Monday, 5/5/97 UCLA’s lost match STANFORD: Key outside hitter
Lambert secures tournament MVP status
By Jennifer Kollenborn Daily Bruin Contributor COLUMBUS, Ohio —
The Ohio State crowd at the NCAA men’s volleyball championship this
weekend was a partisan one. Most of them rooted for the Stanford
Cardinal, who would go on to win its first-ever national
championship over the two-time defending champion UCLA Bruins,
15-7, 15-10, 9-15, 6-15, 15-13. The fans constantly chanted "Big
Red!" Well, the big red of the night was tournament Most Valuable
Player Mike Lambert. Lambert guided the Cardinal to the Final Four
with his unbeatable hitting and only continued his dominance in the
championship game. In the championship match, Lambert led the
Cardinal by notching 27 kills, nine digs, five blocks, and two
service aces. The outside hitter’s all-around talent on the
volleyball court gave Stanford a reliable asset which eventually
determined the outcome of the game. The Cardinal depended on
Lambert’s athleticism to rack up the points, which he managed to do
in Games 1 and 2. In Game 2 alone, Lambert hammered 10 kills,
giving Stanford eight side-outs. Side-outs give each team momentum,
and Lambert was the magnet who pulled in the greater number of
points. Lambert gained his experience as a starter on the 1996 U.S.
Olympic team when he took a one-year leave of absence from
Stanford. The experience apparently formed the Olympian into a
dynamite player. This year he placed eighth in the nation in kill
average with 6.23 kpg, and led the team with 598 kills. Lambert’s
strength made him seemingly unstoppable, and his dependability
solidified Stanford’s squad. UCLA managed to shut down Lambert in
Games 3 and 4, in which he scored just a .123 hitting percentage.
But the Bruin’s plug slipped in Game 5 when Lambert found his zone
once again, scoring at least half of the Cardinal points. "After
Game 4, we went back into the locker room, and we just came
together and joined hands," Lambert said. "Together we said our
team theme, ‘We are only as strong as our weakest link.’ That is
our theme, and that is what guided us to win. We knew we had to
come out strong (in Game 5), and we did." Lambert’s outstanding
performance cemented his status as the leader of his team, the
first ever NCAA Champions in Cardinal history. "This is beyond my
dreams," Lambert said. "I am so proud to be part of Stanford’s
first NCAA title." Previous Daily Bruin stories: Expectations hound
Stanford’s Lambert, March 6, 1997 No. 3 Stanford, No.5 UCLA provide
showdown at Pauley, March, 7, 1997