Taylor Constantine Averill (born March 5, 1992) is an American middle blocker who has represented the United States at senior international level since 2014. The 201 cm blocker was born in Portland, Oregon, grew up in the San Jose area and developed from a multi-position college player into a long-term national-team middle.
Averill won bronze with the United States at the 2018 FIVB World Championship and made his Olympic debut at Paris 2024, where the Americans earned another bronze medal. He finished the Olympic tournament as its statistical blocking leader and was selected as one of the two Best Middle Blockers on the Paris 2024 Dream Team. His club career has included championships in France and European competition, as well as extended periods in Italy, Poland and Japan.
Player Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Taylor Constantine Averill |
| Date of Birth | March 5, 1992 |
| Place of Birth | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Hometown | San Jose, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Position | Middle Blocker |
| Height | 201 cm |
| Weight | 94 kg |
| Spike Reach | 356 cm |
| Block Reach | 335 cm |
| Dominant Hand | Right |
| College | University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa |
| Degree | Sociology |
| Current Club | Toray Arrows Shizuoka |
| Club Number | 13 |
| Previous Clubs | Pallavolo Padova, Revivre Milano, Chaumont VB 52, AS Cannes, Indykpol AZS Olsztyn, Projekt Warszawa, Vero Volley Monza |
| National Team | United States Men’s National Volleyball Team |
| Senior National Team | 2014–present |
| Recent National-Team Number | 13 |
| Olympic Appearances | Paris 2024 |
| Olympic Medals | Bronze — Paris 2024 |
| Career Status | Active |
| @taverill13 |
USA Volleyball, Volleyball World and Toray Arrows Shizuoka all list Averill at 201 cm. CEV competition records from his European career list him at 94 kg with a 356 cm spike reach and 335 cm block reach.
Early Life & Volleyball Beginnings
Averill was born in Portland, Oregon, but grew up in Northern California and attended Branham High School in San Jose. He played club volleyball for Bay to Bay Volleyball Club and became a four-year varsity player at Branham, helping the school win a Central Coast Section championship during his senior year.
His development was not limited to one position. Averill spent time as a setter and opposite before becoming a middle blocker, an unusual progression for a player who would later reach the Olympics at that position. At the University of Hawaiʻi, his 2012 season still included substantial work as an opposite before he settled more permanently in the middle.
Before Hawaiʻi, Averill spent a semester at UC Irvine without appearing in a regular-season match. He then transferred to Hawaiʻi, where the change in environment and position became central to his development.
In a 2025 University of Hawaiʻi alumni feature, Averill described that period as a turning point in how he understood training and work. He later credited his experience in Hawaiʻi as a major foundation for both his professional career and his eventual Olympic appearance.
College Career at Hawaiʻi
Averill played for the Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors from 2012 through 2015.
His first season showed the positional versatility that had defined his development. He started 13 matches at opposite, averaged 1.65 kills per set and also contributed in defense and blocking. By 2013, he had shifted primarily to middle blocker and began establishing himself as one of the most efficient attackers in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
The leap came in 2014.
Averill led the nation with a .477 hitting percentage and averaged 1.22 blocks per set. He earned AVCA First Team All-America and First Team All-MPSF honors, becoming Hawaiʻi’s first first-team AVCA All-American since 2011 and the program’s first All-American middle blocker in more than a decade.
He repeated as an AVCA First Team All-American in 2015.
As a senior, Averill hit .488, second nationally, and produced 151 total blocks at 1.32 per set. Hawaiʻi reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2002 and spent five consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the national coaches poll during one of the strongest seasons the program had produced in years.
He finished his Hawaiʻi career with a .419 hitting percentage, 406 total blocks and several places in the program’s rally-scoring record book. His senior year also brought CoSIDA Academic All-District recognition and Hawaiʻi’s Jack Bonham Award.
Averill graduated in 2015 with a degree in sociology.
Club Career
Pallavolo Padova
Averill began his professional career in Italy with Pallavolo Padova after leaving Hawaiʻi in 2015.
The move put him directly into the Italian SuperLega, where middle blockers face some of the quickest setters, strongest servers and most tactically disciplined offenses in the club game. Averill spent two seasons with Padova, establishing himself as a professional starter while adjusting from the NCAA calendar to a longer European season.
Italy also required him to refine the separation between college efficiency and professional middle-blocker responsibilities. Against bigger and more experienced attackers, reading the opposing setter and closing the block became as important as his own first-tempo offense.
