Born in Bedford, Texas, on October 17, 2000, Merrick McHenry is an American middle blocker who plays for Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza and represents the United States Men’s National Volleyball Team. Standing 201 cm, McHenry developed at UCLA into one of the most efficient middle attackers in NCAA volleyball, helping the Bruins win consecutive national championships in 2023 and 2024 before beginning his professional career in France.
His international career began at senior level in 2021. McHenry progressed through Pan American and NORCECA competition before establishing a larger role with the U.S. team, making his World Championship debut in 2025 and contributing throughout a 2026 season that ended with Volleyball Nations League silver and NORCECA Continental Championship gold. His move from Nice Volley-Ball to Piacenza for 2026–27 marks his first season in Italy’s SuperLega.
Player Information
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Merrick McHenry |
| Date of Birth | October 17, 2000 |
| Born | Bedford, Texas, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| High School | L.D. Bell High School |
| College / University | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) |
| Position | Middle Blocker |
| Height | 201 cm |
| Weight | 82 kg |
| Spike Reach | 374 cm |
| Block Reach | 335 cm |
| Dominant Hand | Right |
| Previous Teams | UCLA Bruins, Nice Volley-Ball |
| Current Club | Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza |
| Club Number | 1 |
| National Team | United States Men’s National Volleyball Team |
| National-Team Number | 24 |
| Senior National Team Since | 2021 |
| @merrickmchenry |
Early Life & Volleyball Beginnings
McHenry grew up in Bedford, Texas, in an athletic family. His mother, Jennifer, played volleyball at Texas Tech, while his father, Metrick, played college football at Texas Tech and Texas A&M-Commerce. He has an older brother, Metrick, an older sister, Makenzie, and a twin sister, Mally.
At L.D. Bell High School, volleyball was only part of his athletic profile. McHenry also competed in track and basketball, earning all-state recognition in track. As a sophomore, he won state titles in the 110-meter hurdles, long jump and triple jump, an unusual combination of events that reflected the speed and explosive jumping ability he would later bring to the middle-blocker position.
His volleyball development continued with Austin Juniors. McHenry captained the club, was named its Newcomer of the Year and made the 18 Open All-Tournament Team at the 2019 USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championship. Volleyball Magazine also regarded him as a Fab 50 prospect and one of the leading recruits in his class.
McHenry arrived at UCLA in 2019 but did not see match action during the shortened 2020 season. When he entered the rotation the following year, his position had shifted from the outside/opposite role listed during his early college seasons toward the middle, where his jumping ability, speed and attacking efficiency became far more distinctive.
Club Career
From UCLA Prospect to Elite NCAA Middle
McHenry broke into UCLA’s lineup in 2021 and quickly became one of the program’s most productive front-row players. He hit .423 while averaging just over one block per set, earning honorable mention AVCA All-America recognition, Second Team All-MPSF honors and a place on the MPSF All-Freshman Team.
His efficiency increased again in 2022. McHenry finished the season hitting .523, one of the best marks in the country, and moved onto the AVCA First Team All-America and All-MPSF First Team. By then, his role was firmly established: he was a fast first-tempo option who could score at a high rate while remaining a significant part of UCLA’s blocking system.
The 2023 season brought both individual recognition and team success. McHenry led NCAA men’s volleyball with a .526 attack percentage and was named First Team All-American for the second consecutive year. His performance in the MPSF Tournament was particularly efficient. Across UCLA’s two victories, he recorded 20 kills on 23 swings without an attacking error, hitting .870 and earning tournament MVP honors as the Bruins won their first MPSF Tournament championship since 2006.
That form carried into the national postseason. UCLA defeated Hawai‘i in four sets to win the 2023 NCAA championship, its first national title since 2006. McHenry finished the championship match with 11 kills, an ace and two block assists. After the season, he received the Ryan Millar Award as the nation’s top collegiate middle attacker.
A Second NCAA Championship in 2024
McHenry’s final UCLA season strengthened an already unusual statistical résumé. He finished 2024 with a .585 hitting percentage, setting a UCLA single-season record, while his .519 career hitting percentage also became a program record. He completed his Bruin career with 48 solo blocks, another UCLA rally-scoring-era record.
The conference recognized his broader impact by naming him the 2024 MPSF Player of the Year. McHenry became the first middle blocker to receive that award since Pepperdine’s Brad Keenan in 2002. He was also selected to the All-MPSF First Team and AVCA First Team All-America for a third consecutive season.
