Men’s volleyball falls to Antelopes at Maples in final points of five set game

In one of their final matchups of the season No. 11 Stanford men’s volleyball (​​11-12, 4-6 MPSF) fell to No. 13 Grand Canyon University (15-9, 4-6 MPSF) at Maples Pavilion Thursday. The game was comprised of five tense sets which left the crowd on the edge of their seats. Although Stanford struggled to recover throughout the match when GCU took the lead during a set, the Cardinal managed to pull through. The boost of momentum proved to be the key to Stanford securing the victory in set three. 

The match started with a kill by GCU that sent the away crowd roaring. Stanford quickly returned the point, but momentarily fell behind in the first few rallies. Eventually, they matched GCU and the two teams were able to stay in line with each other for a while. Both teams struggled to hold a substantial lead with eight ties towards the start of the first set. At around 10 points, the Cardinal began to fall behind and the Antelopes widened the gap. GCU’s mix of well timed kills and powerful blocks left Stanford trailing towards the middle of the set. Although they made a strong effort to tie the score, especially towards the end, the Cardinal lost the first set, 22-25.

Early in the second second set, neither team managed to lead with more than a few points. Around eight points, Stanford made some leeway, building the largest lead of the set thus far at 7-10. Although at times it wavered, the Cardinal managed to maintain their slight lead. In one particularly golden moment, Stanford junior setter Theoren Brouillette widened the gap to five points with an ace. The Antelopes fought back with some kills and an ace of their own but were unsuccessful in taking the lead back.

The second set brought some incredible attempts to save the ball, with players on both sides going well beyond the basketball court lines to save a rally— one GCU player even dove into the scoreboard to make a save. The excitement of the match was amplified as Stanford pushed to close out the set. Despite the push back from the Antelopes, the Cardinal was victorious utilizing calculated kills and a final block by junior opposite hitter Moses Wagner and freshman middle blocker Kaumana Carreira to inch towards 25 points. Stanford won the set 25 – 20.

In the third set, Stanford secured the first point of the set for the first time since the start of the match. This gave the Cardinal the confidence to take the lead and never let go. Hot off their win from the previous set, they established a steady flow making some exciting kills and decisive blocks as they built their momentum. They quickly widened the gap and GCU struggled to recover as Stanford made kill after kill. The energy in the arena was particularly electrifying when sophomore outside hitter Nate Clinton served 4 aces in a row, securing a 9 point lead of 14-5.

Stanford continued to dominate, holding a steady lead for the remainder of the set. Although their blocking was strong and they benefited from the attack errors of their opponents, it was the Cardinal’s successful attacks that proved to be most vital to their win. In that set alone, Stanford had a .444 hitting percentage compared to GCU’s .111 hitting percentage. The third set ended with a score of 25-15 (Stanford), and impressively no ties or lead changes. 

GCU started the fourth set fired up from their recent set loss. They managed to make the first three points of the set and although Stanford quickly put up some points of their own, the Antelopes’ managed to keep their lead for most of the game. Stanford trailed behind by a few points. The fight to secure the fourth set was made apparent by Stanford’s multiple successful challenges to the refs callings. As the points marched to the twenties, Stanford attempted to close the gap but eventually GCU won the match 25 – 18. 

In the fifth and final set of the game, GCU secured the first two points of the game. The Antelopes’ kills and blocks allowed them to take an early lead and build the momentum necessary to take the set. Stanford fought during every rally to chip away at GCU’s lead.

Towards the end of the set, Brouillette’s ace proved to be the key to Stanford building back momentum right when they needed it. Two subsequent kills by junior outside hitter Theo Snoey after Brouillette’s serves allowed the Cardinal to tie the game (at 13-13)  and then lead at match point (14-13). After a Stanford service error, GCU secured game point and won the match (16-14).

The Cardinal will have a chance at redemption against Grand Canyon on Friday night during the last regular season game at 6 p.m. in Maples Pavilion.

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