten them.” 

But that all changed on Friday. 

“They’re really tough at their place,” Rottman said. “So we kind of wanted to match that and say ‘welcome’ hard.”

Rottman made the Cardinal’s intentions known early in the first set. He had two kills and an ace to score Stanford’s first three points. Led on the attack by outside hitters Davide Gardini and Kupono Browne, BYU looked to be an even opponent. The two teams alternated points and battled for control. Rottman proved instrumental in keeping Stanford in the set. He narrowed the Cougars’ lead with back-to-back service aces late in the set, and his teammates followed suit with clutch plays that kept the set alive. 

Once the game was tied, 24-24, it became a three-man battle between Browne, Gardini and Rottman. Browne’s efforts gave BYU set point at 25-24, but a kill from Rottman prevented the Cougars from converting. Browne attacked again for a third set point at 26-25; again, an attack by Rottman evened the score. Rottman then struck to give Stanford its first set point, which Gardini quickly stopped with a kill. Rottman responded by finding a second set point for the Cardinal. A moment later, Gardini sent a kill into the net, giving Stanford victory in the marathon first set, 29-27.

Going into the second set, efforts from Turner and junior middle blocker Nathaniel Gates at the net helped to further the Cardinal’s growing momentum. The pair made things especially difficult for Browne, Gardini and fellow outside hitter Miks Ramanis. While Stanford’s hitters faced stiff opposition from BYU’s blocking, they continued to find ways around the block and were aggressive at the net themselves.

A block from Rottman and redshirt sophomore middle blocker Ethan Hill extended Stanford’s lead to 19-14, followed up a couple points later with a dump by Lietzke to bring the score to 21-16. A kill from Gardini denied one set point but was quickly followed by a BYU service error which gave Stanford the set, 25-20, and a 2-1 lead.

Gates and Turner again found their rhythm blocking in the third set, giving Stanford an early lead with two well-timed blocks. Rottman’s continued dominance at the net made it impossible for BYU to surpass Stanford for the set lead. Lietzke denied Gardini, giving the Cardinal an even more comfortable lead of 22-17. Two kills from Rottman and Gates followed, bringing up matchpoint. The Cougars’ managed to save three match points, leading to a Cardinal timeout. 

Rottman came out of the timeout seemingly more than ready to close out the match, which he did in decisive fashion with a kill. A 25-22 set win clinched the sweep for Stanford.

When asked about the outside hitter’s standout performance, head coach John Kosty initially only had two words to describe what he had seen: “Will Rottman.”

“He’s a big physical player who is only now coming into his own,” Kosty said.. “This is the first year that he’s truly trained the entire season, and it’s now showing in all of the hard work he put in to get to this position.” 

Along with Rottman’s 18 kills, junior outside hitter Kevin Lamp had 11 and Gates had eight. Junior setter Nathan Lietzke contributed 36 assists, and Stanford also markedly improved their blocking game from last week’s doubleheader against Grand Canyon: Gates made five, Turner made four, and Hill, three. Turner managed six digs, as Lietzke and redshirt junior libero Justin Lui each had five. Rottman also had three aces on the night.

“They showed us some holes in our serve-receive and our passing, and we have to tighten some of those up,” Kosty said, previewing tonight’s rematch. 

In particular, Kosty cited Browne and Gardini, who still managed 14 and 16 kills apiece on Friday.

“We don’t have to be more than what we truly are,” Kosty said. “And what we are is a good, solid team that’s tough to beat.”

“Hopefully we can do it again tomorrow,” Rottman said. “I think that’s the mark of a really good team. I think we need to string together two wins—and two convincing wins.”

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Rottman sets school record, men’s volleyball falls twice to Grand Canyon https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/03/rottman-sets-school-record-mens-volleyball-falls-twice-to-grand-canyon/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/03/rottman-sets-school-record-mens-volleyball-falls-twice-to-grand-canyon/#respond Mon, 04 Apr 2022 04:52:21 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1198621 Will Rottman was dominant at the net on Saturday. His 34 kills not only amounted to a career-high, but also set a new school record.

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After splitting their last two MPSF double-headers, No. 12 Stanford men’s volleyball (10-11, 2-6 MPSF) traveled to Phoenix for two conference games against No. 10 Grand Canyon University (16-9, 6-4 MPSF). After a shaky performance in the first match, the Cardinal fought back for a closer second match but still remain winless on the road this season. 

Despite the loss, junior outside hitter Will Rottman was dominant at the net on Saturday. His 34 kills amounted to a career-high and also set a new school record.

Thursday thrashing

The Lopes made quick work of a seemingly discombobulated Stanford squad on Thursday night, needing just three sets and less than 90 minutes to win the opening match.

The first set began as tightly as the teams’ close NCAA rankings would suggest. Though Stanford was plagued by service errors, the work of Rottman and fellow junior outside hitter Kevin Lamp at the net helped keep the Cardinal within striking distance of the Lopes. It was not enough, however, to best the opposition’s momentum. Grand Canyon opposite hitter Hugo Fischer, who has played for the Belgian national team, sealed the first set with a kill, 25-21.

The second set followed a similar pattern. While both teams continued to struggle with service errors, Fischer, outside hitter Camden Gianni and middle blocker Kyle Thompson were dominant on the attack for GCU. Consistent efforts from Stanford’s middle blockers, redshirt sophomore Ethan Hill and junior Nathaniel Gates, once again prevented the set from being a runaway. But the Lopes still managed to win it comfortably, 25-20, and led the match 2-0.

Grand Canyon went on an 11-2 scoring run early in the third set to post a convincing 13-5 lead. Strong attacks and blocking from the Lopes, coupled with persisting trouble with serves for Stanford, kept the Cardinal from getting back into the set. Gianni closed out the night 25-15 with a service ace, as GCU easily claimed the match in straight sets.

The Cardinal posted an overall hitting percentage of just .141 on Thursday night, a season’s low, compared to Grand Canyon’s .400. Rottman led the team with eight kills; Lamp had five and Gates had four. Junior setter Nathan Lietzke had two kills and 20 assists. He also contributed four digs, as redshirt junior libero Justin Lui and sophomore outside hitter Luke Turner each managed three. Stanford’s blocking game was noticeably absent on Thursday: the team recorded just a single block on the night, markedly less than their season average of over six blocks per match.

Cardinal force four

Stanford looked to bounce back on Saturday after GCU’s performance two nights earlier.

The teams kept it close early in set one, but continuous pressure from Fischer, Gianni and Thompson proved difficult for the Cardinal to contain. The Lopes raced out to a comfortable lead of 23-14 and looked poised to take the set easily. Though Stanford managed to narrow that gap slightly, GCU ultimately won the set 25-20.

The Cardinal battled back in set two. Led by Rottman, a menace at the net on Saturday, they kept GCU within reach and eventually took a 19-18 lead. Despite the Lopes’ attempts to claw their way to a two-set lead, they only managed to save one set point before Hill and Rottman denied Fischer with a block to seal the set 25-21.

Stanford sought to carry that momentum into the next set but struggled to find a foothold in the face of GCU’s seemingly relentless offense. The set went to the Lopes 25-20, giving them a 2-1 lead overall.

In a fourth set, whose beginning mirrored the three which had preceded it, GCU held its composure and managed to keep the Cardinal at bay. It was clear, however, that Stanford was not quite ready for the match to end. An ace from Lamp tied the score at 16-all, and both teams fought back and forth for the lead. Rottman denied the Lopes the match and evened the score at 24-all with a kill. He did so again a couple points later, recording another kill to tie the set at 25. These efforts only staved off GCU temporarily, as a kill from middle blocker Colin Lovejoy gave the Lopes the set 27-25 and the match. 

Outside hitter Christian Janke was critical in GCU’s victory, with 10 kills on Saturday. Fischer and Gianni also recorded 10 kills apiece.

In addition to Rottman’s standout performance, the match also saw Lamp record his second double-double of the season. He turned in 14 kills and 12 digs, a performance which matched his previous career bests in both categories. Lietzke had 46 assists and Lui recorded eight, a season’s best, to go with 13 digs. The Cardinal also improved their blocking from the night before, with six total.

Stanford will next face BYU (8-12, 3-5 MPSF) in two conference matches at home. First serve in the weekend doubleheader is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. PT. 

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Stanford knocks off top-ranked UCLA https://stanforddaily.com/2022/03/14/knocks-off-top-ranked-ucla/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/03/14/knocks-off-top-ranked-ucla/#respond Mon, 14 Mar 2022 08:16:50 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1197662 “We came in wanting to play like we practice, and that's exactly what we did,” said head coach John Kosty.

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A year ago, beating a No. 1 team at home seemed impossible for Stanford men’s volleyball. Facing cuts along with 11 other sports, the Cardinal had a mere three wins and were unable to host fans due to the ongoing pandemic.

But beating the top team became a reality on Friday. Earning its first MPSF win of the season and first victory over a No. 1 opponent since 2016, unranked Stanford (9-8, 1-3 MPSF) outlasted top-ranked UCLA (13-3, 5-1 MPSF) in five sets in front of a raucous crowd at Maples Pavilion.

“We came in wanting to play like we practice, and that’s exactly what we did,” said head coach John Kosty. “It’s taken us a while to get here. But it was just fun to watch them play at the level I know they can play at.”

The two teams met again the following night, but the Cardinal were unable to replicate their prior success. UCLA took home the win 3-1 on Saturday despite closely contested sets.

Juniors, OH Will Rottman and setter Nathan Lietzke, celebrate on March 11, 2022 in Maples. The duo has proven to be a lethal pair on the Cardinal attack.
Juniors, OH Will Rottman and setter Nathan Lietzke, celebrate on March 11, 2022 in Maples. The duo has proven to be a lethal pair on the Cardinal attack. (Photo: MIKE RASAY/ISI Photos)

Friday night fight

(25-20, 22-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-12)

Stanford, the clear underdog going into the weekend after four straight losses to unranked opponents, came out fighting in the first set. Though the two teams traded points throughout, a three-point serving run by sophomore setter Chris Kelly allowed Stanford to pull ahead late in the set. A kill by opposite outside hitter Luke Turner gave the Cardinal set point, which they were able to convert two points later following a service error by UCLA opposite Kevin Kobrine. Stanford recorded 10 kills and a combined hitting percentage of .500 to win the set 25-20.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with the Bruins and Cardinal alternating points. Aggressive play and service errors on both sides again produced a tight set. UCLA’s outside hitter Ethan Champlin and middle blocker Guy Genis were critical at the net, allowing the Bruins to take the set 25-22 and tie the match at 1-1.

Aces from junior outside hitters Will Rottman and Kevin Lamp helped the Cardinal seize the lead in the third set and hold onto it, even as UCLA applied relentless pressure at the net. A four-point serving run by Rottman invigorated the Cardinal late in the set. Although the Bruins managed to save a set point, a kill from Turner gave Stanford the third set, 25-22.

In the fourth set, the Bruins pushed back against the Cardinal’s momentum and raced out to a 9-5 lead. The Cardinal fought back to close the gap, taking advantage of UCLA’s errors to get themselves back in the set and tie the score at 23. The Bruins edged Stanford out 25-23, however, tying the match at 2-2 and forcing a deciding fifth set.

On the final point of the fourth set, Rottman appeared to hurt his leg, and in between sets he received treatment from an athletic trainer. Thankfully for the Cardinal, Rottman returned for the entire fifth set, and his play seemed uncompromised.

Stanford quickly found itself down in the final set, with UCLA leading 7-4, but rallied to get back into the match. A kill from Rottman tied the score at 7-7, and the Bruins never managed to pull ahead again. UCLA errors fed the Cardinal’s lead, bringing on match point. While the Bruins denied one match point at 14-11, they failed to do so a second time. Rottman, a powerhouse on Friday night with 18 kills, managed one final kill to give Stanford the set and the match at 15-12.

“That fifth set was awesome,” Kosty said. “It showed our grit and determination and our resiliency. We finished strong, and that’s something that we need to continue to do.”

Along with Rottman’s 18 kills, Lamp and Turner posted 12 each. Junior setter Nathan Lietzke led the team with 41 assists. Junior middle blocker Nathaniel Gates managed four blocks, and Lamp had three. The Cardinal also showed a strong service game; Rottman finished the match with four aces and Lamp with three. 

“Even though they are juniors, they haven’t played all that much at a level, and in a capacity like this, against UCLA,” Kosty said of his relatively young roster.

Kosty added that Turner’s contributions to the victory on both offense and defense were crucial: “He just played a really solid game and held his composure and did his job really well, and brought us home.”

The win was also a triumphant storyline for redshirt sophomore middle blocker Ethan Hill, who transferred to Stanford from UCLA for the 2020-21 school year.

“It’s fun to see all those guys again and compete with them,” Hill said, adding that he scouted his former teammate Merrick McHenry ahead of the series. “Looking back at Merrick, who I was matched up against, I mean, that’s such a blast.”

Bruins bite back

(25-20, 13-25, 23-25, 25-27)

The Cardinal picked up right where they left off on Saturday night. Both teams traded punches early in the first set, with Stanford evening the score at 8-8 on a powerful kill from Turner. An ace from Hill gave the Cardinal their first separation of the night, putting Stanford ahead 13-11. Tied at 16 and facing a small surge from the Bruins, the Cardinal stuck to what won them the game on Friday: clean play. While the Bruins committed multiple errors over the final stretch, Stanford relied on a balanced offensive attack and strategic passing. On set point, Lamp rose up from the left side and hit a cross-court ball that landed just inside the top-right corner and earned the Cardinal the 1-0 set lead.

In the second set, the Bruins looked like a different team. UCLA completely silenced Stanford’s offensive attack, recording seven blocks in what quickly became the most lopsided set of the night. Up 24-13, UCLA put the nail in the coffin, sending a ball right into Lietzke’s face and evening the score at one set apiece. 

Putting the second set quickly out of mind, the Cardinal jumped out to a hot start in the third. Hill sent a precise ball to the right edge just beyond the Bruins’ reach to retain the early 3-2 lead. Three points later, Turner and Rottman did nearly the same on consecutive points, as Stanford continued to make its mark from the left sideline. Avoiding the high hands of the UCLA middle blockers with high swings and capitalizing on gritty defense, the Cardinal took a narrow 14-13 lead into a timeout. Facing a critical point in the game down 17-16, senior libero Justin Lui dug a deep back row serve from the Bruins, setting Rottman up for the kill. 

From then on, it was Rottman versus UCLA. The outside hitter recorded the next 3 points for the Cardinal, but the Bruins would not go down without a fight. Both teams traded points back and forth to a 24-23 UCLA lead. With the set on the line, Lui laid out for two diving digs, but the Cardinal were unable to block a third consecutive swing from UCLA and fell 25-23.

Securing wins late in close sets has been a recurring challenge for Stanford this season. Nevertheless, Kosty praised the team’s late-game progress.

“We’re in a much better position to win close sets than we were earlier this season,” Kosty said. “Trust what you’ve learned and trust that you’re good volleyball players, and you’ll understand what to do when that opportunity presents itself.”

Down 2-1 and heading into the fourth facing an uphill battle, the Cardinal managed to muster up a fight. But a steady attack and a tidier offense from UCLA forced Stanford to fight from behind throughout the first half of the set. Down 19-16 and attempting to switch up the strategy, the Cardinal brought in middle blocker Adam Chang to serve for the third time that night. The junior delivered a deep ball barely dug by the UCLA libero. Despite losing the point, the moment was a turning point for the Stanford offense, which narrowed the lead to one following three straight points from Rottman.

