Mik Berzins Named MVP at USA Latvian Volleyball Championships

 COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State men's volleyball libero Mik Berzins (So., Brinklow, Md.) teamed with his brother Kriss, a junior at Loyola-Chicago, to win the nine-team men's volleyball title at the 56th Latvian Volleyball Championship, May 23-24. The championship sponsored by the American Latvian Association was held at Kalamazoo College.

Teams representing the cities of Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Toronto, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Indianapolis, Kalamazoo and Three Rivers, Mich. were in the competition. After pool play, a single elimination tournament completed play with the Berzins team, representing Los Angeles, defeating Kalamazoo in the championship match.

Mik Berzins earned most valuable player honors while his brother, Kriss, was named the best spiker.

As a freshman for Ohio State last season, Mik played in 25 matches with 21 starts at libero. He averaged a team-high 2.65 digs per game with a team-high 225. He produced a team-best .956 serve reception percentage handling 607 of 635 attempts. The Buckeyes finished the season with a 16-11 overall record, winning a third consecutive Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular season championship with a 9-1 mark. Ohio State won the MIVA Tournament, earning a berth in the NCAA Championship semifinals.