PARIS — Wheaton, Ill., natives Thomas Jaeschke and Jeff Jendryk are bringing home Olympic medals after the U.S. men’s volleyball team won its third-place match Friday.
A day after a heartbreaking semifinal loss, the American squad defeated Italy 3-0 (25-23, 30-28, 26-24) at South Paris Arena.
“It’s really huge to come back the way we did,” Jendryk said. “We had to forget about yesterday’s loss and think about this game, which is what really mattered. I’m so happy that we came out and showed it to them.”
Jaeschke, 30, was the youngest member of the team that won bronze in Rio in 2016. He also played with the American team that finished a disappointing 2-3 at the Tokyo Games and did not advance beyond pool play.
A Wheaton-Warrenville South High School alum, he played a reserve role at these Games, serving as a super-sub in pool play and the semifinal loss to Poland. Going into the bronze-medal match, he was sixth on the U.S. team in points scored.
Jaeschke, who battled back from a torn ACL and a shoulder injury since Rio, said this Olympic medal has greater meaning to him than the first one.
“I would just say this one is better because the other one was so long ago,” he said. “I just feel like I maybe forgot all the emotions that went into it. I remember the (medal) match, but I was really young. With this one, I’ve been through a lot. Two major injuries, coming back and getting an Olympic medal is special.”
Jendryk, 28, made his Olympic debut in Paris after being among the last to be cut from the team before the Tokyo Games. One of the youngest on the team, he saw limited playing time during the tournament, but was singled out by head coach John Speraw as part of the program’s future.
“It feels great right now,” Jendryk said after the match. “We worked so hard and just having the opportunity to get a medal is so, so incredible.”
The American squad lost to No. 1-ranked Poland in the semifinals Wednesday after being ahead up two sets to one in the match. A win would have given the United States its best finish since 2008.
“After being so close two days ago, I think we give a lot of credit to our team for coming back and being very mentally focused today and grinding through that match,” Jaeschke said.
Jaeschke and Jendryk both described a team meeting a short time afterward, in which they agreed to put the disappointment behind them and push for the bronze.
Jaeschke said a member of the team’s support staff — a former Navy SEAL — shared stories about difficult moments he went through in the military and how he pulled through them. His insights helped the team refocus, Jaeschke said.
“It made us feel almost silly being that upset about volleyball,” Jaeschke said. “I think it was good to hear. We’re playing volleyball. We’re not out there fighting anyone. There are no real threats to us. That helped us a lot.”
Jaeschke is young enough to stick around out for another Olympic cycle, but he said he hasn’t made any decisions. Several veteran players are expected to retire after these Games.
“I have no idea what the future holds for me,” he said. “Physically, emotionally, this quad was difficult. I just need to take some time away and step back and figure it out.
The U.S. team went undefeated in pool play and led the tournament in attacking points before losing in the semifinals. With Friday’s win, the U.S. men’s team has now claimed six Olympic medals since 1984.
Jaeschke and Jendryk — who both played for Loyola Chicago — are expected to receive their medals after Saturday’s gold-medal match between France and Poland.
Jaeschke, who now has two bronze medals, said he might get a shadow box to store his set. Jendryk admitted he hadn’t thought much about it.
“Where am I going to keep it? I have no idea,” he said. “But right now, I’m not going to let it out of my sight.”
