The No. 5 Stanford men’s volleyball team dropped in the rankings this week after a losing weekend, but it anticipates a change this upcoming week against an unranked Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) opponent, Pacific.
Last week, the Cardinal accumulated a total of 18 team blocks and 41 service errors on the weekend. For men’s volleyball, one of the deciding factors between relatively equal teams lies with the serving.
“I think serving is particularly important considering how many serves we missed this weekend at crucial points in both matches,” said sophomore outside hitter Brad Lawson.
However, last weekend Stanford also proved it is capable of making a comeback. The Card came from behind for a near victory against current No. 1 Cal State Northridge, but ultimately lost 15-13 in the fifth and final set.
“We pride ourselves in being a team that never gives up,” said senior setter Kawika Shoji.
Last weekend, Pacific also faced No. 1 Northridge and fell 3-0 — the Tigers are now 0-6 in MPSF conference play. The team was freshman-led against Northridge, with outside hitter Taylor Hughes recording 10 kills. With the exception of senior outside hitter Jason Borchin, Pacific features a relatively young starting lineup that includes freshman setter Patrick Tunnell, who had 31 assists against the Matadors.
Pacific played No. 9 UC-Santa Barbara the night before with a different mix of players leading the team, showing the versatility in their lineup. Sophomore opposite Sean Daley led the offensive with 11 kills and senior setter Kevin Downing racked up 31 assists.
“They pass very well which means that they are ‘in-system’ and running their offense,” said Stanford head coach John Kosty. “When a team has this luxury, they do not give up a lot of points. We will have to bring our ‘A’ serving game to create point scoring opportunities.”
Last year in the Stanford-Pacific series, Stanford swept the first match 3-0 in mid-January and did it again in late March. In January, senior opposite Evan Romero hit 16 kills and 10 digs, and Shoji had 45 assists on the match. Pacific’s offensive highs came from Kevin Pratte and Clay Ostrander, who hit 11 kills each. In March, junior outside hitter Spencer McLachlin reached 12 kills, Lawson added in 11 and Romero had 10. Whereas Stanford’s offense stepped it up the second time around, only Nicolaas Schenk recorded kills in the double digits for the Tigers.
“Both teams have improved over last year,” Kosty said. “Pacific has added two new players to their lineup from last year, Hughes and [Florian] Gornik, who are playing very well.”
Other than the gained experience of having another year under its belt, the Card encountered a few positives in recent play. Newer players, such as freshmen outside hitters Myles Muagututia and Jake Kneller and redshirt sophomore Charley Henrikson, all saw playing time.
“A positive coming out of the weekend was the experience that a number of our substitutes got,” Lawson said. “A number of guys who haven’t gotten to play gained valuable game experience, which will only make our team stronger as a result.”
In preparation for this week’s games, the team has focused on specific skills in the small period of practice days before tonight’s game.
“We went ‘back to basics,’” Kosty said. “With this short week, we have concentrated on a few things that will better prepare us for Pacific and Santa Cruz. We are excited to get back on the court and compete for an MPSF win.”
The Stanford men’s volleyball team will take on Pacific tonight at 7 p.m. at Maples Pavilion.