Miles Partain Named AVP's Most Valuable Player

UCLA men's volleyball junior setter Miles Partain was named the Most Valuable Player in the AVP for the 2022 season on Tuesday by VolleyballMag.com. It was one of several honors Partain received in the magazine's annual post-season award announcement. In addition, former Bruins men's volleyball standout Hagen Smith (2014-17) was an honorable mention selection as Most Improved Player. 

Partain, who captured his first career tournament win at the 2022 AVP Gold Series Atlanta Open with his partner Paul Lotman, was also named Best Defensive Player and was an honorable mention pick for Best Offensive Player. Partain and Lotman advanced to the championship match of the post-season AVP Championships in Phoenix this past weekend but lost 13-15 in the deciding set.

Partain, who at age 20 was the second-youngest AVP winner when he captured the trophy in Atlanta, ranked among the top five players in the AVP in digs per set in each AVP tournament event this season and finished with 364 digs on the season. He was second in the AVP in attacks and hit .442 for the year.

At UCLA, Partain was chosen the 2022 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Player of the Year by the league coaches. He was a first-team 2022 NVA/AVCA All-America selection and also one of three finalists for the 2022 Lloy Ball Award as the nation's top men's volleyball setter. This past season, Partain directed the Bruin offense to the nation's highest hitting percentage (.374) and ranked seventh in the NCAA in set assist average (10.21). Also an offensive threat, Partain totaled 19 multi-kill matches during the season. He was named Off the Block's National Setter of the Week after helping UCLA post .384 and .364 attack percentages in a pair of victories over USC. Partain was chosen as the winner of both the Molten/MPSF Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week accolades during the season.