{{Short description|American volleyball player (born 1997)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}} {{Use American English|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox volleyball biography | name = Torey DeFalco | image = Torey DeFalco (Legavolley 2019).png | image_size = | caption = DeFalco in 2019 | full_name = Torey James DeFalco | nickname = ''T.J.'' | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|4|10|mf=y}} | birth_place = Springfield, Missouri, U.S. | hometown = | height = {{convert|1.98|m|order=flip}} | weight = {{convert|95|kg|order=flip}} | spike = {{convert|340|cm|order=flip}} | block = {{convert|328|cm|order=flip}} | college = California State University, Long Beach | position = Outside hitter | currentclub = JTEKT Stings | currentnumber = | years = 2016–2019<br> 2019–2021<br> 2021–2022<br> 2022–2024<br> 2024– | teams = Long Beach State<br> Volley Callipo<br> AZS Olsztyn<br> Asseco Resovia<br> JTEKT Stings | nationalyears = 2015– | nationalteam = {{vb|USA}} | medaltemplates-title = Medal record | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport| Men's volleyball }} {{MedalCountry| {{USA}} }} {{MedalOlympic}} {{MedalBronze|2024 Paris|Team}} {{MedalCompetition|FIVB World Cup}} {{MedalGold|2023 Japan|}} {{MedalBronze|2019 Japan|}} {{MedalCompetition|FIVB Nations League}} {{MedalSilver|2022 Bologna|}} {{MedalSilver|2023 Gdańsk|}} {{MedalBronze|2018 Lille|}} {{MedalCompetition|NORCECA Championship}} {{MedalGold|2023 Charleston|}} {{MedalSilver|2019 Winnipeg|}} }}
'''Torey James DeFalco''' (born April 10, 1997) is an American professional volleyball player who plays as an outside hitter for JTEKT Stings and the U.S. national team.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nowiny24.pl/amerykanski-przyjmujacy-torey-defalco-bedzie-gral-w-asseco-resovii-to-duze-wzmocnienie-rzeszowskiej-druzyny/ar/c2-16444493 |title=Amerykański przyjmujący Torey Defalco będzie grał w Asseco Resovii. To duże wzmocnienie rzeszowskiej drużyny |work=Nowiny 24 |language=pl |date=20 June 2022 |access-date=20 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jtekt-stings.jp/news/post_370.html |title=大同生命 SV.LEAGUE MEN ジェイテクト STINGS トリー・デファルコ選手加入のお知らせ |work=JTEKT Stings |language=ja |date=19 June 2024 |access-date=19 June 2024}}</ref> DeFalco took home a bronze medal at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
== Early life == DeFalco was raised on a farm in Missouri until the age of nine, when his family moved to California. He attended Huntington Beach High School, where his performance on the volleyball team earned him national attention.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/high-school/volleyball/post/_/id/2359/t-j-defalco-a-star-on-any-surface |title=T.J. DeFalco a star on any surface |website=ESPN |date=2012-07-05 |access-date=2023-10-19}}</ref>
DeFalco is one of seven children. His sister, Teagan, played beach volleyball for the Washington Huskies. She now plays for Vegas Thrill.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gohuskies.com/sports/womens-beach-volleyball/roster/teagan-defalco/14677 |title=Teagan DeFalco |website=Washington Huskies |access-date=2023-10-19}}</ref>
==Career==
===College=== Recognized as the top recruit in the country,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.presstelegram.com/sports/20160110/long-beach-state-mens-volleyball-enters-year-with-title-hopes/ |title=Long Beach State men's volleyball enters year with title hopes |website=Press Telegram |date=2016-01-10 |access-date=2023-10-19}}</ref> DeFalco enrolled at California State University, Long Beach, where he majored in Consumer Affairs. While at LBSU, he reached the NCAA Final Four all four years (2016–2019) and won the NCAA Championship twice (2018, 2019). He was a two–time AVCA Player of the Year (2017, 2019), the AVCA Newcomer of the Year (2016), and a four–time AVCA First Team All American (2016–2019). He was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2019 NCAA Championships, as well as being named to the NCAA All–Tournament Team three times (2016, 2018, 2019).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://usavolleyball.org/athlete/tj-defalco/ |title=TJ DeFalco |website=USA Volleyball |access-date=2023-10-19}}</ref>
