By Sevrin Lavenstein | March 15, 2024 , 12:42 PM (MDT)
Men's College Roundup for March 15
Chaz Galloway and members of the 2023 Men's Collegiate National Team
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 15, 2024) – Major changes hit the college roundup as we finish off the second full week of March. Down goes former No. 1 GCU, who had its undefeated streak snapped with two ranked losses in the Outrigger Invitational. No. 5 UC Irvine defeated GCU in five sets, and former No. 3 Hawaii did it in three. This result moves the Rainbow Warriors up to the No. 1 slot in this week’s rankings. No change for UCI, who now looks up at No. 4 GCU. No. 1 Hawaii will play No. 2 Long Beach State this weekend for two matches that highlight the mid-March matchups.
In DIII, we have the roundup’s first tie. It was too close to call this week for the AVCA when comparing Stevens (22-1) and Southern Virginia (20-0), so the two schools share the No. 2 spot. This means we welcome back Cal Lutheran to the top-5 in the final spot as Springfield is bumped down to No. 7.
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.
Hawaii went 3-0 at the Outrigger invitational with wins over Lewis, then No. 1 GCU and No. 5 UC Irvine. This moved Hawaii to 17-1 on the season. The tournament success was thanks in large part to outside hitter Spyros Chakas, who averaged 4.18 kills per set, 1.64 digs per set, and had a career best .737 hitting percentage vs. Lewis. Spyros was named this week’s AVCA Player of the Week for DI/II and was also named Most Outstanding Player at the tourney. However, it came at a cost as Hawaii Head Coach Charlie Wade confirmed after the match that Spyros will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Hawaii went five sets with Irvine in the final match of the tournament on Sunday.
Match leaders vs. UCI:
Kills: Spyros Chakas (17) – AVCA Player of the Week, No. 3 in the nation in hitting percentage (.417), No. 5 in kills per set (4.15).
Blocks: Kurt Nusterer (9)
Next up: Hawaii continues top-ranked play with two matches on the road against No. 2 Long Beach State on Friday and Saturday.
USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/Hawaii Players
Tread Rosenthal had 41 assists, four kills, seven blocks and four digs vs. UCI. 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. He is No. 9 in the country in assists per set (9.89) and No. 7 in aces per set (.536).
Chaz Galloway had two kills, two blocks and one dig vs. UCI. 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. 2 Long Beach State
Long Beach State earned eight first-place votes but remains No. 2 this week. The Beach is 16-1 after defeating UC Santa Barbara on March 8 (3-1) and March 9 (3-2). The Saturday match was the first of the season for Long Beach that went five sets, and it featured 17 lead changes over three hours.
Match leaders vs. UCSB (Sat.):
Kills: Skyler Varga (19)
Digs: Mason Briggs (17)
Next up: Long Beach will take on No. 1 Hawaii this weekend.
USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/LBSU Players
Mason Briggs, who had 17 digs and four assists vs. UCSB (Sat.), 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 is No. 7 in the nation in digs per set (2.52).
Clarke Godbold, wo had 10 kills, three blocks and one dig vs. UCSB (Sat.), 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.
Sebastian Rodriguez 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 52 assists, 11 digs and four blocks vs. UCSB (Sat.). 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.
No. 3 UCLA
UCLA defeated Penn State 3-2 and Ohio State 3-0 last weekend in the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge. The team hit .429 in straight sets vs. the No. 8 Buckeyes. No. 3 UCLA is now 16-4 on the year.
Match leaders vs. OSU:
Kills: Ethan Champlin (10)
Digs: Matthew Aziz (5)
Next up: UCLA is off until March 29 when they face No. 6 Stanford at home for two matches that weekend.
USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/UCLA players:
Andrew Rowan 21 assists, one kill, one dig and two blocks vs. Ohio State. 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. 5 in the country in assists per set (10.23).
Ethan Champlin had 10 kills, two aces and four digs vs. Ohio State. He was named MPSF Offensive Player of the Week after his performance over the weekend. Ethan 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 bronze at the Pan American Cup Final Six.
