PROVO -- After starting the night unveiling its 2001 NCAA National Championship banner in a pre-match ceremony, the BYU men's volleyball team lost to Stanford on Friday, 27-30, 29-31, 30-26, 19-30 in front of 5,334 fans in the Smith Fieldhouse. The loss marked the first season-opening defeat for the Cougars since the 1994 season, ending a streak of eight-straight season-opening victories.

"It's disappointing to have 5,000 fans in the gym and play the way we did," BYU head coach Carl McGown said. "We practiced poorly all week. I don't know if we thought because we are the defending NCAA champions, everything would work itself out, or if we were just overlooking Stanford. I'm not sure. We weren't focused and we played poorly tonight. We didn't do anything very well. We didn't serve well, we didn't hit quick--I don't think there's anything to write home about tonight."

The Cardinal hit .365 on the night, led by Curt Toppel who produced 22 kills with only four errors to hit .462. Stanford hit a blistering .565 in the final game of the match, recording 14 kills with just one error. Stanford outplayed BYU at the net, posting 11.0 team blocks to the Cougars' 9.0. Kyle Strache recorded a team-high seven block assists, including back-to-back blocks with teammate Billy Strickland to grab the momentum in the final game of the match.

After Stanford looked like it would cruise to a 3-0 win, Cal Baptist transfer Rafael Paal recorded back-to-back aces in game three to give BYU a 26-23 lead, but the Cardinal stayed within two points throughout the remainder of the game until All-American Mike Wall picked up one of his 22 kills on the night. With a 29-26 advantage, middle blocker Chris Gorny produced the Cougars' biggest block of the night to record the victory and avoid the team's first 3-0 shutout since the 2000 season. The streak remains intact at 28 straight matches without being defeated in three straight games.

Wall led BYU a .310 hitting percentage, complete with a team-high 22 kills on 42 swings. Joaquin Acosta added 19 kills and Jaime Mayol chipped in 15. In his first career start at setter, Jeremiah Larsen had a match-high 64 assists, while Paal turned in four aces., four digs and four blocks.

The same two teams will meet again on Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m. (MST) in the Smith Fieldhouse. Saturday's match will mark just the second of eight straight home contests for the Cougars.

"We're going to have to look at some film and talk about the way we played tonight," McGown said. "We're going to have to play with more heart tomorrow night. That's the only hope is that we bring some competitive fervor and some heart."

