{"id":117259,"date":"2024-08-09T15:12:45","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T15:12:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/09\/olympian-tj-defalco-what-to-know-about-team-usa-volleyball-star\/"},"modified":"2024-08-09T15:12:45","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T15:12:45","slug":"olympian-tj-defalco-what-to-know-about-team-usa-volleyball-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/09\/olympian-tj-defalco-what-to-know-about-team-usa-volleyball-star\/","title":{"rendered":"Olympian TJ DeFalco: What to Know About Team USA Volleyball Star"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Team USA volleyball star TJ DeFalco<\/strong> has made his mark on the 2024 Paris Olympics<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old was still in high school when he first joined the U.S. national team in 2015. He previously trained with volleyball legend Tyler Hildebrand<\/strong>, who compared DeFalco to one of the greatest athletes of all time: LeBron James<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw LeBron play in high school,\u201d Hildebrand told ESPN<\/a> in 2012. \u201cObviously, LeBron is LeBron, and maybe it\u2019s not as big a difference, but the way TJ is so much better than other kids his age reminds me of [him].\u201d<\/p>\n

At the time, Hildebrand added: \u201cThere\u2019s no question that T.J. is the best volleyball player in the nation for his age group. I don\u2019t think anyone would debate that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Every Medal Won by Team USA at the Paris Olympics<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tAs Team USA takes on the 2024 Paris Olympics, the American athletes have already made an impression at the summer Games. The 2024 Olympics kicked off on Friday, July 26, with an illustrious opening ceremony that took place entirely outdoors on the River Seine and featured performances from the likes of Celine Dion and Lady [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

DeFalco was a top recruit as he headed into the NCAA. He played college volleyball at California State University, Long Beach, winning two NCAA Championships throughout his four years on the team. Now, his talents have impressed on the world stage at the Paris Olympics. (Team USA is up for a bronze medal, playing Italy on Friday, August 9.)<\/p>\n

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\"Meet<\/div>

\n Kyle Ensing, Taylor Averill, Matt Anderson, Maxwell Holt, Torey DeFalco and Micah Christenson at the Team USA Welcome Experience ahead of the Olympic Games on July 23, 2024 in Paris, France.<\/span> Joe Scarnici\/Getty Images for USOPC<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201c[Being in the Olympic Village] doesn\u2019t really hit you until it does, and then you\u2019re like, \u2018Holy cow. I\u2019m in the village right now, and there\u2019s 45 different countries around me right now and we\u2019re all walking to the cafeteria,’\u201d DeFalco told KTLA<\/a> in July shortly before the Games kicked off. \u201cThere\u2019s no other timeframe on Earth where you can be able to do that. It\u2019s really special and I\u2019m excited about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was also looking forward to transforming the reputation of volleyball, which he referred to as \u201csort of a sleeper sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people finally watch it for the first time, [the reaction is], \u2018Holy cow, why are more people not watching this kind of thing?’\u201d he said. \u201cI would just want to say to the audience that if you guys have time, you don\u2019t have anything to watch or your favorite sports aren\u2019t playing, give men\u2019s volleyball a try.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scroll down to learn more about Team USA\u2019s TJ DeFalco:\n<\/p>\n

He Comes From a Big Family<\/h3>\n
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\"Meet<\/div>
Courtesy of Teagan DeFalco\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

DeFalco is one of seven siblings. According to his Team USA bio, all of the kids in his family have names that start with \u201cT\u201d and are all involved in volleyball. The DeFalcos grew up in Missouri before moving to Huntington Beach, California.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was kind of like the movie We Bought a Zoo<\/em>,\u201d the athlete told ESPN in 2012 of his Missouri roots, where his family raised exotic animals.<\/p>\n

He Was Homeschooled<\/h3>\n

Though he played volleyball for Huntington Beach High School in California after his family\u2019s move, DeFalco and his siblings were all homeschooled students.<\/p>\n

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