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.
Â
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.
Â
McKendree men's volleyball head coach Nickie Sanlin will lead the team, assisted by four-time Olympian Reid Priddy and Luke Reynolds.
Â
"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."
Â
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.
Â
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.
Â
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.
Â
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.
Â
Â
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.
Â
McKendree men's volleyball head coach Nickie Sanlin will lead the team, assisted by four-time Olympian Reid Priddy and Luke Reynolds.
Â
"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."
Â
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.
Â
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.
Â
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.
Â
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.
Â
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Men's VolleyballMen's Volleyball - USC 1, Pepperdine 3: Highlights (04/26/25)
Saturday, April 26
Men's Volleyball - USC 3, Stanford 1: Highlights (04/25/25)
Friday, April 25
Men's Volleyball - USC 3, UCLA 0: Highlights (04/19/25)
Saturday, April 19
Men's Volleyball - USC 2, UCLA 3: Highlights (04/17/25)
Thursday, April 17
