BRIDGEWATER, N.J. - Four members of the Long Island University men's volleyball team were recognized with year-end honors by the Northeast Conference on Wednesday, including junior middle blocker Isaac Benka taking home the conference's Defensive Player of the Year award. 

Joining Benka on the awards list were junior outside hitters Chase Celichowski and Kale Spencer, along with sophomore setter Roei Horovitz, who were all placed on the first-team All-NEC list. Benka received second-team All-NEC honors. 

"It's great to see these guys get recognized," LIU men's volleyball Head Coach Justin Beaumont said. "They've worked really hard and I'm honored to have coached them all." 

Benka, a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, led the NEC in blocks with 76 this season, averaging a conference-high 1.07 blocks per set during the regular season. A season with many highlights includes an 11-block performance against Fairleigh Dickinson University on March 21 and at least four blocks in 13 games this season. 

Celichowski led the NEC in hitting percentage (.338) this spring, totaling 224 kills, 38 assists, 27 service aces, 112 digs and 41 total blocks. The Germantown, Wisconsin native posted the sixth-highest kills-per-set mark in the NEC this season with 3.11 and had 14 matches with double-digit kills, including a season-high 18 kills against D'Youville on April 5. 

This is the second consecutive season that Spencer has received an All-NEC honor, being named second-team All-NEC in the 2024 season. The Kula, Maui, Hawaii native was fourth in the NEC in hitting percentage (3.12) this spring, leading the conference in kills-per-set with 4.07. Spencer's 228 total kills were the most for LIU in 2025, recording 12 matches played with double-digit kills, including a season-high 25 against FDU on March 22. Spencer's 4.7 points per set was the highest mark in the NEC this season. 

Horovitz was top 10 in the NEC in several categories during the regular season, including assists per set (7.76, fourth in NEC), and digs per set (1.63, seventh in NEC). The Beer Sheva, Israel native totaled 59 kills, 559 assists, 10 service aces, 117 digs and 28 total blocks over the course of the 2025 season, including game-high marks of 12 kills against Roosevelt on March 7, 49 assists against D'Youville on April 5 and 12 digs against Charleston on Feb. 12.