Ohio State freshman Siapanis named Frisco Mo National Player of Month

Photo courtesy of Ohio State athletics

Two months into his college career and Ohio State outside attacker Sotiris Siapanis is already earning a national honor.

Siapanis was selected on Thursday as the Off the Block/Frisco Mo National Player of the Month for February.

The National Player of the Month recognizes the best individual performances from NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball players during the month and gives fans from around the world the chance to determine who was the best player through online voting. It is also the only college men’s volleyball national monthly award.

Siapanis averaged 3.47 kills per game on a .352 attack percentage in five February matches, including having a season-high 18 kills while hitting .400 in a five-game victory against Ball State on Saturday. In addition, the freshman had at least five digs in four matches highlighted with a season-high 10 digs in a victory against Loyola.

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The National Player of the Month Tournament is comprised of two rounds of voting.

The first round placed candidates on one of five ballots based on their position. Each winner and the runner-up from all the ballots who received the most votes qualified for the championship round.

Siapanis earned 1,114 votes and 53.3 percent of the total vote in the championship round to win the National Player of the Month. The outside attacker garnered almost 600 more votes than the runner-up Ball State setter Quinn Isaacson.

Siapanis received more than 800 votes in the first round to win the outside attacker division and advance to the finals.

The National Player of the Month is one of two awards solely determined by the fans. Similar to the monthly award, the Off the Block/Frisco Mo Fan Choice National Player of the Year is an annual event at the end of the season with fans deciding the winner of this 64-player bracket-style tournament through online voting.

As a National Player of the Month, Siapanis will receive an automatic berth to the Fan Choice National Player of the Year Tournament.