Senior outside hitter Zach Rama and senior setter Andrew Rowan from UCLA have been named to the inaugural AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year award watchlist, according to an announcement by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Wednesday.
Rama, who is from Phoenix, Arizona, has started the 2026 season with strong performances. In seven matches, he has recorded 105 kills and achieved a hitting percentage of .438. He has reached double-digit kills in six out of seven matches played. Rama currently leads the nation in kills per set at 4.77, ranks fourth in points per set at 5.16, and is tenth nationally in hitting percentage at .438. His previous honors include being named an AVCA second-team All-American and an MPSF first-team selection in 2025, as well as earning MPSF All-Freshman team honors that same year.
Rowan, from Trabuco Canyon, California, is recognized for his consistent performance and prior accolades. He is a three-time AVCA first-team All-American and a three-time MPSF first-team selection. So far this season, Rowan has helped UCLA achieve a nation-leading .460 hitting percentage and has tallied 318 assists. He leads the country in assists per set at 12.72 and stands fifth in aces per set at .720. Rowan also spent time with the USA men’s national team during the summer at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL). In five of his eight appearances this season, he has recorded at least 40 assists.
The watch list for this year’s award features 15 players representing 11 different schools.
The full AVCA National Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List includes: Ryan Barnett (Pepperdine), Daniel Fabikovic (Loyola Chicago), Nathan Flayter (McKendree), Cole Hartke (Pepperdine), Andrej Jokanovic (UC Irvine), Dillon Klein (USC), Oguzhan Oguz (Lewis), Jalen Phillips (CSUN), Zach Rama (UCLA), Patrick Rogers (Ball State), Tread Rosenthal (Hawai’i), Adrien Roure (Hawai’i), Andrew Rowan (UCLA), Aleksandar Sosa (Loyola Chicago) and Skyler Varga (Long Beach State).
UCLA’s next match will be on Friday night when they travel to Long Beach to face No. 2 Long Beach State in a rematch of last year’s National Championship match. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT and will be streamed on ESPN+.
