UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – All seven Penn State men's volleyball starters were recognized Monday as the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced the 2023 All-America Teams.
Cole Bogner and Toby Ezeonu led the way for the Nittany Lions with first-team selections. Cal Fisher made the second team, while Michal Kowal, Ryan Merk, Owen Rose, and Brett Wildman received honorable mention status.
Penn State had multiple players earn first-team All-America for the first time since Max Holt, Max Lipsitz, and Will Price all received the honor in 2009. It is the first time the Lions had a first-team honoree in back-to-back seasons – Brett Wildman made the first team last season – since Aaron Russell was a first-team All-American in 2014 and again in 2015.
Bogner is now a three-time All-American, adding his first-team honor to a pair of second-team accolades. He is the first Penn State setter to make the first team since José Quiñones in 2002.
He is the only Penn State player to appear in all 105 sets so far this season as he guided the offense to seven wins in which the Lions without one or more All-American. Four of those wins came against nationally-ranked opponents – Ohio State, Pepperdine, Stanford, and Princeton.
Bogner was the Player of the Year in the EIVA for the second time in his career after guiding Penn State to an unbeaten record in conference play. He enters the NC Championship ranking fifth in the nation at 10.28 assists/set while guiding Penn State to the fifth-best hitting percentage (.337).
Ezeonu continued his rise to becoming one of the best players in the nation this season, jumping from honorable-mention All-American last season to first-team status as a junior this season. Ezeonu is one of the most dominant middles in the nation this year as he ranks second in hitting percentage while averaging 2.10 kills/set. He has excelled against top competition, hitting .500 over 12 matches as the Lions went 9-3 against nationally-ranked opponents.
Ezeonu is the first Penn State middle to be a first-team All-American since
Max Lipsitz in 2010.
Fisher led Penn State to the EIVA Tournament title, earning MVP honors after hitting .410 while averaging 6.00 points, 5.00 kills and 1.29 digs/set over a pair of wins. He had double-digit kills in 16 of the 22 matches he played, including a season-high 23 in a four-set EIVA semifinal match. Fisher was one of the top servers in the nation, ranking fourth with 0.67 aces/set. He is now a three-time second-team All-American.
Kowal had a breakout season for Penn State, earning spots on the All-Tournament team at two events as the Lions won both Hawaii's Outrigger Challenge and the EIVA Tournament. He contributed both offensive and defensively, averaging 2.49 kills, 1.23 digs, and 0.46 blocks/set. He was strong at the service line with 29 aces.
Merk took over Penn State's starting libero spot in his redshirt freshman season and immediately excelled in the position. He led the team with 1.83 digs/set. Just as important, he was the primary passer in an offensive attack that hit .337 on the season. Merk was named to the All-Tournament Team while helping the Lions win Hawaii's Outrigger Challenge.
Rose was outstanding in his redshirt freshman season for Penn State, ranking first in the EIVA and ninth in the nation in blocks/set (1.07) while helping the Lions hold opposing teams to a .177 hitting percentage. Rose had five or more blocks in a match eight times this season, including four times against nationally-ranked opponents.
Wildman earned a spot on an AVCA All-America team for the fourth time after leading Penn State to the EIVA regular season and Tournament titles as one of three senior captains. The fifth-year player battled through injuries all season but appears to be at his strongest as the Lions head to the NC Tournament. He landed a spot on the EIVA All-Tournament Team after hitting .405 with 4.00 points/set, 3.14 kills/set, and 1.71 digs/set in a pair of wins.
Wildman was a first-team All-American last season, made the second team as a junior, and was an honorable mention following his sophomore season.
Penn State is 26-3 heading into the National Collegiate Championship at George Mason's EagleBank Arena. The Lions play Ohio State in the quarterfinal round on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
