Cougars Travel for MPSF Semifinals

Match outlook
#4 (3-seed) Cougars: 24-6
#5 (2-seed) Cardinal: 21-6

PROVO - The No. 4 BYU men's volleyball team will play this week against No. 5 Stanford in the MPSF Semifinals on Thursday, April 26, at 5 p.m. PT at USC's Galen Center. The match will be shown live on BYUtv and online for free at byutvsports.com/gameday.

USC, as the highest remaining seed in the tournament, is hosting the rest of the playoffs.

If BYU advances to the MPSF Championship game on Saturday, April 28, BYUtv will stay in California and broadcast that match as well. The winner of BYU vs. Stanford will play the winner of USC vs. UC Irvine in the championship match at 7:30 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the MPSF tournament semis and final are available at GetTrojanTix.com or on game day at the Galen Center box office.

BYU is riding a 24-6 overall record after winning last weekend’s quarterfinal match over Long Beach State. Taylor Sander leads the Cougar offense on 408 kills with four other players recording 100+ kills and six more recording double-digit kills. Robb Stowell, Josue Rivera, Russ Lavaja and Futi Tavana have totaled 378, 252, 179 and 161 kills, respectively. Lavaja leads the team with 161 blocks and is third all-time in BYU history for total blocks. Tavana’s season total 139 blocks is second most on the team.

Tavana is now the all-time blocks leader & block assist leader in BYU’s rally scoring era and is just one away from becoming the solo blocks leader. Joe Kauliakamoa leads the squad with 1,122 assists.

The Cougars are averaging 3.24 blocks per set to lead the nation.

Tavana and Sander were named to the All-MPSF First Team last week. Stowell, Kauliakamoa, and Lavaja were named to the All-MPSF Second Team with redshirt freshman Rivera named to the All-MPSF Freshman Team. 

Stanford’s offense is led by senior All-MPSF first teamer Brad Lawson on 411 kills and a .335 attacking percentage. Three players join Lawson with 100+ kills and five more join him with double-digit kills. The Cardinal is recording a .343 team hitting percentage and a 14.0 kills/set advantage compared to BYU’s 13.3. The team is averaging 2.4 blocks per set.

Eric Mochalski leads the team on 94 total blocks while teammate Erik Shoji leads the team with 2.66 digs per set and a .981 receiving percentage. Shoji was also named to the All-MSPF First Team this year.

The Cougars lead the overall record against the Cardinal, 25-15, after losing to them twice earlier this season.

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