Down 22-21, Kosty substituted in Kelly to serve. He delivered, sending two well-placed float serves just beyond the 10-foot line and setting the Cardinal up for consecutive kills to go up 24-23.

Then came two cross-court kills from the Bruins. Tied at 25 with the game on the line, Maples came to life, the crowd rising to its feet as Lamp delivered a jump serve down the line. Stanford and UCLA met at the net. Jousting for the lead, the ball fell just inside the Cardinal sideline as Stanford pleaded for a lift call against the Bruins, to no avail. On the next serve, UCLA chopped the ball to a diving Lui at the 10-foot line, moving the Cardinal out of system and putting the game away with a swing into the open court.

“I was proud of our guys for how they fought all night long,” Kosty said. “They never gave up, and even when UCLA would grab a lead, we would come storming back and make it a deuce game. And at that point, anybody can win.”

In the 3-1 loss, Stanford hit a combined .312 and racked up 53 team kills led by Rottman and Turner, who recorded 16 and 14, respectively. Stanford’s next conference game will come on March 25 against No. 6 USC (15-3, 3-1 MPSF) in Maples Pavilion.

“We’re gonna keep on getting better, keep on practicing — that’s our mindset,” Hill said. “And if we play like we did today, I think we’ve got a very good chance.”

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Cardinal struggle to close in MPSF opening double-header https://stanforddaily.com/2022/03/05/struggle-to-close-in-mpsf/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/03/05/struggle-to-close-in-mpsf/#respond Sun, 06 Mar 2022 04:21:55 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1196873 The Cardinal have now lost four straight to unranked opponents after a hot start to the 2022 season. Stanford has also yet to win a game on the road. 

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No. 14 Stanford men’s volleyball (8-7, 0-2 MPSF) got off to a slow start in conference play, dropping their first two games to Concordia University Irvine (8-4, 2-2 MPSF) on Thursday and Friday.

The Cardinal have now lost four straight to unranked opponents after a hot start to the 2022 season. Stanford has also yet to win a game on the road. 

The double-header in Southern California was held despite tragedy back on campus. On Tuesday, the Stanford community lost beloved classmate and student-athlete Katie Meyer ’22, and the men’s volleyball team chose to honor her memory by sporting ‘KM’ on their shoes and wristbands.

“We feel the loss,” head coach John Kosty said. “But in a way, we feel that she is still with us. We cherish the relationships that we had with her. It’s a hard situation for young adults to have to deal with and I think our team is doing a good job going through the emotions.”

Forcing five on Thursday 

The Cardinal looked poised to pull off an emotional victory early Thursday evening, jumping out to an early 7-2 lead after multiple errors from the Concordia offense. The advantage was short-lived, however, as Concordia tore through the Stanford defense with nine unanswered points to take back the advantage. Despite both teams totalling 12 kills and five errors in the set, the Cardinal were unable to retake the lead, dropping the first set 25-20.

The second set was a near mirror image of the first. Stanford looked in control throughout most of the set, capitalizing on six kills from junior outside hitter Kevin Lamp. With a late three point advantage, however, Stanford let the Eagles back into the set by giving up eight consecutive points. Late attack errors and a lack of composure on defense gave Concordia a 25-21 victory and the 2-0 lead.

“It’s about finishing now,” Kosty said. “I think we’re understanding most of the phases of the game and how to beat opponents in the MPSF. We just need to take that lead into the last part of the part of each set and execute just a little bit better.”

But on a night of mourning where finding a spark was difficult, the student-athletes showed they still had some fight left in them. The Cardinal surged back over the next two sets, recording 32 kills on a combined .350 hitting percentage. Led by a two-man show on offense from junior outside hitter Will Rottman and redshirt sophomore middle blocker Ethan Hill, Stanford powered to a commanding 25-18 victory in the third set.

The team continued to capitalized on momentum in the fourth set, overcoming an early deficit with a run of clean play. The Cardinal looked strong on service — an area that has plagued the team in recent competition — recording an ace and just two service errors in the set. With a 25-21 win, Stanford evened the set-score at two and forced a fifth set — the first five-set game since the Cardinal’s Jan. 8 win over No. 12 UC Irvine (5-8, 0-0 Big West).

With the first conference game on the line, the team’s early-game issues cropped back up. Tied 12-12 and just three points away from a comeback victory, Stanford faltered against strong swings from Concordia’s pin hitters, losing the final set 15-13. The team hit .295 on the night, recording 69 kills but committing 26 combined errors.

Struggles repeat on Friday

Back at CU Arena the following night, the Cardinal looked for a different result but faced stiff opposition from the Eagles, who won in four sets.

Junior outside hitter Kevin Lamp serves the ball behind the net.
Junior outside hitter Kevin Lamp (10 above) added eight kills and three digs on the second night of the double-header. On the first night, he had a career-best 14 kills along with six digs, two aces and a solo block. (Photo: MIKE RASAY/ISI Photos)

In a tight first set, Stanford held its own against Concordia. The two teams stayed within several points of each other throughout the set, which the Eagles eventually took 25-22.

The Cardinal had a much quicker start in the second set. Strong passing, hitting and blocking earned them an early lead and allowed them to hold onto it. A deep kill from Lamp gave Stanford the set 25-22, tying the game 1-1.

In the third set, the Cardinal looked to take their first set lead of the two-game series, jumping out to an early 12-7 advantage punctuated by a service ace from junior middle blocker Adam Chang. But the Eagles battled back, with Concordia’s middle blocker/opposite Owen Chun and middle blocker Max McCullough showing their finesse at the net. Down 24-25, a kill by junior middle blocker Nathaniel Gates denied Concordia the set — but only momentarily. The Eagles won the next two points, taking the set 27-25.

Concordia took a dominant lead in the fourth set, but the Cardinal still managed to make things difficult for their opponent. Down 18-11, a dump by junior setter Nathan Lietzke narrowed the Eagles’ lead slightly. Facing an Eagles set point at 24-18, Gates and junior outside hitter Luke Turner denied Concordia’s outside hitter Jonathan Carlson with a block. But the Cardinal were unable to block opposite Uriel Batista from converting the Eagles’ second set point with a kill, allowing Concordia to win the set 25-20. The victory secured the Eagles the game 3-1 and the series sweep.

Although Stanford bowed out in four sets, the team demonstrated offensive skill and strong blocking. Lietzke finished Friday’s game with 48 assists and a career best seven kills, hitting .600. He and Rottman dominated on offense, working together to follow up their respective career-bests on Thursday night. 

“They’re two valuable pieces,” Kosty said. “It’s all just one big, interwoven piece. Will understands what his role is. He’s the big gun, and he’s going to take a lot of big swings for us.”

“Lietzke understands that he’s got to run an offense, as opposed to one or two players. And I thought he just treated the ball really nicely over the last two nights,” Kosty said. “But they only can do what they do when Luke [Turner] passes the ball, along with Justin [Lui] passing a ball and Lamp passing jump serves.”

Rottman led the team on Friday with 14 kills, sustaining momentum from his career-best 25 kill performance the night prior. Additionally on Friday, Turner had 12 kills and Gates had nine. The Cardinal were also strong on defense; Turner recorded 16 digs and turned in his first career double-double. Hill finished the night with a career-best 10 blocks.

The Cardinal’s MPSF season continues at home on March 11 against UCLA. First serve in Maples Pavilion is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT. 

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Men’s volleyball goes 0-2 in SoCal https://stanforddaily.com/2022/02/27/mvb-0-2-in-southern-california/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/02/27/mvb-0-2-in-southern-california/#respond Mon, 28 Feb 2022 05:00:39 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1195925 Back-to-back losses are a setback in what has been an otherwise resurgent season for the team. Nationally ranked for the first time in more than a year, Stanford’s small group of returning student-athletes have demonstrated growth throughout the first two months of non-conference play.

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No. 12 Stanford men’s volleyball (8-5, 0-0 MPSF) will return from its road trip winless after losing to both No. 2 Long Beach State (8-2, 0-0 Big West) and unranked Cal State Northridge (5-3, 0-0 Big West). Despite showing glimpses of top-tier play, unforced errors and careless late-set play held the Cardinal back during the weekend trip.

The back-to-back losses are a setback in what has been an otherwise resurgent season for the team. Nationally ranked for the first time in more than a year, Stanford’s small group of returning student-athletes have demonstrated growth throughout the first two months of non-conference play. As the Cardinal headed to Long Beach to face the high-powered LBSU team Friday, they looked to build on early success with a statement win.

Out of the gate, the Cardinal kept Long Beach State within reach, relying on an offensive attack led by junior outside hitter Will Rottman and junior middle blocker Nathaniel Gates. However, three Cardinal errors on the first set’s final 5 points gave LBSU a 25-18 win and an early set advantage.

Stanford looked in control for most of the second set, jumping out to a 5-point lead by the first media timeout. While Long Beach State had capitalized on longer rallies in the first set, Stanford’s middle blockers stifled offensive opportunities for the Beach in the second set, giving Stanford a 22-17 lead and a chance to even the game at one set apiece. Then came five straight aces from Long Beach outside hitter Alex Nikolov.

“When one of the best under-19 players in the world goes back to serve, and he’s popping over 70 miles an hour and then chops a ball to the 10-foot line, you know, we don’t see those things,” said head coach John Kosty. “We actually had never seen that on any tape either. That was the first time he had done that.”

Ultimately, LBSU won the second set 25-22. The late-set collapse was too much for the Cardinal to recover from, and Long Beach built on this momentum in the third set. While defensive grit from junior libero Justin Lui kept the teams neck-and-neck for most of the set, a combination of LBSU service aces and Stanford attack errors gave the Beach another 25-18 win and a sweep.

“They’re one of the top teams in the country, and that’s what the top teams do,” Kosty said. “They find ways to win, and we’re learning how to do that right now … It’s a learning process.”

Stanford did not fare much better on Saturday night in Northridge.

The two teams had already met prior this season, when Stanford comfortably swept CSUN at home on Feb. 18. Going into Saturday night’s game, Northridge had only lost one set at home this season.

Just one day after its loss in Long Beach, the Cardinal got off to a slow start in the Matadome. With Stanford up 2-1 in the first set, CSUN outside hitter Kyle Hobus went on an 8-point serving run to give his team a 9-2 lead. The Cardinal never regained the lead in that set, which the Matadors won 25-15. 

Stanford appeared more comfortable in the second set. The two teams traded points throughout, and both fought off set points, but a kill from redshirt sophomore middle blocker Ethan Hill ultimately clinched the set for Stanford 27-25. 

The Matadors pushed back against the Cardinal’s momentum, taking the third set 25-20, to put Northridge ahead 2-1.

Although Stanford played some of its best volleyball of the night during the fourth set, it was not enough to force a fifth, deciding set, as CSUN edged out the Cardinal 26-24. The victory was the Matadors’ first ranked win since April 2021.

“Every once in a while, we’ll have a bad night,” Kosty said. “We didn’t have the greatest of nights. But it’s how you respond from those bad matches, and they really responded well.”

Despite the loss, there were some standout performances from the Cardinal. Junior outside hitter Kevin Lamp led the team with 14 kills, with Rottman just behind him at 11. Junior setter Nathan Lietzke totaled 31 assists, equaling his number on Friday night against the Beach. Lamp had 12 digs, while Lietzke and Lui had nine and eight, respectively. 

Another promising performance came from sophomore outside hitter Aidan Peters. Subbed in late in the third set for Rottman, Peters made his presence known at the net. A starter in the fourth set, he finished the night with four kills, a block and an ace. 

“He’s a true competitor and is a solid passer, and that’s exactly what we needed to improve our situation,” Kosty said. “They were putting us on our heels with their jump serves, and Aidan came in and settled us down.”

Next up, the Cardinal will face Concordia University in Irvine on Thursday for a conference matchup.

“If we do play our best volleyball,” Kosty said, “we have a good opportunity to get our win.”

First serve against the Eagles is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.

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Rottman, Hill help Cardinal sweep against Menlo https://stanforddaily.com/2022/02/12/sweep-against-menlo/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/02/12/sweep-against-menlo/#respond Sun, 13 Feb 2022 01:42:26 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1194127 Paced by junior outside hitter Will Rottman's 17 kills for the game, Stanford men's volleyball (7-3, 0-0 MPSF) beat Menlo (10-1, 0-0 GSAC) in straight sets Friday night.

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Marking the first home game with in-person fans in almost two years, No. 12 Stanford men’s volleyball (7-3, 0-0 MPSF) made quick work of Menlo (10-1, 0-0 GSAC), winning in straight sets on Friday night.

With 412 fans in attendance at Burnham Pavilion, the Cardinal had a chance to display the improvements that they have made since last year’s three-win season. As a team, Stanford hit .337 on Friday, racking up 45 kills and seven service aces in the sweep.

Still, Menlo was more than capable of putting up a fight. After being down throughout most of the first set, the Oaks battled back to take a 24-23 lead in the first. Facing set-point and an early deficit, junior middle blocker Nathaniel Gates rose up for a kill to tie the score for the Cardinal. Despite falling behind again in extra points, two Menlo errors and an ace from junior outside hitter Kevin Lamp gave Stanford the 28-26 win and a 1-0 set lead.

After a hard-fought opening set, Stanford looked dominant from the start in the second. Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Ethan Hill and junior outside hitter Will Rottman gave Stanford an early advantage, with each recording six kills and never letting Menlo within striking distance. Stanford won the second set 25-16.

Menlo looked resurgent in the third set, taking a 10-6 lead early — its largest advantage of the night. The lead did not last long, however, as Stanford answered with six straight points of its own. The final set quickly turned into a Rottman exhibition, as the junior put up another six kills, while the Cardinal defense stepped up to allow just nine kills from Menlo.

Friday’s win also included another strong performance from Hill, who recorded 12 kills over the course of the game while hitting a team-high .786. Stanford will next face CSUN (3-2, 0-0 Big West) on Feb. 18 at Maples Pavilion.

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First Point face-off: Cardinal sweep Farleigh Dickinson, come up short against Hawai’i https://stanforddaily.com/2022/02/06/first-point-face-off/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/02/06/first-point-face-off/#respond Mon, 07 Feb 2022 05:37:00 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1193269 No. 14 Stanford men’s volleyball (6-3, 0-0 MPSF) split its trip to Austin, Texas, leaving the First Point Collegiate Challenge with a win against Farleigh Dickinson and a loss to No. 1 Hawai’i.

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No. 14 Stanford men’s volleyball (6-3, 0-0 MPSF) split its trip to Austin, Texas, leaving the First Point Collegiate Challenge with a win against Farleigh Dickinson (0-5, 0-0 IVA) and a loss to No. 1 Hawai’i (7-2, 0-0 Big West).

The round-robin format tournament at the Austin Convention Center was a homecoming for several current and former Cardinal after a two-week break following two straight wins. Junior setter Nathan Lietzke grew up in Austin, playing volleyball less than 25 miles away at his family’s gym. Playing volleyball in Texas may have also brought back memories for members of last year’s Stanford team, which set up shop in Austin last season when the team couldn’t return to Santa Clara due to COVID-19 policies.

The First Point Collegiate Challenge also marked a sign of growth for the game of collegiate men’s volleyball, which had never before been played in the state of Texas. The tournament intended to give first-time men’s volleyball programs the opportunity to compete against the country’s top programs. Before a COVID-19 outbreak, Stanford was initially slated to play Kentucky State (1-3, 0-0 SIAC), an HBCU program in its first year of competition. Instead, the Cardinal opened the Challenge on Friday against Farleigh Dickinson, whose program is more established and dates back to 1977.

