AVCA Men's All-America Awards

Division I-II All-Americans | Division III All-Americans | NAIA All-Americans

2012 AVCA MEN'S DIVISION I-II ALL-AMERICA TEAMS

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 26, 2012) - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is proud to announce its 22nd Annual AVCA Division I-II Men's All-America Teams. The awards will be presented at the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Banquet on the campus of the University of Southern California on Wednesday, May 2, 2012.

The University of Southern California leads the way with four players lauded as AVCA Division I-II Men's All-Americans, placing one on the First-Team and three on the Second-Team. UCLA is right behind them with three overall and UC Irvine, Stanford, Lewis and Brigham Young each have two All-American recipients.

Highlighting this year's class with four All-America selections is UCI right-side Carson Clark and Stanford libero Erik Shoji. Shoji is the only player in this year's class to be selected to the First-Team four consecutive years. USC outside hitter Tony Ciarelli, Stanford outside hitter Brad Lawson and BYU middle blocker Futi Tavana each are three-time recipients with BYU outside hitter Taylor Sander, OSU right side Shawn Sangrey and Penn State outside hitter Joe Sunder each winning it once before. In all, 12 of this year's recipients are first-time award winners.

The 2012 selections were made by the AVCA Division I-II Men's Volleyball All-America Committee: chairperson Mark Pavlik (Penn State); Mike Rumbaugh (Saint Francis); Fred Chao (George Mason); Bill Ferguson (USC); Rick McLaughlin (UCSB); John Kosty (Stanford); Shane Davis (Loyola); Dan Friend (Lewis); Joel Walton (Ball State).

AVCA Division I-II Men's First-Team All-America

Player	Institution	Pos	Yr	Ht	Hometown
Thomas Amberg	UCLA	MB	Sr.	6-7	El Cajon, California
Kyle Caldwell	UCLA	S	Sr.	6-9	Newport Beach, California
Tony Ciarelli+!	University of Southern California	OH	Sr.	6-6	Huntington Beach, California
Carson Clark+^!	University of California, Irvine	RS/Opp.	Sr.	6-5	Santa Barbara, California
Brad Lawson*^	Stanford University	OH	Sr.	6-7	Honolulu, Hawai'i
Taylor Sander+	Brigham Young University	OH	So.	6-4	Huntington Beach, California
Shawn Sangrey%	The Ohio State University	RS/Opp.	Sr.	6-6	Columbia, Pennsylvania
Erik Shoji*^$	Stanford University	L/DS	Sr.	6-0	Honolulu, Hawai'i
Futi Tavana*%	Brigham Young University	MB	Sr.	6-8	Saipipi, Samoa
Kevin Tillie	University of California, Irvine	OH	Jr.	6-6	Cagnus-sur Mer, France

AVCA Division I-II Men's Second-Team All-America

Player	Institution	Pos	Yr	Ht	Hometown
Evan Barry	Stanford University	S	Sr.	6-3	San Diego, California
BJ Boldog	Lewis University	S	So.	6-4	Palatine, Illinois
Henry Cassiday	University of Southern California	L/DS	So.	6-3	Honolulu, Hawai'i
Micah Christenson	University of Southern California	S	Fr.	6-5	Honolul, Hawai'i
Weston Dunlap	UCLA	MB	Sr.	6-8	Newport Beach, California
Jay Petty	Lewis University	OH	Jr.	6-6	Downers Grove, Illinois
Steven Shandrick	University of Southern California	MB	Sr.	6-7	Lake Forest, California
Joseph Smalzer	Loyola University-Chicago	RS/Opp.	So.	6-8	Palos Heights, Illinois
Joe Sunder*	Penn State University	OH	Sr.	6-7	Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Maurice Torres	Pepperdine University	RS/Opp.	Jr.	6-7	Riverside, California

AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Year: Announced at NCAA Championship Banquet on May 2

AVCA Division I-II Men's Newcomer of the Year: Micah Christenson, USC, Fr.

