One month after the season ended, the awards continue to come in for a Ball State University men's volleyball player.
Middle attacker J.D. Gasparovic was named to the Volleyball Magazine All-American Second Team on Friday.
Gasparovic finished the 2009 season leading the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association with a .465 attack percentage and a 1.39 blocks per game average. The sophomore also became the first player in eight years to lead the conference in both attack percentage and blocks.
Coach Joel Walton said because of Gasparovic's impressive statistics this season, he was not surprised when the middle attacker was named to the All-American team.
"J.D. had a great season. For the team, both his blocking and attacking efficiency were key component of how the team played," Walton said. "He's such a hard working kid and good teammate."
In addition to the All-American accolades, Gasparovic was named to the First-Team All-MIVA in April as the Cardinals finished the conference regular season in third place.
Gasparovic was one of three players from the MIVA to make the All-American teams. Lewis University outside attacker Drew Pickering and Ohio State University setter Steven Kehoe were also named to the second team.
This is the third consecutive year Ball State had a player named a second-team All-American. Former libero Ian Peckler was selected to the team in 2007 and former outside attacker Patrick Durbin made the 2008 team.
Gasparovic is the eighth Cardinal player in the program's 45-year history to be a Volleyball Magazine All-American. He is also the first Ball State All-American middle attacker since Paul Fasshauer in 2002.
With Gasparovic having two more years remaining at Ball State, Walton said the middle attacker has the potential to make more All-American teams before the end of his college career.
"If he continue to work and improve he has a great future," Walton said. "Knowing him, that is my expectation, and he will continue to improve."
2009 Volleyball Magazine All-American TeamsFirst-Team All-AmericansRyan Ammerman - UC IrvineDean Bittner - Long Beach StatePaul Carroll - PepperdineCarson Clark - UC IrvineDennis Del Valle - Penn StateMax Holt - Penn StateErik Shoji - StanfordKawika Shoji - StanfordAndrew Stewart - BYUMurphy Troy - USCEric Vance - Cal State NorthridgeDustin Watten - Long Beach State
Second-Team All-AmericansDan Alexander - Long Beach StateTony Ciarelli - USCKasey Crider - PepperdineJ.D. Gasparovic - Ball StateEdguardo Goas - Penn StateSteven Kehoe - Ohio StateMax Lipsitz - Penn StateSpencer McLachlin - StanfordDrew Pickering - LewisWill Price - Penn StateJacek Ratajczak - Cal State NorthridgeKevin Wynne - UC Irvine
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