Photo by: UCLA Athletics
Seven Bruins Receive All-MPSF Honors
April 18, 2023 | Men's Volleyball
Seven members of the No. 2-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team were honored by the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) which announced the 2023 All-MPSF Men's Volleyball selections on Tuesday afternoon. Five Bruins were chosen by the league coaches to the first-team --- middle blocker Merrick McHenry, outside hitter Ethan Champlin, outside hitter Alex Knight, opposite Ido David, setter Andrew Rowan. Middle blocker Guy Genis made honorable mention. In addition, Rowan was voted the MPSF Freshman of the Year. Outside hitter Zach Rama joined Rowan on the MPSF All-Freshman Team.
This is McHenry's third straight season to earn All-MPSF honors (first-team in 2022 and second-team in 2021). He leads the nation in hitting percentage this season with a .515 mark which ranks among the best all-time efforts in UCLA history. McHenry has eclipsed the .500 hitting percentage mark in 17 matches this season while averaging 1.04 blocks per match, the third-best mark among league players. His 0.29 aces per set average is 10th-best in the league.
Champlin, who was a first-team pick in 2022 and an All-Freshman team member in 2021, ranks fourth in the league in aces per set (0.38). He has recorded double-digit kills in 12 matches this season while hitting .338 and is also regarded as one of the league's top passers. Champlin ranks 10th in the league in points scored per set at 3.40.
Knight has earned All-MPSF honors for the first time in his career after ranking ninth in the league in hitting percentage (.350) and seventh in blocks per set (0.85). Also one of the team's top passers, he recorded a career-high 18.5 points in a win at No. 5 UC Irvine and tied his career-best with 15 kills in that contest. Knight has been named Off the Block National Outside Attacker of the Week twice this season.
David, who ranks third in the MPSF in ace average (0.44), eighth in hitting percentage (.364), and fifth in kills per set average (3.53) was named to the first-team for the initial time after garnering honorable mention all-league and all-freshman accolades in 2022.He leads the team this season with 18 double-digit kill matches.
Genis, who rates second in the league in blocks per set average at 1.29, was awarded honorable mention after being named the MPSF Freshman of the Year in 2022. He has rated among the top five in the nation in blocking average for the majority of the season and was chosen as Off the Block's National Middle Attacker of the Week after producing eight blocks in each win on the road at Stanford.
Rowan is the fourth Bruin to win MPSF Freshman of the Year honors (also Guy Genis-2022, JT Hatch-2015, Brandon Taliaferro-1997). He leads all MPSF players with 44 aces and ranks 12th in the nation in service aces per set average (0.46). Rowan has set the Bruins, who lead the nation in hitting percentage at .379, to an attack percentage of at least .400 in 12 matches this season and a .412 mark in league matches.
Rama produced five double-digit kill matches in his first season with the Bruins, including a season-high 12 kills against top-ranked Hawai'i. He was also in double figures against Pepperdine, Purdue Fort Wayne, CUI and George Mason.
UCLA, 27-2 overall, is the top seed into this week's MPSF Tournament which is being played at Stanford's Maples Pavilion beginning on Wednesday with the quarterfinal round. The Bruins, who completed their first undefeated regular season in league action since 1995 with a 12-0 record in 2023, will play their first match in the tournament in the semifinal round at 4:35 p.m. on Thursday against the lowest seeded team which wins its quarterfinal match. The MPSF Championship match will be played at 6:05 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 is hosted this season by George Mason University beginning on April 30.
