Stanford volleyball fills needs

Recruiting class features four All-Americans, including two-sport star Yamasaki

The two-time defending NCAA champion Stanford women's volleyball team has taken steps to fill some large shoes for next season.

With the Cardinal losing five seniors off a team that went 31-2 and captured its third national crown in four years, Stanford coach Don Shaw went out and recruited some talented players who will help fill the void left by All-Americans Kristin Folkl, Lisa Sharpley plus Paula McNamee, Barbara Ifejika and Debbie Lambert.

The incoming Class of 2002 includes 6-foot Michelle Chambers, 6-3 Tara Conrad, 6-1 Sara Sandrik and 6-2 Lindsay Yamasaki. All four have earned All-America status.

"I am very excited about this recruiting class," said Shaw, the 1997 Volleyball Magazine National Coach of the Year. "We are losing five starters, but are bringing in players who can help up right away. We have immediately addressed our needs at both middle blocker and outside hitter."

Chambers led Santa Margarita High (San Juan Capistrano) to the 1997 CIF section title and state championship match. Conrad is a '97 All-CIF section second-team player and two-time Bay League Most Outstanding Player out of Torrance.

Sandrik was named National Senior Player of the Year by Student Sports Magazine and was a two-time Volleyball Magazine first-team All-America. She won three state titles in two different (Wyoming, Alabama) states.

The most versatile of the group looks to be Yamasaki, one of the nation's top volleyball and basketball players. She'll play both sports at Stanford, possibly redshirting her freshman volleyball season to concentrate on basketball. The Oregon City star is a two-time state player of the year in volleyball and the only high school basketball player to be invited to try out for the 1997 USA Junior National Team.

"Lindsay is an elite-level athlete in both sports," said Shaw, "and could be the best volleyball prospect in the country."

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