Two days after helping top-ranked Hawaii complete an undefeated regular season, seven Rainbow Warriors received All-Big West recognition on Monday, with four named to the first team.
Senior middle blocker Patrick Gasman became the Big West’s first four-time first-team selection when the all-conference men’s volleyball teams were announced Monday. Gasman was joined on this year’s 14-player first team by fellow seniors Rado Parapunov and Colton Cowell and junior libero Gage Worsley.
Parapunov and Worsley made the first team for the third straight year and Cowell earned a second consecutive first-team honor. Although listed as a junior, Worsley is finishing his UH career with this season’s senior class.
While UH’s quartet of first-team picks approach the end of their college careers, the future of the program was also represented on Monday. Sophomore setter Jakob Thelle and freshman outside hitter Chaz Galloway were honorable mention selections and outside hitter Spyros Chakas was among the eight named to the All-Freshman team.
The individual honors rolled in as the Warriors (15-0, 10-0 Big West) prepare for this week’s Big West tournament as the top seed in the six-team bracket.
“They’re a talented group, but the level of play in the league is so high that there’s always good players left out, so we don’t talk much about those kind of awards,” UH coach Charlie Wade told media members in a Zoom session on Monday. “Getting individual awards is just a byproduct of being on a good team, the better your team is, the more people get recognized.
“So there’s lots of good players, all throughout men’s collegiate volleyball and certainly in the Big West. So having said that, everybody likes an ‘attaboy’ once in a while. You liked to be acknowledged that you’re playing well.”
Parapunov, last year’s Big West Player of the Year, leads the conference in total kills (244) and kills per set (4.52) and is fourth in blocks per set (0.94) and fifth in hitting percentage (.367).
The 6-foot-9 opposite also picked up his third consecutive Big West Player of the Week award on Monday after leading the Warriors to two wins over UC Irvine last weekend. He had 25 kills in Friday’s five-set win, 22 coming over the final three sets. He added 13 kills and five aces in Saturday’s senior night sweep of the Anteaters. He hit .423 in the series and has claimed the honor five times in nine weeks this season and a record 15 times in his career.
Gasman leads the conference in hitting percentage at .497 and ranks second in blocks per set at 1.35. Cowell is sixth in the conference with 3.12 kills per set while hitting .314. Worsley is second in the conference with 2.30 digs per set.
UC Santa Barbara, which finished second in the regular-season standings, matched UH with four first-team All-Big West honorees. Outside hitter and Punahou graduate Ryan Wilcox was among the five honorable mention selections.
The Big West’s Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards will be announced on April 27.
Hawaii also retained the top spot in the NVA/AVCA D-II Men’s Coaches Poll released on Monday with 15 of 16 first-place votes. The Warriors have a bye in the first round of the Big West tournament at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center and will face UC San Diego or Cal State Northridge in the semifinals at 7 p.m. on Friday.
BIG WEST MEN’S VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
First Team
NAME, SCHOOL POS. YR.
Simon Andersen, Long Beach State MB Sr.
Colton Cowell, Hawaii OH Sr.
Randy DeWeese, UC Santa Barbara Opp. Sr.
Patrick Gasman, Hawaii MB Sr.
Kyle McCauley, UC San Diego OH Sr.
Roy McFarland, UC Santa Barbara OH Sr.
Casey McGarry, UC Santa Barbara S Sr.
Spencer Olivier, Long Beach State OH Jr.
Rado Parapunov, Hawaii Opp Sr.
Keenan Sanders, UC Santa Barbara MB Sr.
Joel Schneidmiller, UC Irvine OH Sr.
Scott Stadick, UC Irvine MB Gr.
Daniel Wetter, CSUN MB Jr.
Gage Worsley, Hawaii Libero Jr.
Honorable mention
Shane Benetz, UC San Diego MB Jr.
Mason Briggs, Long Beach State Libero So.
Chaz Galloway, Hawaii OH Fr.
Jakob Thelle, Hawaii S So.
Ryan Wilcox, UC Santa Barbara OH Jr.
All-Freshman
NAME, SCHOOL POS.
Connor Campbell, UC Irvine MB
Spyros Chakas, Hawaii OH
Cole Gillis, UC Irvine OH
Clarke Godbold, Long Beach State OH
Kyle Merchen, CSUN S
Francesco Sani, UC Irvine OH
Simon Torwie, Long Beach State
Dylan Zhai, UC Irvine S