===Club=== In June 2019, DeFalco signed his first professional volleyball contract with the Italian team, Volley Callipo.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://longbeachstate.com/news/2019/7/12/four-lbsu-mens-volleyball-alums-sign-professional-contracts.aspx |title=Four LBSU Men's Volleyball Alums Sign Professional Contracts |work=Long Beach State |date=12 July 2019 |access-date=19 February 2021}}</ref> For the 2021–22 season, he joined AZS Olsztyn.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indykpolazs.pl/nadzieja-amerykanskiej-siatkowki-w-olsztynie/ |title=Nadzieja amerykańskiej siatkówki w Olsztynie |work=Indykpol AZS Olsztyn |language=pl |date=2 June 2021 |access-date=2 June 2021}}</ref> For the 2022–23 PlusLiga season, he signed a contract with Resovia.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nowiny24.pl/amerykanski-przyjmujacy-torey-defalco-bedzie-gral-w-asseco-resovii-to-duze-wzmocnienie-rzeszowskiej-druzyny/ar/c2-16444493 |title=Amerykański przyjmujący Torey Defalco będzie grał w Asseco Resovii. To duże wzmocnienie rzeszowskiej drużyny |work=Nowiny 24 |language=pl |date=20 June 2022 |access-date=14 June 2023}}</ref>
=== National team === DeFalco joined the U.S. National Team in 2015, while he was still in high school.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2015/06/15/2015-registers-volleyball-player-of-the-year-tj-defalco-huntington-beach/ |title=2015 Register's volleyball player of the year: TJ DeFalco, Huntington Beach |website=Orange County Register |date=2015-06-15 |access-date=2023-10-20}}</ref> He competed with the national team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
==Honors== ===Club=== * '''CEV Cup''' ** 16px 2023–24 – with Asseco Resovia
===College=== * '''Domestic''' ** '''2018''' 16px NCAA National Championship, with Long Beach State<ref>{{cite web |url=https://longbeachstate.com/news/2018/5/5/LONG_BEACH_STATE_WINS_THE_2018_NATIONAL_CHAMPIONSHIP.aspx |title=LONG BEACH STATE WINS THE 2018 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP |work=Long Beach State |date=5 May 2018 |access-date=19 February 2021}}</ref> ** '''2019''' 16px NCAA National Championship, with Long Beach State<ref>{{cite web |url=https://longbeachstate.com/news/2019/5/4/mens-volleyball-beach-does-it-again-long-beach-state-wins-2019-ncaa-national-championship-with-four-set-victory-over-hawai-i.aspx |title=BEACH DOES IT AGAIN! Long Beach State Wins 2019 NCAA National Championship with Four-Set Victory Over Hawai'i |work=Long Beach State |date=4 May 2019 |access-date=19 February 2021}}</ref>
===Youth national team=== * '''2014''' 16px NORCECA U19 Championship
===Individual awards=== * '''2014:''' NORCECA U19 Championship – Most valuable player * '''2014:''' NORCECA U19 Championship – Best outside hitter * '''2016:''' NCAA National Championship – All-tournament team * '''2017:''' AVCA National Player of the Year * '''2018:''' NCAA National Championship – All-tournament team * '''2019:''' AVCA National Player of the Year * '''2019:''' NCAA National Championship – All-tournament team (''Most outstanding player'') * '''2019:''' NORCECA Championship – Best outside spiker
===Statistics=== * 2021–22 PlusLiga – [https://www.plusliga.pl/statsRanking/tournament_1/2021.html Best scorer] (536 points)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons}} * [https://www.teamusa.com/profiles/tj-defalco Player profile] at ''TeamUSA.org'' * [https://www.legavolley.it/player/DEF-TOR-97 Player profile] at ''LegaVolley.it'' {{in lang|it}} * [https://www.plusliga.pl/players/id/2102336 Player profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409204918/https://www.plusliga.pl/players/id/2102336 |date=April 9, 2023 }} at ''PlusLiga.pl'' {{in lang|pl}} * {{Olympics.com profile|torey-defalco|Player profile}} * {{Olympedia|2104517|Player profile}} * [https://volleybox.net/torey-defalco-p2330 Player profile] at ''Volleybox.net''
{{Footer USA Volleyball 2020 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:DeFalco, Torey}} Category:1997 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Springfield, Missouri Category:California State University, Long Beach, alumni Category:American men's volleyball players Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in volleyball Category:Volleyball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Beach volleyball players at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics Category:Pan American Games volleyball players for the United States Category:Volleyball players at the 2015 Pan American Games Category:American expatriate volleyball players in Italy Category:American expatriate volleyball players in Poland Category:American expatriate volleyball players in Japan Category:Long Beach State Beach men's volleyball players Category:AZS Olsztyn (volleyball) players Category:Resovia (volleyball) players Category:Outside hitters Category:Volleyball players at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:21st-century American sportsmen