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A nationwide voting committee selected 11 players to the annual Off the Block Freshman All-America Team that was unveiled Monday.
The Off the Block Freshman All-America Team honors the top NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball freshmen players from the regular season. This is the 12th year Off the Block has presented the national honor, which remains the only Freshman All-American Team presented in college men’s volleyball.
Players eligible for this award must have been listed as a freshman or redshirt freshman on the active roster for a NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball team.
A voting committee of more than 20 men’s volleyball coaches and volleyball media members determined the Freshman All-American Team.
The 10 players garnering the most votes were named to the All-American Team. A tie in the voting resulted in 11 players making the team this season.
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. Off the Block annually presents college men’s volleyball national awards to recognize outstanding individual performances in the sport.
2024 Off the Block Freshman All-American Team
Setter: Caleb Blanchette, USC
Setter: Lucas Machado, Ball State
Setter: Joseph Morris, Belmont Abbey
Setter: Tread Rosenthal, Hawai’i
Setter: Logan Taylor, North Greenville
Opposite: Jalen Phillips, CSUN
Outside attacker: Daniel Fabikovic, Loyola
Outside attacker: Phinehas Wiley, Dominican
Outside attacker: Griffin Wheatley, Lincoln Memorial
Middle attacker: Wesley Smith, USC
Libero: Alejandro Leon, Belmont Abbey
Caleb Blanchette, USC
Blanchette was fifth in the MPSF with a 9.17 assists per game average and guided the offense to top-20 attack percentage in the nation at .291. The freshman also led USC to a .343 in upset victory against BYU in the MPSF Tournament quarterfinals.
Daniel Fabikovic, Loyola
Fabikobic was among the MIVA leaders with a 2.87 kills per game average and was in the nation’s top 25 with a .330 attack percentage. The outside attacker also had double-digit kills in 13 matches, including a match-high 18 kills on a .519 attack percentage in a sweep against Purdue Fort Wayne.
Alejandro Leon, Belmont Abbey
Leon was seventh in the nation with a 2.28 digs per game average as Belmont Abbey won the ConfCarolinas championship. The libero also led the Crusaders with 518 service receptions and had a 96.7 percent successful passing rating.
Lucas Machado, Ball State
Machado was fifth in the MIVA with a 9.44 assists per game average and guided the offenset to a top-15 attack percentage in the nation at .303. The setter also was in the conference’s top 10 averaging 1.63 digs per game.
Joseph Morris, Belmont Abbey
Morris was fifth in the ConfCarolinas averaging 9.41 assists per game average and guided the offense to the second-best attack percentage in the conference at .274. The setter also was in the conference’s top 10 with a 1.80 digs per game average.
Jalen Phillips, CSUN
Phillips finished fourth in the Big West with a 3.27 kills per game average. The opposite had at least 15 kills in nine matches, including having 17 kills on a .355 attack percentage in an upset victory against Hawai’i.
Tread Rosenthal, Hawai’i
Rosenthal was ninth in the nation with a 10.08 assists per game average and guided the offense to the second-best attack percentage in the nation at .350. The setter also was conference’s top 10 averaging 0.41 aces per game and 1.50 digs per game.
Wesley Smith, USC
Smith was in the nation’s top 20 with a 0.95 blocks per game average, including having a season-high eight blocks in an upset victory against UC Irvine. The middle attacker also hit .509 and had double-digit kills in three matches.
Logan Taylor, North Greenville
Taylor was fourth in the nation with a 10.41 assists per game average and guided the offense to the third-best attack percentage in the ConfCarolinas at .259. The setter also was in the conference’s top 10 averaging both 0.36 aces per game and 1.64 dig sper game.
Griffin Wheatley, Lincoln Memorial
Wheatley led Lincoln Memorial with a 2.91 kills per game average and had double-digit kills in nine matches. The outside attacker also had nine kills on a .467 attack percentage as Lincoln Memorial swept Thomas More in the IVA Tournament finals.
Phinehas Wiley, Dominican
Wiley led the ECC and was among the national leaders with 3.42 kills per game average. Among Wiley’s top performances included a match-high 17 kills on a .500 attack percentage in a sweep against American International.