After going undefeated in a tournament at UCSB last weekend, No. 10 Stanford men’s volleyball (3-0) will open regular season play at home, with a pair of matches against defending national champion No. 1 Ohio State (3-0) on Friday and Saturday.

Stanford features four returning starters from last year’s squad: Senior middle blocker Kevin Rakestraw, fifth-year senior outside hitter Gabriel Vega and sophomore outside hitter Jordan Ewert brought offensive power last weekend, taking turns leading the Cardinal in kills in three matches last week.

Defensively, first team All-American Evan Enriques will return as libero. The junior was also named a first team preseason All-American this year. Enriques will join other returners in leading Stanford’s talented freshman class, including setter Paul Bischoff, who impressed in Santa Barbara, guiding the Stanford offense with a combined 69 assists in two games.

Stanford will face tough competition from the Buckeyes, who carry a 26-match win streak into the weekend and have shown consistency throughout preseason matchups. These two games against a top national competitor will test Stanford’s readiness for the upcoming season.

Friday’s match at Maples Pavilion starts at 7 p.m. The teams will return on Saturday at Burnham Pavilion, also at 7 p.m.

Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.