Confident but not cocky: Trust has led BYU volleyball to NCAA tournament's top seed


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PROVO — The top-ranked BYU men’s volleyball team arrived at University Park, Pennsylvania for the NCAA Tournament with a chip on their shoulder and a huge swell of momentum in its bid for a fourth national championship in school history.

The Cougars (26-3) are confident with the top seed and playing on the road, where they are a striking 13-1 on the season.

But that’s not the only reason for their confidence.

“I think we just trust each other. We all get along great, and we all know our roles,” said senior Michael Hatch, the No. 3 blocker in the nation at 1.40 blocks per set. “None of us goes to do something we are not. We know what we’re in control of, and we stick to it and trust each other with it.”

Confidence but not cocky. It’s a mantra the BYU players have preached outwardly and inwardly all season.

Easier said than done, at times, for a program that started the preseason ranked No. 1 in the nation, never dipped outside the top 10 and regained the top-ranking after a pair of 3-1 road wins over then-No. 1 UCLA — which went on to earn the No. 2 overall seed in the tournament.

BYU outside hitter Brenden Sander (15) receives a serve during the MPSF men's volleyball tournament championship against the UCLA Bruins at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo, April 23, 2016. (Photo: Chris Samuels, Deseret News)
BYU outside hitter Brenden Sander (15) receives a serve during the MPSF men's volleyball tournament championship against the UCLA Bruins at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo, April 23, 2016. (Photo: Chris Samuels, Deseret News)

The Cougars boast the best block in the nation at 3.13 per set, with sophomore Price Jarman adding to Hatch’s numbers at 1.32 blocks per set. BYU’s hitting combination of Ben Patch, Brenden Sander and Jake Langlois — all three named AVCA All-Americans on Monday — also contributes to a confidence that is sky high as the Cougars ride a nine-match winning streak into Thursday’s semifinal against No. 4 Long Beach State (25-7).

“I think the way that we play is very confident, and the way we celebrate towards each other and not at the other team makes us confident but not cocky,” Sander said. “We celebrate with our team and all of our guys doing well.”

Hatch could also be a wildcard in terms of experience for the Cougars. One of just six seniors and the only starter on a squad loaded with sophomores, the Agoura Hills, California, native was a part of the last BYU team to advance to the national championship, a 3-0 loss to UC Irvine in 2013.

A freshman then, Hatch has learned from that experience. And BYU coach Shawn Olmstead said his experience will be critical to the Cougars’ success.

“Hatch is a funny guy. He’s a great kid and an outstanding teammate,” said Olmstead, the libero on BYU’s last national championship squad in 2004. “He’s calm and cool. But he does his job, and he does it really well.”

Winning a national title won’t be easy. The 49ers are the only team to sweep BYU, earning a 3-0 win Jan. 23 at Walter Pyramid in Southern California. Since then, the Cougars have won 22 of 23 matches, with the lone loss coming March 19 against Pepperdine.

“We certainly are aware of BYU, and our guys are excited to get out there and get a chance to compete in this great environment,” Long Beach State coach Alan Knipe said Wednesday in pre-match press conference. “I think we’re a significantly different team. We’ve been through some long streaks of winning, and some patches that we didn’t like how we finished the matches.

“But it’s about applying lessons over the course of a long season, and the team that can apply those lessons learned is the one that will play the best in a tournament like this.”

In a strange twist of fate, the Cougars have twice as many losses in the Smith Fieldhouse (2) as away from it in 2016 — something rare for a team that prides itself on protecting home-court advantage.

But maybe that’s just another reason to add momentum to a potential title-clinching run in eastern Pennsylvania.

“We’ve been able to stay composed and be more confident on the road with our serving and passing,” said Hatch, who views each travel opportunity as a business trip with his teammates. “I think we’re in a good spot in Penn State; we have a lot of experience playing on the road, and we’ve had success, too.”

AVCA All-Americans

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