UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Two members of the Penn State men’s volleyball team were named to the Off the Block Preseason All-America Teams for Division I-II. Seniors Edgardo Goas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) were each selected.
Off the Block recognizes members of Division I-II men’s volleyball teams who are projected to be the best in the nation during the upcoming season. A total of 21 players were selected as Preseason First Team All-Americans, while 11 were named Preseason Second Team All-Americans.
Penn State was one of five teams with multiple Preseason All-Americans selected. BYU, Stanford, UCLA and USC each had three players honored as First or Second Team honorees.
Goas is a two-time AVCA All-American, earning Second Team laurels in 2009 and 2011. A three-time First Team All-EIVA selection, Goas started all 31 matches in 2011. He led the team with 1,224 assists with an 11.03 assists per set average, and guided the Nittany Lions to a .309 attack percentage. His 11.03 assists per set ranked eighth in the nation, while Penn State’s .309 hitting percentage was 11th. Goas totaled 98 kills, 27 aces, 128 digs and 67 total blocks in 2011.
Sunder was a 2011 First Team All-American. The Uvaldo Acosta Memorial Player of the Year, Sunder was a First Team All-EIVA selection and earned a spot on the EIVA Championship All-Tournament Team. Sunder started 28 matches last season and led the team with 454 kills, averaging 4.54 kills per set on .361 hitting. His 4.54 kills per set ranked fourth nationally, while his .361 hitting percentage ranked ninth. Sunder tied for first on the team with 29 aces and finished third on the team in digs with 119.
This is the inaugural year for the Off the Block Preseason All-America Teams. Off the Block is a website dedicated to collegiate men’s volleyball news and analysis. The voting committee was comprised of men’s volleyball head coaches and writers from around the nation.
Off the Block Preseason All-America Teams
Preseason First Team All-America
Edgardo Goas, S, Penn State
Wes Dunlap, MH, UCLA
Tony Ciarelli, OH, USC
Carson Clark, OH, UC Irvine
Brad Lawson, OH, Stanford
Taylor Sander, OH, BYU
Shawn Sangrey, OH, Ohio State
Joe Sunder, OH, Penn State
Robb Stowell, OH, BYU
Erik Shoji, L, Stanford
Preseason Second Team All-America
Evan Barry, S, Stanford
Kyle Caldwell, S, UCLA
Dylan Davis, MH, UCSB
Steven Shandrick, MH, USC
Futi Tavana, MH, BYU
Mike Bunting, OH, Loyola
Taylor Crabb, OH, LBSU
Taylor Hughes, OH, Pacific
Jay PEtter, OH, Lewis
Gonzalo Quiroga, OH, UCLA
Henry Cassiday, L, USC
Others Receiving Votes: Kevin Tillie, UC Irvine; Nick Vogel, UCLA; Grayson Overman, Ohio State; Javier Caceres, Pacific; Thomas Amberg, UCLA; Matt Stork, CS-Northridge; Maurice Torres, Pepperdine; Nick Turko, Penn State; Daniel Story, UC Irvine; Mark Jones, George Mason; Joe Kauliakamoa, bYU; Corey Frain, IPFW; Julius Hoefer, CS-Northridge; Micah Christenson, USC; Jim Baughman, LBSU; Mik Berzins, Ohio State; Joseph Smalzer, Loyola; Levi Cabral, Cal Baptist; Steve Hunt, Hawaii; DAinis Berzins, Loyola; Gus Ellis, Stanford; Matt Gallik, Lewis; Sean Daley, Pacific; Graham McIlvaine, Ball State; Russell Lavaja, BYU; Greg Petty, Lewis; Robert Page, UCLA; Jace Olsen, Penn State; Scott Kevorken, UC Irvine; Ian Karbiener, Lewis; Aaron Russell, Penn State; Matt Pollock, Pepperdine; Tom Comfort, Penn State