Brett Wildman Season 2023

CAREER NOTES & RECORDS
Career: Became fourth Nittany Lion to win EIVA Player of the Year honor multiple times (2020 & 2022)…First Nittany Lion since 2011 (Dennis Del Valle) to earn at least three AVCA All-America awards (2020, 2021, 2022)…Became fourth Nittany Lion to be roster on USA Volleyball Nations League (VNL) roster in summer 2022…Was 14th Nittany Lion to win an EIVA Player of the Year award (2020)...Became fourth Nittany Lion to make USA VNL Roster (2022)…Competed with former Nittany Lion Jalen Penrose (’17) with USA at the 2021 NORCECA Continental Championship…Was the 10th Nittany Lion in program history to play in the World University Games (2019)...One of 16 Nittany Lions to play for USA Volleyball Junior National Team (2019)…Ranks fifth in PSU history with 128 service aces.

Season: 2022: Became one of eight Nittany Lions to win three AVCA All-America honors and first first-team honoree since 2015 (Aaron Russell). 2021: Earned All-America status with both the AVCA (second team) and VolleyballMag.com (third team). 2020: Named AVCA All-America Honorable Mention.

2022 • SENIOR SEASON
Awards: Named Penn State’s first AVCA First Team All-American since 2015…Awarded second EIVA Player of the Year honor…Picked All-EIVA First Team honoree…Earned two EIVA Offensive Player of the Week awards.
 
Season: Rostered with 2022 USA Volleyball Nations League roster along with former Nittany Lion Aaron Russell…Named co-captain with Will Bantle…Pieced together another special All-American season as one of the top outside hitters in the nation…Tallied single-season best 302 kills at a .342 hitting percentage in all 27 matches…Aced 41 serves…Had 126 digs, 45 blocks and .968 serve-receive percentage (507-524)…Posted 19 matches with 10-or-more kills.
 
Rankings: Ranked sixth in EIVA with 302 kills…Ranked fourth in conference with 41 aces…Finished fifth in total points with 368.0.
 
No. 6 Grand Canyon (1/13): Dominated three-set win with 18.5 points on 14 kills, 2 aces, and four total blocks…Hit season-best .684 (14-1-19) for match. at No. 3 Long Beach State (1/29): Put down season-high 18 kills in marquee road victory…Tallied 23 points with four aces, including a clutch service run in the fourth set to force fifth-and-deciding game. George Mason (2/5): Had another productive and efficient offensive output with 17 kills at a .500 rate in three-set win. at NJIT (2/26): Turned in another 20-plus point performance…Had three service aces, none more clutch than two in a row to set up match point in fifth set…Recorded season-high five blocks. No. 13 Ohio State (3/13): Capped stretch of 14-of-17 matches with double-digit kills with 17 kills in four-set win over Buckeyes. at Saint Francis (4/2): Aced career-best seven serves in dominant serving performance to go with 12 kills at .550 rate to clinch EIVA regular-season title in road win…Reached 20 points for fourth time in 2022 season.

2021 • JUNIOR SEASON
Awards: Tabbed AVCA Second Team All-America...Named VolleyballMag.com Third Team All-America...Earned First Team All-EIVA Honors...Voted to EIVA All-Tournament Team...Earned All-EIVA Academic Team honors for the second-straight season...Honored on Academic All-Big Ten Team...Named EIVA Defensive Player of the Week (3/29). 

Season: Named team co-captain with Will Bantle...Provided explosive point-scoring from outside hitter position in 22 matches (all starts)...Finished second on team with 237 kills and 285.0 points...Hit single-season best .329 on 499 attempts...Aced 30 serves...Showed great defensive improvement with single-season bests in digs (105) and blocks (33.0)...Powered Penn State's offense with 13 double-digit kill matches, including stretch of eight straight 2/6-3/26. 

Rankings: Finished third in EIVA in kills and hitting percentage...Tied for second in conference with 30 service aces.

Saint Francis (2/6): Posted first career double-double with 17 kills and 11 digs in five-set win...Had critical points late in fourth and fifth set to seal victory. Charleston (3/5-6): Totaled 20 kills and hit .500 in two weekend sweeps...Tied single-match high with four aces in match one. at No. 11 NJIT (3/20): Ripped 15 kills and hit .414 in statement sweep on road against ranked opponent...Made diving play into scorer's table to save point in third game. Sacred Heart (3/26): Tied then season-high with 17 kills at .593 rate with just one error and seven digs. Saint Francis (4/22): Had 10 kills and a highlight assist from the back row in EIVA semifinal win. No. 13 George Mason (4/24): Put together championship performance with season-high 22 kills to clinch EIVA Tournament title...Aced back-to-back serves and had three kills late in second set to put Nittany Lions in 2-0 advantage for match...Tied career high with four aces in match. Belmont Abbey (5/3): Ripped four more aces and added nine aces in NCAA Opening Round win. 

