PARIS — Wheaton natives Thomas Jaeschke and Jeff Jendryk are bringing home Olympic medals after the U.S. men’s volleyball team won its third-place match over Italy on Friday.
Jaeschke, 30, was the youngest member of the squad that won the bronze medal 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, Jaeschke played a reserve role at these Games, serving as a super-sub in pool play and the semifinal loss against Poland. Going into the bronze-medal match, he was sixth on the U.S. team in points scored.
Jendryk, 28, made his Olympics debut in Paris on the veteran-heavy squad after being among the last to be cut from the team before the Tokyo Games. He saw limited playing time during the tournament, but was singled out by head coach John Speraw as part of the program’s future.
Jaeschke and Jendryk — who both played for Loyola — are expected to receive their medals after Saturday’s gold medal match between France and Poland.
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.
