Box Score

STANFORD, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team got off to a strong start but faded in a four-set loss to No. 3 Stanford, Tuesday, in the first of two Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match at Branham Pavilion. Set scores were 22-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-23.
 
In the midst of a four-match road trip, the 14^th-ranked Warriors (6-12, 3-10 MPSF) have now dropped seven consecutive matches, which is tied for the longest in school history with the 1991 and 2007 squads. The seven losses have come against the top four teams in the country. UH has also lost six straight to the Cardinal in Stanford, Calif.
 
Senior outside hitter Steven Hunt led Hawai'i with 14 kills while freshman opposite Taylor Averill added 12 kills on .400 hitting and two service aces. As a team, UH hit .327.
 
The Cardinal were led by Steven Irvin's match-high 19 kills on .483 hitting and three aces. Brad Lawson had 11 kills while Brian Cook added 10. Stanford collectively hit .368 and amassed seven aces.
 
The Warriors hit .370 in the opening set en route to a 25-22 victory. Averill's first ace ended the set and propelled UH to battle evenly with the Cardinal through the midway point of the second set. But the turning point in the match was at 13-all when Stanford strung together five straight points, capped by one of Irvin's three aces for an 18-13 lead.
 
A 6-2 run midway through Set 3, gave the Cardinal a commanding 14-9 cushion and the Warriors would not get closer than four points the rest of the way. UH took an 18-17 lead in Set 4 before the Cardinal rallied for a 20-18 lead after successive kills by Lawson. The teams traded side-outs until Irvin's 19^th kill ended it.
 
The teams play again Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. PT.