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The top Alderson Broaddus players from the decade are receiving a college men’s volleyball accolade.
Off the Block announced on Tuesday the seven players selected to the Alderson Broaddus All-Decade Starting Lineup presented by Off the Block.
The All-Decade Starting Lineup recognizes the best players to compete with a team since 2010. Similar to the starting lineup for a match, the All-Decade honor is comprised of a setter, opposite and libero along with two outside attackers and middle attackers.
The Off the Block staff determined the All-Decade Starting Lineup using a variety of factors including career statistical performance and the team’s overall success when a player was a member of the program.
This is also part of a series from Off the Block to celebrate the end of the decade in college men’s volleyball. Off the Block throughout the rest of 2019 will release an All-Decade Starting Lineup for every NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball team.
Alderson Broaddus transitioned from a club program to a NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball team midway through the decade and has competed as an independent without a conference affiliation. Among the Battlers’ top achievements this included winning the inaugural IVA Tournament championship in 2017.
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.
Alderson Broaddus All-Decade Starting Lineup presented by Off the Block
Setter: Benjamin Bravo
Opposite: Will Ruiz
Outside attacker: Obenda Besongngem
Outside attacker: Francisco Cabrera
Middle attacker: Chase Christiansen
Middle attacker: Myles Miller
Libero: Erik Arroyo
Erik Arroyo (2016-17)
Awards and honors: N/A
Arroyo as a freshman was third in the nation with a 2.83 digs per game average and finished in the top 10 of voting for the Erik Shoji Award, which is presented to the nation’s top libero. The following season Arroyo was moved to a pin-hitter but returned to the starting libero role for the postseason. In the 2017 IVA Tournament finals, Arroyo had a team-high 10 digs as Alderson Broaddus upset Coker in four games.
Obenda Besongngem (2015-17)
Awards and honors: 2015 All-Independent Team; 2017 All-Independent Team
Besongngem led the Battlers in kills for three consecutive seasons, including being in the nation’s top 25 with a career-best 3.59 kills per game average as a junior in 2016. The outside attacker in his last two seasons had at least 20 kills five matches. Besongngem in his final college match also had a team-high 12 kills as Alderson Broaddus beat Coker to win the inaugural IVA Tournament in 2017.
Benjamin Bravo (2016-17)
Awards and honors: N/A
Bravo in his final season with Alderson Broaddus finished 2017 in the nation’s top 30 with an 8.91 assists per game average. The setter also was in the nation’s top 20 that season averaging 0.35 aces per game, including having a match-high five aces in an upset victory against Coker in the IVA Tournament finals. Bravo also split time as team’s starting setter in 2016 and finished the season averaging 6.76 assists per game and 1.07 digs per game.
Francisco Cabrera (2016-18)
Awards and honors: 2018 All-Independent Team; 2018 Off the Block All-Puerto Rican Team
Cabrera led Alderson Broaddus and was among the nation’s top 40 with a 3.12 kills per game average as he earned All-Independent Team honors in 2018. He also had double-digit kills in 14 matches that season, including a season-high 21 kills on a .325 attack percentage in a near upset of Coker in the IVA Tournament semifinals. In addition, Cabrera during his freshman season finished among the team leaders with a 2.57 kills per game average.
Chase Christiansen (2018-present)
Awards and honors: N/A
Christiansen as a freshman led the Battlers with 62 blocks — highlighted with a season-high six blocks as Alderson Broaddus swept Queens in the IVA Tournament third-place match. He also finished last season in the nation’s top 50 with a 0.82 blocks per game average and was third on Alderson Broaddus with a 1.86 kills per game average.
Myles Miller (2014-18)
Awards and honors: 2017 Independent Teams Player of the Year; 2017 All-Independent Team
Miller had at least 50 blocks and more than .300 attack percentage in each of his final three seasons. The middle attacker finished the 2017 season third in the nation with a career-best 1.21 blocks per game average and became the only Battler in the decade to win the Independent Teams Player of the Year. As a sophomore in 2016, Miller had a career-high .432 attack percentage and a career-best 14 blocks in a victory against Lees-McRae.
Will Ruiz (2013-16)
Awards and honors: 2015 All-Independent Team
Ruiz earned All-Independent Team honors in 2015 after finishing second on the Battlers with a 2.87 kills per game average. He also had double-digit kills in every match that season against ConfCarolinas schools as Alderson Broaddus went 4-1 versus the conference. The following season Ruiz concluded his college career among the team leaders averaging 2.42 kills per game.
What about Travis V?!?!!