University of California, Merced – Morikawa Named Cal Pac Attacker of the Week

MERCED, Calif. – After averaging over 4.5 kills per set and combining to hit nearly .400 against the Arizona schools, Chris Morikawa of the University of California, Merced men’s volleyball team was named the California Pacific Conference Attacker of the Week.

This is the fifth career weekly honor for Morikawa, who becomes just the fourth Bobcat in school history across all sports to win five weekly awards.

In addition to his kills output, the junior opposite also averaged 1.1 digs, 0.5 service aces and 0.5 blocks per set. 

Morikawa and the Bobcats went 1-1 over the weekend, taking #11 Benedictine University Mesa to five sets before beating Park University Gilbert in a four-set affair on Sunday.

Morikawa tallied a career-high 25 kills and tied his career-high with four service aces in the victory. His kills output was the sixth highest in program history and he did so while recording a season-high .465 hitting percentage. 

The Yorba Linda, Calif., native went for 16 kills while hitting .306 in the five-set match against BenU Mesa, the 2019 NAIA National Champions and the 2021 NAIA National Championship runner-ups. He also had six digs.

Morikawa has finished with double figure kills in ten straight matches to begin the season and is riding a 14-match double figure kill streak dating back to last year. He has hit over .400 in four straight.

Morikawa currently leads the Cal Pac with 158 total kills and 3.95 kills per set. He is second with a .300 hitting percentage, third with eleven service aces and sixth with 55 digs. His 3.95 kills per set is good for 12th in the nation.

Morikawa earned Cal Pac Attacker of the Week honors three times last year, while earning the award this year on January 24 and March 7. He was named NAIA Attacker of the Week after posting a similar performance against Park Gilbert last spring.

UC Merced student athletes have combined to win 17 Cal Pac weekly awards in the 2021-22 athletics year. Men’s volleyball is responsible for five of those 17 awards.

Up next, UC Merced heads to Arizona for another match with Park Gilbert on Friday, March 11. First serve from inside Bell Bank Park at the Legacy Sports Complex in Mesa, Ariz., is scheduled for 5:00pm.