When the USA males performed Poland in Volleyball Nations League on Wednesday, Matthew Knigge had 4 kills, an ace and a block.
On the floor, stats not usually value noting.
However in Knigge’s case, and within the case of the lads’s faculty volleyball world, it was a extremely massive deal.
Knigge, a 6-foot-7 center blocker from New Egypt, New Jersey — which is about midway between New York Metropolis and Philadelphia and by way of central New Jersey and/or males’s volleyball in the course of nowhere — went to Vassar.
Vassar is in Division III and, effectively there haven’t been too many DIII gamers within the USA national-team fitness center, a lot as one who began a Volleyball Nations League match.
Knigge acquired into the USA fitness center for the primary time final summer season, however was injured and unable to take advantage of it.
So this yr, “To get the decision, after European season — I had a extremely good European season — and to be bodily wholesome and within the fitness center and beginning to play the extent you realize you’ll be able to play at, it’s like a second in a film when the clouds begin to clear and also you see the solar for the primary time,” Knigge mentioned with amusing.
“So it’s only a particular second of feeling honored to be coming from the place I’m coming from, however then additionally understanding that the job just isn’t achieved.”
We talked after apply two weeks in the past in Anahaim, a couple of days earlier than coach John Speraw introduced the Olympic staff. Knigge was definitely not going to be one of many dozen plus an alternate going to Paris, however everybody knew that one other group of gamers would go to Antalya, Türkiye, for the primary spherical of VNL.
The USA acquired swept by Poland and performs once more Friday towards France and finishes with Bulgaria on Saturday and Türkiye on Sunday.
All of which represented an incredible alternative for Knigge.
Since his final season at Vassar, the 27-year-old has performed a professional season for FC Schüttorf in Germany, two seasons for Arenal Emeve Lugo in Spain, three seasons for Membership Voleibol Guaguas within the Canary Islands, and the previous two seasons for SVG Lüneburg in Germany.
Subsequent yr he mentioned he’ll play for Berlin Recycling Volleys.
Which could have been the very last thing you possibly can have anticipated.
Knigge performed 4 sports activities at tiny New Egypt Excessive Faculty, the place volleyball was not an choice.
Baseball was his favourite, however at 16, he mentioned, “is once I made that change to volleyball. I used to be taking part in on 4 groups yearly, a number of practices daily, with a number of video games on a weekend. And that was a life for my mother and father and myself, and likewise my sister was softball participant. That’s simply what we did.
“At 15, I had some elbow points (he was a pitcher/first baseman) and I used to be good, however I made the choice. It was painful for me to play and I didn’t get the identical pleasure out of taking part in anymore and I wanted to cease. I bear in mind having that dialog with my mother and she or he mentioned, ‘Now what are you going to do?’ Not taking part in one thing wasn’t an choice.
“And we had simply had our first unit in fitness center class about volleyball.”
He appreciated volleyball straight away. He and his mother and father discovered a membership that had boys volleyball in north Jersey, “and from my freshman yr by highschool we’d drive up two hours each Sunday morning, do our three-hour apply, and that was my publicity I needed to volleyball.”
As a late arriver to volleyball, his faculty choices have been restricted.
“I used to be on the high of my class (academically) in highschool and I knew I used to be volleyball participant, however did I ever assume I’d find yourself right here? Completely not.”
He utilized to Harvard, Princeton and MIT.
“I used to be simply low sufficient volleyball-wise that volleyball wasn’t getting me in and I used to be simply low sufficient academically that teachers wasn’t getting me in. I acquired rejected by Harvard and Princeton and MIT advised me I wasn’t adequate at math.”
At Vassar he exceled from the beginning.
“I nonetheless had no publicity to organized volleyball at that time,” he mentioned, however as a freshman, Knigge led the staff in blocks and hitting share.
“That first yr I in all probability placed on 30 kilos of muscle. I used to be skinny and the identical peak I’m now. I got here into my freshman yr 6-7 and doubtless 170 and now I’m in all probability 220.”
As a sophomore, he grew to become the sixth AVCA DIII first-team All-American in Vassar historical past, ending third within the nation in each hitting share (.502) and blocks per set (1.25). As a junior in 2017, he led the nation in blocks (1.22) and his staff in kills with 344 (2.89/set). That continued by his senior yr for Vassar when Knigge was second nationally in blocks per set (1.30) and second in kills (4.33/set) whereas hitting .356.
When he graduated he acquired a Fulbright scholarship, “and even then I didn’t assume I used to be going to play volleyball. I had a Fulbright alternative to go to Ukraine. I used to be a Russian and worldwide economics main, and had an invite to check in Kyiv … I just about thought I used to be going to Kyiv that fall.
“Solely to get a letter (from the State Division) a few weeks earlier than commencement saying ‘We’re so sorry however the cash we thought we had for this place doesn’t exist any extra.’ And I’m watching all my associates making life choices and I used to be just about there with my butt flapping within the wind.”
Knigge had traveled loads and even had hung out dwelling Russia.
“And at that time I used to be a fairly good volleyball participant and I knew the chance existed to play skilled volleyball. I didn’t actually know what that seemed like.”
Knigge, who speaks Russian, had a powerful first season at FC Schüttorf, the place lots of his teammates have been Polish.
He determined to play not less than yet one more yr, which led him to Spain.
“Another yr after which I’ll return and get a job,” he recalled pondering.
However in Spain he acquired even higher and even compelled himself to study Spanish.
“And we had an unimaginable season,” he mentioned.
Which acquired him a suggestion to play for Membership Voleibol Guaguas within the Canary Islands and he stayed three years.
This season, SVG Lüneburg acquired into the Champions League and completed second within the CEV Cup. Knigge was one in every of 4 People on the staff that included libero Gage Worsley (Hawai’i), center Blake Leeson (Ohio State) and out of doors Matt Slivinski (DIII Carthage).
“This yr taking part in Champions League was the primary time that I used to be making sufficient cash from volleyball and I used to be at a excessive sufficient degree the place the choice was not that perhaps I’ll simply play yet one more yr,” Knigge mentioned and smiled.
“Now I play volleyball.”
