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Off the Block announced on Monday the recipients of the National Position Player of the Week Awards.
The National Position Player of the Week Awards recognize the libero, middle attacker, opposite, outside attacker and setter who had the best performances in NCAA men’s volleyball during the week.
The Off the Block staff determines each award recipient. The winners are announced every week during the regular season on the Off the Block website, offtheblockblog.com.
While there are other weekly national awards in college men’s volleyball, these are the only position-based weekly awards.
Off the Block at the end of the season presents the Lloy Ball Award to the nation’s top setter, 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.
Off the Block Weekly National Award recipients
National Setter of the Week: Kohl Kutsch, Lincoln Memorial
National Opposite of the Week: Geste Bianchi, UC Santa Barbara
National Outside Attacker of the Week: Hilir Henno, UC Irvine
National Middle Attacker of the Week: Toby Ezeonu, Penn State
National Libero of the Week: Bartek Olczyk, Sacred Heart
Kohl Kutsch, Lincoln Memorial
Kutsch guided the Lincoln Memorial offense to a .315 attack percentage and had a match-high 10 digs in a five-game victory against No. 19 Charleston on Saturday. The setter also helped the Railsplitters to hit .567 in a sweep against Emmanuel on Friday.
Geste Bianchi, UC Santa Barbara
Bianchi led all players with a season-high 27 kills on a .333 attack percentage in a five-game upset victory against No. 2/3 UCLA on Thursday. The opposite also had a season-high 11 digs and added three blocks.
Hilir Henno, UC Irvine
Henno finished with a match-high 20 kills on a .500 attack percentage in a four-game victory against No. 8/7 BYU on Friday. The outside attacker also had 15 kills and five blocks in a five-game win against the Cougars on Saturday to complete the two-match series sweep.
Toby Ezeonu, Penn State
Ezeonu had a team-high 14 kills on a .500 attack percentage in a four-game road victory against No. 1/1 Ohio State on Thursday. The middle attacker also had 10 kills on a .500 attack percentage and a season-high two aces as the Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes in five games on Sunday.
Bartek Olczyk, Sacred Heart
Olczyk led all players with a season-high 19 digs in a five-game loss to Harvard on Friday.