Stanford sweeps Farleigh Dickinson

Stanford made quick work of the Knights, walking away with a 25-20, 25-16, 25-16 sweep. Farleigh Dickinson had no answer for Stanford’s relentless offensive attack on Friday, which capitalized on defensive mistakes as the game wore on. Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Ethan Hill, junior outside hitter Will Rottman and junior outside hitter Kevin Lamp combined for 28 kills in just three sets with only four errors. Hill’s .727 hitting percentage was just another notch on the list of impactful performances that the UCLA transfer has put together in his second season at Stanford.

If Stanford showed any weakness against Farleigh Dickinson, it came in the service game. The Cardinal tallied 17 service errors while recording just three aces on the afternoon. Set to compete against a reigning national championship Hawai’i team that has made its name this season on the back of precise and powerful serves, cleaning up serves was a must.

Familiar faces

Facing the Rainbow Warriors was not just an opportunity for Stanford to match up against the top team in the country. It was also a chance to compete against former Stanford middle blocker Kyler Presho ’21, who transferred to Hawai’i to fulfill his final year of eligibility.

“This is a new experience for us,” Stanford coach John Kosty said, previewing the game. “We usually don’t have transfers on the other side of the net, but we’re just going to get fired up. We’re playing against the number one team, we’re playing against Kyler and we are gonna get after it.”

For Presho, playing against his former teammates was going to be a triumphant return regardless of the game’s result. Last year, Presho was one of the leading voices fighting against the discontinuation of the Stanford men’s volleyball program.

“It’s some mixed emotions for sure,” Presho said of facing his former teammates on Friday. “I’m excited to go out there and play against all my old buddies. A lot of these guys are going to be my friends for life. We’ve been through hell and back together on that team, and getting to see them yesterday walking out of practice was so cool.”

While at Hawai’i, Presho said he has experienced a different style of coaching than he did at Stanford.

“We focus a lot more on the fundamentals and making our players into all-around volleyball players, whereas at Stanford, we were definitely highly focused on everybody being really good at their position,” he explained.

As for the Rainbow Warriors’ preparation for the game, Presho said he and the team’s eyes were on Lietzke.

“Lietzke is the hardest working volleyball player I’ve ever met in my entire life,” Presho said. “You can’t keep that guy out of the gym. When you’ve got somebody like that, you are going to get better — point blank, period, year after year.”

For the Cardinal, going up against a former teammate was not going to get in the way of the team’s goals, Hill said ahead of the game.

“If we play our game, we can take them,” Hill said. “As long as we focus on our side of the net, we can beat anybody.”

Stanford falls 3-1 to Hawai’i

In the early moments of the game, it looked like Hill’s prediction was correct. After battling back and forth during the first half of set one, Hill helped the Cardinal find separation, recording five kills and two solo blocks in the 25-19 win.

But while Hawai’i looked beatable in the first set, they were ironclad for the rest of the game. The Cardinal looked helpless against the Rainbow Warriors’ offense, whose serves can regularly rise into the 70-75 mph range. Stanford fell behind by 10 points early in the second set and, unable to close the deficit, dropped the set 25-13.

Though Stanford was able to put up a stronger fight in the next two sets, stretches of attack errors in both sets put too large of a gap between the two teams for the Cardinal to come back. Stanford dropped the third and fourth sets 25-19, losing the game 3-1 after the strong start.

Despite the loss, Lietzke put together a strong performance in his hometown, tallying 34 assists on the night. 

Presho, who earned the start against Stanford, recorded a dig and a kill with no errors for Hawai’i, despite playing limited minutes.

Stanford’s next opportunity will come at home on Friday against Menlo (9-0, 0-0 GSAC), as the Cardinal look to improve to 7-3.

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Men’s volleyball goes 2-0 over weekend at home https://stanforddaily.com/2022/01/24/mens-volleyball-goes-2-0-over-weekend/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/01/24/mens-volleyball-goes-2-0-over-weekend/#respond Tue, 25 Jan 2022 06:30:48 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1191678 After dropping two games last week to ranked opponents, playing a NAIA team (Vanguard) and a NCAA Division III team (UCSC) allowed the Cardinal to experiment with its rotations and give walk-on players their first minutes of the season. 

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No. 15 Stanford men’s volleyball (5-2, 0-0 MPSF) stormed past Vanguard University (2-1, 0-0 GSAC) and UC Santa Cruz (0-6) on Friday and Saturday in Burnham Pavilion. The Cardinal lost just one set between the games, bouncing back from last week’s losses.

After dropping two games last week to ranked opponents, playing a NAIA team (Vanguard) and a NCAA Division III team (UCSC) allowed the Cardinal to experiment with its rotations and give walk-on players their first minutes of the season.

The Cardinal defeated Vanguard 25-21, 25-20, 25-21 on Friday, and took down UCSC 25-11, 25-20, 23-25, 25-14 on Saturday.

Unlike their competitors, Stanford’s team did not add any recruits in the offseason, as the team faced the threat of cancelation following the 2020-21 academic year. Instead, Stanford lost three student-athletes to the transfer portal. The small group, however, may be a silver lining for the Cardinal. At 14 student-athletes — the smallest team in years — this season has been all about watching everyone develop together, redshirt sophomore middle blocker Ethan Hill said.

“Volleyball is a team sport — that’s just how it goes,” Hill said. “Without the passes, without the sets, there’s not much you can do. We have great chemistry as a team, and everyone comes to practice every day just looking to get better. It’s been a blast to get better with these guys.”

Individually, Hill has shown signs of a potential breakout season, recording 27 kills through his first four appearances. He and head coach John Kosty partially attribute the growth to the improvement of the team’s setting.

“Hill is a tremendous player, and we don’t really look at last year as a comparison,” Kosty said. “This is a new opportunity for everybody. He’s always had that offensive talent, and we’re able to truly utilize it, now that we’re able to set better for him.”

Rebounding versus Vanguard (3-0)

On Friday, Hill was nearly flawless. The UCLA transfer racked up eight kills while hitting .800 in Stanford’s sweep of Vanguard.

But in a game that was all about getting back on track after a rough loss to UCSD, the primary takeaway from Friday’s game was the Cardinal’s clean play. Stanford committed just eight attack errors as a team and had 12 service errors, nearly half of Vanguard’s totals in both categories. The Cardinal never gave up control throughout the game, losing the lead only three times.

“We knew we had to play a little bit grittier this week,” Kosty said. “That’s what we did today.”

Junior setter Nathan Lietzke continued his strong start to the season, recording 28 assists. The balanced play of junior outside hitter Kevin Lamp also played a large role in the victory, totalling seven kills on 12 attempts.

Outlasting UC Santa Cruz (3-1)

Facing the Banana Slugs on Saturday, the spotlight was on new faces. Sophomore setter Chris Kelly made his first appearance of the season in the game’s second set, playing through the entirety of the third in place of Lietzke. Kelly came away with a career-high 17 assists and a kill while committing no errors.

“[Kelly] has just gotten so much stronger and more physical,” Kosty said. “That’s how it’s been with a lot of our guys coming off last year. This year is a new beginning for us, and we need to continue to get in the weight room and continue to put in the work off the court as much as on the court.”

After taking the second set 25-20, the Cardinal rotated in walk-on sophomore libero Matt Martinez, who recorded two digs on the court. Junior walk-on libero Aaron Li also made his first appearance of the season and recorded a dig for the Cardinal in the third set.

“We’re all so happy for everybody to get in, and when walk-ons play it’s just awesome,” Hill said. “They’re just as much part of the team as anyone else. We’ve been through a lot together this year and last, so we’re stoked for everybody to play.”

It initially looked as though the Cardinal were on their way to another sweep, holding a lead late into the third set, but the Banana Slugs took advantage of the new rotation and went on a four-point run to force a fourth set. In the fourth and final set, Kosty subbed his starters back in the game, who helped put the final nail in UCSC’s coffin.

The strong play of junior outside hitter Will Rottman helped carry the Cardinal to a statement 25-14 win in the fourth set. The Santa Barbara native came away with 14 kills, hitting .300, but much of his impact came on the defensive end, recording a team-leading 11 digs in Stanford’s 3-1 victory over UCSC.

After improving to 5-2, the Cardinal will travel to Texas on Feb. 4 to take on Kentucky State (1-3, 0-0 SIAC) and No. 1 Hawai’i (4-0, 0-0 Big West) in the First Point Collegiate Challenge.

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Men’s volleyball drops first 2 road matches after hot start https://stanforddaily.com/2022/01/18/mens-volleyball-drops-first-2-road-matches-after-hot-start/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/01/18/mens-volleyball-drops-first-2-road-matches-after-hot-start/#respond Wed, 19 Jan 2022 03:55:05 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1191042 After Stanford began the season on a three-game win streak, its best start since 2019, No. 12 men’s volleyball (3-2, 0-0 MPSF) ran into a wall, dropping two straight against No. 15 UC Irvine (3-1, 0-0 Big West) and No. 10 UC San Diego (2-0, 0-0 Big West).

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After Stanford began the season on a three-game win streak, its best start since 2019, No. 12 men’s volleyball (3-2, 0-0 MPSF) ran into a wall, dropping two straight against No. 15 UC Irvine (3-1, 0-0 Big West) and No. 10 UC San Diego (2-0, 0-0 Big West).

The losses put a damper on the surprise win-streak for the embattled program that was nearly cut last season. The team anticipated a tough fight against the two powerhouse volleyball programs on Friday and Saturday, and that’s what they got. But despite the lopsided final scores of both games, with the Cardinal losing 3-1 against Irvine and being swept in straight sets 3-0 by San Diego, the matchups were hard-fought.

On Friday, the Anteaters jumped out to an early 2-0 set lead behind the powerful arm of freshman outside hitter Hilir Henno, who recorded 18 kills on a strong .457 hitting in the match. While Stanford showed grit on defense — led by reigning MPSF defensive player of the week, redshirt junior libero Justin Lui — Irvine gave the Cardinal almost no room to breathe.

Stanford broke through in the third set despite trailing by four points late, capitalizing on offensive errors from the Anteaters and taking the set 25-23. After battling back again to a 21-21 tie in the fourth set, it looked like Stanford was going to be able to force a fifth set, but two late errors cost the Cardinal the set and the match, falling 25-22.

Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Ethan Hill was a bright spot for the Cardinal in Friday’s loss. Earning his first start of the season, Hill led the team with a career-best .462 hitting percentage and recorded seven kills in the process.

If the Cardinal were looking for an easier test on Saturday against San Diego, they didn’t get it. The Tritons showed their mettle early, jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the first set. But Stanford did not look defeated against the high-powered San Diego offense. Though the Cardinal never looked in control, they managed to score at least 20 points in every set behind an impressive performance from junior outside hitter Will Rottman. Rottman tallied 18 kills, three aces and two blocks on Saturday night.

The match was also a homecoming for two San Diego natives: junior middle blockers Adam Chang and Nathaniel Gates. Despite the loss, both looked right at home, recording four kills each on .571 and .500 hitting percentages, respectively.

At times this weekend, Stanford looked a lot like last year’s team, which fell victim to close loss after close loss. But this Cardinal team clearly knows what it takes to win. Over the next week, Stanford will look to bounce back from the winless road trip and capitalize on early success at home against Vanguard and UC Santa Cruz.

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Men’s volleyball looks to stay undefeated with UC Irvine, UC San Diego up next https://stanforddaily.com/2022/01/13/mens-volleyball-looks-to-stay-undefeated/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/01/13/mens-volleyball-looks-to-stay-undefeated/#respond Fri, 14 Jan 2022 07:28:13 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1190880 Through the first three matches of the season, No. 12 Stanford men’s volleyball (3-0, 0-0 MPSF) has already equaled last season’s win total and has knocked off No. 15 UC Irvine (2-1, 0-0 Big West) in the process. 

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Through the first three matches of the season, No. 12 Stanford men’s volleyball (3-0, 0-0 MPSF) has already equaled last season’s win total and has knocked off No. 15 UC Irvine (2-1, 0-0 Big West) in the process. 

The Cardinal’s torrid start is largely a surprise for the team that left Smith Fieldhouse last spring with a first-round exit in what many thought would be the program’s last match ever. But after Stanford reversed its decision to cut 11 varsity sports, including men’s volleyball, the program is looking to start a new chapter — one characterized by resilience, success and growth. Most of all, said head coach John Kosty, this season is about joy. 

“During and after the reinstatement, there was just this realization that we’re just a piece of this large Stanford men’s volleyball puzzle,” Kosty said. “It’s been going on since the ’60s and there’s so many people that have played before us. It’s just a joy for all of us to be able to play in their honor.”

The Cardinal return a smaller, older team than in past years after losing top student-athletes opposite hitter Jaylen Jasper ’21, middle blocker Kyler Presho ’21 and outside hitter Kupono Browne (originally ’24) to the transfer portal and halting recruitment efforts while facing discontinuation.

This year’s Stanford squad is a tighter group, having navigated the bumps along the road of last year’s season together, something that Kosty said has been an inspiration to watch.

“Our guys are gritty; they are determined, and they are resilient,” Kosty said. “It’s an incredibly small, passionate group that feels like a true family and has each other’s back and are working hard for one common goal, and that goal is to get better every day.”

The renewed closeness among the student-athletes has also seeped into the coaching changes that the staff have implemented this year, according to Kosty.

“We all have a part in our success, and we all have a say in what we do and how we execute it,” he said. “The players have a lot more say in the strategy. We’re bringing a whole lot of their input to the table as we look at each individual match going forward. We have a small team, and our goal this year is to truly rebuild that foundation that we had before.”

On Friday, Stanford will get a chance to prove that its five-set victory over UC Irvine on Jan. 8 was not a fluke, but rather a sign of success to come. Stanford will face the Anteaters again, this time at UC Irvine, before traveling down to La Jolla to compete against No. 10 UC San Diego (0-0, 0-0 Big West) on Saturday. To string together two more early wins, Stanford will need to rely on the arms of junior outside hitter Will Rottman and sophomore outside hitter Luke Turner, along with the consistent play of junior middle blocker Nathaniel Gates. The trio, who combined to record 39 kills in the win over UCI, are part of what Kosty is calling an all-hands-on deck approach, where all 14 student-athletes will play a meaningful role in the team’s success. 

The Anteaters’ attack features three of the strongest pin hitters in the country — including sophomore outside hitter Francesco Sani and freshman outside hitter Hilir Henno — which makes defense and clean play a must for Stanford.

“It’s a formidable offense to go against,” Kosty said. “I thought we did a really nice job containing it last week. We blocked balls that they made mistakes on and, when they didn’t make mistakes, we had our defense in a good position where we could dig balls and have opportunities for transition point scoring. That’s something that we need to continue tomorrow.”

This season will look markedly different from Stanford’s 2021 campaign, which saw the program thrown into the fire against top conference opponents without the typical off-season preparation and in the midst of the team’s pending cancellation. This year, however, the Cardinal will have the chance to build momentum and iron out any weaknesses in the lead-up to conference play, which officially begins in March. But if Stanford can continue playing like it has, the heart of the season can’t come soon enough.

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Playoff loss concludes season for men’s volleyball https://stanforddaily.com/2021/04/22/playoff-loss-concludes-season-for-mens-volleyball/ https://stanforddaily.com/2021/04/22/playoff-loss-concludes-season-for-mens-volleyball/#respond Fri, 23 Apr 2021 06:27:56 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1181542 Thursday night might have been the end of the road for the Stanford men’s volleyball program as the Cardinal (3-13, 3-13 MPSF) dropped a quarterfinal elimination match to No. 5 Pepperdine (12-5, 11-5 MPSF) in a 3-1 loss.

