STANFORD, Calif. – Seniors Madison Hayden, Conrad Kaminski, James Shaw and Alex Stephanus will play in their final regular season match at Maples Pavilion on Saturday, April 2 at 7 p.m. against No. 5 Long Beach State.
Since 2013, the class has been a part of 67 wins and two postseason berths. The 2014 squad made a run to the NCAA title match, just the program's fifth appearance in the finals. The 2016 team has already secured a top 4 seed in the MPSF tournament and will host a quarterfinal match in Maples Pavilion on April 16.
The group took time to reflect on their experiences on The Farm and with the Stanford men's volleyball program.
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Madison Hayden • Outside Hitter • Huntington Beach, Calif.
Looking back, what are some of your favorite memories with Stanford volleyball?
My fondest memories from Stanford volleyball are being with the team outside of volleyball practice. I'll always remember our team traditions like Shaver Lake, Soup Plantation after the Long Beach fall tournament, and staying at the Sheraton over winter break. I'll also miss the countless hours spent in the locker room before and after practice with the team.
What do you know now that you wish you knew as a freshman?
Just how fast the four years go by. College seems like an eternity as a freshman, but its over in the blink of an eye. I also wish that I knew that Jimmy V's had a bingo card for spinning the wheel, because I just found out about that like two weeks ago.
What do you think you will miss most about this team?
The collective dedication of this team to this season is really special, and I will miss seeing the hard work and sacrifices from everyone on this team. I'll miss playing on the court alongside all of these guys.
Off the court, what has been the best thing you have experienced at Stanford?
Living in the KA house with all the volleyball teams I have been a part of.
What will you miss most about being a college student?
I will miss being surrounded by so many successful people who pursue excellence in every field imaginable.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I plan on continuing my volleyball career by playing professionally in Europe.
Conrad Kaminski • Middle Blocker • New Berlin, Wis.
Looking back, what are some of your favorite memories with Stanford volleyball?
In particular, the 2014 season was special as we made our run to the national championship match. I will never forget the experiences I shared with that group. But overall, my favorite part of being on this team was the stories we have from road trips and the camaraderie we had on and off the court.
What do you think you will miss most about this team?
I am going to miss everything about this team. These guys are my best friends at school and will continue to be after graduation. It's depressing to think that I won't be able to wake up, send a text, and have the guys to hang out with in an instant.
Off the court, what has been the best thing you have experienced at Stanford?
The best thing I've experienced off the court at Stanford has been building relationships with other student athletes in FCA, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I had trouble maintaining my faith during my first couple years, but then Kyle Gilbert of women's volleyball asked me to come to FCA one night during sophomore year. We only had about 10 people, but we became really good friends and we grew the group tremendously the past few years. It's been wonderful to have the support of other Christians on campus who share my same values, worries, and ambitions.
What has been your favorite class at Stanford?
I can't decide between two classes: 1. Mechatronics. After learning the basics of building a robot, from mechanics, to circuitry, to programming, we group up and make one from scratch to compete in a final competition. This year, we had to transport poker chips to seesaws in the middle of an "arena." We competed head-to-head against another robot trying to tip seesaws in its favor with poker chips. Whichever robot had more seesaws tipped after two minutes won. Ours made it to the sweet sixteen and narrowly lost to make it to the elite eight. 2. Internal Combustion Engines: We learned the ins and outs of internal combustion engines through thermodynamic programming and simulation, as well as hands on work in labs disecting engines and their components. The highlight was bringing Kosty along for a lab where we ran a corvette engine at redline and everything glowed red from the heat.
What will you miss most about being a college student?
Easily the biggest thing I'll miss about being a college student is being with other peers who are also so motivated and passionate about what they do, be it sports, academics, music, or some other talent. It's really fun to have friends around all the time to talk to and learn from, and to be able to meet new interesting people all the time.
What are your plans for after graduation?
After graduation I will pursue professional volleyball overseas. Eventually, I see myself going to grad school in mechanical engineering and working my way into an engineering career.
