Feb. 4, 2011
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Gus Ellis contributed to seven of Stanford's 15.5 blocks to help set a defensive tempo that propelled the No. 4 Cardinal to a 25-17, 25-19, 20-25, 25-17 nonconference men's volleyball victory over Lewis on Friday night.
Stanford (7-2) had 8.5 blocks in the first set, with Ellis in on four of them, as the Cardinal established its presence at the net against the Flyers (6-2), playing in front of an SRO crowd of 1,356 at 1,100-capacity Neil Carey Arena.
"Our block was on tonight," Stanford coach John Kosty said. "It clicked into gear pretty quick. That set the tone right off the bat."
A solo block by Ellis on the opening point propelled Stanford to 12 over the first two sets. Though Lewis countered in the third, Stanford provided some near-flawless serving - with only one service error - in the fourth set to put the Flyers on the defensive.
Brad Lawson had 19 kills in the victory while hitting .371. Freshman Brian Cook had 10 kills, eight digs, and four blocks, and hit .500. As a team, Stanford hit .370.
Stanford completes a seven-match, seven-city road odyssey that will have taken the team 9,227 miles since Jan. 20 when the Cardinal plays at Loyola in Chicago on Saturday.
"This was a great match for us," Kosty said. "In the MPSF, you've got to be road warriors.
"It was a great atmosphere. The student section was big and right in your face. We were glad to come out with a win."