Revivre Milano
For 2017–18, Averill moved to Revivre Milano.
The season kept him in the SuperLega but placed him in a different tactical environment under head coach Andrea Giani. It also preceded one of the most important national-team seasons of his career, with Averill becoming increasingly established in the United States middle-blocker group.
After one season in Milan, he left Italy for France.
Chaumont VB 52
Averill joined Chaumont VB 52 for 2018–19 and combined domestic competition with CEV Champions League volleyball.
His European campaign produced one of the more striking blocking statistics of his club career. CEV later noted that Averill finished the elite Champions League competition with 43 blocks, the best total in the tournament.
That production fit the growing international version of his game: a middle blocker capable of creating direct points at the net rather than serving only as a positional obstacle.
The following season became a career interruption. A knee injury kept Averill away from club competition in 2019–20 and eventually contributed to a period in which he had to reassess both his health and his relationship with volleyball.
AS Cannes and the 2021 French Championship
Averill returned to French volleyball with AS Cannes for 2020–21.
The comeback season ended with a championship. Cannes won the French Ligue A title, completing a turnaround from a club that had only recently returned to the top division.
The championship was particularly significant for Averill after the previous season lost to injury. He was also named Best Middle Blocker in the French league, giving him an individual award alongside the team title.
Cannes’ success re-established him as an impact player in European volleyball and opened the next stage of his career in Poland.
Indykpol AZS Olsztyn
Averill joined Indykpol AZS Olsztyn in 2021 and spent two seasons in Poland’s PlusLiga.
PlusLiga placed heavy emphasis on serving and physical net play, both of which suited his strengths. The league also exposed him to a deep pool of international setters and middle blockers, making each week tactically demanding even outside the championship contenders.
Olsztyn did not produce a major title during Averill’s two seasons, but the period gave him stability after his injury interruption and kept him in a high-level club environment as he worked his way back toward a larger role with the U.S. national team.
Projekt Warszawa and the CEV Challenge Cup
Averill returned to Poland in November 2023 when Projekt Warszawa signed him during the season.
The move proved immediately productive. Projekt advanced through the CEV Challenge Cup and reached the final against Vero Volley Monza.
Warsaw won the first leg 3–1 at Torwar Hall and then travelled to Italy needing two sets to secure the trophy. Projekt took the opening two sets in Monza, guaranteeing the title before eventually winning the second leg 3–1 as well.
The 2024 CEV Challenge Cup became Averill’s first European club trophy.
The title also created an unusual link to his next career step: only a few months later, he signed with the Monza team that Projekt had defeated in the final.
Vero Volley Monza
Vero Volley Monza announced Averill for the 2024–25 season shortly before the Paris Olympics.
The move returned him to the Italian SuperLega after several years in France and Poland. By then, Averill was no longer the young middle who had first entered Italy with Padova; he returned as a World Championship medalist, European cup winner and soon-to-be Olympian.
His Monza season followed his career-best international summer in Paris. The club faced a difficult domestic campaign affected by roster changes and injuries, but Averill remained part of a middle-blocker group competing across Italy and European club competition.
Toray Arrows Shizuoka
In July 2025, Toray Arrows Shizuoka announced Averill as a new signing for the 2025–26 SV.League season.
The transfer gave him his first professional season in Japan after a decade in European club volleyball. Toray assigned him No. 13, matching the number he has often worn during his career.
Averill quickly became one of the team’s most productive middle blockers. Official SV.League records show 237 points in 43 regular-season matches, including 170 attack points, 57 blocks and 10 aces. He converted 60.1 percent of his attack attempts and averaged 1.33 blocks per set.
Those figures were especially notable because blocking represented nearly a quarter of his total scoring. For a middle blocker, that level of direct production can materially change how opponents approach both first-tempo offense and high balls to the pins.
Toray retained Averill for the 2026–27 season. The club’s current roster lists him among its middle blockers alongside Edoardo Caneschi, Haku Ri, Takahiro Namba and Reimondo Kamijo.
