May 14, 2010
Hawaiian outside hitter Brad Lawson has been dominating the game since he first stepped onto the courts at Stanford. Lawson upped his play this past year, earning co-Most Outstanding Player honors at the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championships behind 24 kills in the championship match. The 2010 MPSF Player of the Year has left opponents speechless and fans astounded, but there is much more to this volleyball player that will leave you wondering how he does it all!
Go.Stanford.com: Describe your earliest memory playing volleyball.
Lawson: It's difficult to remember my earliest memory of playing beach volleyball just because my dad used to play a lot of beach and I was always around it. However, I do remember my first time playing indoor. I was twelve years old and I didn't really know much about the indoor game, but because of my height and my general interest in the sport, my parents decided to take me to a tryout for Outrigger Canoe Club's 14 and under team. When I arrived at practice, in the gymnasium of the historic Kawaiahao Church in downtown Honolulu, I immediately realized that I was in over my head. Most of the players on the team like Spencer McLachlin, Kawika Shoji, and Will Ehrman, had been playing for at least a few years and already knew how to set, jump serve, and spike really well. Although I didn't end up making the team, the few practices that I attended sparked my interest in indoor volleyball and the next year, Outrigger formed a younger team that I ended up joining and playing with until I was eighteen.
GoStanford.com: What runs through your head seconds before you start to go up for a spike?
Lawson: A few things that I think about are getting my feet to the ball, reaching high, and making a smart decision based on where the set is. Getting your feet to the ball is particularly important and is something that my coaches and I worked on a lot this year because when you are able to get your feet under the ball, it enables you to jump up to contact the ball instead of out. Maximizing your upward jump is important because then you can hit the ball at a higher contact point and you are less likely to get blocked. In the sport of volleyball, hitting the ball at 9 feet compared to 11 feet makes a huge difference.
GoStanford.com: Is there a kill that stands out in your head?
Lawson: Obviously the final kill of the NCAA Championship. When Kawika put up the long distance set from beyond the ten-foot line, all I was thinking was "Get your feet there and crush it!"
GoStanford.com: After winning the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championships, do you have new goals for the next two seasons you will play as a Cardinal?
Lawson: Our main goal is to win every year, but after doing it this year, I think there's a little extra motivation to repeat as National Champs. It's going to be tough to put together a season that can compare to this one, but I think the returning players and recruits all recognize that a great opportunity lies ahead of us. We return with a strong core of guys and we have a great recruiting class, so I think our goals are going to be similar to this year. Obviously winning another National Championship is at the head of that list, but improving as players and as a team is another one of our goals. As many have said, there's always room for improvement.
GoStanford.com: Who are the biggest influences in your life?
Lawson: I could come up with a long list of people who have had a positive impact on my life, but for the most influential, I would have to say first and foremost God and then my mom (Laurie), my dad (Bill), and my girlfriend (Kimberly).
GoStanford.com: Tell us about your major, academic interests, and career plans.
Lawson: I'm still undeclared, but within the next few weeks I should have my major sorted out. I'm leaning towards Science, Technology, and Society and some of my academic interests include computer science, music, and audio/video production. As far as a career goes, I would love to work with computers and technology (perhaps in Silicon Valley) and I would also like to pursue music, either as a producer or a performer.
GoStanford.com: On your downtime, what do you enjoy doing?
Lawson: In my downtime, I love to play/produce music, sing, shoot photos, practice with my band back home in Hawai'i (called SummaSounds), go to the beach, and surf. Growing up in Hawai'i, I’ve come to love the ocean and the outdoors, so I spend most of my time outside when I'm home.
GoStanford.com: You played a lot of beach volleyball back in Hawai'i. If you could play with anyone in a doubles beach volleyball tournament, who would it be?
Lawson: If I could play with anyone that I know on the beach, I would probably choose Erik Shoji (our libero). His ball control and defensive abilities are great assets to have in a beach partner and he's a lot of fun to play with. If I could play with any volleyball player in the world, I would have to choose Karch Kiraly. I used to idolize him when I was growing up and it would be a great learning experience to have him give me tips on my game.