Siapanis, Torwie Claim Big West Player of the Week Accolades

Photo by: John Fajardo

Siapanis, Torwie Claim Big West Player of the Week Accolades

4/17/2023 3:47:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Sotiris Siapanis earns Big West Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Simon Torwie takes home his fifth Big West Defensive Player of the Week award.

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

IRVINE, Calif. – The Big West announced the men's volleyball Player of the Week awards and Long Beach State's Sotiris Siapanis earned his first Big West Offensive Player of the Week honor, while Simon Torwie claimed his fifth Defensive Player of the Week award of the season.

Siapanis led No. 4 Long Beach State to a pair of wins over No. 5 UC Irvine as the Beach captured a share of The Big West Regular Season Title.

The sophomore outside hitter averaged 3.50 kills per set, 4.25 points per set, 2.50 digs per set, and 0.63 blocks per set, while hitting .311 (28-9-61). He started the series out with 12 kills, nine digs, and two aces in LBSU's sweep of UCI. The next night, he led the Beach in a thrilling reverse sweep on the road as he produced his fourth double-double of the season with 16 kills and 11 digs, while hitting .344, and adding two blocks.

Torwie has been a stalwart at the net all season as he once again anchored the Beach defense on their way to their eighth-straight victory and his fifth Big West Defensive Player of the Week award of the season.

The junior middle blocker averaged 1.63 blocks per set last week as he totaled 13 stops over two matches. Torwie, the nation's leading blocker, posted five blocks in a sweep of No. 5 UC Irvine on Friday night, while adding three kills an ace, and one dig. He followed that performance with eight blocks on the road as the Beach downed Irvine in a reverse sweep. With Torwie's stout defense, Long Beach State limited the Anteaters to a .195 clip on the weekend, while LBSU averaged 3.25 blocks per set as a team.