One week after back-to-back losses against No. 1 Ohio State (5-0), No. 10 Stanford men’s volleyball (3-2) hopes to rebound with a match this Friday against No. 7 Pepperdine (2-1) in Malibu, California.

After going undefeated in a three-match preseason tournament, the Cardinal dropped two against defending national champion OSU.

The Buckeyes won both matches in straight sets, but Stanford showed promise in the second matchup, fighting to keep the sets close. In each of the three sets on Saturday, Stanford came back to tie or lead with only a few points to go, but failed to claim set point.

In this next faceoff against a ranked opponent, Stanford must bring a well-rounded team attack and leadership from its returning starters. Outside hitter Jordan Ewert has impressed in his sophomore season, leading the squad with a 3.73 kills per set and 1.80 digs per set average. The Cardinal defense has also made an impact, holding opponents to a .266 hitting percentage and coming in 10th nationally with 2.31 blocks per set.

The Cardinal’s match in Malibu will start at 7 p.m.

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