The Stanford men’s volleyball team ran into a little trouble last weekend in its return to league play after several weeks off for finals and Dead Week. The No. 4 Cardinal split a weekend series with Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State, narrowly getting past the last-place Matadors before dropping a five-set match to the No. 9 49ers.

But a midweek tune-up against non-league Div. III rival UC-Santa Cruz last night at Maples Pavilion might be just what the doctor ordered. Stanford (16-6, 12-5 MPSF) rested a few players with nagging injuries, but looked fluid and confident on the court in a 3-0 dismantling of the Banana Slugs (7-13).

The first set saw the Cardinal get into gear quickly and take control on the backs of freshman outside hitter Eric Mochalski and junior setter Evan Barry. Even as the team struggled from the service line with five errors, the defense held firm and led to a very efficient side-out game. Mochalski had six kills in the first set, and Barry finished with 10 assists as Stanford used several three-point runs to power past Santa Cruz, 25-15.

“We always want to get better, and it was an opportunity for our starters to get better tonight,” said head coach John Kosty. “We did the right things and really concentrated on our side. I think Stanford men’s volleyball performed very well tonight.”

With the team on a roll and looking rejuvenated after the first set, Kosty went to his bench to give his starters a rest in anticipation of this weekend’s showdown with No. 1 and conference-leading USC.

The reserves certainly made the most of the opportunity.

Redshirt junior middle blocker Charley Henrikson built off his success last weekend when he came in and sparked a Stanford rally against Northridge with several kills early in the second set against the Banana Slugs. Barry continued his usual consistent play as he set a solid offense for the Card with 12 assists to give Stanford a 25-18 margin in set two.

Then the unlikely tandem of junior setter Dylan Kordic and senior outside hitter Ian Connolly took over in the third set. Kordic, a converted outside hitter, had a career night in his first extended playing time since he arrived on the Farm, totaling 15 assists and chipping in three digs and a kill in one and a half sets.

With the score tied at 19 in the third set, Kordic combined with freshman middle blocker Denny Falls for a big block and point. Kordic then set up Connolly for a kill to put the Card up 23-21 before winning a solo joust at the net to make it 24-21 to give Stanford three match points.

“Dylan really played great tonight,” Kosty said. “He has come a long way from being an outside hitter. Tonight was an opportunity to give him a measuring stick and see where he is with his setting ability.”

Kordic himself was humbled by all the attention focused on him after the match.

“The best thing for me was just the support of the guys on the bench and the play of the guys on the court with me. They really helped me out by playing well; it made my job easy.”

Connolly, for his part, also had a career night with six kills on just seven attempts and five digs. Stanford ended the match with a .402 hitting percentage, almost double Santa Cruz’s .209 mark.

It was important for Stanford to regain some of the confidence that was evident during the season-high five-match win streak the Cardinal rode into the two-week break.

“On Friday we get the No. 1 team in the country, USC, and they’ve certainly earned it, so it’s just a great opportunity for us,” Kosty said. “We are going to go out there and compete. I expect a big, electric crowd, and we’re really excited to host SC this weekend.”

Kordic said that the team was ready to step up its game entering the final five matches of the regular season before the MPSF Tournament begins in mid-April.

“We know that we are now turning the corner coming into the home stretch [of the season]. We have to switch gears and really dedicate ourselves this last month, month and a half,” Kordic said.

Stanford will look to spring the upset against USC and garner a bit of revenge for February’s 3-0 defeat to the Trojans on Friday night at 7 p.m. before taking on Pepperdine Saturday night at 7 p.m. Both matches will be played at Maples Pavilion.