April 29, 2010
STANFORD, Calif. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
This Week
The No. 1 Stanford men's volleyball team plays host to the semifinals and final of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament, hoping to secure a berth in the four-team NCAA Championships, either as the confererence's automatic qualifier or as the NCAA's single at-large. Top-seeded Stanford (20-6) plays Hawai'i (19-9), the No. 4 seed and No. 4-ranked team in the country, in the evening semifinal (7:30) at Maples Pavilion in a match that carries special significance to Stanford's seven players and two coaches from the islands. Stanford also is seeking its first MPSF tournament title and first NCAA berth since winning it all in 1997. The match will be preceded by No. 2 seeded BYU (22-8) against No. 3 Cal State Northridge (22-8) at 5 p.m. Winners play Saturday at 7 p.m. at Maples Pavilion.
Follow the Action
Free live webcasts and live stats of all three matches in the MPSF tournament's final four will be available on gostanford.com. Links to Gametracker live stats and gostanford.com's All-Access webcasts can be found through the MPSF Tournament Central page, found on Stanford's men's volleyball page. Kevin Danna and Jason Mansfield will have the webcast call.
Fans in Hawaii can watch the match live on KFVE-TV or listen on ESPN 1420 AM. In addition, Stanford radio can be heard on-line through KZSU-2 (kzsulive.com), with Walter Foxworth on the call.
Ticket Information
Tickets can be purchased at the door. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for students. The first 250 Stanford students will be admitted free.
Stronger than the NCAAs
The top eight ranked teams in the country are playing in the MPSF Tournament, making the conference tournament stronger than the NCAAs. The MPSF claimed 11 spots in the AVCA's final regular season Top 15, including the top nine places. In contrast, the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association each own automatic berths in the four-team NCAA Tournament, yet combine for only four ranked teams. The highest of those is Ohio State (MIVA) at No. 10, followed by No. 12 Penn State (EIVA), No. 13 Ball State (MIVA) and No. 15 Loyola-Chicago (MIVA).
The MPSF Tournament
Only the champion of the eight-team MPSF tournament receives an automatic berth to the four-team NCAA tournament, which will be played at Maples Pavilion on May 6 and 8.
First round results, Saturday, April 24 (Hosted by higher seeds)
No. 1 Stanford d. No. 8 UC Irvine, 30-26, 28-30, 30-25, 30-27
No. 2 BYU d. No. 7 UCLA, 30-28, 30-26, 26-30, 30-26
No. 3 Cal State Northridge d. No. 6 USC, 30-17, 31-33, 33-31, 30-26
No. 4 Hawai'i d. No. 5 Pepperdine, 24-30, 30-24, 30-26, 22-30, 18-16
Stanford's NCAA Chances
Stanford may have secured an NCAA at-large berth already by beating UC Irvine in the first round of the MPSF tournament. Stanford's status as the outright regular season champion of the country's strongest conference, combined with reaching the tournament's semifinals, may be enough. However, a victory over Hawai'i on Thursday would virtually ensure an NCAA spot. After all, there is no realistic scenario that would deprive Stanford of a berth when it seems a foregone conclusion that two MPSF teams will get in. The NCAA will select its field on Sunday and Stanford seeks its first NCAA berth since its 1997 championship season.
The Significance of Saturday's Victory
The Cardinal's first round MPSF tournament victory over UC Irvine on Saturday was significant in several respects:
• It broke an eight-match postseason losing streak.
• It was Stanford's first postseason victory since "The Block," Matt Fuerbringer's roof of a UCLA smash to win the 1997 NCAA championship final in Columbus, Ohio, with a 15-13 score in the fifth set.
• It was Stanford's first playoff victory at home since sweeping Pepperdine in the MPSF first round at Burnham Pavilion in 1997, the same year the Cardinal last won the conference tournament.
• It was the Stanford's first playoff victory at Maples Pavilion since 1994, when it beat BYU and Pepperdine in an MPSF round-robin format.
