April 29, 2008
Sophomore Kawika Shoji was named an AVCA All-American on Monday, as announced by the AVCA. Shoji was named to the second-team after leading the Cardinal to a 17-11 record, a 14-game turnaround from the 2007 season. The sophomore from Honolulu, Hawai'I led the Cardinal with 990 assists and averaged 10.31 a game. A 2008 MPSF Second-Team honoree, Shoji is a first-time AVCA All-American.
Top-ranked Penn State University leads the way with five players honored as AVCA Division I-II Men's All-America, placing two on the first team, and three on the second team. Three players from both Long Beach State University and Cal State Northridge received the honor, while Pepperdine University and BYU garnered two recipients apiece. UCLA, UC Irvine, George Mason University, The Ohio State University and Stanford University each landed one player on the All-America teams.Pepperdine setter Jonathan Winder was selected to an AVCA All-America Team for the fourth consecutive season, becoming only the eighth player in the history of the AVCA Division I-II Men's All-America program to achieve that feat, and the first since his former teammate Sean Rooney from 2002-2005. BYU middle blocker Russell Holmes and outside hitter Ivan Perez were the only players to garner their third All-America honor. Winder, teammate Paul Carroll, UCLA libero Tony Ker and Ohio State setter Daniel Mathews all achieved First-Team status for the second consecutive season.
The 2008 selections were made by the AVCA Division I-II Men's Volleyball All-America Committee: chairperson Pete Hanson (Ohio State); Jeff Campbell (Cal State Northridge); Fred Chao (George Mason); Shane Davis (Loyola-Chicago); Dan Friend (Lewis); Alan Knipe (Long Beach State); Mark Pavlik (Penn State); Mike Rumbaugh (Saint Francis); and John Speraw (UC Irvine).
The awards will be presented at the NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship Banquet on the campus of the University of California, Irvine on Wednesday, April 30, 2008.
2008 AVCA Division I-II Men's First-Team All-America
PlayerInstitutionPosYrHtHometown
Dan AlexanderLong Beach State UniversityMBSo.6-7Arcadia, California
Matt Anderson +Penn State UniversityOHJr.6-10West Seneca, New York
Paul Carroll *Pepperdine UniversityRS/OppJr.6-7Forester, Australia
Russell Holmes + #Brigham Young UniversityMBSr.6-8Fountain Valley, California
Max HoltPenn State UniversityMBJr.6-9Cincinnati, Ohio
Tony Ker *UCLADS/Lib.Sr.5-10Valencia, California
Paul LotmanLong Beach State UniversityOHSr.6-7Lakewood, California
Daniel Mathews *The Ohio State UniversitySSr.6-5Shorewood, Wisconsin
Eric VanceCal State NorthridgeOHJr.6-4Camarillo, California
Jonathan Winder * # ^Pepperdine UniversitySSr.6-8Irvine, California
2008 AVCA Division I-II Men's Second-Team All-America
PlayerInstitutionPosYrHtHometown
Dean BittnerLong Beach State UniversityRS/OppSo.6-7Lakewood, California
Dennis Del VallePenn State UniversityDS/Lib.Fr.5-8Toa Alta, Puerto Rico
Kyle GramitGeorge Mason UniversityRS/OppJr.6-5Naperville, Illinois
Isaac KneubuhlCal State NorthridgeOHSr.6-1Pukalani, Hawai'i
Max LipsitzPenn State UniversityMBSo.6-7Williamsville, New York
Cody LoeCal State NorthridgeMBFr.6-8Chatsworth, California
Luke MurrayPenn State UniversitySSr.6-0East Petersburg, Pennsylvania
Ivan Perez * ^Brigham Young UniversityOHSr.6-4Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Kawika ShojiStanford UniversitySSo.6-3Honolulu, Hawai'i
Jon StellerUniversity of California, IrvineRS/OppJr.6-7Fresno, California
AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Year: Announced at NCAA Championship Banquet on April 30AVCA Division I-II Men's Newcomer of the Year: Cody Loe, Cal State Northridge, Fr.
* - 2007 AVCA Division I-II Men's First-Team All-America selection+ - 2007 AVCA Division I-II Men's Second-Team All-America selection# - 2006 AVCA Division I-II Men's Second-Team All-America selection^ - 2005 AVCA Division I-II Men's Second Team All-America selection