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Nine Puerto Rican players have been selected for an annual college men’s volleyball national accolade.
Off the Block announced Thursday that players from Barton, BYU, George Mason, Limestone, NJIT, Purdue Fort Wayne and Springfield were selected to the 2019 Off the Block All-Puerto Rican Team.
The All-Puerto Rican Team recognizes the best NCAA men’s volleyball players from Puerto Rico during the season. The team is comprised of the top nine players, regardless of position, and is selected by the Off the Block.
The All-Puerto Rican Team was created in an effort to celebrate the contributions of Puerto Rican players to college men’s volleyball. Numerous student-athletes from Puerto Rico in NCAA men’s volleyball history have earned All-American honors and helped their teams win championships.
This is the second consecutive year that Off the Block has presented the All-Puerto Rican Team.
Off the Block is a national award winning website that was established in 2011 and is the nation’s leader in college men’s volleyball coverage.
2019 Off the Block All Puerto Rican Team
Setter: Oscar Fiorentino, Barton
Setter: Roque Nido, NJIT
Setter: Eli Gabriel Irizarry Pares, Springfield
Setter: Luis Velez, George Mason
Opposite: Gabi Garcia Fernandez, BYU
Outside attacker: Jordan Barreto, Limestone
Outside attacker: Adrian Iglesias, Barton
Outside attacker: Pelegrín Vargas, Purdue Fort Wayne
Libero: Johjan Mussa Robles, Springfield
Jordan Barreto, Limestone
Barreto finished in the top 10 of the ConfCarolinas averaging both 2.93 kills per game and 2.11 digs per game game. The all-conference outside attacker also had five matches with both double-digit kills and digs and helped the Saints advance to the ConfCarolinas Tournament semifinals.
Gabi Garcia Fernandez, BYU
Fernandez was fourth in the nation with a 4.29 kills per game average and had at least 20 kills in seven regular season matches as he helped lead BYU to the MPSF Tournament semifinals. Topping his offensive performances this season was a season-high 31 kills on 72 attempts and a .306 attack percentage against Concordia-Irvine in March.
Oscar Fiorentino, Barton
Fiorentino was fourth in the nation with a 10.70 assists per game average and guided the Barton offense to the fourth-best attack percentage in the nation at .338. He also added a 1.35 digs per game average as the Bulldogs won the ConfCarolinas championship and earned their second NCAA Tournament berth in the last three years.
Adrian Iglesias, Barton
Iglesias in his freshman season finished in the top 15 of the ConfCarolinas with both a 2.60 kills per game average and a .278 attack percentage. The outside attacker also had 10 kills while hitting .350 in the NCAA Tournament play-in match against Princeton.
Roque Nido, NJIT
Nido as a freshman was fourth in the EIVA with an 8.29 assists per game average and guided the Highlanders to more than a .300 attack percentage in six conference matches. He also compiled 13 aces in his first college men’s volleyball season.
Eli Gabriel Irizarry Pares, Springfield
Pares guided Springfield to the sixth-best attack percentage in NCAA Division III at .287 and was among the nation’s leaders with an 8.61 assists per game average. The First-Team All-American setter also had a 1.16 kills per game average and a career-high 43 aces as he helped lead Springfield to the NCAA Tournament semifinals.
Johjan Mussa Robles, Springfield
Robles was among the NCAA Division III leaders with a 2.81 digs per game average. The First-Team All-American libero also had double-digit digs in 16 matches, including 10 digs in both of Springfield’s NCAA Tournament matches.
Pelegrín Vargas, Purdue Fort Wayne
Vargas was in the nation’s top 10 with a 3.83 kills per game average and had double-digit kills in all but six matches this season. He also had a career-high .280 attack percentage and was in the top 10 of the MIVA averaging 1.74 digs per game as he helped the Mastodons to the MIVA Tournament semifinals.
Luis Velez, George Mason
Velez in his first season as George Mason’s starting setter guided the team to an EIVA-best .297 attack percentage. He also was in the conference’s top 10 with a 1.56 digs per game average as he helped George Mason earn a berth to the four-team EIVA Tournament.