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A nationwide voting committee has selected Long Beach State libero Mason Briggs, Concordia-Irvine libero Addison Enriques and Hawai’i libero Gage Worsley as finalists for the inaugural Steve Shondell Award.
The Steve Shondell Award, which is named after the Hall of Fame coach and former Ball State setter, is presented to the nation’s best passer in NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball during the regular season.
Off the Block announced the finalists on Sunday and will unveil the award winner later this week as part of its College Men’s Volleyball National Awards Presentation.
Briggs as one of Long Beach State’s primary passers committed seven reception errors the entire season. The passing from the freshman helped Long Beach State have the sixth-best attack percentage in the nation at .325 and finish the shortened season because of the coronavirus pandemic at No. 4 in the national coaches poll and national media poll.
Enriques had the most serve receptions of any Concordia-Irvine player and finished the season with a .953 serve reception percentage. The libero also had a stretch early in the season of six consecutive matches without a reception error.
Worsley was among the Hawai’i leaders with a .961 serve reception percentage and committed zero or one reception errors in all but two matches this season. The libero’s passing also helped the Rainbow Warriors have a nation-best .371 attack percnetage.
The Steve Shondell Award is the first national award in college men’s volleyball to recognize the skill of efficiently receiving a serve and keeping a team’s offense in-system.
The voting committee for the Steve Shondell Award was comprised of about 20 college men’s volleyball head coaches and volleyball reporters from around the nation.
The top three vote-getters were named finalists for the Steve Shondell Award.
Off the Block annually presents several end of season awards. Among the other national awards includes the Lloy Ball Award to the nation’s top setter, the Bryan Ivie Award to the nation’s top opposite, the Karch Kiraly Award to the nation’s top outside attacker, the Ryan Millar Award to the nation’s top middle attacker and the Erik Shoji Award to the nation’s top libero.
Off the Block is a national award winning website that launched in 2011 and is the nation’s leader in college men’s volleyball coverage.