April 8, 2011
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - In its final days, the regular season is all about `ifs.'
If you win, then what? If you lose, what are the consequences?
With so many of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation men's volleyball teams bunched together, Stanford is one of many which must recalculate the standings as every result comes in.
On Friday, No. 3 Stanford got 13 kills each from Spencer McLachlin and Brad Lawson, but it wasn't enough in a 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 25-16 loss to No. 6 UC Santa Barbara.
Stanford (17-8 overall, 13-7) is competing for favorable seeding in the MPSF tournament, which determines the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. Stanford sits in third position and, if the standings hold, would play host to UCSB (14-12, 11-9) in the MPSF tournament's first round April 23.
Stanford could simplify things if it wins its final two matches - at UCLA on Saturday or at Pacific a week later. One victory would clinch homecourt advantage for the first round. But Hawai'i's five-set upset of No. 1 USC on Friday makes the road a bit tougher in an effort to earn the No. 3 seed, meaning Stanford may need to win both to secure that spot.
Whether it's No. 2 or No. 3 doesn't really matter because either would mean Stanford would be in the opposite bracket from first-place USC, creating a clearer path to the MPSF final and a possible NCAA at-large berth should the Cardinal not win the tournament.
Of course, that's all about `if.'
A lot would have to go right for the Cardinal, which still could finish as high as No. 2 -- if Stanford wins out and BYU loses its finale at Pepperdine on Saturday -- or as low as No. 6 for the eight-team tournament.
Stanford would have clinched homecourt Friday, but failed to slow the torrid hitting of the Gauchos. Jeff Menzel (26 kills) and Cullen Irons (23) combined for 49 kills and a .562 hitting percentage. UCSB as a team hit .491 - the highest hitting percentage by a Stanford opponent this season.
"Their two seniors had a great Senior Night," Stanford coach John Kosty said. "They played well and did what they needed to do to slow us down."
Stanford hit .324 and freshman middle blocker Eric Mochalski had his fourth errorless match of the season, with 10 kills and a .625 hitting percentage. McLachlin had five digs and four blocks, including two solo, to his .370 hitting. He closed out the second set with a service ace and kill.
Another McLachlin kill evened the third set at 19-19, but the Cardinal could draw no closer, and failed to maintain a 10-8 lead in the fourth.
"We did some good things, but didn't play well enough to win," Kosty said. "We're in the driver's seat for a No. 3 seed, but if we don't take care of business, somebody's going to take it from us."