STANFORD, Calif. – Behind an impressive defensive performance, the No. 4 Stanford men's volleyball team swept Grand Canyon, 25-20, 25-17, 25-18, Saturday, at Burnham Pavilion in Stanford, Calif. The Cardinal moves to 3-0 on the year, while the Antelopes drop to 1-1.
Both teams got off to a slow start offensively, hitting below .100 in the opening set. However, the Cardinal settled in to the familiar confines of Burnham Pavilion and made quick work of the Antelopes, finishing with a .354 team hitting percentage.
“We practice in Burnham more so than Maples, so this really feels like our home court,” said redshirt junior Daniel Tublin. “Coach Kosty always talks about protecting our history and we were able to do that tonight.”
The Cardinal not only passed well all night and played solid defense, but the team posted incredible side out percentages in the second and third sets (94%). Redshirt junior libero Grant Delgado again led all players with eight digs and is averaging 3.09 digs per set after three matches.
Tublin, who hit .389, was one of three Cardinal players to register nine kills on the night. He also tallied five digs and two aces in the win.
“I was trying try to hit high and deep tonight, good things happen when you hit the hands or can go for the deep corners,” added Tublin.
Seniors Brian Cook and Steven Irvin also finished with nine kills apiece. Sophomore setter James Shaw registered 30 assists, four kills and four digs as he continued to keep Grand Canyon off balance by spreading the offense. Sophomore middle Conrad Kaminski added six kills on eight swings (.750).
Grand Canyon senior Ben Ponnet led the Antelopes with seven kills and eight digs. The Antelopes finished with 5.5 blocks and a .147 attack percentage.
Stanford will open MPSF play next week on the road, travelling to Los Angeles for a rematch with UCLA on Friday, Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks. The Cardinal will also play at UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.