COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 25, 2016) – After dealing with a couple injuries early in the season, U.S. outside hitter Thomas Jaeschke has recovered and his playing well for his Polish team, Asseco Resovia Rzeszow.
Jaeschke won two NCAA National Championships in a row with Loyola of Chicago (2014 and ’15) and was named AVCA Player of the Year in May of 2015 at the end of his junior year. A couple weeks later, he made his debut with the U.S. Men’s National Team at the NORCECA Champions’ Cup. After a successful summer with the team, he opted not to return to Loyola and instead went to play in Rzeszow.
Here are five things you might not know about Thomas Jaeschke:
- He did not start playing volleyball until he was a freshman in high school
- He has a twin sister named Jaime
- He played high school volleyball for Wheaton Warrenville South, the same school as two-time Olympian and 2008 gold medalist Sean Rooney
- He played for his high school golf team and still has a 5 handicap
- His contract with Rzeszow allows him to go back to school and take classes toward finishing his degree in the fall of 2016
POLAND
Thomas Jaeschke, middle blocker Russell Holmes and Asseco Resovia Rzeszów beat Łuczniczka Bydgoszcz, 25-22, 25-18, 25-21 on Feb. 20. Jaeschke scored nine points on seven kills and two aces and was credited with 14 receptions, 29 percent positive. Holmes scored 10 points on six kills, three blocks and one ace. On Feb. 24, Rzeszów fell to Zaksa Kędzierzyn-Koźle, 22-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-21. Jaeschke scored nine points on eight kills and one block. He was also credited with 27 receptions, 56 percent positive. Holmes started the first two sets and scored three points on a match-high three blocks.
Opposite Murphy Troy and Lotos Trefl Gdańsk fell to Jastrzębski Węgiel, 25-15, 20-25, 25-19, 25-17 on Feb. 20. Troy played as a substitute before starting the fourth set and scored six points on five kills and one ace. Gdańsk defeated Łuczniczka Bydgoszcz, 25-21, 25-23, 25-23 on Feb. 24. Troy led his team with 17 points on 14 kills, one block and two aces.
2016 WORLD LEAGUE
The Rio de Janeiro Olympic Park will host this year’s FIVB World League pool play matches in Brazil. The matches will be held at the Carioca Arena 1, which is part of the Olympic complex in the Barra de Tijuca neighborhood of the city. Carioca Arena 1 will host the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments during the Olympic Games. Olympic indoor volleyball will be played at the Maracanazinho Arena.
The U.S. Men will play Brazil, Iran and Argentina in Rio on June 16-18.
TURKEY
Opposite Will Price led Istanbul BBSK past Belediye Plevne, 25-19, 20-25, 25-22, 25-20 on Feb. 21. Price led all scorers with 18 points on 15 kills, one block and two aces.
Setter Kawika Shoji and Arkas Spor fell to Halkbank, 25-19, 27-25, 25-27, 25-15 on Feb. 21. Shoji scored four points on two blocks and two aces. He set Arkas Spor to a .238 hitting efficiency.
ITALY
Outside hitter Taylor Sander led his team with 14 points as Calzedonia Verona defeated Revivre Milano, 27-25, 25-17, 27-25 on Feb. 21. Sander scored on 11 kills, one block and two aces. He was credited with 18 receptions, 33 percent positive. On Feb. 24, Verona beat CMC Romagna, 25-20, 25-20, 18-21, 21-20. Sander scored 13 points on 12 kills and one block. He was credited with 18 receptions, 44 percent positive.
Setter Micah Christenson, outside hitter Reid Priddy and Cucine Lube Banca Marche Civitanova beat DHL Modena, 25-20, 29-27, 29-31, 25-22 on Feb. 21. Christenson scored three points on two blocks and one ace and set Marche Civitanova to a .620 hitting efficiency. The team saw charged with only two attack errors. Priddy played as a substitute. On Feb. 24, Marche Civitanova beat Exprivia Molfetta, 25-17, 25-19, 25-22. Christenson scored four points on two kills and two aces. He set the team to a .512 hitting efficiency.