Micah Wong Diallo was a member of the Men’s U21 National Team that took 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 one kill, two aces, three blocks and two digs vs. OSU. 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 was on the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that took silver at the 2023 U21 Pan American Cup.
No. 4 Grand Canyon
It’s a three-slot drop for GCU after the program’s undefeated streak and first-ever run at the top of the AVCA polls came to an end. The Lopes are still in the top-five after dropping two matches in the Outrigger Invitational to No. 5 UC Irvine (3-2) and then No. 3 Hawaii (3-0). They did rebound with a 3-2 win over Lewis to finish off the tournament.
Match leaders vs. Lewis:
Kills: Jarrett Anderson (14)
Digs: Cooper Herndon (15)
Next up: GCU will face NJIT this weekend for two matches at home.
USA Volleyball National Team Development Team Program/Grand Canyon players
Camden Gianni, who had eight kills and one ace vs. Lewis, 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 (.627).
Jackson Hickman, who had 13 kills, one ace, four blocks and six digs vs. Lewis, was on the 2023 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team and the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team.
Rico Wardlow, who had 10 kills, three blocks and four digs vs. Lewis, was on the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team.
Nicholas Slight had 49 assists, one kill, five blocks and 10 digs vs. Lewis. Nicholas was on the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team. He is No. 2 in the country in assists per set (10.60). Slight earned MPSF Offensive Player of the Week the week of March 4 for his performance in two wins over No. 6 Stanford.
No. 5 UC Irvine
UC Irvine went 1-2 over the course of the weekend at the Outrigger Invitational, with that one win being the big one over GCU. UCI put a stop to the two-match skid with a victory over UCSB on Wednesday 3-0.
Match leaders vs. UCSB (Wed.):
Kills: Hilir Henno (10) – No. 1 in the country in kills per set (4.70), No. 7 in the country in hitting percentage (.404)
Digs: Brett Sheward (7)
Next up: UCI travels to face UCSB again on Friday night.
USA Volleyball National Team Development Team Program/UCI players
Cole Power, who had two assists and five digs vs. UCSB (Wed.), 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 three kills, three blokcs and five digs vs. UCSB (Wed.). 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 is now a perfect 20-0 on the season after recent road wins over UC Santa Cruz (3-0) and Regis (3-0). Jacob LaBouliere earned his second AVCA Player of the Week honors for his performances in matches from March 4-10 where he averaged just under 12 kills per match.
Match leaders vs. Regis:
Kills: Jacob LaBouliere (9) – AVCA Player of the Week
Digs: Jacob Waga (13)
Next up: Wentworth will return home to face NYU this Sunday and Emmanuel next Thursday.
T-No. 2 Stevens
The Ducks went 2-0 in the Stevens Tri-Match, defeating Stevenson 3-1 and Lasell 3-0. The wins keep Stevens’ 19 game winning streak intact and improves the program to 12-1 all-time vs. Stevens and 5-0 all-time vs. Lasell.
Match leaders vs. Lasell:
Kills: Koby Sherman (14)
Digs: Phu-Quy Ho (5)
Next up: Stevens is back in action on Friday on the road vs. Arcadia, followed by a match on March 16 vs. Widener.
T-No. 2 Southern Virginia
Southern Virginia is 20-0 on the year and splits the No. 2 vote this week with Stevens. The Knights took a one-match break from CVC conference play the rest of the season to host Lancaster Bible in a 3-0 win.
Match leaders vs. LBC:
Kills: Christian Sheaffer (9)
Digs: Tyler Sheaffer (4)
Next up: The Knights return to conference play with a home match vs. Juniata on March 22.
No. 4 Loras
The Duhawks are now 18-0 after most recently defeating Augustana (Ill.) 3-0 on March 13.
Match leaders vs. AC:
Kills: Corey Mayotte (14)
Digs: Brady Oberfoell (9)
Next up: Loras is off until March 20 when they will face Illinois Wesleyan at home.
No. 5 Cal Lutheran
The Kingsmen went 5-1 during the Cal Lu Fornia Invitational, giving the team a 20-5 record entering the home stretch of games. The team’s only loss was 3-1 to No. 1 Wentworth, and they finished off the tournament with a 3-0 win over Marymount.
