11 Members of U.S. Men’s National Team Will Play in Italy’s Serie A

USA Volleyball has processed 299 international transfer certificates for the 2017-2018 professional season. These transfer certificates are used in volleyball to allow athletes to play in foreign leagues throughout the world.

The 299 processed this October are up from just 262 processed last October – and the number historically has continued to rise (it was a record-setting 400 by the time all was said-and-done last season).

This year, 217 females and 81 males will play internationally from the USA. Germany continues to lead the way for women, with 34 players this year – though that’s down from the 44 who started their last season. 30 Americans will play in England, 25 in France, 20 in Switzerland, and 14 in Italy.

England and Italy will each get 16 U.S. male athletes, with 11 members of the U.S. Men’s National Team centralizing themselves in Italy, which is arguably the top men’s league in the world. Among the exceptions are libero Dustin Wattern and middle blocker David Smith, who are no longer teammates at WKS Czarni Radom but both still play in Poland; and superstar Matt Anderson, who has arrived 6 weeks in to the Russian season with his side Zenit Kazan.

Carson Clark doesn’t have an international transfer listed. He didn’t play in a pro league last year either.

In total, U.S. athletes are expected to play in 33 different countries around the world.

Only 11 of the 14 members of the U.S. Women’s National Team from the World Grand Champions Cup are expected to play internationally this year. Among the players who aren’t yet, at least, on a roster is Justine Wong-Orantes, who is serving on the Long Beach State coaching staff. Also not listed for transfer yet is setter Carli Lloyd, who left her Turkish club Fenerbahce after undergoing shoulder surgery this summer, and Megan Courtney, who suffered a 2nd ACL injury this summer. Aiyana Whitney is also not scheduled for an international transfer yet, though she’s played in Puerto Rico in the past, which doesn’t require international transfers as an American territory.

• Full list of international transfers here.

Women’s Transfers to 32 Countries/Federations
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates

Men’s Transfers to 17 Countries/Federations
Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Women’s National Teamers (World Grand Champions Cup)

Player (Position, Height, College, Hometown)

• Carli Lloyd (S, 5-11, California, Bonsall, California) – No team – injured
• Justine Wong-Orantes (L, 5-6, Nebraska, Cypress, California) – No team – coaching
• Rachael Adams (M, 6-2, Texas, Cincinnati, Ohio) – Eczacibasi Vitra Istanbul, Turkey
• Tori Dixon (M, 6-3, Minnesota, Burnsville, Minnesota) – Pro Victoria Pallavolo SRL, Italy)
• Lauren Carlini (S, 6-2, Wisconsin, Aurora, Illinois) – Pallavolo Scandicci Savino Del Bene SSDRL, Italy)
• Lauren Gibbemeyer (M, 6-2, Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota) – Agil Volley SSD A RL, Italy
• Madi Kingdon (OH, 6-1, Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona – BK Women’s Volleyball Club, Korea
• Jordan Larson (OH, 6-2, Nebraska, Hooper, Nebraska) – Eczacibasi Vitra Istanbul, Turkey
• Annie Drews (OPP, 6-4, Purdue, Elkhart, Indiana) – SAB Volley, Italy
• Michelle Bartsch-Hackley (OH, 6-3, Illinois, Maryville, Illinois) – Futura Volley s.s.d.r.l., Italy
• Kim Hill (OH, 6-4, Pepperdine, Portland, Oregon) – Imoco Volley SRL SSD, Italy
• Foluke Akinradewo (M, 6-3, Stanford, Plantation, Florida) – Hisamitsu Springs, Japan
• Megan Courtney (L, 6-1, Penn State, Dayton, Ohio) – No Team, injured
• Aiyana Whitney (OPP, 6-5, Penn State, Norwood, New Jersey)

Men’s National Teamers (World Grand Champions Cup)

Player (Position, Height, College, Hometown)

• Matt Anderson (Opp, 6-9, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State) – Zenit Kazan, Russia
• Aaron Russell (OH, 6-9, Ellicott City, Md., Penn State) – Sir Safety Perugia SCSD ARL, Italy
• Taylor Sander (OH, 6-4, Huntington Beach, Calif., BYU) – A.S. Volley Lube SRL, Italy
• Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola of Chicago) – No team, still in college
• Kawika Shoji (S, 6-3, Honolulu, Hawaii, Stanford) – Volley Milano s.r.l., Italy
• Thomas Jaeschke (OH, 6-6, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola of Chicago) – Bluvolley Verona S.S.D.a R.L., Italy
• Micah Christenson (S, 6-6, Honolulu, Southern California) – A.S. Volley Lube SRL, Italy
• Ben Patch (Opp, 6-8, Provo, Utah, BYU) – Callipo Sport SRL, Italy
• Carson Clark (Opp, 6-6, Santa Barbara, Calif., UC Irvine) – No Team
• Max Holt (MB, 6-10, Cincinnati, Ohio, Penn State) – Modena Volley Punto Zero SSD RL, Italy
• Taylor Averill (MB, 6-7, San Jose, Calif., Hawaii) – Powervolley Milano 2.0 SSD ARL, Italy
• David Smith (MB, 6-7, Saugus, Calif., UC Irvine) – Aluron Virtu Warta Zawiercie S.A., Poland
• Dustin Watten (L, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Long Beach State) – WKS Czarni Radom, Poland)
• Erik Shoji (L, 6-0, Honolulu, Hawaii, Stanford) – Top Volley SRL, Italy