Michael Marshman (born July 27, 1994) is an American middle blocker who has represented the United States at senior international level since 2023. Standing 201 cm, he has spent most of his professional career in France after beginning overseas in Finland, with stops at Le Plessis-Robinson, Cambrai, Chaumont and Tours before joining Arago de Sète for the 2026–27 season.
Marshman reached the senior U.S. team comparatively late in his professional career, making his debut at the 2023 Pan American Cup after already spending several seasons in European club volleyball. He subsequently won the 2023 NORCECA Pan American Cup Final Six, helped the United States take silver at the 2024 Pan American Cup and was part of the team that won the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship. At club level, he was a French champion with Tours in 2025 and added the French Super Cup later that year.
Player Information
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Michael Marshman |
| Date of Birth | July 27, 1994 |
| Born | Albany, New York, United States |
| Hometown | Glenmont, New York, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| High School | Bethlehem Central High School |
| College / University | Saint Francis University |
| Position | Middle Blocker |
| Height | 201 cm |
| Weight | 89 kg |
| Spike Reach | 366 cm |
| Block Reach | 346 cm |
| Dominant Hand | Right |
| Previous Clubs | Raision Loimu, Le Plessis-Robinson, Cambrai Volley, Chaumont Volley-Ball 52, Tours Volley-Ball |
| Current Club | Arago de Sète |
| Current Role | Captain |
| National Team | United States Men’s National Volleyball Team |
| National-Team Number | 12 |
| Senior National Team Since | 2023 |
| @mikemarshman |
USA Volleyball currently lists Marshman as a 6-foot-7 middle blocker from Glenmont and No. 12 on the senior national-team roster. Volleyball World independently lists him at 201 cm, while WorldofVolley supplies the additional physical measurements and Albany birthplace used above. His Instagram handle is also directly identified in a volleyball interview featuring Marshman.
Early Life & Volleyball Beginnings
Marshman grew up in the Capital Region of New York and attended Bethlehem Central High School. Volleyball was not initially the only sport in his plans, and his eventual route into the game developed without the profile of a nationally recruited teenage prospect. By the end of high school, however, he had become one of the stronger players in his section, earning first-team Section II recognition as a junior and Section II MVP honors as a senior. Bethlehem Central also won sectional and regional championships during his high-school career.
His recruitment to Saint Francis came together unusually late. In a 2025 Saint Francis alumni interview, Marshman recalled submitting another recruiting questionnaire to head coach Mike Rumbaugh shortly before a major high-school tournament in western New York. Rumbaugh made the trip on short notice, watched Marshman’s final match and subsequently invited him for an official visit. It became the opening for a four-year college career that substantially changed his trajectory.
Marshman appeared in 11 matches as a Saint Francis freshman in 2013 before becoming a full-time starter. He earned Second Team All-EIVA honors in 2014 and First Team All-EIVA recognition in both 2015 and 2016. His senior season was his strongest: he led the EIVA with a .403 hitting percentage, averaged 1.01 blocks per set, totaled 207 kills and a team-leading 110 blocks, and received AVCA Division I-II All-America Honorable Mention recognition.
That 2016 Saint Francis team also produced one of the program’s defining postseason results. In the EIVA semifinal against top-seeded Penn State, Marshman recorded 11 kills on .625 hitting with six blocks as Saint Francis won 3–1 and reached the conference final. He completed his college career with 596 kills, 304 blocks and 53 service aces in 91 matches.
Club Career
First Professional Season in Finland
Marshman moved directly into professional volleyball after graduating from Saint Francis in 2016, signing with Raision Loimu in Finland. He secured a starting role early in his first season. The transition also forced an adjustment from the athletic advantages he could rely on in college toward the faster decisions and tactical discipline of the professional game.
His time in Finland lasted one season, but it established a European career that has continued for a decade. Rather than return to the United States after 2016–17, Marshman moved to France, the country that would become the main base of his professional career.
Le Plessis-Robinson and Cambrai
Marshman joined Le Plessis-Robinson in 2017 and spent two seasons with the club before moving to Cambrai in 2019. Both experiences came below the top tier initially, giving him a different route from American players who enter major first divisions immediately after college.
Cambrai proved to be an important step upward. The club earned promotion to France’s top division in 2020, allowing Marshman to continue with the same organization while moving into a higher competitive level. He remained there through 2021–22. By the end of that period, he had accumulated five consecutive seasons in French club volleyball and had become established enough in the league to attract a move to one of its regular contenders.
Chaumont Volley-Ball 52
Chaumont signed Marshman in 2022 after reaching the French championship semifinals and winning the Coupe de France the previous season. The move placed him alongside another American middle blocker, Patrick Gasman, and brought Marshman into a team expected to compete near the top of the French league.
