COLUMBUS, Ohio — Over the course of an overnight journey from Oahu to Ohio, the Hawaii men’s volleyball team collected its latest batch of postseason awards.
Five Rainbow Warriors were named to the NVA/AVCA All-America teams on Monday, with three — middle blocker Patrick Gasman, opposite Rado Parapunov and libero Gage Worsley — making the first team.
Outside hitter Colton Cowell earned his second consecutive second-team honor and setter Jakob Thelle was an honorable mention selection.
The announcement of the All-America teams came during a layover in the Warriors’ trek stretching from Sunday night into Monday afternoon in advance of their NCAA tournament match on Thursday at the Covelli Center on the Ohio State campus.
The Warriors enter the tournament at 15-1 and as the top seed, led by the quintet of AVCA honorees.
Parapunov and Worsley joined Costas Theocharidis (2000-03) and Stijn van Tilburg (2017-19) as the only three-time All-Americans in program history. Theocharidis remains UH’s lone four-year All-American.
Parapunov was also an honorable mention pick as a freshman in 2018 and could have another award coming on Wednesday as a leading candidate for the AVCA Player of the Year Award. He enters the NCAA tournament third in the country with 4.41 kills per set and with a.340 hitting percentage.
Worsley is a junior in eligibility but will finish his UH career this week. He ranks 10th in the country with 2.32 digs per set and is one of the Warriors’ primary passers. With Worsley’s three-peat, UH has placed a libero on the All-America first or second team each of the past six years. Larry Tuileta made the second team in 2017 and the first team in 2018. Kolby Kanetake was a second-team pick in 2016.
“It’s a crazy honor for me,” Worsley said of being part of UH’s line of liberos. “To be able to be picked to be on the court and represent the University of Hawaii is an honor unlike any other.”
Gasman moved up to the first team after being named to the second team the previous two years. He averaged 1.56 kills per set coming into this season and increased his offensive production to 2.22 kills per set. He tops the nation in hitting percentage at.500, up from.383 last year, and ranks sixth in blocks per set at 1.22.
“I feel like I got better and better every year,” Gasman said. “I feel like I always tried to hit the ball faster, move quicker … every single year.”
Cowell progressed from a serving specialist in 2016 to earn a starting spot in 2019 and All-America status in 2020. The senior from Makawao is second on the team with 3.09 kills per set while hitting.307.
Thelle took over full-time setting duties this season and is running a UH attack that leads the nation at.365. The sophomore enters the week fifth in the country with 10.71 assists per set.
BYU setter Wil Stanley, a Punahou graduate, made the first team for the second straight year. UC Santa Barbara outside hitter Ryan Wilcox, another Punahou alum, was an honorable mention pick.
The Rainbow Warriors open NCAA tournament play in the semifinals Thursday.
“You have to treat it like any other game, like any other opponent, ” Gasman said. “Obviously there’s a lot of weight behind the game, but I trust my teammates, and I trust our system.”