With a match today against No. 8 Stanford, the Brigham Young men's volleyball team is not easing in to the 2009 season.
The No. 9 ranked Cougars open competition in the two-day 45th annual Elephant Bar Restaurant Collegiate Invitational at UC Santa Barbara with two matches, the first at 2 p.m. Stanford is one of seven schools in the eight-team tournament that is ranked in the top 15.
"It's a great opportunity to compete against really good teams," BYU junior setter Reed Chilton said. "It's a learning curve."
BYU, which finished the 2008 season at 25-5, has motivation to be one of those great teams. That BYU is hosting the 2009 men's volleyball championships May 7-9 is a carrot stick driving the Cougars. They were 14-1 in the Smith Fieldhouse last season and came within a match of qualifying for the Final Four, losing to Pepperdine in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship match.
"There's a little pressure from fans and friends," Chilton said. "But we'll continue doing what we always do."
For the Cougars, the goal remains a national championship. BYU has won three NCAA championships, the last coming in 2004.
This season, BYU returns four starters, yet there is not a senior on the roster. Coach Shawn Patchell must blend in seven faces. Gone is All-American outside hitter Ivan Perez as well as All-American middle blocker Russell Holmes.
Returning starters include setters Chilton and Yamil Perez, as well as libero Joel Silva, who competed in the Beijing Olympic with Venezuela.
"In volleyball, experience is everything," Patchell said. "We have some inexperienced players, but if we can get them some good competition, all of a sudden we have experience."
Patchell needs to build depth, essential in the always competitive MPSF.
"We need to learn how to win as a team," Chilton said. "We have really good team chemistry. We don't concern ourselves too much with pressure. We have the pressure of tradition."