UCLA returned to the NCAA championship match and defeated Long Beach State to retain the national title. McHenry was named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team, giving him consecutive national championships to close his collegiate career.
His postseason awards went beyond All-America recognition. McHenry won the Ryan Millar Award for a second straight year and also received the 2024 Dain Blanton Diversity Award. Across his final two seasons, the combination of championship results, record-level hitting efficiency and individual honors made him one of the most decorated middle blockers of his NCAA generation.
Beginning His Professional Career in Nice
After completing his UCLA career, McHenry moved to France and signed with Nice Volley-Ball for the 2024–25 season. The transfer represented his first full professional experience outside the United States and placed him in France’s top division immediately after college.
He remained in Nice for two seasons. The French league required a different type of consistency from the NCAA schedule, with a longer club season and repeated matchups against experienced professional middles and setters. McHenry became a regular part of Nice’s middle rotation and continued to build on the attacking efficiency and blocking that had defined his UCLA career.
His second season in France provided the platform for the next move. By summer 2026, McHenry had combined two years of Ligue A experience with a growing role for the U.S. national team, including a World Championship appearance and extensive VNL competition.
Moving to Piacenza and the SuperLega
Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza announced McHenry’s signing in June 2026 on a two-season agreement. The move brought him into the Italian SuperLega for the first time and placed him in a middle-blocker group built for one of the deepest domestic competitions in the sport.
Piacenza identified McHenry’s attacking ability as a particularly good fit for its offensive system, while also emphasizing his blocking and serving potential. In his official signing announcement, McHenry described reaching the SuperLega as a goal he had carried since childhood and said he wanted to compete for trophies with the club.
He arrived in Piacenza after completing the 2026 U.S. national-team season and was formally introduced in early October. The club assigned him No. 1 and listed him at 201 cm for his first SuperLega campaign.
Club Career Timeline
| Seasons | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2019–2024 | UCLA Bruins | United States |
| 2024–2026 | Nice Volley-Ball | France |
| 2026–present | Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza | Italy |
National Team Career
McHenry made his senior U.S. debut at the 2021 NORCECA Continental Championship, where a young American roster finished fifth. Soon afterward, he played a larger role at the Pan American Cup in the Dominican Republic.
The bronze-medal match against the host nation provided one of his earliest major senior performances. McHenry led the United States with 18 points, including eight blocks, as the Americans won 3–1. He finished the seven-match tournament with 25 block points, the second-highest total in the competition.
McHenry remained involved with developmental senior squads over the following seasons. The United States won bronze at both the 2022 Pan American Cup and the 2022 Pan American Cup Final Six. In 2023, he was part of the U.S. squad that won the Pan American Cup Final Six in Edmonton, completing the competition 6–0 and defeating Canada in straight sets in the final.
He also competed at the regular Pan American Cup in 2023 and helped the U.S. win silver at the 2024 edition. Those tournaments gave McHenry several years of senior international experience before he moved into Volleyball Nations League and World Championship competition.
From VNL Debut to the 2025 World Championship
Although McHenry had appeared on earlier VNL long lists, his first match action in the competition came in 2025. That summer became an important step toward the U.S. World Championship roster under head coach Karch Kiraly.
McHenry was selected as one of four middle blockers for the 2025 World Championship in Manila and started alongside Jeff Jendryk in the opening victory over Colombia. It was McHenry’s first appearance at either a senior World Championship or Olympic Games.
He remained involved throughout pool play. Against Portugal, McHenry scored eight points on six kills and two blocks as the United States won in straight sets. He added six kills against Cuba as the U.S. completed pool play unbeaten.
The Americans then defeated Slovenia in the Round of 16 before meeting Bulgaria in the quarterfinals. The U.S. won the opening two sets but Bulgaria recovered to win 3–2, ending the American tournament one match short of the semifinals. For McHenry, however, the event represented a clear change in national-team status: he was no longer limited to secondary Pan American rosters and had become a starting option at a major global championship.
VNL Silver and NORCECA Gold in 2026
McHenry returned for all three preliminary weeks of the 2026 Volleyball Nations League and remained on the roster for the Finals in Ningbo Beilun, China. Across the competition, Volleyball World recorded 86 points for him—60 in attack and 26 from blocks.
His strongest offensive performance came in the championship match against Poland. McHenry scored 14 points, converting 11 of 17 attacks with only one error and adding three blocks. Poland won the five-set final, leaving the United States with silver, but the tournament was McHenry’s first medal in the VNL.
