April 28, 2008

2008 AVCA Division I-II All-America Team

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Cal State Northridge men's volleyball had its finest season in over a decade and were rewarded as three Matadors were named to the 2008 AVCA Division I-II Men's Volleyball All-America Team.

Next to top-ranked Penn State's five honorees, Northridge matched Long Beach State with three players selected, the second highest of any team in the nation. This year's three selections equal the most All-Americans in one season for a Matador team since 1993. The 1991 and 1992 Northridge squads also had three players named to the All-America team.

Junior Eric Vance became Northridge's first AVCA First Team All-American since 2003 when he was named to the 10-player First Team as an outside hitter. Vance joins Doug English (2003), Joe Nargi (2003), Chad Strickland (1997), Coley Kyman (1991, 1993) and Neil Coffman (1991) as the only AVCA First Team All-Americans in school history.

Vance, a 6-4 junior from Camarillo, Calif., led the Matadors in kills (459), kills per game (4.50) and service aces (52). He was also third in digs (181) and tied for third in blocks (58). He finished the regular season among the top 10 players in the nation in kills, points and aces. Vance is also a 2008 All-MPSF First Team selection after being named Honorable Mention All-MPSF as a sophomore in 2007.

Isaac Kneubuhl, a 6-1 senior from Pukalani, Hawai'i, earned All-America honors for the first time as he was named to the AVCA Second Team. He finished the 2008 season second on the Matadors in kills with a personal season-best 330. Kneubuhl, who averaged 3.71 kpg (also a season-best), added 32 aces, 139 digs and 30 blocks to his 2008 stat sheet. He finished his Northridge career on the top 10 in school history in attacks (2,507), digs (634) and service aces (80). Kneubuhl was also a Second Team All-MPSF pick for the first time in 2008.

Cody Loe, a 6-8 redshirt freshman from Chatsworth, Calif., was awarded the prestigious AVCA Newcomer of the Year in addition to AVCA Second Team All-America accolades. Loe finished his first season with 296 kills (3.29 kpg) while hitting a team-high .436 which will go down as the 10th-best single season hitting percentage in Northridge history. He also finished second on the Matadors in blocks (86) and was fifth in aces with 15. Loe also joined Kneubhl on the 2008 All-MPSF Second Team.

Cal State Northridge finished the 2008 season with an overall record of 23-7 and finished third in the MPSF at 17-4. The Matadors were ousted in the MPSF Semifinals by BYU on Apr. 24 and will return five starters and seven letterwinners next year.

- GO MATADORS -