PARIS, France – Four Big West men’s volleyball alumni took home hardware at the 2024 Paris Olympics with Kevin Tillie of France climbing to the top of the podium for the gold medal. 

Tillie’s Frenchmen earned consecutive Olympic titles, the first men's volleyball team to win back-to-back golds since the United States in 1984 and 1988 with a 3-0 victory over Poland, 25-19, 25-20, 25-23. Tillie stands as the 18th Olympian with Big West ties to claim multiple gold medal performances. 

A graduate of UC Irvine, Tillie was a member of UCI's 2012 and 2013 National Championship teams, earning NCAA All-Tournament honors each year. The outside hitter was a two-time first team AVCA All-American for the Anteaters. 

France was joined on the podium by a trio from the United States, bronze-medal match winners on Friday. The U.S. Men’s National Team earned its sixth overall and third bronze medal in Olympic history with a 3-0 (25-23, 30-28, 26-24) victory over reigning world champion Italy. The U.S. also earned the bronze in 2016 in Brazil and 1992 in Barcelona.  

The U.S. hit .354 in the match with only four hitting errors over the final two sets and 10 total. Outside hitter T.J DeFalco led the team with 12 kills, including three set-winners, and totaled seven digs in the medal match. Competing in a second Olympics, DeFalco played collegiately at Long Beach State. The former AVCA National Player of the Year combined for 67 kills, six blocks and five service aces in the 2024 Olympics, tied for 10th on the points list.  

Making a first Olympics appearance, Hawai’i alumnus Taylor Averill was also big on the court for the U.S., recording an Olympics-best 16 total blocks to go along with 36 kills. Averill closed his time as a collegian in 2015 as a two-time All-American for the Rainbow Warriors.  

Competing in every Olympics since 2012 and a fourth appearance at the Games, UC Irvine’s David Smith earned a second bronze medal to go with Rio 2016’s hardware. The UC Irvine alumnus was a member of the Anteaters first national championship team in 2007, leading the nation in hitting with a .559 mark as a senior to earn first-team All-American honors and selection to the NCAA All-Tournament Team. 

Also participating in Paris was U.S official alternate Kyle Ensing of Long Beach State. A new position in 2024, the official alternate is a non-competing athlete who may serve as a last-minute replacement if a player is unable to compete due to injury or illness.