ASHLAND, Va. --- Saturday marked a pair of firsts for ODAC men's volleyball. Not only was the first conference trophy handed out to Randolph-Macon College, but the initial set of All-ODAC awards was announced as part of the post-championship awards ceremony in Ashland.
Randolph-Macon mentor
Christian Taylor was tabbed ODAC Coach of the Year by his peers, while Yellow Jackets setter
Kody Rogan garnered ODAC Offensive Player of the Year laurels. Roanoke College middle
Colin Mendoza received ODAC Defensive Player of the Year plaudits, while outside
Connor Tyson is the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year following a vote of the league's athletic communications personnel. University of Lynchburg opposite
Nick Redding collected ODAC Rookie of the Year recognition.
EMU, Randolph-Macon, and Roanoke each saw five student-athletes earn a spot on an All-ODAC team with Virginia Wesleyan University featuring four individuals among the list of 24 honorees.
Rogan, a junior from Chesapeake, Va., is undoubtedly the engine driving Randolph-Macon's offense, but he also is a strong contributor in service and on defense. Rogan has handed out 839 digs over 94 sets for an 8.96 per set average. Both figures top the ODAC charts. He added 110 kills on a .288 attack percentage to go with 45 service aces. Defensively, he posted 194 digs and 58.0 total blocks including 13 solo efforts.
Mendoza, a junior from Midlothian, Va., was a dominant force in net defense in his first ODAC season, more than doubling his previous career-high in total blocks with a league-high 113.0 rejections. That included 32 solo blocks, which also led the conference. He added 37 digs to complete his defensive line. On offense, Mendoza notched 148 kills on a .293 attack percentage with 25 service aces and 20 assists out of system.
Taylor is in his fourth seeding guiding Randolph-Macon men's volleyball. This is his first top-coaching award with either the ODAC or RMC's previous league, the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC). Saturday's win over Roanoke for the ODAC title marked his 75th career victory. His career-record stands at 75-46 (.620) entering the Division III tournament.
Redding, a first-year from San Diego, Calif., stepped into Lynchburg's lineup from day one and helped the Hornets post a 9-15 record in their inaugural season. Redding registered 263 kills over 80 sets played for a 3.3 per-set average. He also hit .200. He chipped in 17 aces and 14 assists out of system. Defensively, Redding registered 37.0 total blocks and 109 digs. He closed the season accounting for 301.5 total points.
Tyson, a senior from Waxhaw, N.C., shines on and off the floor for Roanoke. In the classroom, Tyson maintains a 3,988 grade point average as a health and exercise science major. A five-time Roanoke President's List and six-time Dean's List honoree, Tyson is a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta (xxx) and Alpha Lambda Delta (xxx) honor societies. He is the recipient of the Ben Huddle General Chemistry Award and was twice named CVC Academic All-Conference, a distinction that will follow him upon the ODAC's naming of those honors this summer. On the floor, Tyson set career-highs for matches played (31), sets placed (94), kills (47), attack percentage (.225), assists (10), and digs (49). He notched a season and career-high 12 kills in a win over Averett last month.
Below is the full set of All-ODAC Men's Volleyball Awards.
2025 ALL-ODAC MEN'S VOLLEYBALL AWARDS
ODAC Offensive Player of the Year: Kody Rogan, Jr., S, Randolph-Macon
ODAC Defensive Player of the Year: Colin Mendoza, Jr., MH, Roanoke
ODAC Coach of the Year: Christian Taylor, Randolph-Macon
ODAC Rookie of the Year: Nick Redding, Fy., OPP, Lynchburg
ODAC/Va. Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete: Connor Tyson, Sr., OH, Roanoke
| ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM |
| Andre Mills |
So. |
RS |
EMU |
| Kody Rogan |
Jr. |
S |
Randolph-Macon |
| Phil Van Essendelft |
Jr. |
MB |
Randolph-Macon |
| Ian Wagenhauser |
Jr. |
OH |
Randolph-Macon |
| Michael Cummins |
Jr. |
OH |
Roanoke |
| Colin Mendoza |
Jr. |
MH |
Roanoke |
| Kaeden Noble |
Sr. |
L |
Roanoke |
| Christian Harris |
So. |
OH |
Virginia Wesleyan |
|
|
|
|
| ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM |
| Daeman Odom |
Fy. |
MH |
EMU |
| Nick Redding |
Fy. |
OPP |
Lynchburg |
| Mats Beentjes |
Gr. |
OH |
Randolph |
| Bryce Matthews |
So. |
OPP |
Randolph-Macon |
| Brady Plucker |
So. |
L |
Randolph-Macon |
| Jackson Rutkowski |
Jr. |
OH |
Roanoke |
| Matthew Sheppard |
So. |
OPP/MB |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| JaMarhe Wills |
So. |
OH/OPP |
Virginia Wesleyan |
|
|
|
|
| ALL-ODAC THIRD TEAM |
| Anibal Lopez |
Sr. |
L |
Averett |
| Ezekiel Awkward |
Fy. |
OH |
EMU |
| Ricardo Fernandez Perez |
Fy. |
S |
EMU |
| Jose Melendez |
So. |
MH |
EMU |
| Bryce Jackson |
So. |
MH |
Lynchburg |
| Shamel Smith |
Fy. |
OH |
Randolph |
| Cade Kinne |
Jr. |
RS |
Roanoke |
| Terrell Lee-Roosevelt Taylor |
Fy. |
MB |
Virginia Wesleyan |