Oh, we’re not done yet. Off to the islands for an intriguing match involving a team on the rise, and a team who may end up #1 in the nation next week. I’ve already covered both of these teams this season (and I can’t help but notice during the anthems that Davis Holt is still wearing #24…dude must have just given up), so let’s just get to it.
The match started out very evenly. Both sides had brief 2-point leads, as both sides were hitting reasonably well. Hawaii went up three for the first time at 11-8 behind Taylor Averill‘s first service ace of the season — on a silly little jump-float. It landed harmlessly right among Eric Mochalski, James Shaw, and Brian Cook. Holt came up with a solo roof to make it 12-8, prompting Stanford’s timeout. The advantage held to the technical timeout at 15-11 (again, why?). 15-12 was a long rally, ending with an ill-fated roll shot from Brook Sedore that drew the Cardinal back within two. Steven Irvin‘s back-row kill made it 15-14. This prompted a brief stoppage in play that I assumed was Hawaii’s timeout, but it wasn’t. After an ace for Irvin, Hawaii did burn their timeout.
Stanford’s run continued out of the timeout with a really ugly point on both sides of the net, with neither side really setting their offense the way they probably would have liked. Sinisa Zarkovic made the odd choice to go for a soft shot when he had a 1-on-1 matchup with Cook at the net. Cook came up with the block to put Stanford up 17-15. Finally, a service error sided the Warriors out. At 18-16, Stanford’s Madison Hayden came in as a serving sub — and promptly shanked the ball into the net. That’s like popping up on the first pitch as a pinch-hitter. On the ensuing ball, pint-sized Joby Ramos came up with a solo block against Jake Kneller, to his obvious excitement. Cook rotated to the service line at 19-18 and let loose a beaut, getting the Warriors out of system and leading to an overpass out. Hawaii took their last timeout trailing 21-18 after a hitting error from Averill.
Bad miscommunication for the Warriors coming back from the timeout, as a ball either Matthew Cheape or JP Marks could have fielded landed right in between them without either moving a muscle. But Hawaii responded to close to within 22-20 behind Zarkovic’s serve. Hawaii’s former starting setter Max Wechsung came in as a blocking sub at 22-20, despite still battling a shoulder injury — blocking any easier than setting with a bad wing? On the rally ending 23-22, Hawaii came up with some ace defense against Shaw’s attempt at a left-handed dink, and ended with a double block by Holt and Ramos on the left side. But Stanford came up with set point at 24-22. Marks staved off the first on the left side for Hawaii, a smart setting choice for Ramos as the defense had committed to Holt in the middle. Another left-side kill, this one for the Cardinal’s Irvin, ended the proceedings in set 1.
The first ball of the second set had me saying “What the hell was that?” Ramos seemingly tried to set the middle, but no one was there. Hawaii had to return a free ball, and Stanford took advantage with an easy kill. This set also began evenly, with the two sides trading sideouts. Hawaii edged ahead at 8-6 following a briefly-disputed over-the-net call and a long hitting error. At 10-8, Ramos’ service error got stuck in between the tape on the top of the net and the antenna, something Ramos couldn’t do again if he tried. Hawaii took their largest lead of the night at 13-9 behind a nice double block and an even nicer service ace for JP Marks. That prompted Stanford’s timeout. Holt came up with another block, this one solo, to put the Warriors up five. Stanford were able to side out at 14-10, and Spencer Haly came up with a block against Zarkovic to close it to 14-11. The next ball went wide and long, making it 15-11 Warriors at the automatic timeout.
Interesting point coming out of the timeout, as Hawaii’s serving supersub Johann Timmer came in and made a beautiful serve that resulted in a Stanford overpass. It very nearly fell in on the Hawaii side anyway, but Timmer himself came flying in to keep the ball alive. Hawaii got the point. Timmer did another great serve on the next ball, but Stanford were able to side out. Their serving sub Hayden came in, and again shanked his one opportunity into the net. It’s a tough role, serving sub, but that’s still not a good night at the office. Cook got another ace between Cheape and Marks that should not have fallen in, but Averill made up for it on the next ball with a huge swing from the middle, maintaining Hawaii’s four-point edge. Despite some energetic service reception, the deficit Stanford increased to 19-14 at their last timeout.