Club Career Timeline
| Seasons | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2015–2017 | Pallavolo Padova | Italy |
| 2017–2018 | Revivre Milano | Italy |
| 2018–2019 | Chaumont VB 52 | France |
| 2019–2020 | Injury recovery / no confirmed club season | — |
| 2020–2021 | AS Cannes | France |
| 2021–2023 | Indykpol AZS Olsztyn | Poland |
| 2023–2024 | Projekt Warszawa | Poland |
| 2024–2025 | Vero Volley Monza | Italy |
| 2025–present | Toray Arrows Shizuoka | Japan |
National Team Career
Senior Debut in 2014
Averill made his senior U.S. national-team debut at the 2014 Pan American Cup while still playing college volleyball at Hawaiʻi.
The United States finished with the silver medal. The tournament marked the beginning of a senior international career that would eventually span more than a decade.
Averill had already spent time inside USA Volleyball’s development pathway before that debut. He was part of junior national-team training groups and had previously played in U.S. youth High Performance programs.
His early senior years included the 2015 Pan American Games, but it took several more seasons for him to become part of a U.S. group competing for medals at the highest global level.
2017 NORCECA Gold and the 2018 World Championship
The United States won the 2017 NORCECA Continental Championship, giving Averill his first major senior continental gold medal.
A year later came a much larger international result.
At the 2018 FIVB World Championship in Italy and Bulgaria, the U.S. advanced through the early rounds unbeaten before losing a five-set semifinal to eventual champion Poland.
The Americans recovered in the bronze-medal match, defeating Serbia 3–1.
Averill was part of that World Championship roster alongside middle blockers Max Holt, David Smith, Jeff Jendryk and Dan McDonnell. The bronze remains one of the major global medals of his national-team career.
Injury, Distance from the Team and a Return
The years that followed were less linear.
Averill’s knee injury interrupted his club career, and later physical and mental challenges complicated his place in the national-team cycle leading toward Tokyo. He did return for international competition, including the 2021 VNL and 2022 World Championship, but he was not selected for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
That absence became an important part of his later career story.
In the University of Hawaiʻi feature published after Paris, Averill spoke openly about injuries, self-doubt and mental-health struggles during his years overseas. He said there was a period when he considered stepping away from volleyball altogether.
By 2023, he had returned to full national-team training with a different perspective on his career.
2023 VNL Silver and NORCECA Gold
Averill returned to a major role with the United States in 2023.
The U.S. reached the Volleyball Nations League final and finished with the silver medal. Averill’s return gave the team another experienced middle alongside players such as David Smith, Max Holt and Jeff Jendryk.
Later that summer, the United States won the 2023 NORCECA Continental Championship.
The season continued with the Road to Paris Olympic Qualification Tournament in Tokyo. The U.S. completed the event undefeated and secured qualification for the Paris Games.
For Averill, the result opened the possibility of a first Olympic appearance at age 32.
Paris 2024 Olympic Bronze and Best Middle Blocker
USA Volleyball selected Averill for the Paris 2024 Olympic roster in May 2024.
It was his first Olympic team.
Averill became one of the most productive middle blockers in the entire men’s tournament. Volleyball World recorded 59 points in six matches: 36 from attack, 16 from blocks and seven from serves.
His attacking numbers were equally notable. Averill converted at 76.6 percent efficiency, while his 16 blocks made him the tournament’s leading blocker.
The United States advanced through pool play without a loss and defeated Brazil 3–1 in the quarterfinal. Poland ended the American gold-medal run in a five-set semifinal.
The bronze-medal match against Italy ended in a straight-sets U.S. victory, 25–23, 30–28, 26–24.
Averill left Paris with an Olympic bronze medal and was selected alongside Poland’s Jakub Kochanowski as one of the tournament’s two Best Middle Blockers.
The award reflected more than the medal. He had finished first in Olympic blocking and delivered one of the strongest international tournaments of his career.
2026 VNL Silver
Averill remained part of the U.S. program in 2026 under head coach Karch Kiraly.
He played throughout the VNL preliminary phase and Finals, scoring 62 points across the competition: 52 attacks, seven blocks and three aces. His attack efficiency was 66.67 percent.
The United States advanced to the VNL Final after sweeping Italy in the quarterfinal and beating previously undefeated Japan in five sets in the semifinal.
Averill made several important contributions against Japan, including an ace late in the second set and points during the decisive stages of the match.
Poland defeated the United States 3–2 in the final. Averill finished the championship match with eight kills as the U.S. earned VNL silver, its first medal in the competition since 2023.
The VNL was Averill’s most recent verified international tournament of 2026. He was not included on the U.S. roster for the September NORCECA Continental Championship, although USA Volleyball continues to list him as a member of the Men’s National Team.
