UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Six Penn State men's volleyball players received All-EIVA honors for their individual performances in the 2021 season as announced by the league office Tuesday afternoon.
Junior setter Cole Bogner was chosen the 2021 Uvaldo Acosta Memorial Player of the Year for the conference and was named an All-EIVA First Team selection along with redshirt junior libero Will Bantle and juniors Cal Fisher and Brett Wildman.
Freshman outside hitter Michael Valenzi was selected the EIVA Freshman of the Year and was an All-EIVA second-team performer. Junior middle blocker Sam Marsh was dubbed an All-EIVA honorable mention.
Penn State's six total All-EIVA representatives matches its 2020 total and is just one shy of its program record of seven set in 2009.
Bogner's impact at the setter position has allowed the Nittany Lions to sport one of the most dynamic offenses in the country this season. Penn State ranks sixth in the nation with a .325 team hitting percentage much in part to Bogner's decision making and setting ability.
Bogner leads the EIVA with 9.59 assists per set this season and has been one of the best setters in the nation for the past three seasons, ranking seventh among active NCAA setters with a 9.24 assists per set average for his career.
The Chesapeake, Virginia native's athletic ability has allowed him to not only set at an elite level, but also play great defense. His 104 digs rank second on Penn State and his 34.0 blocks are third best on the team.
He becomes the 15th Nittany Lion to win EIVA Player of the Year, following teammate and 2020 Co-Player of the Year Brett Wildman. He is the second Nittany Lion setter to win the honor joining Jose Quinones who won it three times (2000, 2001, 2002).
Bantle broke through as a first-team selection after two seasons on the All-EIVA second team in 2019 and 2020 and the jump was certainly well-deserved. Bantle leads Penn State and ranks fourth in the EIVA with 122 digs, good for a 1.67 digs per set mark.
Where the Pacific Palisades, Calif. native really shines is in serve-receive, where he has a .941 reception percentage on a team-high 320 attempts this season. He also leads the EIVA's libero group with 53 assists this season.
Fisher's reputation has evolved from a do-it-all type player to one of the top point scorers in the nation in 2021 and earned him his second conference first team nod. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native is one of the country's top servers with a nation-best 52 service aces and 0.733 aces per set average.
His scoring ability in transition is also quite effective as he leads the league with 287.5 total points in 2021 while ranking in the top five in the following offensive categories: points per set, kills, kills per set, and hitting percentage.
Add Brett Wildman with Fisher and you have one of the top-scoring duos in the nation on both sides. Wildman's 220.5 total points and 3.8 points per set rank sixth in the league despite missing four matches this season.
The Virginia Beach, Va. native has 183 kills while hitting .320 this season. He has 10 matches with 10 or more kills in 2021.
Valenzi is the lone freshman to make the All-EIVA team this season and his play as a rookie has been a welcomed addition to the PSU program. Valenzi leads all conference freshmen with 2.33 kills per set this season and is second with 112 total kills in 16 matches played.
Valenzi was named Off the Block's National Freshman of the Week earlier in the season for his play at NJIT March 19-20 when he provided 25 kills over both matches to lead PSU to a pair of wins. From Boca Raton, Florida, Valenzi's 112 kills rank third on the Nittany Lion roster this season.
Marsh earns his first all-conference accolade as an honorable mention in 2021. The London, England native has had his impactful moments at the middle blocker position this season and has won two EIVA Defensive Player of the Week awards.
He ranks third in the EIVA with a team-best 57.0 blocks and 0.84 blocks per set. He has 10 matches with four or more kills this season.
To find the complete list of EIVA winners, click here.
Penn State is the number-one seed in the upcoming EIVA Tournament and will host the semifinal and championship rounds at Rec Hall, April 22 and 24. The Nittany Lions will play the winner of Charleston and Saint Francis, who play this Saturday, April 17 .
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