Stanford vs Brigham Young (Jan 11, 2002 at Provo, Utah)
   Stanford             |     ATTACK      |SET| SERVE |SRV|DEF|  BLOCK |GEN
   Name                 GP|  K   E  TA   PCT|  A| SA  SE| RE|DIG|BS BA BE|BHE
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1  BOCAGE, Paul........  4|  6   3  13  .231|  0|  1   5|  0|  2| 0  4  1|  0
  8  STRACHE, Kyle.......  4|  5   1  12  .333|  0|  0   1|  0|  0| 0  7  0|  0
  9  RING, Seth..........  4|  0   0   0  .000|  1|  0   0|  2|  8| 0  0  0|  0
  10 STRICKLAND, Billy...  4| 11   3  20  .400|  1|  1   0|  5| 10| 0  5  0|  0
  15 TOPPEL, Curt........  4| 22   4  39  .462|  1|  2   1|  0|  1| 0  2  1|  0
  17 HANSEN, Kevin.......  4|  3   2   9  .111| 52|  3   2|  0|  5| 0  1  0|  0
  2  VOGEL, David........  1|  0   0   0  .000|  0|  0   0|  0|  0| 0  0  0|  0
  4  CURTIS, William.....  1|  0   0   0  .000|  0|  0   0|  0|  0| 0  0  0|  0
  18 BOMHACK, Patrick....  4|  1   0   2  .500|  1|  0   0|  0|  0| 0  1  0|  0
  21 SKACEL, Marcus......  4| 15   4  31  .355|  0|  0   4|  0|  9| 0  2  1|  0
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Totals..............  4| 63  17 126  .365| 56|  7  13|  7| 35| 0 22  3|  0
  TEAM ATTACK PER GAME                               TOTAL TEAM BLOCKS: 11.0
  Game  K  E  TA   Pct
    1  18  2  33  .485   GAME SCORES           1  2  3  4  TEAM RECORDS
    2  17  8  38  .237   #4 Stanford......... 30 31 26 30  2 - 0 ; 1 - 0 MPSF
    3  14  6  32  .250   #5 Brigham Young.... 27 29 30 19  0 - 1 ; 0 - 1 MPSF
    4  14  1  23  .565
   Brigham Young       |     ATTACK      |SET| SERVE |SRV|DEF|  BLOCK |GEN
   Name                 GP|  K   E  TA   PCT|  A| SA  SE| RE|DIG|BS BA BE|BHE
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2  WALL, Mike..........  4| 22   9  42  .310|  0|  2   0|  2|  6| 0  3  0|  0
  4  ACOSTA, Joaquin.....  4| 19   9  39  .256|  1|  0   2|  0|  4| 0  3  0|  0
  6  GORNY, Chris........  4|  7   3  16  .250|  0|  0   3|  0|  2| 0  3  3|  0
  7  MAYOL, Jaime........  4| 15   8  29  .241|  0|  0   1|  0|  6| 0  2  0|  0
  9  PAAL, Rafael........  4|  2   2  10  .000|  1|  4   4|  1|  4| 0  4  0|  1
  10 LARSEN, Jeremiah....  4|  0   0   2  .000| 64|  1   3|  1|  4| 1  1  0|  1
  1  WILTON, Mike........  1|  0   0   0  .000|  0|  0   0|  0|  0| 0  0  0|  0
  12 ALLEMAN, Jonathan...  4|  2   0   3  .667|  0|  0   0|  0|  4| 0  0  0|  0
  17 PESSOA, Fernando....  4|  0   0   0  .000|  0|  0   0|  3|  6| 0  0  0|  0
  18 SLABE, Luka.........  3|  1   0   3  .333|  0|  0   1|  0|  2| 0  0  0|  0
     Cougar errs 2001....   |                 |   |       |  0|   |        |
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Totals..............  4| 68  31 144  .257| 66|  7  14|  7| 38| 1 16  3|  2
  TEAM ATTACK PER GAME                               TOTAL TEAM BLOCKS: 9.0
  Game  K  E  TA   Pct
    1  18  6  34  .353   Site: Provo, Utah (Smith Fieldhouse)
    2  18  8  36  .278   Date: Jan 11, 2002   Attend: 5334   Time: 2:05
    3  18  9  41  .220   Referees: Les Calles, Tom Given
    4  14  8  33  .182
                                 Play-by-Play Summary (1st game)
                                     The Automated ScoreBook
                  Stanford vs Brigham Young (Jan 11, 2002 at Provo, Utah)
          For STANFORD: BOCAGE, Paul; HANSEN, Kevin; RING, Seth; 
TOPPEL, Curt; STRACHE, Kyle;
               STRICKLAND, Billy.
          For STANFORD: SKACEL, Marcus.
          For BYU: WALL, Mike; MAYOL, Jaime; LARSEN, Jeremiah; ACOSTA, 
Joaquin; GORNY, Chris;
               PAAL, Rafael.
          For BYU: PESSOA, Fernando.
    0-1   (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by GORNY, Chris.
    1-1       (WALL, Mike) Kill by STRICKLAND, Billy (from HANSEN, Kevin).
    1-2   (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by GORNY, Chris (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    2-2       (MAYOL, Jaime) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus (from HANSEN, Kevin).
    3-2   (STRACHE, Kyle) Attack error by WALL, Mike.
    4-2   (STRACHE, Kyle) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt.
    4-3   (STRACHE, Kyle) Service error.
    4-4       (GORNY, Chris) Kill by PAAL, Rafael.
    5-4       (GORNY, Chris) Service error.
    6-4   (TOPPEL, Curt) Service ace (PESSOA, Fernando).
    7-4   (TOPPEL, Curt) Attack error by ACOSTA, Joaquin (block by 
HANSEN, Kevin; BOCAGE,
               Paul).
    7-5   (TOPPEL, Curt) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    8-5       (LARSEN, Jeremiah) Kill by BOCAGE, Paul (from HANSEN, Kevin).
