California Lutheran University

Might as well call Braden Gonzales “Kevlar” because no one prevents more kills. In his debut year at Cal Lutheran, the Thousand Oaks native became the first Kingsman to record 300 digs in a season. Willing to sacrifice life and limb to keep a play alive, Gonzales was absolutely everywhere on the court, leaving the team’s offensive stars to focus on winning points, which they did with regularity. Said outside hitter Jordan Cooper of the libero’s contribution: “He completely changed how we play defense. It was like night and day.”