Matt Anderson

American volleyball player and outside hitter who won Olympic bronze in 2016 and is considered one of the most powerful attackers in international volleyball.

Matt Anderson's jump serve regularly exceeded 70 miles per hour — one of the fastest recorded in professional volleyball and the weapon that made him one of the most dangerous players in the world from the service line. He had grown up in Erie, Pennsylvania, developed his game at Penn State University from 2006 to 2009, and became one of America's premier volleyball talents. At just 21, Anderson contributed to the United States men's volleyball team's silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics — America's best Olympic volleyball result in decades. He continued representing his country across subsequent Olympic Games and World Championships throughout the 2010s, establishing himself as a reliable presence on the national team roster across a decade-plus of competition. His professional career spanned multiple continents — stints in Russia's Superliga, Italy's Serie A1, and Poland's PlusLiga — playing for clubs including Zenit Kazan, Cucine Lube Civitanova, and ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle. He won domestic championships and competed in European competitions across three major leagues. Anderson's generation helped restore the United States as a consistent medal contender in international competition after years of limited success. His combination of physical dominance, technical skill, and longevity made him a cornerstone player during a renaissance period for American men's volleyball — one of the players who gave the program its competitive identity during its strongest modern stretch.

Powerful outside hitter known for exceptional attacking ability and versatility

One of the most dominant outside hitters of his generation with exceptional power and athleticism

• Olympic Silver 2008 (USA)
• World League champion
• NCAA champion
• Olympic Bronze 2016
• FIVB World League 2014