Jalen Phillips Named Freshman All-American by Off the Block
5/15/2024 12:25:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - CSUN opposite Jalen Phillips was named to the 11-player Freshman All-America Team as announced by Off the Block on Monday, May 13.
The Off the Block Freshman All-America Team honors the top NCAA Division I-II men's volleyball freshmen players from the regular season. This is the 12th year Off the Block has presented the national honor, which remains the only Freshman All-American Team presented in college men's volleyball.
A nationwide voting committee of more than 20 men's volleyball coaches and volleyball media members selected the 11 players. Players eligible for this award must have been listed as a freshman or redshirt freshman on the active roster for an NCAA Division I-II men's volleyball team.
Phillips had an impressive debut season for the Matadors after redshirting in 2023. He finished second only to senior Kyle Hobus with 340 kills, hitting .293 on 702 attacks. By averaging 3.27 kills per set, he ranked fourth in the Big West while also ranking in the conference's top 10 in points per set (3.75) and hitting percentage (.293). He also finished his first season with 13 aces, 104 digs (1.00 dps), and 54 total blocks (0.52 bps). He was CSUN's kill leader in 10 matches while posting double figures in kills 18 times.Â
He put down a season-high 21 kills, hitting .485 against No. 16 Princeton on Jan. 19, and hit a season-high .526 with 11 kills and a single hitting error on 19 swings against No. 1 Long Beach State on Apr. 6.
Phillips was one of three Matadors named to the 2024 All-Big West Team, earning honorable mention honors as well being named as to the six-player All-Freshman Team. In addition to earning honorable mention accolades, Phillips represented the ninth CSUN player to earn Big West All-Freshman Team accolades after Maciej Ptaszynski (2018), Taylor Ittner (2019), Daniel Wetter (2019), Hobus (2020), Kyle Merchen (2021), Constable, Olumide Allen (2022), and Malcolm King (2023).
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