Penn State men’s volleyball’s senior middle blocker Owen Rose was named the 2026 National Blocker of the Year, the ‘Off The Block’ Blog announced Sunday.

The award recognizes the NCAA’s best Division I-II men’s volleyball player with the best front-row defensive performance across a season.

In the 2026 campaign, Rose helped lead the Nittany Lions to an EIVA championship while leading the nation in blocks with 156 and averagign 1.42 blocks per game.

The Long Island native even recorded 14 blocks, a single-match school record, in the Nittany Lions’ February match against Harvard.

Rose received the accolade after receiving the most votes from coaches and media personnel across the country. Rose recorded 30 total votes, which was 12 votes ahead of USC’s Parker Tomkinson.

About the Author

Sarah Nasif

Sarah is a fourth-year broadcast journalism student from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who also shares a passion for writing. She might be from Badger Country, but don't fret, she's always been a huge fan of all things Penn State. She's also a self-proclaimed baseball enthusiast. You can find her on Instagram @sarahsidelines or via email @sen5284@psu.edu.

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