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No one put up offensive numbers this season like Ras Jesse Delancy – and no one could top the Benedict outside attacker for a prestigious national award.
Off the Block announced Friday that a nationwide voting committee selected Delancy as the 2023 Division II National Player of the Year.
The Division II National Player of the Year is awarded to the nation’s best player on a NCAA Division II men’s volleyball team during the regular season. While Division I and Division II schools compete for the same national championship and individual awards, this award is the only national player of the year solely for Division II players.
Delancy had a nation-best 5.38 kills per game average and had seven matches with at least 20 kills, including three matches with more than 30 kills. Among those top offensive performances from Delancy featured a season-high 36 kills in a conference victory against Fort Valley State.
The sophomore also had a career-best .318 attack percentage and was third in the conference averaging 0.33 aces per game to help Benedict reach the SIAC Tournament semifinals.
A voting committee of about 30 men’s volleyball coaches and volleyball media members from around the nation determined the winner of the Division II National Player of the Year. The top three vote-getters were named finalists for the national honor.
Delancy received 30 votes to edge out the runner-up Concordia opposite Uriel Batista by nine votes. Daemen outside attacker Zach Schneider finished in third place with 17 votes.
This is the seventh year that Off the Block has presented the Division II National Player of the Year.
Off the Block is a national award winning website that launched in 2011 and is the nation’s leader in college men’s volleyball coverage.
2023 Division II National Player of the Year voting results
1. Ras Jesse Delancy, Benedict – 30 votes
2. Uriel Batista, Concordia – 21 votes
3. Zach Schneider, Daemen – 17 votes
T-4. Raje Alleyne, Quincy – 9 votes
T-4. Max Roquet, Lewis – 9 votes
T-6. Diego Villafane, Charleston – 8 votes
T-6. Kohl Kutsch, Lincoln Memorial – 8 votes
T-8. Matthew Gentry, Lincoln Memorial – 7 votes
T-8. Matteo Miselli, Belmont Abbey – 7 votes
10. Garret Schnitker, Charleston – 6 votes
11. Warren Davis, King – 5 votes
T-12. Lachlan Bray, Charleston – 3 votes
T-12. Luuk Hoge Bavel, Charleston – 3 votes
T-12. Kevin Kauling, Lewis – 3 votes
T-12. Tyler Morgan, Lewis – 3 votes
T-12. Jorge Riesgo, North Greenville – 3 votes
T-12. Victor Scherer, Central State – 3 votes
T-18. Cole Campisano, Lincoln Memorial – 2 votes
T-18. Nate Meyer, Missouri S&T – 2 votes
T-18. Bradley Peters, Lees-McRae – 2 votes
T-18. Shay Spadaro, Lincoln Memorial – 2 votes
T-18. Michael de la Cruz, North Greenville – 2 votes
T-23. Pedro Gonzalez, Mount Olive – 1 vote
T-23. Jackson Lahey, Mount Olive – 1 vote
T-23. Henry Moffitt, Daemen – 1 vote
T-23. Kacper Rybarczyk, Erskine – 1 vote
T-23. Jayden Young, Emmanuel – 1 vote