Wabash College junior outside hitter Bawibawi Thang was named to the 2026 Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League First Team, the conference announced Wednesday, capping a three-year postseason progression that included an Honorable Mention selection in 2024 and a Second Team nod in 2025.
 
Thang led Wabash in virtually every offensive category during the 2025-26 season, recording 266 kills across 71 sets played while hitting .269 on 583 total attempts. He added 126 digs, 21 service aces and 29 total blocks.
 
His individual conference rankings validated his First Team selection across multiple statistical categories. Thang ranked second in the MCVL in kills per set at 3.75, trailing only Baldwin Wallace's Jacob Esteves (3.93). He also ranked second in the conference in points per set at 4.32, with 306.5 total points, again behind Esteves (4.41).
 
Thang tied for 10th in the MCVL in service aces per set at 0.30, finishing alongside teammate Matthew Stitle.
 
His most prolific performance came in the Little Giants' final home match. He recorded a season-high 26 kills and 29.0 total points against Wittenberg on April 3 in a five-set match, setting team highs in both categories. He also logged 24 kills in four sets at Cal Lutheran on March 9, and 22 kills in four sets at Adrian on Feb. 21.
 
Thang posted a season-best hitting percentage of .500 — going 18 kills, five errors in 26 attempts — during a three-set sweep at Franklin on March 20, one of five times he appeared among the team's top single-match attack percentage performances.
 
He also registered a season-high six service aces in a five-set match at Mount Union on Feb. 28, and matched the team's top four-set dig total with 15 at Adrian on Feb. 21.
 
Thang's blocking versatility was also on display throughout the season, including 6.0 blocks — two solo, four assisted — against Westminster (Mo.) on Feb. 15, tied for the team's single-match high.
 
Wabash's conference statistical profile reflected Thang's impact at both ends of the court. The Little Giants ranked fourth in the MCVL in hitting percentage at .239. Wabash also ranked fifth in the conference in blocks per set at 1.81. The Little Giants placed fourth in service aces per set at 1.68.