Camden Gianni, Merrick McHenry, Ethan Champlin, Mason Briggs and the 2023 Men's Pan Am Cup team celebrate.
Camden Gianni, Merrick McHenry, Ethan Champlin, Mason Briggs and the 2023 Men's Pan Am Cup team celebrate.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 23, 2024) – This week, the roundup welcomes back a familiar name to the top-5 in DI/II. UC Irvine jumps two spots from its previous ranking to take the No. 5 position away from Stanford. In DIII, it’s the third straight week that the list has remained stagnant, meaning it’s still Wentworth leading the pack over Stevens, Southern Virginia, Springfield and Cal Lutheran. The college roundup showcases some of the key matches of the week while also highlighting athletes who are part of the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program.

(rankings source: AVCA.org)

NCAA Division I/II

No. 1 Long Beach State

Long Beach State is 12-1 and received 14 votes in this week’s AVCA poll to remain No. 1. The Beach is coming off 3-0 wins vs. Central State and Edward Walters in its two most recent matches.

Match leaders vs. Edward Walters:

  • Kills: Sebastiano Sani (10)
  • Blocks: Noah Robin (4)

Next up: LBSU faces Lewis on Friday night and then will get ready for a home match vs. Penn State on March 1.

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/LBSU Players

Mason Briggs, who had three digs and two assists vs. Edward Walters, was on the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup Final Six team that won gold. He was also part of the 2022 U.S. Men’s National Team and was on the roster for the FIVB World Championship, where the team finished sixth. Mason was named Big West Player of the Week. He is No. 10 in the nation in digs per set (2.27).

Clarke Godbold was a member of the 2023 Collegiate National Team. He was also twice named to the U.S. Men’s U21 National Training Team and competed at the FIVB U19 World Championship in 2019. Clarke is No. 8 in the country in hitting percentage (.395), No. 8 in the nation for kills per set (3.90) and No. 3 in the nation in blocks per set (1.37).

Sebastian Rodriguez had four kills, one ace and two digs vs. Edward Walters. Sebastian was a member of the 2023 Beach U23 National Team and the 2023 Beach Collegiate National Team.

Ben Braun had two kills, two aces and four blocks vs. Edward Walters. Ben was a member of the 2023 Beach Collegiate National Team.

Dane Hillis had two kills, one ace, one assist and one block vs. Edward Walters. Dane was a member of the 2023 U21 National Team that took silver at the Pan Am Cup and the 2022 U21 National Team that won gold at the Pan Am Cup.

Sebastiano Sani had 10 kills, three aces and two blocks vs. Edward Walters. Sani was on the 2023 U19 National Team that placed fourth at the 2023 U19 World Championships and took gold at the NORCECA U19 Pan Am Cup.

Chris Connelly had two digs vs. Edward Walters. Chris was on the U21 National Team in 2023 and 2022 and the U19 National Team in 2021 and 2020.

Island Doty had 21 assists, one kill, one ace, one block and two digs vs. Edward Walters. Island was a member of the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that competed at the FIVB World Championships.

Aiden Knipe was a member of the 2019 Boys Youth National Training Team, as well as the 2018 Boys Youth National Team that earned silver at the NORCECA Continental Championship.

No. 2 Grand Canyon

GCU is 11-0 and received eight first-place votes from the coaches in this week’s poll, but for now remain No. 2. The Lopes didn’t drop a set across two matches on the road against No. 6 BYU last weekend to maintain their perfect record.

Match leaders vs. BYU (Sat.):

  • Kills: Camden Gianni (15)
  • Blocks: Cameron Thorne (6) – No. 5 in the country in blocks per set (1.306)

Next up: The Lopers continues ranked play against MPSF opponents this weekend when they welcome No. 10 USC to the desert for two matches Feb. 23-24.

USA Volleyball National Team Development Team Program/Grand Canyon players

Camden Gianni, who had 15 kills, one ace, four blocks and six digs vs. BYU (Sat.), was on the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup Final Six team that won gold and the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup team that placed fifth. He is No. 3 in the country in aces per set (.667)

Jackson Hickman, who had eight kills, one block and two digs vs. BYU (Sat.), was on the 2023 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team and the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team.

Rico Wardlow, who had four kills, one assist, one dig and three blocks vs. BYU (Sat.), was on the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team.

Nicholas Slight had 38 assists, two digs and one block vs. BYU (Sat.). Nicholas was on the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team. He is No. 6 in the country in assists per set (10.31).

