May 21, 2003
Stanford, Calif. - Five members of the Stanford men's volleyball team received academic all-conference selections for their dedication and success in the classroom. The list includes seniors William Curtis (Whittier, CA) and William Strickland (Malibu, CA), redshirt sophomore Kevin Hansen (Newport Beach, CA) and sophomores Christopher Sandman (San Jose, CA) and David Vogel (Poway, CA).
Seniors William Curtis and William Strickland both carried a 3.02 grade point average during their tenure on The Farm, Curtis as a double major in American Studies and Philosophy and Strickland as a Political Science major and Philosophy minor. Throughout their final season, both seniors made large contributions on the court. Curtis, a 6-6 outside hitter, ranked third on the team in total kills with 291 and led the team in service aces with 26. He also had 109 digs on the season and 58 total blocks. Strickland, a 6-9 outside hitter, was the only Cardinal to play in all 109 games for Stanford. He played magnificently on the offensive side, leading the team in kills with 361. His defensive play also shined throughout the year, as he ranked third on the team in digs with 186 and third in blocks with 71. Strickland received MPSF Honorable Mention honors this season.
Redshirt sophomore Kevin Hansen currently holds a 3.05 grade point average as an Economics major, and had his best season yet this year for the Cardinal. As the team's setter, Hansen had 1,318 assists, over 13 per game. He appeared in 101 games on the season, and received MPSF Honorable Mention honors. Sophomore middle blocker Christopher Sandman carries a 3.38 GPA as a prospective Management, Science and Engineering major, and averaged over two kills and a half a block per game for the Cardinal this year. Sophomore outside hitter David Vogel has a 3.39 GPA as a prospective Political Science major and was the Cardinal's top back line player this season. Vogel led the team with 234 digs, and appeared in 106 of Stanford's 109 total games.
In order to qualify for an all-conference academic selection, athletes must carry at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average, be at least a sophomore academically, have completed at least one academic year at the institution prior to the season of award and have competed in fifty percent or more of the matches for their respective sport.