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Thursday night might have been the end of the road for the Stanford men’s volleyball program as the Cardinal (3-13, 3-13 MPSF) dropped a quarterfinal elimination match to No. 5 Pepperdine (12-5, 11-5 MPSF) in a 3-1 loss.

Tears pooled in the eyes of the Stanford student-athletes after the final point was called, while Stanford fans and the broadcast announcers stood up donning Save Stanford Men’s Volleyball t-shirts.

Wearing black tape over all Stanford logos and lettering in protest of the University’s July 2020 decision to discontinue the men’s volleyball, and 10 other varsity programs, following the 2020-21 academica year, the Cardinal battled four closely contested sets against the high-powered Pepperdine team. Stanford traveled to the Smith Fieldhouse for the MPSF playoffs looking to put together a national championship run and add to the list of reasons for the University to reverse its cuts. 

But despite a career night by sophomore outside hitter Will Rottman highlighted by a tournament-best 24 kills, the Cardinal fell short, concluding a challenging season that included just three wins.

The Cardinal looked full of life to start the match after having taken a two-week break from competition; Stanford was supposed to face the Waves in its final regular-season contest, but COVID-19 challenges and related protocol within the Pepperdine program prompted the cancellation.

Stanford and Pepperdine traded blows out of the gate, keeping the first set close. With Stanford down 9-7 to the Waves, Rottman breached in full force, recording four kills over the next six Cardinal points and giving Stanford a 13-12 lead. But despite two more Rottman kills, errors from the Cardinal and two consecutive kills from Pepperdine gave the Waves a 17-14 lead heading into a Stanford timeout. Though the Cardinal kept the set close, strong kills down the middle from Pepperdine and a Stanford net violation handed the Waves the first set.

The Cardinal turned the early deficit into fuel to start off the second set. Rottman kept up his torrid pace, recording three kills, joined by two powerful kills from freshman outside hitter Luke Turner, to give Stanford a 10-7 lead and force a Pepperdine timeout. Stanford kept a steely grip on its lead, capitalizing on Pepperdine errors and extending the advantage to five points before another Pepperdine timeout. Staving off small runs from the Waves with clean play, Stanford took the set and evened the score at one.

For the first time all night, however, Stanford looked lost against the Pepperdine offense in the early minutes of the third set. With an opportunity to put the Waves on their heels, the Cardinal instead strung together errors and fell to an early 7-2 deficit. After keeping the set within arm’s length, Stanford started to mount a slow climb back, catalyzed by two straight blocks from senior middle blocker Kyler Presho. Scoring four unanswered points on several Pepperdine attacking errors, Stanford tied the Waves at 19 and forced a timeout. Out of the break, Pepperdine opened up a small lead, forcing a set point at 24-22. 

As Pepperdine senior outside hitter Noah Dyer rose up for a kill, a Stanford defender met him at the net, tipping the ball slightly. Stanford freshman outside hitter Aidan Peters did not see his team’s tip and, thinking the ball was heading out off of Pepperdine, got out of the way, giving Pepperdine the set and a 2-1 advantage.

The fourth set opened almost exactly like the third, with Pepperdine jumping out to an early 10-5 lead. Unlike in the previous set, however, Stanford was unable to close the gap. A coordinated offensive attack from Pepperdine senior middle blocker Austin Wilmot kept the Pepperdine lead above three points for the rest of the set. Any daylight remaining for the Cardinal, down 16-19 by the final timeout, was promptly shuttered by the Waves, who went on a 4-1 run to take the final set — and the match — to advance to play UCLA in the MPSF semifinals.

Rottman led Stanford with 24 kills and a .500 hitting percentage, followed by Turner, who tallied 13 kills on a .348 hitting percentage. The Cardinal leave Salt Lake City with all their hopes resting on Stanford’s recent decision to potentially reconsider cutting the 11 varsity programs. Many of the Stanford student-athletes have already entered the transfer portal to give themselves an option to leave if the University does not reverse its decision.

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Men’s volleyball takes on Pepperdine in MPSF Tournament opener https://stanforddaily.com/2021/04/21/mens-volleyball-takes-on-pepperdine-in-mpsf-tournament-opener/ https://stanforddaily.com/2021/04/21/mens-volleyball-takes-on-pepperdine-in-mpsf-tournament-opener/#respond Thu, 22 Apr 2021 04:20:57 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1181356 Thursday's game could be the final time Stanford men's volleyball plays at the varsity level, as the team is one of 11 that will be discontinued after the 2020-21 academic year.

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After a difficult regular season, No. 6 Stanford men’s volleyball (3-13, 3-13 MPSF) is slated to take on No. 3 Pepperdine (11-5, 11-5 MPSF) in the opening round of the MPSF Tournament on Thursday in Provo, Utah. The winner advances to Friday’s semifinal game.

In this season’s three games between Stanford and Pepperdine it was all Waves, with the Cardinal falling 3-0 and 3-1 at home and 3-0 in Malibu. The teams were set to play two more matches this past week, but both were canceled due to Covid-19 protocol within the Pepperdine program.

Last weekend’s match against Pepperdine was also supposed to be the team’s senior night, potentially the last for the program slated to be discontinued after the conclusion of this season. For the senior night matchup, the Cardinal were set to invite the families of the student-athletes and fans back to Maples in limited capacity for the first time this season. In place of the canceled match, the Cardinal held an intersquad scrimmage to commemorate the four seniors on the team: outside hitter JP Reilly, opposite Mason Tufuga, outside hitter Leo Henken and middle blocker Kyler Presho. It was a poetic end to a uniquely isolating season, according to Reilly.

“We started our season just playing each other and are ending our regular season playing each other,” Reilly said. “Being able to share a senior night with all the guys on the floor, playing at the same time, having fun, smiling, laughing, was really surreal.” 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNy5TTDLvJO/

Reilly said that if he had to choose between a normal senior night experience and the one the team had this year, he “wouldn’t change a thing.”

Pride in the team’s resilience amid a season filled with adversity was the central message in the speeches that Reilly and the rest of the senior class delivered to the team after their senior night scrimmage. 

It was also that spirit of resilience that allowed the Cardinal to put together their first multi-game win streak of the season with back-to-back home wins against Concordia heading into the MPSF Tournament. Though some of the momentum from those wins may have been lost after the two-and-a-half-week pause caused by the Pepperdine cancellations, Reilly said that the team is peaking at the right time.

“If you look at how we’ve been playing the past couple matches, I would not want to be a team playing Stanford men’s volleyball right now,” Reilly said. “Anything can happen in the playoffs, and if there is any moment when we would be ready to pull off something special, I think it would be now.”

Against the Waves, the Cardinal will be looking for Presho to step up in particular. Presho was a main reason that Stanford was able to snap its six-game losing streak in the first game against Concordia, as he secured 14 kills while hitting a phenomenal .684. Everyone will need to be at the top of their game if the Cardinal want to pull off the upset, and Presho is no exception. According to head coach John Kosty, the Cardinal will have to “serve tough” if they want to compete against Pepperdine’s strong middle blockers and move on in the tournament.

“This is an opportunity for Stanford men’s volleyball to go out and compete,” Kosty said. “Regardless of if the program comes back or not, they want to keep moving through the MPSF tournament. I think they’ve got the right mindset right now, that this match is no bigger than any other match. The significance of it, only time will tell.”

The match is set to start at 7 p.m. PT on Thursday.

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Men’s volleyball takes two against Concordia https://stanforddaily.com/2021/04/04/mens-volleyball-takes-two/ https://stanforddaily.com/2021/04/04/mens-volleyball-takes-two/#respond Sun, 04 Apr 2021 07:40:46 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1180647 Stanford men’s volleyball (3-13, 3-13 MPSF) won its second and third games of the season over the weekend against Concordia (3-11, 3-11 MPSF).

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Stanford men’s volleyball (3-13, 3-13 MPSF) won its second and third games of the season over the weekend against Concordia (3-11, 3-11 MPSF). The Cardinal defeated the Eagles 3-1 in Friday’s contest and narrowly won Saturday’s match with a score of 3-2. 

Blocking made the difference for head coach John Kosty’s squad this weekend. On Friday, the Cardinal out-blocked Concordia 13.5 to 3.5 and repeated that performance on Saturday by a margin of 17 to 10.

The Cardinal also managed to spread the ball around over the course of the weekend. Sophomore outside hitter Will Rottman led the team in attempts on Friday with 37 and hit .243. Rottman didn’t play in Saturday’s contest and his attempts instead were made up for by freshman outside hitter Luke Turner, who hit .279.

True freshman outside hitter Kupono Browne didn’t log a single attempt on Friday and was taken out of the fourth set on Saturday with an injury after catching a fall to the ground with his face. Browne was replaced by senior opposite Mason Tufuga in Saturday’s fifth set. Tufuga, the team’s serve specialist, earned an unremarkable scoreline but notched two kills at the start of the tiebreaker set to propel Stanford to a 15-12 score and its third victory of the season. 

True freshman outside hitter Aidan Peters and senior middle blocker Kyler Presho had a consistent number of opportunities against Concordia —Peters with at least 29 and Presho with at least 19. Presho hit an astonishing .684 on Friday, marking the most efficient performance of the weekend, but cooled off to an even .250 the next day. 

Stanford needs Presho’s performance next week, as it won’t enjoy an opponent as easy as Concordia, who sits just one spot above Stanford in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) conference standings. The team will face No. 4 Pepperdine (11-5, 11-5 MPSF) in the varsity program’s final matches at Maples Pavillion next Friday and Saturday.

The Waves will bookend the Cardinal’s season (Pepperdine handed Stanford its first three losses of the season) before the team travels to Provo for the MPSF championship at the end of the month.

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Despite struggles, men’s volleyball makes the most of unusual season https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/29/mens-volleyball-makes-the-most-of-unusual-season/ https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/29/mens-volleyball-makes-the-most-of-unusual-season/#respond Tue, 30 Mar 2021 06:52:14 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1180406 Stanford men’s volleyball returned to Palo Alto empty-handed after a road trip that saw the Cardinal (1-13, 1-13 MPSF) drop three matches in quick succession to USC (5-8, 5-8 MPSF).

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Stanford men’s volleyball returned to the Farm empty-handed after a road trip that saw the Cardinal (1-13, 1-13 MPSF) drop three matches in quick succession to USC (5-8, 5-8 MPSF). The Cardinal, who lost its fifth match in six days on Sunday afternoon, could not find an answer to the Trojans throughout the series, winning just one set while in Los Angeles.

The recent losses are the latest in what has been a uniquely trying season for the program. Last July, the University announced its intentions to discontinue men’s volleyball’s varsity status following the 2021 season. The announcement, which came as part of a larger decision to cut 11 Stanford athletic programs partially due to financial struggles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, has drawn nationwide scrutiny as well as protest from countless Stanford athletics alumni. Still, the University has not budged on its decision, and the men’s volleyball athletes are competing this season under the assumption that it is their last, according to head coach John Kosty.

“It’s a tough set of circumstances, but these guys are really special,” Kosty said. “They committed to the season, and they have so much weight on their shoulders given by outside entities, and I’ve just been really proud of how they’ve conducted themselves throughout the season. It’s an incredible group of young men who just keep fighting.”

The unusual season marks Kosty’s 15th year coaching the Cardinal.

Like many programs across the country, the team has had to cope with a shortened season filled with COVID-19 protocol. But the Cardinal was dealt another difficult hand by the stringent restrictions and regulations in Santa Clara County. Unlike in past seasons, the team was unable to have a substantial “training block” together prior to the beginning of conference play, with most of the players arriving to campus in late January, Kosty explained.

Many on the squad had never played together before: six of the 17 rostered players are newcomers, and four of those are true freshmen. These factors have combined to make it difficult for the Cardinal to compete at its highest potential right out of the gate and have also affected the mindset of the players who know that their first season with the team will likely be their last.

“Coming into this year, I wanted to make this one year worthwhile for the guys, because this opportunity that they were promised for four years is getting stripped away,” senior opposite Mason Tufuga said. “So that meant embracing the culture and just building relationships with the guys. Each of us is on our own journey, but right now our common goal is to feel good about what we’re putting out on the floor and how we’re supporting each other.”

On paper, this season has been a forgettable one for the team. Though the Cardinal has shown flashes this season, taking down No. 9 Grand Canyon University (4-8, 4-8 MPSF), bright spots have been few and far between. Its 1-13 start is Stanford’s worst since 2007, though this may be due in part to the fact that the team has competed primarily against ranked conference opponents. Amid the early struggles, Tufuga said the team has worked to maintain a positive attitude and build on small successes.

No matter which stadium the team visits, its energy is palpable. In empty arenas across the country, the absence of crowd noise is filled by the screams of Cardinal players after a powerful kill or unique heckle chants from the bench when the opposing team is serving.

‘We’ve found creative ways to fill that emptiness … so that we can feel some sense of celebration and interaction between guys on the court,” Tufuga said. 

Three more losses

It looked like Stanford was going to be able to translate that positive attitude into positive play early on Friday afternoon against USC — the first of the three-match series. The team stormed out to a 15-12 lead over the Trojans before the first time out, capitalizing on service errors from USC and a balanced offensive attack from senior middle blocker Kyler Presho and freshman outside hitter Luke Turner. From that point on, though, USC dug its heels in, piercing through the Cardinal defense with eight kills on the final 10 Trojan points. Down 23-24, sophomore Will Rottman rose up for a kill, sending the ball down the right-hand line, but the referee ruled the ball out, handing the first set to the Trojans.

The second set looked promising as well, with four Stanford players each recording two kills early and keeping the Trojans within striking distance by the first Cardinal time out at 11-14. But USC took complete control late in the set again. Despite a strong effort from redshirt sophomore libero Justin Lui, Stanford was unable to dig powerful kills from the USC offense, who took the second set 25-18. The Trojans hit .368 in the second set to the Cardinal’s .100 and made just one error to Stanford’s eight.

Down 0-2 in the match, the Cardinal finally found success in the third set. Kosty substituted in freshman outside hitter Kupono Browne for the third set, immediately impacting the team’s energy. Two quick kills and a service ace from Browne, combined with a kil and an ace from Turner, gave the Cardinal an early 9-8 lead. The Cardinal, looking resolute not to get shut out in the series opener, fought hard, led by a strong offensive attack from Turner, who finished the set with five kills and two service aces. Browne powered a ball between Trojan defenders and Stanford took the set 25-23.

The back-and-forth pattern continued in the fourth set. Despite jumping out to a commanding 7-3 lead early on four straight Trojan errors, the Cardinal defense struggled to counter offensive runs from the Trojans. USC junior outside hitter Brandon Browning recorded four straight kills, tying the set at 14-14 and prompting a Stanford time out. The teams went back and forth, trading leads late into the fourth set, taking the set to a match point with USC leading 24-23. With the match on the line, a Stanford defender dove to dig a strong hit from Browning, but again, a close ruling from the referee, who determined that the ball had hit the floor first, gave the match to the Trojans.

“Men’s volleyball is a very fast paced game,” Kosty said when asked about the calls after the loss. “It’s really tough to track and see where that ball bounces and, and without a high-level challenge system in play in any gym, sometimes you can’t tell.”

Unlike Friday’s match, the second match of the series never looked close. Where USC errors had given Stanford a window at times on Friday, the Trojans looked much more polished on Saturday. The Trojans made just 13 errors throughout the three-set match, compared to Stanford’s 22. Though Stanford battled during the first two sets, running down balls and countering USC’s attacks with blocks at the net, the Cardinal constantly looked like it was on the defensive. Early errors put the ball in Trojan hands for service, and consistent passing from USC gave the Trojans far more opportunities to play with aggression.