No. 3 Hawaii

Hawaii is 11-1 and will wrap up a two-match series with first-time opponent Missouri S&T on Friday night after taking the first match on Thursday 3-0.

Match leaders vs. Missouri S&T (Thurs.):

  • Kills: Alakai Todd (15) – No. 3 in the country in hitting percentage (.421)
  • Blocks: Kurt Nusterer (5)

Next up: After Friday night, Hawaii is off until March 1 when they take on Sacred Heart at home.

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/Hawaii Players

Tread Rosenthal had 19 assists, four blocks, two kills and two digs vs. Missouri S&T (Thurs.). Tread was a member of the 2023 U19 National Team that placed fourth at the U19 World Championships and won gold at the NORCECA U19 Pan Am Cup. He was named MVP and Best Setter at the 2023 Pan Am Cup. It was his second year in a row claiming the Best Setter title after he competed with the U19 team in 2022 that also took home gold at the Pan Am Cup. Tread is No. 10 in the country in assists per set (10.03).

Chaz Galloway had seven kills, two digs and two blocks vs. Missouri S&T (Thurs.). Chaz was a member of the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team.

Kai Rodriguez was on the 2023 Beach U19 National Team and won gold at the 2023 Caribbean Beach Championship with Jackson Herbert.

No. 4 UCLA

Andrew Rowan and Zach Rama celebrate with Shane Wetzel and Wesley Smith
Andrew Rowan and Zach Rama celebrate with Shane Wetzel and Wesley Smith on the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team.

UCLA is sitting at 11-3 after picking up another win at Pepperdine since last we checked in. The Bruins won both matches vs. Pepperdine without dropping a set.

Match leaders vs. Pepperdine:

  • Kills: Zach Rama (12)
  • Blocks: Sean McQuiggan (5)

Next up: UCLA is ready for two matches with No. 8 BYU in Utah on Feb. 23-24. After that, the team returns to Southern California for a rivalry matchup with USC on Feb. 29 and March 2.

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/UCLA players:

Andrew Rowan had 35 assists, four digs, two aces, one kill and one block vs. Pepperdine. He was a member of the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup Final Six team that won gold and the 2023 NORCECA Pan American Cup team that placed fifth. He was also on the 2022 U21 National Team that won gold at the Pan American Cup. Andrew is No. 4 in the country in assists per set (10.55).

Ethan Champlin had one assist and one dig vs. Pepperdine. He was on the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup Final Six team that won gold and the 2023 NORCECA Pan American Cup team that placed fifth. Ethan was also a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team that took home bronze at the Pan American Cup Final Six.

Micah Wong Diallo was a member of the Men’s U21 National Team that took home silver at the 2023 U21 Pan American Cup.

Alex Knight was a member of the 2021 Men’s U21 National Training Team and the 2020 Men’s Junior National Training Team.

Merrick McHenry had six kills, two digs and three blocks vs. Pepperdine. Merrick was a member of the 2023 NORCECA Pan American Cup team that placed fifth. He was also on the 2022 NORCECA Pan Am Cup and Pan Am Cup Final Six teams that both earned bronze medals. He is No. 9 in the country in blocks per set (1.122)

Zach Rama, who had 12 kills, two aces, two blocks and two digs, was on the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that took home silver at the 2023 U21 Pan American Cup.

No. 5 UC Irvine

UC Irvine rejoins the top-5 after back-to-back 3-1 wins on the road vs. last week’s No. 5 team, Stanford, last weekend.

Match leaders vs. Stanford (Sat.):

  • Kills: Hilir Henno (28) – AVCA Player of the Week, No. 2 in the country in kills per set (4.43), No. 6 in the country in hitting percentage (.402)
  • Digs: Cole Power (13)

Next up: UCI has a home and away set of matches vs. Concordia this weekend before another home and away slate vs. UC San Diego.

USA Volleyball National Team Development Team Program/UCI players

Cole Power, who had four assists and four digs vs. Saint Francis, was a member of the 2023 Collegiate National Team. He was also a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team that took bronze at the Pan Am Cup.

Akhil Tangutur had four kills and two digs in the loss to George Mason. Akhil was on the 2022 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team as well as the 2019 Boys Youth National Training Team and the 2018 Boys Youth National Team that took silver at the NORCECA Continental Championship.

NCAA Division III

No. 1 Wentworth

Wentworth sits atop the rankings yet again with a 14-0 record after most recently defeating Nichols 3-1 and Elms 3-0, both on the road.