* - 2011 AVCA Division I-II Men's First-Team All-America selection
+ - 2011 AVCA Division I-II Men's Second-Team All-America selection

^ - 2010 AVCA Division I-II Men's First-Team All-America selection
% -2010 AVCA Division I-II Men's Second-Team All-America selection
$ - 2009 AVCA Division I-II Men's First-Team All-American selection

! - 2009 AVCA Division I-II Men's Second-Team All-America selection

AVCA Division I-II Men's First-Team All-America

Thomas Amberg, a 6-7 middle blocker for UCLA, is a senior from El Cajon, Calif. An All-MPSF First-Team selection, Amberg showed he was a dynamic force to multiple facets of the game. He is ranked nationally with 1.41 blocks per set and in the top-5 in the MPSF, but in a loaded conference he still finished atop the leader boards in hitting percentage attacking at an astounding .486 clip. This is Amberg's first AVCA All-American appearance.

Kyle Caldwell, a 6-9 setter for UCLA, is a senior from Newport Beach, Calif. He enjoyed his finest season as a Bruin averaging 10.14 assists per set, which is good for 14^th in the nation. Caldwell used his 1,023 assists to lead the Bruins to an MPSF fourth-best .321 hitting percentage. The California native also contributed 131 kills, hit .440 and added another 22 service aces. He is now a first-time AVCA All-American.

Tony Ciarelli, a 6-6 outside hitter for the University of Southern California, is a senior from Huntington Beach, Calif. The MPSF Player of the Year took charge of a Trojan team to a No. 1 ranking in the AVCA Coaches Poll and the top seed in the MPSF Tournament after a supposed "rebuilding" year. He leads the nation in service aces with 58 (0.65) while also ranking in the top-5 nationally in kills per set (4.03). Ciarelli is now a three-time AVCA All-American.

Carson Clark, a 6-7 right-side/opposite for the University of California, Irvine, is a senior from Santa Barbara, Calif. Clark became the first player in MPSF history to be named to the All-Conference First-Team all four years. He is just two spots behind Ciarelli in the nation in aces and at or near the top-10 in hitting percentage and kills per set. This is also his fourth consecutive year garnering All-American honors, and his second on the First-Team.

Brad Lawson, a 6-7 outside hitter for Stanford University, is a senior from Honolulu Hawai'i. Lawson has had a record-breaking year leading the Cardinal to the MPSF semifinal. Playing in his final home match, Lawson broke the Stanford rally-scoring era record for career kills to give him a total of 1,788. Since that wasn't enough, the Hawai'i native went on to break the program's career service aces record with a current mark of 126. His 4.07 kills per set is good for third in the conference and fourth nationally. Lawson earns AVCA First-Team All-American honors for the third consecutive year.

Taylor Sander, a 6-4 outside hitter for Brigham Young University, is a sophomore from Huntington Beach, Calif. Sander once again proved to be one of the top offensive players in the country placing him second nationally with a .400 attack percentage and 4.80 kills per set. The All-MPSF First-Teamer also led the conference with 5.71 points per set. In just his second year, Sander already has two AVCA All-America First-Team appearances.

Shawn Sangrey, a 6-6 right side/opposite for The Ohio State University, is a senior from Columbia, Penn. The lone non-MPSF First-Team All-American was named the 2012 MIVA Player of the Year after guiding OSU to a 9-3 conference record and a share of its sixth consecutive regular season MIVA championship. The lefty is the only player in the country to surpass the 500 kill plateau, and not surprisingly leads the nation in kills per set with 4.97. This marks his second All-American appearance, but first on the First-Team.

Erik Shoji, a 6-0 libero for Stanford University, is a senior from Honolulu, Hawai'i. Over the course of his four years at Stanford, Shoji has established himself as one of the great liberos in recent memory. His 2.66 digs per set rank him third in the country and first in the MPSF. His 1,375 career digs are believed to be the most in NCAA history, though official records have only been kept since 2009. Shoji is now an unprecedented four-time AVCA First-Team All-American.

