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The program that upset multiple top-five nationally ranked teams on its home court last season will now get a chance to do the same in 2023 against the two-time defending NCAA champions.
Stanford as part of unveiling its schedule for the upcoming season announced it will play a two-match non-conference home series versus Hawai’i on Feb. 10-11.
The Cardinal and Rainbow Warriors have now scheduled matches against each other in four of the last five seasons. Hawai’i during this stretch is on a five-match winning streak against Stanford, including sweeping both matches at Stanford in 2020.
All-American opposite Dimitrios Mouchlias also had both a match-high 18 kills and five blocks as Hawai’i defeated Stanford in four games last season at the First Point Collegiate Challenge in Texas.
Mouchlias is among the four All-American starters returning for the Rainbow Warriors in their attempt to win a third consecutive NCAA championship. Hawai’i ended last season a nine-match winning streak highlighted with victories against Long Beach State in both the Big West Tournament finals and the NCAA Tournament finals.
Stanford one year removed from the university nearly eliminating its program finished the 2022 season in fifth place in the MPSF and went 11-2 at home. It also pulled off home upset victories against then-No. 1 UCLA and then-No. 5 USC during the regular season.
Stanford in the postseason upset UCLA again en route to reaching the MPSF Tournament finals.
The Cardinal return multiple starters for the upcoming season, including outside attacker Will Rottman and libero Justin Lui. Rottman ended last season fifth in the nation with a 4.37 kills per game average, while Liu spent the offseason playing for Canada in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
Along with the Hawai’i series, Stanford will play three more Big West opponents in non-conference play. Stanford will have a two-match home series against UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 13-14, a home-and-home series against CSUN and then play host to UC Irvine in March.
2023 Stanford regular season schedule
Jan. 6 vs. Saint Francis
Jan. 7 vs. Saint Francis
Jan. 13 vs. UC Santa Barbara
Jan. 14 vs. UC Santa Barbara
Jan. 20-21 at First Point Challenge
Feb. 4 at The Master’s
Feb. 10 vs. Hawai’i
Feb. 11 vs. Hawai’i
Feb. 17 vs. Pepperdine
Feb. 18 vs. Pepperdine
Feb. 24 at USC
Feb. 25 at USC
March 3 vs. CSUN
March 4 vs. UC Irvine
March 17 vs. UCLA
March 18 vs. UCLA
March 31 vs. Concordia-Irvine
April 1 vs. Concordia-Irvine
April 7 vs. Grand Canyon
April 8 vs. Grand Canyon
April 14 at BYU
April 15 at BYU