Match leaders vs. Elms:

  • Kills: Ryan Roller (12)
  • Digs: Jeremy Macek (8)

Next up: Wentworth continues its road trip Friday night against Rivier and Tuesday night vs. Emerson.

No. 2 Stevens

The Ducks improved to 17-1 with a 3-0 win vs. New Paltz on Tuesday. Their only loss is still to No. 1 Wentworth on Jan. 20.

Match leaders vs. New Paltz:

  • Kills: Percy Bickford (9)
  • Digs: Phu-Quy Ho (8)

Next up: Stevens will see No. 4 Springfield on the road this Saturday in a matchup between two top-5 teams before traveling to Pennsylvania for the Misericordia Tri-Match with Misericordia and Marymount on March 2.

No. 3 Southern Virginia

Southern Virginia is undefeated at 11-0 to begin the season. The Knights most recently took a 3-0 victory over Randolph-Macon on Feb. 16.

Match leaders vs. Randolph-Macon:

  • Kills: Christian Sheaffer (19)
  • Blocks: Kristo Bianchin (7)

Next up: The Knights will hit the road to face Messiah on Friday night, Bethany on Saturday, and Nazareth on Thursday.

No. 4 Springfield

The Pride are proving they belong in the No. 4 slot in the roundup as the team now sits at 13-1. The one loss came in the opening match to CUI 3-0 in Irvine on Jan. 12. Springfield most recently defeated Lasell in five sets on Wednesday.

Match leaders vs. Lasell:

  • Kills: Sam Levinson (19)
  • Digs: Ricardo Ortiz (18)

Next up: Springfield will face its toughest test yet on Saturday when they host No. 2 Stevens.

No. 5 Cal Lutheran

Head Coach Kevin Judd earned his 100th career win in a 3-1 win over Milwaukee School of Engineering as the Kingsmen improved to a 15-5 overall record. Cal Lutheran has made it four straight wins since the 3-1 loss to UCSB.

Match leaders vs. MSOE

  • Kills: Jordan Cooper (14)
  • Blocks: Borys Horiuk (4)

Next up: Cal Lutheran can return to the comforts of home for all but one more match the rest of the way this season. CLU will next face Aurora, Rivier, and Baldwin Wallace in the Cal Lu Fornia Invitational March 6-7.

Dillon Klein, Shane Wetzel and Owen Rose signal on the 2023 U21 Men’s National Team.

NTDP PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

  • Trent Moser – BYU

Trent was on the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that took silver at the Pan Am Cup and the 2022 Men’s U21 National Team that won gold at the Pan Am Cup.

2/10 vs. LIU (W 3-0) 3 kills, 2 assists

 

  •  Kupono Browne – BYU

Kupono was on the 2023 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team

2/17 vs. GCU (L 0-3)  11 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace

 

  • Nyherowo Omene – Princeton

Nyherowo was on the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that took silver at the Pan Am Cup and the 2022 Men’s U21 National Team that won gold at the Pan Am Cup.

2/7 vs. Penn State (L 0-3) 6 kills, 5 blocks, 1 dig, 1 ace

 

  • Ryan Merk – Penn State

Ryan was on the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that took silver at the Pan Am Cup.

2/17 @ Princeton (W 3-0) 1 assist, 5 digs

 

  •  Toby Ezeonu – Penn State

Toby was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team that earned bronze in the Pan American Cup. He is No. 1 in the country in hitting percentage (.542). Toby was named EIVA Offensive Player of the Week this week .

2/17 @ Princeton (W 3-0) 5 kills, 5 aces, 2 blocks

 

  • Wesley Smith – USC

Wesley was a member of the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team. He was also on the 2022 Men’s U21 National Team that won gold at the Pan Am Cup where he was named Best Blocker.

2/16 vs. CUI (W 3-2) 12 kills, 4 blocks, 2 digs

 

  • Caleb Blanchette – USC

Caleb was a member of the 2022 and 2023 U19 Beach National Team. He was also on the 2022 Boys U19 Pan Am Cup team that won gold.

2/16 vs. CUI (W 3-2) 55 assists, 13 digs, 1 ace, 1 kill, 2 blocks

 

  • Kyle Paulson – USC

Kyle was a member of the 2023 U23 Beach National Team. He competed at the NORCECA U23 Tour where he placed fourth with Sebastian Rodriguez (LBSU). Kyle was also a member of the 2023 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team. Kyle is No. 8 in the nation in blocks per set (1.154).

