The U.S. men’s volleyball roster for the Paris Games was announced Friday, making it the oldest and most experienced roster in program history.
Nine of the 12 athletes are returning Olympians, a record for a U.S. men’s and women’s team.
The average age of the members was 32, breaking the record for the oldest U.S. Olympic men’s or women’s volleyball team, according to OlyMADMen.
Matt Anderson and David Smith will match Roy Ball and Reid Priddy’s record of four U.S. Olympic men’s indoor volleyball appearances. Smith, who turns 39 next Wednesday, will break Priddy’s record as the oldest American male to play indoor volleyball in the Olympics, according to OlyMADMen.
The team also includes Mika Christenson, who is competing for the third time, Max Holt, Tomas Jaschke and Eric Shoji.
2016 Olympic All-Tournament Representative Aaron Russell missed the Tokyo Olympics after undergoing hip surgery, but will return in the spring of 2021.
The youngest player on the team is 27-year-old Mika Maa. According to OlyMADMen, this is the first time in Olympic history that the U.S. men’s and women’s volleyball teams have no players under the age of 26.
John Spero, head coach since 2013, returns to the tournament for the third time, tying the record for U.S. men’s volleyball head coach held by Doug Beal (1984, 2000, 2004).
The U.S. team won the bronze medal in Rio in 2016, but in Tokyo they lost 2 wins and 3 losses in the team competition for the first time since the 2000 Sydney Games.
The U.S. men’s team is currently ranked second in the world behind Poland. Poland defeated the United States in the quarterfinals of the last world championship in 2022.
The last time a U.S. male athlete won an Olympic gold medal was in 2008.
The members of the defending Olympic champion U.S. women’s team in Paris have not yet been announced.
2024 U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Roster
1st place — Matt Anderson (opposite)
2nd place — Aaron Russell (outside hitter)
No. 4 — Jeff Gendrick (middle blocker)
No. 8 — TJ DeFalco (outside hitter)
No. 11 — Mika Christenson (setter)
No. 12 — Max Holt (middle blocker)
No. 14 — Mika Maher (setter)
No. 17 — Thomas Jaschke (outside hitter)
No. 18 — Garrett Mouagtusia (outside hitter)
No. 19 — Taylor Averill (middle blocker)
No. 20 — David Smith (middle blocker)
No.22 — Eric Shoji (Libero)
Substitute: Kyle Ensing (opposite)
At the Tokyo Games, the US men’s volleyball team failed to advance from pool play for the first time since the 2000 Sydney Games, resulting in a disappointing loss.