Playing Style & Strengths
Averill’s game is centered on unusually efficient first-tempo attacking and his ability to turn blocking reads into direct points.
His college statistics already showed the attacking foundation. Averill led the nation with a .477 hitting percentage in 2014 and followed with .488 as a senior in 2015. Those numbers came before he accumulated a decade of professional experience against faster and more complex European offenses.
The same quality remained visible at the Olympic level. In Paris, he scored 36 attack points at 76.6 percent efficiency. Two years later, he converted 52 attacks at 66.67 percent efficiency during the 2026 VNL.
For a middle blocker, that efficiency depends heavily on timing with the setter. Averill has to arrive in the correct window, jump before the ball reaches the setter’s hands and still retain enough adjustment to finish against a blocker who may already be committing to him.
Blocking has become the other defining feature of his international profile.
Averill led all players at Paris 2024 with 16 stuff blocks. His club career contains similar examples: CEV credited him with a competition-leading 43 blocks during the 2018–19 Champions League campaign with Chaumont, and his first Japanese season produced 57 blocks in 43 SV.League matches.
His value comes from more than height. At 201 cm, Averill is not unusually tall by modern international middle-blocker standards. His effectiveness therefore depends on reading the setter early, controlling his first lateral step and getting his hands across the plane of the net rather than simply reaching high above it.
Serving adds another dimension. Seven aces at the Paris Olympics represented a significant contribution for a middle blocker and helped make him more than a rotation-specific attacker and blocker.
His early experience at setter and opposite also gives useful context to the way he approaches volleyball. USA Volleyball has highlighted his willingness to play different roles, and that broader understanding of the game is visible in a middle blocker who has remained technically productive well into his thirties.
Major Achievements
Selected National Team Honors
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Pan American Cup | Silver Medal |
| 2017 | NORCECA Continental Championship | Gold Medal |
| 2018 | FIVB World Championship | Bronze Medal |
| 2023 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver Medal |
| 2023 | NORCECA Continental Championship | Gold Medal |
| 2023 | Olympic Qualification Tournament | First Place / Olympic Qualification |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Bronze Medal |
| 2026 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver Medal |
Selected Club Honors
| Year / Season | Competition | Result | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | French Ligue A | Champion | AS Cannes |
| 2023–24 | CEV Challenge Cup | Champion | Projekt Warszawa |
Selected Individual Awards
| Year / Season | Competition | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | AVCA | First Team All-American |
| 2015 | AVCA | First Team All-American |
| 2021 | French Ligue A | Best Middle Blocker |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Best Middle Blocker |
The Paris 2024 selection followed a tournament in which Averill led all players with 16 blocks while helping the United States win bronze.
Personal Life & Interests
Averill’s parents are Mark and Lisa Averill, and he has one brother. His mother has worked in church ministry, while his brother has pursued music.
Away from competition, photography has been one of Averill’s long-running interests. USA Volleyball also identifies him as the host of Tallest Podcast on Earth, a project that has given him a platform to discuss volleyball, identity and life beyond the court.
His public discussions of mental health have become another important part of his profile. Averill has spoken about losing some of his enthusiasm for volleyball during periods of injury and uncertainty overseas, as well as the process of separating his self-worth from whether he reached the Olympics.
That shift preceded his successful return to the national team and eventual bronze medal in Paris.
Japan has added another group of interests to his daily life. In Toray’s official player Q&A, Averill lists surfing, reading and visiting public baths among the activities he enjoys away from training. He also mentions saunas and stretching as parts of his routine and describes beach time as one of his small pleasures.
Where Is Taylor Averill Playing Now?
Taylor Averill plays for Toray Arrows Shizuoka in Japan’s SV.League.
He joined the club for 2025–26 and remains on Toray’s official roster for the 2026–27 season, wearing No. 13.
His first Japanese season produced 237 points in 43 matches and established him as one of Toray’s most productive front-row players. The club enters the new season with a middle-blocker group that includes Averill, Edoardo Caneschi, Haku Ri, Takahiro Namba and Reimondo Kamijo.
Internationally, Averill most recently represented the United States at the 2026 VNL, where the team finished second to Poland. He was not selected for the subsequent September 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship roster, but USA Volleyball continues to list him with the Men’s National Team.