Match leaders vs. Marymount:
Kills: Jordan Cooper (15)
Blocks: Taylor Marks (9)
Next up: Cal Lutheran has two more matches left and will next play at UC Santa Cruz on April 6.
Parker Van Buren (Loyola Chicago) with the 2023 Men’s Collegiate National Team.
NTDP PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Kupono Browne – BYU
Kupono was on the 2023 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team.
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.
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. 7 in the nation in blocks per set (1.103).
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. 2 in the country in aces per set (.654).
3/14 vs. Ball State (L 3-1) 11 kills, 8 digs, 3 assists, 3 blocks
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.
3/14 vs. Ball State (L 3-1) 22 kills, 6 digs, 2 blocks
Kyle Teune – Ohio State
Kyle was on the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team that earned silver at the 2023 Pan Am Cup and the 2022 Pan Am Cup team that took home gold
3/14 vs. Ball State (L 3-1) 10 kills, 1 ace, 7 digs
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. Parker is No. 7 in the nation in kills per set (4.0).
3/14 vs. Quincy (W 3-1) 18 kills, 1 assist, 1 ace 1 block, 1 dig
No change to the roundup this week as the top-5 stays the same across both divisions. Grand Canyon is on top for another week in DI/II, earning 21 AVCA votes to remain No. 1. In DIII, Wentworth earned 20 votes to stay ahead of Stevens and Southern Virginia.
Once again, this week’s college roundup sees no movement in the top five for both the DI/II division and the DIII division as Hawaii and Stevens remain on top of their respective rankings.
This week, the roundup welcomes back a familiar name to the top-5 in DI/II. UC Irvine jumps two spots from their 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.
For the first time in 2024, the roundup sees no changes from the previous week. Despite suffering its first loss of the season, Long Beach State earns 17 votes by AVCA to stay at No. 1 ahead of undefeated Grand Canyon. Meanwhile in DIII, Wentworth has secured 12 wins to start the year and holds a firm grip on the top spot. 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.
By Sevrin Lavenstein | March 17, 2023 , 10:22 AM (MDT)
Men's College Roundup for March 17
Brett Wildman of Penn State passes as a member of team USA
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 17, 2023) – We have movement! Penn State and UCLA swap places for this week’s college roundup in the DI/II rankings. Meanwhile in the DIII section, newcomer Messiah enters the top five rankings for the first time this season. 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.
The unbeaten streak was snapped by Penn State on March 10 in a 3-1 loss, but Hawaii was still able to rip off 16 wins before making a mark in the loss column. They now sit at 17-1 with a win over No. 3 UCLA on Saturday.
Match Leaders vs. UCLA:
Kills: Dimitrios Mouchlias (22) – No. 10 in the country in kills per set (3.94)
Blocks: Guilherme Voss (6)
Next Up: Will take on No. 4 Long Beach State for two games beginning this Friday
No. 2 Penn State
Went 2-1 in Hawaii for the Outrigger challenge, including a loss to No. 3 UCLA but also a win vs. No. 1 Hawaii. Pushed the overall record to 17-2 on the season with a win against Purdue Ft. Wayne to close out the trip
Match leaders vs. PFW:
Kills: Cal Fisher (15)
Digs: Ryan Merk (8)
Next up: Home to take on St. Francis on Saturday night
USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/PSU Players Toby Ezeonu, who had five kills, one dig and one block vs. PFW, was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team that earned bronze in the Pan American Cup.
Brett Wildman, who had four kills, three digs and one assist vs. PFW, 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.
Cole Bogner, who had 33 assists, five digs, one kill and one block vs. PFW, was a member of the 2021 Men’s Collegiate National Team.
Andrew Rowan of UCLA sets while on Team USA
No. 3 UCLA
19-2 record on the year, losing only the second game of the season to No. 1 Hawaii at the Outrigger Invitational
Match leaders vs. UH:
Kills: David Ido (21)
Digs: Alex Knight (7)
Next up: On the road to take on Stanford this weekend
USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/UCLA players Andrew Rowan had 53 assists, two aces, two blocks vs. UH. Andrew was part of the 2022 U21 National Team that won gold at the Pan American Cup. Andrew was named MVP, Best Setter and Best Server on the U21 Team.
