04-24-2012, 08:19 AM
The Stanford men's volleyball team is playing in the MPSF final four at the U.SC Galen Center. They're #3 in the country and if they win the semifinal game against BYU, they will likely going to the NCAA finals even if they don't win the MPSF (only 4 teams go and at most 2 from the MPSF.)
The seniors on this team are a great group who were integral to the NCAA championship we won in 2010. Brad Lawson was MPSF player of the year that year, and continues to be a great hitter and powerful server.
But my favorite player on the team is Erik Shoji. I was never a big fan of the development of the Libero position in volleyball, but Shoji has made me a convert. As an all time defensive specialist, some of his digs ("saves") are better than any kill (spike that scores a point). In 2009, after a teammate shanked a pass, he reached out his foot to "set" the ball to a teammate for a kill (in white on the hear side, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0gZQq_tyLE). On Saturday night against Pepperdine, he got under an unblocked quick middle and gave a perfect pass on what's usually a definite point for the opponent (in the black on the far side, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGEq75SPpIw). He often considered the best to play the game, at least at the collegiate level, at his position. Oddly, he has accumulated 3 first team all-NCAA team selections (this year's team is unanounced), but this is the first year he was honored as a first team all-MPSF (I guess the MPSF coaches don't care for Libero's much.)
Anyway, the game is at 5PM at the Galen Center. Be there or be square.
The seniors on this team are a great group who were integral to the NCAA championship we won in 2010. Brad Lawson was MPSF player of the year that year, and continues to be a great hitter and powerful server.
But my favorite player on the team is Erik Shoji. I was never a big fan of the development of the Libero position in volleyball, but Shoji has made me a convert. As an all time defensive specialist, some of his digs ("saves") are better than any kill (spike that scores a point). In 2009, after a teammate shanked a pass, he reached out his foot to "set" the ball to a teammate for a kill (in white on the hear side, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0gZQq_tyLE). On Saturday night against Pepperdine, he got under an unblocked quick middle and gave a perfect pass on what's usually a definite point for the opponent (in the black on the far side, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGEq75SPpIw). He often considered the best to play the game, at least at the collegiate level, at his position. Oddly, he has accumulated 3 first team all-NCAA team selections (this year's team is unanounced), but this is the first year he was honored as a first team all-MPSF (I guess the MPSF coaches don't care for Libero's much.)
Anyway, the game is at 5PM at the Galen Center. Be there or be square.
