Feb. 10, 2012
LONG BEACH, Calif. - A couple of stats stood out the most for Stanford in its five-set men’s volleyball victory over nemesis Long Beach State on Friday night – the hitting lines of Eric Mochalski and Gus Ellis.
The Stanford middles combined for 16 kills, one error and a .625 hitting percentage in thee Cardinal’s 18-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-20, 15-12 triumph at the Walter Pyramid.
Others had more kills, including Brad Lawson, who had a team season-high 21 – including match point -- as well as four service aces, four digs and two blocks.
With that in mind, what did the numbers of Ellis and Mochalski indicate?
“It was an indication of our passing,” Stanford coach John Kosty said. “When the middles hit at a high percentage, it means we’re passing pretty well.
“And by establishing our middle attack, it helps us spread out their defense. That allows our hitters to hit for a high percentage.”
In volleyball parlance, that’s like the run setting up the pass and the Stanford hitters took advantage to hit .341 as a team, with three players with double-digit kills – Lawson, Steven Irvin (15) and Brian Cook (10).
By snapping a three-match losing streak to the No. 9 49ers (5-5, 1-4), No. 4 Stanford (8-2, 5-1) remained alone in second place in the MPSF, trailing only UCLA (7-0 in conference).
Stanford has done so despite playing all of its MPSF matches on the road, with three more to go – including Saturday night at No. 11 Cal State Northridge – before its Feb. 24 home conference opener. Furthermore, the Cardinal is 5-2 so far on its 10-match, 40-day road stretch. However, Stanford will benefit from playing 11 of its final 13 regular-season matches at home.
On Friday though, none of that seemed to matter. Rather, it was a matter of two teams that have truly battled in recent years engaged in yet another.
“Add this one to the list,” Kosty said.
Five times in the past four seasons, their matches have gone to five sets, including a 49ers rally from a 2 sets to 1 deficit to win their MPSF tournament opener last season at Maples Pavilion.
In this one, the Cardinal trailed after three, but sided out with abandon in the sets it won.
Lawson began to heat up late in the match, with eight kills and no errors, and a .571 hitting percentage over the final two sets. Until that time, he had 13 kills and hit .278.
Lawson served five consecutive points, including two aces, during a 6-0 Stanford run that rallied the Cardinal from a 2-1 deficit and into a 7-2 lead in the fourth set. Long Beach twice closed within two points, including at 18-16, but Stanford held off any chance at a 49er surge.
The fifth set was tied at 10-10 before a Cook kill broke the draw and sparked Stanford to victory.