PARIS – A trio of former Penn State Men’s Volleyball greats helped lead Team USA to a 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-16) sweep over Argentina in the team’s opening match of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on Saturday.
Aaron Russell ’15 stood out for a strong USA squad that entered the Olympics ranked sixth in the world. He led all players with 16 points thanks to 13 kills and three aces while hitting an impressive .600 for the match. Russell made his return to the Olympics after missing the Tokyo Games due to an injury.
Russell came up big in the clutch with a kill for set point in set one and a kill for match point in set three.
Matt Anderson ’08, who made his fourth Olympics appearance, shook off a slow start to finish with six kills and one block. Max Holt ’09 started off his third Olympics appearance with four kills and two blocks.
Argentina, who eliminated USA from the Tokyo Games, is the eighth-ranked team in the world.
USA now turns its attention to Germany, which posted a huge upset with a 3-2 win over Japan on Saturday. The second match of Pool B for both teams is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Fans can watch the match live on USA Network or stream it on Peacock.