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It’s a repeat for Loyola All-American outside attacker Joseph Smalzer.
A nationwide voting committee for the second consecutive year selected Smalzer as the recipient of the annual Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. National Server of the Year.
The Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. National Server of the Year recognizes the top individual serving performance from a NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball player during the regular season.
Smalzer had a nation-best 0.70 aces per game average and led the conference with 57 aces. In addition, the All-American senior had four matches with at least four aces, including a season-high seven aces in a road victory against Sacred Heart in January.
Smalzer also had at least one ace in 23 of Loyola’s 25 regular season matches and helped lead the Ramblers to an undefeated MIVA regular season and the No. 1 ranking in the national coaches for the majority of the season.
This is the second year for the Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. National Server of the Year award. The voting committee for this award was comprised of more than 20 college men’s volleyball head coaches and volleyball reporters from around the nation.
Of the four finalists for this national award, Smalzer defeated runner-up UCLA outside attacker Gonzalo Quiroga by eight votes to repeat as the National Server of the Year. Penn State outside attacker Aaron Russell beat out BYU outside attacker Taylor Sander by one vote to finish in third place.
Off the Block is a website that launched in January 2011 and has become among the nation’s leading media outlets for college men’s volleyball news and analysis.
Springbak, Inc. is the official sponsor of the 2014 National Server of the Year and produces high performance footwear used by professional athletes from the NFL, NBA, MLB and U.S. Olympic teams and the top college teams in the nation.
VOTING RESULTS: NATIONAL SERVER OF THE YEAR
1. Joseph Smalzer, Loyola — 43 votes
2. Gonzalo Quiroga, UCLA — 35 votes
3. Aaron Russell, Penn State — 27 votes
4. Taylor Sander, BYU — 26 votes
5. Scott Siwicki, Lindenwood — 4 votes
T-6. Micah Christenson, USC — 3 votes
T-6. Zack LaCavera, UC Irvine — 3 votes
T-8. Evan Licht, UC Santa Barbara — 2 votes
T-8. Graham McIlvaine, Ball State — 2 votes
T-10. Colin Hackworth, Lindenwood — 1 vote
T-10. Steven Irvin, Stanford — 1 vote