UCSB’s Dylan Davis
Just a week after being named as an All-MPSF First Teamer, Dylan Davis has been voted the Off The Block/Springbak Inc. “National Blocker of the Year,” it was announced on Tuesday morning.
Davis beat out a field of 14 other talented middle blockers, picking up the award for the first time in school history. With 32 points and seven first place votes, he narrowly beat out runners-up Matt Leske of Ball State (25 points, six first place votes) and Taylor Gregory of Long Beach State (22, three).
The 6-9 middle blocker had one of the finest seasons by a front-row player in UCSB history, leading the entire nation in both hitting percentage (.438) and total blocks (151) at the end of the regular season.
While he was consistently effective for the Gauchos, there were several occasions this season where Dylan singlehandedly took over the match, picking up double-digit kills five times and recording 10 or more blocks three times. He accomplished the rare feat of a double-double by a middle blocker two times this season, finishing with lines of 11 kills and 14 blocks at USC on Feb. 21 and 13 kills and 10 blocks against Cal State Northridge on Mar. 13.
“This is a great honor for Dylan and the UCSB men’s volleyball program,” said head coach Rick McLaughlin. “He has worked extremely hard the past four years, so this award is well deserved. We are very proud of what Dylan has accomplished in his four years as a Gaucho.”
Davis finished his career with the third most total blocks (441) and the highest block assist (384) total in program history. He was the only non-senior starter on the 2011 UCSB squad which advanced to the NCAA Final Four, where he set an NCAA Tournament record with an .882 hitting percentage in the semifinal match against the top-ranked USC Trojans.
Off The Block is a college men’s volleyball website that was launched in 2011. It has quickly become one of the leading media outlets for the sport. This is the third year that the “National Blocker of the Year” has been awarded.
The voting committee for the award was made up of over 20 collegiate head coaches and volleyball reporters from all over the nation.
