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BYU stays alive in MPSF tournament with win over Stanford, sets up massive semifinal matchup
TL;DR
BYU defeated Stanford in the MPSF tournament, advancing to the semifinals. The Cougars, as the No. 5 seed, won in four sets, avenging previous losses to the Cardinal.
Key points
- BYU defeated Stanford in the MPSF tournament
- The match ended in four sets
- BYU avenged previous losses to Stanford
- BYU is the No. 5 seed in the tournament
- The victory secures a spot in the semifinals
BYU CougarsStanford CardinalMPSF tournament
BYU players celebrate during their MPSF tournament win over Stanford on April 22, 2026. | Abby Shelton/BYU
No. 5 seed BYU was the only lower seed to advance in the first round of the MPSF tournament Wednesday evening, toppling No. 4 seed Stanford in four sets at the Smith Fieldhouse.
The Cougars made the most of being this yearâs designated host for the leagueâs postseason play, getting some revenge on the Cardinal from a pair of road losses last month and earning the victory on set scores of 25-18, 25-14, 23-25, 25-21.
â(Tonight was) an opportunity to make up for earlier in the season,â BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead said. âThat was just a really funky weekend. ⊠Iâm not making excuses, but I knew that when this was coming, ⊠thatâs what (my team) wanted more than anything because when we played them there, it just wasnât us.â
The Cougars got the last laugh Wednesday, playing much better than their first two contests against the Cardinal right from the get-go.
â(Our) hot start was months incoming,â BYU freshman middle blocker AJ Cottle said following a night that saw him tally nine blocks and 10 kills while hitting .769.
âAfter (losing to) Stanford, that left a sour taste in our mouth. ⊠We were more excited to play this game, I think, than any other game this season.â
It was all BYU early on Wednesday evening. The Cougars ran away with the first set, taking a lead by as many as eight points and never trailing en route to a comfortable 7-point win.
BYU gained control midway through the set on a 5-0 run that included three straight blocks for a 13-7 advantage.
The Cougars grew their lead from there until Stanford fought back, cutting things to 21-18 before four straight BYU points ended the set.
In the second set things got even more lopsided as the Cougars coasted to another win. This time it was a 6-0 run that gave them a 12-5 lead and all the momentum for a victory.
The Cardinal had no answer for BYU, as the Cougars hit a whopping .600 and cruised with ease past Stanford.
Olmstead credited Cottle for powering his teamâs impressive second set.
âWe finally really got AJ rolling,â he said. âWe (said), âRide AJâ ⊠because what thatâs going to do is just make them start paying a ton of attention (to him) and then we can go from there and open things up and have one on ones at the pins. And thatâs what we got, and thatâs why we were so good.â
Q&A
How did BYU perform against Stanford in the MPSF tournament?
BYU won against Stanford in four sets, with scores of 25-18, 25-14, 23-25, and 25-21.
What was the significance of BYU's win over Stanford?
The victory allowed BYU to advance to the semifinals of the MPSF tournament, marking a crucial comeback after previous losses to Stanford.
Who is BYU's head coach and what did he say about the match?
BYU's head coach is Shawn Olmstead, who expressed that the win was an opportunity to make up for earlier losses to Stanford.
When did BYU play Stanford in the MPSF tournament?
BYU played Stanford on April 22, 2026, during the first round of the MPSF tournament.
