Complete Release in PDF Format <="">April 10, 2009
STANFORD, Calif. - The No. 5 Stanford men's volleyball team takes on No. 6 BYU in a two-match series that will go a long way toward determining positioning in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament. An eight-match conference winning streak has propelled Stanford (19-8, 12-6) from eighth to fourth in the standings with only four matches remaining. BYU (15-10, 11-7) sits in sixth, only one game behind the Cardinal. Though eight teams qualify for the MPSF tournament, the top four earn the right to host first-round matches. In such a competitive conference, in which only the tournament champion earns an automatic berth in the four-team NCAA tournament, any advantage is huge.
On the Internet
Live video streaming is available for both matches. The free webcasts can be found on gostanford.com. The "Watch" link can be found next to the match listing in the Calendar of Events on the main page or the men's volleyball page. Live stats also are available via Gametracker. The link can also can be found on the Calendar of Events on gostanford.com.
Shoji's Assist Goes National on ESPN's Sportscenter
If you haven't seen Erik Shoji's remarkable assist from Saturday's victory over UC San Diego, you may be alone. That's because the rest of the nation has. The play was No. 2 on ESPN Sportscenter's Top 10 Plays of the Day for Tuesday, April 7. It beat out everything from Major League Baseball's Opening Day and trailed only a hockey shootout goal from Sweden. On the play, Evan Romero served and then made a pancake dig off the ensuing attack. The ball bounced into the air when Shoji, who had been sprawled on the ground in an attempt to make the original dig, swung his right leg and kicked the ball blindly to Brad Lawson, who pounded the ball over the net for a kill and a Stanford point. Rules allow the ball to be played off any part of the body. The play, which was also shown on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area's nightly sports highlight show, was posted on YouTube on Tuesday morning. By Thursday night, it already had more than 14,000 hits.
See it Again
Here is the link to Shoji's play:
http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-volley/spec-rel/040709aab.html
Shoji to Break Stanford Record
Erik Shoji is two digs away from tying the school single-season record of 379, set by three-time Olympian and gold medalist Scott Fortune in 1986. Shoji has 377, and leads the nation in total digs by the immense margin of 72. Shoji's average per set of 3.97 is also substantially higher than the No. 2 spot on the list, which is 3.25. Shoji's success is not surprising. The freshman arrived with incredible credentials. Shoji was named best passer, defender, and libero at the 2008 NORCECA Men's Junior Continental Championship in El Salvador, where the U.S. Men's Junior National Team won the bronze medal. And he was named best defender and best libero at the 2007 FIVB Boys' Youth World Championships in Tijuana, Mexico.
Stanford Clinches Playoff Spot
With its five-set thriller at Long Beach State on Friday, Stanford clinched a spot in the eight-team MPSF tournament. And, with its four-set victory over UC San Diego on Saturday, the Cardinal clinched a spot among the top six seeds. This means that the Cardinal will avoid the first- and second-place teams in the first round. Stanford hopes to corral a top-four finish and play host to a postseason match.
Streaking
Stanford has won 11 of its past 12 matches, but that only hints at the recent success the Cardinal is having. Here is more evidence:
Stanford is on a five-match winning streak.
The Cardinal has won eight consecutive matches in MPSF play.
Stanford is undefeated at Maples Pavilion this season, at 6-0.
Stanford has won its past 10 matches at Maples, dating back to 2007.
This Week's Opponent: BYU
The No. 6 Cougars have won six of their past eight, and 10 of their past 13 heading into this weekend's play. Most recently, BYU split a pair of home matches against No. 1 UC Irvine. The Cougars drew 3,878 to their final home match of the season, a four-set loss to UC Irvine. BYU concludes with four road matches, two at Stanford and two at Pepperdine.
The BYU Series
Stanford's last match against the Cougars was the highlight to the Cardinal's 2008 season. BYU was No. 1 when Stanford came to Provo. On Feb. 22, the night after Stanford had gone five sets with BYU, Stanford stunned the Cougars with a straight-set victory. It was the first defeat for BYU and marked only its second home loss in two years.
The MPSF Race
Stanford moved into sole possession of fourth place after USC's loss to UC Irvine on Wednesday. The Cardinal also is within a half-game of Cal State Northridge for third. Stanford holds the tiebreaker with Northridge, meaning that if they tie in the standings, Stanford would get the edge in seeding for the MPSF tournament, which begins at home sites on April 25. However, Stanford would not have the edge if it tied with USC, which has swept the Cardinal twice.
="">