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Brandon Johnson | Senior Contributor
Ten players from Hawai’i have been selected for an inaugural college men’s volleyball national accolade.
Off the Block announced Tuesday that players from Barton, BYU, CSUN, Emmanuel, Hawai’i, Long Beach State, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego were selected to the 2019 Off the Block All-Hawai’i Team.
The All-Hawai’i Team recognizes the best NCAA men’s volleyball players from Hawai’i during the season. The team is comprised of the top ten players, regardless of position, and is selected by the Off the Block.
The All-Hawai’i Team was created in an effort to celebrate the contributions of players from Hawai’i to college men’s volleyball. 2019 was a big year for the state of Hawai’i, with the University of Hawai’i finishing as national runner-up while a number of players from Hawai’i made contributions throughout the country. In order to be eligible for the award, a player must have spent a portion of his childhood and high school career in Hawai’i.
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.
Setter: Micah Ma’a
Setter: Wil Stanley
Outside Attacker: Colton Cowell
Outside Attacker: Wyatt Harrison
Outside Attacker: Austin Matautia
Outside Attacker: Ethan Siegfried
Outside Attacker: Ryan Wilcox
Middle Attacker: Justice Lord
Middle Attacker: Don Thompson
Libero: Emmett Enriques
Setter
UCLA Setter Micah Ma’a (Punahou School)
Ma’a finished up his stellar career, splitting time between setter and outside attacker, showing off the versatility that made him one of the best all-around players the volleyball community has seen since Karch Kiraly. Ma’a tallied 851 assists (8.10 per game), 147 kills (.304 hitting efficiency) and 67 aces (.60 per game) while being named co-national server of the year.
BYU Setter Wil Stanley (Punahou School)
Before suffering a season-ending leg injury, Stanley accumulated 438 assists, good for 9.52 per game. Both numbers led the team despite playing only half the season. He was also a strong server and defender and is poised for a promising senior season for the Cougars, who will be near the top of most preseason rankings.
Outside Attacker
Hawai’i Outside Attacker Colton Cowell (King Kekaulike High School)
Cowell seized the starting spot and put together a solid season collecting 2.36 kills and 1.16 digs per game. The hometown boy helped the Rainbow Warriors to one of the greatest seasons in program history, advancing to the national title match.
UC San Diego Outside Attacker Wyatt Harrison (Kapa’a High School)
In his sophomore season, Harrison led the Tritons in kills (3.24 per game) and aces (18 total aces 0.22 per game). He set a season high in kills with 23 against Concordia-Irvine on February 1.
UCLA Outside Attacker Austin Matautia (Moanalua High School)
After a slow start, Matautia started to find his stride as the go-to hitter for the Bruins before suffering a season-ending injury. For the season, he average 2.41 kills per game, highlighted by a 22 kill (.486 attack percentage) performance against Pepperdine on February 27h.
Long Beach State Outside Attacker Ethan Siegfried (Punahou School)
Siegfried started the season as a serving sub, but took over the starting role midway through the year. He collected a career high 16 kills back home in Hawai’i on April 13, and helped lead Long Beach State to their second straight national championship.
UC Santa Barbara Outside Attacker Ryan Wilcox (Punahou School)
Wilcox put together a strong freshman campaign from start to finish, collecting Big West Freshman of the Year and AVCA National Newcomer of the Year honors.
Middle Blocker
Barton Middle Blocker Justice Lord (Hilo High School)
Aside from having one of the best names in college volleyball, Lord put up a solid senior season for the Bulldogs, hitting for a .376 efficiency and leading the squad in blocks at 1.20 per game. He accumulated 10 total blocks in a five-game victory on January 18 against Grand Canyon.
Emmanuel Middle Blocker Don Thompson (King Kekaulike High School)
Thompson put together an excellent junior campaign, leading the team with 394 kills (3.52 per game) and blocks (0.81 per game). Thompson collected 23 kills in a five-game win over North Greenville on March 19.
Libero
CSUN Libero Emmett Enriques (Kamehameha Schools)
The transfer from Cal Baptist was a two-year starter for the Matadors and during his senior year, he accumulated 199 digs, good for 1.83 per game. He collected a season high 19 digs against UC Santa Barbara on March 30.