Jan. 23, 2011
HONOLULU - While growing up in O'ahu's Manoa Valley, Spencer McLachlin used to attend matches at the Stan Sheriff Center and watch the legends of University of Hawai'i volleyball in wonder.
But while playing on the same court for possibly the final time in his career, it was McLachlin who deserved reverence. The senior captain pounded a collegiate career-high 29 kills for a Stanford team that needed every one of them to overcome Hawai'i, 25-21, 17-25, 25-19, 34-36, 17-15, on Sunday night.
Freshman Eric Mochalski pounded two consecutive kills to finish off the Warriors in a roller-coaster of a match in which Stanford failed to convert five match points in the fourth set, only to fight off two Hawai'i match points in the fifth.
The Cardinal faced deficits of 5-1 and 13-11, and then fought off match points, at 14-13 and 15-14. On the first, a Hawai'i service error evened the score. On the next, a Brad Lawson kill saved Stanford and Mochalski followed with a kill off a Hawai'i overpass for Stanford's first lead of the set, at 16-15.
Moments later, Lawson stabbed at a Hawai'i attack, and with the ball headed over the net Mochalski redirected it to the open floor for the winner.
"We never think we're out of a match," Stanford coach John Kosty said. "Even on Friday."
Yes, Friday ... a match McLachlin is thankful would not be his lasting memory in a place where he not only spent hours watching, but spent years playing, as a Punahou School volleyball and basketball standout.
Clouded by the expectations of playing in front of family and friends, McLachlin struggled through a four-kill, five-error hitting performance and inconsistent defensive effort during Stanford's three-set loss.
"It was a lot about preparation and focus," said McLachlin, one of seven Hawaiians on Stanford's team. "I really felt I was distinctly looking at my family and friends in the crowd.
"This time, I knew I had to focus on every single play, and not look into the stands at all. I felt the score would take care of itself."
McLachlin, who hit .375, also contributed four digs and seven blocks, including two solo against the No. 13 Warriors (1-4, 1-1), a team that got 29 kills itself from German sophomore Jonas Umlauft.
"This showed his character," Kosty said. "It wasn't a Spencer-type outing on Friday, but the team and the coaching staff knew he would come back and have a great match tonight."
Setter Evan Barry had a career-high 62 assists while passing the Cardinal to a .355 hitting performance. And Honolulu natives Brad Lawson and Erik Shoji also came up big. Lawson had 18 kills and 12 digs, and libero Erik Shoji had 16 digs.
"I've watched so many matches there, I was almost embarrassed by how I played Friday," McLachlin said. "It feels great to come back. This just shows that we're a resilient team."
For the second time this season, Stanford faced a deficit at the switch in a fifth set, following a similar match against BYU last week. And for the second time, the Cardinal came back to win.
"Our goal is to win all five-game matches," McLachlin said. "We practice games to 15 almost every day, and the work really shows."
Now, No. 2 Stanford (4-1 overall) finds itself in a tie with Long Beach State for second behind USC in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation as it continues a difficult stretch. Next weekend, Stanford travels to Southern California to play 2010 NCAA semifinalist Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State before a midweek match against Pacific, and a Midwest trip the following weekend at Lewis and Loyola. During a nine-day stretch, Stanford plays five matches, in five cities.
"We're looking to be a tough road team," Kosty said. "That's what we're going to need to be if we want to have a chance at a national championship. If we want to win it, we're going to have to win on the road."
But for one night at least, the road felt a lot like home.