The United East Conference announced their Men's Volleyball All-Conference and Major Award winners for the 2026 season on Tuesday morning, with Lancaster Bible earning five players on the All-Conference release with one Major Award winner as freshman Braden Escover was named Rookie of the Year, joining Kaleb Ansell (2017) as the second-ever LBC player to earn Rookie of the Year honors. In addition, Escover was named to the United East First Team, and joining him on the First Team are junior Kevin Bryant, junior Carson Hoover, and sophomore Timothy Fletcher. The Chargers also had one Second Team selection as junior Zeke Clark earned the honor. In addition, head coach Jade Brubaker was named United East Coach of the Year after leading the Chargers to an 8-0 United East record and their third straight NCAA Tournament berth, his sixth Coach of the Year honor as the leader of the Chargers and his first since 2024.
 
Kevin Bryant earns his third All-Conference honor and first First Team honor, being named to the Second Team in 2024 and the Third Team in 2025. Bryant leads the Chargers and ranks fourth in all of NCAA Division III in hitting percentage, hitting at a .450 clip for the season and leading the Chargers all-time through three seasons with a career attack % of .408. Kevin is second on the team with 260 total kills and 2.71 kills per set, landing 10+ kills in 16 matches this season including a career-high 16 on February 28 at home in a five-set win over Eastern. Bryant also leads the Chargers in blocks with 91 for the season, ranked 26th in Division III in blocks per set at 0.957 and sitting just one shy of 200 career blocks at 199 in three seasons. Kevin had multiple blocks in 21 of LBC's 28 matches and at least four blocks in 14 matches, landing a season-high eight against Elizabethtown on January 31. In the United East, Kevin ranks first in both attack % and blocks per set, ranking in the top-10 in both kills (4th) and kills per set (8th) as well. Bryant capped off his pre-NCAA Tournament season by winning United East Tournament MVP, tallying 24 total kills and seven blocks against both Gallaudet and Wilson in the conference playoffs.
 
Carson Hoover earns his second career All-Conference honor as he was named to the United East Second Team in 2025. He has the third-most kills on the team with 247 and reached double-figures in 11 matches, including a career-high 23 kills at Elizabethtown on February 12. Carson also shined defensively for the Chargers with the second-most digs on the team at 171, recording seven matches with 10+ digs including a season-high 13 on March 3 in a home conference win against Wilson. In conference play, Hoover led the Chargers in total kills with 65 and was eighth in the conference in kills per set at 2.95, tying for fourth in conference play in total aces (17) and ranking second in aces per set against conference opponents (0.77). Carson also added 28 total service aces and 19 blocks for the season to help lead the Chargers.
 
Timothy Fletcher earned his first career All-Conference honor in his second season, leading the Chargers as the distributor with 909 total assists. Fletcher leads the United East and ranks 11th in NCAA Division III in assists per set at 9.88, racking up 30+ assists 16 times with a season-high 51 assists against Eastern on February 28. Tim averaged a conference-best 11.42 assists per set against UEC opponents, averaging 27 assists each match in conference games including 48 assists in a four-set win over Wilson. Fletcher also had 54 kills, 52 blocks, and 147 digs for the Chargers this season, adding to his All-Conference caliber season in all categories.
 
Braden Escover made immediate impact for the Chargers in his first season, landing on the All-Conference First Team and winning United East Rookie of the Year. Escover leads the Chargers with 261 total kills and 2.78 kills per set, ranking third in the conference in kills and fourth in kills per set. Braden had 12 matches with double-digit kills, including a season-high 18 kills against Wilkes on January 20, earning him United East Offensive Player of the Week. Escover added 31 total service aces this season, the second-most on the team tied for 11th-most in the conference, plus 147 total digs and 26 blocks to round out his impressive rookie season.
 
Zeke Clark earns his first career All-Conference recognition in his junior season, getting Second Team honors as he put up 233 total points for the Chargers. Clark ranks fourth on the team with 178 total kills with six matches in double-digits, with a season-high 13 kills against both Geneva (Pa.) on February 7 and Elizabethtown on February 12. Zeke made his presence known on the serving line, landing 46 total service aces including a conference-best 30 aces against United East opponents. Clark ranks 16th in NCAA Division III in aces per set at 0.55 and averaged 1.20 aces per set in conference play. Zeke now ranks eighth in program history in career service aces with 72, leading all active players.
 
Across the United East, Cairn junior Sam Poirier was named Player of the Year and Wilson junior Camden Sterner earned Defensive Player of the Year honors.
 
The Men's Volleyball team earned an automatic qualification to the NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championship and will take on #19 Endicott on Thursday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m. in Hoboken, N.J. on the campus of Stevens Institute of Technology in the Play-In Round. Links to the live stream and live stats are attached to tune into the action and root for the Chargers!
 
To view the full conference release, click here.