West, Kalmbach and Taylor Named Volleyball Magazine All-Americans
6/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
2015 Volleyball Magazine All-Americans
MALIBU, Calif. -- Volleyball Magazine announced its annual list of All-Americans and three members of the Pepperdine men's volleyball team were recognized. Matt West and Parker Kalmbach both received second team notice, while Josh Taylor snagged a spot on the third team.
Volleyball Magazine continued with its three-team format, introduced in 2014. Each of the three teams consists of two middle blockers, two outside hitters, one opposite side hitter, one setter, one libero and one coach.
West (Seattle, Wash./Shorewood HS), already a first-team All-American pick by the AVCA in 2015, is making his third-straight appearance on the Volleyball Magazine list. West was a third-team selection in 2014 and a second-team honoree two years ago. The senior ended the 2015 season averaging 11.29 assists per set, leading the MPSF and ranking in at third in the NCAA. With West guiding the offense, the Waves hit .336 (2nd MPSF, 4th NCAA).
West ends his tenure in Malibu ranked second all-time with 4,766 assists.
Joining West on the second-team roster was opposite side hitter Kalmbach (Coto de Caza, Calif./Tesoro HS). The recent Pepperdine grad paced the league in 2015 with 4.04 kills per set. He also ranked top-two in points for the majority of the season, and ended his year with a 4.54 average. The all-around performer also picked up 1.90 digs and 0.79 blocks for the Waves. Kalmbach earned All-MPSF and AVCA All-American acclaim in his final season, and was honored with the inaugural Bryan Ivie Award, presented by Off the Block to the nation's best opposite side hitter.
Taylor (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou School) makes his Volleyball Magazine All-American debut as a third-team selection. The senior was previously an AVCA All-American second-team performer as a junior before earning a first-team nod in 2015. The four-year starter has put down 1,433 career kills for the Waves, ranking in at ninth all-time in program history. This past season, Taylor averaged 3.75 kills per set earned at a .369 clip. Both of those statistics ranked in the top-16 in the country.
This season's Volleyball Magazine All-American list was comprised of 12 MPSF players, seven MIVA players and two from EIVA schools.
The Waves ended the 2015 campaign with a 24-6 record after reaching the MPSF Tournament finals for the ninth time overall and first since 2009. Pepperdine set a program record this season after extending its home win streak to 20 in a row inside Firestone Fieldhouse.
