Cougars, Cardinal to Meet in MPSF Tourney

PROVO -- The fourth-ranked BYU men's volleyball team (22-6) will take on No. 6 Stanford (16-9) in the first round of the MPSF Volleyball Tournament, beginning Saturday, April 20 at 7 p.m. (MDT) in the Smith Fieldhouse. Tickets for the first-round match are $10 and $5 and can be purchased at the Marriott Center Ticket Office, or by calling (801) 378-BYU1 or (800) 322-BYU1.

THE BYU-STANFORD RIVALRY

BYU owns an 11-8 all-time record over Stanford, dating back to 1990 -- the Cougars first NCAA-sanctioned season. BYU has won five of the last six matches against the Cardinal. The two team split a pair of matches earlier this season, with Stanford winning the season-opener, 3-1, and BYU outlasting the Cardinal on the following night, 3-2. BYU owns a 5-2 record against Stanford in Provo. Prior to the loss to Stanford on Jan. 11, the Cougars had not lost to the Cardinal in Provo since Jan. 25, 1991.

COUGARS ON THE NET

BYU fans can follow the action of this weekend's match by viewing the Cougars' live webcast. Stats, and play-by-play action will be available by logging on to the world-wide web at: MPSF Tournament.

COUGARS EARN SIXTH STRAIGHT TOURNY BERTH

After sweeping fifth-ranked UC Santa Barbara on March 28, the Cougars earned their ninth invitation to the MPSF Tournament by finishing as one of the league's top-eight teams. The 2002 season marks the sixth consecutive appearance in the league's post-season tournament. BYU has posted a mark. The Cougars clinched the all-important No. 4 seed with a victory at Hawai'i on April 13.

RAISING THE BAR

Last season, the Cougars concluded their NCAA National Championship season with a 23-4 record, marking their second National Title in the previous three seasons. With a 22-6 record in 2002, BYU has posted five 20-win seasons, including three in the past four seasons. In 1999, BYU turned in a school-record 30-1 mark enroute to its first-ever NCAA National Title.

Since 1993 UCLA has registered a 160-31 league record to lead the MPSF. BYU ranks second with a mark of 135 wins and only 56 losses in league competition. Hawai'i ranks a close third with a 133-58 league mark over the past nine seasons. Dating back to the 1998 season, BYU has produced a 6-5 mark against the Bruins, including a record of 3-1 in the past four meetings. In 1999, BYU blanked UCLA, 15-0 in game two of a three-game sweep.