No. 14 Stanford is set to host No. 17 UC Santa Barbara for two matches at Maples Pavilion, with both games scheduled for Thursday and Friday at 6 p.m., broadcast on B1G+. Stanford currently holds a record of 0-3, while UC Santa Barbara comes in undefeated at 4-0.
In its previous outings at the First Point Collegiate Challenge, Stanford lost in five sets to then-No. 6 Loyola Chicago and in four sets to then-No. 16 Ball State. The team achieved a .339 hitting percentage across those matches. Opposite Moses Wagner led with an average of 3.89 kills per set, and outside hitter Alex Rottman contributed an average of 3 kills per set on .436 hitting along with a team-high of 1.67 digs per set.
Stanford was projected to finish fourth in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) according to the league’s coaches poll. UCLA was picked as the favorite for the regular season title, receiving four first-place votes.
Statistically, Stanford leads the MPSF with an average of 8.33 digs per set and ranks second in assists (12.33) and kills (13.25) per set so far this season. The Cardinal is fifth in hitting percentage (.310), eighth in aces (0.75), and ninth in blocks (0.92).
Individually within the MPSF rankings: Alex Rottman stands tenth in hitting percentage (.433); Moses Wagner is third in kills per set (3.92) and fourth in points per set (4.33); Theo Snoey is eighth in kills per set (3.18) and tenth in digs per set (1.55); Luke Gant is second in assists per set (10.80).
Reviewing last season, head coach John Kosty guided Stanford to a 13-15 overall record and a seventh-place finish with a 4-8 mark in conference play during his nineteenth year leading the program. The Cardinal reached the semifinals of the MPSF Tournament for a fourth consecutive time—a first for the program—and finished ranked No. 13 nationally by AVCA.
Four high school recruits have signed letters of intent to join Stanford’s men’s volleyball team starting fall of 2026: Peter Debiec from North Carolina; Declan Flanagan from California; Aleksey Mikhailenko from Wisconsin; and Lincoln Myers also from Wisconsin.
Junior Theo Snoey earned his first All-America honors as an honorable mention by AVCA last year after leading Stanford with 405 kills, 33 aces, and totaling 461 points during the season.
Both Alex Rottman—who redshirted last year—and Theo Snoey were named to the United States U23 National Team training roster ahead of competition at NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup held July-August in Guatemala City.
Former player Matt Fuerbringer was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame last October, becoming only the fifth men’s volleyball athlete honored this way by Stanford Athletics history since being part of their NCAA championship-winning squad as well as serving as assistant coach for USA Volleyball’s men’s national team.
Stanford head coach John Kosty completed his nineteenth season leading men’s volleyball last year—the thirty-fifth on staff overall—with a career record now standing at 273 wins against 241 losses since taking over as head coach.
