Follow
For the first time in more than five years, a non-Penn State player has earned EIVA Player of the Year of the Year honors.
George Mason outside attacker Mark Jones and Penn State outside attacker Aaron Russell were selected as the 2013 Uvaldo Acosta Memorial EIVA Co-Players of the Year, the league announced Friday afternoon.
Jones becomes the first non-Penn State player to win this award since former St. Francis middle attacker Marc Honore earned the 2007 EIVA Player of the Year. In his final college season, Jones was fourth in the conference with a 3.40 kills per game average and helped lead George Mason to a berth in the four-team EIVA Tournament.
Russell was third in the conference with a 3.47 kills per game average as the Nittany Lions won their 29th EIVA regular season championship in program history. The sophomore, who switch positions from middle attacker to outside attacker at the start of the season, also was in the conference’s top five with 30 aces and received votes for the Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. National Server of the Year.
Along with the Player of the Year, Penn State swept the other two top individual honors. Setter Taylor Hammonds was named the EIVA Newcomer of the Year, while Mark Pavlik earned the Bob Sweeney EIVA Coach of the Year.
George Mason led all teams as four players made the First-Team All-EIVA.
The Patriots also tied the Nittany Lions for the most all-conference selections with five players.
Check out what players and coaches received 2013 All-MIVA honors.
TOP EIVA INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Uvaldo Acosta Memorial EIVA Co-Players of the Year: Mark Jones, George Mason and Aaron Russell, Penn State
EIVA Newcomer of the Year: Taylor Hammond, Penn State
Bob Sweeney EIVA Coach of the Year: Mark Pavlik, Penn State
FIRST-TEAM ALL-EIVA
Setter: Javier Perez, George Mason
Opposite: Mark Jones, George Mason
Opposite: Cody Kessel, Princeton
Outside attacker: Michael Kvidahl, George Mason
Outside attacker: Logan Patterson, St. Francis
Outside attacker: Aaron Russell, Penn State
Outside attacker: Pat Schwagler, Princeton
Outside attacker: DJ White, Harvard
Middle attacker: Pat Sibley, George Mason
Libero: Max McFarland, George Mason
SECOND-TEAM ALL-EIVA
Setter: Taylor Hammond, Penn State
Setter: Rob Lothman, Harvard
Outside attacker: Andrew Dentler, George Mason
Outside attacker: Peter Russell, Penn State
Middle attacker: Michael Dye, Princeton
Middle attacker: Kyle Rehkemper, Harvard
Middle attacker: Matt Seifert, Penn State
Middle attacker: Caleb Zimmick, Harvard
Libero: Brady Smith, NJIT