April 1, 2000
Stanford, Calif. -- Freshman middle blocker Curt Toppel (Pacific Palisades, CA) recorded a season-high 50 kills as the Stanford men's volleyball team (9-10, 8-8 MPSF) upset top-ranked Long Beach State (20-3, 13-2 MPSF) 5-15, 7-15, 15-11, 15-8, 15-11 tonight at Maples Pavilion.
Toppel became the first collegiate player this season to reach the 50-kill plateau in the victory over the 49ers. Toppel held the previous best of 48, which he recorded against San Diego State last February. For the season, Toppel has nine matches in which he has tallied more than 30 kills.
The Cardinal appeared to be in for a short night, after Long Beach State won the first two games by the scores of 15-5 and 15-7. Stanford managed to hit only 19.4 percent in game one and 22.9 percent in game two, compared to the 49ers' hitting percentages of 55.6 and 39.5. But Stanford never gave up and out hit Long Beach State in the final three games, including a match-high 32 kills in game number three.
Junior setter Josh Lukens, the nation's leader in assists-per game average, had 100 assists for the Cardinal, while adding nine digs. Playing in his last match at home in a Cardinal uniform, senior Josh Palacios had a match-high 17 digs at the libero position.
Other Cardinal players that reached 10 or more kills, included sophomore outside hitter Marcus Skacel with 22, junior middle blocker Brett Youngberg with 15 and freshman Jon Palacios with 12.
The victory marks the first time this season Stanford has reached a fifth game in a match. Stanford took the lead for good, 5-4, in the fifth game rally scoring on a kill by Toppel. The Cardinal held its largest lead in the decisive fifth game at 14-10 and needed two match points before Youngberg killed a Lukens assist for the clinching point.
Stanford, which is still in the hunt for a MPSF Tournament at-large berth, will play at Pacific on Saturday, April 8 at 7 p.m.