Penn State outside hitter Aaron Russell has been selected to the United States men’s national volleyball team and will compete in the world qualifying tournament. He was one of four outside hitters named to the 12-man roster, and will be joined by two former Nittany Lions, Matt Anderson and Max Holt, who will train with the team but not compete.

Today through May 18 in Colorado Springs, the top-ranked NORCECA (North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation) team will compete in Pool O, where it will face Guatemala, St. Lucia, and Haiti. The team that wins the qualifying tournament will go to Poland to compete in the world championships on Aug. 30.

Russell was a first team All-America this season, and led the nation with 0.65 aces per set. The junior led the Nittany Lions in kills, digs, and aces during the regular season, which was enough to earn him the EIVA Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year.

This year, Russell helped lead Penn State to a 25-7 record and the team’s 16th straight Final Four appearance. The Nittany Lions lost to No. 1 Loyola-Chicago, the eventual National Champion.

About the Author

Katie Blitz

I'm a freshman Public Relations major. I was born in Staten Island, but I prefer to say I'm from New York City. I went to Brooklyn Tech High School, a specialized high school, and I'm very proud of it. I'm a huge sports fan - mostly (and sadly) a New York Jets fan.

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