Pair of Highlanders Earn AVCA All-America Honors

A pair of Highlanders, outside hitter Alvaro Gimeno and middle blocker Luca Berger were named to the 2020 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) men's Division I-II All-America team.

Gimeno, Uvaldo Acosta Memorial Co-Player of the Year and first-team honoree in the EIVA, was selected to the AVCA second team while Berger, a three-time EIVA first-team selectee earned AVCA honorable mention.

The 2020 AVCA selections were made by the AVCA Division I-II Men's Volleyball All-America Committee consisting of ten coaches, representing schools from across the nation. 

Alvaro Gimeno | AVCA Second-Team; 2020 Uvaldo Acosta Memorial Co-Player of the Year; EIVA First-Team; EIVA All-Academic Team
The 6-foot-9 outside hitter led the Highlanders in three categories -- kills (174; 3.62kps; 20th in the nation), service aces (25; 0.52aps; 9th in nation) and digs (74; 1.54dps). 

His .353 hitting percentage ranked 23rd in the nation. He reached double-digit kills in 12 out of 14 matches this season, including a career-best 26 kills at Geoge Mason (2.21).  The 26 kills ranks tied for second in the nation in a four-set match. 

Gimeno posted four service aces in a pair of matches (at Lindenwood (1.18); at George Mason (2.21), season-best eight digs in three matches and six total blocks (all assists) at McKendree (1.17).  

He was selected EIVA Defensive Player of the Week (2.24).

Luca Berger | AVCA Honorable Mention; EIVA First-Team; EIVA All-Academic Team
A three-year member of the NJIT men's volleyball program, Berger played one season at Coker College (2016-17) before transferring to NJIT in 2017-18. 

Berger, from Goiania, Brazil, is a three-time EIVA first-team and All-Academic team honoree. The 6-foot-10 middle blocker ranked second in the nation in blocks per set (1.39) and tied for first in the EIVA. 

This season, Berger combined for an impressive hitting percentage (.448) with 59 kills on 105 attempts with just 12 errors.  He notched 61 total blocks (55 block assists; 6 solo), including a career-high 11 blocks against USC on January 11, 2020. 

He was selected EIVA Defensive Player of the Week (1.13) and concluded his career, compiling 444 kills and 327 total blocks.

Notes
--The last time two Highlanders were named to the AVCA All-America team was in 1998, when NJIT competed at the Division II level. Both Wycliffe Gordon and Harold Nazaire earned AVCA All-America second-team honors.  Nazaire, is a two-time AVCA All-America first-team honoree (1997, 1999).
--Jabarry Goodridge, a two-time AVCA All-American became the Highlanders' first Division I-II honorable mention in 2016; named to the second team in 2017.