2026 Heart Men's Volleyball Postseason Awards Announced

Player of the Year: Adrian Figueroa — Park 

Adrian Figueroa totaled 403 kills on a .394 hitting percentage across 726 attempts, while leading the conference with 444.5 total points (5.49 per set). The sophomore opposite from Espaillat, Dominican Republic, added 98 digs and 54 total blocks, contributing on both sides of the ball. His production and consistency throughout the season made him one of the conference's top overall performers. 

Setter of the Year: Gustavo Kehl Bauer — Mount Mercy 

Gustavo Kehl Bauer recorded 856 assists on the season, averaging 11.57 assists per set to lead Mount Mercy's offense. The sophomore from Nova Petrópolis, Brazil, added 151 digs (2.04 per set) and 16 service aces, while also contributing 36 kills. Bauer's production and consistency throughout the season made him one of the conference's top setters. 

Attacker of the Year: Adrian Figueroa — Park 

Adrian Figueroa recorded 403 kills on a .394 hitting percentage, averaging 5.49 points per set. The sophomore opposite led Park's offense with consistent production and efficiency throughout the season, establishing himself as one of the conference's top attackers. 

Libero of the Year: Richard Struska — Mount Mercy 

Richard Struska totaled 279 digs, averaging 3.58 digs per set, to lead Mount Mercy defensively throughout the season. The sophomore libero added 38 service aces and 67 assists (0.86 per set), finishing with 40 total points. His production and consistency in the back row made him one of the conference's top defensive players. 

Middle Blocker of the Year: Moises Ortiz — Park 

Moises Ortiz totaled 207 blocks, including 64 solo blocks and 143 block assists, averaging 2.46 blocks per set across 84 sets played in 25 matches. The sophomore middle blocker added 110 kills (1.49 per set), providing a strong presence at the net throughout the season. His production and consistency made him one of the conference's top middle blockers. 

Co-Freshman of the Year: Colt Schmidt — Dordt 

Colt Schmidt totaled 426 digs, averaging 4.14 digs per set across 103 sets played in 29 matches. The freshman defensive specialist added 78 assists (0.76 per set), contributing consistently in the back row throughout the season. His production and reliability made him one of the conference's top freshman performers. 

Co-Freshman of the Year: Murillo Silva — Park 

Murillo Silva recorded 259 kills, averaging 3.16 kills per set across 82 sets played in 24 matches. The freshman middle blocker added 110 digs (1.34 per set), 47 total blocks (0.57 per set), and 23 assists, contributing across multiple areas throughout the season. His production and consistency made him one of the conference's top freshman performers. 

Coach of Year: Austin Filer — Mount Mercy 

In his fourth season at Mount Mercy (2021–present), Austin Filer led the Mustangs to a 22–4 overall record and a 16–3 mark in conference play. Under his leadership, Mount Mercy reached as high as No. 4 in the national rankings and posted a 13-match winning streak during the season. 

Assistant Coach of the Year: Brian Schwendemann — USHP 

In his second season with UHSP, Brian Schwendemann helped guide the program to a 14–16 overall record and a 7–12 mark in conference play. His contributions throughout the season supported the team's continued development within the conference. 

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