Rich Lambourne
Position: Libero
Height: 6-3 (190cm)
Weight: 198 lbs (90kg)
College: BYU
Joined Team: November 2000
PERSONAL: Born Richard Edward Lambourne on May 6, 1975 in Louisville, Ky. ... Now calls San Diego, Calif., home... Parents are Paul and Ann Lambourne... Has one brother, Stuart, and two sisters, Gwen and Tracy... Stuart was MVP at Foothills High and played volleyball briefly at BYU... Rich enjoys golf, beach volleyball and tennis... Majored in Japanese at BYU... Following the U.S. Men's gold medal victory at the Olympic Games, Rich appeared on Oprah Winfrey's Olympic show and the Bonnie Hunt Show. He was a star on the Hunt show, as Bonnie flirted with him... Rich was badly injured during a bike accident when he was 6. He skinned his shoulder to the bone and mangled the right side of his face. Says of the accident, "I could have been much uglier but due to my loving parents and medical science, I am only mostly unattractive"... His favorite food is Mexican... Pillars of the Earth is his favorite book... South Park and Family Guy are his favorite television shows... His favorite sports to watch include basketball, golf and football... Notes that he is a "bandwagon guy" when it comes to favorite professional sports teams... Michael Jordan is his favorite athlete... Lists his mom as his most admired person because of her "strength of character, conviction and faith"... Says he is "super sarcastic"... Played the 2008-09 winter season in Russia for Lokomotiv Belogorie.
MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE: 2009 – 2010 FIVB World Championship Qualifier for NORCECA Group F (Gold Medal)… FIVB World League. 2008 - America's Cup... Olympic Games (Gold Medal)... FIVB World League (Gold Medal)... Four Nations' Tournament (Gold Medal)... NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualifying Championship (Gold Medal). 2007 - FIVB World Cup... NORCECA Continental Championship (Gold Medal)... Americas' Cup (Gold Medal)... Pan American Games (Silver Medal)... FIVB World League (Bronze Medal). 2006 - FIVB World Championships... FIVB World League... Pan American Cup (Gold Medal)... Argentina Tour. 2005 - Pacific Northwest Tour vs. Netherlands... USOC International Sports Invitational (Silver Medal)... Argentina Tour... Americas' Cup (Gold Medal)... FIVB World Championship Qualifying Tournament (Gold Medal)... NORCECA Continental Championships (Gold Medal)... World Grand Champions Cup (Silver Medal). 2003 - Colorado/Nebraska Tour... Canada Tour... Japan Tour (Training Team)... NORCECA Zone Championships (Gold Medal). 2002 - Louisville Tour. 2001 - Japan Tour... World League... NORCECA Zone Championships.
INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2009 – Rich helped the U.S. win the 2010 FIVB World Championship Qualifier on Aug. 15-17 in Irvine, Calif. He won Best Digger (0.89 digs per set), Best Receiver (23 excellents and no faults in 29 attempts) and Best Libero (31 excellents and four faults in 64 attempts)… Rich was the United States’ starting libero in every match but one of the 2009 FIVB World League, where the U.S. Men placed sixth… Rich averaged 1.84 digs per set in pool play and had 94 excellent receptions on 294 attempts. He was fourth among liberos in the final round with 24 “excellents” on 48 attempts and an average of four per set. 2008 - Played with the U.S. Men's Team that finished fifth at the America's Cup in Brazil... Played in every set of the Olympic Games and helped the U.S. Men to the gold medal. He was credited with 64 digs and 147 "excellent" service receptions on 230 total attempts for a success percentage of 63.91... Played in every set of the FIVB World League and was named best libero of the final round as the U.S. Men won their first World League title. Finished the final round with 45 digs and 25 faults in 74 total attempts for an average of three digs per set. He was also credited with 76 "excellent" receptions on 131 attempts for an efficiency percentage of 55... Played in all 15 sets for the U.S. Men at the NORCECA Olympic Qualifier as Team USA won and qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games. Rich was credited with 59 receptions and 29 digs. He was named Best Libero and Best Receiver of the tournament. 2007 - Rich played in 147 sets for the U.S. Men, which was every set played in the season. He finished the year with 337 digs, averaging 2.29 digs per set... Rich ranked fourth among all liberos at the 2007 World Cup, finishing with 229 "excellent" receptions in 369 attempts for a success percentage of 59.62. The U.S. Men finished fourth... Rich was the third best digger of the NORCECA Continental Championship with 25 digs, 22 receptions and six faults in 53 attempts... Rich was named the Best Libero of the 2007 World League. He finished the final round with an average of 1.79 digs per set and 42 "excellent" serve receptions out of 87 attempts. Rich finished second among all World League "serve receivers" in pool play with a 65.47 efficiency percentage. 2006 - Was the starting libero for all U.S. matches in 2006 and played 119 sets...Led the team in digs with 264... Helped the team remain undefeated (4-0) during the inaugural Pan American Cup in June and was named the tournament's best digger... Played on the Argentina tour when the team went 4-1. 2005 - Was the team's starting libero all season... Played every set of every match (119 sets overall) and led the team in digs with 283... Rich capped the 2005 season as a member of the USA squad that captured the silver medal at the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup in November in Japan... The Americans, who lost to defending Olympic gold medalist Brazil in the first match of the tournament, lost just one set the rest of the way as they defeated Japan (3-1), 2004 Olympic silver medalist Italy (3-0), Egypt (3-0) and China (3-0) en route to their fifth medal in five events this season... Earned "Best Libero" honors as the USA Men stunned the world's best team when it defeated 2004 Olympic gold medalist Brazil in five sets to win the America's Cup tournament in Brazil on Aug. 7... Earned a gold medal as Team USA won its second-straight NORCECA Continental Championship with a four-set victory over Cuba on Sept. 15... The USA Men qualified for the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup with the win...Named "Best Receiver" and earned a gold medal in August at the FIVB World Championship Qualifying Tournament as the USA Men qualified for the 2006 World Championships. 2004 - Was one of six alternates for the 2004 USA Men's Olympic Volleyball Team. 2003 - Started for the United States in the NORCECA Zone Championships in Mexico as Team USA captured the gold medal and a berth in the 2003 World Cup, the first Olympic qualifier. 2002 - Competed with teammate Erik Sullivan for the starting libero position...Played in just one tour during the year (Louisville Tour vs. Australia and Canada)... Played in 29 totals sets during the year and racked up 76 digs (2.62 per set). 2001 - Captured the Best Digger award at the NORCECA Zone Championships in August as the U.S. earned the silver medal... Finished third on the team in digs with 102... Played professionally with the Vienna HotVolleys in Austria after the National Team season ended.
COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 1999 - Started at outside hitter on BYU's first-ever national championship team... Played in 82 games and posted 252 kills, 205 digs, 88 blocks and a .348 hitting percentage. 1998 - Played in 21-of-22 matches... Recorded 150 kills, 133 digs and 78 blocks. 1997 - Ranked fourth nationally with 2.73 digs per game... Named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Week on March 22... Set a career-high with 23 digs against nationally ranked Hawai'i.
