Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Executive Director, Al Beaird, announced on Wendesday the
MPSF All-Academic Scholar-Athletes for the 2016 men's volleyball season. Four Bruins were represented on the team - junior middle blocker Mitch Stahl, junior setter / hitter Hagen Smith, junior outside hitter Michael Fisher and junior libero Jackson Bantle.

Stahl saw action in 28 matches, with 27 starts this past season. He had 18 matches with at least 4.0 blocks and a season-high 9 block assists at Hawai'i. His 114 block assists in 2016 ranked 10th on the all-time school rally era list, while his 124 total blocks ranked eighth-best in school history. Stahl hit at least .500 in 16 matches, including .625 against Ohio State in NCAA semifinal match. His .471 hitting percentage mark this season was the third-highest in school history (rally scoring era, minimun of 300 attacks) and he finished ranked sixth in the nation in blocks/set (1.19). The Pennsylvania native was a second-team AVCA All-America selection and a second-team All-MPSF selection. Stahl was also a finalist for the Ryan Millar Award presented to the nation's best middle attacker. He was named the AVCA National Player of the Week for Jan. 11 after leading the Bruins to wins over George Mason, Ohio State and Penn State while hitting .619 with 29 kills and 17.0 blocks. He had multiple aces in 11 matches, with best of three vs. USC and ranked 13th in MPSF in aces/set (0.31).

Smith started in all 31 matches he played as setter in the 6-2 offense. He tied his career-best with nine kills in wins over Long Beach State and Pepperdine. Smith compiled 21 matches with at least five digs and six with at least nine digs. He also set a new career-high with 14 digs vs. Ohio State. On the season, Smith registered 15 matches with at least 3.0 blocks (season-high 8 blocks at Penn State) and had a season-best three aces vs. Ohio State and USC. He was an honorable mention All-MPSF selection.

Fisher appeared in 25 matches and made six starts in 2016. He had a season-best 17 kills and six digs vs. Concordia and tallied 11 kills in a win over Ohio State and nine in a victory at Penn State. Fisher recorded multiple blocks in five matches on the year (high of four at Penn State to tie his career-best). He totaled two aces in matches at Penn State, at Cal Baptist, USC and at Hawa'i.

Bantle saw action in all 32 matches and registered 16 aces from the service line. He had a season-high of two aces in matches against George Mason, Cal Baptist and Pepperdine. He also recorded a high of three digs in contests vs. UCSD, Princeton and at Hawai'i.

All members of the MPSF All-Academic Scholar-Athlete volleyball team had to meet the following criteria:
1. 3.00 or better cumulative grade point average.
2. Must be at least a sophomore academically.
3. Must have completed one full academic year at the institution prior to the season for which the award