No. 1
Stanford has been ranked No. 1 for seven consecutive polls, since March 8. It's Stanford's first No. 1 ranking since 2001, and latest such ranking since 1997. Stanford received 13 of 16 first-place votes in the latest poll, with No. 2 BYU (two) and No. 3 Cal State Northridge (one) receiving the others. Stanford has been ranked No. 1 in five previous seasons since the AVCA rankings were created in 1986. Here are the previous Stanford No. 1 seasons and the team's final rankings during those years: 2001 (No. 5), 1997 (No. 1), 1992 (No. 1), 1990 (No. 4), and 1989 (No. 2). Stanford won its only national title in 1997.
The Hawaiian Pipeline
Stanford boasts seven players from Hawaii -- including four starters -- and two coaches. Kawika (senior setter) and Erik Shoji (sophomore libero) are the sons of longtime UH women's volleyball coach Dave Shoji. They join Spencer McLachlin (junior outside hitter) and Brad Lawson (sophomore outside hitter) in the regular starting lineup. Jordan Inafuku (junior libero) is a defensive and serving specialist, Max Halvorson (junior middle) provides depth in the middle, and freshman Chandler Kaaa is redshirting. Longtime Punahou School coach Chris McLachlin is a Cardinal assistant, and former UH setter Daniel Rasay (recently hired as the women's coach at Menlo College) is a volunteer assistant. Next year, Iolani School libero Scot Sakaida arrives from Honolulu.
Thursday's Opponent: Hawai'i
The Warriors (19-9) doubled last season's victory total of nine and has earned the most victories in a season since winning 23 in 2006. The revival has come under first-year coach Charlie Wade, who spent 11 seasons (1995-2005) as an assistant under Dave Shoji with the UH women's program and was last at University of the Pacific. Dave Shoji, who completed his 35th season at Hawai'i last fall, is the father of Stanford All-Americans Kawika and Erik Shoji and is a frequent visitor to Stanford and can be seen in his customary front-row seat.
Jonas Umlauft, a freshman opposite from Germany, had a match-high 36 kills in a thrilling five-set victory over visiting Pepperdine in an MPSF first-round match last week, ending in a 18-16 fifth set victory for the Warriors' first postseason victory since 2003. Umlauft recently was selected as the MPSF's Newcomer of the Year.
The Hawai'i Series
Stanford holds a six-match winning streak in the series, including back-to-back sweeps at Maples Pavilion in the Cardinal's season-opening matches Jan. 15-16. Stanford hit a combined .450 in those matches, while holding the Warriors to a combined .161. Hawai'i's outside hitters combined for a .185 hitting percentage those nights. Hawai'i leads the overall series, 34-30. Brad Lawson: MPSF Player of the Year
Brad Lawson, a sophomore outside hitter, has had a breakout season while leading Stanford to a No. 1 ranking and the MPSF title. The Honolulu native emerged as one of the most dangerous hitters in the college game and one of the best all-around players. Lawson leads the Cardinal in kills per game (451, 4.80), service aces (35, 0.37), is third in digs (146, 1.45), fourth in assists (42, 0.45), and fifth in blocks (49, 0.52).
But more than numbers, Lawson was deadly at the net, hitting with great velocity and precision. His backrow attacks were unparalleled and his defensive and passing skills were enough to absorb an opponent's best shot and set in motion the same for Stanford. Lawson, who has started every match in his two seasons, is hitting .384 and was among Stanford's most consistent players.
John Kosty: MPSF Coach of the Year
In John Kosty's four seasons as head coach, Stanford's teams have indeed gone from "Worst to First," achieving the goal put forth by the late Al Roderigues, a longtime Stanford assistant, in 2007 when the team struggled through a 3-25 season. Over the past four years, the Cardinal has gone from last place in the MPSF to its first conference championship since 1997.
Kosty was not afraid to test his current seniors early in their careers, providing them with the opportunity to grow in a trial by fire. By challenging his players, and with strong recruiting, Stanford has made progress every year to the point of contending for a national title.
