Men's College Roundup for Feb. 9

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 9, 2023) – This week’s college roundup checks in on the top teams in the country across the divisions, with new entries into the top five rankings. Every week, we spotlight a few of the key matchups, 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 7-0 after sweeping a North Carolina road trip against Queens, Belmont Abbey and Barton that ended on Jan. 28.

Match Leaders vs. Barton:

• Kills: Alaka’i Todd (13)
• Digs: Brett Sheward (9)

Next Up: A weekend trip to Stanford for two matches against the Cardinal starting Feb. 10.

No. 2 Long Beach State

6-0 record after 3-2 victory over Loyola Chicago last week

Match leaders vs LUC:

• Kills: Clarke Godbold (20)
• Digs: Mason Briggs (10)

Next up: Away and home two-game slate with UCLA on Thursday and Friday night

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/LBSU Players:

Mason Briggs, who had 10 digs and six assists vs. LUC, 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.

Clarke Godbold, who had 20 kills and seven blocks vs. LUC, 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 was named AVCA National Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 29.

No. 3 Penn State

Now 8-1 on the season after winning both matches in the Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge vs. USC and UCLA.

Match leaders vs. UCLA:

• Kills: Cal Fisher (15)
• Blocks: Toby Ezeonu (7)

Next up: @ St. Francis on Saturday night

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/PSU Players

Brett Wildman, who had three aces and four blocks vs. UCLA, 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 UCLA

Now with a 9-1 record after dropping the first match of the season with 3-1 loss to Penn State in the Big 10/Pac 12 Challenge.

Match Leaders vs. PSU:

• Kills: David Ido (12)
• Digs: Alex Knight (9)

Next up: Home and away two-game matchup with Long Beach State beginning on Thursday night.

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/UCLA players

Andrew Rowan, who had 36 assists and four digs vs. PSU, was part of the 2022 U21 National Team. He was named MVP, Best Setter, Best Server, and took home gold at the Pan American Cup.

Grant Sloane, who had three kills and two digs vs. PSU, was most recently a member of the 2022 Men’s Collegiate National Team and 2021 U.S. Men’s National Team (bronze at Pan Am Cup Final Six).

Miles Partain, who had five assists and one dig vs. PSU, is part of the U.S. Beach National Team. Also a beach player, he and partner Andy Benesh won gold at the 2022 FIVB Beach Pro Tour Dubai Challenge No. 1.

No. 5 Grand Canyon

Undefeated at 10-0 after downing UC Irvine in back-to-back games last weekend.

Match leaders vs. UCI:

• Kills: Jackson Hickman (19) – Named this week’s AVCA Player of the Week
• Blocks: Rico Wardlow (6)

Next up: Hosting Arizona Christian Friday night

USA Volleyball National Team Development Team Program/GCU players

Camden Gianni, who had two aces, seven kills and two digs vs. UCI, 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 10 kills, six blocks and two digs against UCI, was a member of the 2019 Boys Youth National Team that placed 15th in the FIVB World Championship.

Jonah Gilbert, who had one ace, four kills and one block vs. UCI, was on the 2021 Boys U19 National Training Team and the 2020 Boys Youth National Training Team.

NCAA Division III

No. 1 Stevens

Have won eight in a row and improved to an 11-1 record overall with back-to-back wins in the New Paltz Tri-Match.

Match leaders vs. Wentworth:

• Kills: Percy Bickford (10)
  
• Digs: Louden Moran (8)

Next up: Taking on No. 6 Carthage Friday night.

No. 2 Juniata

11-0 record after defeating Messiah Tuesday night.

Match leaders vs. Messiah:

• Kills: Mason Nissley (19)
• Digs: Conner Stauffer (6)

Next up: On the road to take on Marymount (Va.) on Friday night.

No. 3 Springfield

8-1 on the season after beating Lasell Tuesday night.

Match leaders vs. Lasell:

• Kills: Jarrett Anderson (13)
• Digs: Braden Gonzales (12)

Next up: vs. MIT in the International Volleyball Hall of Fame Morgan Classic on Friday.

No. 4 Vassar

5-1 overall record with most recent wins against Misericordia and Lasell

Match leaders vs. Lasell:

• Kills: Adam Gulick (12)
• Digs: Andrew Kim (9)

Next up: vs. Randolph-Macon on Friday night

USA Volleyball National Team Development Program/Vassar Players:

Vaughn Ramsey was a member of the 2020 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team.

No. 5 St. John Fisher

9-3 on the season after most recently beating Messiah and Penn State Altoona on Saturday

Match leaders vs. PSU Altoona:

Kills: Ian Rauh (9)
Digs: Trace La Robardiere (9)

Next up: Matches with Trine University and SUNY Poly at the Fisher Invite on Friday 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.
2/3 vs. BYU (W 3-1): 5 kills, 7 digs, 5 blocks

• Trent Moser – BYU

Trent was on the 2022 Men’s U21 National Team.
2/3 vs. Ball State (L 3-1): 2 kills

• Heath Hughes – BYU

Heath was on the 2022 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team and played in the 2022 FISU Beach World University Championships. Currently sixth in the nation in assists per set (10.21)
2/3 vs. Ball State (L 3-1): 2 kills, 9 digs

• Jacob Pasteur – Ohio State

Jacob was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team and won bronze at the Pan American Cup.
2/4 vs. USC (W 3-1): 18 kills, 9 digs

• Nyherowo Omene – Princeton

Nyherowo was on the 2022 Men’s National Team and won bronze at the Pan American Cup.
2/3 vs Sacred Heart (W 3-1): 5 aces, 3 blocks, 8 digs

• Francesco Sani – UC Irvine

Francesco was a member of the 2022 Men’s National Team and won bronze at the Pan American Cup.
2/4 vs Grand Canyon (L 3-2): 16 kills, 2 aces, 5 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; Currently seventh in the nation in hitting percentage (.448)
2/4 vs Grand Canyon (L 3-2): 10 kills, 2 aces, 4 blocks