PROVO, Utah – No. 9 BYU fought off four match-points by No. 8 Stanford, Thursday, defeating the Cardinal 21-25, 25-17, 21-25, 25-23, 17-15 at Smith Fieldhouse.
The win put BYU (8-4) in sole possession of third place in the MPSF at 4-2. The Cardinal (11-6) is fourth at 3-3. The Cougars have now won seven straight against Stanford.
BYU out hit Stanford .365 to .310 and held a 7-5 advantage in aces. Both teams put up 9.0 blocks, while the Cardinal collected 35 digs to just 25 by the Cougars.
Sophomore Kyler Presho led Stanford with 14 kills on .650 hitting and three blocks. Junior middle blocker Stephen Moye added nine kills on 13 errorless swings to hit .692. Moye also had a team-high five blocks.
After a stellar opening set in which the Cardinal hit .640 and sided out at a rate of 85 percent, BYU answered in the second, hitting .500 and holding the Cardinal to just eight kills on a .200 attack percentage in the second.
Is it time for a comeback in this set? @StanfordMVB trying to catch the Cougars!#GoStandford #BYU #BYUmvb pic.twitter.com/CMNYBjqHIo
— BYUtv Sports (@byutvsports) March 1, 2019
Junior setter Paul Bischoff controlled the offense with 50 assists to go with six digs, three blocks and two kills. Redshirt senior libero Kyle Dagostino finished with eight digs and seven assists.
With a 2-1 lead and a chance to pick up its first win in Provo since 2016, the Cardinal and Cougars went back-and-forth in the fourth. There were 16 tie scores and nine lead changes in that set alone.
Outside hitters Jordan Ewert and Jaylen Jasper each finished with 13 kills, but were both held to under .200 hitting. Ewert had a match-high 11 digs for his team-best fourth double-double of the season. Opposite Eli Wopat, making his third start of the season, posted a career-high 11 kills, six digs, two blocks and two aces.
Close game at the end of the third. But @StanfordMVB closing in on the set. Great game so far, not much between the two sides.#GoStanford #BYU #BYUmvb pic.twitter.com/l17OL9UJDb
— BYUtv Sports (@byutvsports) March 1, 2019
Stanford led early in the decisive fifth set and had an 11-8 advantage when BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead called his first timeout. The momentum shifted and the Cougars scored three straight to tie it 11-11. Up 14-12, Stanford was unable to close the door on BYU and the match ended on an apparent no-call on a Jasper attack that appeared to hit off the BYU block, but was called out.
Stanford is now 1-2 in five set matches this season and still searching for its first road win. The Cardinal is also 1-6 when being out hit by its opponents.
.@StanfordMVB leading the game with 12 kills to @BYUvolleyball's 7.
— BYUtv Sports (@byutvsports) March 1, 2019
But the Cougars holding on!#GoStanford #BYU #BYUmvb pic.twitter.com/Zk9JqCimAI
BYU was led by freshman outside hitter Davide Gardini's career-high 22 kills on .515 hitting. Sophomore opposite Gabi Garcia Fernandez added 13 kills, four blocks and two aces.
Stanford and BYU will meet again on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Maples Pavilion. The match will be televised on Pac-12 Bay Area.