Ethan Robert Champlin (born November 29, 2001) is an American outside hitter who represents the United States Men’s National Volleyball Team and joined Cuneo Volley for the 2026–27 Italian SuperLega season. A native of Oceanside, California, he played four seasons at UCLA, became a three-time First Team All-American and won consecutive NCAA championships in 2023 and 2024.
Champlin made his senior U.S. debut at the 2021 Pan American Cup and gradually moved from developmental international teams into the main national-team rotation. He won the 2023 NORCECA Pan American Cup Final Six, started at the 2025 World Championship and helped the United States earn silver at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League. His professional career has included Helios Grizzlys Giesen and SVG Lüneburg in Germany before his move to Cuneo.
Player Information
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Ethan Robert Champlin |
| Date of Birth | November 29, 2001 |
| Born | Oceanside, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| High School | Classical Academy High School |
| College / University | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) |
| Position | Outside Hitter |
| Height | 191 cm |
| Dominant Hand | Right |
| Previous Teams | UCLA Bruins, Helios Grizzlys Giesen, SVG Lüneburg |
| Current Club | Cuneo Volley (Acqua Sant’Anna Cuneo) |
| Club Number | 20 |
| National Team | United States Men’s National Volleyball Team |
| National-Team Number | 20 |
| Senior National Team Since | 2021 |
Current Volleyball World and USA Volleyball listings both place Champlin at 191 cm, or 6-foot-3, while individual club records have sometimes listed slightly different measurements. His current SuperLega and U.S. national-team profiles both use No. 20.
Early Life & Volleyball Beginnings
Champlin grew up in Oceanside, California, and attended Classical Academy High School. His high-school volleyball background was unusually broad: UCLA records that he played setter, libero and outside hitter while helping Classical Academy win consecutive CIF section championships. That experience across several positions foreshadowed the all-around responsibilities that later became a defining part of his game as an outside hitter.
He also played for Coast Volleyball Club and was selected to the 2019 SCVA High Performance All-Tournament Team after his team finished third in the Boys Youth International Division. By the time he arrived at UCLA for the 2021 season, Champlin already had experience in USA Volleyball’s High Performance pathway.
His freshman season immediately established him as part of UCLA’s rotation. Champlin started 14 of his 15 appearances, ranked second on the team in kills per set and earned MPSF All-Freshman recognition. He was also named a Freshman All-American by Off the Block, beginning a four-year college career in which his role and national profile grew steadily.
Club Career
UCLA and Three Straight First Team All-America Selections
Champlin developed into one of the most consistent six-rotation outside hitters in NCAA volleyball at UCLA. After his freshman season in 2021, he earned First Team NVA/AVCA All-America and First Team All-MPSF honors in 2022. He produced 13 matches with double-digit kills that year and was selected to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
His junior season in 2023 combined individual recognition with a national championship. Champlin again made the AVCA First Team and All-MPSF First Team, while also becoming a finalist for the Karch Kiraly Award as the nation’s top collegiate outside attacker. He hit .349 for the season, served as one of UCLA’s primary passers and recorded a career-best 12 digs in the NCAA championship victory over Hawai‘i. UCLA finished 31–2 and won its first NCAA men’s volleyball title since 2006.
The Bruins repeated as national champions in 2024, and Champlin finished his college career with his strongest postseason. Across UCLA’s three NCAA Tournament matches, he recorded 42 kills while hitting .376, adding 21 digs, seven blocks and two aces. He was named the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player after UCLA defeated Long Beach State in the final.
That season also brought a third consecutive First Team AVCA All-America selection and another First Team All-MPSF honor. Champlin was a semifinalist for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award and left UCLA as a two-time NCAA champion with substantial experience in attacking, reception, serving and back-court defense.
First Professional Season with Helios Grizzlys Giesen
Champlin began his professional career in Germany after signing with Helios Grizzlys Giesen for 2024–25. The club introduced him shortly after his second NCAA championship, describing the American as a dynamic outside hitter who would become part of its new reception-attacking core.
The move gave Champlin immediate experience in the German Bundesliga and European competition. By the end of the Bundesliga regular season, Cuneo later noted that he ranked third among outside hitters in league scoring. His performances attracted interest from another German contender, and he moved to SVG Lüneburg after one season in Giesen.
Breakthrough Season with SVG Lüneburg
Lüneburg signed Champlin to a one-year contract for 2025–26. Head coach Stefan Hübner highlighted his ability to read the game, remain composed, attack effectively and create pressure from the service line. Champlin himself said the personal interest shown by the club and its development in recent seasons were important factors in the move.
The season became his most successful professional campaign to that point. Lüneburg won the German Cup, reached the CEV Cup final and finished runner-up in the Bundesliga. Champlin was heavily involved throughout the run, including 20 points in the German Cup final victory and a series of league performances that earned him multiple MVP selections.
