STANFORD, Calif. – The Stanford men's volleyball team has been chosen by the conference coaches to finish third in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation this season, the league announced today.
BYU, which received four first-place votes and totaled 33 points overall, was picked to win the MPSF for the third straight season. UCLA (32) collected two first-place votes to come in second, while Pepperdine tied with the Cardinal with 22 points.
USC (18) picked up the final first-place vote and came in fifth. Newcomers to the MPSF, Grand Canyon (14) and Concordia (6), were sixth and seventh, respectively.
Each MPSF team will play 12 conference matches this season, featuring a home and away against each opponent. The 2018 MPSF Tournament begins with seed two, three and four hosting a quarterfinal match on April 14. The conference semifinals will be played on April 19 at the No. 1 seed. Semifinal winners will meet on April 21 for the championship with an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament on the line.
Stanford returns 14 players from the 2017 roster, including All-Americans Evan Enriques and Kevin Rakestraw. Outside hitter Jordan Ewert was an All-MPSF honorable mention pick last season despite sitting out several matches due to injury.
Stanford opens the season on Friday, Dec. 30 against Calgary and will also face the Dinos on Tuesday, Jan. 2. Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m. in Burnham Pavilion. Admission to all regular season home matches is free.
MPSF Coaches' Poll
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | BYU | 33 (4) |
| 2. | UCLA | 32 (2) |
| t3. | Stanford | 22 |
| t3. | Pepperdine | 22 |
| 5. | USC | 18 (1) |
| 6. | Grand Canyon | 14 |
| 7. | Concordia | 6 |