“[The Trojans’] passing made it tough to get them out of system,” Kosty said. “I applaud them and the way they got the ball to the net.”

After dropping the first set 25-17, Kosty brought Tufuga into the game down 20-11 to switch up the team’s offense. Though Stanford lost the second set 25-15, and struggled again to find success in the third set, Kosty praised Tufuga for his impact on the match. Tufuga recorded two kills and nine assists.

Though the Cardinal dropped the final set of the match 25-18, it put together a strong 7-2 run near the end, a stretch that Kosty said he hoped the team would be able to take confidence from going into the final game of the series.

Sunday’s match started off almost exactly as Saturday’s had, though, and the Cardinal found itself behind the pace early, dropping the first set 25-14. Again, the Trojan offense made it difficult for Stanford to find any rhythm. Led by redshirt junior outside hitters Clay Dickinson and Billy Fauntleroy, the Trojans recorded 17 kills on a near-flawless .556 hitting percentage in the first set.

Browne and sophomore outside hitter Kevin Lamp looked to turn the tides in the second match, recording strong kills and blocks of their own and leading a four point unanswered run that gave Stanford an early 13-12 lead. But that run was quickly followed by four straight attack errors from the Cardinal, giving USC an edge that it would not give back for the rest of the set, defeating Stanford 25-18.

The Cardinal found its stride early in the third set, taking advantage of USC errors and making few of its own. Throughout most of the set, Stanford kept things close, leading 17-16 at one point. But USC showed its strength late in the set again, going on a four point run. Despite a late charge from the Cardinal, USC completed its shutout and series sweep with a 25-22 win. The Trojans hit .461 and recorded 45 kills, while Stanford hit .277 with just 30 kills.

Looking forward

Though Stanford left the Galen Center without much to show for the team’s efforts, there’s still time for a turnaround. Due to the pandemic, all teams in the MPSF will make the playoffs and have a chance at a title. To make a run, the young Cardinal team will have to draw knowledge and experience from wins and losses alike, Kosty said.

“We are going to have to beat somebody in the top five to 10 to get to the national championships, and yes, that means we’re gonna have to get a couple upsets,” Kosty said.

Tufuga seconded Kosty, adding that the team is most focused on growing together as a unit: “Once we get to the conference championship, these wins and losses don’t matter anymore,” Tufuga said. “If we want to try to win a national championship, we need to be able to move on from these games and not dwell on losses so that we can see the progress of this process.”

In recent weeks, Stanford Wrestling has attracted nationwide attention to the University’s decision to discontinue 11 varsity programs following an individual national title win by Stanford redshirt sophomore wrestler Shane Griffith. While Tufuga said he hopes volleyball will be able to do the same in its final season, he added that the athletes should not be put in a position where they have to prove their worth to the University.

“It’s pretty apparent by the backing of the volleyball community that this program means so much,” Tufuga said. “I don’t think whether we deserve to stay should be defined by the success in our sport. We’re way more than just athletes, and I think Stanford should know that.”

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Stanford swept by UCLA https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/24/stanford-swept-by-ucla/ https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/24/stanford-swept-by-ucla/#respond Thu, 25 Mar 2021 04:48:24 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1180158 Men’s volleyball (1-10, 1-10 MPSF) was unable to avenge its early season losses to Pac-12 foe No. 6 UCLA (10-4, 11-4 MPSF) on Tuesday and Wednesday, falling in a pair of matches at Maples Pavilion.

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Men’s volleyball (1-10, 1-10 MPSF) was unable to avenge its early season losses to Pac-12 foe No. 6 UCLA (10-4, 11-4 MPSF) on Tuesday and Wednesday, falling in pair of matches at Maples Pavilion.

The two matches began on a positive note, as the Cardinal took the first set on Tuesday in gritty fashion. After falling behind 24-22 and on the brink of losing the point, back-to-back clutch kills from sophomore outside hitter Will Rottman tied up the score. From there, the two teams traded scores until a service error and an ace from sophomore middle blocker Nathaniel Gates sealed a 37-35 Cardinal win.

However, Stanford was unable to maintain the positive momentum it gained in the first set. The Cardinal never threatened from there, cracking the 20 mark just one more time in the second set, which ended in a 25-21 loss. Two straight set losses by eight points sealed the 3-1 Bruins victory. 

In the defeat, Stanford had just a .281 hit percentage, while UCLA was more than 150 points higher, registering a .437 percentage. Rottman finished with 16 kills and seven digs, and freshman outside hitter Aidan Peters contributed 12 and nine, respectively.

The Bruins picked up where they left off on Wednesday, winning in straight sets to complete the sweep. The first set was again Stanford’s best performance, as the team took a 22-21 lead before dropping three of the next four points to lose 25-23. The lone Cardinal point came via a kill from senior middle blocker Kyler Presho. Presho finished with a .600 hitting percentage, six kills and two blocks.

Sophomore setter Nathan Lietzke compiled 26 assists — after picking up 40 on Tuesday — to go along with six digs and one of the team’s two aces in the contest. Gates had the other and an additional four kills. Both teams shot very similarly to the day before, as the Bruins hit at a .432 clip compared to the Cardinal’s .278.

Stanford will next travel to Los Angeles for three matches in three days against USC (2-8, 2-8 MPSF), the first of which is set for Friday at 5 p.m. PT. This is the first head-to-head matchup for the two teams in 2021.

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Men’s volleyball stuns Grand Canyon with sweep https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/19/mens-volleyball-stuns-grand-canyon-with-sweep/ https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/19/mens-volleyball-stuns-grand-canyon-with-sweep/#respond Sat, 20 Mar 2021 05:21:58 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1180044 Maples Pavilion in March is normally home to the first rounds of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Today, it was home to the first win of the season for Stanford men’s volleyball (1-7, 1-7 MPSF) as they swept No. 7 Grand Canyon (3-5, 3-5 MPSF).

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Maples Pavilion in March is normally home to the first rounds of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.  

Today, it was home to the first win of the season for Stanford men’s volleyball (1-7, 1-7 MPSF) as the team swept No. 7 Grand Canyon (3-5, 3-5 MPSF). 

The Cardinal came out of the gate looking like an even matchup for the Lopes. True freshman outside hitter Luke Turner and sophomore middle blocker Nathaniel Gates kept the team within two points to start the first set. Turner then started showing up on defense, earning 1.5 blocks across back-to-back points to tie the game at 12-12. The first set remained in a dead heat through the media timeout until true freshman outside hitter Kupono Browne landed a kill attempt out of bounds. This prompted head coach John Kosty to call a timeout.

Exiting the timeout down 23-20, Browne took the set into his own hands, scoring two kills and helping tie the game. Timeouts from Grand Canyon’s side couldn’t stop a 5-0 Stanford run to seal the set win for the Cardinal, just their fourth of the season.

Kosty’s squad wasn’t done. The offense continued to click in the second set, which once again kept the team deadlocked with the seventh ranked Lopes. An improvement on defense close to the net and errors by Grand Canyon helped the Cardinal eek out a 25-22 win in the second set. 

Browne, Turner and true freshman outside hitter Aidan Peters each recorded five digs in the match, which helped keep the Cardinal alive in crucial points. Despite the close 25-22 score in the third set, the Cardinal’s offense hit a match-high .357 to secure the sweep.

Grand Canyon will look for revenge against the Cardinal on Saturday at 6 p.m. PT.

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BYU sweeps men’s volleyball https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/12/byu-sweeps-mens-volleyball/ https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/12/byu-sweeps-mens-volleyball/#respond Sat, 13 Mar 2021 05:22:43 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1179678 BYU’s high-powered offense hit .510 over the course of the match and left the Cardinal unable to put together an effective passing game.

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What is perhaps the nation’s hardest schedule has done no favors for Stanford men’s volleyball (0-6, 0-6 MPSF) as they fell in a 3-0 sweep to No. 2 BYU (9-2, 9-2 MPSF) in Provo on Friday. The match continued the team’s winless season after its sixth straight loss against a top-10 opponent.

BYU’s high-powered offense hit .510 over the course of the match and left the Cardinal unable to put together an effective passing game. Redshirt sophomore libero Justin Lui only logged three digs in the match and three other Cardinal earned just one. 

When the team was able to pass the ball, their hits went horizontal as they racked up a total of 15 attacking errors. The Cardinal only hit .070 in the match and never put together more than 16 points in a set. The team’s best performance came from senior middle blocker Kyler Presho, who hit .400 on 10 attempts, but it wasn’t enough for Stanford to keep pace with the Cougars.

The Cardinal’s campaign wasn’t helped by 500 fans in attendance at the George Albert Smith Fieldhouse, about 10% of the venue’s normal capacity. The only advantage the Cardinal enjoyed was being more disciplined with making sure their face masks covered their nose. While masks help the team avoid catching COVID-19, they’ll need to catch a break to beat the Cougars in a rematch on Saturday.

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Men’s volleyball still seeking first win after UCLA loss https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/07/mens-volleyball-falls-to-ucla/ https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/07/mens-volleyball-falls-to-ucla/#respond Mon, 08 Mar 2021 05:37:01 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1179258 In a near-replica of Friday night’s performance, Stanford men’s volleyball dropped its fifth straight game of the season and second in a row against No. 9 UCLA.

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In a near-replica of Friday night’s performance, Stanford men’s volleyball (0-5, 0-5 MPSF) dropped its fifth straight game of the season and second in a row against No. 9 UCLA (8-3, 8-3 MPSF) in four sets. Similar to Friday night, the Cardinal came out swinging, taking the opening set before getting boat raced in the next two and losing a closely contested final set.

The Cardinal, who have competed against high-caliber opponents so far this season, are off to their worst start since 2007. But while it may look like the Cardinal walked out of Pauley Pavilion Saturday night empty-handed after back-to-back losses, head coach John Kosty said that the team is gaining important experience that will prove valuable as the season progresses.

“This is a completely different year than any of my 30 years, in the respect that we didn’t have a training block prior to a regular season,” Kosty said. “So, right now, as much as wins are valuable, we also need the experience to rely on so we can be the team we know we can be come April.”

The teams mirrored each other almost perfectly to start the night. Whenever UCLA slipped up with a service error, Stanford would respond with one of its own. When the Bruins would record a strong kill, freshman outside hitter Kupono Browne would return the favor. Overall, both the Cardinal and the Bruins looked clumsy off the bat, recording six and seven service errors respectively before the first time out.

But Stanford broke free from the back-and-forth with an offensive tear led by Browne, who recorded two aces and a kill during the 6-0 run to give the Cardinal an 18-15 lead. Both teams upped their offensive game near the end of the set, but the Cardinal’s defense bared its teeth against the surging Bruins. Sophomore libero Justin Lui, who recorded an impressive nine digs Saturday night, battled hard, laying out for balls while senior middle blocker Kyler Presho blocked powerful hits from the Bruins. The Cardinal ultimately staved off an offensive run and took the first set 25-21. 

Kosty highlighted Browne’s play as a bright spot throughout the set and the match.

“From the service line, he created a whole lot of points for us,” Kosty said. “I also thought [Lui] had another solid match for us, controlling our passing and giving us opportunities to continually side out.”

Kosty also said that the Cardinal will have to cut down on its unforced hitting errors, a weak spot that UCLA exploited in the second set. With the Cardinal defense looking fatigued, the Bruin’s offense pounced, jumping out to a commanding 7-1 lead on four kills and three consecutive aces before Stanford called a timeout.

Following the break, sophomore outside hitter Will Rottman sparked the Cardinal offense with five kills. A balanced offensive effort kept the Cardinal in it, narrowing the deficit to 20-15 by the next Cardinal timeout. But even Stanford’s strong .381 hitting average in the second set could not make up for the slow start, and the Cardinal dropped the set 18-25. Throughout the set, UCLA sophomore outside hitter Cole Ketrzynski had his way with the Cardinal, recording six kills on just one error. 

In the third set, Stanford dug itself another deep hole early as the offense struggled to find its form. By the first Cardinal timeout, the deficit was 2-7. The dominant Bruin’s offense continued its assault on the Cardinal, jumping out to a 12-2 lead before Stanford scored tallied its next point. Though the Cardinal cleaned their act up after the timeout and cut down on errors for the remainder of the set, little changed in the scoring department as the Bruins took the set with ease by a score of 25-12. Stanford hit a dreadful -.125, paling in comparison to the Bruins, who did not record a single error on their way to an efficient .667 hitting percentage.

“Fewer errors will come as we get more comfortable with the offense that we’re trying to instill into our team,” Kosty said. “And again, I love the word resilience, because I think our team really has shown that, even though the score in the third set did not look pretty for us.”

Early in the fourth set, Stanford demonstrated the resilience Kosty praised. The Cardinal came out firing on the offensive end, but the UCLA defense held the line against a barrage of powerful hits. Stanford looked resolute in attempting to not lose its fifth straight match by recording two aces and keeping within arm’s length of the Bruins before the first Cardinal timeout at 9-12. A powerful block assist from redshirt freshman middle blocker Ethan Hill narrowed the deficit to 12-13 and ignited the Cardinal bench. Though UCLA made multiple attempts to pull away, the Cardinal defense kept it close, drawing UCLA’s first timeout since the opening set at 18-21. But Stanford did not have a final charge in them and dropped the set 19-25.

Rottman logged the most attempts on the team with 37, and despite hitting just .162, he demonstrated the value he will offer the team moving forward.

“He is our horse, he’s the guy we’re going to rely on to get us big kills,” Kosty said. “He showed it last night when I put him at the opposite position, which he never played before. And then tonight in his more comfortable role as an outside hitter. Statistically, it may not show that, because we put him in some difficult situations, because that’s the type of player he is.”

The Cardinal will return to Palo Alto to practice this week before traveling to Utah to play back-to-back games against Brigham Young University next Friday and Saturday.

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Men’s volleyball drops fourth straight https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/06/mens-volleyball-drops-fourth-straight/ https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/06/mens-volleyball-drops-fourth-straight/#respond Sat, 06 Mar 2021 18:46:15 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1179203 Amid a slow start to the season, Stanford men’s volleyball (0-4, 0-4 MPSF) dropped another match against No. 9 UCLA (7-3, 7-3 MPSF) 1-3 on Friday evening.

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Amid a slow start to the season, Stanford men’s volleyball (0-4, 0-4 MPSF) dropped another match against No. 9 UCLA (7-3, 7-3 MPSF) 1-3 on Friday evening.

The Cardinal traveled down to Westwood for the second leg of a five-game road trip, looking to turn things around after handing its first three matches to No. 3 Pepperdine. Stanford put up a resilient effort, taking the first set and forcing the Bruins to fight for the final set, but the Cardinal were ultimately unable to overcome UCLA’s high powered offense.

Still, head coach John Kosty said there were plenty of positives to take away from the contest.

“I liked our team chemistry tonight,” Kosty said. “We were definitely thrown some curveballs getting the match started. And I thought we did a really nice job of focusing in and doing what we needed to do to be competitive with UCLA. They’ve got nine matches under their belt and we’re just basically starting our season. So, I like the energy we had and I like what we did on the court tonight.”

