Five current NCAA men’s volleyball players will have the opportunity to play for the top Puerto Rican team at upcoming international tournaments.
The Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation announced recently that Jamal Ellis, Eliel Salva Torres, Daniel Henwood Rodriguez, Diego Estrada and Lorenzo Rivera were selected to the preliminary roster for the Puerto Rican Men’s National Team.
Carballo was sidelined for part of the recent season with Fairleigh Dickinson but returned to the court and had double-digit kills in seven matches during the second half of the season. The opposite in 2024 was third in the nation with a 4.44 kills per game average.
Torres was in the nation’s top 25 last season with a 0.99 blocks per game average as Lincoln Memorial finished with its best record in program history and won the IVA championship. The middle attacker also was second in the nation with a .498 attack percentage, including hitting more than .450 in all three postseason matches.
Rodriguez as a freshman was in the top five of the MIVA averaging 9.59 assists per game and helped guide Ohio State to a .283 attack percentage. In addition, Rodriguez had at least one ace in 15 of the final 17 matches to close out the season.
Estrada was Lewis’ backup setter last season and helped the Flyers finish in the nation’s top 10 with a .333 attack percentage.
Rivera as a freshman redshirted for the Flyers last season.
Along with these players, the 27-player preliminary roster features several former NCAA players.
Among the tournaments Puerto Rico will compete in this year includes the Pan American Cup, the NORCECA Final Four and the NORCECA Final Six.