Princeton’s Huhmann makes U.S. roster for Volleyball Nations League Finals

Photo courtesy of Princeton athletics

It’s been a busy four months for middle attacker George Huhmann — competing in the EIVA Tournament, the NCAA Tournament and now the FIVB Volleyball Nations League Finals.

The Princeton All-American was selected to the U.S. roster for the Finals that USA Volleyball unveiled on Tuesday.

Huhmann will be the youngest player and the only active college player on the U.S. 14-person active roster at the Finals that begins Wednesday in Chicago.

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Princeton with Huhmann playing a hybrid middle attack and opposite position during the 2019 season won the EIVA championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 21 years. Huhmann was among the nation’s leaders with a 3.41 kills per game average on a .344 attack percentage and had a career-best 99 blocks as he was named the 2019 EIVA Player of the Year.

U.S. coach John Speraw added Huhmann to the roster following the 2019 college season and inserted him into the active lineup for the final weekend of the Volleyball Nations League preliminary round.

Huhmann in his second start had nine kills on a 64.29 percent offensive efficiency and added two blocks to help the United States beat Serbia. He also contributed six kills and a team-high two aces in a sweep against Iran.

The United States will open the pool-play stage of the Finals against France on Wednesday and then play Russia on Friday. The top-two teams from this three-team pool will advance to the semifinals.

This is the first of three years that the United States will play host to the Finals. The United States won the bronze medal at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League.

U.S. roster for VNL finals

Setter: Micah Christenson (USC 2012-15)
Setter: Micah Ma’a (UCLA 2016-19)
Setter: Kawika Shoji (Stanford 2007-10)
Opposite: Matt Anderson (Penn State 2006-08)
Opposite: Ben Patch (BYU 2013, 2016-17)
Outside attacker: Thomas Jaeschke (Loyola 2013-15)
Outside attacker: Garrett Muagututia (UCLA 2007-10)
Outside attacker: Aaron Russell (Penn State 2012-15)
Outside attacker: Taylor Sander (BYU 2011-14)
Middle attacker: Max Holt (Penn State 2006-09)
Middle attacker: Jeff Jendryk (Loyola 2015-18)
Middle attacker: George Huhmann (Princeton)
Middle attacker: David Smith (UC Irvine 2004-07)
Libero: Erik Shoji (Stanford 2009-12)