US men’s volleyball team headed to Hoffman Estates
After decades of dominance, Karch Kiraly sticks to the sidelines.
A four-time All-American at UCLA, three-time Olympic gold medalist, and a two-time top player in the world honoree by the International Volleyball Federation, the 64-year-old’s resume far exceeds that of the American men’s players he will coach this week at the Volleyball Nations League tournament.
But Kiraly, considered by many to be the best volleyball player of all-time, is quick to point out that while he didn’t wear knee pads like many players today, he still values his personal safety.
“I don’t want to be on the court anywhere near those serves,” he said with a smile.
Such high-velocity service will be found Wednesday through Sunday inside NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates. The U.S. squad will return home after playing four matches two weeks ago in Rio de Janeiro. After a 2-2 performance in Brazil, the American team aims to hone in on the details and increase its chemistry as the 2028 Olympics draw near.
Erik Shoji, the libero and captain of team USA, graduated from Stanford in 2012 and is the oldest member of the squad by five years. Winner of two Olympic bronze medals, Shoji views success not as just a matter of scoring points.
“Just growing together and understanding who we are as a team and who we are as individuals,” he said. “As a libero, and a lot of the successes is, for example, balls don’t fall between us in reception. I think we’re looking for small things like that and how we can build as a team and learn from each other.”
Shoji will have help from another experienced player in Jeff Jendryk, a Wheaton native and St. Francis High School alum. Jendryk, a Division I champion for Loyola University in 2015 and the program’s only four-time All-American, surprised Kiraly with his high level of defense.
In a 3-1 victory over Cuba on June 15, the 6-foot-10 middle blocker ranked second on the team with 10 attack points and two block points.
“He was a beast,” Kiraly said. “It was really fun to watch him patrolling the net and getting in hitters’ way. He’s had a wonderful career with USA, especially … playing a big role in helping our men’s team qualify for the Paris Olympics in the 2023 Olympic qualifier.”
Shoji, Jendryk, and others will provide leadership for what Kiraly called a young team. The coach maintained that while the bright lights of the international stage never got too bright, his team still committed “plenty of ugly plays” that needed to be corrected.
The Americans face China on Wednesday, followed the next day with a match against Canada. Contests versus Poland — a sold-out event which Kiraly said will feel like a road match considering Chicago’s large Polish population — and Italy round out the week.
All of the U.S. team’s matches start at 7:30 p.m. Individual tickets or tournament passes can be bought on the VNL’s website. All matches are also available to watch on VBTV.