Ethan Champlin had 10 kills, six blocks, and two aces and vs. UH. Ethan was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team that took home bronze at the Pan American Cup Final Six and the 2021 Men’s National Team that also earned bronze at the Pan American Cup.
Merrick McHenry had 11 kills, five blocks and one ace vs. UH. Merrick was on the 2022 Men’s National Team that took home bronze at the Pan American Cup and the Pan American Cup Final Six. He was also a member of the 2021 Men’s National Team that earned bronze at the Pan American Cup.
Alex Knight had seven digs and two kills vs. UH. Alex was a member of the 2021 Men’s U21 National training team and the 2020 Men’s Junior National Training Team.
No. 4 Long Beach State
11-2 on the season with most recent victories in two matches against UC Santa Barbara last week
Match Leaders vs. UCSB (Sat.):
Kills: Sotiris Siapanis (17) – 6th in the country in aces per set (.596)
Blocks: Simon Thorwie (8) – 1st in the country in blocks per set (1.702)
Next up: LBSU will travel to face No. 1 Hawaii for two games, with the first beginning on Friday night
USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/LBSU Players
Mason Briggs, who had 13 digs and four assists vs. UCSB (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. 4 in the country in digs per set (2.66).
Clarke Godbold, eight blocks and eight kills vs. UCSB (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. 3 in the country in blocks per set (1.234).
Shane Holdaway, who had five blocks vs. UCSB (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.
No. 5 Grand Canyon
Sitting at 19-1 on the season and still undefeated at home with a most recent victory against Princeton on Wednesday
Match leaders vs. PU:
Kills: Camden Gianni (12)
Blocks: Rico Wardlow (4)
Next up: GCU will see Princeton once again at home on Friday
USA Volleyball National Team Development Team Program/GCU players
Camden Gianni, who had 12 kills, four digs and three aces vs. PU, 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.
Rico Wardlow, who had four blocks, three kills and two digs vs. PU, was a member of the 2019 Boys Youth National Team that placed 15th at the FIVB U19 World Championship.
NCAA Division III
No. 1 Stevens
22-2 record after most recently defeating NYU 3-1 last Wednesday
Match leaders vs. NYU:
Kills: Percy Bickford (15)
Digs: Philip Bone (10)
Next up: On the road to face Hood College on Friday
No. 2 Vassar
Now at 15-1 after defeating Elmira on March 4
Match leaders vs. EC:
Kills: Andrew Kim (13)
Digs: Jorge Adames Reyes (8)
Next up: Will take on Monroe at home on Friday night.
USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/Vassar Players Vaughn Ramsey, who had eight kills, seven digs, and five blocks vs. Misericordia on 3/3, was a member of the 2020 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team.
No. 3 Juniata
17-2 record after defeating Arcadia on March 4
Match leaders vs. AU:
Kills: Kevin Duffy III (9)
Digs: Reese Ganter (8)
Next up: Juniata will play UC Santa Cruz in California on Friday.
No. 4 Springfield
18-2 overall for the season with a win against New Paltz on March 9
Match leaders vs. SUNY NP:
Kills: Jarrett Anderson (23)
Digs: Braden Gonzalez (11)
Next up: Will face SUNY Potsdam on March 25
No. 5 Messiah
16-2 on the season and a new addition to the top five after a most recent 3-0 win over Kings College (Pa.)
Match leaders vs. KCPa:
Kills: Mason Nissley (11)
Digs: Connor Stauffer (10)
Next up: Will travel to take on Widener on March 22
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.
3/15 vs. Ohio State (W 3-0): 12 kills, 6 digs, 1 block
Trent Moser – BYU
Trent was on the 2022 Men’s U21 National Team.
3/11 vs. Ohio State (W 3-2): 11 kills, 7 digs
Heath Hughes – BYU
Heath was on the 2022 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team and played in the 2022 FISU Beach World University Championships.
