CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (MCVL.org) - The Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) announced its postseason awards and all-conference teams on Friday, as voted on by the league's coaches, celebrating the accomplishments of 16 student-athletes.
The awards are headlined by Mount St. Joseph's Jason Hascher, who earned Offensive Player of the Year. Freshman Hunter Haas of Trine took home the Defensive Player of the Year honors while Fontbonne's Ryan Lively was named Rookie of the Year. MSJ's Jake Neiheisel has been tabbed Coach of the Year by his colleagues.
Hascher, a First-Team selection and three-time All-MCVL honoree, paced the Lion attack from his outside hitter position. The Miamisburg, Ohio native averaged a league-best 4.82 kills per set, racking up a total of 265 kills on the year. He earned four Offensive Player of the Week awards this season and totaled six in his outstanding career for MSJ.
Haas, who was also named First Team All-MCVL, shined in his first season with the Thunder, anchoring the backline as Trine qualified for the MCVL Tournament for the first time in school history. The freshman libero led the MCVL with 3.84 digs per set, totaling 215 digs in 2021. The Cincinnati, Ohio native earned two Defensive Player of the Week selections on April 1 and March 4, respectively.
Lively, a member of regular-season champion Fontbonne, earned his way to First Team All-MCVL with a memorable first season with the Griffins. The local St Louis, Mo. product ranked second in the MCVL in both kills per set (4.66) and overall kills (275) and fifth in hitting percentage (.352). The sophomore outside hitter notched two Offensive Player of the Week awards in 2021 and will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
Neiheisel led Hascher and the Lions to a 12-4 record in the MCVL, securing the No. 3 seed in the MCVL Tournament. Neiheisel's men were especially effective on the offensive end as Hascher was the conference leader in kills per set while middle Jack Spohn topped the MCVL with 1.18 blocs per set. Both Hascher and Spohn also ranked in the top-five in attacking percentage this season. The MSJ program is making its fourth MCVL Tournament appearance, making the postseason in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
Fontbonne, MSJ and Mount Union each earned a league-best four selections to the All-MCVL team. Kyler van Rossum-O'Connell and Braden Woolsey joined Lively on the First Team for the Griffins while libero Zach Rothstein earned his fourth career All-MCVL selection, being named to the Second Team.
MSJ had an MCVL-best three student-athletes on the First Team with Hascher, Spohn and Rey Sanchez all named in the top-eight. Hayden Wood rounded out the MSJ cohort, earning his first-ever All-MCVL accolade on the Second Team.
Mount Union's Justin Sibbel paced the Purple Raider attack, notching a First-Team selection for the second-straight year. Sibbel was flanked by teammates Sam Matonis, Jeremy Leyden and Steven Grenier, whom all earned Second-Team nods.
Trine earned two selections to the All-MCVL squad, with Haas on the First Team and Parker Beale a Second-Teamer. Each of the four MCVL Tournament teams had at least one player on the First Team.
Baldwin-Wallace and Adrian also secured one All-MCVL nod each, as BW's Michael Beard and Adrian's Shane Wenz rounded out the Second Team. Six of the MCVL's nine programs had at least one All-MCVL honoree.
2021 MCVL Postseason Awards
Offensive Player of the Year
Jason Hascher, Mount St. Joseph
Defensive Player of the Year
Hunter Haas, Trine
Rookie of The Year
Ryan Lively, Fontbonne
Coach of The Year
Jake Neiheisel, Mount St. Joseph
2021 MCVL All-Conference Teams
First Team
Jason Hascher, Mount St. Joseph %
Ryan Lively, Fontbonne
Kyler van Rossum-O'Connell, Fontbonne %
Justin Sibbel, Mount Union *
Hunter Haas, Trine
Braden Woolsey, Fontbonne *
Jack Spohn, Mount St. Joseph *
Rey Sanchez, Mount St. Joseph *
Second Team
Parker Beale, Trine *
Zach Rothstein, Fontbonne ^
Sam Matonis, Mount Union
Michael Beard, Baldwin Wallace
Jeremy Leyden, Mount Union *
Shane Wenz, Adrian
Hayden Wood, Mount St. Joseph
Steven Grenier, Mount Union *
* Two-time winner
% Three-time winner
^ Four-time winner