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A nationwide voting committee selected six college men’s volleyball players to the inaugural Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. All-IVA Team that was unveiled Wednesday.
The Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. All-IVA Team honors the top men’s volleyball players during the regular season from NCAA Division I-II teams that competed as independents and are participating in the upcoming IVA Tournament.
Alderson Broaddus, Coker and Lincoln Memorial will compete for IVA Tournament championship this weekend in Hartsville, South Carolina. The college men’s volleyball tournament was formed earlier this year as a defacto end-of-season conference tournament for independent teams.
Lincoln Memorial in the program’s inaugural season led all teams with three All-IVA selections. Alderson Broaddus had two players earn the honor, while Coker had one player make the team.
A voting committee comprised of head coaches from the participating teams in the upcoming IVA Tournament and Off the Block editor Vinnie Lopes determined the All-IVA Team. The six players who received the most votes, regardless of their position, were placed on the All-IVA Team.
Off the Block is a website that launched in 2011 and is the nation’s leader in college men’s volleyball coverage.
Springbak, Inc. is the official sponsor of the All-IVA Team and produces high performance footwear used by professional athletes from the NFL, NBA, MLB and U.S. Olympic teams and the top college teams in the nation.
Off the Block annually presents national college men’s volleyball awards to recognize outstanding individual performances. Among the other national awards it presents includes the Lloy Ball Award for the nation’s top setter, the Karch Kiraly Award for the nation’s top outside attacker, the Bryan Ivie Award for the nation’s top opposite, the Ryan Millar Award for the nation’s top middle attacker, the Erik Shoji Award for the nation’s top libero, the Flyer Award for the nation’s top Division II player, the Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Freshmen All-American Team, the Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. National Server of the Year and the Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. National Freshman of the Year.
2017 ALL-IVA TEAM
Opposite: Joao Victor Santos, Coker
Opposite: Evan Cory, Lincoln Memorial
Outside attacker: Obenda Besongngem, Alderson Broaddus
Outside attacker: Josh Riblett, Lincoln Memorial
Middle attacker: Pedro Carvalho, Lincoln Memorial
Middle attacker: Myles Miller, Alderson Broaddus
ALL-IVA TEAM PLAYER BIOS
Obenda Besongngem | Alderson Broaddus | Outside attacker | Senior
Besongngem leads Alderson Broaddus and is in the nation’s top 50 with a 2.79 kills per game average, including having a season-high 20 kills in a five-game victory against Belmont Abbey in February. He also had at least five digs in 10 regular season matches with a match-high 14 digs coming in a four-game loss to Harvard in February.
Pedro Carvalho | Lincoln Memorial | Middle attacker | Freshman
Carvalho leads Lincoln Memorial and is in the nation’s top 30 with a 0.98 blocks per game average. The middle attacker also had seven matches with double-digit kills, including 10 kills while hitting .400 in a five-game victory against Alderson Broaddus in January for first-year program’s inaugural win.
Evan Cory | Lincoln Memorial | Opposite | Freshman
Cory is among the Lincoln Memorial leaders with a 2.87 kills per game average and had double-digit kills in 14 regular season matches. The freshman also contributed at least five digs in 15 matches. Among his top performances of the season featured a season-high 24 kills on a .455 attack percentage and 10 digs in a five-game upset victory against Limestone in March.
Myles Miller | Alderson Broaddus | Middle attacker | Senior
Miller is second in the nation with a 1.23 blocks per game average and had seven matches with at least five blocks during the regular season. The middle attacker also leads the Battlers and is among the nation’s top 40 with a .316 attack percentage.
Josh Riblett | Lincoln Memorial | Outside attacker | Junior
Riblett ended the regular season leading Lincoln Memorial and in the nation’s top 50 with a 2.87 kills per game average. He also had double-digit kills in 10 matches, including a season-high 26 kills in a near upset five-game loss to Mount Olive in February.
Joao Victor Santos | Coker | Opposite | Sophomore
Santos is in the nation’s top 20 with a 3.41 kills per game average and has double-digit kills in 11 matches, including a season-high 26 kills in a victory against Alderson Broaddus in February. He had a team-high 19 kills in a four-game loss to No. 12 Penn State in January.