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The last Erskine team to win a ConfCarolinas championship and reach the NCAA Tournament is capping off the decade win a prestigious conference honor.
Off the Block announced Monday that a nationwide voting committee selected the 2016 Erskine team as the ConfCarolinas Team of the Decade.
The Fleet finished the 2016 regular season 15-3 in conference play and then defeated King, Belmont Abbey and Barton in the conference tournament to win its second ConfCarolinas title in a three-year span. Erskine in the NCAA Tournament play-in match forced Long Beach State to a second-gane overtime before losing the match and ending the season tying the program’s best mark with a 21-7 record.
Three Erskine players concluded that season among the nation’s top statistical leaders.
Outside attacker Mike Michelau led the Fleet and was in the nation’s top five with a 4.47 kills per game average en route to being named the ConfCarolinas Player of the Year. The senior had at least 20 kills in seven matches, including a match-high 22 kills in the ConfCarolinas Tournament semifinals against Belmont Abbey.
Setter David Grandy was fourth in the nation with an 11.09 assists per game average and guided the Erskine offense to end the season third in the conference and in the nation’s top 15 with a .285 attack percentage.
Libero Michael Schneck also was second in the nation averaging 2.95 digs per game and earned the ConfCarolinas Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in his career.
The voting committee for the ConfCarolinas Team of the Decade was comprised of current and former ConfCarolinas head coaches along with national volleyball media members. The top-three vote-getters were selected finalists, while the team with the most votes named the overall award winner.
The 2016 Erskine team received 13 votes to defeat the runner up 2019 Barton team by five votes. Both the 2014 Erskine team and the 2015 Pfeiffer team finished tied for third place with six votes.
Off the Block coordinated the ConfCarolinas All-Decade Awards. Along with the ConfCarolinas Team of the Decade, Off the Block presented the ConfCarolinas Coach of the Decade, the ConfCarolinas Player of the Decade and the ConfCarolinas All-Decade Awards.
Off the Block is a national award winning website that was established in 2011 and is the nation’s leader college men’s volleyball coverage.
ConfCarolinas Team of the Decade
1. 2016 Erskine — 13 votes
2. 2019 Barton — 8 votes
T-3. 2014 Erskine — 6 votes
T-3. 2015 Pfeiffer — 6 votes
5. 2018 King — 4 votes
6. 2017 Barton — 3 votes
7. 2013 Pfeiffer — 2 votes