Futi Tavana, a 6-8 middle blocker for Brigham Young University, is a senior from Saipipi, Samoa. Tavana is the career blocks leader in BYU's rally scoring era, and his 1.60 blocks per set places him second in the country and in the MPSF. The Samoa native is a three-time AVCA All-American.

Kevin Tillie, a 6-6 outside hitter for the University of California, Irvine, is a junior from Cagnurs-sur Mer, France. The two-time Sports Imports/AVCA Player of the Week ranks third in the country in hitting percentage with a .393 mark. In addition to receiving First-Team All-MPSF honors, Tille also becomes an AVCA All-American for the first time.

AVCA Division I-II Men's Second-Team All-America

Evan Barry, a 6-3 setter for Stanford University, is a senior from San Diego, Calif. Barry helped lead the Cardinal to a nation-best assists per set rating, averaging 12.04 APS this season. His APS rating is the highest in the country. Barry was recognized as the Stanford/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week for the week of February 13-19. This is the first time that Barry has been recognized as an AVCA All-American.

BJ Boldog, a 6-4 setter for Lewis University, is a redshirt sophomore from Palatine, Ill. A 2011 All-MIVA Second Team selection, Boldog picked up right where he left off, and was named as Co-Offensive Player of the Week for the week of April 17 after helping his team sweep Grand Canyon, clinching a portion of the regular season MIVA Championship. He led the conference in assists per set, averaging 11.36, and ranks eighth nationally in the category. This is his first selection as an AVCA All-American.

Henry Cassiday, a 6-3 libero for the University of Southern California, is a sophomore from Honolulu, Hawai'i. In his second season as the USC starting libero, Cassiday was recognized as a member of the All-MPSF Honorable Mention squad. Cassiday currently ranks 16th in the nation in digs, averaging 2.36 per set. His 2012 campaign built upon a solid outing in his first season, a year which saw him recognized, among other awards, as a member of the MPSF All-Freshman team. This is his first AVCA All-American honor.

Micah Christenson, a 6-5 setter for the University of Southern California, is a freshman from Honolulu, Hawai'i. Recognized as one of the top athletes to emerge from Honolulu in the 2011-2012 class, Christensen wasted no time, quickly establishing himself as a starter after being named to the Volleyball Magazine High School All-American First-Team in 2011. Christenson made an immediate impact for the Trojans, ranking sixth in the country in assists per set, with an average of 10.89. This is his first AVCA All-American award.

Weston Dunlap, a 6-8 middle blocker for UCLA, is a redshirt senior from Newport Beach, Calif. After leading the nation in hitting percentage during the 2011 season, Dunlap didn't miss a beat, holding down the top spot again in 2012 with a hitting percentage of .461. He recorded 100 total blocks during the regular season to give him an average of 0.99 per set, and served 10 aces to give him 308 points, third best on the team. His outstanding play garnered him a spot on the All-MPSF First-Team. This is Dunlap's first AVCA All-American award.

Jay Petty, a 6-6 outside hitter for Lewis University, is a redshirt junior from Downers Grove, Ill. After being named as a member of the All-MIVA First-Team last season, Petty is once again hovering near the top of several categories in the national rankings. He is averaging almost four kills per set (3.89), good enough for eighth nationally, and is 16th in hitting percentage and 14th in aces per set. Petty once again finds himself on the All-MIVA First-Team after claiming MIVA Offensive Player of the Week on three separate occasions. He set a single-match program record against Quincy on April 3 with seven aces. This is his first AVCA All-American award.

Steven Shandrick, a 6-7 middle blocker for the University of Southern California, is a senior from Lake Forest, Calif. Shandrick entered his final season as a Trojan after posting impressive stats through his first few seasons, hitting .466 with 271 kills, 190 blocks, 50 digs and 19 aces. In 2012, Shandrick led his team not only with stellar on-court play, but by serving as the team's Co-Captain. He was named to the All-MPSF Second Team and his current career hitting percentage of .454 is a USC rally scoring era record. This is the first time Shandrick has been recognized as an AVCA All-American.

