California State University Northridge Athletics
CSUN Places Four of 2026 All-Big West Men's Volleyball Team
4/22/2026 10:21:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
IRVINE, Calif. - The CSUN Men's Volleyball had four student-athletes named to the 2026 All-Big West 2026 All-Conference Team, which has been announced on the eve of The Hawaiian Islands presents the 2026 Outrigger Big West Men's Volleyball Championship.
Redshirt junior Jalen Phillips, repeated as a First Team selection, while redshirt sophomore Owen Douphner was named Honorable Mention and Grayson Albers and Noah Douphner were each named to the seven-member All-Freshman  Team.
CSUN, which has now had 30 players named All-Big West in nine seasons in the conference, finished the 2026 regular season with a 12-14 overall record and is ranked 18th in the latest AVCA Top 20 national poll. The Matadors are the No. 6 seed in this week's Outrigger Big West Men's Volleyball Championship and will meet No. 3 seed UC Irvine in a First Round match on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Phillips is now a three-time All-Big West recipient, after also being named to the First-Team in 2025 and the Honorable Mention and All-Freshman Teams in 2024. This season, he was named Big West Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 23, and leads the Matadors with 291 kills. He ranks second in the Big West in kills per set (3.88). Phillips is also second the Big West points per set at 4.36, ranks 11th this week in hitting percentage (.313). In the national statistics, he ranks eighth in kills (3.88), 14th in points (4.36), 36th in hitting percentage (.313), and 23rd in attacks per set (8.17).
With his 13th kill in a 19-kill effort against Jessup on Mar. 19, junior opposite Jalen Phillips became the 16th player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills.
"Jalen earning First Team All-Big West is a testament to his resilience and determination," said head coach Theo Edwards. "For someone with an already decorated career, this recognition is no surprise. But this season meant more. Battling back from an injury in the Fall, he delivered an outstanding year and reminded everyone just how impactful he is to our program."
In his first season as CSUN's starting setter, Owen Douphner has been instrumental in the Matadors hitting over .300 as a team in 2026. A solid two-way player all season long, Douphner ranks second among Big West setters in assists per set at 9.49, and is also 19th in blocks per set (0.64) and 19th in digs per set (1.22). He was named Big West Setter of the Week on Jan. 26 and was named to the UCSB Invitational All-Tournament Team to open the season. He recorded his first collegiate double-double with 46 assists and 11 digs against Jessup on Mar. 19.
"Owen has had an incredibly impressive first year at the helm," said Edwards. "The work he put in to prepare for this moment showed all season long, and his success is no surprise to anyone who's seen his commitment and dedication."
CSUN also had Albers and Noah Douphner continue its trend of having first-year players earn all-conference accolades. The duo represent the 10th and 11th CSUN players to earn Big West All-Freshman Team accolades after Stilian Delibosov (2025), Phillips (2024), Malcolm King (2023), Olumide Allen (2022), Donovan Constable (2022), Kyle Merchen (2021), Kyle Hobus (2020), Daniel Wetter (2019), Taylor Ittner (2019), and Maciej Ptaszynski (2018).
Albers is a two-time Big West Freshman of the Week (Feb. 2, Feb. 23) this season and ranks among the top hitters in the country. He currently ranks 20th in the Big West in blocks per set (0.62), and is hitting .523 this season with 122 kills and just 18 errors on 199 swings, would rank among the top hitters in the country with enough attempts to qualify. Tusculum's Morgan Makovec is currently leading the nation at .538.
"Grayson's willingness to embrace a new role speaks volumes about his character," said Edwards. "After training at opposite, he made the switch to the middle and truly blossomed, his growth and impact were huge for us this season."
Douphner has also made an immediate impact as a true freshman in 2026. He ranks fifth on the team in kills with 92 while averaging 1.64 kills per set. He put down double figures in kills six times this season, highlighted by a season-high 17-kill performance in CSUN's 3-1 win at Purdue Fort Wayne on Jan. 17.
"Noah's All-Big West recognition as a true freshman highlights just how special his future is," said Edwards. "His growth throughout the season has been incredible, and this is only the beginning of what's ahead for him."
#GoMatadors
