Spyros Chakas, Hawai'i  Men's Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week  Junior • Outside Hitter • Nea Smyrni, Greece

• All-American star Spyros Chakas of top-ranked and undefeated Hawai’i averaged 5.43 points, 4.71 kills and a team-best 1.86 digs per set while hitting .547 (33-4-53) in a two-match home sweep over No. 7 Pepperdine, and is a three-time Big West Offensive Player of the Week.
• The junior outside hitter wound up with a team-best 18 kills on a .516 (18-2-31) attack rate in Wednesday’s initial meeting with the Waves, a four-set affair. Chakas produced a second double-double for this season with a career-best 12 digs, to go along with two aces and two set assists for 20.0 total points.
• In Friday night’s rematch, Chakas collected 15 kills to lead all players at a .591 (15-2-22) clip, alongside two block assists, two more aces and a dig for 18.0 points.
• Chakas was the Big West Offensive Player of the Week on Jan. 16 and Feb. 20. Before that, the 2022 National Collegiate Championship Most Outstanding Player was The Big West Freshman of the Week back on March 1, 2021.

Also Nominated: Owen Birg (UC Santa Barbara); Donovan Constable (CSUN); Ryan Ka (UC San Diego); Aidan Knipe (Long Beach State); Francesco Sani (UC Irvine)

Evan Boyle, UC San Diego  Men's Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week  Freshman • Libero • La Crescenta, Calif.

• UC San Diego libero Evan Boyle averaged 3.22 digs per set across a pair of narrow losses to pick up a first career Big West Defensive Player of the Week recognition.
• The true freshman out of La Crescenta and Crescenta Valley High School got to a total of 29 digs, reaching double figures in both contests and adding four set assists in each.
• Boyle first produced a season-high 15 digs to lead all players in Friday night’s 3-1 defeat at Big West foe UC Santa Barbara.
• In Sunday’s matinee affair at LionTree Arena against then-12th-ranked 2022 national semifinalist Ball State, Boyle added 14 more digs, again achieving the match high as the Tritons dropped a five-set thriller.
• Boyle, who took over the libero position in La Jolla from graduated senior Matt Palma, was previously the season’s initial Big West Freshman of the Week on Jan. 9. This is the Tritons’ first defensive honor since Shane Benetz on March 7, 2022.

Also Nominated: Lorenzo Bertozzi (CSUN); Mason Briggs (Long Beach State); Max Gordon (UC Santa Barbara); Cole Power (UC Irvine)

Owen Birg, UC Santa Barbara  Men's Volleyball Freshman of the Week  Freshman • Opposite Hitter • Thousand Oaks, Calif.

• Owen Birg was a major factor in UC Santa Barbara’s two come-from-behind 3-1 victories at home, both after dropping the first set, and earned a second Big West Freshman of the Week honor.
• The redshirt freshman averaged 5.44 points, 5.13 kills and 2.25 digs per set while adding five block assists on defense. The native of Thousand Oaks led the Gauchos in kills on each night.
• Birg first produced a first collegiate double-double with season highs of a match-best 19 kills and 10 digs in Wednesday’s decision over a game Vanguard squad of the NAIA, hitting .231 (19-10-39) with one set assist and one block assist for 19.5 total points to lead all players.
• Birg then went for a new season best of another match-high 22 kills, with eight digs, four assisted blocks, a set assist and 24.0 points in the Gauchos’ 2023 conference opener Friday night against UC San Diego, attacking at a .260 (22-9-50) clip.
• Birg was also The Big West Freshman of the Week on Feb. 6.

Also Nominated: Connor Bloom (Long Beach State); Evan Boyle (UC San Diego); Maxim Grigoriev (UC Irvine); Malcolm King (CSUN)
 

2023 Big West Men's Volleyball Weekly Winners