STANFORD, Calif. – After coming up short on Thursday night in Provo, No. 8 Stanford left no doubt in a four-set victory over No. 9 BYU, Saturday, at Maples Pavilion.
Senior Jordan Ewert poured in a season-high 22 kills on .405 hitting and finished just one dig shy of a double-double in a 25-20, 25-20, 22-25, 25-21 win over the Cougars (8-5, 4-3 MPSF).
Stanford (12-6), which hit .336 as team and out dug the Cougars 48-26, moved into a tie for third in the MPSF standings with BYU at 4-3 and sits just one game back of second-place Pepperdine (4-2).
The Cardinal came out focused and set the tone early in a 25-20 opening set win. Ewert led the way with four kills, while junior opposite Eli Wopat added three kills on just four swings.
Junior setter Paul Bischoff dished out 45 assists and had a match-high 12 digs for his fourth double-double of the season. The Wheaton, Illinois, native, took matters into his own hands several times in the second, posting four kills on four swings.
Ewert tallied seven of Stanford's 19 kills in the second set as the Cardinal hit .441 as a team and held BYU to a .250 clip.
A lot of @sunshine__55 tonight ??!
— Stanford Men's Volleyball (@StanfordMVB) March 3, 2019
The senior had a season-high 22 kills on .405 hitting to go with 9 digs in the win over No. 9 BYU.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/jAxluRJ0DK
Wopat matched his career-high set on Thursday with 11 kills on .308 hitting and collected a career-best seven digs to go with three critical blocks. Sophomore Jaylen Jasper added 10 kills and five digs.
For the second straight match, both Cardinal middle blockers, Stephen Moye and Kyler Presho, turned in the same number of kills (7) and digs (4). Moye finished with a team-high five blocks, while Presho chipped in with three.
Redshirt senior libero Kyle Dagostino flew around the court directing the defense and picked up seven assists and five digs.
Did we mention Paul likes to hit????
— Stanford Men's Volleyball (@StanfordMVB) March 3, 2019
Watch on @Pac12Network.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/QBp9iliHSv
Both teams put up 13 kills in the third set, but the Cougars out hit the Cardinal .345 to .179 to avoid the sweep. BYU setter Wil Stanley landed awkwardly on a teammate's foot on a block attempt and missed the remainder of the match.
Stanford closed the door on the Cougars hitting .432 in the final frame. Ewert had 10 kills in the set and Jasper hit one off the BYU block on match-point.
Wopat bringing the heat!
— Stanford Men's Volleyball (@StanfordMVB) March 3, 2019
Watch on @Pac12Network.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/OTHK3voLfa
The Cardinal snapped a seven-match losing skid to the Cougars, picking up a win over BYU for the first time since 2016.
Gabi Garcia Fernandez and Davide Gardini both finished with 13 kills to lead BYU. Gardini registered a double-double with 10 digs to go with five blocks.
Stanford hits the road next week, taking on No. 1 Long Beach State on Friday and UC San Diego on Saturday. The Cardinal is still in search of its first road win of the season.