Stanford Wins National Championship on Home Courtq
May 10, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP:
STANFORD completed the "Worst to First" journey by winning its second national championship in program history, and first since 1997, with a 3-0 sweep over EIVA Champion Penn State (30-25, 30-20, 30-18) before a record men's volleyball crowd in Maples Pavilion (6,635). The "Worst to First" mission in Palo Alto was set forth by the late assistant coach Al Roderigues, whose freshmen class of 2007 experienced a 3-25 season. That class improved to 17-11 in 2008, 21-11 in 2009, and topped off their days on the farm with a 24-6 season and the most coveted prize in all of college athletics, the national championship. Sophomore Brad Lawson and senior Kawika Shoji were named co-Most Outstanding Players of the NCAA Tournament, with the former turning in perhaps the most dominating offensive performance in NCAA Tournament history at .821 (24-1-28) and serving four aces. Shoji led an electric.495 (56-9-95) overall team attack, along with 47 assists and 10 digs. Junior Spencer McLachlin added 12 kills (.391) and senior Evan Romero had 11. Senior Garrett Werner tallied a match-high six blocks.
NCAA SEMIFINAL # 2:
STANFORD advanced to its fourth national championship match with a 3-0 sweep (30-25, 30-26, 30-17) over MIVA Conference Champion and No. 4 seed Ohio State. Evan Romero hit .500 (15-2-26) with two aces and Gus Ellis hit a match-high .600 on 10 errorless swings (6-0-10), while adding a match-high eight blocks. MPSF Player of the Year Brad Lawson tallied 14 kills (.323), seven digs, three aces, and two blocks. National Player of the Year Kawika Shoji dished 44 assists in guiding a .375 team hitting attack and first-team All-American Erik Shoji picked up a match-high 12 digs.
NCAA SEMIFINAL # 1:
PENN STATE won 3-0 (30-21, 30-23, 30-28) over NCAA at-large selection and MPSF runner-up CS Northridge in the first national semifinal last Thursday in Palo Alto, CA. The No. 3 seed Lions advanced to their third title match in the last five years behind 18 kills apiece from Will Price (.353) and Joe Sunder (.333). Max Lipsitz hit .533 (9-1-15) along with a match-high nine blocks. Setter Edgardo Goas collected 49 assists in leading a .355 team attack .... Matador First-team All-MPSF selection Jacek Ratajczak recorded team-highs of 15 kills (.357) and eight blocks. Mike Gaudino picked up a team-high 10 digs.
2010 NCAA ALL-TOURNAMENT SELECTIONS
Kawika Shoji (Most Outstanding Player), Stanford
Brad Lawson (Most Outstanding Player), Stanford
Evan Romero, Stanford
Erik Shoji, Stanford
Max Lipsitz, Penn State
Will Price, Penn State
Joe Sunder, Penn State