3/11 vs. Ohio State (W 3-2): 5 assists, 1 dig
Jacob Pasteur – Ohio State
Jacob was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team and won bronze at the Pan American Cup.
3/15 vs. Ball State (L 3-0): 10 kills, 5 digs, 2 blocks
Nyherowo Omene – Princeton
Nyherowo was on the 2022 Men’s National Team and won bronze at the Pan American Cup.
3/15 vs. GCU (L 0-3): 6 kills, 1 ace, 1 block
Francesco Sani – UC Irvine
Francesco was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team and won bronze at the Pan American Cup.
3/11 vs. UCSD (W 3-0): 11 kills, 5 digs, 2 aces
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.
3/11 vs. UCSD (W 3-0): 4 blocks, 2 aces, 1 assist
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. Jaylen earned AVCA Player of the Week honors for the week of Feb. 26. Currently No. 2 in the country in kills per set (5.06).
3/15 vs. Harvard (W 3-0): 19 kills, 2 digs, 1 block
This week’s college roundup reshuffles the top five as we check in with the top teams in the country across the divisions. We spotlight some of the key matchups from the week that was, while also highlighting athletes who are part of the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program.
The first college roundup of February looks at some of the top teams in the country. Every week, we’ll spotlight a few of the key matchups from the week, while also highlighting athletes who are part of the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program.
The first college roundup of February looks at some of the top teams in the country. Every week, we’ll spotlight a few of the key matchups from the week, while also highlighting athletes who are part of the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program.
Once again, this week’s college roundup sees no movement in the top five for both the DI/II division and the DIII division as Hawaii and Stevens remain on top of their respective rankings.
Once again, this week’s college roundup sees no movement in the top five for both the DI/II division and the DIII division as Hawaii and Stevens remain on top of their respective rankings.
By Sevrin Lavenstein | March 1, 2023 , 11:21 AM (MST)
Men's College Roundup for March 1
Stevens players celebrate after a point (Mike McLaughlin Photography/Stevens Athletics)
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 1, 2023) – Once again, this week’s college roundup sees no movement in the top five for the DI/II division as Hawaii remains the lone undefeated program. Meanwhile, the DIII division also sees no change from a week ago as the top five remain deadlocked with Stevens on top. 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.
Undefeated and now at 13-0 after sweeping two matches with LIU last Wednesday and Friday, respectively
Match Leaders vs. LIU (Fri.):
Kills: Spyros Chakas (10)
Blocks: Cole Hogland (5) – No. 10 in the country in blocks per set (1.073)
Next Up: At home Wednesday to take on Pepperdine
No. 2 UCLA
15-1 record on the season after defeating UC Irvine 3-1 in two matches, home and away last weekend
Match leaders vs UCI (Sun.):
Kills: Merrick McHenry (15) – No. 5 in the country for hitting percentage (.470)
Digs: Ethan Champlin (8)
Next up: Home and away matches with Concordia beginning on Wednesday
USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/UCLA players Andrew Rowan had 43 assists and two blocks vs. UCI (Sun.). Andrew was part of the 2022 U21 National Team that won Gold at the Pan American Cup. Andrew was named MVP, Best Setter and Best Server on the U21 Team.
Ethan Champlin had nine kills, eight digs and two blocks vs. UCI (Sun.). Ethan was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team that took home bronze at the Pan American Cup Final Six and the 2021 Men’s National Team that also earned bronze at the Pan American Cup.
Merrick McHenry had 15 kills, seven blocks and one ace in the win against UCI (Sun.). Merrick was on the 2022 Men’s National Team that took home bronze at the Pan American Cup and the Pan American Cup Final Six. He was also a member of the 2021 Men’s National Team that earned bronze at the Pan American Cup.
No. 3 Penn State
13-1 on the season with a sweep over NJIT on the road to remain undefeated in EIVA play
Match leaders vs. NJIT (Sat.):
Kills: Toby Ezeonu (14) – No. 1 in the country in hitting percentage (.506)
Digs: Ryan Merk (6)
Next up: On the road to close out February with matches against Concordia and UCI this weekend
USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/PSU Players Toby Ezeonu, who had 14 kills and four blocks vs. NJIT (Sat.), was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team that earned bronze in the Pan American Cup.
