Rooney Named USA Volleyball's Most Inspirational for 2014
12/15/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
Release courtesy of USA Volleyball/BJ Evans
MALIBU, Calif. - U.S Men's National Team captain and Pepperdine men's volleyball alum Sean Rooney was named the 2014 USA Volleyball Most Inspirational Player of the Year. Rooney led Team USA to a first-place finish in the FIVB World League over the summer while playing through injury.
Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.), a three-time All-American during his playing days in Malibu, led the Waves to the 2005 NCAA Championship as a senior. He was dubbed the 2004 Volleyball Magazine Player of the Year, before earning the recognition again by both Volleyball Magazine and the AVCA in 2005.
In 2006, a 23-year-old Rooney gave up playing professional beach volleyball to join the U.S. Men's National Team. By 2013, at age 30, Rooney was a team veteran, with two Olympic Games and an Olympic gold medal to his credit. He was asked to serve as team captain and accepted the role.
"I was one of the youngest players not too long ago," he said. "Age-wise, we were very experienced in 2008. Now we have a younger team. It has catapulted me into a leadership position and I've been trying to embrace it. It's an honor to have that role."
The highlight of Rooney's 2014 season was winning his second World League gold medal, but this time as the team's captain.
"The finals were unbelievable," he said. "I'll never forget them."
Rooney was the team's fourth-leading scorer in World League with 94 points on 80 kills, nine blocks and five aces in 43 sets.
But what observers didn't know was that Rooney was playing with a back injury. The problem became obvious when, at the last minute, he told Head Coach John Speraw he could not compete at the World Championship.
"I was playing in a lot of pain through the whole World League tournament," Rooney said. "That's what kept me from going to Poland. I was in bad shape, but my mind didn't quite believe it. I made a couple last-ditch efforts before I had to tell John that I couldn't go."
Rooney's 2014 offseason has been spent rehabbing and seeing different doctors to try and get back into playing shape. Meanwhile, Rooney and wife Valerie welcomed their first child, son Coleman, to the family in November.
While Rooney isn't sure what the future will hold, his goal is to help the team qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games.
"My biggest goal is to do whatever I can to prepare the team however I can for the World Cup," he said. "Ultimately, our goal is to win gold at the Olympics. The best way to start that quest is to go to Japan for World Cup and let everyone know we're in the top three in the world. Come and get us."
Penn State graduate Matt Anderson was named the U.S. Volleyball Male Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. Taylor Sander, the 2014 AVCA and MPSF Player of the Year out of BYU, was dubbed the Rookie of the Year.
