With the 2024 Olympics less than three weeks away, the country's top athletes are all preparing for Paris. The United States men's indoor volleyball team has won five Olympic medals in the past, including three golds. However, the Stars and Stripes failed to get out of Pool Play in the 2020 Tokyo Games. This summer, they are out for revenge, and Tampa native Kyle Dagostino is going to help with that.
“It’s something that I’ve been dreaming and thinking about from a very young age," Kyle said.
The Dagostino family is synonymous with volleyball in the Sunshine State. The father, Randy, coached high school volleyball for over 30 years. He also started boys club volleyball in Florida. The mother, Lauri, played at the University of South Florida and worked for USA Volleyball as the national head of youth club. The daughter, Mackenzie, played for the University of Florida. The son, Kyle, is still carrying on the Dagostino name.
“It was definitely more than just a sport for our family," Kyle said. “It’s kind of been the glue that’s kept our nuclear family so close.”
Kyle showed signs of success from a young age. After school every day he would go to the gym and practice by himself while his dad coached the high schoolers. His father, Randy, remembers how hard Kyle would work on his own.
“He just had a special gift for being able to control a ball that was almost as big as he was," Randy said.
Once he grew up, Kyle went to Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa where his father coached. The Dagostino duo led the Buccaneers to a state championship.
“To this day, I consider him the best coach I’ve ever had," Kyle said about his father.
Kyle then went on to play collegiately at Stanford, where he was an All-American. Since graduating, the libero has played professionally in numerous countries and made routine appearances on the U.S. National Team.
Now, Kyle has a chance to live out the dream he's had ever since he was a kid. Dagostino is officially an Olympian. He is headed to Paris with Team USA this summer.
“To be present at the games is going to be a remarkable experience," Kyle said.
Kyle will be a reserve on the U.S. team. So, he won't suit up for every game, but he has the chance to play depending on certain circumstances.
Dagostino will bring a little piece of Florida with him across the pond. Kyle always writes "813," his hometown area code, to remind him of where he comes from and what's important to him.
“It’s something I take very seriously because I recognize I’m a representative of Florida, Tampa, of Berkeley Prep," Kyle said.
A couple more Floridians will be there to cheer Kyle on. The Dagostinos are headed to France, too.
“We plan on going to Paris as well," Randy said. "We just got to make sure we can get tickets.”
Kyle will try to help Team USA bring home its first gold medal in men's volleyball since 2008.
“To win gold would be the highlight of a lot of our careers," Kyle said.