2/16 vs. CUI (W 3-2) 8 kills, 8 blocks, 4 digs, 1 assist, 1 ace

 

  • Dillon Klein – USC

Dillon was a member of the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team.

2/16 vs. CUI (W 3-2) 18 kills, 3 blocks, 4 digs

 

  • Jacob Pasteur – Ohio State

Jacob was a member of the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup team that finished fifth. He was also on the 2022 Pan Am Cup team that finished third and was on the 2022 week one VNL roster. Pasteur was selected as the 2024 MIVA Preseason Player of the Year for the second-consecutive season. He is No. 5 in the country in aces per set (.630).

2/20 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (W 3-2) 17 kills, 2 aces, 4 blocks, 2 assists

 

  • Shane Wetzel  – Ohio State

Shane was on the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that took silver at the Pan Am Cup. He was also on the 2022 U21 National Team that won gold.

2/20 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (W 3-2) 2 kills, 1 dig

 

  • Parker Van Buren – Loyola Chicago

Parker was on the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team and he was a member of the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup team that finished fifth. He was also on the 2022 Pan Am Cup Final Six team that earned bronze.

2/14 vs. Ball State (L 2-3) 13 kills, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 2 digs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clarke Godbold (JohnoMoto Photo/LBSU Athletics)
Clarke Godbold (JohnoMoto Photo/LBSU Athletics)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 2, 2024) – For the third straight week, the college roundup has a new No. 1. Long Beach State earned 23 votes in the latest AVCA poll and is now top of the pack as one of the few remaining unbeaten teams in DI/II. In DIII, Wentworth remains atop the list for another week, while Cal Lutheran and Southern Virginia flip-flop at No. 3 and 4. The college roundup showcases some of the key matches of the week while also highlighting athletes who are part of the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program.

(rankings source: AVCA.org)

NCAA Division I/II

No. 1 Long Beach State

Long Beach State is your new No. 1 team in the rankings. The Beach is 7-0 and most recently posted a pair of sweeps against No. 10 Pepperdine and Concordia. LBSU is the No. 1 blocking team in DI/II with 3.729 blocks per set.

Match leaders vs. CUI:

  • Kills: Clarke Godbold (8) – No. 5 in the country in kills per set (4.10) and No. 4 in hitting percentage (.480)
  • Blocks: Lazar Bouchkov (8) – AVCA Player of the Week, No. 1 in the nation in blocks per set (1.83)

Next up: Long Beach State will return to the court on Friday night when they face King at home.

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/LBSU Players

Mason Briggs, who had six digs vs. CUI, was on the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup Final Six team that won gold. He was also part of the 2022 U.S. Men’s National Team and was on the roster for the FIVB World Championship, where the team finished sixth. He is No. 10 in the country in digs per set (2.25).

Clarke Godbold had eight kills, three digs and five total blocks vs. CUI. Clarke was a member of the 2023 Collegiate National Team. He was also twice named to the U.S. Men’s U21 National Training Team and competed at the FIVB U19 World Championship in 2019. He was named Big West Offensive Player of the Week this week. Clarke is tied for No. 4 in the nation in blocks per set (1.5).

Sebastian Rodriguez, who had an ace vs. CUI, was a member of the 2023 Beach U23 National Team and the 2023 Beach Collegiate National Team.

Ben Braun was a member of the 2023 Beach Collegiate National Team.

Dane Hillis was a member of the 2023 U21 National Team that took silver at the Pan Am Cup and the 2022 U21 National Team that won gold at the Pan Am Cup.

Sebastiano Sani was on the 2023 U19 National Team that placed fourth at the 2023 U19 World Championships and took gold at the NORCECA U19 Pan Am Cup.

Chris Connelly was on the U21 National Team in 2023 and 2022 and the U19 National Team in 2021 and 2020.

Island Doty was a member of the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that competed at the FIVB World Championships.

Aiden Knipe had 30 assists and five digs vs. CUI. Aiden was a member of the 2019 Boys Youth National Training Team, as well as the 2018 Boys Youth National Team that earned silver at the NORCECA Continental Championship. He is No. 10 in the country in assists per set (9.71).

No. 2 Grand Canyon

The Lopes moved up to the No. 2 spot this week. CCU is now 7-0 to start the season, most recently defeating Merrimack on Wednesday 3-1 in advance of the Harvard Invitational this weekend.

Match leaders vs. Merrimack:

  • Kills: Jackson Hickman (15) – No. 8 in the country in hitting percentage (.398)
  • Digs: Nicholas Slight (15) – No. 5 in the country in assists per set (10)

Next up: Grand Canyon begins the Harvard Invitational on Friday with a match against The Crimson, followed by a Saturday afternoon match with Daemen. GCU is then off until Feb. 16 when they travel to face BYU.