Joseph Smalzer, a 6-8 opposite hitter for Loyola University-Chicago, is a redshirt sophomore from Palos Heights, Ill. After a quality 2011 season that placed Smalzer on the All-MIVA First-Team, he earned the same honor again in 2012. From behind the service line, Smalzer led the conference and ranked among the nation's best with 47 aces on the season for a 0.52 average. He also finished third in the conference with 4.35 points per set and seventh with 3.52 kills per set. The opposite hitter also leads the team with 320 kills, including 26 in a career performance against Lewis on March 27. This is his first time as an AVCA All-American.

Joe Sunder, a 6-7 outside hitter for Penn State University, is a senior from Greensburg, Penn. Sunder's outstanding play this season earned him recognition as the Uvaldo Acosta Memorial Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, and he was also selected to the All-EIVA First-Team, the fourth All-EIVA award of his career. Sunder leads the Nittany Lions this season in kills (297) and kills per set (3.49), and is second on the team in aces (27) and digs (153). He ranks fifth in Penn State's career records in both kills with 1,442 and aces with 105. In 2011, Sunder was named to the AVCA All-America First Team.

Maurice Torres, a 6-7 opposite hitter for Pepperdine University, is a junior from Riverside, Calif. Torres leads the team and ranks fourth amongst all MPSF players with 4.03 kills/set. He made his mark on the Pepperdine record book by becoming the 17th member of the 1,000 kills club, having reached the milestone in a match at BYU on March 2. He currently ranks 10th all-time in program history with 1,206 career kills. His 2012 season tally of 439 kills ranks ninth in the Waves' single season (rally scoring only) annuls. This is the second time Torres has been honored by the MPSF, having been named to the All-Freshman Team in 2010. This is his first AVCA All-American award.

2012 AVCA MEN'S DIVISION III ALL-AMERICA TEAMS

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 23, 2012) - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is proud to announce its ninth annual AVCA Men's Division III All-America Teams.

Carthage College leads the way this season, with a total of five athletes honored on the First and Second Teams. Springfield College, Nazareth College, Juniata College and the University of California, Santa Cruz each have two players recognized.

Springfield junior Greg Falcone headlines the year's recipients as the only three-time AVCA All-American after being selected to the Second Team in 2010 and 2011. Carthage's Randy Hansen and Connor Wexter join Nazareth's Ellis Walsh as the only other First Team repeat recipients. NYU's Connor Mortland is the lone representative on the Second Team that has earned an All-American distinction for a second time.

The selections were made by the AVCA Men's Division III Volleyball All-America Committee: chairperson Kevin Moore (Juniata College); Todd Hollenback (University of California, Santa Cruz); L.J. Marx (Carthage); Allison Stack (Baruch College); Cal Wickens (Nazareth College); Paul Dill (M.I.T.); Braden Zamore (Daniel Webster); John Hutton (D'Youville); Craig Martin (Mount Ida); Don Vanderbeck (Ramapo).

2012 AVCA MEN'S DIVISION III FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICA

Player	Institution	Pos	Yr	Ht	Hometown
Pat Barry	Carthage College	RS/Opp.	So.	6'5	Skokie, Ill.
Greg Falcone+$	Springfield College	MB	Jr.	6'8	Lindenhurst, N.Y.
Randy Hansen+	Carthage College	OH	Sr.	6'0	Oak Lawn, Ill.
Matt Hohenberger	Massachusetts Inst. of Technology	OH	Jr.	6'7	St. Louis, Mo.
Christopher Newcomb	Hunter College	OH	Sr.	6'0	Waimea, Hawai'i
Angel Perez	Springfield College	OH	Fr.	6'1	Naranjito, Puerto Rico
Darren Tsai	UC Santa Cruz	L	Sr.	5'10	Huntington Beach, Calif.
Ellis Walsh*	Nazareth College	MB	Sr.	6'6	Penfield, N.Y.
Connor Wexter+	Carthage College	S	So.	6'1	New Lenox, Ill.
Ben Wolff	Juniata College	MB	Sr.	6'8	Meadville, Pa.

