UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State men's volleyball senior Aaron Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) has been honored as a First Team Volleyball Magazine NCAA All-American, as announced by the publication. The selection is the second of Russell's career as he was previously named to the third team in 2012.
Russell helped the Nittany Lions to their 17th consecutive appearance in the NCAA national semifinals this year, as well as a 21-10 overall record and a 12-0 mark in conference place. Despite falling short to top-ranked Lewis in the NCAA national semifinals, Russell capped off a standout four-year career in the Blue and White with numerous accolades along the way.
The two-time first team AVCA All-American also earned his third consecutive Uvaldo Acosta Memorial EIVA Player of the Year award in 2015. The honor makes him just the second player in Penn State program history to repeat as EIVA Player of the Year in three straight seasons. He also collected 2015 EIVA Championship Most Outstanding Player honors as well as earning a spot on the 2015 NCAA National Championship All-Tournament team.
With double figure kills in all but two matches this year, he closed out the season ranked among the best in the nation in several statistical categories. His team-high 4.68 kills per set ranked second nationally, while his .381 hitting percentage was 12th. Additionally, his 0.55 aces per set ranked fourth in the nation, as he totaled more aces (62) than any other DI student-athlete this year.
Russell also finished among the best in Penn State program history as he continued to climb up the team record list. His 62 aces this year ranks third on the Penn State single-season list behind his 71 aces he served up last year. On the career list, his 198 aces ranks second all-time. Offensively, his 1,534 career kills ranks fourth in the record book, while his combined .355 hitting efficiency ranks 13th.
To view the complete list of 2015 Volleyball Magazine NCAA All-Americans, please click here.