UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Four former Penn State men's volleyball greats are set to represent Team USA in the Volleyball Nations League, an event that will see the team play in Canada, Netherlands, and California before culminating with an eight-team tournament in Poland.
Making the 30-man USA roster from Penn State were Matt Anderson, Max Holt, Aaron Russell, and Brett Wildman.
Anderson, Holt, and Russell are all on the 14-player roster for the first week of the event in Ottawa, Canada. USA opens against Netherlands on Wednesday. All matches will stream on volleyballworld.tv.
In just three years at Penn State, Anderson was an AVCA National Player of the Year, a two-time All-American, an EIVA Player of the Year, and a three-time All-EIVA selection. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament after leading the Lions to the national title in 2008. Anderson has represented Team USA in each of the past three Olympic Games in England, Brazil, and Japan.
Holt teamed with Anderson to win the 2008 national title, joining him on the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team. He was a two-time first-team All-American, the 2009 EIVA Player of the Year, and a four-time first-team All-EIVA honoree. Holt competed in each of the past two Olympics.
Russell led Penn State to four straight appearances in the NCAA Semifinals from 2012-15. He was a two-time first-team All-American, three-time EIVA Player of the Year, and four-time first-team All-EIVA selection. Russell made his Olympic debut in Brazil in 2016.
Wildman finished up his Penn State career this past spring as he led the Lions to the semifinal round of the national tournament. He earned four All-America honors, including a spot on the first team in 2022. He was a two-time EIVA Player of the Year and picked up five All-EIVA accolades.
U.S. Men's Schedule for the 2023 VNL
All matches will be broadcast on volleyballworld.tv
Week 1 in Ottawa, Canada
(All times EST)
June 7 at 4:30 p.m. USA vs Netherlands
June 8 at 4:30 p.m. USA vs Italy
June 10 at 8 p.m. USA vs Canada
June 11 at 2:30 p.m. USA vs Brazil
Week 2 in Rotterdam, Netherlands
June 20 at 10:30 a.m. USA vs Serbia
June 21 at 10:30 a.m. USA vs China
June 23 at 10:30 a.m. USA vs Iran
June 24 at 7 a.m. USA vs Poland
Week 3 in Anaheim, California, USA
July 5 at 9:30 p.m. USA vs Cuba
July 7 at 9:30 p.m. USA vs Argentina
July 8 at 9:30 p.m. USA vs France
July 9 at 9:30 p.m. USA vs Bulgaria
