CHICAGO – Senior opposite hitter/setter Matt Pennala (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach City/St. John Bosco) from the No. 2 ranked Saint Xavier University men's volleyball team (31-1/12-0 CCAC) made program history by being named the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America At-Large Team Player of the Year for the NAIA when the awards were announced Wednesday morning. He is one of five student-athletes from NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and college division to earn the honor, joining gymnast Mark Berlaga from Stanford University (Calif.), wrestler Ty McGeary from West Liberty University (W.Va.), outside hitter Christian Sheaffer from Southern Virginia University and thrower Kaden Banks from Indian Hills Community College-Ottumwa (Iowa).

Pennala is one of 10 student-athletes to also earn CSC Academic All-America First Team honors at the NAIA level and is one of just three men's volleyball players to earn to honor, along with 10 All-America Second Team selections. He posted a 4.00 Grade Point Average (GPA) as a Communications major, helping Saint Xavier to a NAIA Men's Volleyball National Championship runner-up finish, and was the first player for the men's volleyball team to be named the NAIA Player of the Year. Pennala also was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team for the second year in a row, a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete and was a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) All-Academic Team selection.

He is the first Cougar to earn All-America Player of the Year since SXU Hall of Famer (class of 2023) Morgan Stuut (2011-15) won the award when it was named the Capital One Academic All-American College Division award for the women's basketball team in 2014-15. He also joins Saint Xavier Hall of Famers (class of 2023) Brad Karp (2010-14) who won the award in consecutive seasons in 2012-13 and 2013-14 from men's basketball, and Megan Nonnemacher (class of 2021) (2011-14), who won her senior year while pitching for the Cougar softball team in 2014.

Pennala was also named an AVCA-NAIA First Team All-American, as well 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 played in 30 of the team's 32 matches, setting the single-season program record with 477.5 points and kills with 395. He had a .364 attack percentage (395-115-770) with 143 digs, 131 assists, 71 blocks (10 solos) and 42 service aces. Pennala finished No. 3 in the NAIA with 4.29 kills per set and No. 3 with 5.2 points per set, No. 5 in total points and No. 6 in total kills.

Full list of CSC Academic All-Americans: