2025 ACAC Men's Volleyball Players of The Year
Edmonton, AB (February 19, 2025) –
North Male Player of the Year | ATHUS SILVA | Keyano Huskies:
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is pleased to announce Athus Silva of the Keyano College Huskies has been selected as the 2024-25 ACAC Men’s Volleyball North Division Player of the Year.
Silva had a season for the record books, leading the entire conference with 71 blocks, a new career-best mark for the Campinas, Brazil product. In addition to the defensive side of his game, Silva collected 117 kills, 25 digs, and eight service aces. Silva’s performance helped the Huskies clinch the top spot in the ACAC’s North Division for a second-straight season with a 17-2 record, including a perfect 9-0 home record.
“Athus has dominated the middle for us for five years,” Head Coach Keegan Kuhr said. “To continue to have his dominance here for the stretch run has been so important. I can’t be thankful enough that he chose to come to us and stay with us for as long as he did.”
In his fifth year of eligibility, the Social Work student-athlete recently laid claim to the ACAC’s all-time blocks record, closing out his ACAC regular season career with 321 blocks. He also accumulated 606 kills in his illustrious ACAC career, adding in 132 digs, and 71 service aces. In 2023-24, Silva was recognized as an All-Canadian by the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). With his additional nomination tonight, Silva marks his fourth straight appearance on the ACAC All-Conference Team.
This prestigious award will be recognized at the 2025 ACAC Men’s Volleyball Championship hosted by Lakeland College from February 20-22.
The Player of the Year award is proudly sponsored by Volleyball Alberta.
South Male Player of the Year | COLBY NEMETH | Red Deer Kings:
Colby Nemeth, a fourth-year power hitter on the Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) Kings Volleyball team, has been named the 2024/2025 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Men’s Volleyball South Player of the Year.
Nemeth had a tremendous regular season on both sides of the net, helping to guide the RDP Kings to first place in the ACAC Men’s Volleyball South Division (18-1) and to the best record in the league.
“Colby has led the ACAC in total kills and kills per set all season long and has been near the top of the leaderboard for service aces as well,” said Aaron Schulha, Head Coach, Red Deer Polytechnic Kings Volleyball. “He has been instrumental in the Kings regular season standing.”
In 18 matches played, Nemeth ranked first in ACAC Men’s Volleyball with 302 kills and 4.65 kills per set. The talented six-foot-five student-athlete also placed fourth in the league with 0.54 service aces per set.
“His ability to impact the game offensively, defensively and from the service line has been special to witness this season and he will no doubt be relied upon heavily heading into ACAC Championships,” added Schulha. “Colby thinks the game at a very high level and works diligently to improve his game as well as bringing out the best in his teammates. Congratulations on this award, Colby. You are certainly very deserving of this honour.”
Red Deer’s Nemeth contributed an impressive 364.5 points for the Kings throughout the season (5.6 points per set) while achieving an efficient 0.455 hitting percentage. Nemeth, a Bachelor of Commerce student, also recorded 75 digs, 35 service aces, 27 blocks and 10 assists.
In Lloydminster, Nemeth and the team will vie for the RDP Kings Volleyball program’s 21st ACAC Championship.
This prestigious award will be recognized at the 2025 ACAC Men’s Volleyball Championship hosted by Lakeland College from February 20-22.
The Player of the Year award is proudly sponsored by Volleyball Alberta.
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About the ACAC: The ACAC is the governing body for intercollegiate athletics in Alberta. Its mission is to provide competitive collegiate sport experiences, promote academic achievement and be a leader of sport development in Canada.
For more information on the ACAC, please visit our website: www.acac.ab.ca
For additional information, contact:
Mark Kosak, Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference
Chief Executive Officer
403-875-7329
markk@acac.ab.ca
Kayla Beers, Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
kaylab@acac.ab.ca