Jan. 23, 2010
PROVO, Utah - No. 3 Stanford fought off four BYU set points to win a pivotal second set and used the momentum to beat the No. 5 Cougars, 20-30, 35-33, 30-28, 30-27 in a hard-fought Mountain Pacific Sports Federation men's volleyball match Saturday before 3,829.
Sophomore Brad Lawson had 22 kills and only four errors in 41 attacks (.439), and a crucial big serve, to lead the Cardinal (3-1 overall, 3-1) to a split of the two-match series, after losing in four Friday night.
"Any time you win a game that goes into extras, it gives you a lot of momentum and confidence," Stanford coach John Kosty said. "Sometimes, the other team lets down. To BYU's credit, they came out and fought again."
After being handled easily in the first set, Stanford was unable to maintain 25-20 lead in the second, as BYU (5-2, 3-1) stormed back to take the lead. On a series of set points, a kill by reserve Garrett Dobbs, followed by two BYU service errors and a Gus Ellis kill enabled the Cardinal to stay alive.
Serving at 32-32, Lawson fired in a lethal jump serve that put BYU on its heels, resulting in a powerful Evan Romero kill that gave Stanford the lead.
Why not serve conservatively in that situation? Not with Lawson, who fired three consecutive aces at Hawai'i in a match last week.
"He's our guy who at any one time can get four or five straight aces," Kosty said. "He always has the green light. It was a game-changer. He has that ability."
Lawson's serve helped propel the Cardinal to the set victory. It also prevented the team from falling into a huge hole.
Dobbs, who replaced Spencer McLachlin late in the first set because of an apparent shoulder injury, played so well that he earned the right to remain in the match, Kosty said. He, like his teammates, provided big plays when the team needed them. Ellis provided nine blocks and 12 kills, including the third-set winner to put Stanford in front in sets, 2-1.
And freshman reserve Myles Muagututia did his part by serving four consecutive points in the fourth game to reverse a 17-19 deficit into a 21-19 lead that the Cardinal would not relinquish.
Kosty said he wasn't surprised at his veteran team's resilience despite the odds when trailing a strong team in a hostile environment.
"This team has been through a lot," he said. "They're battle tested. They've won in tough games and also lost in tough games, and they've learned from that. But this team is on a mission. They want to win.
"Big gym, small gym, it doesn't matter. They have the confidence to win every time they step on the court."
McLachlin is "fine," Kosty said and said he will play when Stanford returns home for a Thursday match against No. 11 UC Santa Barbara at Burnham Pavilion, followed by a Friday match against No. 2 Cal State Northridge at Maples Pavilion. Each begins at 7 p.m.