The Stanford men’s volleyball team (5-5, 3-3 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) will face two tough teams buoyed by even tougher crowds this week, as the Cardinal hits the road for games at Southern California (1-8, 0-5) tonight and No. 2 Pepperdine (6-1, 2-1) on Saturday.
While the Trojans are coming off a 3-0 loss to Cal Baptist and the Waves recently had their 18-game winning streak snapped, the Cardinal isn’t paying too much attention to its opponents’ records. Despite the fact that USC is winless in conference play, Stanford head coach Don Shaw and his players agreed that Stanford can’t approach tonight’s game as a guaranteed win.
“We’re beginning to learn that every single team is difficult,” said junior outside hitter David Vogel. “We have to bring our ‘A’ game.”
By “A” game, Vogel means the way the Cardinal played last Friday against UC-Santa Barbara in a thrilling five-game victory, not the way they played last Saturday, when Stanford lost in three games to Cal State-Northridge. The startling difference in those matches last weekend is a point of focus for Stanford this week.
“We need to be emotionally consistent for two nights in a row,” said junior setter Kevin Hansen. “We need to put two nights together.”
Tonight’s match will be in a venue that Shaw says is always a challenge.
“We play in their old North Gym,” said Shaw. “And for anyone who’s never been there, you won’t believe they play intercollegiate matches there.”
The one-day interval between their two matches this weekend might help Stanford avoid the consistency problem that has plagued them when playing back-to-back nights thus far, but the Waves.
“It’s really difficult to play down there,” Shaw said. “We’ve struggled there in the past.”
In addition to overcoming the hostile road environment, Stanford has to contend with the Waves’ leading outside hitters, Fred Winters and Sean Rooney. Winters, a senior, has recorded 79 kills so far this season and will be featured on an upcoming episode of CBS / Fox Sports Net’s “NCAA on Campus” as one of several exceptional Pepperdine athletes interviewed in short segments. Vogel said Winters would be a player to watch this Saturday, while Hansen cited Rooney, a junior with 85 kills for the season, as a probable offensive threat.
“He’s one of the best players in the nation,” Hansen said. Both Winters and Rooney were selected in 2003 as All-Americans.
Winters and Rooney are a large part of why Pepperdine is ranked No. 2 in the nation. Prior to a 3-1 loss at UCLA, the Waves were riding an 18-game win streak, including six this spring season by 3-0 margins.
But last Saturday, Pepperdine lost 3-1 to UCLA in a match Shaw thinks might encourage them to come back harder at the Cardinal.
“The good news is they’re beatable,” Shaw said. “The bad news is they’re coming off a loss. They’re probably not real happy about that.”
http://daily.stanford.edu
While the Trojans are coming off a 3-0 loss to Cal Baptist and the Waves recently had their 18-game winning streak snapped, the Cardinal isn’t paying too much attention to its opponents’ records. Despite the fact that USC is winless in conference play, Stanford head coach Don Shaw and his players agreed that Stanford can’t approach tonight’s game as a guaranteed win.
“We’re beginning to learn that every single team is difficult,” said junior outside hitter David Vogel. “We have to bring our ‘A’ game.”
By “A” game, Vogel means the way the Cardinal played last Friday against UC-Santa Barbara in a thrilling five-game victory, not the way they played last Saturday, when Stanford lost in three games to Cal State-Northridge. The startling difference in those matches last weekend is a point of focus for Stanford this week.
“We need to be emotionally consistent for two nights in a row,” said junior setter Kevin Hansen. “We need to put two nights together.”
Tonight’s match will be in a venue that Shaw says is always a challenge.
“We play in their old North Gym,” said Shaw. “And for anyone who’s never been there, you won’t believe they play intercollegiate matches there.”
The one-day interval between their two matches this weekend might help Stanford avoid the consistency problem that has plagued them when playing back-to-back nights thus far, but the Waves.
“It’s really difficult to play down there,” Shaw said. “We’ve struggled there in the past.”
In addition to overcoming the hostile road environment, Stanford has to contend with the Waves’ leading outside hitters, Fred Winters and Sean Rooney. Winters, a senior, has recorded 79 kills so far this season and will be featured on an upcoming episode of CBS / Fox Sports Net’s “NCAA on Campus” as one of several exceptional Pepperdine athletes interviewed in short segments. Vogel said Winters would be a player to watch this Saturday, while Hansen cited Rooney, a junior with 85 kills for the season, as a probable offensive threat.
“He’s one of the best players in the nation,” Hansen said. Both Winters and Rooney were selected in 2003 as All-Americans.
Winters and Rooney are a large part of why Pepperdine is ranked No. 2 in the nation. Prior to a 3-1 loss at UCLA, the Waves were riding an 18-game win streak, including six this spring season by 3-0 margins.
But last Saturday, Pepperdine lost 3-1 to UCLA in a match Shaw thinks might encourage them to come back harder at the Cardinal.
“The good news is they’re beatable,” Shaw said. “The bad news is they’re coming off a loss. They’re probably not real happy about that.”
http://daily.stanford.edu
