Aaron Russell

Aaron Joseph Russell (born June 4, 1993) is an American volleyball player, member of the United States men's national volleyball team and Italian club Gas Sales Piacenza. He was part of the bronze medalist winning USA team at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Aaron Russell grew up in Ellicott City, Maryland, U.S. His parents are Stewart and Marian Russell. Aaron was born the second of five boys. The other brothers are Peter (1992), Samuel (1995), Tim (1999) and Paul (2002). Peter also plays volleyball professionally. Russell was a top soccer player for Centennial High School in Maryland. The school did not have a boys’ volleyball team so he helped the girls’ team train while playing club volleyball. In 2015 he graduated from Pennsylvania State University. On July 30, 2017, he married former Penn State women's volleyball player Kendall Pierce, his college sweetheart.

In 2015, he completed his four-year volleyball career at Penn State, where he was named an AVCA All-American in 2013 and 2014. Both years he also helped Penn State reach the NCAA men's championship semifinals. Russell was a member of the Boys’ Youth Team in 2010 and ’11 and a member of the Men's Junior National Team in 2013. He made his debut with the senior national team at the 2014 World Championship Qualifier, where he helped the U.S. win gold and was named Best Spiker.

In 2015 he joined his first senior team, Italian club Sir Safety Perugia.

In 2016 Aaron Russell took part in his first Olympic Games. He was a member of Olympic United States men's national team and achieved bronze medal on August 21, 2016. U.S. beat Russia in five sets and claim the bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro. Russell was named one of the Best Outside Spiker's of the Olympic tournament.

In June 2018, after 3 years playing for Perugia, Russell signed for another Italian club Diatec Trentino. In the FIVB Club World Championship 2018, he was named the Most Valuable Player for his contribution to Diatec Trentino's 5th gold medal, the most by any club team in the history of the tournament.

Clubs

• CEV Champions League

  

• FIVB Club World Championship

  

• National championships

  

Individual awards

• 2016: Olympic Games – Best Outside Hitter
• 2017: NORCECA Championship – Best Outside Spiker
• 2017: Italian SuperCup – Most Valuable Player
• 2018: FIVB Club World Championship – Most Valuable Player

College

• NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team - 2015
• AVCA First Team All-American - 2014, 2015
• Uvaldo Acosta Memorial EIVA Player of the Year - 2013, 2014, 2015
• EIVA Championship Most Outstanding Player - 2013, 2015
• EIVA Championship All-Tournament Team - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
• EIVA First Team All-Conference - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015