Outside Hitter Andrew Stewart

“I remember every Friday and Saturday since I was about six or seven my dad would take our whole family to the BYU games and ever since then I’ve wanted to come here.”

Talk about training your children while they’re young.

Sandy senior men’s volleyball outside hitter Andrew Stewart, who stands six-feet-six, has been dreaming of coming to play volleyball for the BYU Cougars since the day he first learned to spike the ball.

“We all play for fun,” Stewart said. “My dad was really good back in the day and he’s the one that really got the Stewart boys going. When I was seven I used to go to the church with him. My first volleyball memories were at the church playing with my dad. We’d stay out until 11 playing even on school nights.”

Playing volleyball with his whole family has been something Andrew has been doing growing up so it seemed only natural for him to get to play with his older brother Bryan during his freshman year at BYU.

“It was a lot of fun to play with him,” he said. “We stayed in the same apartment together and we went to workouts together and practices. It was fun because he was the one who got me started playing real, organized volleyball when I was around 14 or 15. He took me to a club practice.”

Andrew played in 19 matches his freshman year, starting 11 of them, and set numerous career-high records throughout the season.

His sophomore year was without his brother but Andrew didn’t let that deter him from playing the best volleyball he could.

Andrew played in 108 games and started 28 of the 29 matches he played in. He finished fourth on the team with 266 kills for the season, recorded double-digit kills in 14 matches and double-digit digs in three matches.

Andrew was able to find his place on the BYU men’s volleyball team quickly and refine his playing skills to better help his team.

“Before coming to BYU I mostly concentrated on hitting,” he said. “On my club team they’d set me the ball and I was more offensively minded. Here at BYU I’ve learned the defensive aspect and have learned to appreciate the fundamentals. I’ve changed since being here. I’ve changed my whole aspect of fundamentals from Coach Patchell and Coach Neilson teaching me the basics. It’s important to understand the basics.”

Assistant coach Rob Neilson has been coaching the men’s volleyball team for four years after playing here himself. All totaled, Neilson played in 314 career games for BYU, the seventh most in BYU history.

“Coach Rob is probably the guy you go to if you have any problems or need to talk about anything,” Stewart said. “Doesn’t even have to be volleyball related. He even came to my wedding. I really respect and admire him. He always puts in the time to help us be our best.”

Head Coach Shawn Patchell is in his fourth year at head coach for BYU and eighth year overall as a member of BYU’s staff. For the 2008-09 season, in addition to his BYU coaching duties, Coach Patchell was selected to be the Junior National Team Head Coach where the team took the bronze medal and qualified for the World Championships.

“Shawn is a brilliant coach as far as scouting,” Stewart said. “He knows the weaknesses in other teams and he knows how we can win. He knows everything. I remember for five or six of my aces, Shawn was the one telling me who to serve it to exactly and it worked. I trust him. He knows our opponents.”

Andrew’s junior year culminated in one of his most exciting games of the season when they played Pepperdine on its home court.

“Ever since I was a freshman I’ve never won in Malibu,” he said. “That’s probably the hardest place to play and the fact that we beat them on their senior night was probably the most memorable.”

Following his performance against the then No. 2 Pepperdine, Andrew was named MPSF Player of the Week.

Andrew saw action in all 30 matches of his junior season, starting in 28, and 112 sets on the year. He led the team with 408 kills, averaged 3.64 kills per set, was ranked second on the team with 18 service aces and 160 digs, and recorded double-digit kills 22 different times.

Being one of the captains his junior year meant interacting and supporting all of his teammates throughout the season.

“My teammates would probably say that I’m super laid back,” he said. “On the court I don’t freak out or yell. If I make a bad play I’m not putting myself down or anyone else. I’m trying to be positive. Positive self talk is more productive. Some people handle the pressure and some don’t.”

On top of a great junior year, including being named to the second team All-MPSF, Andrew was also able to find the love of his life, the former Ashley Archibald, and marry her on May 16th in Washington, D.C.

“We met through a friend,” Stewart said. “One of my mission companions knew her so I added her on Facebook. We started talking on Facebook and I got her number and called her and hung out that next day and then every single day since. She went to Jerusalem for study abroad and when she came back I went to visit her and her family and we got engaged six months after that.”

Andrew says the adjustment from being a single student-athlete to a married student-athlete won’t be too bad and that he’s excited to have his wife wake him up for practice in the morning instead of one of his teammates.

“Now that I’m with my wife I’m going to enjoy it a lot because she motivates me so much,” Stewart said. “She’s excited for me and she’s excited for the season.”