STANFORD, Calif. – John Kosty, The Birkhofer Family Men's Volleyball Head Coach, and his staff are pleased to announce the signing of four to National Letters of Intent on behalf of the men's volleyball program.
"We are grateful to have signed four exceptionally talented student-athletes for the high school graduating class of 2023," said Kosty, who is now in his 17th season at the helm of the program. "Combined with the stellar 2022 class, we are building a wonderful base for our immediate future that enhances our historically successful program. I want to thank all of the people involved in bringing this group to The Farm and the Stanford family."
Stanford's incoming class of 2027 consists of Ignacio Brito (Miami, Fla.), Nathan Clinton (Pleasanton, Calif.), Carson Kneisl (Arvada, Colo.) and Gray Mandelbaum (Los Angeles, Calif.).
Ignacio Brito • 6-4 • OH • Christopher Columbus High School • Miami, Fla.
- Plays club for Miami United Volleyball
- All-Dade Boy's Volleyball first team (2019-22)
- Puerto Rico Men's Volleyball National Team U19 Invite
- USA NTDP Training Camp (2020-22)
- AAU 2021 Boys Junior National Champion
- AAU 2021 Boys Junior National All-American
- USAV 2022 Boys Junior Champion and All-Tournament Team
- Florida Offensive School Player of the Year (2021)
Kosty on Brito: "Watching Ignacio play is a thrilling experience. You tend to hover around his court to see what spectacular thing he will do next. He is a player that can help our program in a number of ways, so we are excited to see him in our gym. I can't wait to see what he becomes."
Nathan Clinton • 6-4 • OH • Amador Valley High School • Pleasanton, Calif.
- Plays for Bay to Bay Volleyball Club
- Named as a TV30 Outstanding Athlete for 2021-22
- EBAL Boys Varsity Volleyball Player of the Year (2022)
- EBAL Champion and NCS silver medalist (2022)
- U14 Boys Junior National Championship - Gold (2019)
- U16 Boys Junior National Championship - Bronze (2021)
- Attended and trained with the USA Youth Development Program
Kosty on Clinton: "Nate brings some outstanding qualities that we just had to have in our gym. He is probably one of the most well-liked athletes I've ever met. His teammates love him as well as his opponents. He is a 'glue' guy and makes all of his teams better. He also plays with passion and such a great feel for the game. One of things that we look for is an outside hitter that can control the game with his passing and defense. That is Nate's forte! We are so fortunate to have him as part of the program."
Carson Kneisl • 6-6 • OH • Arvada West High School • Arvada, Colo.
- Plays for Front Range Volleyball Club
- SoCal Invitational All-Tournament Team (2022)
- USA NTDP Training Camp (2021-22)
- AVCA Player of the Week (2022)
- First Team All-State (2022)
- Jeffco Conference Player of the Year (2022)
Kosty on Kneisl: "We are excited about the potential that Carson brings to our team. He is a taller pin hitter that swings hard but has good ball control and defensive instincts. He also plays big at the net as a blocker. With daily work at the collegiate level, I believe his game will take off. Just like his fellow classmates, he will be a tremendous addition to not only our volleyball program but the Stanford community as well."
Gray Mandelbaum • 6-7 • MB • Brentwood High School • Los Angeles, Calif.
- Plays for Rockstar Volleyball Club
- All-League first team (2021)
- Two-time All-League second team (2019, 2020)
- 2022 AAU Nationals third place
- 2022 3rd-Coast Tournament runner-up finish
- 2021 SoCal Cup third place
- 2021 USAV Nationals ninth place with SCVC
Kosty on Mandelbaum: "We knew that we had to bring in a middle in this class and had several good candidates that we were recruiting. Gray stood out clearly in this group and the longer we watched, the better he got. He is a true Stanford student-athlete that will perform well in this community. I see him potentially making a big impact when he arrives on campus. We are very fortunate to have this wonderful young man sign with the Cardinal."