The junior libero joins a national training pool of elite athletes — from Olympians to rising stars
Pepperdine Waves men’s volleyball player Jacob Reilly, 21, has dreamed of playing for Team USA since he was a youth.
The junior libero could don the red, white, and blue for the USA Volleyball Men’s Senior National Team in the Volleyball Nations League this summer. Reilly was one of 30 players — a mix of Olympians, professionals, and top amateurs — selected to a pool from which Team USA will draw its VNL roster.
Team USA will take the court at VNL competition stops in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 11-15; Hoffman Estates, Illinois, from June 25-29; and Chiba, Japan, from July 16-30.
Reilly said being named to the pool is an honor.
“It’s super exciting,” he said. “I get to play with the best players around the country so, I’m super excited about this. It has been one of my biggest goals and a dream since I was a kid.”
A member of the U.S. U21 U.S. team two years ago, Reilly began practicing with USA Volleyball for VNL on May 21.
Reilly, a self-described gritty and competitive player, said it would be incredible to travel to the VNL sites and make an impact on the court.
“I would be happy to make any roster, honestly,” he said. “I’m hoping to help in any way I can. I also want to grow as a player.”
Team USA head coach Karch Kiraly will select 14 players for the tournament. The U.S. will face international competition as it aims to advance to the VNL Final Round in Ningo, China, from July 30 to Aug. 3.
Kiraly praised the mix of talent and depth available for USA Volleyball.
“The veterans on this roster continue to lead by example, while our younger athletes are pushing hard, bringing fresh energy and hunger,” he said. “It’s a powerful combination. This VNL season will be a vital part of our journey toward the 2025 World Championships and beyond.”
Reilly is thrilled that one of his favorite volleyball players, Erik Shoji, a libero on national team since 2012, is in the pool of players.
“I get to be his teammate now,” he said.
The men’s national team is ranked third in the world and has medaled four times in VNL history, earning the bronze medal in 2018 and silver medal in 2019, 2022, and 2023.
Reilly is the first Pepperdine men’s volleyball player to be selected for the men’s national team since Sean Rooney in 2013.
Two of Reilly’s Waves teammates were also selected by USA Volleyball for national teams in April. Grant Lamoureux was invited to the training group for the U.S. Boys U19 National Team, while Cole Hartke was named to the U.S. Men’sU21 roster. Both will compete in the NORCECA Pan American Cup and FIVB World Championships in their respective age divisions.
Reilly said the number of Team USA selectees on the Waves’ roster highlights the strength of Pepperdine’s volleyball program.
“We are all very competitive and we’re trying to be the best players we can,” he said. “It shows how awesome our coaching staff is and how they develop us as players.”
Reilly was one of five Waves who earned American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American accolades in May. Ryan Barnett was named to the first team and Reilly and Hartke were named to the second team. Gabe Dyer and James Eadie received honorable mention honors.
Reilly, a transfer from Concordia, averaged 1.8 digs per set and had a .954 reception percentage his first season at Pepperdine. He led the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in efficiency — only 26 reception errors on 621 attempts. In the Waves’ run to the MPSF tournament championship in April and NCAA Tournament Final Four in May, Reilly allowed only three reception errors on 139 attempts.
He said Pepperdine had a great season.
“We peaked at the right time,” Reilly recalled. “This team is very special. We all worked hard. We all loved playing for each other.”
Reilly grew up playing volleyball in Cypress, Texas, with his four older sisters.
“I was pretty much raised in the volleyball gym,” said Reilly, who has played volleyball since he was 11. “I’d watch my older sisters play. I would go to their practices and pick up a ball. I have always enjoyed playing. I had a great time whenever I found myself on the court.”
Team USA’s VNL schedule includes matches against Ukraine, Iran, Slovenia, and Cuba in Brazil; China, Canada, Poland, and Italy in Illinois; and Turkey, Argentina, Germany, and Japan in Japan.
Reilly is looking forward to all the experiences he will have with the national team this summer.
“It would be so awesome if I could make any of the rosters for VNL this year,” he said. “I want to grow as much as a Ican as a player and as a leader. I want to take some of the skills I learn back to Pepperdine and instill that into my teammates.”
