Sean Rooney
Encyclopedia
Sean Michael Rooney (born November 13, 1982) is an American
volleyball
player, who plays as an outside hitter for the U.S. national team
. He made his Olympic debut at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.
. He attended Wheaton Warrenville South High School
and was named the 2001 Illinois State Co-Player of the Year (Greg Pochopien - Carl Sandburg High School) and led the team to the state championship. In addition to volleyball, he also played golf
and basketball
.
in Malibu, California, where he graduated in 2005 with a degree in business administration.
During his NCAA career, he was a four-time American Volleyball Coaches Association
(AVCA) All-American. By the end of his career, he ranked second nationally among NCAA Division I-II players in points per game, as he had 6.35 in 2005. He was named the 2005 Division I-II National Player of the Year.
In 2005, he led Pepperdine to the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship
, as they defeated UCLA on the Bruins'
home floor in five sets. It was the first time in 35 years UCLA lost at home during the NCAA tournament. Rooney was named the Most Valuable Player of the Final Four.
in the South Korea
n League, where he garnered Most Valuable Player awards after leading the team to two consecutive Korean League titles.
In the 2007–08 season, he played for Dinamo-Yantar in Kaliningrad, Russia.
For the 2008–09 season, Rooney is playing with Fakel Novy volleyball club based in Russia
.
tour, where he played in 2005 and 2006. His highest placing was fifth, which he achieved three times.
. He finished the tournament with 46 points on 43 kills and three blocks. The U.S. men won the tournament and qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games.
In 2007, Rooney was named the Most Valuable Player of the U.S. men's match against Egypt
at the FIVB World Cup. Rooney scored 18 points on 15 kills, two blocks and one ace as the United States won in straight sets.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
player, who plays as an outside hitter for the U.S. national team
United States men's national volleyball team
The United States men's national volleyball team is the national team for the United States of America, it is governed by USA Volleyball....
. He made his Olympic debut at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.
Early life
Rooney was born in Wheaton, IllinoisWheaton, Illinois
Wheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County...
. He attended Wheaton Warrenville South High School
Wheaton Warrenville South High School
Wheaton Warrenville South High School, or WWSHS, is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Butterfield Road and Wiesbrook Road in the southwest corner of the Wheaton, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
and was named the 2001 Illinois State Co-Player of the Year (Greg Pochopien - Carl Sandburg High School) and led the team to the state championship. In addition to volleyball, he also played golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
College
Rooney attended PepperdinePepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
in Malibu, California, where he graduated in 2005 with a degree in business administration.
During his NCAA career, he was a four-time American Volleyball Coaches Association
American Volleyball Coaches Association
The American Volleyball Coaches Association is an organization of nearly 5,000 members, incorporated as a private non-profit educational corporation in 1981, as the Collegiate Volleyball Coaches Association....
(AVCA) All-American. By the end of his career, he ranked second nationally among NCAA Division I-II players in points per game, as he had 6.35 in 2005. He was named the 2005 Division I-II National Player of the Year.
In 2005, he led Pepperdine to the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship
NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship
The NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship is the tournament that determines the national championship of American college volleyball.The "Final Four" is a term used exclusively by NCAA Basketball but is commonly used to describe the Men's Volleyball Championship...
, as they defeated UCLA on the Bruins'
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
home floor in five sets. It was the first time in 35 years UCLA lost at home during the NCAA tournament. Rooney was named the Most Valuable Player of the Final Four.
Professional
During the winters of 2006 and 2007, Rooney played for the Hyundai Capital SkywalkersHyundai Capital Skywalkers
Cheonan Hyundai Capital Skywalkers is a Korean professional volleyball team founded in 1983 and changed as a professional in 2005. They are based in Cheonan and are members of the Korea Volleyball Federation. Their home stadium is Yu Gwan-Sun Gymnasium in Cheonan...
in the South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n League, where he garnered Most Valuable Player awards after leading the team to two consecutive Korean League titles.
In the 2007–08 season, he played for Dinamo-Yantar in Kaliningrad, Russia.
For the 2008–09 season, Rooney is playing with Fakel Novy volleyball club based in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
AVP
Rooney briefly joined the AVP beach volleyballBeach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
tour, where he played in 2005 and 2006. His highest placing was fifth, which he achieved three times.
International
In 2008, Rooney was named “Best Spiker” of the NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualifying tournament on January 6–11 in Caguas, Puerto RicoCaguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....
. He finished the tournament with 46 points on 43 kills and three blocks. The U.S. men won the tournament and qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games.
In 2007, Rooney was named the Most Valuable Player of the U.S. men's match against Egypt
Egypt men's national volleyball team
The Egypt men's national volleyball team represents Egypt in international volleyball competitions and friendly matches...
at the FIVB World Cup. Rooney scored 18 points on 15 kills, two blocks and one ace as the United States won in straight sets.