The U.S. finished its international season at the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship in Canada. McHenry contributed 31 points across five matches, including 11 block points. In the semifinal sweep of the Dominican Republic, he led all scorers with 11 points on eight kills and three blocks.
The United States defeated Canada 3–2 in the final to win the continental title and secure qualification for the 2027 Men’s World Cup. McHenry finished the summer with medals from both major competitions he played and a firmly established place in the U.S. middle-blocker group.
Playing Style & Strengths
McHenry’s most distinctive trait is the combination of speed and attacking efficiency he brings to the middle. At 201 cm, he is not unusually tall by elite international middle-blocker standards, but his jumping ability allows him to play at a much larger vertical range than his listed height suggests.
That athletic profile was visible long before professional volleyball. His background in hurdles and horizontal jumps required acceleration, rhythm and explosive takeoff, and similar qualities appear in his approach as a middle attacker. McHenry gets off the floor quickly, which gives setters the option to use him in fast first-tempo combinations before the opposing block has completely formed.
His UCLA numbers provide the clearest evidence of how efficient that style can be. He hit .526 in 2023 and .585 in 2024, with the latter becoming a UCLA single-season record. His .519 career percentage also set a school record. Those figures came across multiple seasons rather than a brief scoring run and were central to his consecutive Ryan Millar Awards.
Blocking is the other major part of his profile. McHenry accumulated 48 solo blocks during his UCLA career and has continued to produce at international level. In the 2026 VNL, 26 of his 86 points came from blocks, while he added 11 more block points at the NORCECA Continental Championship.
His block is helped by lateral speed as much as reach. McHenry can move along the net quickly enough to close against the pins, while his elevation gives him room to penetrate across the net once he arrives. Against the Dominican Republic at the 2026 continental tournament, he recorded five blocks in a three-set match.
Piacenza has also highlighted his potential from the service line. Serving has not always produced large ace totals at international level—he did not record an ace during the 2026 VNL—but the club sees it as another phase in which his athleticism can create pressure. The broader attraction is a middle who can contribute without requiring an unusually slow or predictable offensive rhythm.
Major Achievements
Selected National Team Honors
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | NORCECA Pan American Cup | Bronze |
| 2022 | NORCECA Pan American Cup | Bronze |
| 2022 | NORCECA Pan American Cup Final Six | Bronze |
| 2023 | NORCECA Pan American Cup Final Six | Gold |
| 2024 | NORCECA Pan American Cup | Silver |
| 2026 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver |
| 2026 | NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship | Gold |
Selected College Honors
| Year | Team | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | UCLA Bruins | MPSF Tournament | Champion |
| 2023 | UCLA Bruins | NCAA Championship | Champion |
| 2024 | UCLA Bruins | NCAA Championship | Champion |
Selected Individual Awards
| Year | Organization / Competition | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | AVCA | Honorable Mention All-American |
| 2021 | MPSF | Second Team All-MPSF |
| 2022 | AVCA | First Team All-American |
| 2022 | MPSF | First Team All-MPSF |
| 2023 | AVCA | First Team All-American |
| 2023 | MPSF | First Team All-MPSF |
| 2023 | MPSF Tournament | Most Valuable Player |
| 2023 | Off the Block | Ryan Millar Award |
| 2024 | MPSF | Player of the Year |
| 2024 | AVCA | First Team All-American |
| 2024 | NCAA Championship | All-Tournament Team |
| 2024 | Off the Block | Ryan Millar Award |
| 2024 | Off the Block | Dain Blanton Diversity Award |
Personal Life & Interests
Athletic competition was part of McHenry’s family environment before he reached UCLA. His mother’s volleyball background gave him a direct connection to the sport, while his father played college football. McHenry and his siblings also grew up around multiple sports rather than specializing in volleyball from the beginning.
His own high-school résumé reflected that variety. In addition to volleyball, McHenry lettered in basketball and became an all-state track athlete. Winning state titles in the 110 hurdles, long jump and triple jump demonstrated a level of all-around explosiveness that later became one of the recognizable features of his volleyball game.
McHenry has identified photography as one of his hobbies away from the court. During college, he also earned multiple places on UCLA’s Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, including Fall 2022, Fall 2023 and Winter 2021.
Where Is Merrick McHenry Playing Now?
McHenry joined Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza for the 2026–27 SuperLega season after two years with Nice Volley-Ball in France. His agreement with Piacenza covers two seasons, giving the move more permanence than a one-year transition into Italian volleyball.
