American superstar Larson is back for VNL 2023

The United States women’s national team's journey to return to the top of the podium of the Volleyball Nations League in 2023 received a major boost as star outside hitter and longtime team captain Jordan Larson announced she’ll be back with the team this season.

Although head coach Karch Kiraly is yet to release the full American squad for the upcoming international season, the 36-year-old Larson confirmed in an Instagram post that she’ll return to the team this year.

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Larson last appeared with the USA national team at the Tokyo Olympics, two years ago, when she helped the Americans secure their first gold medal in the event while also being awarded as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament held in Japan.

After the Games, the outside hitter never officially announced her international retirement, but she wasn’t a part of the American squad for the 2022 season and even took an assistant coach position at the University of Texas.

Larson, however, has continued to play at a very high level with clubs, taking Italy’s Vero Volley Milano to back-to-back Finals in the Lega Pallavolo Serie A1 Femminile – the team is set to start its series against Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano on Saturday.

Larson is one of the most accomplished players to ever feature for the American national team, having first joined the squad in 2009. She has won medals in each of the three Olympics she played (gold in Tokyo 2020, silver in London 2012 and bronze in Rio 2016) and also had a big role in the team’s first-ever victory at the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship, in 2014.

With the veteran on the team, the Americans also won the first three editions of the VNL, in 2018, 2019 and 2021. In her absence, the team had to settle for fifth in 2022.

Larson and her teammates will start their VNL 2023 campaign in Antalya, Türkiye, from May 30-June 4. The team will face reigning world champions Serbia, defending VNL champions Italy, Tokyo Olympic semifinalists Korea and hosts Türkiye in the opening week of the event.

As the hosts of the VNL 2023 Finals, which will be played in Arlington, Texas, from July 12-16, the reigning Olympic champions are already guaranteed in the decisive stage of the tournament.

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