COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Loyola Chicago men's volleyball student-athletes Aidan Klein and Ayden DesLauriers will compete with USA Volleyball's Men's U23 National Team at the NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup in San Salvador, El Salvador from Sept. 20-28.
The honor follows both Ramblers' selections to train with the squad for one week back in August at the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs under the leadership of head coach Nickie Sanlin. Sanlin has Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) ties as the head men's volleyball coach at McKendree.
Klein, a senior middle blocker for Loyola, has previous experience with U.S. age-group national teams; he competed with the Men's U21 National Team in 2024 and 2025, and won gold at the '24 U21 Continental Championship. Meanwhile, sophomore outside and serving specialist Deslauriers makes his age-group national team competition debut.
Both Ramblers were integral in the team's back-to-back appearances in the 2026 MIVA Tournament Championship match and the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Klein paced Loyola and the league in hitting percentage (.541) while leading the Ramblers' presence at the net with 101.0 total blocks, good for third in the MIVA and 23rd in the country. As a rookie, DesLauriers saw action in 77 sets, serving three aces in the mix. He was one of two freshmen to come off the bench in 2026.