USA Volleyball National Team Development Team Program/Grand Canyon players

Camden Gianni, who had six kills, three blocks and one dig vs. Merrimack, was on the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup Final Six team that won gold and the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup team that placed fifth. He is No. 4 in the country in aces per set (.750).

Jackson Hickman, who had 15 kills, three digs and one block vs. Merrimack, was on the 2023 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team and the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team.

Rico Wardlow, who had six kills, one ace and two digs vs. Merrimack, was on the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team.

Nicholas Slight who had 32 assists, 15 digs and two aces vs. Merrimack, was on the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team.

No. 3 Hawaii

Hawaii moves up a slot to No. 3 in the rankings this week. The Rainbow Warriors are 6-1 after defeating Ball State on the road 3-1 last weekend.

Match leaders vs. Ball State:

  • Kills: Tinaishe Ndvazocheva (16)
  • Blocks: Will Patterson (9)

Next up: Hawaii is back home for a weekend matchup with Tusculum and a Wednesday night meeting with No. 4 Stanford.

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/Hawaii Players

Tread Rosenthal, who had 38 assists, two aces and five digs vs. Ball State, was a member of the 2023 U19 National Team that placed fourth at the U19 World Championships and won gold at the NORCECA U19 Pan Am Cup. He was named MVP and Best Setter at the 2023 Pan Am Cup. It was his second year in a row claiming the Best Setter title after he competed with the U19 team in 2022 that also took home gold at the Pan Am Cup. He is No. 6 in the country in assists per set (9.96).

Chaz Galloway had 10 kills, four assists and four digs vs. Ball State. Chaz was a member of the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team.

Kai Rodriguez was on the 2023 Beach U19 National Team and won gold at the 2023 Caribbean Beach Championship with Jackson Herbert.

No. 4 Stanford  

Stanford celebrates (Stanford Athletics)
Stanford celebrates (Stanford Athletics)

Stanford has made its official entry into the top-5 in 2024. The Cardinal has been on a 6-0 tear to start the 2024 season, most recently defeating Ball State 3-1 on Jan. 20.

Match leaders vs. Ball State:

  • Kills: Will Rottman (22) – No. 7 in the country in kills per set (4.04)
  • Digs: Nathan Lietzke (10) – No. 8 in the country in digs per set (2.33)

Next up: Stanford will host CSUN for two matches on Friday and Saturday night before traveling to face No. 3 Hawaii on Feb. 7.

USA Volleyball National Team Development Team Program/Stanford players

Will Rottman, who had 22 kills, six digs and four aces, was a member of the 2021 Men’s National Team that placed fifth at the NORCECA Continental Championship. He was also on the 2020 Men’s Collegiate National Team. He is No. 9 in the country in kills per set (4.04).

Alex Rottman had seven kills, five digs and four blocks vs. Ball State. Alex was a member of the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that earned silver at the Pan Am Cup, as well as the U21 team that competed at the FIVB World Championships

Nathaniel Gates was on the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team. He was also on the 2021 Men’s U21 National Training Team and the 2020 Men’s Junior National Training Team.

Theo Snoey, who had two kills vs. Ball State, was a member of the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that competed at the FIVB World Championships.

No. 5 UCLA

After falling to UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 25, UCLA has racked up two straight wins on the road against UC San Diego (3-0) and No. 7 UC Irvine (3-2).

Match leaders vs. UCI:

  • Kills: Cooper Robinson (22)
  • Blocks: Guy Genis (4)

Next up: The Bruins will see UCI again on Friday before taking a week off in between the following matches with No. 1 Long Beach State on Feb. 9-10.

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/UCLA players:

Andrew Rowan had 47 assists, eight digs and one ace vs. UCI. He was a member of the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup Final Six team that won gold and the 2023 NORCECA Pan American Cup team that placed fifth. He was also on the 2022 U21 National Team that won gold at the Pan American Cup.

Ethan Champlin had 13 kills, nine digs and one ace vs. UCI. He was on the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup Final Six team that won gold and the 2023 NORCECA Pan American Cup team that placed fifth. Ethan was also a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team that took home bronze at the Pan American Cup Final Six.

Micah Wong Diallo was a member of the Men’s U21 National Team that took home silver at the 2023 U21 Pan American Cup.

