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The top UC San Diego players at their position during this decade have been selected for a college men’s volleyball honor.
Off the Block announced on Monday the seven players selected to the UC San Diego 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.
UC San Diego in each of the first four seasons of the decade was ranked in the Division I-II national coaches poll. In addition, the Tritons advanced to the 2018 Big West Tournament quarterfinals and concluded that season at No. 5 in the Off the Block Division II National Coaches Poll.
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.
UC San Diego All-Decade Starting Lineup presented by Off the Block
Setter: Phil Bannan
Opposite: Tanner Syftestad
Outside attacker: Carl Ebert
Outside attacker: Wyatt Harrison
Middle attacker: Sebastian Brady
Middle attacker: Calvin Ross
Libero: Chase Frishman
Phil Bannan (2008-11)
Awards and honors: 2011 Second-Team All-MPSF, 2010 All-MPSF Honorable Mention
Bannan concluded his college career setting program records with both 4,399 career assists and 110 career aces. In his senior season, Bannan was among the national leaders with a 9.84 assists per game average. He also guided the offense to a .247 attack percentage as UC San Diego earned its best ranking in the national coaches poll during the decade at No. 11. Bannan as a junior finished with a 12.16 assists per game average — his second consecutive season averaging more than 12.00 assists per game.
Sebastian Brady (2011-13)
Awards and honors: N/A
Brady hit more than .325 in all three seasons at UC San Diego, and his .350 career attack percentage is the fourth best in school history. The middle attacker in his senior season also had both a season-high six blocks and 12 kills on a .667 attack percentage as UC San Diego upset the defending MIVA champions Lewis. Brady defensively finished that 2013 season with a team-high 0.84 blocks per game average — his second consecutive season leading the Tritons in blocks.
Carl Eberts (2010-13)
Awards and honors: 2012 All-MPSF Honorable Mention
Eberts is one of six players in UC San Diego program history to have more than 1,000 career kills. The outside attacker led the Tritons in kills for three consecutive seasons and was among the nation’s leaders with a career-high 3.22 kills per game average in 2012. UC San Diego that season finished a program-best ninth place in the MPSF as Ebert had at least 15 kills in nine matches, including a match-high 19 kills in an upset victory against Long Beach State. Ebert also was in the country’s top 40 with a 3.17 kills per game average in 2011.
Chase Frishman (2010-13)
Awards and honors: 2012 All-MPSF Honorable Mention
Frishman ended his college career second in UC San Diego program history with 674 career digs. The libero was fourth in the MPSF averaging a career-best 2.33 digs per game during his senior season, including having a team-high 11 digs in an upset victory against USC. Frishman also was third in the MPSF and in the nation’s top 15 with a 2.28 digs per game average in 2012.
Wyatt Harrison (2018 – present)
Awards and honors: 2019 First-Team All-Big West, 2019 Big West All-Freshman Team
Harrison finished last season eighth in the Big West with a 3.24 kills per game average. He also had double-digit kills in 15 matches highlighted by a season-high 23 kills on a .312 attack percentage in a five-game victory against Concordia-Irvine. Harrison during his freshman season was second on the team averaging 2.30 kills per game.
Calvin Ross (2009-11)
Awards and honors: N/A
Ross was in the top 15 of the MPSF with a 0.93 blocks per game average during his senior season as he concluded his college career with a program record 361 blocks. In addition, Ross is third in UC San Diego program history with a .372 career attack percentage. The middle attacker had more than both 100 kills and a .375 attack percentage in each of his final two seasons, including hitting a career-high .398 as a senior.
Tanner Syftestad (2015-18)
Awards and honors: 2018 Division II National Player of the Year, 2018 Bryan Ivie Award finalist, 2018 First-Team All-Big West, 2018 All-American Honorable Mention, 2017 Division II National Player of the Year, 2017 Second-Team All-MPSF
Syfestad set the program record during the 25-point rally scoring era with 1,213 career kills en route to winning the Division II National Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. The opposite finished his senior season second in the nation with a 4.48 kills per game average on a career-best .314 attack percentage. Syftestad that year had at least 20 kills in eight matches, including a season-high 27 kills while hitting .365 in a season-opening victory against McKendree. In addition, Syftestad the previous season was fifth in the country averaging 4.21 kills per game.