Most BYU volleyball players ever receive All-America Honors, three named to First Team

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Five BYU men’s volleyball players have received 2021 AVCA All-America honors, the organization announced Monday.

Gabi Garcia Fernandez, Davide Gardini and Wil Stanley repeated as First Team All Americans, with Zach Eschenberg and Felipe de Brito Ferreira named as honorable mentions. This is the most BYU men's volleyball players who have ever received honors in a season, previously the record was four. 

Gabi Garcia Fernandez

Garcia Fernandez is only the second men’s volleyball player in BYU history to be named an All- American all four years of his eligibility (2018 second team, 2019 second team, 2020 first team, 2021 second team).

In the 2021 season Garcia Fernandez averaged a .332 hitting percentage with 276 kills on 561 attempts and only 90 errors. Garcia Fernandez served 40 aces and is only four aces away from overtaking the all-time BYU career aces record. 

Garcia Fernandez was named the 2021 MPSF Player of the Year and received MPSF First Team honors. During the season he received MPSF Player of the Week honors twice, Feb. 9 and16, and was named AVCA Player of the Week on Feb. 9.

Davide Gardini

Gardini joins Garcia Fernandez and Stanley in repeating as First Team All- America selections. 

Gardini averaged a .340 hitting percentage on the season, tallying 229 kills on 450 attempts and 76 errors. Davide is the 2021 BYU team leader in digs with 118. Gardini was the only BYU player to score three double-doubles in the season. 

Gardini received MPSF offensive player of the week honors on March 23 and was named to the 2021 MPSF First Team. 

Wil Stanley

Stanley had 718 assists on the season, averaging 10.26 per set to rank third in the MPSF. The setter’s assists helped the Cougars claim the second spot in the NCAA for hitting percentage with .348. Stanley added 108 digs, seven aces and 48 total blocks.

Stanley was named the Off the Block National Setter of the Week March 22 and repeated as an MPSF First Team selection.  

Felipe de Brito Ferreira

De Brito Ferreira received his first All-America honors, being named a 2021 honorable mention. 

De Brito Ferreira’s 1.254 blocks per set ranks fifth in the NCAA and first in the MPSF. He had 79 total blocks, leading the team in solo blocks with six. The middle blocker added 94 kills and six service aces on the season.

De Brito Ferreira was also named to the 2021 All-MPSF Second Team. 

Zach Eschenberg

After a breakout season, Eschenberg repeated as a national honorable mention selection.

Eschenberg averaged a .324 hitting percentage with 177 kills on 389 attempts and 51 errors. The fifth year senior started all 21 matches he played in. 

Eschenberg was also named to the 2021 All-MPSF Second Team. 

For a full list of the 2021 honorees click HERE

This week, BYU will begin NCAA Tournament play with the semifinals on Thursday, May 6 at 6 p.m. MDT.