Clark on Team USA

UC Irvine junior opposite Carson Clark was named to the 14-man USA Volleyball roster that will compete at the FIVB Men’s World Volleyball Championships that begin Saturday and continue through Oct. 10 in Italy.

Team USA will play exhibition matches against Italian club volleyball teams before beginning competition on Saturday against Mexico in Reggio Calabria.

On Sept. 26, they will play Venezuela at noon PT and on Sept. 27, the will play Argentina at noon PT. Their results in the first round will determine where the team goes next. Twelve players will be chosen from the roster of 14 prior to each match.

Clark, the only collegian on the team, is making his national-team debut after earning first-team All-American honors with the Anteaters last season. He played with the U.S. A2 team that won the gold medal at the 2010 Pan American Cup in San Juan, Puerto Rico earlier this year.

The team includes a mix of veterans who earned gold medals from the 2008 Olympic Games and FIVB World League and younger players looking to make an impact in their first world championship. At opposite, Clark joins 2008 Olympic Most Valuable Player Clay Stanley.

— From staff reports