No. 6 Stanford men’s volleyball (5-1, 3-1 MPSF) is on the road again this weekend as it takes on Cal Baptist on Friday, Jan. 29 and No. 15 USC on Sunday, Jan. 31.

The Cardinal are leaving with big wins behind them, as they beat UC San Diego and UC Irvine this past weekend.

With this in mind, though, the team must put forth its best effort as it takes on its next two opponents, both of which are fellow members of the MPSF Conference.

Cal Baptist (3-4, 0-4) will pose a threat to the Cardinal with its strong offense. The team has completed 281 kills and 633 attacks this season, outdoing Stanford’s 262 kills and 525 attacks. The Cardinal will have to work on its blocking in order to overcome the challenge.

In this game, the Cardinal should look to take advantage of their solid attack, as Cal Baptist’s defense has not done as well as its attack. 

For the Cardinal, an improvement in the fundamentals might go a long way.

“Our [serving] needs to improve,” said senior Gabriel Vega. “Serving is always something that can get fixed up and something that really differentiates the great teams from the solid teams.”

The team has committed 88 serve errors, which is more than a team at that level should be committing.

If the team can work out these technicalities, it can utilize the full potency of an attacking force that includes several upperclassmen and an All-American setter, senior James Shaw. Senior Madison Hayden has racked up 77 kills, with Vega in close behind with 62. Shaw has gotten 21 kills, an outstanding number for a setter.

USC (1-6, 1-4) will be the hosts for the weekend, as both matches are to be played at the USC Galen Center.

The Trojans have had a rocky start to their season, playing difficult opponents such as No. 1 UCLA and No. 9 Santa Barbara.

The Trojans’ attack, although having 254 kills, has not been supported by a strong defensive end. The Trojan defense has only achieved 64 blocks, significantly less than Stanford’s 83. They have also had 154 digs, once again less than the Cardinal’s 178.

If Stanford beats both of these teams, it will push its winning streak up to four.

“We’re all really excited for this year. Last year was a disappointment to say the least,” Vega said. “We’re all excited to be back at it and doing better… I think we’re taking some steps in the right direction.”

The matches will be played against Cal Baptist on Friday, Jan 29 at 7 p.m. and against USC on Sunday, Jan 31 at 4 p.m.

Contact Laura Sussman at laura111 ‘at’ stanford.edu.