Recent Performance Snapshot
| Competition / Period | Team | Performance / Result |
|---|---|---|
| Paris 2024 Olympic Games | United States | Bronze Medal |
| Paris 2024 Olympic Games | United States | 59 points — 36 attacks, 16 blocks, 7 aces |
| Paris 2024 Olympic Games | United States | Tournament leader with 16 blocks |
| Paris 2024 Olympic Games | United States | Best Middle Blocker |
| 2025–26 SV.League | Toray Arrows Shizuoka | 237 points in 43 matches |
| 2025–26 SV.League | Toray Arrows Shizuoka | 170 attack points, 57 blocks, 10 aces |
| 2025–26 SV.League | Toray Arrows Shizuoka | 60.1% attack conversion |
| 2026 Volleyball Nations League | United States | 62 points — 52 attacks, 7 blocks, 3 aces |
| 2026 Volleyball Nations League | United States | Silver Medal |
The 2025–26 SV.League figures represent regular-season club statistics, while the VNL and Olympic numbers belong to separate international competitions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Taylor Averill?
Taylor Averill was born on March 5, 1992. He is 34 years old as of October 2026.
How tall is Taylor Averill?
Averill is 201 cm, or approximately 6-foot-7. USA Volleyball, Volleyball World and Toray Arrows Shizuoka all use that height.
What position does Taylor Averill play?
Averill plays as a middle blocker. His role centers on first-tempo attacking, blocking, serving and controlling space at the net.
Which club does Taylor Averill play for?
Averill plays for Toray Arrows Shizuoka in Japan’s SV.League. He joined the club in 2025 and remains on its 2026–27 roster.
What number does Taylor Averill wear?
Averill wears No. 13 for Toray Arrows Shizuoka and wore No. 13 for the United States during the 2026 VNL. At Paris 2024, he wore No. 19.
Did Taylor Averill win an Olympic medal?
Yes. Averill won bronze with the United States at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Was Taylor Averill named Best Middle Blocker at the Olympics?
Yes. Volleyball World selected Averill and Poland’s Jakub Kochanowski as the two Best Middle Blockers on the Paris 2024 Dream Team. Averill also led the tournament with 16 blocks.
Where did Taylor Averill play college volleyball?
Averill briefly attended UC Irvine before transferring to the University of Hawaiʻi. He played for Hawaiʻi from 2012 through 2015 and was an AVCA First Team All-American in both 2014 and 2015.
When did Taylor Averill debut for Team USA?
Averill made his senior U.S. national-team debut at the 2014 Pan American Cup, where the United States won silver.
What major club titles has Taylor Averill won?
His major club titles include the 2021 French championship with AS Cannes and the 2024 CEV Challenge Cup with Projekt Warszawa.
References
- USA Volleyball — Taylor Averill official athlete profile
- Team USA — Taylor Averill Olympic athlete profile
- Volleyball World — Taylor Averill Paris 2024 player profile and statistics
- Volleyball World — Paris 2024 Dream Team and Best Middle Blocker award
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Men win bronze at Paris 2024
- USA Volleyball — Taylor Averill and the 2018 FIVB World Championship bronze-medal team
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Men take silver at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League
- Volleyball World — Taylor Averill VNL 2026 player profile and statistics
- USA Volleyball — 2026 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship roster
- Toray Arrows Shizuoka — Taylor Averill official player profile
- Toray Arrows Shizuoka — 2026–27 official team roster
- Toray Arrows Shizuoka — Taylor Averill 2025–26 signing announcement
- SV.League — Taylor Averill official player record
- CEV — Projekt Warszawa win the 2024 CEV Challenge Cup
- CEV — Taylor Averill joins Projekt Warszawa
- CEV — AS Cannes roster and Taylor Averill physical data
- Ligue Nationale de Volley — AS Cannes crowned 2020–21 French champions
- AS Cannes — 2021 French championship victory
- CEV — Taylor Averill, Chaumont and his return from knee injury
- Vero Volley Monza — Taylor Averill joins for the 2024–25 season
- University of Hawaiʻi Athletics — Taylor Averill collegiate biography and statistics
- University of Hawaiʻi — Taylor Averill’s route from Hawaiʻi to the Olympic podium
- University of Hawaiʻi Athletics — Taylor Averill earns 2014 AVCA First Team All-America honors
- University of Hawaiʻi Athletics — Taylor Averill earns 2015 Academic All-District honors
- Volleybox — Taylor Averill player data and club history