Lüneburg also finished first in the Bundesliga regular season before progressing through the playoffs. Cuneo’s subsequent signing announcement credited Champlin with five regular-season MVP selections and identified him as the second-highest scorer of the playoffs, illustrating how far his role had grown during only his second professional season.
Move to Cuneo and the Italian SuperLega
Cuneo announced Champlin on May 20, 2026, bringing him to Italy for his first SuperLega season. Sporting director Paolo Brugiafreddo emphasized his balance across the different phases of play, his technique and his ability to read situations despite not having the extreme height of some international pin hitters.
Champlin formally joined the group after the 2026 international season and was presented by the club in September. In his official Cuneo introduction, he described the SuperLega as a competition he had wanted to play in for years and stressed that team success mattered more to him than individual recognition.
The move represents a significant step in his professional development. After two seasons in Germany, including domestic and European finals with Lüneburg, Champlin enters an Italian league featuring many of the same elite players he has faced with the U.S. national team. Cuneo’s current first-team roster lists him among its outside hitters for 2026–27.
Club Career Timeline
| Seasons | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2021–2024 | UCLA Bruins | United States |
| 2024–2025 | Helios Grizzlys Giesen | Germany |
| 2025–2026 | SVG Lüneburg | Germany |
| 2026–present | Cuneo Volley | Italy |
National Team Career
Champlin entered the U.S. senior program unusually early. He was selected for the 2021 NORCECA Pan American Cup while still at UCLA and made his senior national-team debut during that tournament. The young American roster went on to defeat the Dominican Republic in the bronze-medal match, giving Champlin his first senior international medal.
He returned to Pan American competition in 2022, collecting bronze medals at both the Pan American Cup and the Final Six. In 2023, he appeared at the Pan American Cup before playing a central role in the Final Six in Edmonton. The United States went undefeated and lost only one set during the tournament before sweeping Canada in the gold-medal match.
Champlin led the championship match with 16 points on 12 kills, two blocks and two aces. He was subsequently named the tournament’s second-best spiker, while Patrick Gasman took MVP honors. The gold was the United States’ first in the competition.
His progression into higher-level senior tournaments continued in 2024 with his first Volleyball Nations League appearances. Later that summer, he helped the United States take silver at the NORCECA Pan American Cup. By 2025, Champlin had moved into a larger role under head coach Karch Kiraly and made the U.S. roster for the FIVB World Championship in the Philippines.
He started the World Championship opener against Colombia and led the United States with 17 points from 12 kills, three aces and two blocks. Across five matches, Champlin finished with 63 points—50 in attack, five from blocks and eight from serve—as the U.S. advanced through pool play and Slovenia before losing a five-set quarterfinal to Bulgaria.
The 2026 VNL produced another step forward. Champlin appeared throughout the preliminary phase and remained on the roster for the Finals in China. Volleyball World recorded 83 points for him during the competition, including 70 attack points, six blocks and seven aces.
The United States swept Italy in the quarterfinal and defeated previously unbeaten Japan in five sets in the semifinal. Poland won the final 3–2, leaving the U.S. with silver, its first VNL medal since 2023. Champlin scored nine points in the championship match and completed the summer as an established member of the senior outside-hitter group.
Playing Style & Strengths
Champlin is a six-rotation outside hitter whose value comes from balance rather than one overwhelming physical trait. At 191 cm, he is shorter than many international attackers at his position, but his jumping ability, timing and technical control allow him to play effectively above his listed height. Cuneo’s sporting director described him as a player capable of contributing in every phase and specifically highlighted his reading of the game.
That versatility was already visible at UCLA. Champlin carried substantial attacking volume while remaining one of the Bruins’ primary serve receivers, and in 2024 UCLA even used him at libero during portions of several matches. He finished that NCAA championship season with 479 reception attempts and was regularly responsible for both first contact and terminal attacking.
Serving has also been a consistent source of pressure. Champlin ranked among the NCAA leaders in aces during his college career, while his international production has included eight aces at the 2025 World Championship and seven during the 2026 VNL. His serve is part of a broader game built around repeatable technical quality rather than relying exclusively on power.
His defensive instincts are another distinguishing feature for an outside hitter. During the 2025 World Championship Round of 16 against Slovenia, Karch Kiraly specifically pointed to a late defensive play from Champlin as an example of contributing even when his attacking night was less efficient. That capacity to stay valuable when one part of his game is not working fits the profile he developed through four years at UCLA and two seasons in Germany.
