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A nationwide voting committee selected BYU opposite Ben Patch, IPFW opposite Andy Sellan and Pepperdine opposite Matt Tarantino as the finalists for the annual Bryan Ivie Award.
The Bryan Ivie Award is presented to the nation’s best opposite in NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball during the regular season.
Patch ended the regular season leading the MPSF and sixth in the nation with a 4.31 kills per game average, including having 12 matches with at least 15 kills. The sophomore in his first year back at BYU following a two-year church mission also had a .383 attack percentage and added 58 blocks as the Cougars won the MPSF regular season championship.
Sellan returning to the court after suffering a near career-ending ankle injury last year led the MIVA and was fourth in the nation with a 4.41 kills per game average. The senior also had six matches with at least 20 kills and finished with 35 aces to help IPFW earn a postseason berth.
Tarantino moving from middle attacker to opposite in the off-season finished the regular season in the nation’s top 10 with a 3.94 kills per game average. In addition, Tarantino had at least 20 kills in five matches and added more than 25 aces and 100 digs to help Pepperdine earn a postseason berth.
The voting committee for the Bryan Ivie Award was comprised of about 25 college men’s volleyball head coaches and volleyball media members. The college men’s volleyball award is named after the former U.S. Olympian and USC All-American opposite Bryan Ive.
The overall winner of the inaugural Bryan Ivie Award will be announced Tuesday, April 26.
This is the second year of the Bryan Ivie Award. Pepperdine opposite Parker Kalmbach was the inaugural winner of this national award last season.
The Bryan Ivie Award is one of several end of season awards presented by Off the Block. Among the other national awards includes the Lloy Ball Award to the nation’s top setter, the Ryan Millar Award to the nation’s top middle attacker, the Karch Kiraly Award to the nation’s top outside attacker, the Erik Shoji Award to the nation’s top libero, the Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. National Server of the Year and the Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. National Blocker of the Year.
Off the Block is a national award winning college men’s volleyball website that launched in January 2011.
BRYAN IVIE AWARD FINALISTS
(listed in alphabetical order)
Ben Patch, BYU
Andy Sellan, IPFW
Matt Tarantino, Pepperdine
Others receiving votes:
4. Branden Clemens, Harvard
T-5. Mitch Perinar, Lewis
T-5. Stijn van Tilburg, Hawai’i
T-7. Joao Victor Santos, Coker
T-7. Jeff Hogan, St. Francis
9. Kyle Ensing, Long Beach State
T-10. Miles Johnson, Ohio State
T-10. Vasilis Mandilaris, Barton
T-10. Christopher Delucie, Sacred Heart
T-10. Matt Marsh, UC Santa Barbara
T-10. Ryan Moore, Lindenwood