Stacking Up with Stanford

Friday, January 29

Riverside, Calif.

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

Stanford

Cal Baptist

Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez

Stacking Up with Stanford

1/29/2016 9:06:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Friday continued the challenge that is a tough Mountain Pacific Sports Federation schedule for California Baptist University when sixth-ranked Stanford visited the Van Dyne Gym.

In each set, the Lancers put up impressive comebacks but could not force extra play with the Cardinal in a 25-22, 25-21, 25-21 loss. CBU drops to 3-5, 0-5 in conference and Stanford climbs to 6-1, 4-1 this season. Eighth-ranked Pepperdine visits Riverside Saturday for a 7 p.m. match.

Offenses were on display in the match, with both sides hitting over .300. The Lancers slugged .313 in the match, with 41 kills on 83 swings and just 41 errors.

Setter Zachary Melcher had 32 assists, four digs and a block for CBU. Senior outside hitter Rocky DeLyon led his team again with 11 kills on 18 attempts for a .444 percentage (11-3-18) and also logged a team-high five digs, an ace and block.

Both middle blockers continued to shine, as the duo combined to hit .500 (14-2-24). Caleb Miller had six kills and no errors on nine attacks for a .667 percentage, while Enrique de Diego Garcia hit .400 (8-2-15) with eight kills and three blocks. Miller had two blocks of his own.

From the first to final set, CBU would find itself in a big hole and then battle back to make it interesting. The Cardinal always managed to end up with the last laugh, though.

Stanford took a 21-17 lead in the opener, but a Cody Jackson kill (six kills) and Roy Powell ace brought the Lancers within two, 21-19. The Cardinal rattled off consecutive points to take a 23-19 edge, but CBU climbed all the way within a point, 23-22, after kills from Jackson, Rohit Paul and an attack error.

The visitors were forced to call timeout and came out of the break with a 2-0 run to take the set, 25-22.

CBU appeared to be down and out again in the second set, facing a 20-14 deficit. A combo block from Garcia and Jackson sparked what would be a 6-2 Lancer charge. Garcia added another block and kill in the run, while Jackson capped it off with another spike.

With its lead cut to 22-20, Stanford called timeout again and right back with a 3-1 sprint to take the set, 25-21.

It was a similar story in the finale, with the Cardinal jumping out to a 16-11 cushion before the Lancers turned it on. Consecutive kills from Garcia and Powell gave CBU some momentum and a DeLyon attack made it 17-15 Stanford. The Cardinal would force sideout only to have its serve ended on a Miller kill. Miller brought CBU back within a point after a combo block with Kevin Vaz made it 18-17.

Kills from Powell and Garcia kept the Lancers within a point, but a 4-1 charge gave Stanford match point, 24-21, and the Cardinal converted for the 25-21 victory.

Vaz, an opposite hitter/middle blocker, saw his first significant action of the season for CBU. In primarily one set of work, he ended up with two kills on five swings, a block and dig. The junior will look to build on that experience down the line.