His role at Chaumont included both attacking and blocking responsibility in the middle. In one early 2022–23 league win over Paris, for example, Marshman scored 10 points and produced four blocks. More importantly for his longer-term career, his performances during the Chaumont period helped put him on the radar of the U.S. national-team staff.
Marshman later explained that contact with then-U.S. assistant coach Matt Fuerbringer began while Fuerbringer was visiting national-team players in France. After a strong finish to his club season, Marshman volunteered to join U.S. training whenever another middle blocker was needed. That willingness eventually turned into a tryout opportunity and his first senior international selection in 2023.
Tours Volley-Ball
After two seasons with Chaumont, Marshman joined Tours Volley-Ball for 2024–25. The move produced the biggest domestic club title of his career: Tours won the 2025 French championship, adding a tenth league title to the club’s history. Marshman remained with Tours for a second season in 2025–26.
Tours also won the 2025 French Super Cup. The club’s own honors record lists both the 2025 championship and Super Cup among its titles, giving Marshman major domestic trophies in consecutive phases of his two-year spell.
European competition added another layer to those seasons. Marshman appeared for Tours in the 2024–25 CEV Cup and remained on the roster during the following European campaign. CEV listed him as a 201 cm middle blocker wearing No. 12 for Tours.
Arago de Sète
Marshman left Tours in the summer of 2026 and joined Arago de Sète. The move kept him in the French top division and extended a French professional career that began in 2017. Sète added him as one of several international recruits after reaching the league semifinals the previous season.
His role is not limited to occupying one of the middle-blocker positions. Ahead of the 2026–27 season, Marshman was named Sète’s captain, placing a player entering his tenth professional season in a leadership position with his new club.
Club Career Timeline
| Seasons | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2013–2016 | Saint Francis Red Flash | United States |
| 2016–2017 | Raision Loimu | Finland |
| 2017–2019 | Le Plessis-Robinson | France |
| 2019–2022 | Cambrai Volley | France |
| 2022–2024 | Chaumont Volley-Ball 52 | France |
| 2024–2026 | Tours Volley-Ball | France |
| 2026–present | Arago de Sète | France |
The professional chronology is supported by Saint Francis, L’Équipe and current French roster reporting, with L’Équipe specifically documenting the Plessis-Robinson–Cambrai–Chaumont sequence and Cambrai’s promotion to the top division in 2020.
National Team Career
Marshman made his senior U.S. national-team debut at the 2023 NORCECA Pan American Cup in Guadalajara. USA Volleyball’s current athlete profile identifies that tournament as his senior debut, and he remained with a second U.S. group later that year for the NORCECA Pan American Cup Final Six in Edmonton.
The Final Six produced his first senior international gold medal. The United States went unbeaten across six matches, dropping only one set in the entire tournament before sweeping Canada in the final. Marshman wore No. 23 on that roster.
His international role expanded in 2024. Marshman was selected for VNL Week One and then started throughout the Pan American Cup, where the United States reached the gold-medal match before losing to Canada. He scored 12 points on eight kills, three blocks and an ace in the opening win over Puerto Rico and finished the final with seven points. The U.S. took silver.
Marshman remained in the national-team pool in 2025. He was named to the preliminary VNL roster and later traveled to the World Championship in the Philippines as a training alternate. During the tournament he was subsequently listed on the U.S. match roster for the quarterfinal against Bulgaria, although Volleyball World recorded no scoring statistics for him at the event.
In 2026, he returned to a VNL match roster for the first time since 2024, wearing No. 12 during Week One. His more substantial international contribution came later at the NORCECA Continental Championship in Canada. Marshman scored 17 points across the tournament—10 in attack, six from blocks and one from serve—as the United States went unbeaten and defeated Canada in five sets in the final to win the continental title.
Playing Style & Strengths
Marshman plays the middle-blocker position with an efficiency-first attacking profile and a strong emphasis on reading the opposing offense. His listed 201 cm height is not extreme by international middle-blocker standards, so timing, recognition and positioning are important parts of how he creates value at the net. Secondary athlete data lists a 366 cm spike reach and 346 cm block reach, while his collegiate and international production consistently shows contributions in both first-tempo attack and blocking.
His Saint Francis career already showed that balance. As a senior he hit .403 while producing 110 total blocks, and in the EIVA semifinal against Penn State he combined 11 kills on .625 hitting with six blocks. Those numbers fit the responsibilities of a middle who needs to convert a relatively limited number of attack opportunities efficiently while influencing far more rallies through the block.
Marshman has also discussed the technical side of middle blocking in detail. In a 2020 episode of The Deep Corner, he broke down how a middle blocker reads the game at the net, providing useful context for a skill that has remained central throughout his career.