James Shaw • Setter • Woodside, Calif.
Looking back, what are some of your favorite memories with Stanford volleyball?
My favorite memories are definitely the winning locker rooms after our biggest matches. The ones that first come to mind are the atmosphere after our win over BYU in the 2014 NCAA semifinals and our win over BYU on the first night in Provo this year. I also will cherish the road trip van conversations I had with various teammates in Coach Rasay’s car (I will miss my shotgun spot, which was formerly Grant Delgado’s). The shotgun spot will have to be passed down to only the most deserving of individuals to be named later...
What do you know now that you wish you knew as a freshman?
I wish I knew how much fun working hard at your craft or your skill could really be. Looking back to freshman year, I did have a tough time adjusting to life away from 24/7 family support. I wish I had known how great that would turn out to be in my own learning of how to work to become a better volleyball player, but more importantly, a better person. The next three years were so much fun, even through the injuries and the disappointing losses, because I enjoyed (and still do enjoy) the thrill of the feeling that you earn what you work for.
What do you think you will miss most about this team?
I will certainly miss all of the incredible intelligence this team possesses. When I travel outside of Stanford, I begin to realize how smart of a team I belong to - jokes are funnier, I learn new things on a daily basis, and we are never criticized for geeking-out on something we are passionate about. Rarely have I found that same camaraderie on any other team I’ve played for, and I will certainly miss it the most.
Off the court, what has been the best thing you have experienced at Stanford?
I am very glad I got to experience the art scene at Stanford, even if it was in small doses and only for one year. I have been able to explore art classes, all the art exhibits here, and even make some pretty cool digital art that I enjoy myself, somewhat. I am very glad I decided to explore this path within my degree (science, technology & society) as I see myself somehow incorporating art into my life for the rest of my life- through music, painting, video art, digital art or even photography.
What has been your favorite class at Stanford?
My favorite class at Stanford was Video Art 1, because I became so engaged with the class and my own creative process was encouraged so much that I couldn’t help but to enjoy it.
What will you miss most about being a college student?
I will miss the ability to see my team outside of volleyball situations. They all live in close quarters, on the same campus, and you can’t find that experience anywhere else but in college. My team would tell you that I am not a very social person, and I don’t spend as much time with the group as others on the team do, but the only group of people besides my family and girlfriend that I feel comfortable spending time with for hours on end is any one of my teammates. I will miss the opportunity to live amongst them and be a college student with them more than anything else that has to do with normal college student life.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I plan on beginning my professional volleyball career overseas, including training and competing with the Men’s National Team this summer.
Alex Stephanus • Outside Hitter • Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Looking back, what are some of your favorite memories with Stanford volleyball?
Spending three weeks on the road with the guys in spring of 2014. It was crazy fun being together with them for that long. Also, the player introduction speeches at our volleyball banquet are always a hoot. But, if you ask me in six months, I'll probably be saying the Europe trip is at the top of the list.
What do you know now that you wish you knew as a freshman?
How important volleyball would be to me even after college. If I'd asked freshman-year Alex if he would consider playing pro after college he would definitely have said no.
What do you think you will miss most about this team?
Without a doubt the group of guys themselves. They're my second family, and I'll definitely miss being surrounded by them. They've been the defining part of my Stanford experience.
Off the court, what has been the best thing you have experienced at Stanford?
Off the court, my favorite thing is sunny days spent messing around outside. Whether it's beach volleyball, cornhole, or something else. If it's sunny out and I'm playing some kind of game, that's one of my favorite things in the world.
What has been your favorite class at Stanford?
Math 147: Differential Topology. I really liked the material, and I got along very well with my professor.
What will you miss most about being a college student?
I'm really going to miss the dorm-type living situation. Living in a house with 60-70 good friends is crazy fun, and it's something I doubt I'll get without being in college.
What are your plans for after graduation?
After graduation, I'd like to go abroad and play professional volleyball.