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Long Beach State outside attacker TJ DeFalco achieved a feat that had not been accomplished since a former U.S. Olympian did it 20 years ago.
DeFaclo was selected as the 2017 MPSF Player of the Year on Thursday to become the first player in back-to-back years to win the conference’s player of the year and newcomer of the year awards since BYU middle attacker Ryan Millar in 1996-97.
The All-American sophomore ended the regular season in the nation’s top 10 with both a 4.10 kills per game average and a .400 attack percentage. He also helped the 49ers earn a share of the MPSF regular season title along with the No. 1 seed and court advantage throughout the upcoming conference tournament.
Along with the player of the year, the MPSF announced its freshman of the year and all-conference teams.
UC Irvine middle attacker Scott Stadick was named the 2017 MPSF Newcomer of the Year. Stadick enters the postseason fifth in the nation averaging 1.20 blocks per game and eighth in the nation hitting .414.
Long Beach State led all schools with six players earning All-MPSF honors. Hawai’i had four All-MPSF selections, while BYU and UC Irvine each had three players make the all-conference team.
MPSF Awards
2017 MPSF Player of the Year: TJ DeFalco, Long Beach State
2017 MPSF Freshman of the Year: Scott Stadick, UC Irvine
All-MPSF First-Team
Setter: Jennings Franciskovic, Hawai’i
Setter: Josh Tuaniga, Long Beach State
Setter: Michael Saeta, UC Irvine
Opposite: Kyle Ensing, Long Beach state
Opposite: Stijn van Tilburg, Hawai’i
Outside attacker: Jake Arnitz, UCLA
Outside attacker: TJ DeFalco, Long Beach State
Outside attacker: Tamir Hershko, UC Irvine
Outside attacker: Jake Langlois, BYU
Outside attacker: David Wieczorek, Pepperdine
Outside attacker: Lucas Yoder, USC
Middle attacker: Mitch Stahl, UCLA
All-MPSF Second-Team
Opposite: Arvis Greene, CSUN
Opposite: Tanner Syftestad, UC San Diego
Outside attacker: Thomas Hodges, UC Irvine
Outside attacker: Brenden Sander, BYU
Middle attacker: Andy Benesh, USC
Middle attacker: Price Jarman, BYU
Middle attacker: Amir Lugo-Rodriguez, Long Beach State
Middle attacker: Hendrik Mol, Hawai’i
Middle attacker: Kevin Rakestraw, Stanford
Middle attacker: Bryce Yould, Long Beach State
Libero: Andrew Sato, Long Beach State
Libero: Larry Tuileta, Hawai’i
MPSF All-Freshman Team
Setter: Paul Bischoff, Stanford
Opposite: Rado Parapunov, Hawai’i
Outside attacker: Noah Dyer, Pepperdine
Middle attacker: Patrick Gasman, Hawai’i
Middle attacker: Daenan Gyimah, UCLA
Middle attacker: Keenan Sanders, UC Santa Barbara
Middle attacker: Scott Stadick, UC Irvine
All-MPSF honorable metions
Setter: Leo Durkin, BYU
Setter: Micah Ma’a, UCLA
Opposite: Ben Patch, BYU
Outside attacker: Jacob Delson, UC Santa Barbara
Outside attacker: Jordan Ewert, Stanford
Outside attacker: Kupono Fey, Hawai’i
Outside attacker: JT Hatch, UCLA
Outside attacker: Dimitar Kalchev, CSUN
Middle attacker: Daenan Gyimah, UCLA
Middle attacker: Scott Stadick, UC Irvine
Libero: Evan Enriques, Stanford
Libero: Dillon Hoffman, UC Irvine