The best season in McKendree program history is being capped off with a top national honor for setter Nate Flayter.
Off the Block announced Tuesday that a nationwide voting committee selected Flayter as the 2025 Division II National Player of the Year.
The Division II National Player of the Year is awarded to the nation’s best player on a NCAA Division II men’s volleyball team during the regular season. While Division I and Division II schools compete for the same national championship and individual awards, this award is the only national player of the year solely for Division II players.
Flayter had a 9.98 assists per game average and guided the offense to a .288 attack percentage as McKendree won its first MIVA regular season championship. The sophomore also was in the top 10 of the conference with a 0.34 aces per game average.
Flayter defensively was in the nation’s top 15 with a 2.32 digs per game average and had double-digit digs in 13 matches.
McKendree finished the season with a program-record 20 wins and was ranked No. 1 in the Off the Block Division II National Coaches Poll.
A voting committee of more than 25 men’s volleyball coaches and volleyball media members from around the nation determined the winner of the Division II National Player of the Year. The top three vote-getters were named finalists for the national honor.
Flayter garnered 28 votes to edge out the runner-up Lincoln Memorial middle attacker Matthew Gentry by four votes. Lewis opposite Oguzhan Oguz finished in third place with 21 votes.
This is the ninth year that Off the Block has presented the Division II National Player of the Year.
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.
2025 Division II National Player of the Year voting results
1. Nate Flayter, McKendree – 28 votes
2. Matthew Gentry, Lincoln Memorial – 24 votes
3. Oguzhan Oguz, Lewis – 21 votes
4. Deklan Wingo, Tusculum – 11 votes
5. Jackson Lahey, Mount Olive – 7 votes
T-6. Isaiah Fedd, Fort Valley State – 3 votes
T-6. Jan Lopuch, Jessup – 3 votes
T-6. Wojciech Nowak, Menlo – 3 votes
T-6. Max Roquet, Lewis – 3 votes
T-6. Zach Schneider, Daemen – 3 votes
T-11. John Luers, Lincoln Memorial – 2 votes
T-11. Nico Paula, Lewis – 2 votes
T-11. Paul Stommel, Charleston – 2 votes
T-14. Sam Hoskin, McKendree – 1 vote
T-14. Tyler Morgan, Lewis – 1 vote
T-14. Gabriel Vieira, St. Thomas Aquinas – 1 vote