Both teams started the night off quickly, trading punches until Stanford had built an 11-8 lead, at which point UCLA took a timeout. The Bruins struggled mightily with their serves in the first match, handing the Cardinal five of their first seven points on service errors. Stanford, on the other hand, played a measured set, committing just four service errors to the Bruins’ 10. While the high-octane UCLA offense kept the Bruins in it to the end, narrowing the lead to 24-23, the Cardinal remained disciplined. A kill from sophomore middle blocker Nathaniel Gates clinched the opening set for the Cardinal 25-23. Though Stanford recorded just seven kills to UCLA’s 13, the consistent service and offense from freshman outside hitter Aidan Peters and senior outside hitter Leo Henken made the difference in the gritty win.

“He can play volleyball,” Kosty said of Peters. “He is what we call a high volleyball IQ guy. Even when the block may seem enormous in front of him, he finds ways to get kills and his ball control and his ability to dig balls are a great benefit to our team.”

But the opening victory seemed to drain the Cardinal, as UCLA jumped out to a 10-5 lead over Stanford in the second set, prompting a timeout from Kosty. After the timeout, UCLA only built on its initial momentum, as the team was able to stem its service woes while continuing its strong offensive attack. Though Peters recorded four kills and did his best to keep the Cardinal in the second set, Stanford did not have an answer to the strong Bruins offense, which raised its hitting percentage to .542 against Stanford’s -.037. UCLA ran away with the set 25-15, evening the score at 1-1.

The man leading the Bruins charge, redshirt freshman outside hitter Merrick McHenry, stayed hot in the third set, which closely resembled the second. By the time Stanford called a timeout, McHenry had combined with senior outside hitter Austin Matautia for six kills and pushed the Bruins out to a 16-10 lead. But the pause did little to stop the bleeding, as the Cardinal defense withered against aces and kills from the Bruins, who took the set 25-13. Again, the difference-maker was kills — while Stanford kept errors low and recorded a solid .300 hitting percentage in the third set, the Bruins nearly doubled Stanford’s kills with 12 in the set.

“Their middle blockers are really strong, so we’ve got to figure out a better way to be able to control them a little bit more,” Kosty said. “Going forward we have to at least get some better touches on the ball and slow down their middle attack.”

The fourth set saw glimpses of the type of gameplay Kosty was hoping for, as the Cardinal jumped out ahead early to an 8-3 advantage, its biggest lead of the night. But a timeout from the Bruins seemed to quiet the Cardinal defense back down, as McHenry scored three of four consecutive points for UCLA with a block and two kills. Stanford sophomore setter Nathaniel Lietzke returned the favor with two consecutive kills, but by the next Cardinal timeout, the Bruins had evened the score at 12. Like in sets two and three, the Bruin offense remained too strong for the Cardinal, as UCLA scored nine of its next 10 points on kills, taking a 22-18 lead. Though Stanford tried to mount a final push, narrowing the deficit to two points, it could not complete the comeback, dropping the final set 21-25 on just .152 hitting.

When all was said and done, the Bruins had overpowered Stanford with 57 kills, nearly twice Stanford’s 29, which tied the team’s season low. UCLA’s McHenry looked untouchable on Friday night, finishing with 17 kills and just one error on 27 attempts. Nevertheless, the Cardinal showed resilience and energy, both on the court and on the raucous Stanford bench, putting up a strong fight behind bright performances from Peters and sophomore outside hitter Will Rottman, who recorded six kills and a block. Lietzke also demonstrated his offensive prowess, adding an efficient five kills on just six attempts and recording 18 assists.

When asked if he was still optimistic about the team’s future this season after the rough start to the season, Kosty responded without hesitation: “Totally. This is a great group of guys who are highly competitive and talented. And we’ve got depth in all the positions. That’s what’s very encouraging for the season.”

On Saturday, Stanford will return to Pauley Pavilion looking to even the series against UCLA. Game time 7:30 p.m. PT.

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Men’s volleyball drops third straight against Pepperdine https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/03/mens-volleyball-drops-third-straight/ https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/03/mens-volleyball-drops-third-straight/#respond Thu, 04 Mar 2021 06:04:53 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1179061 This marks the second time in four years where the Cardinal have started the season on a three-game losing streak.

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Following two consecutive losses at Maples, Stanford men’s volleyball (0-3, 0-3 MPSF) ended its three-match run against No. 3 Pepperdine (7-2, 7-2 MPSF) in a straight-sets loss, but this time in Malibu. This marks the second time in four years where the Cardinal started the season on a three-game losing streak.

At the beginning of the first set, both teams struggled to hit the ball over the net with each team trading two consecutive service errors. Head coach John Kosty called the Cardinal’s first timeout of the match at 8-13 after a serving error from senior middle blocker Kyler Presho, followed by two attacking errors by true freshman outside hitter Kupono Browne and redshirt freshman middle blocker Ethan Hill.

The timeout did not slow down the Waves’ momentum, however. Pepperdine’s true freshman setter Bryce Dvorak maneuvered the ball nicely to his fellow teammates, extending the Waves’s lead to seven before Kosty called a second timeout at 13-20.

Similar to those before the first timeout, a streak of three errors for the Cardinal — one from sophomore outside hitter Will Rottman and two from true freshman outside hitter Luke Turner — put the nail on the coffin for the Cardinal as the team finished in the negative with -0.125 hitting: six kills and nine errors.

The Waves capitalized on Dvorak’s setting prowess, hitting 0.333 with 11 kills and only four errors. Dvorak’s 10 assists equaled the lead the Waves finished with at the end of the first set.

The second set saw the Cardinal hit .286 and begin to find its rhythm. The improvement on offense allowed the team to stay within striking distance of the Waves for much of the set, but errors prevented them from taking the lead. Stanford logged eight service errors in the second set and 17 in the match overall. Two timeouts from Kosty did little to eat into Pepperdine’s lead and the Cardinal finished the second set with a 25-21 loss.

Presho earned two kills and a block early in the third set and helped the team jump out to an early 8-5 lead. Browne carried the momentum and, with back-to-back kills, forced a timeout from the Pepperdine bench with Stanford ahead 10-6. Pepperdine then forced the Cardinal out of the system for the next two points, prompting Kosty to call a timeout of his own which failed to stop an 8-1 run from the Waves. Just as fast as the Cardinal earned the lead in the third set, they soon saw themselves with a 14-11 deficit. For the rest of the match, any opportunity the Cardinal saw was swatted down by the Pepperdine offense where no Stanford player could come up with the dig, and they lost the third set 25-21.

Browne, who carried the offense the last time the two teams faced off, struggled on Wednesday. The freshman only hit .087 while Rottman led the offense with a more respectable .333. 

The team will stay in southern California for the weekend as they face UCLA (6-3, 6-3 MPSF) on Friday and Saturday at 5 p.m. PT and 7:30 p.m. PT, respectively.

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Men’s volleyball prepares for Pepperdine and UCLA https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/02/mens-volleyball-prepares-for-pepperdine-and-ucla/ https://stanforddaily.com/2021/03/02/mens-volleyball-prepares-for-pepperdine-and-ucla/#respond Wed, 03 Mar 2021 04:49:09 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1178981 Men’s volleyball has a rare three-match week on tap this week, visiting No. 3 Pepperdine before a pair of matches at No. 9 UCLA.

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Men’s volleyball has a rare three-match week on tap, visiting No. 3 Pepperdine before a pair of matches at No. 9 UCLA. The Cardinal (0-2, 0-2 MPSF) opened its season last week with a duo of tough losses to the Waves in Maples Pavilion.

Despite similar results, the team showed major improvement between its first two matches, and this third head-to-head matchup with Pepperdine (6-2, 6-2 MPSF) will be a tight one if the trend continues. After losing by 14 total points in the season-opener, Stanford halved the overall deficit to 7 points and took a set from Pepperdine. The Cardinal was within reach of claiming multiple frames, with sets in both matches going past 25 points.

Freshman Kupono Browne emerged as the star from last weekend, making his first collegiate start at opposite in the second match against Pepperdine. Browne dismantled the Waves’ defense, terminating 22 kills while committing just five errors for an excellent .368 hitting percentage. Browne was hot from the service line as well, serving up three aces across the four sets.

After Pepperdine, Stanford will clash with rival UCLA (5-3, 5-3 MPSF) this coming weekend. The competition will be the first of two series against UCLA, as the Bruins will travel to the Farm later this season. Thus far, UCLA has split matches in each of the series against BYU, USC and Concordia. In addition, they picked up an opening-day win against Grand Canyon University. The Bruins have an experienced lineup, with seven players having been with the program for at least four years.

Stanford’s match against Pepperdine will begin at 6:00 p.m. PT on Wednesday. First serve against UCLA will take place at 5:00 p.m. PT on Friday and 7:30 p.m. PT on Saturday.

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True freshman Browne shines, but men’s volleyball loses second straight against Pepperdine https://stanforddaily.com/2021/02/20/browne-shines-in-loss/ https://stanforddaily.com/2021/02/20/browne-shines-in-loss/#respond Sun, 21 Feb 2021 04:55:31 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1178309 After losing their season opener on Thursday in three sets, the Cardinal put up a better fight on Saturday and are maintaining their optimism despite the winless start to the season.

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Stanford men’s volleyball (0-2, 0-2 MPSF) fell to No. 6 Pepperdine (4-2, 4-2 MPSF) again on Saturday in the two teams’ second-straight matchup. After losing their season opener on Thursday in three sets, the Cardinal put up a better fight on Saturday and are maintaining their optimism despite the winless start to the season.

According to head coach John Kosty, the team arrived on campus two and a half weeks ago and has only practiced together 14 times since March of last year. 

“We really focused on the team,” Kosty said. “I was really proud of them, to give close to everybody an opportunity to play in the last few matches.”

The teams played a close first set, with the Cardinal barely falling despite holding a 22-20 lead at one point. Two consecutive attacking errors by sophomore outside hitter Kevin Lamp and sophomore middle blocker Nathaniel Gates were critical in the set’s final points as Pepperdine pulled together a 5-0 run to secure the first set.

Outside hitter Kupono Browne came alive in the second set, racking up seven kills. Browne hit .362 on 47 total attempts in the matchup, a sharp increase in workload for the true freshman who didn’t log a single attempt in the teams’ first matchup. 

“I’ve been dying to get back onto the court,” Browne said, admitting that he needs to improve on the other side of the ball. “I think I could’ve had better involvement in our defense, but I also feel like we could do a better job of distributing the set better.” 

Sophomore setter Nathan Lietzke scored back-to-back kills and combined with Browne to propel the team to a 17-10 lead in the second set. The Cardinal were able to maintain their lead over the back half of the set and even the match with a 25-20 score in the second set. Kosty praised Lietzke for his role running the offense in the match.

“We’re gonna lean on him to give us leadership on the court, and also set our offense at a really high level,” he said.

The third set closely resembled the first. The two teams played back-and-forth early, but three straight errors by the Cardinal gave Pepperdine a 13-10 lead. After a timeout and a quick kill by Brown, Stanford struggled on defense and saw their deficit grow to five points, prompting another timeout from Kosty. It wasn’t enough to stem the bleeding, however, as the Waves ran away with the second set, 25-18.  

A nailbiter fourth set finally saw the Cardinal’s offense start to click, but service errors on both sides stopped either team from gaining momentum. A clutch block by Browne and Gates gave Stanford a 17-16 lead, and a follow-up kill by Browne three points later forced Pepperdine to call a timeout.

Browne also had three service aces over the course of the match, including one following Pepperdine’s timeout, but a service error on the subsequent point kept the game close. A kill from Pepperdine’s Spencer Wickens forced a timeout from Stanford, after which Browne scored another kill after the Waves sent the ball into the rafters and out of play. 

Two service errors forced the game into extra points, and Pepperdine jumped out to an early advantage. With the match on the line, Kosty called another timeout. A service error by Wickens kept the Cardinal alive, but the team only managed to hang on for a few more points before dropping the final set 28-26.

Stanford and Pepperdine face off in a third match in Malibu on Mar. 3. 

“We still have a lot of growth ahead of us as volleyball players and as a team, and I’m really looking forward to, over the next week and a half, coaching our guys up,” Kosty said.

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Game point: Men’s volleyball players, alumni fear Stanford’s cancellation will stifle NCAA, high school growth https://stanforddaily.com/2020/07/26/game-point-2/ https://stanforddaily.com/2020/07/26/game-point-2/#respond Mon, 27 Jul 2020 00:11:25 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1170516 The new documentary, “Match Point: The Rise of Boys and Men’s Volleyball,” details the recent boom in volleyball both domestically and internationally, and Stanford’s strong presence in the men’s side of the sport is apparent from the film’s opening scene.

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“Game Point” is a series of articles documenting the reactions of men’s volleyball players and alumni to the July 8 announcement that Stanford Athletics would discontinue 11 varsity programs, including the men’s volleyball team, following the 2020-21 season. The articles endeavor to share efforts to save the team and the broader implications — collegiately, nationally and internationally — of the abrupt decision. Part one on initial reactions and the petition can be accessed here.

The new documentary, “Match Point: The Rise of Boys and Men’s Volleyball,” details the recent boom in volleyball both domestically and internationally, and Stanford’s strong presence in the men’s side of the sport is apparent from the film’s opening scene.

The movie begins with Team USA lined up courtside. The camera pans leftward until settling upon libero Erik Shoji ’12 as he stands in the United States’ starting line up against Japan.

The documentary goes on to highlight coaches and players from across the nation, reflecting on the unprecedented rise of participation in the men’s game. The short film, written and filmed by Ball State University students, also includes clips of NCAA games from just two venues: Ball State’s Worthen Arena and Stanford’s Maples Pavilion. 

To further drive the Cardinal connection home, of the two Olympic team members featured in the interviews, one is setter Kawika Shoji ’10, Erik’s older brother.

“It’s great to see that there are new and upcoming college programs making themselves known, recruiting more athletes, getting more boys into the college game,” Kawika said in the documentary. “It’s fantastic.”

The film premiered on June 25, but evidently, the Stanford administration did not see it.

Blocked Collegiate Growth

Less than two weeks after the film’s release, the University announced that it would cut men’s volleyball following the 2020-21 season. Among the reasons cited in the FAQ were lacking “sponsorship of the sport at the NCAA Division I level” and “national youth and postgraduate participation in the sport.” 

“The implications for the rest of the country for men’s volleyball are massive from this decision,” said setter James Shaw ’16. “I doubt that [administration] realized that when they made this decision. I doubt that they really understood how much growth there is in the sport — at a young person level and also worldwide.”

Stanford’s announcement also notes that less than 9% of NCAA Division I programs sponsor men’s volleyball. But Shaw and other players past, present and future see this decision — and citing this particular statistic — as “very short sighted.”

“I don’t think they really had the full facts in front of them,” Shaw said. “That’s the problem with our sport; there are just not enough powerful people in those types of rooms to bring that opinion to the forefront. So that’s where we need to show that there are enough people like that, who are willing to support and back a program like this, because it’s growing and because there’s potential in the sport.”

“I absolutely do think there will be larger ripples from this,” Erik said. “It’s unfortunate to understand that Stanford probably did not look at the growth of men’s volleyball, how much momentum it has and how big of an effect this decision is going to have down the road.”

University athletics representatives did not respond for comment.

Although there are currently only 22 Division I men’s volleyball programs, men’s volleyball is the fastest-growing NCAA sport over the last decade. 

Factoring in NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and California Community College Athletic Association teams, there are over 200 collegiate men’s volleyball programs nationwide. 

The NCAA also recently announced that it would mandate an additional conference, the Southern Interscholastic Athletic Conference (SIAC), beginning in the 2020-21 school year. The SIAC includes six historically black colleges and universities, reflecting the growing racial diversity in the sport. 

Stanford, however, cited “diversity of our student-athlete population” as a criterion contributing to decisions about which programs to cut.

