DUBUQUE, Iowa (April 25, 2024) – Stevens Institute of Technology junior Brandon Rogers was the recipient of the Elite 90 Award for the 2024 Division III Men's Volleyball Championship, it was announced Thursday evening.

Rogers, who also received the prestigious honor in 2023, is the third student-athlete in school history to earn one of the highest individual honors bestowed by the NCAA in multiple (and consecutive) academic years and the second to represent men's volleyball. Men's Tennis alumnus Matthew Heinrich was named the Elite 90 winner for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons and Men's Volleyball alumnus Alexander Carpenter was the winner in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years. Rogers' recognition is the 19th for the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) and the second for a men's volleyball student-athlete.

"Brandon is an inspiration to our young players in the hard work and dedication that he puts into his academics and athletics," head coach Dan Buehring said. "He continues to exceed expectations in the classroom and on the court. We look forward to seeing him continue to learn and grow, as we know he is capable of extraordinary things past his time at Stevens."

A mechanical engineering major, Rogers continues to maintain a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average in the classroom. On the court, the Syracuse, New York native has set down a career-high 41 kills on 111 swings to enter this weekend's national semifinals with a .225 hitting percentage. The opposite hitter appeared in a career-best 27 sets across 14 matches, including four in the NCAA tournament. Rogers has a pair of aces this season, while also totaling 16 blocks, including three of the solo variety, six assists and 20 digs. He recorded a season-high five kills on five different occasions, one of which was against nationally-ranked Marymount, where the third-year Duck also matched a career mark with four blocks. 

The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.

Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above academically who have participated in a sport for at least two years with their school. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.

Click here for more information on the Elite 90 award winners.

Rogers was presented with the award during Thursday's evening's national championship banquet, hosted by Loras College.

Up Next: No. 2 Stevens will face No. 4 California Lutheran University on Friday, April 26 in the national semifinals. Stevens and Cal Lutheran have met just once in their respective histories, with the Kingsmen coming away with a five-set victory inside Canavan Arena on Mar. 29, 2019. The winner advances to Sunday's national championship to face either No. 8 Vassar or No. 7 NYU. Links for live stats and video for Friday night's contest are posted to StevensDucks.com.

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