Outside hitter Aaron Russell and Sir Safety Perugia fell to Exprivia Molfetta, 18-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-20, 15-11 on Feb. 21. Russell scored 11 points on nine kills and two aces. He was credited with 31 receptions, 52 percent positive. On Feb. 24, Perugia fell to DHL Modena, 26-24, 18-25, 25-19, 20-25, 15-13. Russell scored 18 points 17 kills and one block.
Outside hitter Brian Cook, middle blocker Taylor Averill and Tonazzo Padova beat CMC Romagna, 26-24, 25-23, 25-27, 25-27, 15-13 on Feb. 21. Cook scored 19 points on 16 kills, one block and two aces. He was credited with 32 receptions, 34 percent positive. Averill scored 17 points on 14 kills and a team-high three blocks. On Feb. 24, Padova beat Gi Group Monza, 25-23, 25-21, 25-13. Cook scored 10 points on eight kills and two blocks and was credited with 12 receptions, 50 percent positive. Averill scored eight points on eight kills.
RUSSIA
Matt Anderson and Zenit Kazan beat Neftyanik Orenburg, 25-6, 25-15, 25-14 on Feb. 20. Anderson, who plays outside hitter for Kazan, played as a substitute and started the third set, scoring two points on two kills. He was credited with five receptions, 60 percent positive. On Feb. 24, Kazan beat Yugra Samotlor Nizhnevartovsk, 21-25, 25-15, 31-29, 25-19. Anderson scored 17 points on 12 kills, two blocks and three aces. He was credited with 29 receptions, 28 percent positive.
Middle blocker Max Holt and Dinamo Moscow defeated Dinamo Krasnodar, 23-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-17 on Feb. 20. Holt started the first three sets and scored five points on one kills, three blocks and one ace. On Feb. 24, Moscow fell to Kuzbass Kemerovo, 11-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 15-10. Holt scored six points on three kills, two blocks and one ace.
GERMANY
Outside hitter Paul Lotman, libero Erik Shoji and the Berlin Recycling Volleys beat TV Rottenburg, 25-20, 25-18, 25-19 on Feb. 20. Lotman scored 14 points on 11 kills, two blocks and one ace. He was credited with 19 receptions, 63 percent positive. Shoji was credited with 10 receptions, 90 percent positive. On Feb. 24, Berlin beat CV Mitteldeutschland, 25-16, 25-14, 25-18. Shoji was credited with nine receptions, 56 percent positive. Lotman did not play.
Setter Graham McIlvaine and TV Ingersoll Bühl fell to VfB Friedrichshafen, 25-19, 27-25, 25-17 on Feb. 24. McIlvaine scored two points on a kill and block and set Bühl to a .238 hitting efficiency. Outside hitter Peter Russell started the third set and scored two points on two kills.
Middle blocker Scott Kevorken and SVG Lüneburg fell to VfB Friedrichshafen, 22-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-23 on Feb. 20. Kevorken scored 10 points on four kills, three blocks and a match-high three aces. Lüneburg beat Netzhoppers KW-Bestensee, 25-17, 25-22, 25-18 on Feb. 24. Kevorken scored seven points on four kills, one block and two aces.
FRANCE
Middle blocker David Smith and Tours lost to Nantes Reze 25-22, 25-23, 22-25, 20-25, 15-13 on Feb. 20. Smith scored 12 points on six kills, a match-high five blocks and one ace. On Feb. 23, Tours beat Ajaccio, 19-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-17. Smith scored 15 points on 13 kills and two blocks.
Libero Dustin Watten and Nancy fell to Paris, 25-13, 25-15, 25-19 on Feb. 20. Watten was credited with 15 receptions, 53 percent positive. Nancy lost to Chaumont, 25-20, 25-15, 25-19 on Feb. 23. Watten was credited with 30 receptions, 70 percent positive. Outside hitter Scott Rhein, who plays for Chaumont, did not play in the match.
GREECE
Middle blocker David Lee, outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky and PAOK fell to Olympiacos in the final of the League Cup, 20-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 17-15. Lee scored 13 points on nine kills and a team-high four blocks. Jablonsky added nine points on eight kills and one block. He was credited with 33 receptions, 55 percent positive.