Why Watching Stanford Men’s Volleyball is the Best Free Entertainment in the Bay Area

This past Saturday I went to watch Stanford men’s volleyball team (No. 8) play BYU (No. 4) at Maples Pavilion. Like all Stanford men’s volleyball games, it was free admission. I accidentally sat in the BYU section, which was almost as big as the Stanford section by the time the game got started. I went to Cal so it’s not like I was planning to cheer for Stanford, but a part of me did want another California school to win. Most of all, though, I just wanted the game to be competitive and last more than 3 sets (a match is best of 5).

Even if you don’t normally play or watch volleyball, these Stanford games are super fun to experience in person. The athleticism, power, and control these players exhibit are truly amazing to behold. Even if you’re not into that, there’s just as much entertainment happening off the court as there is on the court.

My favorite off-the-court entertainment has to be the rowdy parents. I still remember a Stanford women’s volleyball game (which cost $10, btw) where this ASU mom started yelling at the ref since he didn’t call what looked like a double-contact from Stanford, after calling a double-contact on ASU a few plays earlier. Nothing came of it, of course, but she was very entertaining to watch (and Stanford handily beat ASU).

A close second is when the coaches get worked up and start arguing with the ref, or even better, arguing with each other. It’s too bad that the coaches aren’t miked up so you can always hear what they’re saying, but you can get an idea if you’re sitting close enough. Just beware that the ball does go into crowd at times.

Then there’s the cheering and taunting from the crowd and occasionally, the players themselves. There’s an interesting Stanford contingent of students that dress up in weird costumes and taunt the opposing players, sometimes in unison. When I saw them for the first time last year, I was a bit shocked at how mean the taunts were sometimes. I’ve seen them call players fat, or short, and would generally prefer it if they kept it funny and upbeat instead of being demeaning to other players. But still, overall it’s fun to watch (minus the insults).

Lastly, I just love being around and connecting with other fans who are passionate about the sport. There’s just something to be said about being with other people who are excited — it makes the game more fun to watch regardless of what your interest level is. On Saturday I happened to sit behind parents of one of the BYU players, and it was so heartwarming to see them cheer loudly for each of the BYU players by name. (It also made me less demonstrative in my support for Stanford, but I did clap politely for outstanding plays from both teams.)

BYU fans are really something else, though…from where I was sitting it seemed like the BYU fans were cheering louder than the Stanford fans, and what should have been home field advantage for Stanford turned out to be more of an advantage for BYU. In the end BYU prevailed in an anticlimactic fifth set, but I was still glad I went and had a great time.

In conclusion, I just want to encourage everyone to go and watch one of the remaining Stanford men’s volleyball games at Maples Pavilion (dates and times listed below), even if you’re not a volleyball fan. I guarantee you will have a great time, or your money back.