Piacenza lists McHenry as No. 1 in its current first-team roster. He joined the squad after completing his U.S. national-team commitments and was formally presented by the club on October 1, 2026.
The move places him in a SuperLega middle-blocker group that also includes established Italian international Gianluca Galassi. For McHenry, the immediate challenge is adapting the efficiency that defined his NCAA career and developed further in France to a league with greater serving pressure, faster tactical adjustments and deeper opposition at the net.
He remains an active member of the United States Men’s National Volleyball Team and wore No. 24 throughout the 2026 VNL and NORCECA Continental Championship.
Recent Performance Snapshot
McHenry’s 2026 international season provided the strongest senior-level statistical sample of his career so far.
| Competition | Total Points | Attack Points | Block Points | Service Aces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Volleyball Nations League | 86 | 60 | 26 | 0 |
| 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship | 31 | 17 | 11 | 3 |
The distribution is particularly relevant for a middle blocker. More than 30 percent of McHenry’s VNL scoring came from blocks, while his NORCECA tournament included 11 blocks in five matches. His 14-point performance against Poland in the VNL final was his strongest attacking match of that competition, with 11 kills and three blocks.
At the continental championship, his most productive match came in the semifinal against the Dominican Republic, where he scored 11 points and led all players. The United States followed that win by defeating Canada in five sets for the title.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Merrick McHenry?
Merrick McHenry is listed at 201 cm, approximately 6-foot-7, by Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza. Volleyball World competition profiles have listed him at 200 cm.
What position does Merrick McHenry play?
McHenry is a middle blocker. His game is built around quick attacking, blocking and explosive movement at the net.
Which club does Merrick McHenry play for?
McHenry plays for Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza in Italy’s SuperLega. He joined the club for the 2026–27 season after two years with Nice Volley-Ball in France.
What number does Merrick McHenry wear?
McHenry wears No. 1 for Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza. He wears No. 24 for the United States Men’s National Volleyball Team.
When did Merrick McHenry debut for Team USA?
McHenry made his senior national-team debut at the 2021 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship.
Did Merrick McHenry play at the World Championship?
Yes. McHenry made his FIVB Men’s World Championship debut in 2025 and was part of the U.S. team that reached the quarterfinals in Manila.
How many NCAA championships did Merrick McHenry win?
McHenry won two NCAA men’s volleyball championships with UCLA, in 2023 and 2024.
What individual awards did Merrick McHenry win at UCLA?
His major college honors included three consecutive AVCA First Team All-America selections from 2022 through 2024, the 2024 MPSF Player of the Year award, the 2023 MPSF Tournament MVP award and consecutive Ryan Millar Awards in 2023 and 2024 as the nation’s top collegiate middle attacker.
What is Merrick McHenry’s Instagram?
McHenry’s verified player listing with Piacenza identifies his Instagram as @merrickmchenry.
References
- Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza — Merrick McHenry player and career profile
- Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza — 2026–27 first-team roster
- Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza — Merrick McHenry signing announcement
- Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza — Merrick McHenry official presentation
- USA Volleyball — Merrick McHenry athlete profile
- USA Volleyball — 2021 Pan American Cup bronze-medal match
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Men win gold at the 2023 Pan American Cup Final Six
- USA Volleyball — 2024 Men’s Pan American Cup
- USA Volleyball — 2025 World Championship roster
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Men open the 2025 World Championship against Colombia
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Men sweep Portugal at the 2025 World Championship
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Men fall to Bulgaria in the 2025 World Championship quarterfinal
- USA Volleyball — 2026 Volleyball Nations League Final roster
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Men earn silver at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Men win the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship
- Volleyball World — Merrick McHenry 2026 VNL profile and statistics
- Volleyball World — Merrick McHenry 2026 NORCECA profile and statistics
- UCLA Athletics — Merrick McHenry player profile
- UCLA Athletics — Merrick McHenry wins the 2023 Ryan Millar Award
- UCLA Athletics — UCLA wins the 2023 MPSF Tournament championship
- UCLA Athletics — UCLA wins the 2024 NCAA championship
- UCLA Athletics — Merrick McHenry wins the 2024 Ryan Millar and Dain Blanton Awards
- MPSF — Merrick McHenry named 2024 MPSF Player of the Year
- LNV — Merrick McHenry French league statistics with Nice
- Volleybox — Merrick McHenry player data
