University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Andrew Rowan Named AVCA Player of the Year
May 08, 2026 | Men's Volleyball
LOS ANGELES โ UCLA men's volleyball senior setter Andrew Rowan was named the 2026 AVCA National Collegiate Player of the Year, the AVCA announced on Friday evening at the NCAA Championship social.
Rowan, already a four-time AVCA First-team All-American, MPSF Player of the Year, and four-time MPSF first-team selection, and two-time NCAA Champion, can add AVCA Player of the Year to his illustrious resume.
"We are so proud of Andrew, and he thoroughly deserves this award," head coach John Hawks said. "Andrew is a young man of tremendous character, a leader of men, and an incredible volleyball player. This award signifies all of the hard work he has put in over his four years in Westwood. He has been the kind of teammate who elevates everyone around him through his work ethic, humility, and commitment to excellence every single day. Whether it was during practice or on the national championship stage, he consistently led by example and represented our program with pride."
A Trabuco Canyon, California native, Rowan becomes UCLA's ย 10th AVCA Player of the Year, joining the likes of Ricci Luyties (1983, 1984), Ozzie Volstad (1987), Trevor Schirman (1989), Michael Sealy (1993), Jeff Nygaard (1994, 1995), Stein Metzger (1996), Brandon Taliaferro (2000). Rowan ends UCLA's 26 year drought without an AVCA Player of the Year award.
"As an alumnus, I can say that Andrew represents everything Bruins volleyball stands for," former head coach John Speraw said, who coached Rowan during his first two seasons. "He is a winner, an extraordinary leader, and wired to compete. All of us at UCLA are proud of who he is and the way he has represented this program. Andrew helped bring the Bruins back to winning national championships through his relentless work ethic and competitive spirit. Personally, I'm grateful that my final years coaching at UCLA were spent with Andrew, and I couldn't be happier to see him recognized as the AVCA Player of the Year."
Rowan, who also became UCLA's fourth MPSF Player of the Year in the last five years at the close of the regular season is the nation's leader in assists per set at 11.37. The Bruins hit at least .300 in 25 of their 31 matches and over .400 in 13 matches, with Rowan setting the offense in 93 of UCLA's 96 sets in helping guide 10 top-10 wins and 19 ranked wins along the way.
The senior setter is one of three players in the country who served at least 50 aces in the regular season, and at the end of the regular season, became the 13th player in MPSF history to serve 170 in his career. During the season, he became the second Bruin in the rally scoring era (since 2001) to reach 4,000 career assists, and then became UCLA's all-time leader in assists in the rally scoring era when he finished his senior season with a total of 4,448 assists across four seasons. A four-time first-team all-conference selection, Rowan is UCLA's first-ever four-time all-MPSF first-team honoree and first-team AVCA All-American honoree.
Over his four-year career, Rowan has tallied two national championships, and saved his best statistical season for last. He finished the 2026 season with 1,239 assists, 57 aces, 11.37 assists per set, and 0.52 aces per set, all single-season career highs. Rowan has the most aces of any player in 2026, the most assists and the highest assists per set numbers in the country.
Rowan recorded five matches with at least 50 assists in 2026, the most of any player nationally. He led the Bruins to a 29-2 overall record and the highest winning percentage in the country. Rowan finishes his career with an overall record of 108-16 (.871 winning percentage), and leaves as the program's leader in career assists in the rally scoring era.
Rowan, already a four-time AVCA First-team All-American, MPSF Player of the Year, and four-time MPSF first-team selection, and two-time NCAA Champion, can add AVCA Player of the Year to his illustrious resume.
"We are so proud of Andrew, and he thoroughly deserves this award," head coach John Hawks said. "Andrew is a young man of tremendous character, a leader of men, and an incredible volleyball player. This award signifies all of the hard work he has put in over his four years in Westwood. He has been the kind of teammate who elevates everyone around him through his work ethic, humility, and commitment to excellence every single day. Whether it was during practice or on the national championship stage, he consistently led by example and represented our program with pride."
A Trabuco Canyon, California native, Rowan becomes UCLA's ย 10th AVCA Player of the Year, joining the likes of Ricci Luyties (1983, 1984), Ozzie Volstad (1987), Trevor Schirman (1989), Michael Sealy (1993), Jeff Nygaard (1994, 1995), Stein Metzger (1996), Brandon Taliaferro (2000). Rowan ends UCLA's 26 year drought without an AVCA Player of the Year award.
"As an alumnus, I can say that Andrew represents everything Bruins volleyball stands for," former head coach John Speraw said, who coached Rowan during his first two seasons. "He is a winner, an extraordinary leader, and wired to compete. All of us at UCLA are proud of who he is and the way he has represented this program. Andrew helped bring the Bruins back to winning national championships through his relentless work ethic and competitive spirit. Personally, I'm grateful that my final years coaching at UCLA were spent with Andrew, and I couldn't be happier to see him recognized as the AVCA Player of the Year."
Rowan, who also became UCLA's fourth MPSF Player of the Year in the last five years at the close of the regular season is the nation's leader in assists per set at 11.37. The Bruins hit at least .300 in 25 of their 31 matches and over .400 in 13 matches, with Rowan setting the offense in 93 of UCLA's 96 sets in helping guide 10 top-10 wins and 19 ranked wins along the way.
The senior setter is one of three players in the country who served at least 50 aces in the regular season, and at the end of the regular season, became the 13th player in MPSF history to serve 170 in his career. During the season, he became the second Bruin in the rally scoring era (since 2001) to reach 4,000 career assists, and then became UCLA's all-time leader in assists in the rally scoring era when he finished his senior season with a total of 4,448 assists across four seasons. A four-time first-team all-conference selection, Rowan is UCLA's first-ever four-time all-MPSF first-team honoree and first-team AVCA All-American honoree.
Over his four-year career, Rowan has tallied two national championships, and saved his best statistical season for last. He finished the 2026 season with 1,239 assists, 57 aces, 11.37 assists per set, and 0.52 aces per set, all single-season career highs. Rowan has the most aces of any player in 2026, the most assists and the highest assists per set numbers in the country.
Rowan recorded five matches with at least 50 assists in 2026, the most of any player nationally. He led the Bruins to a 29-2 overall record and the highest winning percentage in the country. Rowan finishes his career with an overall record of 108-16 (.871 winning percentage), and leaves as the program's leader in career assists in the rally scoring era.
Players Mentioned
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