Canyon Ceman, 1993
Stanford’s tradition of great setters was never greater than in 1993 when junior Canyon Ceman ran the show during an 18-6 season. Ceman had 115 assists in a victory over Hawai’i, setting a school record that still stands, and had 103 in an MPSF playoff loss to Long Beach State. Ceman had 1,202 assists during the season and averaged 16.0 per game. He also showed his versatility when pressed into service as a hitter because of a teammate’s injury, and had 22 kills and 10 digs in a victory over San Diego State. The 6-foot-5 Manhattan Beach, Calif., native played with the U.S. national team in 1994-95, and then in Belgium for a season before embarking on a long career on the beach circuit.
Kawika Shoji, 2010
Kawika Shoji orchestrated Stanford’s run to the 2010 NCAA championship on Stanford’s home court, completing the task with 47 assists, 10 digs, three blocks and two kills in the championship sweep over Penn State. He also set the Cardinal to a .495 hitting percentage in the match. The Cardinal had the top hitting percentage in the country (.356) largely because of Shoji, an all-around standout who was skilled as a hitter, blocker and defensive player, as well as a passer. Numbers hardly do justice in illustrating Shoji’s talent. They could not describe his ability to read a defense, cover ground, absorb a hard attack, or turn a poor pass into a perfect set. Shoji played a season in Finland and now plays in Berlin, Germany.