Four Men's Volleyball Players Named to AVCA All-America Team

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is proud to announce its 14th annual AVCA Men's Division III All-America Teams.

Leading the way in this year's class are Springfield and Carthage, who both place five AVCA All-Americans. Wentworth is not far behind with four AVCA All-Americans this season. The Leopards placed senior Jake Reed (Arvada, Colo.) on the first team while seniors Sean Mullen (Longwood, Fla.) and Alex Potts (Niverville, N.Y.) and junior Collin Ritter (Feeding Hills, Mass.) were each named to the second team.

Reed earns a spot on the All-America team after being named to the All-Great Northeast Athletic Conference First Team for the third straight season. Reed, who was also a Third Team All-GNAC selection as a freshman and has been the most valuable player of the last two GNAC Tournaments, has played in 27 matches thus far (96 sets) and is averaging 3.48 kills per set, has an attack percentage of .327, and is averaging 0.39 service aces and 1.18 digs per set. He had a career-high 30 kills in a 3-2 win over Johnson & Wales on March 25 and had 20 kills in the Leopards' 3-2 win over Lasell in the GNAC title match. His 30 kills in that match are the third-most in a single match in program history. In 117 career matches (406 sets), Reed is the program's all-time leader in kills (1,260) and points (1,544) while he ranks second in service aces (175) and service aces per set (0.43). His 117 matches and 406 sets played are both third on the program's all-time list while he ranks fourth in kills per set (3.10) and sixth in both digs (534) and attack percentage (.287).

Mullen, who was named Second Team All-GNAC, earns a spot on the AVCA's second team after averaging 2.79 kills, 0.57 aces, and 1.55 digs per set in 91 sets (28 matches). The 2015 GNAC Rookie of the Year and a third team all-league selection that same year, he had a career-high 26 kills in a 3-2 win over Johnson & Wales on March 26, hit a career-best .467 in a 3-2 win over Benedictine-Mesa on March 10, and notched a career high with seven blocks on two occasions. Mullen was named to the GNAC All-Tournament Team after recording 21 kills, six aces, and 19 digs in the Leopards' two matches. In 91 career matches (308 sets), Mullen is the program's all-time leader in service aces (202) and service aces per set (0.66) while his 793 kills and 1,070.5 points rank him sixth in program history while he is eighth in digs (469) and 10th in attack percentage (.231).

A repeat Second Team All-American, and a three-time (2015, 2016 first team; 2017 second team) All-GNAC selection, Potts takes home All-America honors after averaging 2.29 kills and 0.80 blocks per set. He had a career-high 15 kills in a 3-1 win over Johnson & Wales on February 18 and a career-high eight blocks in a 3-1 win over UC-Santa Cruz on March 11. All of Potts' blocks in that match were assisted blocks and were the fourth-most in a single match in program history. He also had a career-best eight digs in a 3-2 loss to Hunter on March 4. Potts, who led all of Division III in attack percentage as a junior, is the program's all-time block leader with 371 and is also on top of the program's rankings for attack percentage (.393) and block assists (299). He is also tied for third in matches played (117), fifth in kills (797), fifth in points (1,093.5), and fifth in sets played (374).

Ritter, the GNAC's Offensive Player of the Year and first team All-GNAC selection, earns Second team All-America honors after averaging 9.30 assists per set in 96 sets (29 matches). He had a career-high 65 assists in a 3-2 win over Johnson & Wales on March 25, matched a career high with three aces in a 3-1 win over Rivier on March 28, and, in that match, had a career-high seven blocks. Ritter was named to the GNAC All-Tournament Team after averaging 10.63 assists per set, including dishing out 47 helpers in the GNAC title match against Lasell. For his career Ritter, who was also named All-GNAC in 2014 (first team) and 2015 (second team), has played in 91 matches (101 sets) and is first all-time in program history averaging 9.74 assists per set while his 2,933 assists rank him second, his 161 block assists rank him sixth, and his 458 digs are ninth on the program's all-time list.

"I'm grateful that we were able to receive four All-Americans this year," said head coach Evin Giglio who is also under consideration for the AVCA's national coach of the year award. "It's a testament to the entire team's hard work. At some point during the season, each one of these guys has shouldered the load for us. The amount of recognition Wentworth volleyball has received this year is an honor."

Making its second straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Tournament, fifth-ranked Wentworth (27-6) will square off against 12th-ranked Juniata (22-10) in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Friday, April 28, at Springfield College.

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