LEXINGTON, KY- For the 12th year, the American Volleyball Coaches Association has named its Division III All-American Team. Juniata has three members of its program named along with a fourth tabbed as a Honorable Mention.
Senior Joe Bortak (Jeanette, PA/Penn Trafford) was selected to the First Team. It is his fourth selection overall and third First Team selection. Bortak has played in 466 sets and 133 matches, which ranks first and second among NCAA active career leaders. He is the active career leader in hitting percentage with .455. His 429 blocks rank second among active leaders. Earlier this season, he became the first player since 2010 to achieve 1,000 kills in a career and is also the all-time Eagle leader in blocks.
Fellow senior Paul Kuhn (York, PA/Central York) was named to the Second Team. Another recent addition to the 1,000 kills club, he was the team leader in kills (306) and service aces (34). His 135 career service aces is fourth among active career leaders.
Junior Chad Albert (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) was also a second teamer. Third in hitting percentage among active leaders with .422, he hit .418 this past season. For the season he totaled 131 kills, 77 total blocks, 42 digs, and nine service aces.
Junior setter Matt Elias (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) was tabbed as an Honorable Mention. Elias accumulated 778 assists and averaged 9.26 per set. He averaged 10.14 assists during conference action to rank third in the Continental Volleyball Conference. He also had 150 digs and 57 total blocks. Elias had a season and career-high 60 assists in Juniata's 3-2 win over Rutgers-Newark on February 24. Overall, he reached double figures in both assists and digs five times.
