Rosenthal, a standout player on the Hawaii men’s volleyball team, made a bold decision to leave high school early and join the college volleyball program at the age of 17. This risk paid off when he was named Big West Freshman of the Year, a first for the Hawaii men’s volleyball program. The award was given by the league’s six head coaches who recognized Rosenthal’s talent and potential.
Standing at 6-foot-8, Rosenthal hails from Manhattan Beach, California, and is a member of the U.S. junior national team. Throughout the season, he demonstrated his skills by earning All-Big West first-team honors and receiving a record six Big West Freshman of the Week awards. Despite some rookie mistakes, Rosenthal excelled in various aspects of the game, leading the team in service aces and assists per set.
While this was the first time a Hawaii player was named Big West Freshman of the Year, the program has had three players receive similar honors in the past when they were in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Unfortunately for Hawaii fans, their four-year streak for Big West player of the year awards came to an end with UC Irvine’s Hilir Henno being named Big West Freshman of the Year.
Despite this setback, Hawaii’s season ended on a positive note as they qualified for their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance streak. The NCAA Tournament will begin on April 30 at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid where teams will compete for the national title. Brian McInnis covers Hawaii’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii and can be contacted at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.