2012 AVCA MEN'S DIVISION III SECOND-TEAM ALL-AMERICA

Player	Institution	Pos	Yr	Ht	Hometown
Aaron Almario	Rivier College	MH	So.	6'7	Alhambra, Calif.
Joe Bortak	Juniata College	MB	Fr.	6'7	Jeannette, Pa.
Mike Bynon	Carthage College	L	Sr.	6'0	Burnt Hills, N.Y.
Matthew Elgin	Vassar College	MH	Jr.	6'6	Farmington, N.Y.
David Evans	Stevens Inst. of Technology	OH	So.	6'0	Penfield, N.Y.
Rob Kraft	Nazareth College	MB	Jr.	6'7	Waretown, N.J.
Paul Leon	UC Santa Cruz	S	Sr.	6'2	Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Connor Mortland+	New York University	S	So.	6'4	San Diego, Calif.
Steve Vahalla	Kean University	OH	Jr.	6'6	Bloomfield, N.J.
Matt Yanz	Carthage College	MB	Sr.	6'6	Bolingbrook, Ill.

2012 AVCA Division III Men's National Player of the Year: Announced April 26 at the NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championship banquet in Springfield, Mass.

2012 AVCA Newcomer of the Year: Angel Perez, Springfield College

* - 2011 AVCA Division III Men's First-Team All-America selection
+ - 2011 AVCA Division III Men's Second-Team All-America selection

^ - 2010 AVCA Division III Men's First-Team All-America selection

$ - 2010 AVCA Division III Men's Second-Team All-America selection

# - 2009 AVCA Division III Men's First-Team All-America selection
@-2009 AVCA Division III Men's Second-Team All-America selection

AVCA Division III First-Team All-America

Pat Barry, a 6-5 right side/opposite for Carthage College, is a sophomore from Skokie, Ill. He ranks nationally with 3.34 kills per set and a .318 hitting percentage to lead the Red Men to a NCAA Tournament berth held at Springfield College. For his efforts, he was named to the CVC's All-West Division Team. He was also tabbed the Continental Volleyball Conference's Player of the Week the week of April 5^th when he tallied 45 kills and hit .382 in four victories. This is Barry's first AVCA All-American appearance.

Greg Falcone, a 6-8 middle blocker for Springfield College, is a junior from Lindenhurst, N.Y. Falcone was instrumental in leading the Pride to a program record 30 victories and the top seed in the NCAA Championship Tournament. Falcone ranks fourth in the country averaging 1.36 blocks per set, but was certainly not to be forgotten on the offensive end. He held a .514 attack percentage while leading Springfield in service aces with 31. After being named to the Second Team the previous two years, this is Falcone's first appearance on the AVCA All-America First-Team.

Randy Hansen, a 6-0 outside hitter for Carthage College, is a senior from Oak Lawn, Ill. He ranks second in the nation averaging 4.17 kills per set and is in the top-10 in hitting percentage with .361. The CVC All-West Division recipient was twice named a Sports Imports/AVCA Player of the Week and CVC Player of the Week. The Nazareth Invitational Tournament MVP makes the First Team after being named an AVCA All-American a year ago.

Matt Hohenberger, a 6-7 outside hitter for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is a junior from St. Louis, Mo. He broke the program record for service aces in a career with 185, which was formally held by Mike Demyttenaere with 160. Ranking nationally in aces per set (0.41), hitting percentage (.323) and kills pet set (3.26), the Missouri native broke MIT's record for kills in a four-set match with 27 vs. Springfield on April 14th . Earlier this year he became the fifth Engineer to eclipse the 1,000 career kill mark. This is Hohenberger's first AVCA All-American appearance.