The run continued coming out of the timeout; despite Stanford getting away with an obvious double-hit, Hawaii went ahead 20-14. Stanford responded with a 6-2 run to close to within 2 points before Hawaii finally took their own timeout. Stanford’s libero Grant Delgado came up with an awesome dig to keep the ball alive on this rally, leading to a kill for the Cardinal. Hawaii finally sided out at 23-21. After a couple more sideouts, it was set point for Hawaii at 24-22, and they converted when Stanford’s right-side block attempt landed out.
2-2 was an interesting point in the 3rd. Hawaii’s service got an overpass from the Stanford side. Sedore went up on the right side, but anticipated a double block coming for him, so he instead went to a roll shot. Stanford easily fielded it and took the kill when next they set their offense. This third set, just as the first two, began very closely and evenly. Ramos came up with a nice leaping dink (as he’d have to, being just 6-foot) to catch the Stanford defense off guard and tie the set at 6. The far taller setter on the other side, Shaw, responded in kind to put Stanford back up a point. Finally, with a lift called against Averill Stanford took set 3’s first two-point edge. Kneller’s kill on kind of a weak swing made it 9-6 Cardinal. Marks’ hitting error from the left side made it rather suddenly a 4-point deficit for the Warriors, and their first timeout of the set.
It was a string of sideouts coming back from the timeout. Stanford setter Shaw showed some great acumen and skill by saving what would have been an overpass with a one-handed set to the left side that kept the play alive. Yet another protracted string of sideouts followed to the automatic timeout at 15-11 in Stanford’s favor. On and on the stalemate continued, which obviously worked to the Cardinal’s advantage. Stanford went ahead five for the first time at 19-14, as Irvin and Cook were both pretty undeniable while in front-row rotations, and not too bad in back-row rotations either. Yet more sideouts later, Timmer came in as Hawaii’s serving sub and the block was finally able to stuff Cook for one of the first times in the match. Stanford took time at 20-17.
But it was Hawaii who came out of the timeout strong. Zarkovic and Averill came up with a big double block, again of Cook. Zarkovic was a bit demonstrative in his celebration, and incurred a verbal warning from the up referee. On the next ball, Zarkovic and Averrill came up wit yet another block. This time, Zarkovic just smiled at the up referee, which made the official laugh. Good times. Another strong serve from Timmer got it to 2o-all, expending Stanford’s last timeout.
Stanford sided out on the first rally after the timeout. After still another strong serve by Timmer, Kneller was ruled to have come up with a pancake dig that wasn’t an easy call. Certainly the crowd didn’t like it. But Hawaii came up with a point on serve, Sedore’s, to take their first lead in a really long time at 22-21. Marks’ left-side cross-court kill (which appeared wide, but it was ruled in) made it set point for the Warriors at 24-22. Averill’s block on set point went just long, making it 24-23. Hawaii burned their last timeout here, and strategizing ensued on both benches.
Stanford managed to stave off the set point at 24-23 with a block in the middle, against Averill. Hawaii sided out again to get their third opportunity at set point at 25-24. Averill’s sinkerball of a serve got the Cardinal out of system, but Irvin still managed to find the seam in a double block to make it 25-all. Ramos came up with an awesome dink play on the next ball. After a free ball, the tiny setter came up with superb misdirection to catch the defense completely by surprise. But Stanford again staved off set point, to make it 26-26. Sedore got Hawaii their next set point with a left side kill at 27-26, but again Stanford had the answer, with Haly in the middle. In the next rotation, Sedore got the kill from the right side, but Holt’s serve into the net made it 28-all. Incredibly tight set and match.
At 28-all, Zarkovic got stuffed by a double block to give Stanford their first set point. Cook, who had been in on the block, got a warning from the up referee for celebration demonstrativeness just as Zarkovic had earlier in the set. Hawaii managed to stave off their first set point on reception. Sedore came up with a service ace to make it 30-29, and the seventh set point for the Warriors. The call seemed like a bad one, but replays showed it to be correct. Stanford’s floor captain and head coach protested the call, but it really only served to delay the match. And maybe it iced Sedore — his next serve went into the net.
