Ma'a and Gyimah Named to Pre-Season All-America team
December 21, 2018 | Men's Volleyball
A nationwide voting committee selected setter Micah Ma'a and middle blocker Daenan Gyimah to the 2018-19 Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Preseason All-American Teams announced on Friday. The annual Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Preseason All-American Team recognizes the NCAA Division I-II men's volleyball players projected to be the best in the nation during the upcoming season.
The 19-member voting committee for the preseason award was comprised of men's volleyball head coaches and volleyball reporters from around the nation. The 10 players receiving the most votes were named Preseason First-Team All-Americans, while the next top 10 vote getters were selected as Preseason Second-Team All-Americans. A requirement that the top vote getter from each position makes the Preseason All-American First Team resulted in 11 players earning a spot on the team.
Gyimah, along with Long Beach State's TJ DeFalco and Josh Tuaniga were each unanimously voted as Preseason First-Team All-Americans. The Bruin junior won the 2018 Ryan Millar Award as nation's top middle attacker and helped UCLA make the NCAA Tournament finals.
The No. 2-ranked Bruins will begin play in the 2019 season on Wednesday January 2 at 7 p.m. against Princeton in a match to be played in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Tickets will be available at the door.
Off the Block/Springbak Preseason First-Team All-Americans
Setter: Micah Ma'a, UCLA
Setter: Josh Tuaniga, Long Beach State
Outside attacker: TJ DeFalco, Long Beach State
Opposite: Kyle Ensing, Long Beach State
Opposite: Gabi Garcia Fernandez, BYU
Outside attacker: Ryan Coenen, Lewis
Outside attacker: Stijn van Tilburg, Hawai'i
Outside attacker: David Wieczorek, Pepperdine
Middle attacker: Daenan Gyimah, UCLA
Middle attacker: Scott Stadick, UC Irvine
Libero: Michael Simmons, Lewis
Off the Block/Springbak Preseason Second-Team All-Americans
Setter: Joe Worsley, Hawai'i
Setter: Garrett Zolg, Loyola
Opposite: Karl Apfelbach, UC Irvine
Opposite: Jake Hanes, Ohio State
Opposite: George Huhmann, Princeton
Opposite: Jaylen Jasper, Stanford
Outside attacker: Joel Schneidmiller, UC Irvine
Middle attacker: Nick Amado, Long Beach State
Middle attacker: Sam Lewis, USC
Libero: Jordan Molina, Long Beach State
