April 29, 2008

Sophomore Kawika Shoji was named an AVCA All-American on Monday, as announced by the AVCA. Shoji was named to the second-team after leading the Cardinal to a 17-11 record, a 14-game turnaround from the 2007 season. The sophomore from Honolulu, Hawai'I led the Cardinal with 990 assists and averaged 10.31 a game. A 2008 MPSF Second-Team honoree, Shoji is a first-time AVCA All-American.

Top-ranked Penn State University leads the way with five players honored as AVCA Division I-II Men's All-America, placing two on the first team, and three on the second team. Three players from both Long Beach State University and Cal State Northridge received the honor, while Pepperdine University and BYU garnered two recipients apiece. UCLA, UC Irvine, George Mason University, The Ohio State University and Stanford University each landed one player on the All-America teams. Pepperdine setter Jonathan Winder was selected to an AVCA All-America Team for the fourth consecutive season, becoming only the eighth player in the history of the AVCA Division I-II Men's All-America program to achieve that feat, and the first since his former teammate Sean Rooney from 2002-2005. BYU middle blocker Russell Holmes and outside hitter Ivan Perez were the only players to garner their third All-America honor. Winder, teammate Paul Carroll, UCLA libero Tony Ker and Ohio State setter Daniel Mathews all achieved First-Team status for the second consecutive season.

The 2008 selections were made by the AVCA Division I-II Men's Volleyball All-America Committee: chairperson Pete Hanson (Ohio State); Jeff Campbell (Cal State Northridge); Fred Chao (George Mason); Shane Davis (Loyola-Chicago); Dan Friend (Lewis); Alan Knipe (Long Beach State); Mark Pavlik (Penn State); Mike Rumbaugh (Saint Francis); and John Speraw (UC Irvine).

The awards will be presented at the NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship Banquet on the campus of the University of California, Irvine on Wednesday, April 30, 2008.

2008 AVCA Division I-II Men's First-Team All-America
Player Institution Pos Yr Ht Hometown
Dan Alexander Long Beach State University MB So. 6-7 Arcadia, California
Matt Anderson + Penn State University OH Jr. 6-10 West Seneca, New York
Paul Carroll * Pepperdine University RS/Opp Jr. 6-7 Forester, Australia
Russell Holmes + # Brigham Young University MB Sr. 6-8 Fountain Valley, California
Max Holt Penn State University MB Jr. 6-9 Cincinnati, Ohio
Tony Ker * UCLA DS/Lib. Sr. 5-10 Valencia, California
Paul Lotman Long Beach State University OH Sr. 6-7 Lakewood, California
Daniel Mathews * The Ohio State University S Sr. 6-5 Shorewood, Wisconsin
Eric Vance Cal State Northridge OH Jr. 6-4 Camarillo, California
Jonathan Winder * # ^ Pepperdine University S Sr. 6-8 Irvine, California

2008 AVCA Division I-II Men's Second-Team All-America
Player Institution Pos Yr Ht Hometown
Dean Bittner Long Beach State University RS/Opp So. 6-7 Lakewood, California
Dennis Del Valle Penn State University DS/Lib. Fr. 5-8 Toa Alta, Puerto Rico
Kyle Gramit George Mason University RS/Opp Jr. 6-5 Naperville, Illinois
Isaac Kneubuhl Cal State Northridge OH Sr. 6-1 Pukalani, Hawai'i
Max Lipsitz Penn State University MB So. 6-7 Williamsville, New York
Cody Loe Cal State Northridge MB Fr. 6-8 Chatsworth, California
Luke Murray Penn State University S Sr. 6-0 East Petersburg, Pennsylvania
Ivan Perez * ^ Brigham Young University OH Sr. 6-4 Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Kawika Shoji Stanford University S So. 6-3 Honolulu, Hawai'i
Jon Steller University of California, Irvine RS/Opp Jr. 6-7 Fresno, California

AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Year: Announced at NCAA Championship Banquet on April 30 AVCA Division I-II Men's Newcomer of the Year: Cody Loe, Cal State Northridge, Fr.

* - 2007 AVCA Division I-II Men's First-Team All-America selection + - 2007 AVCA Division I-II Men's Second-Team All-America selection # - 2006 AVCA Division I-II Men's Second-Team All-America selection ^ - 2005 AVCA Division I-II Men's Second Team All-America selection