In response, Save Stanford Men’s Volleyball — the alumni coalition fighting to defend the program — wrote on its website, “By eliminating the Men’s Volleyball program at the same time that the sport is dramatically expanding its reach and inclusiveness, Stanford is undercutting important progress in the diversity of the sport and forfeiting an opportunity to lead.” 

Although Stanford’s decision to terminate the program appears on the surface to be a localized change, alumni and players fear the broader ramifications.

“This could totally wipe out our sport at the DI level completely,” said rising senior opposite Jaylen Jasper. “There are only 22 Division I schools that have men’s volleyball; now that it’s going to be an even smaller number. [Schools] aren’t going to want to add a team because there aren’t many. One, [Stanford], just got dropped that was a major historical program. It’s a major hindrance for the growth of our sport.”

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“Volleyball is the fastest growing sport in the nation, one of the most popular worldwide,” said incoming freshman outside hitter Kupono Browne. “Here we have an elite institution that is one of the first to take a step in the wrong direction. This could potentially send unparalleled waves through the collegiate community.”

Brad Lawson ’12, a three-time AVCA first-team All-American outside hitter, said that following the July 8 announcement, alumni gathered on a Zoom call and discussed the implications of the discontinuation for the broader collegiate volleyball community. Lawson recalled one alumnus saying that he had already heard of a few other colleges beginning to have discussions about cutting their varsity men’s volleyball programs.

“If other schools are looking for an excuse to get rid of their men’s volleyball team, okay, ‘Stanford just did it. Now the door’s open for us,’” Lawson said. “There’s a domino effect. I’m really, really worried about that.”

“Who could be next?” Browne asked.

“It’s really hard to speculate, but I think if schools see if a ‘Stanford’ could cut men’s volleyball — one of the most successful academic and athletic programs in the nation and in the world — then ‘why can’t we and save a couple hundreds of thousands of dollars down the road?’” Erik said. “I pray to God that it does not and we can get this back up and running as quick as possible. But if we look in the long run, if this decision isn’t reversed, then Stanford could play a very large part in, honestly, just killing the sport of volleyball.”

Because of its potential to spark the “gradual disappearance of collegiate men’s volleyball,” as Browne put it, players and alumni fear that Stanford’s decision could be a turning point in NCAA volleyball.

“It’s pretty scary, kind of tense,” said Chris McLachlin ’68, M.Ed. ’70. “It’s a real slippery slope right now.”

McLachlin has been part of the Stanford men’s volleyball program as a player, coach and parent. He kept the program alive as a club in the 1960’s, which paved the way for the University to gain varsity status once the NCAA began mandating the sport.

Game point: Men’s volleyball players, alumni fear Stanford’s cancellation will stifle NCAA, high school growth
Men’s volleyball first became a varsity team at Stanford in 1976, when volleyball was still emerging on the NCAA level. The 1983 team included Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Jon Root (back, middle above), who would go on to win a gold medal for Team USA at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. (Image courtesy of dgonzales@stanford.edu)

High (School) Scoring

In many ways, recent national growth in collegiate volleyball would not be possible without a similar boom in the sport at the high school and club levels.

Boys’ volleyball is the fastest-growing high school team sport in the nation and has expanded by 22% over the last five years alone. Meanwhile, participation in football has decreased by 9% over the same period. 

Lawson, who now coaches high school after playing three seasons professionally in Europe, has seen this growth firsthand.

“The trend is favoring the expansion,” he said of boys’ volleyball. “I’ve seen, especially in Southern California, how competitive it is and how many teams there are. There’s just such a level of interest.”

He noted that many high school and club games needed to be moved to collegiate venues to accommodate high demand from spectators. 

Such demand contradicts the purported lack of “local and national fan interest in the sport” that Stanford cited in its FAQ as a reason for men’s volleyball’s loss of varsity status.

“It’s a growing sport at the youth level,” McLachlin said of boys’ volleyball. “It’s getting bigger and bigger, mostly because kids know they have a college to go to. Take away one of the premier programs, and it could have a big impact on that youth sport organization. That would be tragic, to say the least.” 

Between his coaching stints at Stanford in the 1960s and 2010s, McLachlin spent nearly four decades as athletic director, coach, counselor and teacher at his alma mater, Punahou School. The Honolulu school spans kindergarten through 12th grade.

During his tenure, McLachlin interacted with thousands of youth athletes. He coached the boys’ volleyball team to 11 state titles and the boys’ basketball team to three. Among the players on his 1978-79 state championship basketball team was Barack Obama. The two reunited at the NCAA men’s volleyball championship celebration at the White House in 2010 following Stanford’s victory. 

Game point: Men’s volleyball players, alumni fear Stanford’s cancellation will stifle NCAA, high school growth
Stanford won its second NCAA men’s volleyball title in 2010 before a record crowd of 6,635 in Maples Pavilion. McLachlin (far left, front above) was relocated from Hawai’i earlier that yet to serve as an assistant coach. (Photo: MARC ABRAMS/isiphotos.com)

California and Hawai’i have long had deeply rooted volleyball histories, but the sport is also expanding to new corners of the country and globe. Twenty-nine states now mandate boys’ high school volleyball; the most recent addition was in Colorado just last year. According to “Match Point,” further initiatives and pilots are underway in 18 more states.

Over 63,000 boys currently play high school volleyball nationwide — if the sport’s upward trend continues, it is projected that over 100,000 boys will be playing by 2026. 

Jasper was one such child that benefited from boys’ volleyball’s recent geographic expansion. Growing up in Maryland, he said volleyball was often labeled a “girl’s sport,” but he stuck with it despite the fact that his public high school did not offer a team.

Since his childhood, however, Jasper has seen the sport grow tremendously in the Mid-Atlantic region. 

“A lot more kids are trying out,” he said. “The clubs are getting bigger.”

And the popular perception is changing, too. Jasper also noted that it is now more common to see boys and men playing recreational volleyball on his trips home.

Back in the Bay Area, Jasper has also seen the boom in high school club volleyball. Stanford men’s volleyball’s volunteer assistant coach Matt Houlihan also runs Bay to Bay, a San Jose based boys-only volleyball club.

Jaylen fondly recalled Bay to Bay players attending Stanford games and serving as ball boys.

“After the games they would line up to get our autographs, which I always thought was just a cute gesture,” Jasper said. “I realized shortly after that it’s because they look up to us and hope to be where we are one day.”

Jasper became a mentor for many of the boys when he served as assistant coach at the club last summer. 

“They asked me about Stanford and how I liked it and how I got there,” the three-time AVCA All-American Honorable Mention said of the Bay to Bay parents and players. “They would tell me how it’s their dream to play on the Stanford men’s volleyball team so badly.”

Game point: Men’s volleyball players, alumni fear Stanford’s cancellation will stifle NCAA, high school growth
Outside hitter Eric Beatty ’20 (front, above) signs a fan’s poster following a game in Maples Pavilion. Young fans, many of whom play volleyball in clubs or school, attend home games and look up to current players. (Photo: MIKE RASAY/isiphotos.com)

“They all follow me on Instagram, and I still keep in touch with the kids that were on the team that I coached,” Jasper said. “They are some of the funniest and nicest kids I have ever met, and that is how most volleyball clubs are.”

In fact, as a two-sport athlete in high school, Jasper chose to pursue volleyball instead of basketball partly because of the supportive community he found in club volleyball.

“If there was somebody who understood what the volleyball community felt like, I think [Stanford’s cancellation] would have been a completely different decision,” he said. “I played basketball for 10 years, and I probably only knew the kids on my team and a few of the kids on the high school teams around me. But as soon as I started playing volleyball, I had friends in California, in Florida, in the Midwest — all over the country. I knew everyone’s parents. I would go to club tournaments and play against my friends’ club teams, and it was like a big reunion. I never had that with basketball.” 

Despite graduating eight years ago, Lawson still feels that same sense of community.

“We were such a tight-knit group,” he said of his teammates. “We still have a group text, and we keep in touch. Whenever we’re close enough — whenever we’re visiting LA or New York or wherever it might be where some of our teammates are — we always get together.”

Recently, however, those meetings have been virtual gatherings to strategize how to save the program that shaped them so heavily. Despite the uncertainty, many players expressed immense gratitude for the sport they love.

“Volleyball carried me to an elite education, unmatched leadership development and really a lifelong family of my own at Stanford,” Lawson said. “I’ve always found that the story of us Hawai’i boys making it into top universities and beyond via volleyball resonates with people. Cutting this and other sports programs is denying the chance for this to reoccur in the future, I really feel that to be true. Without volleyball, combined with obviously doing well academically in high school, some of us wouldn’t have made it to Stanford.”

He continued, “If we cut volleyball, we deny so many up-and-coming, talented kids — who are also smart — the opportunity to go to an elite institution and become leaders, better men, better athletes.”

Contact Cybele Zhang at cybelez ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Game point: Faced with impending cancellation, men’s volleyball fights to defend program https://stanforddaily.com/2020/07/13/sports-game-point-1/ https://stanforddaily.com/2020/07/13/sports-game-point-1/#respond Tue, 14 Jul 2020 03:23:46 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1170092 In volleyball it’s often hard to distinguish the middle of a game from its end. Three times during the 2020 season, the Stanford men’s team found itself down 0-2 entering the third set, where it was win or go home. Give up 25 points and the Cardinal fall, but often Stanford has rallied to come back from the seeming brink of extinction to leave victorious.

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“Game Point” is a series documenting the reactions of men’s volleyball players and alumni to the July 8 announcement that Stanford Athletics would discontinue 11 varsity programs, including the men’s volleyball team, following the 2020-21 season. The articles endeavor to share efforts to save the team and the broader implications — collegiately, nationally and internationally — of the abrupt decision.

In volleyball it’s often hard to distinguish the middle of a game from its end. Three times during the 2020 season, the Stanford men’s team found itself down 0-2 entering the third set, where it was win or go home. Give up 25 points and the Cardinal fall, but often Stanford has rallied to come back from the seeming brink of extinction to leave victorious. 

Now confronted with the unexpected news that their team will be cut following the 2021 season, the team’s mentality is no different. Cardinal past, present and future are bringing the same third-set, must-win mindset to saving their beloved program.

Just a few hours after Stanford Athletics released its plan to cut varsity men’s volleyball, incoming freshman outsider hitter Kupono Browne started an online petition to save the program. He hadn’t even put a Cardinal jersey on yet.

“As soon as I heard about the news, the first things that came into my mind were we need to get the word out and the best way to do that might be to start one of these petitions on Change.org,” the Honolulu native said. “I’ve seen a lot of Black Lives Matter Movement petitions online, as well as a petition that was more local concerning the Molokini Crater.

Browne’s petition took off and has since garnered over 27,000 signatures, as of the time of publication; for perspective, that’s nearly four times Stanford’s undergraduate enrollment.

“I took it upon myself to set that up and read a little bit of background for the written portion of the petition to get that going as soon as possible and post that everywhere I possibly could,” he said. “I’m really glad that took off. It’s looking good right now — but the more signatures we can get, the better.”

Breaking the News 

Although Browne was the first to take action online, he was the last team member to hear about Stanford’s decision.

The men’s volleyball team was initially notified of the University’s intended cancellations through a Zoom webinar with all 11 affected teams. The athletic department’s email invitation to coaches and players, however, preceded the 9:45 a.m. PT call by just 35 minutes — so many Hawaiians, including Browne, were still asleep. 

Browne only found out about the news from his mother when he woke up three hours later.

“I remember feeling super shocked,” the ‘Iolani High School alum said. “I felt completely blindsided, and it was rough to go through.”

Game point: Faced with impending cancellation, men’s volleyball fights to defend program
The 1979 men’s volleyball team (above) was the fourth year of varsity men’s volleyball. Prior to that, the team competed only on the club level with a $300 budget, according to Chris McLachlin. (PHOTO: courtesy of david@gonzalesphoto.com)

Six hours ahead in Maryland, rising senior opposite Jaylen Jasper was equally surprised. He was out to brunch with his parents when he got an email from Athletic Director Bernard Muir about “a time-sensitive meeting regarding athletics.” Jasper, the three-time AVCA All-America honorable mention said that the email urged “as many people” to attend as possible, but Jasper didn’t think it was anything out of the ordinary until logging on to Zoom. 

“I didn’t think of reaching out to anyone else or any other teams to see if they got it,” he said. “I just thought it would be about if we were allowed to come back to campus or not.”

Once Jasper noticed he couldn’t see his teammates, only Muir sitting silently, he knew something was wrong. When Muir acknowledged there were 11 teams on the call, not just men’s volleyball as Jasper had initially assumed, more red flags went up.

“Then [Muir] said, ‘2021 school-year,’ and he used the word ‘discontinued,’ Jasper said. “That’s when everything went mute. I was looking at this man, speaking to me through my computer, but nothing was registering.”

The only way he could describe it: “heartbreaking.”

An email to athletic donors followed the Zoom call with affected athletes, and a press release from the athletic department came a few minutes later to all community members.

James Shaw ’16 was training at home in Northern California when his mom walked in with tears in her eyes after reading the email-announcement.

“I knew something was wrong,” the Team USA setter said. “Honestly, since then I’ve just been in shock. It hasn’t really hit me yet. Still processing, still in shock.”

Shaw, the 2016 MPSF Player of the Year and Lloy Ball Award winner, started for the Cardinal for four years — but his Stanford roots run even deeper. His father, Don Shaw, coached both the men’s and women’s teams at Stanford for a combined 27 years starting in 1984.

The news forced the younger Shaw to reevaluate his own relationship with Stanford. Almost all of his childhood memories revolve around the program; he grew up in the practice gym, watching men’s and women’s games and playing with his sister in the hallways of Burnham Pavilion. As a coach’s son, Shaw emphasized that growing up with Cardinal volleyball players and staff heavily shaped the person he is today.

“It feels like a piece of me has been ripped out by the place that I love and that I call home,” he said. 

Recently relocated to Texas, Brad Lawson ’12 heard the news through a Stanford team group chat that’s been in use for a decade.

“When I saw the news and started to see people’s reactions, I was first of all shocked,” the three-time AVCA first-team All-American outside hitter said. “This cannot be happening. There’s a little bit of denial just because the program has been around for so long and has been so successful over the years. We’ve produced so many Olympians, and we’ve had two national championships. We’re just consistently competing at the highest level.”

Fellow 2010 NCAA national championship winner Erik Shoji ’12 found out when he woke up in Hawai’i to 40 messages in the same group chat.

“It just came as a complete shock,” the Olympic-bronze-medal-winning libero said. “I had no idea that this was coming. I think due to COVID we all might understand that financial cuts are going to happen, but we just were completely blindsided. It was just honestly devastating.”

“I felt like I’ve been punched in the gut,” Chris McLachlin ’68, M.Ed. ’70 said. “I’ve obviously invested a lot in the program, having been a player, having been a parent of a student-athlete [Spencer McLachlin ’11], and then having been a coach on two different occasions — once when I was at Stanford and then once later on, I volunteered in 2010 and 11.”

Chris McLachlin, who Shaw referred to as the “Godfather” of Stanford volleyball, has been part of the program since before it became an NCAA sport in 1976.

“A Slap in the Face”

For many players past and present, it wasn’t solely the impending cancellation that caught them off guard. The manner of delivery and lack of warning was described by one current player as “the ultimate slap in the face.” 

“It just didn’t seem like they made a decision that included the opinions of current and former players and alumni,” Lawson, who played professionally in Europe for three seasons, said. “We didn’t feel like we were being taken into account at all.”

