| Eric Sato | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Eric Anthony Sato | ||
| Born | May 5, 1966 (1966-05-05) (age 58) Santa Monica, California, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| College / University | Pepperdine University | ||
| Volleyball information | |||
| Position | Defensive specialist | ||
| Number | 11 (1988) 14 (1992) | ||
| National team | |||
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| Medal record | |||
Eric Anthony Sato (born May 5, 1966) is an American former volleyball player and two-time Olympian. Sato was a member of the United States national volleyball team that won the gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. He also played in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and won a bronze medal. He was a defensive specialist, and was widely considered to be the best defensive player in the world. After the Olympics, he played professional beach volleyball.
Though 5'11" (1.80 m) in height, Sato's 41" (1.04 m) vertical jump allowed him to be an effective spiker for the national team, including from the back row.
College
Sato played college volleyball at Pepperdine University.
Personal life
Sato's sister Liane played volleyball with the United States women's national team in both the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics, capturing a bronze medal in 1992. For the Sato family, a capstone was the 1988 Olympics, when Eric and Liane were both competing, and their brother Gary was a coach on the men's volleyball team.
References
- ^ "Eric Sato". Olympedia. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- Yost, Heather (1999). "The libero rules". NCAA. Archived from the original on July 24, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- Hazeltine, Rick (July 30, 1988). "Sato Helps U.S. Complete Sweep of Sweden". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 6, 2024. (subscription required)
- ^ Chan, Ed (October 2, 2020). "Family matriarch Elissa Sato leaves behind an incredible volleyball legacy". Volleyball Magazine. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- Drooz, Alan (May 28, 1992). "Olympic Hopes Still Flourish for Volleyball Veteran Sato". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 27, 2023. (subscription required)
- "Ex-SDSU Standout on Women's Team". Los Angeles Times. June 26, 1992. Retrieved June 27, 2023. (subscription required)
External links
- Eric Sato at Olympics.com
- Olympedia profile: Eric Sato
- Eric Sato at the Beach Volleyball Database
- Volleybox.net profile
- Eric Sato at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
| United States squad – 1986 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship – Gold medal | ||
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| United States men's volleyball squad – 1988 Summer Olympics – Gold medal | ||
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| United States men's volleyball squad – 1992 Summer Olympics – Bronze medal | ||
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- 1966 births
- Living people
- American men's volleyball players
- American men's beach volleyball players
- Volleyball players at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Volleyball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States in volleyball
- Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in volleyball
- Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- American sportspeople of Japanese descent
- Sportspeople from Santa Monica, California
- Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in volleyball
- 20th-century American sportsmen