Learn latest information affecting men’s and boys volleyball.
THE BIC – May 14, 2026
Hawai’i Wins 2026 NCAA NC National Title
Hawaii beat Big West Conference rival UC Irvine 15-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-20 on Monday night to claim the NCAA men’s volleyball championship.
Hawaii (30-5) won three straight sets after a slow start to capture the third national championship in program history and first since 2022. The Rainbow Warriors also set a program record for victories in a season.
UC Irvine (21-9), making its fifth appearance in the title match, was seeking its first championship since 2013 — also at Pauley Pavilion. The sixth-ranked Anteaters received an at-large bid into the NCAA championship.
The Park (Mo.) Pirates stayed unbeaten and turned a tight opening set loss into a 3–1 win over the Saint Xavier (Ill.) Cougars on May 2 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, rallying after dropping the first set 26–24 to take the final three 30–28, 25–22, 25–21. With the win, Park finished the season undefeated at 35–0
AVCA Men’s NC All-America and National Awards Announced
Men’s NC AVCA All-Americans
The 2026 honorees include 24 players—12 each on the first and second teams—from 11 schools. UCLA and Long Beach State University lead the way with four total All-Americans, and all four of the Bruins are first-team picks. UC Irvine, the University of Hawai‘i, and Pepperdine University all have three players on the first or second teams.
Andrew Rowan from UCLA is the 2026 AVCA Men’s National Collegiate Player of the Year. The senior helped the Bruins to a 29-2 record, which included the team being ranked No. 1 in every AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Poll during the regular season. In addition to being the 2026 AVCA and MPSF Player of the Year, he also was a first-team AVCA All-American. This was his fourth year as a first-team pick, making him one of only the fourth players to make the first team four times.
Andrew was selected from a group of 4 Player of the Year Finalists:
Men’s NC AVCA Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year
Mike Iandolo of Ball State is the Men’s National Collegiate Coach of the Year, and the assistant being honored is Milan Zarkovic from UCLA. It has been a memorable debut season as Ball State’s head coach for Iandolo, who becomes the school’s third AVCA Coach of the Year winner, joining Don Shondell (1995 and 1996) and Donan Cruz (2022).
The AVCA is pleased to name its inaugural All-America team for Two-Year College men’s volleyball. This is the first season the AVCA is working with the NJCAA and 3C2A to recognize men’s indoor players. The 2026 All-Americans include 12 players—six from NJCAA programs and six from 3C2A programs.
The AVCA is proud to name its inaugural All-America team for NCCAA Men’s Volleyball. This is the first year the AVCA has partnered with the NCCAA to recognize and present awards to its top men’s indoor players. The 2026 All-Americans include seven players from five schools.
View the list of athletes receiving to the 2026 AVCA/MaxPreps Player of the Week Award. In order for players to be featured on the list, coaches must update their athletes’ stats each week on MaxPreps.com.
The May 13 “MasterCoaches Wednesday Weekly Buzz” featured AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon, who provided updates on proposed legislation including the SCORE Act and presidential initiatives that could create a new federal governing entity for college sports.
The AVCA, in partnership with VolleyStation, has launched AVCA VolleyLine, a new digital hub that connects the volleyball community through accessible, reliable match results. AVCA VolleyLine, which is live now, gives you scores in one place.
AVCA-USAV Regions Men’s Recruiting Panel on May 19
Don’t miss the AVCA-USAV Regions Men’s College Coaches Recruiting Panel! LIVE on Zoom, May 19 at 7:30pm ET. Head college volleyball coaches from all divisions will answer Q&A about recruiting and scholarship opportunities in their division. Plus, get the scoop on the AVCA Boys Showcase and Skills Clinic.
USAV Men’s Beach Collegiate Challenge Series Announced
USA Volleyball announced the expansion of the annual Men’s Beach Collegiate Challenge with two premier events — one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast — representing the organization’s first coast-to-coast staging of the competition. The 2026 edition moves the event to two vibrant beach volleyball hubs – Manhattan Beach, California, and Dania Beach, Florida. The East Coast Challenge moves from Stevenson University in Maryland to the Rita Crockett Beach Sports Academy in Florida, Sept. 25-27, while the West Coast Challenge will be on the south side of the Manhattan Beach Pier, Oct. 9-11. Registration for both events is now open.
The U.S. Men’s U19 National Team improved to 2-0 at the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship with a 3-0 win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. The U.S., which concludes round robin play on Thursday at 4 p.m. PT against Puerto Rico (0-2), has already qualified for the semifinal round on Saturday.
The North Carolina High School Athletics Association voted to sanction Boys High School Volleyball as a championship sport! A big thanks and congratulations to Sarah Conklin and the coaches, players, and parents who worked so hard to make this a reality!
The Boys Volleyball season will take place in the spring, and the first NCHSAA Men’s Volleyball Championships will be held in May 2027.
The NAIA announced its 2026 Men’s Volleyball All-America Teams, along with Player and Coach of the Year. Tom Ryan was named the NAIA Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year coming on the heels of his sixth season as head coach of the Cougars. Isaac Seltzer of The Master’s (Calif.) was named the 2026 NAIA Player of the Year. Seltzer is the third TMU player to win this award in the last three years.
In all three years of sanctioned high school volleyball in Utah, top-seeded Lehi may have had the single greatest momentum swing during its 6A championship match against No. 2 Bingham. The Pioneers were down 2-1, and with their season on the line, they engineered a 17-2 run in the fourth set. The momentum carried through the fifth set, and Lehi took the 3-2 title win over the defending champions.
Colorado: Grandview, Lutheran Win First-Ever State Titles
Lutheran, playing as the No. 7 seed in the 4A bracket, cruised to the championship game, where it swept top-seeded D’Evelyn for its first state title. Meanwhile, in 5A, No. 3 Grandview played its way to the championship game through the elimination bracket, where it used four sets to avenge its semifinal loss to No. 1 Eaglecrest, capturing the school its first boys volleyball state championship.
