Men’s Volleyball: UCI’s Tillie, Brinkley, Mehring, UCSB’s Davis earn All-American honors

UC Irvine senior outside hitter Kevin Tillie, sophomore libero Michael Brinkley and UC Santa Barbara senior middle blocker Dylan Davis have been named first-team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Assn.

UCI junior middle blocker Collin Mehring was a second-team selection.

Tillie, a repeat first-team honoree, ranks ninth in kills per set (3.75), 12th in points (4.38), 14th in hitting percentage (.341) and 18th in aces (0.34). The 6-foot-6 native of France joins BYU’s Taylor Sander as the only repeat first-team honorees.

Brinkley is second in the MPSF and 10th in the country in digs with a 2.54 per-set average. He has recorded double-figure digs 12 times this year, including a career-high 20 against UCLA.

The 6-9 Davis, a Corona del Mar High product, led the nation during the regular season in hitting percentage (.421) and his 1.35 blocks per set ranked fourth.

Mehring ranks sixth in the country in blocks per set (1.28). He set a school single-match record with 14 block assists against BYU on March 1. Mehring is second in the MPSF in hitting percentage (.480)

The awards will be presented at the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship Banquet on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

UCI took a 23-6 record into the semifinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament on Thursday.

— From staff reports