2020 • SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: Selected Uvaldo Acosta Memorial EIVA Co-Player of the Year...Named AVCA All-America Honorable Mention...Selected to All-EIVA first team...Honored on EIVA All-Academic Team...Named EIVA Player of the Week and Off the Block National Outside Hitter of the Week twice (1/20 & 2/17).

Season: One of three Nittany Lions to play all 68 sets (Jason Donorovich & Will Bantle)...Started all 19 matches as outside hitter...Led team with 250 kills and 288.5 points...Posted 15 matches with double-digit kill totals, including stretch of 11 straight (1/17-2/21)...Averaged 15.46 kills during stretch (170 total kills)...Scored at least six kills in all 19 matches...Ranked second on team with 27 service aces with an ace in 14 matches...Recorded .947 serve-receive percentage on 341 attempts...Season shortened and no championship held due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Rankings: Ranked second in EIVA with 250 kills and 3.68 kills per set...Placed fifth in league with .315 hitting percentage among qualifying players.

at No. 11 Loyola Chicago (1/17): Scored 19.5 points with 14 kills, personal single-match high four aces, and three blocks in 3-0 win. at No. 5 Lewis (1/18): Had team-high 17 kills in reverse sweep victory to win EIVA Offensive Player of the Week. Big Ten-Pac 12 Challenge (1/24-26): Combined for 31 kills while hitting .472 in pair of wins over No. 6 UCLA and USC to win EIVA Offensive Player of the Week. No. 11 Princeton (2/14): Led team with 17-kill effort and 19.5 points in 3-1 win. NJIT (2/15): Dominated three-set win with .560 hitting percentage and 17 kills (17-3-25) on route to second EIVA Offensive Player of the Week award. at Sacred Heart (2/21): Put down season-high 22 kills in reverse sweep win, joining teammate Cal Fisher with 20-plus kills in the match...Had eight kills in fourth set plus the set-clinching ace.

2019 • FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Named to EIVA All-Tournament Team…Selected an All-EIVA honorable mention...Voted Off The Block Player of the Offseason. 

Season: Played for the USA Junior National Team at the 2019 Pan Am Cup in Chile…Competed for Team USA at the 2019 World University Games in Italy…Played in 27 matches and 90 total sets…Started final 13 matches of the season and recorded 10 matches of seven or more kills during the span (3/9-4/20)…Finished season with double-digit kills in six of last seven matches, including final five straight…Added 19 service aces in final 10 matches of the season...Finished third on team with 195 kills…Ranked second on team with 29 service aces. 

Rankings: Finished second among all EIVA freshmen with 195 kills.

at No. 8 Ohio State (1/5): Made collegiate debut and played in four sets. Harvard (2/15): Posted first double-digit kill match with 11 in first career start. at No. 11 USC (3/8): Picked up 16 kills off the bench in a five-set match…Had four digs, a block and an ace. at NJIT (4/12): Hit .500  with 13 kills…Added a pair of aces and six digs. vs. George Mason (4/18): Powered Nittany Lions to an EIVA semifinal win with 22 kills and a .450 hitting percentage…Tacked on three aces and had seven digs. at Princeton (4/20): Recorded a season team and career-best 24 kills in EIVA championship…Hit .300 with 50 attacks…Posted two aces, two blocks and six digs. 

BEFORE PENN STATE
Named 2018 Virginia Player of the Year as an outside hitter for Frank W. Cox High School…Won 2014 state championship and was 2018 state runner-up with the Falcons…Earned 2018 AVCA High School All-America senior year…Selected 2018 Tidewater Conference Player of the Year…Played for the 2017 USA Volleyball Boys Youth National Team…Was a member for the Coastal Virginia Volleyball Club 2016-18…Won 2018 Florida Fest championship...Selected to Volleyball Magazine’s Fab 50 Players to Watch.

PERSONAL 
Full name is Brett McGehee Wildman…Parents are Leslie and Garry Wildman…Has one brother, Lane, who played baseball at Wingate University (2016-19)…Majoring in security and risk analysis.