Brad Lawson is much more than just an outside hitter.

And that’s the key reason the recent Iolani School (Honolulu, Hawaii) graduate and Stanford-bound star has cemented himself as the top recruit in the Class of 2008 and the 2008 Volleyball Boys Fab 50 Captain.

“To have him probably be our best passer at 6’7” is what sets him apart,” said Iolani coach Mike Among. “You think of Spencer (McLachlin; former Punahou High School standout and Lawson’s future teammate at Stanford) like that and another guy like that, you have to think back to Mike Lambert (former Punahou and Stanford star and current AVP men’s standout) a long time ago. Brad is a tall guy that is skilled in other parts of the game. He works hard at passing. When we do our passing drills he locks in and is focused.”

But Among feels Lawson’s greatest advancement recently has come at the net.

“He’s still working on his blocking and using his eyes to track the hitter,” said Among. “Blocking has been his biggest improvement. Instead of being a big target, he’s tracking the hitter a lot better.”

As Lawson explains it, the better one tracks, the better one’s blocking totals become.

“I’m seeing the hitter instead of always looking at the ball,” said Lawson. “The hitter dictates if the ball is going across the net. Getting to the hitter helps me get more blocks. I’m looking at his arm and his angle of approach.”

That growth on the mental side of blocking has also extended into Lawson’s offensive thinking.

“It’s attention to detail,” said Lawson. “There is a lot more to it than just going up and thumping the ball. You have to keep your feet low and extend your arms. I think I’m hitting smarter now. I’m hitting deeper and hitting over the block more often and hitting around the block when I see an opening. Before I only knew one way to get a kill. Now there are many other ways like tooling the block and tipping. I’m paying attention to things like that more closely.”

Stanford coach John Kosty is also impressed with the multi-faceted attack Lawson’s packs into his 6’7” frame.

“Brad has the skill-set of a much smaller player built in an elongated body,” said Kosty. “He passes well and plays defense well. He’s a well-rounded player.”

The passing aspect, in particular, caught Kosty’s eye.

“In this day and age, it’s hard to train efficient passing immediately,” said Kosty. “It takes a long time for somebody to learn passing at this level. Brad already knows that. He’s ahead of the curve. It’s one of the hardest things to find in a tall outside hitter. You usually move a middle blocker into an outside hitter and train them for a couple of years to pass at this level. You already have that in Brad. With collegiate men’s volleyball it’s serving and passing. If you win that war you have a good shot to win the match.”

Lawson also grew as a leader this season.

“He was one of the captains last year as a junior and was uncomfortable in that sort of role,” said Among. “He led last year by example. This year he has taken on more leadership responsibilities and is leading more with his voice.”

Lawson, who played for the successful Outrigger club organization for six years, said his college choices came down to Stanford, USC, Pepperdine and UC Irvine (in no particular order).

“First it was the academics at Stanford,” said Lawson. “And then it was the volleyball program. They have a lot of Hawaii guys there. It will be cool to reunite with them and play with them at a high level at a good college.”

With Lawson and good friend Erik Shoji (Punahou High School) arriving on The Farm next season, Kosty will have a total of six Hawaii products on the roster, including Erik’s brother, Kawika, a 2008 ASICS®/Volleyball All-American second-team selection who helped the Cardinal to a 17-11 record and an MPSF playoff berth this past season.

“We’ve gotten quality student-athletes from Hawaii,” said Kosty. “We like the type of volleyball player that comes out of Hawaii.”

Erik Shoji has played with and against his longtime pal. The two were recently on opposite sides of the net in the HHSSAA Division I state championship match on the island of Maui. Lawson’s 28 kills helped Iolani to a three-game sweep of Erik Shoji’s previously unbeaten Punahou team.

“His overall intelligence about the game helps him be competitive,” said Erik Shoji, also an accomplished high school tennis player. “He’s a really good passer for a big man. He can go up and over blocks. It’s a challenge to dig him, but it’s fun.”

Kosty feels Lawson has the potential to contribute right away for the Cardinal, just as fellow Hawaii natives McLachlin, Kawika Shoji and Jordan Inafuku did last year.

“Brad has the tools to step into the MPSF and play at a high level,” said Kosty. “The tough part is actually doing it.”

Lawson has thrived, despite being under a bright spotlight in recent years. The attention is something he tries to put on the back burner.

“I think it’s good, but it’s nothing I think about a lot,” said Lawson of all the attention he has received. “I’ve got other things to worry about like playing for the USA team (junior national team) and getting up to Stanford.”

This will be Lawson’s fourth year in the USA development system. Lawson said he’s concentrating on the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team this year and will not play club.

“(The USA experience) has been really helpful,” said Lawson, the 2007 Interscholastic League of Honolulu player of the year. “You are competing against such a high level. You learn from the guys on the other side of the net and what they are trying to do. That helped me refine my skills.”

Lawson’s skills are not limited to just volleyball, however. He sported a 3.9 grade-point average at Iolani and was in the school choir.

Lawson is also part of the band Summasounds (he founded it), which plays at local gatherings. Lawson sings lead vocals and plays keyboards in the band.

“It’s like alternative and reggae,” said Lawson.

“I’ve only heard them once, but his band is really good,” said Erik Shoji.

When he gets to Stanford, Lawson said he might be interested in studying something having to do with math and computers.

“I’m more of a numbers guy,” said Lawson.

And the numbers point to Lawson being at the top of the Class of 2008.