In its statement, Stanford Athletics wrote that “financial model supporting 36 varsity sports is not sustainable” and cut the men’s volleyball program due to a financial deficit, among other factors.

Game point: Faced with impending cancellation, men’s volleyball fights to defend program
The 1994 team (above) won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference Championship. In total, the program has picked up eight conference titles and two NCAA national championships. (PHOTO: courtesy of dgonzales@stanford.edu)

According to Stanford’s administrative biographies, none of the department’s top staff have any background playing or coaching men’s volleyball.

A few hours after the announcement webinar, the 2020-21 men’s team reconvened on Zoom in what was originally planned to be a meeting to relay critical information about reporting to on-campus training. Instead, head coach John Kosty texted the players that the meeting’s focus was now addressing the cancellation.

On the Zoom call, the team and staff were joined by an executive associate athletics director, who was tasked with answering team questions, but many players quickly became frustrated.

“We got very little sympathy,” Jasper said after the administrator stressed that the decision was final.

The role of athletics within the greater University was downplayed, and a player recalled being told, “You’re a priority, but you’re not the top priority.” 

Another current player felt that the athletics department “cares about their reputation and money” more than students.

“I want the spreadsheets,” he said. “I want the numbers. I want to see if they really tried to make things work.”

Although promised one final season, many questions still remain. For starters, players still do not know when or if they will return to campus for preseason workouts. Game schedules will likely be reshuffled, as seen nationwide with football, and no one knows if fans will fill Maples Pavilion any time soon.

Although Jasper will enter the 2020-21 school year academically as a senior, he has two years of remaining eligibility since his 2019-20 season was cut short due to COVID-19. With an extra year of NCAA volleyball, Jasper had originally intended to co-term and complete a double major in Psychology and Political Science. He’s not too sure what the future holds now that there is only one year of varsity play guaranteed. 

“I’m not going to forfeit the degree I’ve worked so hard for, but being an athlete was such a part of my time at Stanford and my identity,” he said. “When it hit me that that’s not going to be there anymore, it’s crushing.”

The first thing I thought was I can’t even imagine what the current players are feeling,” Shaw said. “That’s their current situation, their current status. They don’t know what to do with the rest of their college career. Obviously, we’re going to fight it as much as we can. But yeah, I felt for those guys immediately.”

Signatures, hashtags and donations

And the fight certainly has begun. 

Browne’s petition prompted a wave of online activism to save the program, including Instagram posts from Team USA, which has over 21,000 followers worldwide. The national team’s bio now includes a link to Browne’s petition, and USA reposted messages from Jasper, Shaw and Shoji.

“It’s pretty impressive,” McLachlin said. “There’s been reach-outs from across the volleyball community — either condolences or ‘what can I do to help this fight.’ The volleyball community is pretty tight.”

Players claim that the athletic department has cut off access to the official, Stanford-run Instagram, which hasn’t posted since July 7, but that hasn’t stopped the conversation. @SaveStanfordMVB started the hashtag, #NextStartsWhenYouReinstateOurProgram — an ironic spin on the “Next Starts Now” motto used by Stanford Athletics to market the 2019-20 athletic calendar.

Despite being scattered across the globe, over 100 alumni have also convened online numerous times in the past week to brainstorm how to save the program. 

“We’re not going to go down with a fight,” Shoji said. “All the alumni are working tirelessly at this, no matter where we are in our lives and what kind of experience we’ve had with this program. We’re going to fight this. We’re going to come together, and it’s a beautiful thing. So I just hope that Stanford can hear us and listen and hopefully reverse the decision.”

Game point: Faced with impending cancellation, men’s volleyball fights to defend program
The 2020 team’s (above) hasn’t played since Mar. 7. After their game against Lewis, the season was cut short due to COVID-19. (PHOTO: Karen Ambrose Hickey/isiphotos.com)

“Not trying to leave any doors open,” Shaw said of the alumni efforts. 

Cutting sports is not a new phenomenon, and neither is their reinstatement. As Shaw noted, UC Berkeley tried to cut baseball, but the team was reinstated in 2011 after successful fundraising efforts; at the time, current Stanford Baseball Head Coach David Esquer led the Golden Bears.

Stanford Athletics, however, maintains that any future donations to terminated teams “may be directed towards supporting them at the club level, should they establish as a club sport after their 2020-21 varsity campaign.” 

“They’re doing what they can to make sure that their decision sticks; that’s what their job is,” Shaw said. “All we can do at this point now is to hope that we can come up with enough support, financially and otherwise, to change their mind. In our opinion, on our side of things, we want to believe that ‘nothing is [certain] other than death and taxes.’ We want to fight the decision because we think there’s always a chance and it’s worth fighting for.”

Contact Cybele Zhang at cybelez ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Stanford to discontinue 11 varsity sports https://stanforddaily.com/2020/07/08/sports-cancellations/ https://stanforddaily.com/2020/07/08/sports-cancellations/#respond Wed, 08 Jul 2020 18:12:05 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1169951 A joint statement released today by University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Provost Persis Drell and Director of Athletics Bernard Muir announced that Stanford will discontinue 11 of its 36 varsity sports upon the completion of the 2020-21 academic year. After that, the the affected sports will have the opportunity to transition to club status.

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A joint statement released today by University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Provost Persis Drell and Director of Athletics Bernard Muir announced that Stanford will discontinue 11 of its 36 varsity sports upon the completion of the 2020-21 academic year. After that, the the affected sports will have the opportunity to transition to club status.

The sports to be cancelled are men’s and women’s fencing, field hockey, lightweight rowing, men’s rowing, co-ed and women’s sailing, squash, synchronized swimming, men’s volleyball and wrestling.

The teams facing cancellation will be allowed to compete one final year, should the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic allow for the upcoming 2020-21 season. 

Stanford formerly boasted more Division I collegiate sports offered than any other university; the average Division I athletics program sponsors 18 varsity sports.

Teams were notified of the upcoming cancellation via Zoom and were given little prior notice of the restructuring.

“I am just so shocked,” one men’s volleyball player said. “I did not think 2020 could get this bad. My whole life plan has been turned upside down, and I no longer know what I am doing.”

The 11 affected teams have brought the university 20 national championships and 27 olympic medals since their respective inaugurations. Lightweight rowing brought home national honors most recently and has won the IRA championship for the last five consecutive years (2015-19).

“I’m overall just confused and taken back that this is their final decision,” a current synchronized swimmer said. “I definitely didn’t see something of this magnitude coming.”

Currently, more than 240 student athletes and 22 coaches are a part of these sports on the Farm — in addition to committed high school athletes, who may now reevaluate their collegiate plans.

Current athletes will not lose any existing athletic scholarships should they choose to remain at Stanford to complete their undergraduate education, but presumably no future scholarships will be given. The contracts of affected coaches will be honored, and any support staff whose employment is ending will be provided with severance pay.

“I think I’m mainly just disappointed,” a current men’s fencer said. “I had high hopes for the next three years.”

Greatly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, this decision was largely due to financial strain placed on the university from the cost of maintaining so many teams. 

The statement cited a variety of reasons as to why the university chose these specific sports. These factors included sponsorship at the NCAA Division I level, national youth and postgraduate participation and local and national popularity, among others.

Questions remain if potential donations may save the future of these sports.

Many of the cancelled sports were unable to begin or complete their 2020 seasons due to COVID-19 cancellations. Spring athletes were given an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA to ameliorate the disruption, and it is now likely that many Stanford athletes will transfer to another school that does offer the given sport on the varsity level. 

“We hope they choose to remain on The Farm and earn their Stanford degrees,” the university wrote in its statement.

But for many, the decision is not that easy. One player discussed the dilemma of deciding between a Stanford degree and playing his Division I sport.

“I guess I am going to have to figure out as life goes on,” he said. “But in the meantime, I am truly heartbroken.”

Contact Jeremy Rubin at jjmrubin ‘at’ stanford.edu and Cybele Zhang at cybelez ‘at’ staford.edu.

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Jaylen Jasper wins 3rd straight honorable mention All-American https://stanforddaily.com/2020/04/26/jaylen-jasper-wins-3rd-straight-honorable-mention-all-american/ https://stanforddaily.com/2020/04/26/jaylen-jasper-wins-3rd-straight-honorable-mention-all-american/#respond Mon, 27 Apr 2020 06:39:17 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1166889 Though the men’s volleyball team only went 6-11 (2-4 MPSF) in a shortened season, junior opposite hitter Jaylen Jasper was awarded honorable mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association for the third straight season.

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Though the men’s volleyball team only went 6-11 (2-4 MPSF) in a shortened season, junior opposite hitter Jaylen Jasper was awarded honorable mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association for the third straight season. 

With his selection, Cardinal men’s volleyball increased its all-time total number of selections to 72. 

Maryland native Jasper led the MPSF with 4.11 kills per set, with his season-high 28 kills coming on Feb. 6 against No. 8 Pepperdine. He also registered a season-best 30 points in five sets against Pepperdine, marking just the third time in his collegiate career that he scored at least 30 points in one game. Jasper recorded three double-doubles this season, bringing his career total to eight, while his 4.64 points per set ranked third in the conference and ninth in the nation. The versatile hitter also ranked seventh in the MPSF with an average 1.70 digs per set. 

Jasper’s impressive season is even more remarkable considering that the Cardinal played with four different setters through 17 games. After 2019 starter and former honorable mention All-American Paul Bischoff, a senior, was injured following the AVCA Men’s Showcase in early January, freshman outside hitter Kevin Lamp started against UCI. Unfazed by the change, Jasper led the team with 15 kills that night. For the remainder of the season, redshirt freshman libero Justin Lui and freshman setter Nathan Lietzke split time as the Cardinal’s starting setter, while Jasper continued to lead the team with double-digit kills nearly every game. 

The adaptable opposite also earned All-MPSF first-team honors this season, extending his streak to three straight years on the All-MPSF team.

Contact Sofia Scekic at sscekic ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Men’s volleyball cannot close in back-to-back matches against Lewis https://stanforddaily.com/2020/03/08/mens-volleyball-cannot-close-in-back-to-back-matches-against-lewis/ https://stanforddaily.com/2020/03/08/mens-volleyball-cannot-close-in-back-to-back-matches-against-lewis/#respond Sun, 08 Mar 2020 10:54:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1165177 Against No. 5 Lewis (15-4, 6-1 MIVA), a lack of consistency and experience proved fatal for the No. 13 men’s volleyball team (6-11, 2-4 MPSF).

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Stanford and Lewis played 361 total points in eight frames spanning two four-set matches. The Flyers won 13 more points than the Cardinal — 187-174 — across the entire weekend. Despite the slim margins, the only numbers that mattered in the end were Lewis’ two tallies in the win column.

Against No. 5 Lewis (15-4, 6-1 MIVA), a lack of consistency and experience proved fatal for the No. 13 men’s volleyball team (6-11, 2-4 MPSF), which was unable to maintain solid gameplay to pull out the wins on Friday and Saturday.

Midway through the fourth set in match one, junior middle Kyler Presho left after twisting his ankle coming down from a block. Freshman Nathaniel Gates — the younger brother of middle blocker Madeleine Gates on the women’s team — finished out Friday night and got the start on Saturday.

Between Gates, outside hitter Will Rottman, redshirt libero Justin Lui and setter Nathan Lietzke, the Cardinal fielded four freshmen on Saturday. While the young athletes had plenty of opportunities to show off their skill, they lacked the experience and focus of a veteran squad. The Cardinal consistently fell behind Lewis early before nearly recouping their losses at the end of sets, only to fall short in the final points.

Stanford opened the weekend with an emphatic first-set 25-15 win. Five Cardinal aces held the Flyers to hitting in the negatives, while Stanford soared at a .421 clip. It would be the only time in the two matches that Lewis hit below .300 in a set and Stanford hit over .300.

Lewis responded with its own 25-14 frame before eeking out two 25-23 wins to secure Friday’s victory. Saturday saw Stanford take set two 25-22 after falling 25-18 in the first frame. Again, the Flyers escaped with consecutive 25-23 wins to close out the match.

Once both teams passed the 20-point mark, Lewis would surge while Stanford would fall short. In three of the four 25-23 losses, the Cardinal held a lead five or less points from victory before allowing Lewis to scrape together runs of four and five points.

The Cardinal offense faltered Friday night due to poor passing, but the back row rallied on Saturday, allowing higher involvement from the middles. Senior middle blocker Stephen took 13 swings on Saturday and connected on eight of them, committing just one error to lead the team with a .538 hitting percentage.

In both matches, Lietzke turned to junior opposite Jaylen Jasper the most. Jasper put up nearly identical statlines, recording 18 kills both nights alongside eight and nine errors on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Jasper was the only Stanford attacker to reach double digits on Friday, but in the second match he was joined by Rottman, who tallied 14 kills.

Defensively, the Cardinal regressed during the weekend. Lewis hit just .264 in the first match but came back at a .374 clip on Saturday. While Stanford nearly doubled its blocks from six on Friday to 10 on Saturday, the front row was less imposing. Lewis committed just two unforced errors in that second match.

The Cardinal will return to action on March 13 with a rematch against BYU.

Contact James Hemker at jahemker ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Cougars maul men’s volleyball in Utah https://stanforddaily.com/2020/02/29/cougars-maul-mens-volleyball-in-utah/ https://stanforddaily.com/2020/02/29/cougars-maul-mens-volleyball-in-utah/#respond Sun, 01 Mar 2020 06:45:00 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1164762 It’s never easy playing the No. 2 team in the nation, and it certainly doesn’t get easier in front of 5,800 rabid fans on their home court.

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It’s never easy playing the No. 2 team in the nation, and it certainly doesn’t get easier in front of 5,800 rabid fans on their home court.

That was the setting for No. 13 Stanford’s demise as BYU (16-0, 6-0 MPSF) dismantled the Cardinal (6-9, 2-4 MPSF) in three sets in Provo, Utah. Stanford’s offense struggled to find openings, while the defense was unable to slow the Cougars down in the 12-25, 21-25, 22-25 loss.

Freshman setter Nathan Lietzke tallied just 25 assists as the Cardinal were blocked 13 times over the course of the game. Stanford hit .114 as a team, its third-worst percentage of the year. Just 14 balls went to the middles, a symptom of BYU’s strong serving and Stanford’s weak passing. The Cougars tallied seven aces in total.

Junior opposite Jaylen Jasper was the only Cardinal attacker to reach double-digits with 10 kills. Freshman outside Will Rottman contributed nine more, but they came at the cost of eight errors. No other player on the team recorded more than three kills.

BYU cruised with a .329 hitting efficiency, led by opposite Gabi Garcia Fernandez and his 12 kills. Just one Cougar hit below .360 on the evening. When the Cardinal could slow BYU down, junior middle Kyler Presho had something to do with it, as he was a part of all six of Stanford’s blocks. After recording two total blocks through his first four starts, Lietzke tallied four on Saturday.

After falling behind 15-23 in the third set, Stanford almost pulled off a miracle to extend the match. The Cardinal sided-out with Jasper’s 10th kill, and then senior outside Eric Beatty terrorized BYU — for the first and only time that night — from the service line. Tough servers forced the Cougars into predictable positions where Lietzke, Presho and Rottman combined for two triple-blocks.

Still trailing by five points, Beatty then aced BYU on three out of four serves, pulling the Cardinal within one. A service error from Beatty and then a response ace from BYU lifted the Cougars from a prolonged match.

Stanford will return to the Farm next weekend for two games against Lewis before BYU comes to town on March 13.

Contact James Hemker at jahemker ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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