Volleyball

The U.S. Women’s Volleyball Team won its first gold medal ever at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The team returns eight gold medalists for Paris. The U.S. Women go into the Olympics ranked No. 5 in the world. The team has competed in 12 Olympic Games, including the last 10. The U.S. Women qualified for the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, which the United States boycotted. They have won one Olympic gold medal (2020), three silver medals (1984, 2008 and 2012) and two bronze medals (1992 and 2016).

• Jordan Larson: The MVP and Best Outside Hitter of the Tokyo Olympic Games will be competing in her fourth Olympic Games. She has medals of each color from London, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.
• Jordyn Poulter: The Best Setter from the Tokyo Olympic Games suffered a devastating knee injury while playing for her Italian club team in December 2022. She spent the 2023 season rehabbing and returned to the team for 2024.
• Avery Skinner: Skinner is making her Olympic debut in her second season competing with the senior national team. Skinner won the NCAA Championship at Kentucky and went on to play one season at Baylor, where her father played basketball before moving on to the NBA. Avery’s sister Madi also played with the senior national team in 2024.

2C Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Univ. of Illinois, Rocky Mountain)
3 Avery Skinner (OH, 6-1, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky, Lone Star)
4 Justine Wong-Orantes (L, 5-6, Cypress, Calif., Univ. of Nebraska, Southern California)
7 Lauren Carlini (S, 6-2, Aurora, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
10 Jordan Larson (OH, 6-2, Hooper, Neb., Univ. of Nebraska, Great Plains)
11 Annie Drews (Opp, 6-4, Elkhart, Ind., Purdue Univ., Hoosier)
12 Jordan Thompson (Opp, 6-4, Edina, Minn., Univ. of Cincinnati, North Country)
15 Haleigh Washington (MB, 6-3, Colorado Springs, Colo., Penn State Univ., Rocky Mountain)
16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)
22 Kathryn Plummer (OH, 6-6, Aliso Viejo, Calif., Stanford Univ., Southern California)
23 Kelsey Robinson Cook (OH, 6-2, Bartlett, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska, Great Lakes)
24 Chiaka Ogbogu (MB, 6-2, Coppell, Texas, Univ. of Texas, North Texas)

The U.S. Men’s Volleyball Team is looking to improve on its 10^th –place finish from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Nine players from that team return for Paris. The U.S. Men took silver at the 2023 Volleyball Nations League and won the 2023 NORCECA Continental Championship. The U.S.  Men go into the Olympic ranked No. 6 in the world. The team has competed in 12 Olympic Games, including the last 10. It has won three Olympic gold medals (1984, 1988 and 2008) and two bronze medals (1992 and 2016).

• Matt Anderson: Anderson will be competing in his fourth Olympic Games, but the first where his wife and two children can watch. He has a bronze medal from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
• Micah Christenson: Considered one of the best setters in the world, Christenson will be competing in his third Olympic Games. He and his wife now have three children.
• T.J. DeFalco: DeFalco, who made his Olympic debut in Tokyo, has emerged into one of volleyball’s most exciting young players with his jumping ability and fast arm swing.

1 Matt Anderson (Opp, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State, Western Empire)
2 Aaron Russell (OH, 6-9, Ellicott City, Md., Penn State, Chesapeake)
4 Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola Univ. Chicago, Great Lakes)
8 T.J. DeFalco (OH, 6-5, Huntington Beach, Calif., Long Beach State Univ., Southern California)
11C Micah Christenson (S, 6-5, Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Southern California, Aloha)
12 Max Holt (MB, 6-10, Cincinnati, Ohio, Penn State, Ohio Valley)
14 Micah Ma’a (S, 6-3, Kaneohe, Hawaii, UCLA, Aloha)
17 Thomas Jaeschke (OH, 6-6, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola Univ. Chicago, Great Lakes)
18 Garrett Muagututia (OH, 6-5, Oceanside, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
19 Taylor Averill (MB, 6-7, San Jose, Calif., Univ. of Hawaii, Northern California)
20 David Smith (MB, 6-7, Saugus, Calif., Univ. of California Irvine, Southern California)
22 Erik Shoji (L, 6-0, Honolulu, Hawaii, Stanford Univ., Aloha)
Official Alternate: 5 Kyle Ensing (Opp, 6-7, Valencia, Calif., Long Beach State Univ., Southern California)

For inquiries: BJ Evans - bj.evans@usav.org