Lexington, Ky. – The No. 2 ranked Saint Xavier University men's volleyball team (28-0/12-0 CCAC) had five players earn American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NAIA All-American honors when the awards were announced Monday morning. Senior opposite hitter/setter Matt Pennala (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach City/St. John Bosco), junior libero Andres Velez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/St. Francis) and sophomore outside hitter Caydann Cox (Jamestown, N.D./Jamestown/Jamestown) were named First Team All-Americans, while sophomore setter Cameron Daniels (Omaha, Neb./Millard West) and graduate student middle blocker Drew Ehlers (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) earned Second Team All-American, respectively. Cox, Pennala and Velez are now two-time honorees after Cox was named Second Team All-American last season playing for University of Jamestown, Velez was also a Second-Team selection and Pennala was Honorable Mention a season ago for the Cougars.

For his efforts guiding the team from the sideline, head coach Tom Ryan was named the AVCA NAIA National Coach of the Year. He was named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Coach of the Year for the third year in a row and has claimed the honor five times in seven seasons at Saint Xavier. The team's 28-match winning streak is the longest in program history and has help bring SXU to the NAIA National Championship in all six seasons that the tournament has been held. Overall, Coach Ryan enters the NAIA National Championship Tournament with a 154-46 record for a .770 winning percentage.

• Pennala was named the CCAC Player of the Year for the Cougars and is a two-time All-CCAC First Team honoree. He was named CCAC Attacker of the Week four times this season and NAIA Attacker of the Week twice on February 18 and March 25. Pennala has played in 26 of the team's 28 matches so far this year, leading the team with 387.5 points, 315 kills and a .393 attack percentage (315-83-590). He also has 112 assists, 108 digs, 59 blocks (10 solos) and 38 service aces. Pennala ranks No. 2 in the CCAC in attack percentage, kills per set at 4.20, service aces per set at 0.51, and points per set at 5.2. He is also No. 5 in total kills, aces and points. Nationally, Pennala is No. 3 in points per set and No. 4 in kills per set.
• Cox earned All-CCAC First Team and was the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Player of the Year last season with Jamestown before transferring to SXU prior to the start of the 2024-25 school year. He was named the CCAC Attacker of the Week three times this season. Cox has played in 27 of the team's 28 matches, posting a team-high 44 service aces. He also has 372.0 points, 299 kills on a .350 attack percentage (299-77-635), a .960 reception percentage on 428 attempts, 158 assists, 46 blocks (12 solos) and 26 assists. Cox is No. 2 in the CCAC in total aces, No. 3 in attack percentage and service aces per set at 0.51, and No. 4 in points per set at 4.3. Nationally, he is No. 13 in service aces per set and No. 16 in total aces.
• Velez claimed All-CCAC First Team for the third straight year, as well as being named the CCAC Libero of the Year for the third consecutive season. He earned CCAC Libero of the Week six times in 2025 and garnered NAIA Libero of the Week on April 1. Velez has played in all 28 matches for the Cougars this season, leading the team with 293 digs and a team-best .983 reception percentage of 414 attempts. He has added 84 assists, 15 service aces and three kills. Velez ranks No. 2 in the CCAC in total digs and digs per set at 3.33. In the NAIA, he is No. 7 in digs per set and No. 10 in total digs.
• Daniels picked up All-CCAC First Team recognition. He was the CCAC Setter of the Week seven times this season. Daniels has played in all 28 of the team's matches, leading the team with 839 assists. He also has 175 digs, 99.5 points, 42 service aces, 36 kills on a .500 attack percentage (36-7-58) and 35 blocks (eight solos). In the CCAC, Daniels in No. 2 in assists per set at 9.32, No. 3 in total assists and total aces, and No. 4 in service aces per set at 0.47. In the NAIA, he is No. 16 in total assists, No. 17 in assists per set and No. 19 in total aces.
• Ehlers was awarded All-CCAC First Team honor this seasob, also earning All-CCAC Second Team three times (2022-24). He has played in 27 of the team's 28 matches, collecting a team-high 92 blocks (18 solos). Ehlers has tallied 185.0 points, 103 kills on a .382 attack percentage (103-25-204), 27 service aces, 23 digs and 13 assists. He ranks No. 3 in the CCAC in total blocks, block assists with 74 and blocks per set a 1.18, No. 4 in solo blocks and No. 8 in service aces per set at 0.35. Ehlers in No. 9 in the NAIA in blocks per set, and No. 21 in total blocks and block assists.

No. 2 Saint Xavier (28-0/12-0 CCAC) plays No. 10 Benedictine University Mesa (Ariz.) in Pool B at the NAIA National Championship Tournament at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, April 29.