BYU adds 2 high school standouts to recruiting class

Two all-state men’s volleyball players who both led their high school teams to state champions will now join BYU.

First-year BYU coach Shawn Olmstead announced Thursday that high school seniors Shane Holdaway and Wil Stanley have committed to play for the Cougars starting in 2017.

“We are excited about the addition of Wil and Shane,” Olmstead said in a statement. “Both are great volleyball players with outstanding character. These two athletes, along with the returned missionaries, will be valuable contributors to BYU volleyball.”

Holdway, a 6-foot-7 middle attacker from Huntington Beach, California, has helped lead his high school team to back-to-back state championships. In addition, Holdway earned Second-Team All-State honors as Huntington Beach finished the 2015 season undefeated and extended its winning streak to 104 matches.

Stanley, a 6-foot-4 setter from Honolulu and the son of a BYU graduate, helped his high school win three consecutive state titles. He also earned First-Team All-State honors in 2014 and was named to the 2015 state All-Tournament team.

BYU finished last season in fifth place in MPSF and lost in the conference tournament quarterfinals. The team, though, returns a majority starters for the upcoming season and add former All-American opposite Ben Patch, who spent the last two seasons on a missionary trip.