Christopher Newcomb, a 6-0 outside hitter for Hunter College, is a senior from Waimea, Hawai'i. Newcomb was named CUNYAC Player of the Year in leading the Hawks to the NCAA Championship Tournament. Nationally he ranks in the top-15 with a .338 hitting percentage and 3.72 kills per set while twice being named CUNYAC Player of the Week. The Sports Imports/AVCA Player of the Week recipient for the week of March 6th earns AVCA All-American honors for the first time.

Angel Perez, a 6-1 outside hitter for Springfield College, is a freshman from Naranjito, Puerto Rico. A Sports Imports/AVCA Player of the Week, Perez was one of the key players in leading Springfield to their first ever 30-win season. With his nationally ranked hitting percentage of .341, he was named to two different All-Tournament teams including a Volleyball Hall of Fame/Morgan Classic MVP award. This is Perez's first AVCA All-American Team appearance in his first year of eligibility.

Darren Tsai, a 5-10 libero for UC Santa Cruz, is a senior from Huntington Beach, Calif. As the top libero in the country, Tsai was named to the first ever CVC West All-Division Team averaging 2.87 digs per set. This is Tsai's first time being named an AVCA All-American.

Ellis Walsh, a 6-6 middle blocker for Nazareth College, is a senior from Penfield, N.Y. Ranking in the top-10 nationally and in the United Volleyball Conference with a .361 hitting percentage, he also led the Golden Flyers registering 90 blocks. Nazareth will square off against Carthage in the first round of the NCAA Championship Tournament. This is Walsh's second consecutive appearance on the First Team after making it a year ago.

Connor Wexter, a 6-1 setter for Carthage College, is a sophomore from New Lenox, Ill. Many of his teammates and fellow All-Americans can thank this man for their outstanding years. Wexter led the nation in assists averaging 11.13 per set and an appearance on the CVC West Division All-Conference Team. This marks the Illinois native's second AVCA All-American appearance, but his first on the First Team.

Ben Wolff, a 6-8 middle blocker for Juniata College, is a senior from Meadville, Pa. Wolff can attribute his AVCA All-American selection to his outstanding numbers. The conference tournaments ended with Wolff ranking atop the national leader board by attacking at an astounding .511 clip, and finishing in the top-10 in blocks per set with 1.15. The senior leader becomes an AA for the first time.

AVCA Division III Second-Team All-America

Aaron Almario, a 6-7 middle hitter for Rivier College, is a sophomore from Alhambra, Calif. He ranks nationally in blocks per set, hitting percentage and kills per set on his way to being named First-Team All-GNAC. He is a two- time GNAC Player of the Week and is currently No. 1 in the GNAC for hitting percentage and blocks/set. Almaro is a first time AVCA All-American.

Joe Bortak, a 6-7 middle blocker for Juniata College, is a freshman from Jeannette, Pa. Ranked second in the country behind teammate and First-Team All-American Benn Wolff with a .487 hitting percentage, Bortak also ranks nationally in blocks per set. The CVC East All-Division Team recipient is now a first time AVCA All-American.

Mike Bynon, a 6-0 libero for Carthage College, is a senior from Burnt Hills, N.Y. Averaging over two digs per set on the season; Bynon was able to keep balls alive on the defensive end to set up his teammates on offense. Bynon earns All-American honors for the first time.

Matthew Elgin, a 6-6 middle hitter for Vassar College, is a junior from Farmington, N.Y. Elgin was named to the UVC First-Team after averaging 3.2 kills and 1.2 blocks per set in conference action. He also led UVC hitters with a .411 hitting percentage. Elgin garners All-American honors for the first time.

David Evans, a 6-0 outside hitter for the Stevens Institute of Technology, is a sophomore from Penfield, N.Y. Evans was named the United Volleyball Conference Player of the Year after he led the Ducks to a 9-2 record and the second seed in the UVC Championship. He averaged 3.49 kills per set in regular season conference play, putting him fourth in the UVC. In addition to earning a UVC First-Team All-Conference spot, Evans becomes a first-time AVCA All-American.

