BYU opposite Fernandez wins 2020 MPSF Player of Year

Add MPSF Player of the Year to the numerous accolades for opposite Gabi Garcia Fernandez.

The BYU All-American on Thursday became the fifth player in school history to win the MPSF Player of the Year.

Despite the season being abbreviated due to the coronavirus pandemic, Garcia set the BYU single-season record with 56 aces and ended the season with three more aces than service errors. Among his top service performances was a season-high eight aces in a road sweep against then-No. 1/1 Hawai’i in March.

BYU following the victory jumped ahead of Hawaii to No. 1 in both the national coaches poll and national media poll.

Fernandez also was 11th in the nation with a 4.00 kills per game average and hit a career-best .343. He had double-digit kills in all but two matches that he played in this season, including a season-high 22 kills while hitting .415 in a season-opening victory against Loyola.

BYU earned two of the top MPSF individual honors and led all schools with five All-MPSF selections. Coach Shawn Olmstead earned the MPSF Coach of the Year for the third time since taking over the program in 2016.

Along with BYU winning these awards, Grand Canyon outside attacker Camden Gianni was named the MPSF Freshman of the Year.

2020 MPSF Awards

MPSF Player of the Year: Gabi Garcia Fernandez, BYU
MPSF Freshman of the Year: Camden Gianni, Grand Canyon
MPSF Coach of the Year: Shawn Olmstead, BYU

First-Team All-MPSF
Setter: Wil Stanley, BYU
Opposite: Raymond Barsemian, Concordia-Irvine
Opposite: Gabi Garcia Fernandez, BYU
Opposite: Jaylen Jasper, Stanford
Outside attacker: Noah Dyer, Pepperdine
Outside attacker: Davide Gardini, BYU
Middle attacker: Felipe de Brito Ferreira, BYU
Middle attacker: Daenan Gyimah, UCLA

Second-Team All-MPSF
Opposite: Cole Ketrzynski, UCLA
Outside attacker: Zach Eschenberg, BYU
Outside attacker: Camden Gianni, Grand Canyon
Outside attacker: Jordan Hoppe, Concordia-Irvine
Outside attacker: Christian Janke, Grand Canyon
Middle attacker: Austin Wilmot, Pepperdine
Libero: Addison Enriques, Concordia-Irvine

All-MPSF Honorable Mention
Setter: Mads Kyed Jensen, UCLA
Opposite: Hugo Fischer, Grand Canyon
Outside attacker: Austin Matautia, UCLA
Outside attacker: Will Rottman,Stanford
Middle attacker: Kyler Presho, Stanford
Middle attacker: Miki Jauhiainen, BYU
Middle attacker: Ian McLain, Grand Canyon

MPSF All-Freshman Team
Setter: Joe Karlous, Pepperdine
Setter: Mads Kyed Jensen, UCLA
Opposite: Cole Ketrzynski, UCLA
Outside attacker: Camden Gianni, Grand Canyon
Outside attacker: Adam Flood, USC
Outside attacker: Will Rottman,Stanford
Libero: Diego Perez, Pepperdine