David Patrick Saunders (born October 19, 1960) is an American former volleyball player and two-time Olympian. He was a member of the United States national volleyball team that won the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and was named one of the outstanding players of the tournament.[1][2] Four years later, when Seoul hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics, he once again won a gold medal.[2]
| Dave Saunders | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | David Patrick Saunders | ||
| Born | October 19, 1960 (age 63) Seattle, Washington, U.S. | ||
| Height | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| College / University | University of California, Los Angeles | ||
| Volleyball information | |||
| Position | Outside hitter | ||
| Number | 2 | ||
| National team | |||
| |||
Medal record | |||
Saunders also helped the United States national team to gold medals at the 1985 FIVB World Cup,[3] 1986 FIVB World Championship, and 1987 Pan American Games.[2] He also won a silver medal at the 1986 Goodwill Games.[2]
College
editSaunders played for the UCLA Bruins and won NCAA Championships in 1979, 1981, and 1982.[4] He was a first-team All-American in 1982.[4]
Saunders was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 2022.[4]
Awards
edit- Three-time NCAA Champion — 1979, 1981, 1982
- First-team All-American — 1982
- Two-time Olympic gold medal — 1984, 1988
- FIVB World Cup gold medal — 1985
- Goodwill Games silver medal — 1986
- FIVB World Championship gold medal — 1986
- Pan American Games gold medal — 1987
- UCLA Hall of Fame — 2022
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Moran, Malcolm (June 18, 1984). "U.S. Team Routs China in Volleyball". The New York Times. p. C8. Retrieved September 5, 2024. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c d "Dave Saunders". Olympedia. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ Krastev, Todor. "Men Volleyball V World Cup 1985 Japan - 22-01.12 Winner United States (1st)". Todor66.com. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Dave Saunders". UCLA Athletics. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.