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 |
Selected Club & College Honors
| Year / Season | Team | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | UCLA Bruins | NCAA Championship | Champion |
| 2023 | UCLA Bruins | MPSF Championship | Champion |
| 2024 | UCLA Bruins | NCAA Championship | Champion |
| 2025–26 | SVG Lüneburg | German Cup | Champion |
| 2025–26 | SVG Lüneburg | CEV Cup | Runner-up |
| 2025–26 | SVG Lüneburg | German Bundesliga | Runner-up |
Selected Individual Awards
| Year | Competition / Organization | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | AVCA | First Team All-American |
| 2023 | AVCA | First Team All-American |
| 2023 | NORCECA Pan American Cup Final Six | Second-Best Spiker |
| 2024 | AVCA | First Team All-American |
| 2024 | NCAA Championship | Most Outstanding Player |
| 2024 | AAU James E. Sullivan Award | Semifinalist |
Personal Life & Interests
Champlin is the son of Gena and Mike Champlin and grew up with two brothers and a sister. His UCLA biography lists surfing, reading and skateboarding among his interests and names Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant among the athletes he admired.
His college career also included substantial academic recognition. Champlin was selected to the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America At-Large Team and repeatedly appeared on UCLA academic honor rolls while maintaining his role as one of the volleyball program’s most heavily used players.
Champlin is married to Vanessa. SVG Lüneburg referenced the couple visiting the city together before he signed there, and Cuneo’s September 2026 presentation noted that they were living near the center of Cuneo as he settled into his first season in Italy.
Where Is Ethan Champlin Playing Now?
Champlin joined Cuneo Volley for the 2026–27 season and is part of the club’s SuperLega first-team roster. The club’s current sponsored competition identity is Acqua Sant’Anna Cuneo, while Volleyball World lists Champlin as No. 20 for Cuneo in its 2026–27 SuperLega player database.
The move follows two professional seasons in Germany. Champlin arrived in Italy after winning the German Cup, reaching the CEV Cup final and finishing second in the Bundesliga with Lüneburg, while also completing a U.S. national-team summer that ended with VNL silver.
Cuneo presented him to the media in September after several weeks of training with the group. His comments at that presentation focused on the challenge of playing against the strongest teams in Italy and on helping the club regardless of whether his role in a particular match is as a starter or from the bench.
Recent Performance Snapshot
Champlin’s two most recent completed major international tournaments show his growing involvement with the U.S. senior team.
| Competition | Matches / Stage | Total Points | Attack Points | Block Points | Service Aces |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 FIVB World Championship | 5 matches | 63 | 50 | 5 | 8 |
| 2026 Volleyball Nations League | Preliminary Round + Finals | 83 | 70 | 6 | 7 |
At the 2025 World Championship, Champlin scored 17 points both in the opening win over Colombia and in the quarterfinal against Bulgaria. In the 2026 VNL, his production was spread across all three preliminary weeks and the medal round, where he scored 10 points against Italy, seven against Japan and nine in the final against Poland.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Ethan Champlin?
Ethan Champlin was born on November 29, 2001. He is 24 years old during the opening months of the 2026–27 club season.
How tall is Ethan Champlin?
Champlin is listed at 191 cm, approximately 6-foot-3, by Volleyball World and USA Volleyball. Some club records have used slightly different figures.
What position does Ethan Champlin play?
He is an outside hitter. His role includes attacking from the left side and back row, serve reception, serving, blocking and back-court defense.
Which club does Ethan Champlin play for?
Champlin joined Cuneo Volley for the 2026–27 Italian SuperLega season after spending 2025–26 with SVG Lüneburg in Germany.
What number does Ethan Champlin wear?
Champlin is listed as No. 20 for both Cuneo and the United States during the 2026–27 period. He wore No. 25 for the U.S. at the 2025 World Championship.
When did Ethan Champlin debut for Team USA?
Champlin made his senior U.S. national-team debut at the 2021 NORCECA Pan American Cup. The United States finished the tournament with a bronze medal.
How many NCAA championships did Ethan Champlin win?
Champlin won two NCAA championships with UCLA, in 2023 and 2024. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2024 NCAA Championship.
References
- USA Volleyball — Ethan Champlin athlete profile
- Volleyball World — Ethan Champlin 2026 VNL profile and statistics
- Volleyball World — Ethan Champlin 2026–27 SuperLega profile
- UCLA Athletics — Ethan Champlin player profile
- UCLA Athletics — UCLA wins the 2024 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship
- AVCA — 2024 National Collegiate Men’s All-America Teams
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Men win gold at the 2023 NORCECA Final Six
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Men open the 2025 World Championship against Colombia
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Men reach the 2025 World Championship quarterfinals
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Men announce roster for the 2026 VNL Final
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Men earn silver at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League
- Helios Grizzlys Giesen — Ethan Champlin signs for 2024–25
- SVG Lüneburg — Ethan Champlin joins Lüneburg
- SVG Lüneburg — 2026 German Cup final victory
- German Volleyball Federation — SVG Lüneburg takes silver in the 2026 CEV Cup
- Cuneo Volley — Ethan Champlin signing announcement
- Cuneo Volley — Ethan Champlin official introduction
- Cuneo Volley — 2026–27 first-team roster
