by Pete Borello
He calls it "an inside family joke," though Mike Lambert is hardly laughing when he explains it. The joke goes something like this: Lambert's two sisters own NCAA championship rings in volleyball, and he doesn't it.
Older sister Mia won her ring at UCLA in 1990. Younger sister Debbie earned her second ring this past season as a Stanford junior. Meanwhile, Mike has done just about everything but win that coveted championship ring during his time at Stanford.
So as one might imagine, Mike gets some friendly ribbing from his family when he's reminded of this fact. But Lambert intends on getting the last laugh in this, his final year on The Farm.
Stanford, the No. 3-ranked men's volleyball team in the nation, is in good position to grab the title--something the squad has yet to accomplish. The Cardinal has come close, falling in the finals in 1989 and 1992.
Could this be the year Stanford gets over the hump?
"I think we have all the ingredients of a championship team," said Lambert, who will graduate with a degree in political science this spring. "We really want to make history here."
The Cardinal (22-3 overall) begins its quest to be the best when it hosts No. 5-ranked Pepperdine (18-8) on Saturday in the opening round of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoffs. The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Burnham Pavilion.
The winner of the MPSF tournament earns an automatic berth in next month's NCAA Final Four in Columbus, Ohio. A second MPSF team also will qualify via an at-large bid, with the NCAA selection committee determining which school is worthy of the invitation.
The regular-season champion in the Pacific Division of the MPSF with a 16-3 mark following Tuesday's 15-8, 13-15, 15-7, 15-13 triumph over host Pacific, Stanford is expected to snatch one of these postseason spots. But how far the team goes could very well depend on Lambert.
The 6-foot-6 outside hitter from Kaneohe, Hawaii, is among the best volleyball players in the nation. A preseason All-American, Lambert finished the regular season as the Cardinal's leader in kills with 518.
He plans to go pro this summer, spending a few months on the beach volleyball circuit before joining a European team in the fall.
In his seven years as Stanford's head coach, Ruben Nieves said he's never had a better player than Lambert.
"Mike a complete player," Nieves said. "He's a great spiker from the front row and the back row. He's the most imposing blocker in the country. He's also a good server, passer, setter and defender."
Such skills earned Lambert an invitation to play for the U.S. National team in 1996. He had to take a leave from school and skip the college season in order to train with the U.S. squad, but it was well worth it. Lambert's stellar play led to a spot on the Olympic team and he soon emerged as a starter. The U.S. finished a disappointing ninth at the Atlanta Games, but Lambert cherished the experience just the same.
"It was nice to be an Olympian," he said. "It's a unique experience, something you'll never forget."
The Olympics also helped Lambert elevate his game to a new level. He returned to Stanford with more confidence and maturity. Lambert was now a team leader, a role he admittedly didn't feel comfortable in before. And Nieves is obviously pleased with this transformation.
"He's a leader on the floor during matches and an even better leader in practice," the coach said. "He's pretty proven and has a lot of credibility with the other players."
Lambert often will encourage his teammates with praise and high-fives in games, but said he's also learned "to push younger players when they need to be pushed" in practice.
Lambert also pushes himself, according to Nieves, always giving his all during practice.
Lambert's consistency and value to Stanford has made him a candidate for National Player of the Year, though Nieves does not expect him to win this honor.
"He may be the premier player in the country, but he probably doesn't have the numbers to get it," Nieves said. "The voters really look at the stats."
But to Lambert, that award means little compared to winning the NCAA championship--a goal that seems to consume him.
"I really want to get one," he said. "That's all I think about when I go to sleep at night."
And if Lambert's dream does indeed come true, his family will have to find something else to kid him about.
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