Brett Wildman, who had five kills, three digs and one assist vs. NJIT (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
Remain at 8-2 after last defeating NJIT 3-0 on Feb. 18
Match Leaders vs. NJIT (2/18):
Kills: Shane Holdaway (8)
Blocks: Simon Thorwie (7) – 1 in the country in blocks per set (1.735)
Next up: LBSU will return to action on March 3 at home when they take on Ball State.
USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/LBSU Players Mason Briggs, who had five digs and four assists vs. NJIT (2/18), 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. 5 in the country in digs per set (2.59).
Clarke Godbold, who had seven kills and four digs vs NJIT (2/18), 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 (2/18), was on the 2021 Men’s Collegiate National Team and the 2021 Men’s National Team that earned bronze at the Pan American Cup.
No. 5 Grand Canyon
Suffered first loss of the season to drop to 14-1, but remain in the top five after losing the second of two matches to Pepperdine by a score of 3-2 last Friday
Match leaders vs. PEP (Fri.):
Kills: Camden Gianni (14)
Blocks: Christian Janke (6)
Next up: Home vs. BYU on Friday night.
USA Volleyball National Team Development Team Program/GCU players Camden Gianni, who had 14 kills, five kills, five digs and one ace vs. PEP (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.
Rico Wardlow, who had six kills, two blocks and one ace vs. PEP (Fri.), was a member of the 2019 Boys Youth National Team that placed 15th at the FIVB U19 World Championship.
NCAA Division III
No. 1 Stevens
17-2 record after Stevens Tri Match #3 which included wins against Misericordia and Juniata
Match leaders vs. Juniata:
Kills: Koby Sherman (9)
Digs: Phu-Quy Ho (10)
Next up: On the road to face Wilkes University on Wednesday
Andrew Kim hits for Vassar (Stockton Photo, Inc.)
No. 2 Vassar
Now at 13-1 after defeating Nazareth on Saturday
Match leaders vs. NC:
Kills: Andrew Kim (13)
Digs: Jacob Kim (10)
Next up: Traveling to face Misericordia 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
15-2 record after going 1-1 in the Stevens Tri-Match #3 last weekend
Match leaders vs. Stevens:
Kills: Tyler Goldsborough (14)
Digs: Tyler Goldsborough (6)
Next up: Juniata will host Roanoke on Friday
No. 4 Carthage
Now with a 9-3 record after beating Concordia University (Wis.) 3-0 last Thursday
Match leaders vs. Concordia:
Kills: Zach Bulthuis (7)
Digs: Mitch Geiger (7)
Next up: On the road for another match with North Park on Wednesday.
No. 5 Springfield
15-2 overall record after defeating Eastern Nazarene last week
Match leaders vs. EN:
Kills: Jarrett Anderson (13)
Digs: Evan Costley (7)
Next up: Home for another game against Eastern Nazarene on Wednesday
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.
2/25 vs. Quincy University (W 3-0): 19 kills, 5 digs, 1 block
Nyherowo was on the 2022 Men’s National Team and won bronze at the Pan American Cup.
2/25 vs Harvard (W 3-1): 9 kills, 4 blocks, 4 digs
Francesco Sani – UC Irvine
Francesco was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team and won bronze at the Pan American Cup.
2/26 vs UCLA (L 3-1): 10 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace
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.
2/26 vs UCLA (L 3-1): 12 kills, 4 digs, 2 aces
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. Jaylen earned AVCA Player of the Week honors for the week of Feb. 26.
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.
This week’s college roundup reshuffles the top five as we check in with the top teams in the country across the divisions. We spotlight some of the key matchups from the week that was, while also highlighting athletes who are part of the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program.
The first college roundup of February looks at some of the top teams in the country. Every week, we’ll spotlight a few of the key matchups from the week, while also highlighting athletes who are part of the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program.
The first college roundup of February looks at some of the top teams in the country. Every week, we’ll spotlight a few of the key matchups from the week, while also highlighting athletes who are part of the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program.