The men’s volleyball team earned their first sweep over Stanford in program history in games played on March 3 and 4 at home; Stanford was a ranked opponent. 

Stanford was a huge win for the Eagles as they fought long and hard. Senior outside hitter Erik Boisvert started playing volleyball in the eighth grade and said, “My favorite mentors in life are my friends and teammates around me.” When he was asked if he had any game rituals he said, “I have been getting ice cream before games, oddly enough we have been winning since!” Boisvert is grateful for seniors Logan Glave, Jonathan Carlson, and Owen Chun and said, “They have been here for a long time and really came through for us in the Stanford game.” 

Before games, junior setter McLain Mott “finds a quiet place to pray before every game” which helps relax him and focus on what needs to be done on the court while also bettering himself as a teammate. Mott said, “Our team stayed together during ups and downs through the match. That’s really all you can ask for. It is a game of momentum, and we had it more than they did. At the end of the day, that’s all that you need.” Mott is “blessed to have a teammate like Makai Lipson.” He said, “Makai Lipson and I share the same position and the feedback that goes back and forth between us has made a huge difference in some matches. The Stanford ones included.”

Junior setter Christian Oviedo said, “A pregame ritual for me used to be listening to Beethoven to help me calm myself down as well as texting my parents I love them before every game. As the years have gone, I’ve stopped listening to music before games and just enjoy the atmosphere of the gym and the energy that is created when we step out on the court. I still text my parents though before every game.” 

Oviedo plans to use this win as momentum going forward and said, “Beating Stanford in back-to-back nights was a large shift for us. As a program since I’ve been here, we have yet to beat Stanford at home or away. Going forward it gives us the confidence we need to know we can compete in our conference.” He added, “Coach Salmon has been doing outstanding work getting us prepared and instilling in us the belief that we, as a team, can accomplish anything and we hold our own destiny in our hands.”

When asked if there was anything in particular the team carried that helped the team win, Oviedo responded, “I think the team carried a confident swagger and trust. The guys knew their jobs and knew what needed to be done. Everyone trusted the brother beside them. It’s important that the team work as one unit and that’s what happened against Stanford. Everyone was ready when it was their time to make a play whether that was passing, setting, hitting, or serving.”

Head coach Riley Salmon said, “What stood out to me most in the matches was that our guys in our bench area had the best energy in the entire gym! Inspiring all our players on the court to play hard for their teammates. The positive attributes that we carried were that we never stopped believing in each other.” Salmon added, “We knew we were the better team and we just needed to make a few good plays in a row.” 

The Eagles will continue to work hard and accomplish more sweeps throughout their season. They play Grand Canyon University on March 25 at 7 p.m. The game will be held in the CU Arena. Don’t miss it! 

Tags: Men's Athletics, volleyball

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