
A Lincoln Memorial freshman has earned the first national award of college men’s volleyball career.
Opposite Justin Sharfenaker was selected during the weekend as the Off the Block/Frisco Mo National Player of the Month for March.
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.
Sharfenaker had double-digit kills in five matches during the month, including both a match-high 15 kills and five aces in a sweep against Queens last week. The opposite also had 14 kills and one error as he set a program single-match record with a .650 attack percentage in a sweep versus Tusculum on March 19.
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.
Sharfenaker garnered 1,298 votes and 43.64 percent of the vote in the championship round to win the National Player of the Month. Sharfenaker edged out the runner-up King libero Noah Melendez by 92 votes to earn the national award.
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, Sharfenaker will receive an automatic berth to the Fan Choice National Player of the Year Tournament.