STANFORD, Calif. – The Stanford men's volleyball team has been chosen by the conference coaches to finish fourth in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation this season, the league announced today.
UCLA, which received six first-place votes and totaled 36 points overall, was picked to win the MPSF. BYU (28) earned the final first-place vote to come in second. Pepperdine finished just ahead of the Cardinal with 26 points
USC (16) came in fifth, while Concordia (14) and Grand Canyon (6) rounded out the poll.
Each MPSF team will play 12 conference matches this season, featuring a home and away against each opponent. The 2019 MPSF Tournament begins with seed two, three and four hosting a quarterfinal match on April 13. The conference semifinals will be played on April 18 at the No. 1 seed. Semifinal winners will meet on April 20 for the championship with an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament on the line.
Stanford returns 15 players from the 2018 roster, including AVCA All-America honorable mention selection and All-MPSF first-team performer Jaylen Jasper and All-MPSF honorable mention pick Kyler Presho. Fifth-year senior libero Kyle Dagostino also returns after redshirting last season. Head coach John Kosty is in his 13th season at the helm of the program and 29th overall on staff.
Stanford opens the season on Friday, Jan. 4 against Menlo College and will also face UC Santa Cruz on Saturday, Jan. 5. Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m. Admission to all regular season home matches is free.
MPSF Coaches' Poll
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | UCLA | 36 (6) |
| 2. | BYU | 28 (1) |
| 3. | Pepperdine | 26 |
| 4. | Stanford | 21 |
| 5. | USC | 16 |
| 6. | Concordia | 14 |
| 7. | Grand Canyon | 6 |