Photo by: Martin A. Folb
Wickens Highlights Waves' All-MPSF Honors
4/21/2021 5:00:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
MALIBU, California – Spencer Wickens received All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation first team honors today, highlighting a list of five Pepperdine men's volleyball players who earned postseason awards from the league.
Additionally, Bryce Dvorak and Austin Wilmot made the All-MPSF second team and Jacob Steele was honorable mention. Both Dvorak and Trey Cole received MPSF All-Freshman team recognition.
It's the first MPSF postseason award for each of them except for Wilmot, who received second team status for the second consecutive season.
Cole (Long Island, N.Y./Connetquot HS), a freshman libero, ranks seventh in the MPSF in digs at 1.72 per set. He's appeared in 54 of the 58 sets this season. In the season opener against Concordia (1/25), he had 18 digs, one shy of the school record.
Dvorak (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar HS), a freshman setter, has started all 16 matches in his first season. He's fifth in the MPSF in assists (8.95) and 10th in service aces (0.33). He had season highs of 47 assists and 17 digs in a win against Grand Canyon (3/27).
Steele (Trabuco Canyon, Calif./El Toro HS), a sophomore opposite, is eighth in the MPSF in points (3.66) and 10th in kills (3.09), along with averages of 0.85 digs and 0.66 blocks. He had a season-high 19 kills against BYU (2/13). He has started 15 matches and appeared in 53 sets.
Wickens (Irondequoit, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit HS), a senior outside hitter, received the MPSF Offensive Player of the Week award three times this season, more than any other player. It's his first year starting at outside hitter after being a libero or defensive specialist the previous three. In the MPSF, he ranks sixth in kills (3.17), sixth in digs (1.74), ninth in points (3.51) and 10th in hitting (.338). He had 23 kills against Concordia in the season opener (1/25), the most by a Wave this year.
Wilmot (Valley Village, Calif./UC Irvine), a senior middle blocker, was the only MPSF player to receive the Defensive Player of the Week award twice this season. He ranks second in the MPSF and 10th nationally in hitting (.431) and second in the MPSF and 11th nationally in blocks (1.10). He averages 2.09 kills per set. He had a season-high 17 kills against Grand Canyon (3/27) and his nine blocks against UCLA (3/13) is tied for the most by any MPSF player this year.
The Waves are ranked fifth in the country with an 11-5 record. The third-seeded Waves begin play at the MPSF Tournament on Thursday (April 22) against Stanford.
MPSF Player of the Year: Gabi Garcia Fernandez (BYU); MPSF Freshman of the Year: Camden Gianni (Grand Canyon).
All-MPSF first team: Gabi Garcia Fernandez (BYU), Davide Gardini (BYU), Camden Gianni (Grand Canyon), Cole Ketrzynski (UCLA), Sam Kobrine (UCLA), Wil Stanley (BYU), Spencer Wickens (Pepperdine).
All-MPSF second team: Raymond Barsemian (Concordia), Felipe de Brito Ferreira (BYU), Bryce Dvorak (Pepperdine), Zach Eschenberg (BYU), Billy Fauntleroy (USC), Merrick McHenry (UCLA), Austin Wilmot (Pepperdine).
All-MPSF honorable mention: Hugo Fischer (Grand Canyon), Jordan Hoppe (Concordia), Christian Janke (Grand Canyon), Miki Jauhiainen (BYU), Austin Matautia (UCLA), Cole Paxson (USC), Kyler Presho (Stanford), Jacob Steele (Pepperdine).
MPSF All-Freshman team: Ethan Champlin (UCLA), Trey Cole (Pepperdine), Bryce Dvorak (Pepperdine), Camden Gianni (Grand Canyon), Nathan Lietzke (Stanford), Merrick McHenry (UCLA), Will Rottman (Stanford).
Additionally, Bryce Dvorak and Austin Wilmot made the All-MPSF second team and Jacob Steele was honorable mention. Both Dvorak and Trey Cole received MPSF All-Freshman team recognition.
It's the first MPSF postseason award for each of them except for Wilmot, who received second team status for the second consecutive season.
Cole (Long Island, N.Y./Connetquot HS), a freshman libero, ranks seventh in the MPSF in digs at 1.72 per set. He's appeared in 54 of the 58 sets this season. In the season opener against Concordia (1/25), he had 18 digs, one shy of the school record.
Dvorak (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar HS), a freshman setter, has started all 16 matches in his first season. He's fifth in the MPSF in assists (8.95) and 10th in service aces (0.33). He had season highs of 47 assists and 17 digs in a win against Grand Canyon (3/27).
Steele (Trabuco Canyon, Calif./El Toro HS), a sophomore opposite, is eighth in the MPSF in points (3.66) and 10th in kills (3.09), along with averages of 0.85 digs and 0.66 blocks. He had a season-high 19 kills against BYU (2/13). He has started 15 matches and appeared in 53 sets.
Wickens (Irondequoit, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit HS), a senior outside hitter, received the MPSF Offensive Player of the Week award three times this season, more than any other player. It's his first year starting at outside hitter after being a libero or defensive specialist the previous three. In the MPSF, he ranks sixth in kills (3.17), sixth in digs (1.74), ninth in points (3.51) and 10th in hitting (.338). He had 23 kills against Concordia in the season opener (1/25), the most by a Wave this year.
Wilmot (Valley Village, Calif./UC Irvine), a senior middle blocker, was the only MPSF player to receive the Defensive Player of the Week award twice this season. He ranks second in the MPSF and 10th nationally in hitting (.431) and second in the MPSF and 11th nationally in blocks (1.10). He averages 2.09 kills per set. He had a season-high 17 kills against Grand Canyon (3/27) and his nine blocks against UCLA (3/13) is tied for the most by any MPSF player this year.
The Waves are ranked fifth in the country with an 11-5 record. The third-seeded Waves begin play at the MPSF Tournament on Thursday (April 22) against Stanford.
MPSF Player of the Year: Gabi Garcia Fernandez (BYU); MPSF Freshman of the Year: Camden Gianni (Grand Canyon).
All-MPSF first team: Gabi Garcia Fernandez (BYU), Davide Gardini (BYU), Camden Gianni (Grand Canyon), Cole Ketrzynski (UCLA), Sam Kobrine (UCLA), Wil Stanley (BYU), Spencer Wickens (Pepperdine).
All-MPSF second team: Raymond Barsemian (Concordia), Felipe de Brito Ferreira (BYU), Bryce Dvorak (Pepperdine), Zach Eschenberg (BYU), Billy Fauntleroy (USC), Merrick McHenry (UCLA), Austin Wilmot (Pepperdine).
All-MPSF honorable mention: Hugo Fischer (Grand Canyon), Jordan Hoppe (Concordia), Christian Janke (Grand Canyon), Miki Jauhiainen (BYU), Austin Matautia (UCLA), Cole Paxson (USC), Kyler Presho (Stanford), Jacob Steele (Pepperdine).
MPSF All-Freshman team: Ethan Champlin (UCLA), Trey Cole (Pepperdine), Bryce Dvorak (Pepperdine), Camden Gianni (Grand Canyon), Nathan Lietzke (Stanford), Merrick McHenry (UCLA), Will Rottman (Stanford).
Players Mentioned
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