CHICAGO (December 6, 2019) – Five former members of the Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team have been selected to the the MIVA All-Decade teams, Off the Block announced on Thursday.
 
Off the Block, a website that focuses solely on college men's volleyball, compiled a nationwide voting committee to select 21 players to the MIVA All-Decade team. The team recognizes the top players in the conference since the 2010 season.
 
Representing Loyola on the MIVA All-Decade First Team is outside hitter Thomas Jaeschke (2013-15), middle hitter Jeff Jendryk (2015-18) and opposite hitter Joe Smalzer (2011-14). Named to the MIVA All-Decade Second Team is outside hitter Cody Caldwell (2012-15) and setter Peter Hutz (2013-16).
 
Additionally, Loyola is in all three finalist categories for the top MIVA All-Decade Awards. Jaeschke is a finalist for MIVA Player of the Decade, former Loyola men's volleyball head coach Shane Davis is up for MIVA Coach of the Decade and the 2014 NCAA Championship team is up for MIVA Team of the Decade. Off the Block is set to reveal the winners next week.
 
More about each honoree from Off the Block:
 
Thomas Jaeschke, Loyola (2013-15)
Awards and honors: 2013 First-Team All-MIVA, 2013 MIVA All-Tournament Team, 2014 First-Team All-American, 2014 MIVA Player of the Year, 2014 First-Team All-MIVA, 2014 NCAA All-Tournament Team, 2015 National Player of the Year, 2015 First-Team All-American, 2015 Off the Block National Server of the Year, 2015 Karch Kiraly Award finalist, 2015 MIVA Player of the Year, 2015 First-Team All-MIVA, 2015 MIVA Tournament Most Valuable Player, 2015 NCAA All-Tournament Team, 2015 MIVA All-Tournament Team
Player bio: In Jaeschke's final year at Loyola before declaring pro, the junior finished fifth in the nation with a career-best 4.04 kills per game average and led the country with a 0.57 aces per game average. The outside attacker had both a team-high 20 kills and three aces in Loyola's five-game overtime victory against Lewis in the NCAA Tournament finals. In 2014, Jaeschke was in the nation's top 20 with both a 3.73 kills per game average and a career-best .397 attack percentage as Loyola won its first national title in program history. Jaeschke concluded his three-year career seventh in program history with a .371 attack percentage.
 
Jeff Jendryk, Loyola (2015-18)
Awards and honors: 2015 National Newcomer of the Year, 2015 Off the Block Freshman All-American, 2015 Second-Team All-MIVA, 2015 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, 2015 NCAA All-Tournament Team, 2016 Second-Team All-American, 2016 Ryan Millar Award finalists, 2016 First-Team All-MIVA, 2017 First-Team All-American, 2017 Ryan Millar Award finalist, 2017 Off the Block National Blocker of the Year finalist, 2017 First-Team All-MIVA, 2018 First-Team All-American, 2018 Ryan Millar Award finalist, 2018 First-Team All-MIVA
Player bio: Jendryk finished each of his final three seasons in the nation's top five for attack percentage and remains second in program history with a .449 career attack percentage. As a freshman, Jendryk had a season-high 17 kills while hitting .500 in a five-game victory against Lewis in the 2015 NCAA Tournament finals. During his senior season, Jendryk was second in the nation with a .457 attack percentage and had double-digit kills in 10 matches. The future U.S. Men's National Team middle attacker also was third in program history with 424 career blocks, including being seventh in the nation with a 1.16 blocks per game average in 2017.
 
Joseph Smalzer, Loyola (2011-14)
Awards and honors: 2011 First-Team All-MIVA, 2011 MIVA All-Tournament Team, 2012 Second-Team All-American, 2012 First-Team All-MIVA, 2013 Second-Team All-American, 2013 MIVA Player of the Year, 2013 Off the Block National Server of the Year 2013 First-Team All-MIVA, 2013 MIVA Tournament Most Valuable Player, 2013 MIVA All-Tournament Team, 2014 Off the Block National Server of the Year, 2014 All-American Honorable Mention, 2014 First-Team All-MIVA, 2014 NCAA All-Tournament Team, 2014 MIVA Tournament Most Valuable Player, 2014 MIVA All-Tournament Team
Player bio: Smalzer set the Loyola record with 234 career aces - nearly 100 more aces than any other player in program history. The opposite had a nation-best 0.65 aces per game average in 2013 as he helped lead the Ramblers to a MIVA championship. During his senior season, Smalzer was second in the nation averaging 0.64 aces per game, including having two aces in a NCAA Tournament semifinals victory against Penn State. Along with his serving, Smalzer is fourth in program history with 1,424 career kills. Highlighting his offensive performances was finishing sixth in the nation with a 3.81 kills per game average in 2013.
 
Cody Caldwell, Loyola (2012-15)
Awards and honors: 2013 MIVA All-Tournament Team, 2014 All-American Honorable Mention, 2014 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, 2014 First-Team All-MIVA, 2014 MIVA All-Tournament Team, 2015 All-American Honorable Mention, 2015 NCAA All-Tournament Team, 2015 Second-Team All-MIVA, 2015 MIVA All-Tournament Team,
Player bio: Caldwell finished his junior season in the nation's top 30 with both a 3.40 kills per game average and a .345 attack percentage as he helped the Ramblers win their first NCAA championship in program history. In addition, the outside attacker had a match-high 20 kills on a .562 attack percentage in the team's victory against Stanford in the NCAA Tournament finals. Caldwell the following season averaged 2.99 kills per game and helped guide Loyola to back-to-back national championships. Along with his offensive performance, Caldwell had more than 100 digs in every season and had more than 500 career digs.
 
Peter Hutz, Loyola (2013-16)
Awards and honors: 2014 MIVA All-Tournament Team, 2014 NCAA All-Tournament Team, 2015 Second-Team All-American, 2015 Lloy Ball Award finalist, 2015 First-Team All-MIVA, 2015 MIVA All-Tournament Team, 2016 All-American Honorable Mention, 2016 First-Team All-MIVA
Player bio: Hutz guided Loyola to the nation's best attack percentage in back-to-back seasons en route to winning back-to-back national championships. Hunt in 2014 was third in the country with an 11.42 assists per game average as he guided the Ramblers offense to a .366 attack percentage, including the team hitting .452 in its NCAA Tournament finals victory. The Ramblers also hit .350 and Hutz averaged 11.26 assists per game during the team's 2015 championship season. Along with his offensive performance, Hutz had more than 600 career digs and 200 career blocks.