Update: US men’s volleyball roster

US men’s volleyball roster for usa volleyball

Chase Budinger and Miles Evans, the American duo competing in beach olympic volleyball at the 2024 Paris Olympics, faced a challenging path as they entered the tournament as underdogs. 

Despite the odds stacked against them, they embraced their role, knowing that only a small fraction of voters believed they would even qualify for the Games. 

Underestimated Competitors In men’s volleyball

Prior to the Olympics, Budinger acknowledged their underdog status, stating, “We’re the underdogs. We were perceived as the fifth American team to start the season.” This perspective fueled their determination, as they had little to lose in their USA volleyball Olympic journey. 

However, their campaign came to an end sooner than hoped, as they finished in ninth place after a straight-set defeat to Norway’s elite pair, Anders Mol and Christian Sorum. The match concluded with scores of 21-16 and 21-14, marking a tough outing for the American team.

Norway’s Dominance

Norway’s Mol and Sorum entered the match as the defending Olympic champions and were widely regarded as one of the greatest beach volleyball teams of all time. They showcased their dominance throughout the tournament, winning every set they played and demonstrating an impressive level of skill and consistency. 

In their journey to the quarterfinals, they had not dropped a set, with their closest match being a two-point margin against another team before eliminating them.

Budinger remarked on the challenge posed by the Norwegian duo, stating, “They’ve been on top of the beach volleyball circuit for the last eight years. We knew coming into the game it was going to be a really tough match.” The Americans recognized the need to execute their game plan flawlessly, but the Norwegians effectively disrupted their rhythm.

Match Analysis US men’s volleyball roster

In the match against Norway, Budinger performed admirably at the net, achieving four blocks—an impressive statistic compared to the world-class standard of 1.75 blocks per set. However, Mol managed to outdo him with six blocks, further illustrating the Norwegian team’s superior performance. 

The olympic volleyball statistics revealed a stark contrast between the two teams: Norway committed only five errors throughout the match, while Budinger and Evans registered eleven. 

Additionally, Norway served four aces without any errors, whereas the Americans failed to record any aces. Such discrepancies in performance metrics contributed to the lopsided outcome.

Trends in American Beach Volleyball

Budinger and Evans’ ninth-place finish continues a trend for American men’s beach volleyball teams at the Olympics, marking the third consecutive ninth-place result. This follows the performances of previous American teams, including Jake Gibb and Tri Bourne in Tokyo 2021 and Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena. 

Looking Ahead US men’s volleyball

While Budinger and Evans concluded their Olympic journey, another American team, Andy Benesh and Miles Partain, was set to compete against Italy’s Sam Cottafava and Paolo Nicolai later that day. The USA women’s team, consisting of Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss, was also scheduled for their match, with coverage expected to follow.

Continue reading: How Algerian Kaylia Nemour Won Gold at Paris Olympics