Jordan Larson (source: verovolley.com)

Jordan Larson will play for Vero Volley Milano again. The Italian club announced the return of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion to their roster. She will be ready to join the Lega Pallavolo Serie A1 Femminile action as soon as she arrives at the club at the beginning of December.

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The 1.88m-tall American outside hitter first joined Vero Volley in March of this year and helped the team reach the final championship playoff for the first time in the club’s history and take silver. Over 14 matches played, Larson scored a total of 148 points and registered a 53.52% success rate in reception.

In September, the Most Valuable Player of the Tokyo 2020 women’s Olympic volleyball tournament joined the staff of the Midland University Warriors volleyball programme as a volunteer assistant coach in her native Nebraska, but has now reached an agreement with Vero Volley to return to Italy next month. In addition to strengthening the team in their Serie A1 and Coppa Italia campaigns, the 36-year-old American star will compete in another CEV Champions League season.

While this will be only Larson’s second season in Italy, she has spent most of her professional career at big clubs in European countries. With Russian giants Dinamo Kazan, she won the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship title in 2014, Champions League gold in 2014 and bronze in 2012, in addition to four national titles and two national cup trophies. As a player of Turkish powerhouse Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul, the Governor, as she has been nicknamed, won the Club World Championship in 2015 and 2016, Champions League gold in 2015 and bronze in 2017, and the CEV Cup in 2018, in addition to four Turkish league podiums, a national cup trophy and a national super cup crown. After that, Larson also played in China’s domestic competitions and in USA’s Athletes Unlimited league.

As a national team player, Larson won the Olympic title in 2021, earned 2012 Olympic silver and 2016 Olympic bronze. She also won the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship title in 2014, four FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix crowns, three FIVB Volleyball Nations League titles, three FIVB Volleyball World Cup medals and made it on to two FIVB Volleyball World Grand Champions Cup podiums.

All that success was garnished with numerous individual awards, most importantly MVP and Dream Team Outside Hitter at Tokyo 2020, MVP of the 2015 Club World Championship and MVP of the 2015 Champions League.

“Surprise, I’m back! I'm really excited to be joining Monza again this season. I decided to come back because, first and foremost, I had such a great experience last year. I just love the club, love the girls and I’m really looking forward to another great season. I know that we have a great team this year. I’ve been following along and I’m really excited to be joining them soon. I’m looking forward to seeing all the fans and thank you so much for welcoming me with such open arms last year.” Jordan Larson, outside hitter of Vero Volley Milano