Dec. 11, 2025, 10:03 p.m. CT
- Stanford coach Kevin Hambly just isn’t revealing the standing of injured setter Logan Parks forward of the NCAA match regional semifinals match in opposition to Wisconsin.
- Sophomore Taylor Yu has taken over setting duties for Stanford in Parks’ absence.
- The Badgers beforehand overcame their very own damage adversity on the place when Charlie Fuerbringer missed a month earlier within the season.
AUSTIN, Texas – Kevin Hambly just isn’t going to tip his hand about Stanford setter Logan Parks’ standing forward of the NCAA match regional semifinals.
“Why would I let you know something about that?” the Stanford coach mentioned to the Journal Sentinel in his press convention forward of the Dec. 12 match in opposition to Wisconsin.
Hambly’s coyness apart – with strategic worth, in fact, as UW wants to arrange accordingly – the damage adversity that Stanford has lately skilled has some parallels to what Wisconsin skilled (and overcame) earlier within the season.
Parks, Stanford’s beginning setter for a lot of the season, has not performed for the reason that Cardinal’s Nov. 29 regular-season finale in opposition to Louisville as a consequence of an damage. She was the AVCA’s freshman of the 12 months for the Pacific area this season, and her 64 assists in opposition to Louisville had been essentially the most for a Stanford participant since 2017.
“We had some rhythm with Logan, and we performed fairly effectively on the finish of the 12 months, beating Louisville,” Hambly mentioned. “After which to have her exit was a bummer. However we’ve got a little bit bit extra time now to regulate and to coach and to attempt to discover some rhythm.”
The extra week for the reason that first and second rounds “has helped us a terrific deal,” Hambly mentioned.
Taylor Yu – a sophomore who appeared in 21 of Stanford’s 31 regular-season matches in 2025 – has taken over setting duties. She additionally had a outstanding position in a lot of these matches, recording 20 or extra assists 9 occasions within the common season.
“We’re very lucky,” Hambly mentioned. “Now we have two very, very succesful setters, and there was a time once we had them each enjoying, in order that they each have a number of expertise. … So when it was time to make that swap, which wasn’t our alternative, then Taylor got here in, and it felt sort of seamless to be trustworthy.”
Sheffield expressed confidence that Stanford shall be “simply nice” with out Parks.
“Definitely considered one of them has been main the present a little bit bit greater than the opposite,” Sheffield mentioned. “However the offense appears to run the identical. The choice-making could be very comparable between every of them. There’s not a giant distinction in hitting percentages from participant to participant off of every of them. … I don’t suppose the match goes to be gained or misplaced at who’s doing that.”
Stanford’s offense was not essentially flawless, nevertheless, with Parks on the bench within the first two matches of the NCAA match.
The Cardinal hit .212 in a four-set win over Utah Valley of the Western Athletic Convention within the first spherical of the NCAA match. Arizona additionally pressured a fourth set in opposition to Stanford within the second spherical of the match because the Cardinal suffered a season-high 26 assault errors.
Wisconsin, in the meantime, has gained its final 11 matches (with solely two even requiring a fourth set). The Badgers have hit above .300 in all however one match throughout the profitable streak as a wholesome Charlie Fuerbringer has rejuvenated the UW offense.
“Our offense is deadly,” UW center blocker Carter Sales space mentioned. “Our protection is getting higher daily.”
However Wisconsin felt Stanford’s ache earlier within the season, as Fuerbringer – a 2024 third-team All-American – missed a month of the season with a shoulder damage. The Badgers suffered three of their 4 losses this season throughout the 10 matches with Fuerbringer sidelined. 4 of UW’s 5 matches with a hitting share beneath .250 coincided with Fuerbringer’s absence.
“The one manner that you simply’re going to have the ability to proceed to have the season that we had is to have the ability to cope with adversity, and that was considered one of 100 issues of adversity for our group,” Sheffield mentioned.
The Thirteenth-year Wisconsin coach is assured that the opposite remaining groups within the NCAA match have gone by simply as a lot adversity. Stanford’s setting state of affairs could be Exhibit A.
“The way you deal when issues don’t go your manner is what it’s all about,” Sheffield mentioned.
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