The U.S. Olympic men’s volleyball roster for the Paris Games was announced Friday, and it is the oldest and most experienced in program history.
Nine of the 12 players are returning Olympians, a record for a U.S. men’s or women’s team.
The roster has an average age of 32 years old, breaking the record for oldest U.S. Olympic men’s or women’s volleyball team, according to the OlyMADMen.
Matt Anderson and David Smith will tie the record of four U.S. Olympic men’s indoor volleyball appearances held by Lloy Ball and Reid Priddy. Smith, who turns 39 next Wednesday, will break Priddy’s record as the oldest American man to play indoor volleyball at an Olympics, according to the OlyMADMen.
The team also includes Micah Christenson, Max Holt, Thomas Jaeschke and Erik Shoji, who are going to their third Games.
Aaron Russell, who made the 2016 Olympic all-tournament team, returns after missing the Tokyo Games following hip surgery in spring 2021.
The team’s youngest player is 27-year-old Micah Ma’a. It’s the first time in Olympic history that a U.S. men’s or women’s volleyball team does not have a player younger than age 26, according to the OlyMADMen.
John Speraw, the head coach since 2013, returns for his third Games, tying the record for a U.S. men’s volleyball head coach held by Doug Beal (1984, 2000, 2004).
The Americans won bronze in Rio in 2016. In Tokyo, they went 2-3 and were eliminated in group play for the first time since the 2000 Sydney Games.
The U.S. men are currently ranked No. 2 in the world behind Poland. Poland defeated the U.S. in the quarterfinals of the last world championship in 2022.
The U.S. men last won Olympic gold in 2008.
The defending Olympic champion U.S. women’s team roster for Paris has not been announced yet.
2024 U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Roster
No. 1 — Matt Anderson (Opposite)
No. 2 — Aaron Russell (Outside Hitter)
No. 4 — Jeff Jendryk (Middle Blocker)
No. 8 — T.J. DeFalco (Outside Hitter)
No. 11 — Micah Christenson (Setter)
No. 12 — Max Holt (Middle Blocker)
No. 14 — Micah Ma’a (Setter)
No. 17 — Thomas Jaeschke (Outside Hitter)
No. 18 — Garrett Muagututia (Outside Hitter)
No. 19 — Taylor Averill (Middle Blocker)
No. 20 — David Smith (Middle Blocker)
No. 22 — Erik Shoji (Libero)
Alternate: Kyle Ensing (Opposite)
