Mountain Pacific Sports Federation

All-MPSF Men's Volleyball Selections

4/2/2020 8:00:04 AM

Photo: 2020 MPSF Player of the Year, BYU's Gabi Garcia Fernandez (Courtesy BYU Athletics)

2020 All-MPSF Men's Volleyball Selections (PDF)
   
BYU junior opposite Gabi Garcia Fernandez (San Juan, Puerto Rico) played a large role towards the Cougars’ 17-1 season and No. 1 national ranking. Fernandez ranked on top of the country in points per set (5.46) and total service aces with an all-time BYU single season record 56. He was one of three players in the MPSF to average four kills per set, while hitting an efficient .343. He also finished sixth in the conference in blocks per set (1.00) and 11th in dig average (1.52). Fernandez served eight aces in two three-set matches this year, the most in the MPSF in six years. His second eight-ace match was at No. 1 Hawaii, when he also helped BYU hit an all-time MPSF eighth-best .603 and snap the Warriors’ 25-match home win streak. Fernandez, a three-time MPSF Player of the Week and three-time first team all-conference selection, represents BYU’s fifth MPSF Player of the Year (Fernandez-2020; Taylor Sander-2013 & ‘14; Carlos Moreno-2004; Ryan Millar-1997).  
Grand Canyon redshirt freshman outside hitter Camden Gianni (Carlsbad, CA/La Costa Canyon) finished in the MPSF’s top-five in kills (3.49), aces (0.43) and point per set (4.17) to help the Lopes to 14 wins. He led the entire MPSF freshman class in total kills (220) and points (263), and was second among first-year players with 27 aces. Gianni led a pair of conference wins over top-10 opponents on Feb. 21 & 23. In a 3-1 win over No. 8 UCLA, he had a career-high 17 kills in with a .467 hitting percentage, along with four service aces to help the Lopes tie the program record for aces in a match (11). He then beat his career-high with 19 kills (.350) against No. 6 Pepperdine, leading the Lopes to another 3-1 win, which also tied the highest-ranked opponent GCU had ever defeated. Gianni, who returned to the team this year after a life-threatening medical emergency in the first practice of 2019, is Grand Canyon’s first-ever major award winner in the MPSF.  
BYU Head Coach Shawn Olmstead guided the 2020 Cougars to a 17-1 season (6-0 in MPSF) and No. 1 national ranking. BYU had 12 wins over ranked opponents, while leading the NCAA in blocking (2.95 B/S) and the MPSF in hitting (.358) and opponent hitting (.231). The Cougars were ranked second in the AVCA national poll for the majority of the season, until they went in to No. 1 Hawaii on March 5 for an undefeated showdown with the Warriors. Backed by one of the best hitting clips in MPSF history (.603), BYU swept UH to end its 25-match home win streak and finish on top of the national poll. This is Olmstead’s third MPSF Coach of the Year honor in his five years at the helm of the program. He represents BYU’s seventh all-time coach of the year award (Olmstead-2020, 2018, 2016; Chris McGown-2013; Tom Peterson-2003; Carl McGown-2001 & 1999).