Alex Knight was a member of the 2021 Men’s U21 National training team and the 2020 Men’s Junior National Training Team.

Merrick McHenry had six kills and two aces vs. UCI. Merrick was a member of the 2023 NORCECA Pan American Cup team that placed fifth. He was also on the 2022 NORCECA Pan Am Cup and Pan Am Cup Final Six teams that both earned bronze medals.

Zach Rama had three kills, one assist and two digs vs. UCI. Zach was on the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that took home silver at the 2023 U21 Pan American Cup.

NCAA Division III

No. 1 Wentworth

Wentworth remains No. 1 for the third week in a row with a 7-0 record and 23 votes in this week’s AVCA poll. Wentworth tallied four wins across two days in the Fenway volleyball classic, dropping only one set vs. No. 13 New Paltz on the way to defeating Endicott, New Paltz, Baruch and Nichols Jan. 27-28. Wentworth was then off until a home match with Dean on Thursday, which they won 3-0.

Match leaders vs. Dean:

  • Kills: Jeremy Macek (17)
  • Blocks: Nick Cebula (2)

Next up: Wentworth will head back to the Fenway area for a match with Emmanuel on Tuesday night.

No. 2 Stevens

The Ducks are 7-1 to start the season and holding steady at No. 2 after being ranked No. 1 for the first two AVCA polls of the year. Stevens went 2-0 at the Messiah Invitational with a 3-1 win over Juniata and a 3-0 win over Lancaster Bible.

Match leaders vs. LBC:

  • Kills: Alex Olcott (8)
  • Bocks: Tyler Hoke (4)

Next up: The Ducks will take part in the FrogJump Invitational this weekend with three matches on the docket against Carthage on Friday, then Mount Union and Juniata again on Saturday afternoon.

No. 3 Southern Virginia

The Knights are 6-0, jumping up a spot in this week’s list with wins over Illinois Institute of Technology and Liberty. Southern Virginia has not yet lost a set so far this season.

Match leaders vs. IIT:

  • Kills: Christian Sheaffer (18)
  • Bocks: Kyler Evans (4)

Next up: The Knights had an exhibition match with Liberty on Thursday in advance of two regular matches set to take place this Saturday vs. Averett and Virginia Wesleyan.

No. 4 Cal Lutheran

Cal Lutheran is 9-2 after losing the team’s first match since Jan. 16. An 3-0 loss to the Loras Duhawks drops them one spot in this week’s rankings, but CLU got right back on track with a 3-0 sweep vs. Messiah.

Match leaders vs. Messiah:

  • Kills: Jordan Cooper (14)
  • Digs: Logan Marks (5)

Next up: There is no rest for the Kingsmen in sight as the team continues its road trip in Pennsylvania. CLU has matches vs. Widener, Arcadia and Lancaster Bible all set for this weekend.

No. 5 St. John Fisher

SJF celebration (Hanife Gundogdu-SJFAthletics)
St John Fisher celebrates (Hanife Gundogdu/SJF Athletics)

SJF rounds keeps ahold of the No. 5 spot for the second straight week. The Cardinals are 8-0 after taking care of Penn State Behrend 3-0 on Jan. 27.

Match leaders vs. Penn State Behrend:

  • Kills: Jake Baker (9)
  • Digs: Trace La Robardiere (10)

Next up: The team will have four matches in Buffalo, N.Y., this weekend against Wells, UC Santa Cruz, Buffalo State and Hobart.

NTDP PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

  • Trent Moser – BYU

Trent was on the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that took silver at the Pan Am Cup and the 2022 Men’s U21 National Team that won gold at the Pan Am Cup.

1/27 vs. UCI (L 2-3) 2 digs

 

  •  Kupono Browne – BYU

Kupono was on the 2023 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team

1/27 vs. UCI (L 2-3) 8 digs, 1 kill

 

  • Nyherowo Omene – Princeton

Nyherowo was on the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that took silver at the Pan Am Cup and the 2022 Men’s U21 National Team that won gold at the Pan Am Cup. Nyherowo was last week’s EIVA Player of the Week. He is No. 9 in the country in hitting percentage (.392).

1/31 vs UCSB (W 3-1) 20 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks

 

  • Ryan Merk – Penn State

Ryan was on the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that took silver at the Pan Am Cup.

1/28 vs. Ohio State (W 3-2) 8 digs, 4 assists

 

  •  Toby Ezeonu – Penn State

Toby was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team that earned bronze in the Pan American Cup. He is No. 1 in the country in hitting percentage (.531). Toby was named EIVA Defensive Player of the Week this week .