Rob Kraft, a 6-7 middle blocker for Nazareth College, is a junior from Waretown, N.J. He is one of the top hitters in the nation, ranking him sixth in the country with a .418 hitting percentage. The Second-Team UVC All-Star helped lead the Golden Flyers to a berth in the first ever NCAA Championship Tournament. Kraft earns AVCA All-American honors for the first time.

Paul Leon, a 6-2 setter for UC Santa Cruz, is a senior from Laguna Niguel, Calif. Leon currently ranks tenth in the nation in assists per set with 9.59. He earned CVC First-Team West Division and CVC All-Tournament Team honors after leading the Slugs to a top-3 ranking in the AVCA Coaches Poll throughout the season. Leon earns AVCA All-American accolades for the first time.

Connor Mortland, a 6-4 setter for New York University, is a sophomore from San Diego, Calif. He led the UVC with 10.69 assists per set while giving him a third national rank in that category. His setting helped the Violets to a .291 team attack percentage and an undefeated conference season. Mortland earned First-Team All-UVC honors in addition to his second consecutive appearance on the AVCA All-American Second Team.

Steve Vahalla, a 6-6 outside hitter for Kean University, is a junior from Bloomfield, N.J. In just Kean's second season as a varsity sport, Vahalla helped lead the Cougars to the Skyline Championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Championship Tournament. The New Jersey native earned Conference Player of the Year honors after leading the league in attack pct. (.333) and ranking second in kills/set (3.57). This is the first time Vahalla has been named an AVCA All-American.

Matt Yanz, a 6-6 middle blocker for Carthage College, is a senior from Bolingbrook, Ill. Yanz ranks third in the nation in attack percentage hitting at a .444 clip, which also leads the Red Men. The Illinois native was also second on the team in blocks to help lead Carthage to a top-3 ranking in the AVCA Coaches Poll all season. Yanz garners AVCA All-American accolades for the first time.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 19, 2012) - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is pleased to announce its third annual NAIA Men's Volleyball All-America Team.

This year's team honors 10 student-athletes: three seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and one freshman. Four of the distinguished individuals are outside hitters, while three middle blockers, two setters and one right side hitter earn accolades.

Both St. Ambrose University and Missouri Baptist College had two individuals honored, while Cardinal Stritch University, Graceland University, Hope International University, Grand View University, Clarke University and Park University each landed one player on the list. Earning repeat All-America nods were Dan Dowjotas (St. Ambrose University), Anthony Robinson (Graceland University) and Kyle Schwetz (St. Ambrose University).

The selections were made by the AVCA NAIA Men's Volleyball All-America Committee: Bill Gleeson - Chair (St. Ambrose University), Paul Lawson (Alverno College), Chad McDole (Park University), Kristofer Dorn (Clarke University), Donan Cruz (Grand View University) and John Yehling (Missouri Baptist University).

2012 AVCA NAIA MEN'S ALL-AMERICA TEAMS

Player	Institution	Pos	Yr	Ht	Hometown
Fray Arteaga**	Park University	OH	Sr.	6'2	Maracay, Venezuela
Gustavo Cintron	Missouri Baptist College	RS/Opp.	So.	6'2	Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Dan Dowjotas***	St. Ambrose University	OH	Sr.	6'3	Westmont, Illinois
Robert Esser	Missouri Baptist College	S	So.	6'4	Gilbert, Arizona
Noah Mader	Cardinal Stritch University	MB	So.	6'7	Appleton, Wisconsin
Danilo Pereira	Hope International University	S	Sr.	6'2	Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Anthony Robinson**	Graceland University	OH	Jr.	6'2	Waianae, Hawai'i
Kyle Schwetz**	St. Ambrose University	MB	Jr.	6'5	Carol Stream, Illinois
Nikola Vukicevic	Grand View University	MB	So.	6'6	Belgrade, Serbia
Tyler Wills	Clarke University	OH	Fr.	6'6	Galena, IL