David Smith (volleyball)
David Smith (born May 15, 1985) is an American volleyball player, member of the United States men's national volleyball team and ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle, participant of the Olympic Games London 2012, gold medalist of the 2015 World Cup. Smith is nearly deaf.
David Smith | |||||
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Personal information | |||||
Nationality | American | ||||
Born | Panorama City, CA, United States | May 15, 1985||||
Height | 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) | ||||
Weight | 86 kg (190 lb) | ||||
Spike | 360 cm (142 in) | ||||
Block | 345 cm (136 in) | ||||
College(s) | University of California | ||||
Volleyball information | |||||
Position | Middle blocker | ||||
Current club | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | ||||
Number | 20 | ||||
Career | |||||
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National team | |||||
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Honours
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Personal life
Smith was born in the Los Angeles district of Panorama City on May 15, 1985.[1] Born nearly deaf, he wears hearing aids and reads lips to understand his teammates.[2]
Smith is 6 feet, 8 inches tall. He lives in Saugus, California. He was married in 2008 and he has one son who was born in 2012.[1]
Career
College
Smith played for the UC Irvine volleyball team from 2004 to 2007. In 2004, his .369 hitting percentage was the highest on the team. He also had a 1.03 blocking average and 102 block assists. The following season, he had a .401 hitting percentage and a 0.86 blocking average. Smith then had a .412 hitting percentage, 1.27 blocking average, 129 block assists, and 143 total blocks in 2006.[1]
In 2007, Smith helped University of California, Irvine win the NCAA Division I men's volleyball national title. His .559 hitting percentage led the nation and was a new school record. He also broke the UCI single-season block assists record, with 160. Smith was named to the All-American first team and the NCAA All-Tournament team. He finished his UCI career as the school's all-time leader in block assists (471) and total blocks (520).[1]
National team
Smith joined the U.S. national team in 2009. That year, he was named the Best Blocker at the World Championship Qualifier and played in the FIVB World League. In 2010, he helped the U.S. win the Pan American Cup.[1]
Smith tied as the team's second-leading scorer at the 2011 Pan American Cup, as the U.S. finished second. He then played in the 2012 FIVB World League, and the U.S. finished second. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he was a substitute and had eight points.[1]
Clubs
From 2009 to 2012, Smith played professionally in Puerto Rico, Spain, and France.[1]
Sporting achievements
Clubs
- National championships
- 2010/2011 Spanish SuperCup, with CV Almería
- 2010/2011 Spanish Championship, with CV Almería
- 2011/2012 French SuperCup, with Tours VB
- 2011/2012 French Championship, with Tours VB
- 2012/2013 French Cup, with Tours VB
- 2012/2013 French Championship, with Tours VB
- 2013/2014 French SuperCup, with Tours VB
- 2013/2014 French Cup, with Tours VB
- 2013/2014 French Championship, with Tours VB
- 2014/2015 French SuperCup, with Tours VB
- 2014/2015 French Cup, with Tours VB
- 2014/2015 French Championship, with Tours VB
- 2019/2020 Polish SuperCup, with Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
- 2020/2021 Polish SuperCup, with Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
Individual awards
- 2012: French Championship – Best Middle Blocker
- 2015: French Championship – Best Middle Blocker
- 2016: French Championship – Best Middle Blocker
See also
External links
- Player profile at Olympic.org
- Player profile at TeamUSA.org
- Player profile at CEV.eu
- Player profile at PlusLiga.pl
- Player profile at WorldofVolley.com
- Player profile at Volleybox.net
References
- "David Smith". teamusa.org. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
- Peterson, Anne M. "US volleyball's Smith competes with hearing loss". sports.yahoo.com. July 29, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.