David Smith (volleyball)

David Smith (born May 15, 1985) is an American professional volleyball player who plays as a middle blocker for ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle and the U.S. national team. Smith was a bronze medalist at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, Paris 2024 and the 2018 World Championship; the 2015 World Cup winner and a three–time Champions League winner (2021, 2022, 2023) with ZAKSA.

David Smith
Personal information
Born	(1985-05-15) May 15, 1985 (age 39) Panorama City, Los Angeles, U.S.
Height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Spike	140 in (360 cm)
Block	136 in (345 cm)
College / University	UC Irvine
Volleyball information
Position	Middle blocker
Current club	ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
Number	15
Career
Years Teams 2004–2007 2007 2008–2009 2009–2010 2010–2011 2011–2016 2016–2017 2017–2018 2018–2019 2019– UC Irvine Anteaters Ulster University TV Rottenburg Caribes de San Sebastián CV Almería Tours VB Czarni Radom Warta Zawiercie Asseco Resovia ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
National team
2009–  United States
Honours Men's volleyball Representing  United States Olympic Games 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team 2024 Paris Team FIVB World Championship 2018 Bulgaria/Italy FIVB World Cup 2015 Japan 2023 Japan 2019 Japan FIVB World League 2012 Sofia 2015 Rio de Janeiro FIVB Nations League 2019 Chicago 2022 Bologna 2023 Gdańsk 2018 Lille NORCECA Championship 2017 Colorado Springs 2023 Charleston

Personal life

Smith was born in the Los Angeles district of Panorama City on May 15, 1985. Born nearly deaf, he wears hearing aids and reads lips to understand his teammates. He grew up in Santa Clarita, where he attended Saugus High School.

Smith is 6 feet, 7 inches (200 cm) tall. He married his wife Kelli in 2008. They have two children, a son Cohen and a daughter Amelie.^[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.

In 2007, Smith helped University of California Irvine win the NCAA National Champions 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).

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.

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, where the U.S. finished second.^[2] At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he was a substitute and had eight points.

Honors

Club

• CEV Champions League
  • 2020–21 – with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
  • 2021–22 – with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle^[3]
  • 2022–23 – with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
• Domestic
  • 2010–11 Spanish SuperCup, with CV Almería
  • 2010–11 Spanish Championship, with CV Almería
  • 2011–12 French SuperCup, with Tours VB
  • 2011–12 French Championship, with Tours VB
  • 2012–13 French Cup, with Tours VB
  • 2012–13 French Championship, with Tours VB
  • 2013–14 French SuperCup, with Tours VB
  • 2013–14 French Cup, with Tours VB
  • 2013–14 French Championship, with Tours VB
  • 2014–15 French SuperCup, with Tours VB
  • 2014–15 French Cup, with Tours VB
  • 2014–15 French Championship, with Tours VB
  • 2019–20 Polish SuperCup, with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
  • 2020–21 Polish SuperCup, with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
  • 2020–21 Polish Cup, with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
  • 2021–22 Polish Cup, with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
  • 2021–22 Polish Championship, with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle^[4]
  • 2022–23 Polish Cup, with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
  • 2023–24 Polish SuperCup, with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle

Youth national team

• 2004 NORCECA U21 Championship

Individual awards

• 2012: French Championship – Best middle blocker
• 2015: French Championship – Best middle blocker
• 2016: French Championship – Best middle blocker
• 2022: FIVB Nations League – Best middle blocker
• 2023: CEV Champions League – Most valuable player
• 2023: FIVB Nations League – Best middle blocker

References

1. "Athlete Bio". Team USA. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
2. "WL M: Poland beat USA to claim first World League title". WorldofVolley. July 9, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
3. "They did it again. Zaksa is a Double CEV Champions League Volley Winner". CEV. May 22, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
4. "ZAKSA mistrzem Polski! Dziewiąte złoto siatkarzy z Kędzierzyna-Koźla". Polsat Sport (in Polish). May 14, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.

External links

• David Smith at the European Volleyball Confederation
• David Smith at PlusLiga.pl (in Polish)
• David Smith at Volleybox.net
• David Smith at Team USA (archive May 30, 2023)
• David Smith at Olympedia (archive)
• David Smith at Olympics.com
• David Smith at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics

Awards
Preceded by Maurício Souza Mateusz Bieniek	Best Middle Blocker of FIVB Nations League 2022 ex aequo Mateusz Bieniek 2023 ex aequo Jakub Kochanowski	Succeeded by Nicolas Le Goff Jakub Kochanowski