Naperville-born Jordyn Poulter and Aurora’s Lauren Carlini are Olympic silver medal winners for U.S. Women’s Volleyball, following a three-set loss to Italy (18-25, 20-25, 17-25) on Sunday in the gold medal match.
Poulter and Carlini played throughout the match, but their journeys to competing in the 2024 Olympics haven’t been easy. Both setters have faced significant challenges on their Olympic journey, including overcoming injuries.
Naperville-born Jordyn Poulter earns her second Olympic medal
Despite the loss, Poulter won her second medal for Team USA, following her key role in securing the U.S. Women’s Volleyball team’s first-ever Olympic gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games (played in 2021), where she was named the tournament’s Best Setter.
Poulter grew up in Colorado and attended Eaglecrest High School before starring at the University of Illinois. Despite her impressive credentials, her journey to the 2024 Olympic Games has been anything but smooth.
Poulter suffered a devastating knee injury in December 2022 while playing professionally in Italy. Less than two years later, she was back on the court, leading Team USA as a captain and playing every match in Paris, despite wearing a knee brace.
Lauren Carlini’s Redemption at the 2024 Paris Olympics
For Carlini, the 2024 Olympics represented a chance at redemption after narrowly missing out on the 2020 team. The West Aurora High School product was the last person left off that Olympic team. Her journey throughout the 2024 games has also been filled with challenges.
A back injury in the opening match against China, which the U.S. lost in five sets, sidelined her for the next two games. She returned just in time for the quarterfinals, where her presence was pivotal in a straight-set victory over Poland.
Poulter and Carlini may have won silver, but they’ve brought gold-standard pride to their country and have helped inspire the next generation of American volleyball stars.
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