1/28 vs. Ohio State (W 3-2) 10 kills, 2 aces, 2 digs, 3 blocks

 

  • Wesley Smith – USC

Wesley was a member of the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team. He was also on the 2022 Men’s U21 National Team that won gold at the Pan Am Cup where he was named Best Blocker.

1/31 vs. UC San Diego (L 2-3) 9 kills, 1 ace, 1 dig

 

  • Caleb Blanchette – USC

Caleb was a member of the 2022 and 2023 U19 Beach National Team. He was also on the 2022 Boys U19 Pan Am Cup team that won gold.

1/31 vs. UC San Diego (L 2-3) 40 assists, 7 digs, 3 blocks

 

  • Kyle Paulson – USC

Kyle was a member of the 2023 U23 Beach National Team. He competed at the NORCECA U23 Tour where he placed 4th with Sebastian Rodirguez (LBSU). Kyle was also a member of the 2023 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team. Kyle is No. 7 in the nation in blocks per set (1.24).

1/31 vs. UC San Diego (L 2-3) 8 kills, 1 ace, 4 digs, 5 blocks

 

  • Dillon Klein – USC

Dillon was a member of the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team.

1/31 vs. UC San Diego (L 2-3) 15 kills, 3 blocks, 5 digs

 

  • Jacob Pasteur – Ohio State

Jacob Pasteur, who did not play vs. Penn State, was a member of the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup team that finished fifth. He was also on the 2022 Pan Am Cup team that finished third and was on the 2022 week one VNL roster. Pasteur was selected as the 2024 MIVA Preseason Player of the Year for the second-consecutive season. He is No. 8 in the country in kills per set (4.03) and No. 10 in the country in aces per set. (.581)

1/28 vs. Penn State (L 2-3) 16 kills, 1 ace, 3 blocks

Nyherowo Omene
Nyherowo Omene attacks as a member of Team USA

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 22, 2023) – This week’s college roundup sees no movement in the top five for the DI/II division. Meanwhile, Stevens returns to the top of the DIII rankings after just a one-week drop. The college roundup spotlights some of the key matches of the week while also highlighting athletes who are part of the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program.

(rankings source: AVCA.org)

NCAA Division I/II

No. 1 Hawaii

Still undefeated and now at 11-0 after sweeping a doubleheader over Concordia at the end of last week

Match Leaders vs. CUI (Fri.):

  • Kills: Spyros Chakas (14)
  • Digs: ‘Eleu Choy (11)

Next Up: At home Wednesday to take on Long Island University

No. 2 UCLA

13-1 record after defeating BYU 3-0 in two matches at home last weekend

Match leaders vs BYU (Sat.):

  • Kills: David Ido (21) – No. 7 in the country in hitting percentage (.446)
  • Blocks: Alex Knight (5)

Next up: Two meetings with UCI beginning on Friday

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/UCLA players

Andrew Rowan had 37 assists and two aces vs. BYU (Sat.). Andrew was part of the 2022 U21 National Team where he was named MVP, Best Setter and Best Server.

Alex Knight, who had seven kills, five blocks and four digs vs. BYU (Sat.), was most recently a member of the 2021 Men’s U21 National Training Team and the 2020 Men’s Junior National Training Team.

No. 3 Penn State

Now 11-1 on the season with a sweep over Princeton at home last weekend

Match leaders vs. Princeton (Sat.):

  • Kills: Brett Wildman (7)
  • Blocks: Toby Ezeonu (9) – No. 4 in the country in hitting percentage (.473)

Next up: On the road to take on NJIT this weekend beginning on Friday

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/PSU Players

Brett Wildman, who had seven kills, three digs and two blocks vs. Princeton (Sat.), was a member of the 2022 U.S. Men’s National Team, winning bronze at the Pan Am Cup and the Pan Am Cup Final Six.

No. 4 Long Beach State

Now 8-2 after back-to-back wins against NJIT last Friday and Saturday.

Match Leaders vs. NJIT (Sat.):

  • Kills: Shane Holdaway (8)
  • Blocks: Simon Thorwie (7) – No. 1 in the country in blocks per set (1.735)

Next up: LBSU is back in action on March 3 at home to take on Ball State.

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/LBSU Players

Mason Briggs, who had five digs and four assists vs. NJIT (Sat.), was part of the 2022 U.S. Men’s National Team and was on the roster for the FIVB World Championship, where the team finished sixth. He is currently No. 6 in the country in digs per set (2.59).