MPSF Quarterfinals: Wednesday, April 19
No. 1 Seed UCLA---Bye
No. 2 Seed BYU vs. No. 7 Seed Concordia---3:05 pm
No. 3 Seed Stanford vs. No. 6 Seed USC---5:35 pm
No. 4 Seed Grand Canyon vs. No. 5 Seed Pepperdine---8:05 pm
MPSF Semifinals: Thursday, April 20
Lowest Remaining Seed vs. No. 1 Seed UCLA---4:35 pm
Highest-Seeded Quarterfinal Winners---7:05 pm
MPSF Championship: Saturday, April 22
Semifinal Winners---6:05 pm
All matches played at Stanford's Maples Pavilion
All matches will be streamed by FloSports
https://flosports.link/3no8mG2
(subscription required)
This is McHenry's third straight season to earn All-MPSF honors (first-team in 2022 and second-team in 2021). He leads the nation in hitting percentage this season with a .515 mark which ranks among the best all-time efforts in UCLA history. McHenry has eclipsed the .500 hitting percentage mark in 17 matches this season while averaging 1.04 blocks per match, the third-best mark among league players. His 0.29 aces per set average is 10th-best in the league.
Champlin, who was a first-team pick in 2022 and an All-Freshman team member in 2021, ranks fourth in the league in aces per set (0.38). He has recorded double-digit kills in 12 matches this season while hitting .338 and is also regarded as one of the league's top passers. Champlin ranks 10th in the league in points scored per set at 3.40.
Knight has earned All-MPSF honors for the first time in his career after ranking ninth in the league in hitting percentage (.350) and seventh in blocks per set (0.85). Also one of the team's top passers, he recorded a career-high 18.5 points in a win at No. 5 UC Irvine and tied his career-best with 15 kills in that contest. Knight has been named Off the Block National Outside Attacker of the Week twice this season.
David, who ranks third in the MPSF in ace average (0.44), eighth in hitting percentage (.364), and fifth in kills per set average (3.53) was named to the first-team for the initial time after garnering honorable mention all-league and all-freshman accolades in 2022.He leads the team this season with 18 double-digit kill matches.
Genis, who rates second in the league in blocks per set average at 1.29, was awarded honorable mention after being named the MPSF Freshman of the Year in 2022. He has rated among the top five in the nation in blocking average for the majority of the season and was chosen as Off the Block's National Middle Attacker of the Week after producing eight blocks in each win on the road at Stanford.
Rowan is the fourth Bruin to win MPSF Freshman of the Year honors (also Guy Genis-2022, JT Hatch-2015, Brandon Taliaferro-1997). He leads all MPSF players with 44 aces and ranks 12th in the nation in service aces per set average (0.46). Rowan has set the Bruins, who lead the nation in hitting percentage at .379, to an attack percentage of at least .400 in 12 matches this season and a .412 mark in league matches.
Rama produced five double-digit kill matches in his first season with the Bruins, including a season-high 12 kills against top-ranked Hawai'i. He was also in double figures against Pepperdine, Purdue Fort Wayne, CUI and George Mason.
UCLA, 27-2 overall, is the top seed into this week's MPSF Tournament which is being played at Stanford's Maples Pavilion beginning on Wednesday with the quarterfinal round. The Bruins, who completed their first undefeated regular season in league action since 1995 with a 12-0 record in 2023, will play their first match in the tournament in the semifinal round at 4:35 p.m. on Thursday against the lowest seeded team which wins its quarterfinal match. The MPSF Championship match will be played at 6:05 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 is hosted this season by George Mason University beginning on April 30.
MPSF Quarterfinals: Wednesday, April 19
No. 1 Seed UCLA---Bye
No. 2 Seed BYU vs. No. 7 Seed Concordia---3:05 pm
No. 3 Seed Stanford vs. No. 6 Seed USC---5:35 pm
No. 4 Seed Grand Canyon vs. No. 5 Seed Pepperdine---8:05 pm
MPSF Semifinals: Thursday, April 20
Lowest Remaining Seed vs. No. 1 Seed UCLA---4:35 pm
Highest-Seeded Quarterfinal Winners---7:05 pm
MPSF Championship: Saturday, April 22
Semifinal Winners---6:05 pm
All matches played at Stanford's Maples Pavilion
All matches will be streamed by FloSports
https://flosports.link/3no8mG2
(subscription required)
Players Mentioned
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