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Simon Torwie will conclude a career season earning a national award.
Off the Block announced Friday that a nationwide voting committee selected the Long Beach State middle attacker as the recipient of the 2023 National Blocker of the Year.
The Off the Block National Blocker of the Year recognizes the NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball player with the best front-row defensive performance during the regular season.
Torwie led the nation with a career-best 1.60 blocks per game average and helped lead the Beach to the NCAA Tournament semifinals. The All-American had at least five blocks in 16 matches, including a match-high eight blocks in a victory against Grand Canyon in the NCAA Tournament opening round.
The voting committee for the National Blocker of the Year was comprised of more than 30 coaches and media members from around the nation. The top three vote-getters were named finalists for the National Blocker of the Year.
Torwie garnered 86 votes to beat the runner-up BYU middle attacker Teon Taylor by 57 votes. UCLA middle attacker Guy Genis finished in third place with 24 votes.
This is the 13th year that Off the Block has presented the National Blocker 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 National Blocker of the Year voting results
1. Simon Torwie, Long Beach State – 86 votes
2. Teon Taylor, BYU – 29 votes
3. Guy Genis, UCLA – 24 vote
4. Nicodemus Meyer, Loyola – 12 votes
T-5. Merrick McHenry, UCLA – 9 votes
T-5. Guilherme Voss, Hawai’i – 9 votes
7. Vanis Buckholz, Ball State – 4 votes
8. Toby Ezeonu, Penn State – 3 votes
9. David Fleischer, Maryville – 1 votes