COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (Sept. 6, 2016) – The U.S. Men’s Sitting Team is eager to prove itself at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro in the team’s first appearance since the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games.
The team qualified for the Paralympics with a silver medal finish at the ParaPan American Games. The U.S. Men’s Sitting Team has never won a Paralympic medal and this year’s roster is hungry to make history.
Captain Eric Duda (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) leads a roster with eight players who have upwards of five years of international sitting volleyball experience. Duda is the longest-tenured member of the team and will play in his second Paralympic Games after first appearing on the 2004 Athens roster.
Other key veterans include setter James Stuck (Puyallup, Washington), J. Dee Marinko (Newcastle, Oklahoma) and Chris Seilkop (Victoria, Texas) who is playing in his fourth Paralympics and rejoined the team in November 2015 following a 9-year retirement.
Since taking over as head coach in January, < Greg Walker has worked closely with the team’s veterans and support staff to implement new offensive and defensive systems intended to capitalize on the team’s athleticism and strength. Off-court preparations have been equally important.
“We’ve spent a lot of focus on trust and accountability and what it means to be a team,” Walker said. “That’s a vague statement, but we’ve broken down what compiles and creates trust, and probably the biggest culture change we’ve implemented is listening to the message, not the tone and being receptive to adversity.
“We have both military and non-military players and everyone has had to overcome a battle of some kind. It’s trying to find common ground and realize that we’re all there to fight for each other.”
The balanced emphasis on trust, teamwork and on-court preparation will be key as the U.S., seeded eighth in the Paralympics and ranked No. 9 worldwide, takes on host-nation Brazil, Egypt and Germany in pool play.
“Our guys are really familiar with (these teams) and we know what they excel at,” Walker said. “It’s great to hear them talk about specific players on the teams and know that they have their eyes set on every team in our pool.”
The U.S. opens Paralympic competition against Brazil on Sept. 9, followed by Germany on Sept. 11 and Egypt Sept. 13. The top two teams advance from pool play to face the top two teams from Pool B – Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina, China and Ukraine, replacing Russia following the International Paralympic Committee’s ban of the country’s delegation – in the semifinals.
“We know the match against Brazil is going to be a very loud, emotional game,” Walker said. “Their coach has a great relationship with their indoor team, and any game there is going to draw a loud and spirited crowd.
“Our guys have been preparing how to be more efficient in communication when talking on the court and hopefully that will help, regardless of who we’re playing.”
The Paralympics mark the U.S. Men’s first competition since a 0-6 finish at the World ParaVolley Intercontinental Cup in Anji, China. However, Walker does not view the March tournament as indicative of the team’s ability or potential following six months of intense training. Additionally, the team posted a 7-5 record in two competitions in 2015, preceded by a 6-4 finish in 2014.
Against Germany, the U.S. will have a unique advantage: German outside hitter/middle blocker Alex Schiffler – and husband of U.S. Women’s Sitting Team’s Michelle Schiffler – has spent much of 2016 training in residence with the U.S. Men’s Sitting Team.
“Alex has helped from both a physical and a tactical side,” Walker said. “It’s been cool to see because he used to dominate our gym, but now he blends more, which means our skill level has increased and become more consistent.”
The Paralympic Games begin Sept. 7 and conclude Sept. 18. NBC is broadcasting a record 66 hours of coverage. Additional information, broadcast schedules and live-streaming options will be made available at a later date.
U.S. Paralympic Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team Roster
No. Name (Position, Height, Hometown)
2. Dan Regan (Middle Blocker, 6-0, St. Louis, Missouri)
4. Ben Aman (Outside Hitter, 6-5, Tacoma, Washington)
5. Eric Duda (Outside Hitter, 6-5, Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
6. Jese Schag (Setter, 6-2, Norway, Illinois)
8. James Stuck (Setter, 6-5, New Kensington, Pennsylvania)
10. Edgar LaForest (Outside Hitter, 6-2, San Juan, Puerto Rico)
11. Roderick Green (Middle Blocker, 6-3, West Monroe, Louisiana)
13. Charlie Swearingen (Outside Hitter, 6-3, Gulfport, Mississippi)
14. John Kremer (Libero, 5-9, Buford, Georgia)
15. Chris Seilkop (Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker, 6-6 DeLand, Florida)
16. Josh Smith (6-2 Opposite, Riverside, California)
18. J. Dee Marinko (Outside Hitter, 6-4, Guthrie, Oklahoma)
Head Coach: Greg Walker
Assistant Coach: Joe Skinner
Team Leader: Dixie Collins
Athletic Trainer: Katherine King
2016 Paralympic Games Men’s Sitting Volleyball Pools
Pool A: Brazil, Egypt, Germany, United States
Pool B: Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine, China
2016 Paralympic Games Men’s Sitting Volleyball Pool Schedules
All times EDT
Sept. 9
USA vs. Brazil, 9 a.m.
Egypt vs. Germany, 1 p.m.
Sept. 10
Iran vs. China, 5:30 p.m.
Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Ukraine, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 11
Brazil vs. Egypt, 9 a.m.
USA vs. Germany, 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 12
China vs. Ukraine, 1 p.m.
Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Iran, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 13
USA vs. Egypt, 1 p.m.
Germany vs. Brazil, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14
Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. China, 5:30 p.m.
Ukraine vs. Iran, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 16
Men’s 7th-8th Classification, 12:30 p.m.
Men’s 5th-6th Classification, 2:30 p.m.
Semifinal 1: 5:30 p.m.
Semifinal 2: 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18
Men’s bronze medal match, 8:30 a.m.
Men’s gold medal match, 11 a.m.