Marist volleyball head coach Sean Byron was recently named team lead for the U.S. Boys U19 National Team.
The team will compete in the NORCECA Continental Championship this May. Byron’s role as team lead entails a little bit of everything, including helping out in practice and scouting. Off the court, he will attend informative pre-tournament meetings, handle interviews, work with national security and organize schedules.
The stakes are higher for Byron in his role with USA Volleyball. At Marist, organizing schedules and itineraries has lower stakes; being late to an early morning pregame serve and pass is not the end of the world.
“It’s probably a pain for somebody who came and opened up the gym, but they don’t care,” said Byron.
On the national stage, with so much on the line and so many countries involved, Byron’s team must stick to a strict schedule. If not, there will be consequences, as Byron cited a time in which the Canadian national team frustrated the host country, the Dominican Republic. Late at night, the Dominican Republic retaliated by swapping a 10 am practice slot to 7 am. Team Canada caught wind of it in time, but not before the feud intensified.
“You’ve got to bring a lot of gifts, a lot of pins and a lot of flags,” said Byron, referencing a signed USA Volleyball flag displayed in his office. “Bring goodwill so to speak, so you don’t get screwed.”
On April 4, 20 players were announced to the 2024 U.S. Boys U19 National Team, following a weekend in Colorado Springs where Byron and other coaches on the staff were tasked with trimming the roster down from 60.
From May 3-11, the 20 U19 National Team members will train in Anaheim, CA, before the roster is cut down to 12 players Then, they’re off to Ponce, Puerto Rico to compete in the NORCECA Continental Championship.
The team is at an immediate disadvantage compared to its opponents in terms of preparation. The host nation, Puerto Rico, as well as other competitors, can train year-round. In contrast, for American players, the national team is not the immediate priority. Many remain committed to high school and club teams, hoping to play at collegiate and professional levels one day.
Some ultimately choose to play for their high school team, which was the case for one outside hitter from California.
“I’m not sure if he would have been the best outside hitter, but he would have been one of the top three,” said Byron. “But now he’s not even going to train because he wants to play for his high school team.”
Though their options may be more constrained compared to other nations, Byron is still confident in the team he has helped select so far.
“It’s a really, really physical group, a way more physical group than when I was at Ohio State that won [the 2011 National Championship],” said Byron, regarding the team in which he served as the assistant coach of.
Highlighted by two middle blockers from Florida, Isaiah McCoy and Dante Cayaban, who can touch up to 12’4 when blocking and attacking, the team possesses compelling physical traits.
“I think it’ll be a good group, and the staff is good,” said Byron.
Joining Byron on the staff are assistant coaches Pat Shawaryn, head coach of the Penn State men’s volleyball team, and Chris Seiffert, a three-time AVCA All-American setter at Long Beach State who is now the interim head coach of the men’s volleyball team at Concordia Irvine.
Shawaryn will work as the defensive coordinator while Seiffert serve as the offensive coordinator for head coach Charlie Sullivan, whom Byron has had a lengthy coaching history with, dating back over 25 years at Springfield College.
This experience will be far from Byron’s first with USA Volleyball. Byron’s start with USA Volleyball came shortly after graduating from Springfield College in 1993, as an intern with the USA women’s senior team in 1993, and then the men’s senior team in 1994. He returned for his first coaching gig in 1998 as an assistant coach of the men’s junior national, winning a bronze medal in the Dominican Republic, and remained in the role the following year as the team competed in Argentina.
Byron spent the next decade-plus in different roles on U.S. National Team staffs across the globe, including Turkey, Guatemala, Italy, Canada and even won a gold medal in Miami as the defensive coordinator of the 2008 Youth National Team. Along the way, he crossed paths with USA Volleyball stars, past and present.
Referencing a team photo of the 2020 U.S. Men’s Volleyball Olympic team, Byron went down the line, recalling when he coached nearly every member of the squad before they became Olympians; David Smith at the World University Games, Thomas Jaeschke on the junior team, and Taylor Sander, Max Holt, Matt Anderson and Kawika Shoji all on both the youth and junior national team.
Byron also had the opportunity to work with starting setter Micah Christenson twice on the youth team, starting when he was just 17 years old when he earned the starting setter spot over his Olympic teammate, Kawika Shoji.
In addition to helping develop the nation’s best players, Byron has been able to learn from the country’s, and arguably the world’s greatest volleyball player, Karch Kiraly. Kiraly, a three-time Olympic gold medalist as a player, has been the women’s national team’s head coach since 2012. One of the main things Byron has taken away from his time with Kiraly is how to react when a set, match or season is not going his way.
“Karch is amazing, that’s where he’s at best in the business, in terms of managing players,” said Byron.
Byron will attempt to use these sorts of worldwide volleyball experiences to thrive in his role as team lead for the U19 National Team, building up potential future Olympians. The team kicks off tournament action on May 12 on BallerTV.
Edited by Sam Murphy and Luke Sassa
Photo from Marist Athletics
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