After the Stanford University men's volleyball team defeated the University of Southern California on Senior Night, the families of nine soon-to-be graduates gathered on the court to celebrate. This is a historic year for Stanford men's volleyball, with the largest number of graduates leaving the program in their fifth year. But little happened that night.
Just four years ago, Stanford University announced a decision to cut 11 sports, including men's volleyball, which was later reversed.
“The focus we have to put on the program is unimaginable, and when you come in as a freshman, you have no idea what you're getting into,” head coach John Costi said.
Kosti spoke highly of each of the fourth and fifth graders, describing them as a particularly resilient group. He was the head coach at Stanford University for 17 years, and has played with fourth- and fifth-year students in the locker room after the 2022 MPSF Finals win over No. 1 seed UCLA, on road trips, and playing in front of the crowd. A look back at his favorite moments. 9,000 people in Hawaii.
“I think that moment lit a fire in all of us,” Kosti said of UCLA’s win. “We believe that when you have this core group of people, you can do a lot of things, and we have done that over the last several years.”
He also noted the pure joy on the faces of fourth- and fifth-graders when the program was reinstated after being discontinued in 2020.
“We had some great runs with his team, and that's the memory that we're going to bring back along with the other memories you know. Just the simple memories, just the conversations,” Kosti said. Told. .
I will always cherish senior libero Matt Martinez. And that's with people who love and care about you as much as you care about them. ”
He also talked about his experience as a walk-on to the volleyball team. He talks about how his volleyball skills and confidence have improved significantly through his activities as an athlete.
“I can't replace this experience for anything. This was one of the most special moments of my life and I'm really grateful to Coach Kosti for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the team. “There is,” Martinez said.
An extra year has also enhanced the opportunity to grow and reflect on that growth. Fifth-grader Nathan Lietzke is grateful for all he has learned over the years, comparing his senior year to his freshman year.
“I think the biggest thing for me was just kind of liberating a little bit. I was a little naive about how difficult it would be to adjust to college, and I expected the results to be immediate. '' Lietzke said. “Instead of focusing on the results and getting upset, I learned to be patient with myself and enjoy the process of growing and getting better.”
Kosti echoed this, saying Lietzke is “always striving to get better.”
One of Lietzke's favorite moments is also giving back to his hometown.
“I'm from Austin, Texas, and there's not a lot of men's volleyball. But my parents helped me put on a college showcase,” Lietzke said. “In the last three years, Stanford has gone downhill. So I got to play in front of a lot of family and friends. And I think playing back was probably the most special thing for me. But that's something I never thought I'd actually do.”
This extra year has allowed the seniors to develop a very strong bond, from living together in a suite to training hard on and off the court.
“It's an honor to be in this class. I think they've become my best friends over the years, and I really enjoyed spending time with them,” Lietzke said. “All nine of us are really good friends, close friends. But the interests of the people who make up our group personality are very diverse.”
As graduation season approaches, the team hopes to continue to stay in touch.
Talk of graduation has been avoided because “I don't want him to come yet.'' But we've been talking about how bittersweet it will be when this year ends,” Lietzke said. “I think the main thing is to start talking about making sure that after this year, we’re ready to stay in touch with each other and stay in touch and spend time together.”
The men's volleyball season ended Thursday with a loss to MPSF vs. Grand Canyon after a great season. However, Kosti thanked the group and stressed that it was a celebratory moment.
“They help me grow as a person,” Kosti said. “This group represents Stanford really well.”