Photo by: Drake Lee
USC Men's Volleyball's Wesley Smith Selected to USAV U23 Roster
May 30, 2025 | Men's Volleyball
The 21-man roster will produce the team that will compete at the NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup in late July
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USC men's volleyball middle blocker Wesley Smith (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon HS) was named to the USA Volleyball Men's U23 National Team training roster, the USAV announced on Friday, May 30.
Smith is one of 21 athletes selected to the national roster that will train to compete in the NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup, July 27-August 4 in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The full roster will gather for a training block at the National Team Training Center in Anaheim, Calif., from July 20-27. From this pool, 12 athletes will be chosen to represent the United States in Guatemala.
McKendree men's volleyball head coach Nickie Sanlin will lead the team, assisted by four-time Olympian Reid Priddy and Luke Reynolds.
"I am incredibly honored to lead this talented group of athletes alongside such a dedicated and skilled staff" Sanlin said. "Representing our country with 'USA' across our chests is a privilege we don't take lightly, and I am excited for the opportunity to compete and grow together on this stage."
Smith did not play for the Trojans during the 2025 season due to the rehabilitation of an injury but was an MPSF All-Freshman Team choice in 2024 and was previously a member of the U.S. Men's U21 National Team and U21 World Championship squad in 2023; and was part of the Men's U21 National Team and U21 Pan Am Cup in 2022 where he earned the Best Blocker award and won gold.
As the countdown to the Los Angeles 2028 Games continues, the U23 Pan American Cup provides a vital opportunity for elite player development and international experience within USA Volleyball's national team pipeline.
The Trojans (21-7) finished second in the MPSF regular-season standings (8-4) and were awarded the second seed into the conference tournament. There, USC finished as runner-up to Pepperdine, which hosted the championship in Malibu, Calif. USC opened the year with a nine-match win streak for its best start to a season since 1991 (28-0) and won 10 matches in a row (Feb. 26-April 3) for the program's longest win streak since 2012 (18 in a row). It was the second 20-win season for head coach Jeff Nygaard and the 20th 20-win season in program history. The Trojans spent 13 weeks ranked in the top five and reached as high as No. 3 for the team's highest ranking since it was also No. 3 in 2015. USC led the MPSF for many weeks in all statistical categories but aces and finished the season as the NCAA leader in blocks (2.86 bps) with 16 matches in double-digits. The Trojans set a new school record for hitting percentage in a match (.691 vs. Dominican, Feb. 8) and hit better than .300 in 19 matches; and hit north of .400 in 10 contests.
For more information on the USC men's volleyball team, please visit USCTrojans.com/MVB. Fans of the Trojans can follow @USCmensvolley on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
Smith is one of 21 athletes selected to the national roster that will train to compete in the NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup, July 27-August 4 in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The full roster will gather for a training block at the National Team Training Center in Anaheim, Calif., from July 20-27. From this pool, 12 athletes will be chosen to represent the United States in Guatemala.
McKendree men's volleyball head coach Nickie Sanlin will lead the team, assisted by four-time Olympian Reid Priddy and Luke Reynolds.
"I am incredibly honored to lead this talented group of athletes alongside such a dedicated and skilled staff" Sanlin said. "Representing our country with 'USA' across our chests is a privilege we don't take lightly, and I am excited for the opportunity to compete and grow together on this stage."
Smith did not play for the Trojans during the 2025 season due to the rehabilitation of an injury but was an MPSF All-Freshman Team choice in 2024 and was previously a member of the U.S. Men's U21 National Team and U21 World Championship squad in 2023; and was part of the Men's U21 National Team and U21 Pan Am Cup in 2022 where he earned the Best Blocker award and won gold.
As the countdown to the Los Angeles 2028 Games continues, the U23 Pan American Cup provides a vital opportunity for elite player development and international experience within USA Volleyball's national team pipeline.
The Trojans (21-7) finished second in the MPSF regular-season standings (8-4) and were awarded the second seed into the conference tournament. There, USC finished as runner-up to Pepperdine, which hosted the championship in Malibu, Calif. USC opened the year with a nine-match win streak for its best start to a season since 1991 (28-0) and won 10 matches in a row (Feb. 26-April 3) for the program's longest win streak since 2012 (18 in a row). It was the second 20-win season for head coach Jeff Nygaard and the 20th 20-win season in program history. The Trojans spent 13 weeks ranked in the top five and reached as high as No. 3 for the team's highest ranking since it was also No. 3 in 2015. USC led the MPSF for many weeks in all statistical categories but aces and finished the season as the NCAA leader in blocks (2.86 bps) with 16 matches in double-digits. The Trojans set a new school record for hitting percentage in a match (.691 vs. Dominican, Feb. 8) and hit better than .300 in 19 matches; and hit north of .400 in 10 contests.
For more information on the USC men's volleyball team, please visit USCTrojans.com/MVB. Fans of the Trojans can follow @USCmensvolley on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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