Men's Volleyball: Five Lasers honored by GNAC with end-of-season awards

WINTHROP, Mass. - After earning the second seed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament and advancing to the conference championship game, the Lasell University men's volleyball team saw five student-athletes earn GNAC end-of-season awards Monday.

Jordan Shinaut and Jesus Garcia were named to the All-Conference first team. Shinaut was named Rookie of the Year and to the All-Rookie team, while Garcia took home All-Sportsmanship team recognition. Brenden Joyce and Jan Baranowski represented the program on the All-Conference third team, while Alex Weinhaus was named to the third team and All-Rookie squads.

Shinaut compiled a sensational rookie season, earning the final seven GNAC Rookie of the Week awards. The Peoria, Arizona, native compiled double-digit kills in 18 matches and posted career-highs of 18 kills during victories over Rivier and Colby-Sawyer on March 19 and April 2. 

Shinaut finished with hitting percentages of .500 or higher in six matches. He compiled five total blocks or more four times and seven or more digs on three occasions. Shinaut ranks fourth in the GNAC in total kills (299), kills per set (3.48) and hitting percentage (.326), while sitting in a tie for fifth in solo blocks with 17.

Garcia earned GNAC Defensive and Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 14 and 21, respectively. The Honolulu, Hawaii, native compiled 40 or more assists six times and reached double figures in digs during seven matches. He is tied for second in the GNAC for most assists (819) and ranks third in assists per set (8.27).

Garcia tallied a season-high 46 assists during a 3-1 triumph over Elizabethtown on Feb. 26, and then recorded a season-best 14 digs in a 3-2 victory over Rivier on March 27. Garcia was named to the GNAC All-Tournament team on April 9.

Joyce took home the conference's Defensive Player of the Week accolade on March 7. The Randolph, Massachusetts, native registered a season-high 18 kills against St. Joseph's (L.I.) on Jan. 15. During a 3-1 victory over No. 1-ranked Springfield on March 1, he filled up the box score with 14 kills, seven digs and five total blocks. Joyce earned GNAC All-Tournament team honors on April 9.

Baranowski earned the GNAC's Offensive Player of the Week laurel on March 1. During victories over Elms and Elizabethtown in Chicopee, Massachusetts, on Feb. 26, he compiled 11 kills in both matches with hitting percentages of .733 and .667, respectively.

The Wheeling, Illinois, native tallied a season-high nine total blocks during a 3-1 win over Rivier in the semfinals of the GNAC Tournament on April 7. He ranks in a tie for second in the GNAC with 19 solo blocks and his 61 total blocks are good for the seventh most.

Weinhaus tallied double-digit digs in 10 matches, including reaching season-highs of 13 digs four times. The Smithtown, New York, native compiled the four-most digs in the GNAC with 210 and ranked third in digs per set (2.47). He finished with 13 digs in a 3-2 triumph over visiting Rivier on March 27. 

Director of Athletic Communications Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lasell.edu.

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