Men's Volleyball: Lasers' 2022 season recap

NEWTON, Mass. - A difficult task is picking the best moment for the 2022 Lasell University men's volleyball program. There are so many to choose from.

The Lasers (22-9, 14-2 GNAC) defeated No. 1-ranked Springfield, 3-1, on March 1 in the Athletic Center, marking the first time the team has ever defeated the Pride and also the first time in program history defeating the top-ranked team in the country.

Lasell also defeated No. 5 Wentworth, 3-1, on Feb. 19 in the Athletic Center, and then the second-seeded unit defeated third-seeded Rivier, 3-1, in the GNAC semifinals on April 7, allowing the program to advance to the conference championship.

The team went a perfect 8-0 during the February portion of its schedule and won 11-of-12 matches from Jan. 22 - March 1. The unit overcame a 2-1 hole during a 3-2 triumph over visiting Rivier on March 27. Throughout the 31-match schedule, Lasell won 70 sets and only lost 37.

Freshman Jordan Shinaut became the first student-athlete in program history to earn All-American honors, as he was named to the National Volleyball Association/American Volleyball Coaches Association (NVA/AVCA) Division III All-America honorable mention team.

Shinaut 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 ranked third in the GNAC in hitting percentage (.326), fourth in total kills (299) and fourth in kills per set (3.48), while sitting in a tie for fifth in solo blocks with 17.

On April 14, Shinaut, along with teammates Brenden Joyce and Jesus Garcia, became the first-ever student-athletes with the men's volleyball program to earn AVCA All-Northeast Region team honors. Shinaut took home the AVCA's Northeast Region Newcomer of the Year accolade. Shinaut also garnered GNAC All-Conference first team recognition, was named the conference's Rookie of the Year and represented the Lasers on the GNAC's All-Rookie Team. The Peoria, Arizona, native took home the conference's final seven Rookie of the Week awards.

Garcia was named to the All-Conference first team and earned All-Sportsmanship squad laurels, while Joyce, Jan Baranowski and Alex Weinhaus were selected to the third team. Weinhaus also joined Shinaut on the All-Rookie team.

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 finished tied for second in the GNAC for most assists (819) and ranked 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.

After defeating No. 1-ranked Springfield, 3-1, on March 1 in the Athletic Center, the team earned a No. 15 ranking and received one first-place vote in the NVA/AVCA Men's Division III Coaches poll on March 8. This was the first time in the history of the men's volleyball program that the team received a first-place vote in the Division III national rankings. It also marks the first time that the program has been nationally ranked with Head Coach Jeff Vautrin '17 at the helm.

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

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