Sophomore outside hitter Braden Baker of the MIT men’s volleyball team was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Men’s Volleyball National Player of the Week on Tuesday, March 10. Baker is the first UVC student-athlete to garner National Player of the Week honors in 2026.

Baker collected 38 kills and hit .385 in a 2-0 week against UVC foes for the No. 16 Engineers which featured an upset win over No. 8 NYU as the Engineers reverse swept the Violets on Saturday, behind 28 kills from Baker. In the match against NYU Baker hit .377 and had four blocks and two aces. In a three-set win over Elmira on Friday, he hit .615 with 10 kills. Overall, Baker averaged 4.75 kills and 5.38 points per set during the week.

MIT, ranked 16th nationally, is 15-3 and returns to action against nationally-ranked foes Springfield College on Thursday, March 12 and Wentworth on Saturday, March 14.

ABOUT THE UNITED VOLLEYBALL CONFERENCE
The United Volleyball Conference (UVC) is a volleyball-specific conference that features seven member institutions. The conference was founded in 2010 and began play in January of 2011. The UVC holds fair play and respect among its competitors to the highest regard and seeks to distinguish itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices.
 
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