AVCA Distinction of Excellence Award

 

The AVCA is proud to announce that Hilir Henno of UC Irvine is receiving the AVCA Distinction of Excellence Award, presented by Nike Volleyball.

The award recognizes a student-athlete whose contribution to the sport extends beyond accolades, uniting generational athletic excellence with personal integrity, academic commitment, and long-term impact.

Henno was a first-team AVCA All-American this season, which marked the third-consecutive year he’s received the honor. He has been a key cog in the Anteaters rise on the national scale, as they have improved in each of his four years: going 11-16 in 2022, then 18-11 in 2023, followed by 20-11 in 2024, and 21-7 this season.

Last year’s team advanced to the NCAA Championship and reached the semifinal round before falling 3-2 to eventual champ UCLA. This season, Henno has helped UC Irvine to a top-5 ranking in every AVCA Poll, including the Anteaters reaching as high as No. 2 for five weeks, which is the school’s highest rank in a decade.

“Hilir is a player whose influence is felt not only through record-setting performance, but through the way he leads and has carried himself during his collegiate career,” said AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon. “The award is reserved for those who leave behind more than stats—also creating a legacy at their institution and on college athletics, as a whole—which he has done.”

Henno has continued to raise the level of his game, especially the past two seasons.  He ranks second national in aces in 2025 and tied the NCAA career ace mark of 255 in this year’s Big West Tournament. He also is second in points per set (5.47) and third in kills per set (4.40). During the 2024 season, when he was the AVCA Player of the Year, he led the Anteaters to the semifinals of the NCAA Championship and ranked first nationally in points per set.