Zarkovic got the kill on the next ball to make it 31-30. Hawaii looked like they had the set won a couple of times on that rally, but the Cardinal wound up taking the point. Irvin got the Cardinal their second set point from the left side, going up 32-31. Sadly, this great, tense set had an anticlimactic finish, as Hawaii hit the ball into the net to give it to Stanford at 33-31.
After yet another close and even start to the set, Hawaii appeared to edge ahead first at 6-3. Stanford libero Scott Sakaida had an uncharacteristic poor pass on service reception, such that the ball seemed to fall for an ace. Sedore was called for an unusual fault, interfering with the ball through the net. He didn’t appear to do much, but he was standing at the net with his hands on it, and the call went Stanford’s way. Sedore perhaps made up for it with his service ace to put the Warriors ahead 7-4, his third ace of the match. The ensuing rally was a bit awkward, as Hawaii didn’t seem to know which of their hitters was going to take the swing, but this effectively made it so the defense on the other side didn’t know what to prepare for. Stanford called time trailing 8-4.
Sedore’s run on serve continued after the timeout, with his fourth ace of the match to go up 9-4. And then another on the next serve, a sinking ball perfectly placed on Stanford’s right side where no one could possibly have gotten it. Just a perfect serve. Hawaii nearly went up 11-4 when Stanford’s hit went long, but it was ruled off the touch. But when Zarkovic rotated back to the service line, he came up with an ace of his own — basically a roll shot of a serve — and put Stanford’s offense out of system on his next such that the ball they returned hit the antenna. At just 13-5, Stanford took their final timeout of the set. The teams split the four points leading to the automatic timeout at 15-7.
Everything went right for the Warriors in the 4th. Even when Timmer’s serve obviously went against where he was hoping to send it, it still fell in for an ace, to put Hawaii up nine at 19-10. Needless to say, it was damage done. At 21-12, Stanford rotated out most of their starters, including as a sub Joe Ctvrtlik, whose name I just wanted to include. Oddly, with the scrubs, the Cardinal closed to within five at 21-16, prompting Hawaii’s first timeout of the set. But the Warriors finished it off at 25-20.
Hawaii won the toss and, of course, elected service reception. The two sides traded out-blocks to start the set. Sedore came up with back-to-back hitting errors to put the Cardinal up 3-1. The Cardinal went up 5-2 when a touch was called on Hawaii on what appeared to be a long hit. At 5-3, Shaw attempted a dump shot, but it went well wide — which is hard to do even if you’re trying to. The Hawaii defense broke down on the rally ending 7-4. A set appeared to be going to no one. The Warriors kept the ball alive, but it wound up an easy kill for Stanford when they got the free ball back. Hawaii took their first timeout here.
Stanford took the first point after the timeout to go up 8-4. Kneller ran under the net to head back to the service line on the other side before the official had to chide him to go around the court rather than through. On the ensuing rally, Hawaii’s block attempt went long to put the Cardinal up 9-4. Hawaii coach Charlie Wade protested that the Cardinal should have been whistled for a really esoteric fault called screening (you can see it explained in depth here), where the serving team illegally places a formation in front of the server such that the receiving team cannot see the ball nor the server. It wasn’t called. But after a couple of long, great rallies, Hawaii closed to within three at 9-6.
Eric Mochalski, who had come out of the match after a rough hitting night early, was brought in as a serving sub at 10-6. He shanked his one opportunity into the net. Hawaii then went to Timmer, but his one serve was cleanly received, leading to a kill for the Cardinal. Stanford ran out to a 13-8 advantage, and Hawaii took their final timeout of the match. Back from the timeout, Irvin got Stanford match point at 14-8 following a service ace. Hawaii’s players were starting to look a little tired, and you can hardly blame them, as they got very little rest in this 3-hour-plus match. Stanford put the match away with a right-side joust.
#3 Stanford d. Hawaii (25-23, 22-25, 33-31, 20-25, 15-9)
Oh man. I’m exhausted just having watched that marathon of a match. Steven Irvin led all scorers with 27 kills, hitting over .500. Taylor Averill had a very good match too with 17 kills and hitting over .400.
Back at it tomorrow, though, and you know I’ll be there for it!
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