The Penn State Altoona men’s volleyball team was voted into sixth place in the 2024 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference preseason coaches’ poll, the results of which were announced on Tuesday, Jan. 9.
Named as “Players to Watch” in the poll for Penn State Altoona this year were middle Jared Kish, of Columbus, OH, and outside hitter Avery Farabaugh of Ebensburg.
NORTH BOSTON, N.Y. — Three student-athletes from the Penn State Altoona men’s volleyball team were voted to the All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference squad as the league announced its postseason awards on Tuesday, April 16.
Outside hitter Avery Farabaugh, of Ebensburg, was a first-team all-conference selection, middle blocker Connor Ebersole, of Altoona, was a second-team pick, and middle blocker Jared Kish, of Columbus, Ohio, received third-team honors.
Penn State Altoona student-athlete Avery Farabaugh
Farabaugh played in all 27 matches for the Lions this season. He ranked second among all players in the AMCC in points (426.0), points per set (4.5), kills (354), and kills per set (3.73) while also being fourth in total attacks (832), service aces (37), aces per set (0.39), digs (266), and digs per set (2.8), 13th in solo blocks (20) and total blocks (50), 16th in blocks per set (0.53), and 17th in block assists (30) and hitting percentage (.216). Farabaugh was also a four-time recipient of the AMCC Offensive Player of the Week award during the season.
This is Farabaugh’s second career appearance on an All-AMCC team, after he was a third-team selection last year.
Penn State Altoona student-athlete Connor Ebersole
Ebersole competed in all 27 matches this season with Penn State Altoona. In the AMCC, he finished fourth in hitting percentage (.316) and solo blocks (31), fifth in total blocks (71), sixth in blocks per set (0.76), seventh in block assists (40), 23rd in points (211.0), 26th in kills (147), 29th in points per set (2.3), and 30th in kills per set (1.58). During the season, he was named the AMCC Defensive Player of the Week on March 18.
This marks the second time that Ebersole has been voted to an All-AMCC team, as he was a third-team pick last spring.
Penn State Altoona student-athlete Jared Kish
Kish played in all 27 matches with Penn State Altoona this season. Among all players in the conference, he ranked 15th in solo blocks (16), 23rd in total blocks (35) and blocks per set (0.38), 26th in points (182.5) and service aces (20), 28th in block assists (19), 30th in kills (137), 33rd in aces per set (0.22), 34th in points per set (2.0), and 36th in kills per set (1.47) while compiling a .302 attack percentage.
This is Kish’s second career appearance on an AMCC all-conference team, as he was also a third-team selection last season.
Penn State Altoona men’s volleyball finished the season with a 15-12 overall record, including a 5-4 record within the AMCC. The Lions were the fourth seed in the AMCC postseason tournament, earning a berth to the semifinal round of the conference playoffs.
