Beginners Guide to USA Men's Volleyball
- Sam Bourne
- Jul 22, 2024
- 4 min read
With the 2024 Summer Olympics approaching, the sixth-ranked United States men's volleyball team is looking to take home a gold medal for the first time since 2008. This Team USA roster is full of veterans, with setter Micah Christenson and dynamic outside hitter Torey Defalco leading the way.
The United States men's volleyball team will start its Olympic campaign on July 27th against eighth-ranked Argentina. It will be followed by tenth-ranked Germany on July 30th and fourth-ranked Japan on August 2nd.
Recent Results
In 2023, Team USA qualified for the Paris Olympics by going 7-0 and 4-0 against the Olympic competition in Tokyo. Winning big-time matches against Slovenia (3-1), Japan (3-2), and Serbia (3-0) to cap off an excellent event for Team USA. Most recently, Team USA competed in the Volleyball Nations League. They finished with 6 wins and 6 losses. Including wins over Argentina (3-0) and Germany (3-1) but fell to familiar foe Japan (0-3).
Biggest Competition
When introducing the best teams in the world, it is hard to not start with the home team, the French National Team. They came to the Paris Olympics to defend their 2020 Olympic gold medal. They recently won the Volleyball Nations League championship over Japan.
While France has been successful, the current world number one is the formidable Poland team. As they enter the 2024 Olympics, it's hard not to root for a team that is hungry to claim their first gold medal since 1976. This hunger and determination make them a strong contender in the upcoming games.
Japan is behind Poland in the world rankings. The Japan team is skilled defensively, and libero Tomohiro Yamamoto is one of the best in the world. The United States will play Japan on August 2nd in the final game for Pool C.
Team USA Key Players
#8 Torey Defalco (OH) -
The Long Beach State graduate is the star for this United States Team. He is an elite back row hitter and setter Micah Christenson has great chemistry with Defalco in either transition or first ball offense.
On the net, Defalco is a creative but consistent hitter. He will look to hit the ball of blocks to either recycle the possession or knock the ball off the block and out of bounds, but he opts not to challenge the block head-on most of the time. On defense, Defalco is a solid, positional blocker but he is a step below the best blockers in the world in my opinion.
#1 Matt Anderson (Opp) -
Anderson has been a stalwart for the United States since 2008, and he has led the national team in scoring every season since 2011. He stands at six foot ten inches and uses that size to access every part of the floor while hitting. The US loves to use him from the back on a 'D Ball,' and it takes little time to figure out why.
Anderson is not exceptional in defense and passing but can get the job done in both areas. He is the fourth passer, which means he will only enter the passing pattern against dominant servers. One more note: He is so good in transition because his monstrous frame makes an easy-to-set target.
I expect to see Russell in the second outside hitter position behind Defalco. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if Jaeschke starts. Both players are extremely intelligent hitters, using guile to get around or blocks to generate points.
The area that separates Russell and Jaeschke is Russell's serving ability. It is crucial for the United States to serve tough enough to disrupt the opposition's offense while also stealing a few points with aces.
#11 Micah Christenson (S) -
The quarterback for this United States team is one of the best in volleyball. Christenson has excellent chemistry with Defalco and Anderson in front and back row positions. Also, look for Christenson to change the speed of sets depending on the situation to try to put hitters into better positions.
Christenson doesn't have great chemistry with his middle hitters, usually opting for a quick set to the outside. However, he does favor the middle in rotations 1 and 2.
I decided to pair the middle blockers together because the USA deployed them in similar manners. Holt was impressive as a server in the Olympic Qualifier. Both Middle Blockers do a good job of sealing gaps with their blocks, but I think they can struggle with their vision, being used by hitters occasionally.
#22 Erik Shoji (L) -
The "small" libero stands six feet tall and has been playing on Team USA for eleven years. He is an elite passer, routinely making difficult serves look simple and kick-starting the United States offense. I am less impressed with his defense. I don't think he makes incredible digs, but he is as solid a libero as there is in the world.
Rotational Analysis
For Team USA, the best rotations are rotations 2 and 3. In rotation 2, Defalco serves, and Russell, Anderson, and Holt play at the net. In rotation 3, Holt serves, and Smith, Russell, and Anderson play at the net. I expect the US to start sets in either rotation 2 or 3 to ensure that Defalco or Holt will start the match serving.
On the flip side, their worst rotations are rotations 1 and 6. Rotation 1 has Christenson serving with Anderson, Holt, and Defalco at the net. Rotation 6 has Smith serving and Christenson at the net, giving teams two options to test: Christenson blocking or Smith playing backcourt defense.
How Does Team USA Win Gold?
Winning gold would be an incredible achievement for Team USA. Suppose they do pull off a great run. In that case, the second left-side hitter, Aaron Russell or Thomas Jaeschke, will be the most important piece for the US. There will be few opportunities to pull away from the French, Polish, or Japanese National teams, so every hitting opportunity will be significant for Team USA.
Commentaires