Follow
Brandon Johnson | Special Contributor
The best BYU players at their positions during the decade are receiving a college men’s volleyball honor.
Off the Block announced on Tuesday the seven players selected to the BYU 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 two middle attackers. In addition, three players have been added as bench players to make up a total of 10 roster spots.
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.
BYU made NCAA Tournament five times this decade – 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018. They advanced to the title match in 2013, 2016, and 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.
BYU All-Decade Team Presented by Off the Block
Setter: Leo Durkin
Opposite: Ben Patch
Outside Attacker: Brenden Sander
Outside Attacker: Taylor Sander
Middle Attacker: Price Jarman
Middle Attacker: Futi Tavana
Libero: Jaylen Reyes
Bench: Michael Hatch
Bench: Robb Stowell
Bench: Jake Langlois
Leo Durkin (2015-2018)
Awards and Honors: 2016 Second-Team All-MPSF, 2016 All-American Honorable Mention 2017 All-MPSF Honorable Mention, 2017 All-American Honorable Mention, 2018 First-Team All-MPSF, 2018 All-American Honorable Mention
The native of Las Vegas finished his collegiate career collecting 3,282 assists (10.32 assists per game). BYU never ranked outside of the top-six in team attack percentage while he was the starting setter, and the Cougars even ranked No. 1 in 2016.
Ben Patch (2013, 2016-2017)
Awards and Honors: 2013 MPSF Freshman of the Year, 2013 First-Team All-American, 2016 First-Team All-MPSF, 2016 First-Team All-American First Team, and 2017 All-MPSF Honorable Mention
Patch burst onto the scene in 2013, collecting MPSF Freshman of the Year and AVCA All-American First Team honors while helping lead the Cougars to the national championship match. After serving a two-year mission, Patch returned to the court and led the Cougars with 4.32 kills per game in 2016 (No. 5 nationally). In his career, Patch collected over 1,000 kills while hitting an efficient .345.
Brenden Sander: (2015-2018)
Awards and Honors: 2015 All-MPSF Freshman Team, 2016 First-Team All-MPSF, 2016 First-Team All-American, 2017 Second-Team All-MPSF, 2017 Honorable Mention All-American, 2018 First-Team All-MPSF, 2018 First-Team All-American
Affectionately nicknamed “The Sequel”, Sander followed in his brother Taylor’s footsteps and carved out his own legacy in Provo. He totaled 1,119 career kills to go along with 116 aces in his four years. He also twice led the Cougars in attack percentage – in 2016 and 2018.
Taylor Sander (2011-2014)
Awards and Honors: 2011 MPSF Freshman of the Year, 2011 Second-Team All-American, 2012 First-Team All-MPSF, 2012 First-Team All-American, 2013 MPSF Player of the Year, 2012 First-Team All-American, 2014 MPSF Player of the Year, 2014 National Player of the Year
Sander finished his career with the Cougars as one of the most decorated athletes in the history of collegiate men’s volleyball. Sander holds the school record in the rally-scoring era in kills (1,765) and aces (188). He led the 2012, 2013, and 2014 teams in kills, highlighted by an eye-popping 506 in 2014. Sander led BYU in aces each of the four seasons he was in Provo. In 2011, his 0.44 aces per game ranked No. 5 nationally. In 2012, his 4.89 kills per game ranked No. 2 nationally while his 0.49 aces per game ranked No. 5. In 2013, his 3.94 kills per game ranked No. 5 nationally. In 2014, his 4.60 kills per game ranked No. 2 nationally while his 0.50 aces per game ranked No. 5.
Price Jarman (2015-2018)
Awards and Honors: 2016 Second-Team All-MPSF, 2017 Second-Team All-MPSF, 2017 All-American Honorable Mention, 2018 First-Team All-MPSF, 2018 All-American Honorable Mention
Jarman, another native of Las Vegas, put up solid numbers all four years at BYU. In total, he collected 465 kills (1.47 kills per game) while hitting .463. He also averaged 1.16 blocks per game throughout his career. Jarman was No. 4 nationally with 1.31 blocks per game in 2016, while leading the Cougars in blocks per game in both 2017 and 2018. He also led the team with a .508 attack percentage in 2016 and a .464 attack percentage in 2017.
Futi Tavana (2010-2012)
Awards and Honors: 2010 Second-Team All-MPSF, 2010 Second-Team All American, 2011 First-Team All-MPSF, 2011 First-Team All-American, 2012 First-Team All-MPSF, 2012 First-Team All-American
Tavana put up huge numbers early in the decade, collecting 856 kills (2.13 kills per game) and 662 total blocks (1.65 blocks per game). In both 2011 and 2012, the Kauai native was No. 2 nationally with 1.52 and 1.59 blocks per game respectively. The 2012 BYU team led the nation with 3.27 blocks per game.
Jaylen Reyes (2012-2015)
Awards and Honors: 2015 Honorable Mention All-American
The native of Hawai’i finished his career as the BYU all-time rally scoring era leader in games played (431), and his 762 digs (1.77 digs per game) are good for second all-time at the school. The 2015 BYU team was No. 3 nationally with 9.82 digs per game, and Reyes led the way with digs per game (2.24 digs per game).