Kawika Shoji: National Player of the Year Candidate
No one has effected the rise of Stanford volleyball more than setter Kawika Shoji. The Honolulu native exercised a leap of faith when he committed to a struggling Stanford program, but became influential in making Stanford attractive to potential recruits, many from his home state of Hawaii.
Shoji, a two-time All-American, is averaging 13.61 assists, 2.44 digs, 0.88 kills, and 0.61 blocks per set. But numbers can't desribe his ability to read the defense, cover ground like a center fielder, turn a wild pass into a perfect set, dump the ball into open space, or unleash a blind one-handed set.
During the Senior Night presentation, Shoji described his future goal as "playing for the U.S. national team." Normally, such a declaration might prompt a doubt. But at Maples that night, there were no such reaction, only affirmations.
Stanford Storyline: Big Al
Stanford lost a great man and a close friend when longtime assistant coach Al Roderigues died in March after a 16-month battle with stomach cancer. Al, a volunteer assistant at Stanford for 18 years, always was upbeat and positive. During a 3-25 season in 2007, Roderigues created the motto: "Worst to First" to help the team know that better days were ahead. A few days before his death, several players visiting Roderigues in the hospital and presented him with a collage of photos, and two sets of standings: one from 2007 and one from that moment with Stanford on top, illustrating that Stanford had indeed gone "Worst to First," fulfilling his inspirational wish. The team now wears a simple "AL" on the sleeves of its game uniforms and continues to play "with him," not "for him."
Stanford Storyline: Crowd Favorites
The Cardinal has a boisterous and outrageous student section with many appearing in costume. Regulars arrive dressed as figures such as Pac Man, Fat Bastard, Speedy Gonzales, Oscar the Grouch, Jack-In-The-Box, Ernie from Sesame Street, Star Wars rebel fighter pilots, flashers, hospital patients, chefs, cows, bowling pins, pirates, football players, prisoners, leprauchans, and even a clone of coach John Kosty himself. Most of the costumed fans are from the Kappa Alpha fraternity house, but other students have joined in as well, creating an environment unique in collegiate sports.
Stanford Storyline: Gus Ellis
Stanford sophomore starting middle blocker Gus Ellis has learned to play with Type 1 diabetes. Ellis must constantly monitor his blood sugar level and give himself insuline shots if necessary. Interestingly, he is the second high profile Stanford player to play through Type 1 diabetes, following Kevin Hansen, an All-America setter for the Cardinal and a 2008 U.S. Olympic gold medalist. There is a connection as well, Hansen helped coach Ellis in club ball, and will be the guest speaker at the NCAA Tournament banquet at Stanford next week.
Twenty-one Victories
With one more victory, Stanford will hit the 21-victory plateau, which matches its highest number since the 1997 national championship team went 27-3. The 2009 team went 21-11. However, Stanford already has clinched its best winning percentage since `97, with at least a .714 figure, which would be the fourth-best in school history. The top three are: .900 (27-3 in 1997), .857 (24-4 in 1992), and .806 (25-6 in 1989).
National Leaders
Individuals
Assists per game: 4th, Kawika Shoji, 13.61 (1,266)
Digs per game: 4th, Erik Shoji, 3.46 (329)
Kills per game: 6th, Brad Lawson, 4.80 (451); 13th, Evan Romero, 4.50 (423)
Aces per game: 14th, Brad Lawson, 0.37 (35)
Hitting percentage: 19th, Brad Lawson, .380 (451-127-853)
Team
Hitting percentage: 1st, .350 (1,583-443-3,259)
Assists per game: 1st, 15.47 (1,516)
Kills per game: 2nd, 16.15 (1,583)
Win-Loss percentage: 3rd, .769 (20-6)
Digs per game: 8th, 11.35 (1,112)
Aces per game: 15th, 1.31 (128)
Around the Country
Besides the MPSF, here are where the other conferences stand:
MIVA final: Loyola-Chicago at Ohio State, Saturday, 4 p.m. PDT.
EIVA final: Saturday, 4 p.m. PDT at Penn State. Thursday's semifinals: Princeton vs. George Mason, Springfield at Penn State.