    8-6   (SKACEL, Marcus) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    9-6       (ACOSTA, Joaquin) Service error.
   10-6   (BOCAGE, Paul) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   10-7   (BOCAGE, Paul) Service error.
   11-7       (PAAL, Rafael) Kill by STRICKLAND, Billy (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   11-8   (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   12-8       (WALL, Mike) Attack error by WALL, Mike.
   13-8   (STRICKLAND, Billy) Attack error by WALL, Mike.
          Timeout #5 Brigham Young.
   14-8   (STRICKLAND, Billy) Attack error by PAAL, Rafael.
   14-9   (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   15-9       (MAYOL, Jaime) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, 
Kevin), block error by GORNY,
               Chris.
   15-10  (STRACHE, Kyle) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   16-10      (GORNY, Chris) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   16-11  (TOPPEL, Curt) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   16-12      (LARSEN, Jeremiah) Service ace (RING, Seth).
   17-12      (LARSEN, Jeremiah) Kill by BOCAGE, Paul (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   17-13  (SKACEL, Marcus) Service error.
   18-13      (ACOSTA, Joaquin) BHE by PAAL, Rafael.
   18-14  (BOCAGE, Paul) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   19-14      (PAAL, Rafael) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   19-15  (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   20-15      (WALL, Mike) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   20-16  (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   21-16      (MAYOL, Jaime) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   21-17  (STRACHE, Kyle) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   22-17      (GORNY, Chris) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   22-18  (TOPPEL, Curt) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   23-18      (LARSEN, Jeremiah) Attack error by WALL, Mike (block by 
SKACEL, Marcus; BOCAGE,
               Paul).
   23-19  (SKACEL, Marcus) Service error.
   23-20      (ACOSTA, Joaquin) Attack error by BOCAGE, Paul (block by 
PAAL, Rafael; MAYOL,
               Jaime; WALL, Mike).
   24-20      (ACOSTA, Joaquin) Kill by BOCAGE, Paul (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   24-21  (BOCAGE, Paul) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   24-22      (PAAL, Rafael) Service ace (RING, Seth).
   25-22      (PAAL, Rafael) Service error.
   25-23  (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   26-23      (WALL, Mike) BHE by LARSEN, Jeremiah.
   26-24  (STRICKLAND, Billy) Attack error by STRICKLAND, Billy.
   27-24      (MAYOL, Jaime) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   27-25  (STRACHE, Kyle) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
              For BYU: SLABE, Luka.
   28-25      (SLABE, Luka) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
          For STANFORD: BOMHACK, Patrick.
   29-25  (TOPPEL, Curt) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus.
   29-26  (TOPPEL, Curt) Service error.
              For BYU: ALLEMAN, Jonathan.
   29-27      (ALLEMAN, Jonathan) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from PAAL, Rafael).
              Timeout #4 Stanford.
   30-27      (ALLEMAN, Jonathan) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
                                 Play-by-Play Summary (2nd game)
          For STANFORD: STRACHE, Kyle; HANSEN, Kevin; STRICKLAND, 
Billy; SKACEL, Marcus;
               TOPPEL, Curt; RING, Seth.
          For BYU: GORNY, Chris; MAYOL, Jaime; LARSEN, Jeremiah; 
ACOSTA, Joaquin; PAAL,
               Rafael; WALL, Mike.
          For BYU: PESSOA, Fernando.
    1-0       (WALL, Mike) Kill by STRACHE, Kyle (from HANSEN, Kevin), 
block error by GORNY,
               Chris.
    2-0   (HANSEN, Kevin) Attack error by MAYOL, Jaime.
    2-1   (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by GORNY, Chris (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    2-2       (MAYOL, Jaime) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    2-3       (MAYOL, Jaime) Attack error by STRACHE, Kyle (block by 
GORNY, Chris; LARSEN,
               Jeremiah).
    3-3       (MAYOL, Jaime) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
    3-4   (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    4-4       (GORNY, Chris) Attack error by WALL, Mike (block by 
SKACEL, Marcus; STRACHE,
               Kyle).
    4-5   (STRACHE, Kyle) Attack error by SKACEL, Marcus (block by 
LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    5-5       (LARSEN, Jeremiah) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
    5-6   (TOPPEL, Curt) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    6-6       (ACOSTA, Joaquin) Service error.
    6-7   (SKACEL, Marcus) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    6-8       (PAAL, Rafael) Service ace (STRICKLAND, Billy).
    6-9       (PAAL, Rafael) Attack error by STRICKLAND, Billy (block 
by GORNY, Chris; WALL,
               Mike).
              For STANFORD: BOCAGE, Paul.
    7-9       (PAAL, Rafael) Service error.
    8-9   (BOCAGE, Paul) Attack error by WALL, Mike.
    8-10  (BOCAGE, Paul) Service error.
    8-11      (WALL, Mike) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    9-11      (WALL, Mike) Attack error by GORNY, Chris.
   10-11  (HANSEN, Kevin) Service ace (PAAL, Rafael).
   11-11  (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by HANSEN, Kevin (from TOPPEL, Curt).
   12-11  (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by STRICKLAND, Billy.
   12-12  (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   13-12      (MAYOL, Jaime) Kill by STRICKLAND, Billy (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   13-13  (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by GORNY, Chris (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   14-13      (GORNY, Chris) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   15-13  (STRACHE, Kyle) Attack error by WALL, Mike.
          Timeout #5 Brigham Young.
   16-13  (STRACHE, Kyle) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   16-14  (STRACHE, Kyle) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   17-14      (LARSEN, Jeremiah) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   17-15  (TOPPEL, Curt) Attack error by SKACEL, Marcus (block by 
PAAL, Rafael; ACOSTA,
               Joaquin).
   18-15      (ACOSTA, Joaquin) Attack error by ACOSTA, Joaquin.
   18-16  (SKACEL, Marcus) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   18-17      (PAAL, Rafael) Attack error by TOPPEL, Curt.
   19-17      (PAAL, Rafael) Service error.
   20-17  (BOCAGE, Paul) Attack error by GORNY, Chris.
   21-17  (BOCAGE, Paul) Kill by HANSEN, Kevin.
          Timeout #5 Brigham Young.
   21-18  (BOCAGE, Paul) Service error.
   21-19      (WALL, Mike) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   22-19      (WALL, Mike) Kill by STRACHE, Kyle (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   22-20  (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
              For BYU: SLABE, Luka.
   23-20      (SLABE, Luka) Attack error by ACOSTA, Joaquin (block by 
STRACHE, Kyle;
               STRICKLAND, Billy).
   23-21  (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   24-21      (GORNY, Chris) Service error.
   24-22  (STRACHE, Kyle) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   25-22      (LARSEN, Jeremiah) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus (from HANSEN, Kevin).
          For STANFORD: BOMHACK, Patrick.
   26-22  (TOPPEL, Curt) Service ace (LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   26-23  (TOPPEL, Curt) Attack error by TOPPEL, Curt.
              For BYU: ALLEMAN, Jonathan.
   26-24      (ALLEMAN, Jonathan) Attack error by BOCAGE, Paul.
              Timeout #4 Stanford.
   27-24      (ALLEMAN, Jonathan) Kill by BOMHACK, Patrick (from RING, Seth).
   27-25  (SKACEL, Marcus) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   28-25      (PAAL, Rafael) Kill by STRICKLAND, Billy (from BOMHACK, Patrick).
   28-26  (BOCAGE, Paul) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   28-27      (WALL, Mike) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   28-28      (WALL, Mike) Attack error by SKACEL, Marcus.
              Timeout #4 Stanford.
   29-28      (WALL, Mike) Kill by HANSEN, Kevin (from STRICKLAND, Billy).
   29-29  (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   30-29      (MAYOL, Jaime) Kill by STRICKLAND, Billy (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   31-29  (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus.
                                 Play-by-Play Summary (3rd game)
          For BYU: WALL, Mike; PAAL, Rafael; LARSEN, Jeremiah; MAYOL, 
Jaime; ACOSTA, Joaquin;
               GORNY, Chris.
          For BYU: PESSOA, Fernando.
          For STANFORD: STRACHE, Kyle; STRICKLAND, Billy; SKACEL, 
Marcus; HANSEN, Kevin;
               BOCAGE, Paul; TOPPEL, Curt.
          For STANFORD: RING, Seth.
