Robert "Bob" Lewis Samuelson (born July 30, 1966, in Port Jefferson, New York)[1] is an American former volleyball player. Samuelson won a bronze medal with the United States national team in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.[2][3]
| Bob Samuelson | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||
| Nickname | Bob | ||||
| Nationality | American | ||||
| Born | Robert Lewis Samuelson July 30, 1966 (age 57) Port Jefferson, New York, U.S. | ||||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) | ||||
| College / University | California State University, Northridge | ||||
| Volleyball information | |||||
| Position | Outside hitter | ||||
| Number | 9 (national team) | ||||
| Career | |||||
| |||||
| National team | |||||
| |||||
Medal record | |||||
At the Barcelona Olympics, Samuelson was the central character in the controversial preliminary round match against Japan in which the United States won until the result was overturned on appeal.[4] A jury set up by the International Volleyball Federation ruled that by Samuelson having received his second yellow card, a red card and an automatic point to Japan should have been given, thus giving Japan the point they needed to win the match.[4] The entire United States men's team then shaved their heads in solidarity with Samuelson.[4]
College edit
After finishing high school at Westchester High School in Westchester, Los Angeles, Samuelson played volleyball for Los Angeles Pierce College, leading the team to the state title in 1986.[5] He was also selected as California's junior college player of the year.[5]
Samuelson then played college volleyball at Cal State Northridge (CSUN), where he was a two-time All-American.[6] He set the school record with 44 kills in a match against George Mason in 1989.[7]
Samuelson was inducted into the CSUN Hall of Fame in 1994.[6]
Japanese V.League edit
Samuelson left the national team to compete for the Suntory Sunbirds of the Japanese V.League in 1994, where he played for three seasons.[1][2] Samuelson led the team to the championship in his first season, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player.[1][2]
Beach volleyball edit
Samuelson briefly played beach volleyball in 1994, and then again between 2004 and 2006.[8]
Personal life edit
Samuelson is a father of triplet boys.[8]
Awards edit
- California junior college player of the year 1986
- Two-time NCAA All-American
- FIVB World Cup bronze medal 1991
- Olympic bronze medal 1992
- FIVB World Championship bronze medal 1994
- Cal State Northridge Hall of Fame 1994
- Japan V.League Champion 1995
- Japan V.League MVP 1995
References edit
- ^ a b c "Bob Samuelson". Olympedia. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Robert Lewis Samuelson". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ Preston, Mike (August 10, 1992). "U.S. Defeats Cuba; Brazil Wins Gold : Men's volleyball: Americans come back after losing first game. In championship match, the Dutch yield 14 consecutive points in third game". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 31, 2023. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c Bailey, Sandra (July 29, 1992). "Barcelona: Volleyball; 12 Angry (Bald) Men Set Out to Make Point". The New York Times. p. 11. Retrieved July 23, 2023. (subscription required)
- ^ a b Henderson, Martin (July 19, 1991). "Samuelson Turns Loss Into Asset for U.S. Volleyball Team". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 6, 2024. (subscription required)
- ^ a b "Members of the Matador Hall of Fame". CSUN Athletics. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "CSUN Sets Record in Volleyball Win". Los Angeles Times. February 15, 1992. Retrieved August 31, 2023. (subscription required)
- ^ a b "Bob Samuelson". Beach Volleyball Database. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2023.