Burrell named NCAA Statistical Champion in Blocks per Set
Charles O'Brien
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June 1, 2018) – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced Thursday that Stevens Institute of Technology middle hitter
Thomas Burrell topped Division III in Blocks per Set during the 2018 Men's Volleyball season.
Burrell is the third Stevens men's volleyball player to be declared an NCAA statistical champion. Andrew Crawford (Hitting Percentage) and Doug Reger (Blocks per Game) each earned plaques from the NCAA in 2009 and Stevens topped Division III in winning percentage in 2015 .
"Middles do not have as many opportunities to get their hands on the ball compared to other players, which is why ever since I started playing volleyball, I never wanted to miss an opportunity to get a touch on a block," Burrell said. "Having said that, the vast majority of my blocks are assists, and regardless of who actually ultimately touches the ball, it takes the combined effort of everyone on the court to stop an attack, therefore, I could not have reached this milestone without my teammates, and for them, I am thankful."
"We are very proud of Tom's accomplishment," added assistant coach
Amable Martinez. "He takes extreme pride in his blocking. We repeatedly matched up him with opposing teams' best hitters and this was a successful formula for us all year due to his defensive efforts. He is a game-changer at the net!"
Burrell finished the regular season averaging 1.426 blocks per set, edging Vassar's Matthew Knigge (1.304) to finish first among 200 qualified student-athletes. The mark was also second across all NCAA levels. In his final season on Castle Point, the Somerset, New Jersey native collected 33 solo blocks and 123 block assists over 101 sets, while posting 13 matches with five or more blocks, including a career-high 10 in the NCAA quarterfinals. Burrell also added 217 kills on 351 attacks with just 39 errors to finish second in Division III with a .507 attack percentage. The senior also set a career best with 20 aces. Burrell's blocks per set total and hitting percentage each rank among the top-10 single-season performances in program history and the middle hitter concluded his career ranking among the top-six in program history in both statistics.
Men's Volleyball finished the 2018 campaign with a 27-5 record for the program's 12th season of 25 or more victories under head coach
Patrick Dorywalski. The Ducks won their second United Volleyball Championship (UVC) to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, where Stevens topped both Stevenson University and Dominican University to reach the national championship for the second time in four seasons.
In addition to leading the nation in blocks per set, Burrell was named a First Team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and was tabbed Player of the Year by the Empire 8 Conference. Burrell also earned First Team All-Conference accolades from both the UVC and the E8.