    1-0   (HANSEN, Kevin) Service ace (WALL, Mike).
    1-1   (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by GORNY, Chris (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    1-2       (MAYOL, Jaime) Attack error by HANSEN, Kevin.
    2-2       (MAYOL, Jaime) Service error.
    2-3   (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    2-4       (GORNY, Chris) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    3-4       (GORNY, Chris) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus (from HANSEN, Kevin).
    3-5   (STRACHE, Kyle) Kill by PAAL, Rafael (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
              For STANFORD: BOCAGE, Paul.
    4-5       (LARSEN, Jeremiah) Kill by BOCAGE, Paul (from HANSEN, Kevin).
    4-6   (TOPPEL, Curt) Attack error by SKACEL, Marcus (block by 
ACOSTA, Joaquin; PAAL,
               Rafael; WALL, Mike).
    4-7       (ACOSTA, Joaquin) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    4-8       (ACOSTA, Joaquin) Attack error by TOPPEL, Curt (block by 
PAAL, Rafael; MAYOL,
               Jaime).
    5-8       (ACOSTA, Joaquin) Attack error by ACOSTA, Joaquin.
    6-8   (SKACEL, Marcus) Attack error by MAYOL, Jaime.
    6-9   (SKACEL, Marcus) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    7-9       (PAAL, Rafael) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
    7-10  (BOCAGE, Paul) Service error.
    7-11      (WALL, Mike) Service ace (STRICKLAND, Billy).
    7-12      (WALL, Mike) Attack error by HANSEN, Kevin.
              Timeout #4 Stanford.
    8-12      (WALL, Mike) Kill by STRICKLAND, Billy (from HANSEN, Kevin).
    9-12  (HANSEN, Kevin) Attack error by MAYOL, Jaime.
   10-12  (HANSEN, Kevin) Attack error by MAYOL, Jaime (block by 
STRACHE, Kyle; STRICKLAND,
               Billy).
   10-13  (HANSEN, Kevin) Service error.
   10-14      (MAYOL, Jaime) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from ACOSTA, Joaquin).
   11-14      (MAYOL, Jaime) Kill by STRICKLAND, Billy (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   11-15  (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by GORNY, Chris (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   12-15      (GORNY, Chris) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   12-16  (STRACHE, Kyle) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   13-16      (LARSEN, Jeremiah) Service error.
   13-17  (TOPPEL, Curt) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   14-17      (ACOSTA, Joaquin) Kill by BOCAGE, Paul (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   15-17  (SKACEL, Marcus) Attack error by PAAL, Rafael.
   15-18  (SKACEL, Marcus) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   16-18      (PAAL, Rafael) Attack error by ACOSTA, Joaquin.
   16-19  (BOCAGE, Paul) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   17-19      (WALL, Mike) Kill by STRICKLAND, Billy (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   17-20  (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   18-20      (MAYOL, Jaime) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   19-20  (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   19-21  (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   20-21      (GORNY, Chris) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   20-22  (STRACHE, Kyle) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   21-22      (LARSEN, Jeremiah) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   21-23  (TOPPEL, Curt) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   22-23      (ACOSTA, Joaquin) Attack error by ACOSTA, Joaquin.
   23-23  (SKACEL, Marcus) Attack error by MAYOL, Jaime.
   23-24  (SKACEL, Marcus) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   23-25      (PAAL, Rafael) Service ace (STRICKLAND, Billy).
   23-26      (PAAL, Rafael) Service ace (STRICKLAND, Billy).
   24-26      (PAAL, Rafael) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
          For STANFORD: BOMHACK, Patrick.
          For BYU: WILTON, Mike.
   24-27  (BOCAGE, Paul) Service error.
   24-28      (WALL, Mike) Attack error by STRICKLAND, Billy.
              For BYU: ALLEMAN, Jonathan.
   25-28      (WALL, Mike) Attack error by MAYOL, Jaime (block by 
STRACHE, Kyle; BOMHACK,
               Patrick).
   26-28  (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   26-29  (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   26-30      (MAYOL, Jaime) Attack error by TOPPEL, Curt (block by 
ACOSTA, Joaquin; GORNY,
               Chris).
                                 Play-by-Play Summary (4th game)
