Who Will be the 2016 National Player of the Year?

The AVCA will announce the recipient of its National Player of the Year award at the NCAA Championship next month. Here are our picks for the most likely candidates.

Nov 22, 2016 by Megan Kaplon

Who Will be the 2016 National Player of the Year?

The speculation about who will be the 2016 AVCA National Player of the Year started almost immediately after the 2015 title was awarded to USC's Samantha Bricio. In a season where even the top teams in every conference and in the country are not safe from upset, there is not a clear choice for the 2016 National Player of the Year honor, but here are the 10 players we believe have the best chance.

10. Simone Lee, Junior, Outside Hitter, Penn State

Lee ranks in the top 50 nationally in kills per set (No. 37, 4.18) and points per set (No. 43, 4.64) and leads her Nittany Lions squad with 426 kills. Although Lee's number are incredible, her team's lack of consistency will most likely prevent her from winning the national title in 2016. However, since she's a junior, there's always next year.

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9. Taylor Sandbothe, Senior, Middle Blocker, Ohio State

Sandbothe carries a heavier burden for her team than any other middle in the country. With 421 kills, she leads her team and is the most lethal middle in the Big Ten. Thanks in large part to the senior's contributions at the net (118 blocks) and behind the service line (30 aces), Ohio State has pulled off upsets over Nebraska, Penn State, and Michigan State. However, the Buckeyes are ranked ninth in the Big Ten and may not even make the NCAA tournament, which hampers Sandbothe's chances of receiving the POY award.

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8. Ebony Nwanebu, Junior, Opposite, Texas

Nwanebu gave Texas fans a glimpse of what she could do for the Longhorns when she tallied 22 kills, 17 digs, and four blocks versus Nebraska in the first match of the 2015 season. The Fairview, Texas, native sat out the remainder of the season and received a medical hardship redshirt but has continued that initial success in 2016. She's hitting .369 (36th in the nation) and has contributed 331 total kills in addition to 114 digs and 57 total blocks.

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7. Rhamat Alhassan, Junior, Middle Blocker, Florida

As a sophomore, Alhassan ranked second in the nation in blocks (189) and blocks per set (1.62) and ranked ninth in hitting efficiency (.422). This year, she's 13th nationally in blocks per set with 1.45 and fourth in the country with a .431 hitting percentage. Her 119 blocks leads the 24-3 Gators and her 4.05 points per set is second on the squad.

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6. Kelsie Payne, Junior, Opposite, Kansas

The Payne Train has continued to lead Kansas to unprecedented greatness. Following her first team All-American sophomore season and the program's first appearance in the final four in 2015, Payne's 4.63 points per set (44th in the nation) could help the Jayhawks win their first Big 12 title. A six-rotation opposite, Payne has also contributed 92 total blocks and 185 digs to the Jayhawks' 25-2 season.

5. Nikki Taylor, Senior, Opposite, Hawaii

To see Taylor's incredible impact on the 2016 Hawaii squad, you only have to look at the numbers. She's second in the country with 0.65 aces per set (79 total), 11th in kills per set with 4.59, and fifth with 5.85 points per set. Taylor's 91 blocks ranks second on the team and her 186 digs puts her behind only libero Savanah Kahakai and setter Norene Iosia.

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4. Kadie Rolfzen, Senior, Opposite, Nebraska

Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 in the country for almost the entire 2016 season, and part of its strength is in its variety of offensive weapons. Even so, Kadie Rolfzen stands out, leading the team with 283 kills and trails only libero Justine Wong-Orantes with 225 digs. She's third on the team behind All-American middles Briana Holman and Amber Rolfzen with 80 total blocks.

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3. Inky Ajanaku, Redshirt Senior, Middle Blocker, Stanford

Stanford's first team All-American middle had to sit out the 2015 season due to injury, but in her final year of eligibility, the Tulsa, Oklahoma, native has returned to top form and ranks eighth in the country with 1.49 blocks per set. Her .391 hitting percentage puts her second in the Pac-12, leading a 19-7 Stanford team that is still in the run for the conference title.

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2. Sarah Wilhite, Senior, Outside Hitter, Minnesota

As a junior, Wilhite lived in the shadow of Daly Santana. In the post-Daly Santana era of Minnesota volleyball, Wilhite is shining, leading her team with 409 kills in addition to 240 digs, 50 blocks, and 26 aces. Nationally, the 6-foot-1 hitter from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, ranks 38th in kills per set with 4.13 and 40th in points per set with 4.67.

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1. Lauren Carlini, Senior, Setter, Wisconsin

Lauren Carlini's accolades are almost impossible to number: first team All-American, Big Ten Player of the Year, Big Ten Setter of the Year, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, NCAA Championship All-Tournament, just to name a few. It's now her senior year and her final chance to claim the only two things that have so far eluded her: a national championship and the national player of the year honor. If she gets the first, she'll be a shoo-in for the second. But the big question is if Wisconsin exits the tournament early, are Carlini's previous accomplishments enough to earn her the player of the year title?