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A nationwide voting committee selected NJIT outside attacker Jabarry Goodridge, Ohio State outside attacker Nicolas Szerszen and Hawai’i opposite Stijn van Tilburg as finalists for the inaugural International Player of the Year.
The International Player of the Year is presented to the best non-U.S. born player in NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball during the regular season.
This is the first national award in the recent history of college men’s volleyball recognizing the outstanding individual performances of international players who are pursuing their volleyball career and higher education in the United States. Players from countries around the world have significantly contributed throughout the history college men’s volleyball helping teams win NCAA champions and earning numerous All-American honors.
Goodridge, a native of Bridgetown, Barbados, finished the regular season leading the EIVA and second in the nation with a 4.47 kills per game average, including having double-digit kills in all but two matches he started this year. The 2017 EIVA Player of the Year also had conference-best 0.50 aces per game average and was third in the EIVA with a .329 attack percentage.
Szerszen, a native of Conflans Ste Hne, France, was among the nation’s leaders with a 3.74 kills per game average and a .389 attack percentage. The 2017 MIVA Player of the Year also had a nation-best 0.65 aces per game average and multiple aces in 13 regular season matches against nationally ranked teams as No. 2/2 Ohio State won the MIVA regular season championship.
van Tilburg, a native of Amsterdam, Netherlands, was third in the nation with a 4.32 kills per game average and in the nation’s top 15 with a .382 attack percentage. The All-MPSF sophomore also had at least 15 kills in 13 regular season matches, including 21 kills on a .533 attack percentage in a sweep against No. 9/9 Stanford in March.
The voting committee for the International Player of the Year was comprised of about 25 college men’s volleyball head coaches and volleyball reporters from around the nation.
The top three vote-getters were named finalists for the International Player of the Year. The winner of the International Player of the Year and the total voting results will be announced Tuesday, April 25.
The International Player of the Year is one of two new national awards that Off the Block will present this season. Off the Block also will debut the Flyer Award for the nation’s best player during the regular season from a NCAA Division II team.
Off the Block is a national award winning website that launched in 2011 and is the nation’s leaders in college men’s volleyball coverage.
INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Jabarry Goodridge, NJIT
Nicolas Szerszen, Ohio State
Stijn van Tilburg, Hawai’i