Juniata volleyball player Kenny Eiser '04 ended his career at the College by garnering an armful of awards that reflected his contribution to one of the most successful seasons by any Juniata sports team.

Eiser was named Division III Player of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, giving him the honor of being the first athlete ever to receive that newly instituted award. He also was named a first-team All-America for Division III.

“Kenny was a consistent force for us throughout the season,” says Ken Shibuya, head men's volleyball coach. “He was incredibly productive offensively and defensively, and was able to raise his game to even greater levels in big matches.”

To cap the Eagles' run to the Division III Molten Tournament, where they won the championship, and then advanced to the semifinals of the EIVA Tournament, which includes Division I teams, Eiser was named MVP of the Molten Tournament. He also was named a EIVA Division III All-Star for the third time in his career. Finally, Eiser was featured in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd section as the crowning achievement of a dominating season.

The Juniata men's volleyball team finished the season 18-7, which marked one of the best seasons in the history of the program-a season that included an 8-6 record against opponents from Division II and Division I teams such as George Mason University and Princeton University. In addition to Eiser, the team also featured four other All-American athletes: Ricky Ziegler '06, first team; Brian Dinning '04, first team; Ryan Genova '04, second team; and Tim Cole '06, second team. Ziegler and Dinning also were named to the EIVA All-East Team.

In May, Shibuya, in just his second year as head coach, was named AVCA Division III National Coach of the Year.