BYU’s Stanley finds his way back home

Wil Stanley knows he can count on his mother and father wearing BYU apparel in support of their two sons.

His older brother, Clay, is a different story.

“I don’t think he’ll wear a BYU shirt. Actually, I know for a fact he won’t do that,” the BYU senior said Tuesday about the Olympic gold medalist, who played volleyball at the University of Hawaii 20 years ago. “We’ll see. My family for sure will be rocking the BYU gear.”

The top two teams in the country in men’s volleyball will play back-to-back nights Thursday and Friday at the Stan Sheriff Center when No. 1 Hawaii hosts No. 2 BYU.

Wil Stanley is the starting setter for the Cougars and his brother, Jon, is a redshirt freshman currently being used as a serving specialist.

It’s the first time in their lives the two have played together on the same court, and they’re doing it at a high level.

“He went to Kaiser, I went to Punahou. He was always two years younger than me in club. So yeah, it really was new having him come to BYU and play volleyball every day together,” Wil Stanley said. “It’s cool he can share this last year with me.”

At 16-0, the Cougars have already surpassed last year’s win total. They returned their entire starting lineup from a year ago.

Stanley was unable to run after fracturing his ankle 13 matches into last season. (He did not play in the loss to Hawaii last March 23 in Smith Fieldhouse). Knowing the talent that BYU had coming back, he decided to stay in Provo, Utah, over the summer to rehab and train for his senior season.

When the team landed Tuesday, they had an early dinner at Zippy’s. It was Stanley’s first meal at home since the summer of 2018.

“Usually I’d come home and play beach volleyball and go to the beach all summer,” Wil said. “I worked with my trainers to get me into the best shape physically I could be in, and honestly, it has helped me more than I thought it would. I felt like I lacked physically what I needed to be as a setter for our team.”

Stanley ranks fourth in the country averaging 10.74 assists per set entering the two biggest games of the season.

Coming home is always a treat for the 2016 Punahou alumnus, but to do it under these circumstances will be “pretty special.”

“I get to come home and play in two of the biggest matches that I have ever played in my career and do it in front of friends and family and people who helped me grow up and learn how to play volleyball,” Stanley said. “I remember talking with my mom a week ago and they were trying to get tickets for more family and friends and it was hard for them to find (tickets).

“I’ve always loved Stan Sheriff Center, even in high school. It’s a great environment. The fans in Hawaii are amazing and are so knowledgeable about volleyball, and to be able to experience an atmosphere with 8,000 or 9,000 people, it’s something you don’t see in college volleyball a lot, and to get to experience it will be pretty special.”