Micah Christenson, setter for the USA Volleyball team

Micah Christenson, a legend of American volleyball.

The latest in an endless list of American setters who managed to leave their marks in international volleyball, Micah Christenson has been the face of the country’s national team for the last decade. As his American teammates have learned to rely on his playmaking and intelligence to dismantle opponents, they also trust the decisive leadership of their captain, which makes a positive impact in everyone around him, on and off the court.

Born in a sports family

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Micah probably had his faith set as sportsperson even before he came to the world. The son of Robert, a basketball collegiate athlete at the University of Hawaii, and Charlene, who played volleyball at the same college, where she won three national championships and was named a two-time All-American, he followed in their footsteps. The tradition continued with his younger sister, Joanna, who played as a setter at the Southern Utah University.

Micah started playing volleyball in 2005, at Quicksilver Volleyball Club, in Hawaii, and during his time at Kamehameha High School, he split his time between the sport and basketball. He was a standout in both sports, leading his high school teams to three state championship titles – two in basketball (2009 and 2011) and one in volleyball (2011).

Micah Christenson on the court

Micah Christenson celebrating a victory with his teammates

A record-setting start with the national team

Micah made history with the USA national team uniform from the first time he wore it, in 2009, when, at the age of 16, he became the youngest setter to ever represent the country at the World Championship, appearing in the U19 age group.

Two years later, he captained the Americans at the U21 World Championship, taking the team to fourth place and giving the country its first and only semifinal appearance in the tournament, in a squad that also featured outside hitter Taylor Sander.

A remarkable collegiate career

Between 2012 and 2015, Micah became one of the most successful volleyball players of the storied University of Southern California (USC). The setter led the team to a National Championship appearance in 2012 and became a three-time AVCA All American (2012, 2014, 2015).

During his time at USC, Micah also won twice (2014, 2015) the Off The Block Lloy Ball Award, given to the nation’s top men’s collegiate setter and named after the man he was replacing at the USA men’s national team.

Micah Christenson, celebrates a victory.

Micah Christenson guiding his team to victory

The captain

During his time at USC, Micah also established himself as the starting setter of the national team, replacing the legendary Ball, a 2008 Olympic champion. His first tournament with the team was the 2013 NORCECA Championship, where the Americans won gold and he was awarded as the best setter and best server.

During his 12 years representing his country, Micah has been to three Olympics, winning bronze at both Rio 2016 and Paris 2024, while also triumphing at the 2014 FIVB World League and the 2015 FIVB World Cup. Named captain in 2019, he won three Volleyball Nations League silver medals (2019, 2022, 2023) and continues to chase the first American title in the tournament. Micah and his teammates will have another opportunity in 2025, when he will also try lead his country to its first world title in almost 40 years.

Titles in Italy and Russia

After he graduated from USC, Micah went to play overseas, continuing his successful trajectory in Europe. His first stop in the continent was Italy, where he played for six seasons, splitting his time between giants Lube and Modena. There, he won titles at the Italian League, Italian Cup and Italian Supercup, as well as three medals in the European Champions League and one at the Club World Championship.

After the Tokyo Olympics, in 2021, the American star moved to Russia, to play for Zenit Kazan, and his period there has been extremely prolific as well, with two Russian League and two Russian Super Cup trophies claimed so far.

Gift from heaven

The setter’s full name is Micah Makanamaikalani Christenson. His middle name means “Gift from heaven” and was given to him because during his pregnancy, his mother had to have surgery and it was not known if she would survive.

Watch Micah Christenson in action with Team USA during the 2025 international season on VBTV