Clarke Godbold, who had seven kills and four digs vs NJIT (Sat.), has twice been named to the U.S. Men’s U21 National Training Team and competed at the FIVB U19 World Championship in 2019.  He is No. 4 in the country in blocks per set (1.235)

Shane Holdaway, who had eight kills and three blocks vs. NJIT (Sat.), was on the 2021 Men’s Collegiate National Team and the 2021 Men’s National Team that earned bronze at the Pan American Cup

Mason Briggs celebrates vs. Loyola (John Fajardo/LBSU Athletics)

No. 5 Grand Canyon

Remains undefeated at 13-0 after downing USC in two separate matches last week

Match leaders vs. USC. (Fri.):

  • Kills: Jackson Hickman (14)
  • Digs: Nicholas Slight (9)

Next up: @ Pepperdine on Wednesday night

USA Volleyball National Team Development Team Program/GCU players

Camden Gianni, who had two kills and three digs vs. USC (Fri.), was on the 2021 Men’s Collegiate National Team and the 2021 Men’s National Team, where he earned a fifth-place finish in the NORCECA Continental Cup.

NCAA Division III

No. 1 Stevens

14-2 record after defeating NYU 3-0 last week

Match leaders vs. NYU:

  • Kills: Koby Sherman (11)
  • Digs: Jesse Knuckles (9)

Next up: Taking on RU-Newark on Thursday night.

No. 2 Vassar

Now has 11 wins in a row after beating Stevenson University on Saturday

Match leaders vs. SU:

  • Kills: Andrew Kim (18)
  • Digs: Tristan Christofferson (6)

Next up: At home to take on St. John Fisher Friday night.

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/Vassar Players

Vaughn Ramsey, who had nine kills and five digs vs. MIT on 2/18, was a member of the 2020 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team.

No. 3 Juniata

14-1 on the season after going 2-1 in the Eagle Invite last weekend

Match leaders vs. Elizabethtown (Sat.):

  • Kills: Kevin Duffy III (14)
  • Digs: Peter Carioto (13)

Next up: Taking on Misericordia and Stevens @ Stevens this Sunday

No. 4 Carthage

Now with an 8-3 record after beating North Park 3-2 last weekend

Match leaders vs. NPU:

  • Kills: Zach Bulthuis (15)
  • Digs: Jack McDonald (15)

Next up: Taking on Concordia University (Wis.) on Thursday night

No. 5 Springfield

12-2 overall record after defeating Hunter and St. Joseph’s (L.I.) last weekend

Match leaders vs. SJLI:

  • Kills: Noah Weislo (11)
  • Digs: Braden Gonzalez (6)

Next up: @ Rivier on Wednesday night

NTDP PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

  • Kaleb Jenness – Ball State

Kaleb was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team and won bronze at the Pan American Cup.
2/18 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (W 3-2): 14 kills, 5 digs, 9 blocks

 

  • Trent Moser – BYU

Trent was on the 2022 Men’s U21 National Team.
2/18 vs. UCLA (L 3-0): 6 kills, 1 dig

 

  • Heath Hughes – BYU

Heath was on the 2022 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team and played in the 2022 FISU Beach World University Championships;cCurrently fifth in the nation in assists per set (10.24). Did not play vs. UCLA.
2/11 vs. UCSB (W3-1): 46 assists, 1 kill, 1 block

 

  • Jacob Pasteur – Ohio State

Jacob was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team and won bronze at the Pan American Cup.
2/18 vs. Loyola Chicago (L 3-0): 9 kills, 6 digs, 3 blocks

 

  • Nyherowo Omene – Princeton

Nyherowo was on the 2022 Men’s National Team and won bronze at the Pan American Cup.
2/18 vs Penn State (L 3-0): 11 kills, 9 digs, 1 ace

 

  • Francesco Sani – UC Irvine

Francesco was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team and won bronze at the Pan American Cup.
2/10 vs Pepperdine (W 3-1): 15 kills, 2 aces, 4 digs

 

  • Cole Gillis – UC Irvine

Cole was a member of the 2022 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team and played with the U.S. Men’s National Team in 2021, earning bronze at the Pan American Cup
2/10 vs Pepperdine (W 3-1):  2 aces, 7 kills, 3 blocks

 

  • Jaylen Jasper – Pepperdine

Jaylen is a three-time member of the U.S. Men’s Collegiate National Team and was on the 2018 Men’s Junior National Team.
2/18 vs Stanford (L 3-2): 27 kills, 7 digs