Seven members of the top-ranked Bruins were honored by the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) which announced the 2022 All-MPSF Men's Volleyball selections on Tuesday afternoon. Setter Miles Partain was voted the MPSF Player of the Year while middle blocker Guy Genis was chosen as the MPSF Freshman of the Year.
Partain is UCLA's first winner of the MPSF Player of the Year award since Brandon Taliaferro in 2000. Genis is the third Bruin to win MPSF Freshman of the Year honors (also JT Hatch-2015 and Taliaferro-1997). In addition to Partain, the All-MPSF first-team selections included outside hitter Kevin Kobrine, middle blocker Merrick McHenry and outside hitter Ethan Champlin. Genis was a member of the All-MPSF second-team. He was joined on the MPSF All-Freshman team by opposite Ido David and outside hitter Grant Sloane.
Partain has guided UCLA to the nation's No. 1 hitting percentage (.378) . The Bruins have hit over .300 in the last 15 straight matches this season. Partain enters the week ranked seventh in the nation in set assists (10.33) and has been a winner of the both the Molten/MPSF Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week Award this season. Genis rates third in the MPSF in hitting percentage (.521) and is the current MPSF leader in blocks per set (1.04).
Kobrine ranks ninth in the MPSF in hitting percentage (.363). McHenry rates second in the NCAA in hitting percentage (.526) and fifth in the MPSF in blocks per set (0.99). Champlin is fifth in the MPSF and 25th in the NCAA in service aces per set (0.41). David is third in the MPSF in service aces per set (0.44), seventh in hitting percentage at .409, eighth in kills per set (3.15) and eighth in points per set (3.77). Sloane saw action in 12 matches this season and posted a season-best 16 kills against UC Irvine.
UCLA, 21-3 and ranked No. 1 in the nation, is the top seed into this week's MPSF Tournament which be held at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom beginning on Wednesday with the quarterfinal round. The Bruins will play their first match in the tournament in the semifinal round at 4 p.m. on Thursday. The MPSF Championship match will be played at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The winner of that contest will receive the league's automatic bid into the seven-team NCAA Men's Collegiate Volleyball Championship which will also be hosted by UCLA beginning on May 1.
MPSF Quarterfinals: Wednesday, April 20 (at UCLA)
No. 1 Seed UCLA---Bye
No. 2 Seed USC vs. No. 7 Seed Concordia---2:05 pm
No. 3 Seed Pepperdine vs. No. 6 Seed BYU---5:05 pm
No. 4 Seed Grand Canyon vs. No. 5 Seed Stanford---8:05 pm
MPSF Semifinals: Thursday, April 21 (at UCLA)
Lowest Remaining Seed at 1 Seed UCLA---4:05 pm
Highest-Seeded Quarterfinal Winners---7:05 pm
MPSF Championship: Saturday, April 23 (at UCLA)
Semifinal Winners---6:05 pm
All matches will be streamed at https://flosports.link/3GqTSKn
(subscription required)
For MPSF Tournament ticket information click on: https://bit.ly/3xvHF5h
Partain is UCLA's first winner of the MPSF Player of the Year award since Brandon Taliaferro in 2000. Genis is the third Bruin to win MPSF Freshman of the Year honors (also JT Hatch-2015 and Taliaferro-1997). In addition to Partain, the All-MPSF first-team selections included outside hitter Kevin Kobrine, middle blocker Merrick McHenry and outside hitter Ethan Champlin. Genis was a member of the All-MPSF second-team. He was joined on the MPSF All-Freshman team by opposite Ido David and outside hitter Grant Sloane.
Partain has guided UCLA to the nation's No. 1 hitting percentage (.378) . The Bruins have hit over .300 in the last 15 straight matches this season. Partain enters the week ranked seventh in the nation in set assists (10.33) and has been a winner of the both the Molten/MPSF Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week Award this season. Genis rates third in the MPSF in hitting percentage (.521) and is the current MPSF leader in blocks per set (1.04).
Kobrine ranks ninth in the MPSF in hitting percentage (.363). McHenry rates second in the NCAA in hitting percentage (.526) and fifth in the MPSF in blocks per set (0.99). Champlin is fifth in the MPSF and 25th in the NCAA in service aces per set (0.41). David is third in the MPSF in service aces per set (0.44), seventh in hitting percentage at .409, eighth in kills per set (3.15) and eighth in points per set (3.77). Sloane saw action in 12 matches this season and posted a season-best 16 kills against UC Irvine.
UCLA, 21-3 and ranked No. 1 in the nation, is the top seed into this week's MPSF Tournament which be held at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom beginning on Wednesday with the quarterfinal round. The Bruins will play their first match in the tournament in the semifinal round at 4 p.m. on Thursday. The MPSF Championship match will be played at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The winner of that contest will receive the league's automatic bid into the seven-team NCAA Men's Collegiate Volleyball Championship which will also be hosted by UCLA beginning on May 1.
MPSF Quarterfinals: Wednesday, April 20 (at UCLA)
No. 1 Seed UCLA---Bye
No. 2 Seed USC vs. No. 7 Seed Concordia---2:05 pm
No. 3 Seed Pepperdine vs. No. 6 Seed BYU---5:05 pm
No. 4 Seed Grand Canyon vs. No. 5 Seed Stanford---8:05 pm
MPSF Semifinals: Thursday, April 21 (at UCLA)
Lowest Remaining Seed at 1 Seed UCLA---4:05 pm
Highest-Seeded Quarterfinal Winners---7:05 pm
MPSF Championship: Saturday, April 23 (at UCLA)
Semifinal Winners---6:05 pm
All matches will be streamed at https://flosports.link/3GqTSKn
(subscription required)
For MPSF Tournament ticket information click on: https://bit.ly/3xvHF5h