              For BYU: MAYOL, Jaime; ACOSTA, Joaquin; PAAL, Rafael; 
LARSEN, Jeremiah; GORNY,
               Chris; WALL, Mike.
              For BYU: PESSOA, Fernando.
              For STANFORD: STRICKLAND, Billy; RING, Seth; HANSEN, 
Kevin; BOCAGE, Paul;
               STRACHE, Kyle; TOPPEL, Curt.
              For STANFORD: SKACEL, Marcus.
    0-1       (WALL, Mike) Service ace (STRICKLAND, Billy).
    1-1       (WALL, Mike) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
    1-2   (TOPPEL, Curt) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    2-2       (MAYOL, Jaime) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus.
    2-3   (SKACEL, Marcus) Service error.
    3-3       (GORNY, Chris) Service error.
          For STANFORD: STRACHE, Kyle.
    4-3   (BOCAGE, Paul) Kill by STRICKLAND, Billy.
    4-4   (BOCAGE, Paul) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
    5-4       (LARSEN, Jeremiah) Kill by STRACHE, Kyle (from HANSEN, Kevin).
    5-5   (HANSEN, Kevin) Service error.
    6-5       (ACOSTA, Joaquin) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
    7-5   (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by STRACHE, Kyle (from HANSEN, Kevin).
    8-5   (STRICKLAND, Billy) Service ace (PESSOA, Fernando).
          Timeout #5 Brigham Young.
    9-5   (STRICKLAND, Billy) Attack error by WALL, Mike.
    9-6   (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   10-6       (PAAL, Rafael) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   10-7   (STRACHE, Kyle) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   11-7       (WALL, Mike) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus (from HANSEN, 
Kevin), block error by GORNY,
               Chris.
          For BYU: ALLEMAN, Jonathan.
   11-8   (TOPPEL, Curt) Kill by MAYOL, Jaime (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
              For BYU: SLABE, Luka.
   12-8       (SLABE, Luka) Kill by SKACEL, Marcus (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   12-9   (SKACEL, Marcus) Kill by GORNY, Chris (from LARSEN, 
Jeremiah), block error by
               BOCAGE, Paul.
   12-10      (GORNY, Chris) Attack error by BOCAGE, Paul.
   13-10      (GORNY, Chris) Kill by STRICKLAND, Billy (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   14-10  (BOCAGE, Paul) Attack error by ACOSTA, Joaquin (block by 
STRICKLAND, Billy; STRACHE,
               Kyle).
   15-10  (BOCAGE, Paul) Attack error by ACOSTA, Joaquin (block by 
STRACHE, Kyle; STRICKLAND,
               Billy).
          Timeout #5 Brigham Young.
          For STANFORD: VOGEL, David.
   15-11  (VOGEL, David) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   16-11      (LARSEN, Jeremiah) Service error.
   17-11  (HANSEN, Kevin) Attack error by ACOSTA, Joaquin (block by 
STRICKLAND, Billy;
               STRACHE, Kyle).
   17-12  (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by ALLEMAN, Jonathan (from LARSEN, 
Jeremiah), block error by
               TOPPEL, Curt.
   18-12      (ACOSTA, Joaquin) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   18-13  (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by ALLEMAN, Jonathan (from LARSEN, 
Jeremiah), block error
               by SKACEL, Marcus.
   19-13      (PAAL, Rafael) Service error.
   19-14  (STRACHE, Kyle) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   20-14      (WALL, Mike) Kill by BOCAGE, Paul (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   20-15  (TOPPEL, Curt) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   21-15      (SLABE, Luka) Service error.
          For STANFORD: BOMHACK, Patrick.
   21-16  (SKACEL, Marcus) Service error.
   22-16      (GORNY, Chris) Attack error by GORNY, Chris.
   23-16  (BOCAGE, Paul) Service ace (WALL, Mike).
   23-17  (BOCAGE, Paul) Kill by ACOSTA, Joaquin (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   24-17      (LARSEN, Jeremiah) Service error.
   25-17  (HANSEN, Kevin) Service ace (PESSOA, Fernando).
   25-18  (HANSEN, Kevin) Kill by SLABE, Luka (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   26-18      (ACOSTA, Joaquin) Kill by STRACHE, Kyle (from HANSEN, Kevin).
          For STANFORD: CURTIS, William.
   26-19  (STRICKLAND, Billy) Kill by WALL, Mike (from LARSEN, Jeremiah).
   27-19      (PAAL, Rafael) Kill by TOPPEL, Curt (from HANSEN, Kevin).
   28-19  (STRACHE, Kyle) Attack error by MAYOL, Jaime (block by 
BOCAGE, Paul; TOPPEL, Curt).
   29-19  (STRACHE, Kyle) Attack error by WALL, Mike.
   30-19  (STRACHE, Kyle) Attack error by MAYOL, Jaime (block by 
BOCAGE, Paul; TOPPEL, Curt).

