Owen Barnett, an outside hitter for the Hopkins boys volleyball team, is the 2025 Star Tribune All-Minnesota Boys Volleyball Player of the Year. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The calls became louder as the season went on during boys volleyball matches for Hopkins, a program that co-ops with St. Louis Park and Minnehaha Academy.

Whimsical in nature, typical of the irreverence of high school boys, but heard every time Owen Barnett soared above the net for a kill.

A call of “O B Schmittman” would echo throughout the gym, followed by another.

Barnett, a senior outside hitter, knows who coined the nickname but claims no idea of the origin.

“It came from Alistair Halls, another player on the team,” Barnett said. “It’s kind of goofy, but I hear it all the time now. Sometimes 30 times a game.”

Owen Barnett entered the boys volleyball state tournament leading the state with 511 kills. The 6-foot-3 senior with the 37-inch vertical leap also registered 91 digs, 80 service aces, 27 blocks and 338 serve receives, helping Hopkins become one of eight teams to compete in the inaugural Minnesota State High School League boys volleyball state tournament. Those accomplishments result in him being named the 2025 Star Tribune All-Minnesota Boys Volleyball Player of the Year.

Click here to view Barnett's stats on the MN Volleyball Hub.

For more on Barnett, click here to read this story on startribune.com.