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There are plenty of highly touted players on both sides of the net as BYU and Hawai’i meet to decide the national championship on Saturday.
Check out the top 20 players to watch for in the NCAA Tournament finals.
1. Rado Parapunov, Hawai’i
Parapunov has garnered four major college men’s volleyball awards this season — the National Player of the Year, the Big West Player of the Year, the Bryan Ivie Award as the nation’s top opposite and the Nicolas Szerszen Award as the top international player. In addition, Parapunov is third in the nation 4.39 kills per game average on a .327 attack percentage and has double-digit kills in every match this season.
2. Gabi Garcia Fernandez, BYU
Fernandez, the 2020 National Player of the Year and reigning two-time MPSF Player of the Year, is in the nation’s top 25 with a 3.76 kills per game average. The All-American also is fifth in the country with a 0.54 aces per game average, including having a combined seven aces in the Cougars’ two MPSF Tournament matches.
3. Gage Worsley, Hawai’i
Worsley is in the nation’s top 10 with a 2.35 digs per game average and had double-digit digs in five matches to help the Rainbow Warriors earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Erik Shoji Award winner as the nation’s top libero and Steve Shondell Award winner as the nation’s top passer led Hawai’i with 376 service receptions and had a 96 percent successful reception rate.
4. Patrick Gasman, Hawai’i
Gasman leads the nation with a career-high .509 attack percentage and had at least five kills in all but two matches this season. The Ryan Millar Award winner as the nation’s top middle attacker also is sixth in the nation with a 1.26 blocks per game average.
5. Davide Gardini, BYU
Gardini is among the MPSF leaders with a 3.08 kills per game average and has hit .335 — his third straight season with more than a .300 attack percentage. The All-American outside attacker also leads BYU with 428 serve receptions and has a 94.9 percent successful reception rate.
6. Wil Stanley, BYU
Stanley has led BYU to the second-best attack percentage in the nation at .349 and is in the nation’s top 10 with a 10.28 assists per game average. The finalist for the Lloy Ball Award also helped BYU hit .354 along with defensively having five blocks and a match-high eight digs in a four-game victory against Lewis in the NCAA Tournament semifinals.
7. Jakob Thelle, Hawai’i
Thelle has led Hawai’i to a nation-best .365 attack percentage and is fifth in the country with a 10.63 assists per game average. The finalist for the Lloy Ball Award also had a match-high three aces in a sweep against UC Santa Barbara in the NCAA Tournament semifinals.
8. Colton Cowell, Hawai’i
Cowell is among the Big West leaders with a 3.11 kills per game average on a .306 attack percentage and has double-digit kills in all but six matches this season. The outside attacker and finalist for the Steve Shondell Award as the nation’s top passer had 293 serve receptions and a 96.6 percent successful reception rate.
9. Zach Eschenberg, BYU
Eschenberg is in the nation’s top 30 with a career-high .320 attack percentage, including hitting .550 with 13 kills in a sweep against Pepperdine in the MPSF Tournament finals. He also is among the team leaders with 308 service reception and has a 92.2 percent successful reception rate.
10. Felipe de Brito Ferreira, BYU
Ferreira is fourth in the nation with a 1.27 blocks per game average and a match-high six blocks in the NCAA Tournament semifinals. The middle attacker also is hitting .459, including having more than a .600 attack percentage in all three postseason matches this season.
11. Miki Jauhiainen, BYU
Jauhiainen is in the nation’s top 20 with a 1.04 blocks per game average and has multiple blocks in seven consecutive matches. The middle attacker also is hitting a career-best .448 and has at least a .500 attack percentage in six of the last seven matches.
12. Guilherme Voss, Hawai’i
Voss is among the national leaders with a 0.92 blocks per game average, including having five blocks in the NCAA Tournament semifinals victory. The middle attacker also has a .500 attack percentage and has hit at least .400 in five of the last six matches.
13. Chaz Galloway, Hawai’i
Galloway is among the team leaders with a 1.33 digs per game average along with having 228 serve receptions and a 94.7 percent successful reception rate. The outside attacker also has a 2.19 kills per game average and double-digit kills in three matches this season.
14. Mitchel Worthington, BYU
Worthington entered the NCAA Tournament second on the Cougars with 335 serve reception and had a 95.5 percent successful reception rate. The libero also is among the team leaders with a 1.58 digs per game average.
15. Jon Stanley, BYU
Stanley was on the service line during a 5-0 run for BYU late in the fourth game to help secure its NCAA Tournament semifinals victory. The serving specialist also has three aces and 11 service errors this season.
16. Max Rosenfeld, Hawai’i
Rosenfeld has a .684 attack percentage on 38 attempts and 20 blocks this season.
17. Spyros Chakas, Hawai’i
Chakas primarily coming off the bench as a serving specialist this season has five aces and 13 service errors.
18. Kana’i Akana, Hawai’i
Kanai had an ace to cap off a 4-0 run for Hawai’i in the second game of its sweep against UC Santa Barbara in the NCAA Tournament semifinals.
19. Jonathan-Teilon Tufuga, BYU
Tufuga has appeared in 10 matches and has six aces along with six service errors.
20. Jackson Van Eekeren, Hawai’i
Van Eekeren came off the bench and delivered an ace in the MPSF Tournament semifinals.