His 2026 NORCECA numbers offer a recent international example. Volleyball World credited him with 10 attack points at 58.82 percent efficiency, six block points and one ace. The volume was modest compared with a pin attacker, as expected for the position, but the distribution reflects the multi-phase contribution required from an international middle.
Major Achievements
Selected National Team Honors
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | NORCECA Pan American Cup Final Six | Gold |
| 2024 | NORCECA Pan American Cup | Silver |
| 2026 | NORCECA Continental Championship | Gold |
Selected Club Honors
| Season / Year | Team | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Tours Volley-Ball | French Championship | Champion |
| 2025 | Tours Volley-Ball | French Super Cup | Champion |
Selected College Honors
| Year | Organization / Competition | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | EIVA | Second Team All-EIVA |
| 2015 | EIVA | First Team All-EIVA |
| 2016 | EIVA | First Team All-EIVA |
| 2016 | EIVA Championship | All-Tournament Team |
| 2016 | AVCA | Division I-II All-America Honorable Mention |
Personal Life & Education
Marshman is the son of Robert and Tracey Marshman. He grew up in Glenmont, New York, and his connection to the Capital Region has remained part of his public biography even after spending most of his adult professional career overseas. USA Volleyball continues to list Glenmont as his hometown.
At Saint Francis, Marshman ultimately earned his degree in biology with a concentration in marine science. A later alumni interview records that information directly from Marshman, despite an older college roster listing a different academic program during his playing years. He explained that professional volleyball was initially a dream rather than a certainty and only became a realistic first career option late in his college years.
That same interview provides unusual detail about how his international career developed years after college. Rather than entering the U.S. senior program immediately after graduation, Marshman spent years establishing himself in European leagues before contacting the national-team staff and offering to help in training. The opportunity eventually became a Pan American Cup tryout and then recurring involvement with the VNL and other senior U.S. competitions.
Where Is Michael Marshman Playing Now?
Marshman plays for Arago de Sète in France for the 2026–27 season. He joined the club after two seasons with Tours Volley-Ball, remaining in the same national league while beginning a new club chapter after winning the 2025 French title and Super Cup with Tours.
Sète has also entrusted Marshman with the captaincy for 2026–27. That role reflects the experience of a player who has competed professionally in Europe since 2016 and in France almost continuously since 2017.
Internationally, Marshman remains an active member of the United States Men’s National Volleyball Team. He returned to VNL competition in 2026 and then helped the U.S. win the NORCECA Continental Championship in September, wearing No. 12. USA Volleyball also continues to list him on its current men’s national-team player pool.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Michael Marshman?
Michael Marshman was born on July 27, 1994. He is 32 years old during the 2026–27 club season.
How tall is Michael Marshman?
Marshman is 201 cm tall, approximately 6-foot-7. Both Volleyball World and USA Volleyball use that height.
What position does Michael Marshman play?
He is a middle blocker. His primary responsibilities include first-tempo attacking, reading and closing the block, serving and managing transition movement through the middle of the net.
Which club does Michael Marshman play for?
Marshman joined Arago de Sète for the 2026–27 French season after spending the previous two seasons with Tours Volley-Ball. He has also been named Sète’s captain.
When did Michael Marshman debut for the U.S. national team?
He made his senior United States debut at the 2023 NORCECA Pan American Cup. Later that year, he was part of the U.S. team that won the NORCECA Pan American Cup Final Six.
What number does Michael Marshman wear for Team USA?
Marshman currently wears No. 12 for the United States. He previously used other numbers in earlier competitions, including No. 23 in 2023 and No. 27 during the 2024 Pan American Cup and 2025 World Championship period.
References
- USA Volleyball — Michael Marshman athlete profile
- Volleyball World — Michael Marshman VNL 2026 player profile
- Volleyball World — Michael Marshman 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship statistics
- USA Volleyball — 2026 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship
- Saint Francis Athletics — Mike Marshman collegiate player profile
- Saint Francis Athletics — Marshman signs with Raision Loimu
- Saint Francis Athletics — Michael Marshman and the 2024 Pan American Cup silver medal
- Saint Francis Athletics — 2025 Michael Marshman alumni interview
- L’Équipe — Chaumont signs American middle blocker Michael Marshman
- French Volleyball Federation — 2024–25 French championship honors
- Tours Volley-Ball — Club honors and title history
- VolleyActu — Arago de Sète completes 2026–27 roster with Michael Marshman
- VolleyTimes — 2026–27 French league captains, including Michael Marshman at Sète
- WorldofVolley — Michael Marshman player profile and physical data
- The Deep Corner — Mike Marshman interview on middle blocking and his professional career
