imported>Jingjing1992 at 16:44, 18 March 2025

2025-03-18T16:44:33Z

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{{short description|American volleyball player (born 1966)}}
{{for|the business and economics columnist for the Washington Post and Newsweek|Robert J. Samuelson}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox volleyball biography
| name = Bob Samuelson
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_name = Robert Lewis Samuelson
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|July 30, 1973}}
| birth_place = [[Port Jefferson, New York]], U.S.
| height = 6'5"
| college = California State University, Northridge
| position = Outside hitter
| teamnumber = 9 (national team)
| nationalyears = 1989–1994
| nationalteam = {{vb|USA}}
| years = 1994–1997
| teams = [[Suntory Sunbirds]]
| medaltemplates-title = Medal record
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Men's [[volleyball]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{USA}}}}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalCompetition|[[Volleyball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalBronze| [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Barcelona]] |[[Volleyball at the 1992 Summer Olympics|Indoor]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship|World Championship]] }}
{{MedalBronze | [[1994 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship|1994 Greece]] |[[1994 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship squads|Indoor]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup|FIVB World Cup]]}}
{{MedalBronze | [[1991 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup|1991 Japan]] |}}
}}

'''Robert Lewis Samuelson''' (born July 30, 1966)<ref name="Olympedia">{{Cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/53315 |title=Bob Samuelson |website=Olympedia |access-date=July 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306215958/https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/53315 |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> is an American former [[volleyball]] player. Samuelson won a bronze medal with the [[United States men's national volleyball team|United States national team]] in the [[1992 Summer Olympics]] in [[Barcelona]].<ref name="bronze">{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-08-10-sp-4895-story.html |last=Preston |first=Mike |date=August 10, 1992 |title=U.S. Defeats Cuba; Brazil Wins Gold : Men’s volleyball: Americans come back after losing first game. In championship match, the Dutch yield 14 consecutive points in third game. |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=July 31, 2023 }} {{subscription required}}</ref><ref name="NYT2">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/10/sports/barcelona-volleyball-youth-is-served-as-americans-grab-a-bronze.html |title=Barcelona: Volleyball; Youth Is Served as Americans Grab a Bronze |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |last=Bondy |first=Filip |page=C2 |date=August 10, 1992 |access-date=September 6, 2024 }} {{subscription required}}</ref>

At the Barcelona Olympics, Samuelson was the central character in the controversial preliminary round match against Japan in which the United States won until the result was overturned on appeal.<ref name="NYTimes" /> A jury set up by the [[International Volleyball Federation]] ruled that by Samuelson having received his second yellow card, a red card and an automatic point to Japan should have been given, thus giving Japan the point they needed to win the match.<ref name="NYTimes" /> The entire United States men's team then shaved their heads in solidarity with Samuelson.<ref name="NYTimes">{{Cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/29/sports/barcelona-volleyball-12-angry-bald-men-set-out-to-make-point.html |title=Barcelona: Volleyball; 12 Angry (Bald) Men Set Out to Make Point |last=Bailey |first=Sandra |date=July 29, 1992 |page=B11 |access-date=July 23, 2023 }} {{subscription required}}</ref>

==College==

After finishing high school at [[Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets|Westchester High School]] in [[Westchester, Los Angeles]], Samuelson played volleyball for [[Los Angeles Pierce College]], leading the team to the state title in 1986.<ref name="LaTimes911">{{Cite news |title=Samuelson Turns Loss Into Asset for U.S. Volleyball Team |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |last=Henderson |first=Martin |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-07-19-sp-2346-story.html |date=July 19, 1991 |access-date=April 6, 2024 }} {{subscription required}}</ref> He was also selected as California's junior college player of the year.<ref name="LaTimes911" />

Samuelson then played college volleyball at [[Cal State Northridge]] (CSUN), where he was a two-time All-American.<ref name="CSUN-Hall" /> He set the school record with 44 kills in a match against George Mason in 1989.<ref name="Kills">{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-15-sp-1696-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=February 15, 1992 |title=CSUN Sets Record in Volleyball Win |access-date=August 31, 2023 }} {{subscription required}}</ref>

Samuelson was inducted into the CSUN Hall of Fame in 1994.<ref name="CSUN-Hall">{{Cite web |url=https://gomatadors.com/sports/2015/7/14/GEN_0714154919.aspx |website=CSUN Athletics |title=Members of the Matador Hall of Fame |access-date=August 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104032327/https://gomatadors.com/sports/2015/7/14/GEN_0714154919.aspx |archive-date=November 4, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Japanese V.League==

Samuelson left the national team to compete for the [[Suntory Sunbirds]] of the [[V.League (Japan)|Japanese V.League]] in 1994, where he played for three seasons.<ref name="Olympedia" /> Samuelson led the team to the championship in his first season, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player.<ref name="Olympedia" />

==Beach volleyball==

Samuelson briefly played [[beach volleyball]] in 1994, and then again between 2004 and 2006.<ref name="BVD" />

==Personal life==

Samuelson is a father of triplet boys.<ref name="BVD">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bvbinfo.com/player.asp?ID=244 |website=[[Beach Volleyball Database]] |title=Bob Samuelson |access-date=July 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426060840/http://www.bvbinfo.com/player.asp?ID=244 |archive-date=April 26, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Awards==
* Two-time NCAA All-American
* FIVB World Cup bronze medal — 1991
* Olympic bronze medal — 1992
* FIVB World Championship bronze medal — 1994
* CSUN Hall of fame — 1994
* Japan V.League Champion — 1995
* Japan V.League MVP — 1995

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Olympics.com profile|bob-samuelson}}
* [https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/53315 Olympedia profile: Bob Samuelson]
* {{Beach Volleyball Database | 244 | Bob Samuelson }}
* [https://volleybox.net/bob-samuelson-p2236 Volleybox.net profile]
* {{Sports-Reference|sa/bob-samuelson-1}}

{{United States men's volleyball squad 1992 Summer Olympics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Samuelson, Bob}}
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American men's volleyball players]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in volleyball]]
[[Category:Cal State Northridge Matadors men's volleyball players]]
[[Category:People from Port Jefferson, New York]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Brookhaven, New York]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]

Bob Samuelson - Revision history

imported>Jingjing1992 at 16:44, 18 March 2025