PROVO -- The BYU men's volleyball team, winners of the 1999 and 2001 NCAA National Championship will kickoff the 2002 campaign on Friday and Saturday, taking on nationally-ranked Stanford in the Smith Fieldhouse. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (MST).

Friday's match will be televised locally on KBYU and nation wide on BYU-TV. Chris Tunis will call the action, while Chris McGown will lend expert analysis. General admission tickets will be available at the door only. Prices include $5 for adults, $4 for students and employees and $10 for family admission. All-Sports cards will be accepted at the door. Single-match reserved seats for both matches are $6 each and will also be available at the door. Fans interested in obtaining reserved season tickets may purchase those at the Marriott Center Ticket office until Thursday, Jan. 10 only. Prices for reserved season seats are $100 each or $25 with an All-Sports or Cougar-Club card.

Prior to Friday's match, the Cougars will be honored in a special pre-match ceremony that will feature the unveiling of the 2001 NCAA National Championship banner.

"Winning the championship in 1999 was terrific," BYU head coach Carl McGown said. "Winning it all again last year by beating UCLA was equally as great, however to see both Championship banners hanging from the rafters in the Fieldhouse will be deeply satisfying."

The defending champs will play host to MPSF foe Stanford, which finished last season 14-9 and ranked fifth in the final USA Today/AVCA Top-15 Poll. Stanford recorded 10 victories over nationally-ranked opponents last season, including a win over national runner-up UCLA. The Cardinal also spent time as the top-ranked team in the country last season.

Stanford returns three starters from last year's team, including All-Americans Curt Toppel and Marcus Skacel. As one of the top outside hitters in the MPSF a year ago, Toppel led the Cardinal with 364 kills and 22 aces. Skacel led Stanford with 149 digs and finished second on the Stanford roster with 309 kills, 41 blocks and 20 aces.

"Stanford has two of the best players in the league and one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history," McGown said. "They won the title in 1997 and are simply one of the premier teams in all of volleyball. Stanford will be a great opponent."

Stanford is under the direction of first-year coach Don Shaw, however he is no stranger to the game. Shaw established himself as one of the top coaches in collegiate volleyball history during his 16-year stint as Stanford's women's head volleyball coach. With the women's program, Shaw led the Cardinal to four NCAA Championships and eight PAC-10 titles. He posted an amazing record of 440-70 (.863) while with the women's program.

BYU leads the series with a record of 10-7, dating back to BYU's first season as an NCAA-sanctioned program in 1990. The Cougars have won four straight matches against the Cardinal including a pair of 3-0 victories last season at Maples Pavilion. BYU owns a 3-6 mark against Stanford in Provo, however the Cougars are 6-1 in Palo Alto.

The Cougars return 10 lettermen to the 2002 roster, including four returning starters. All-American Mike Wall headlines the group after leading the Cougars with 375 kills last season, averaging 4.4 kills per game. Joaquin Acosta returns for hi senior season after posting 258 kills, 20 aces and 80 digs. Jaime Mayol is back for his junior season after racking up 150 kills last season. Middle blocker Chris Gorny is expected to see increased playing time this season after competing in nine matches as a freshman. BYU will also look to newcomerRafael Paal, a transfer from Cal-Baptist, t middle blocker.

" We have two new middle blockers in the lineup and a new setter, so all we hope for is to play hard and profit from the match," McGown said. "As the season unfolds and our new players have time to develop we will become a terrific team, as we have some great returning players, especially our seniors Mike Wall and Joaquin Acosta."

McGown returns to the BYU bench for his 13th season. The two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year has posted a record of 182-124 (.595), including a record of 107-26 (.805) over the past five seasons.

Friday's match will mark the first of eight straight home matches, including contests against nationally-ranked opponents Pacific (Jan. 18-19), USC (Jan. 25-26) and Ohio State (Feb. 1-2).