The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa men’s volleyball team setter Jakob Thelle was named the 2023 National Player of Year by the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) on May 3.
Thelle is the fourth men’s player from UH to earn the honor.
Previous Hawaiʻi Winners:
- Rado Parapunov, 2021
- Costas Theocharidis, 2001, 2003
- Yuval Katz, 1996
Thelle earned his third All-American honor and second straight first-team selection this year. The Tønsberg, Norway native also received honorable mention in 2021. The two-time Big West Player of the Year leads the nation in assists per set while directing the nation’s second-best offense.
Thelle needs one more ace to become UH’s all-time leader in service aces.
The fourth-year Warrior will lead the team on May 4, in the NCAA semifinals against Penn State. Hawaiʻi is seeking a third-straight national title.
On May 2, UH Associate Coach Milan Zarkovic was named the AVCA‘s Assistant Coach of the Year. He also won the award in 2020.
