Clayton Stanley Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Clay Stanley

Personal information

Full name

Clayton Iona Stanley

Nickname

Clay, The Bird

Born

January 20, 1978 (age 47)
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.

Height

6 ft 9 in (2.05 m)

Weight

229 lb (104 kg)

Spike

141 in (357 cm)

Block

127 in (322 cm)

College(s)

University of Hawaii

Volleyball information

Position

Opposite

Number

Career

Years	Teams
1997–2000 2001–2002 2002–2003 2003–2004 2004–2005 2005 2005–2006 2006–2010 2010–2012 2012 2013–2016	Hawaii Rainbow Warriors P.A.O.K. Thessaloniki Aris Thessaloniki Panathinaikos Athens Iraklis Thessaloniki Gigantes de Carolina Iraklis Thessaloniki Zenit Kazan Ural Ufa Lokomotiv Novosibirsk Suntory Sunbirds

National team

2000–2012

USA

Medal record

Men's volleyball

Representing United States
Olympic Games
Gold	2008 Beijing
World Grand Champions Cup
Silver	2005 Japan
World League
Gold	2008 Rio de Janeiro
Silver	2012 Sofia
Bronze	2007 Katowice
NORCECA Championship
Gold	2003 Mexico
Gold	2005 Canada
Gold	2007 United States
Silver	2001 Barbados
Silver	2009 Puerto Rico
Silver	2011 Puerto Rico
America's Cup
Gold	2007 Manau

Last updated: December 29, 2017

Clayton Iona "Clay" Stanley is a famous American volleyball player. He was born on January 20, 1978. Clay was a key member of the United States men's national volleyball team. He played in three Olympic Games: Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008, and London in 2012.

Clay Stanley helped his team win a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also won the NORCECA Championship in 2005. Throughout his career, he earned many medals in the FIVB Volleyball World League. In October 2021, Clay was honored by being added to the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. He joined other great players like Logan Tom and Todd Rogers.

Clay Stanley's Family Life
- A Family of Volleyball Stars
- Clay's Marriage and Family
Clay's College Volleyball Journey
- Playing for the University of Hawaiʻi
- College Records and Honors
Clay Stanley's International Career
Awards and Honors
See also

Clay Stanley's Family Life

Clay Stanley grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. His parents are Jon Stanley and Sandra Haine. He has three brothers named Reese, Wil, and Jon, and two sisters named Taeya and Natasha. Volleyball runs in his family!

A Family of Volleyball Stars

Clay's parents and his grandfather, Tom Haine, were all volleyball players. His mother and grandfather played for Canada's national team. His father, Jon, played for the United States. Jon Stanley even played in the 1968 Olympic Games and is in the Volleyball Hall of Fame. Clay's step-grandfather, Tom Haine, was also on the 1968 men's Olympic volleyball team.

Clay's mother, Sandra Haine, played professionally for the Denver Comets. She also played for Canada's national team. When Clay played in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, he and his father became the first father-son duo to play volleyball for the U.S. in the Olympics.

Clay's Marriage and Family

In July 2013, Clay Stanley married Kristin Jackson. In March 2014, they shared the happy news that they were going to have their first child.

Clay's College Volleyball Journey

Clay Stanley went to Kaiser High School in Honolulu. Interestingly, he did not play volleyball in high school. At that time, his school did not have a boys' volleyball team.

Playing for the University of Hawaiʻi

After high school, Clay attended the University of Hawaiʻi. He studied Spanish there. He started college in 1997. He took a break from playing in his second year. Clay decided to leave college early in 2000 to become a professional volleyball player.

College Records and Honors

In 1999, Clay set a new record at Hawaiʻi. He made 50 kills in one match against UCLA. A "kill" is when a player hits the ball so well that the other team cannot return it. In 2000, he was one of the top players in the nation. He averaged 5.53 kills per game. He also led his league in "aces," which are serves that the other team cannot return. He finished his college career as one of the top 10 players in Hawaiʻi's history for kills.

In 2008, the University of Hawaiʻi honored Clay Stanley. He was added to their Sports Circle of Honor.

Clay Stanley's International Career

Clay Stanley had a very successful career playing volleyball for the United States. He also played for professional clubs around the world.

Olympic Achievements

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Clay was a top scorer for Team USA. He scored 110 points, including 17 aces. His 17 aces were the second-highest among all players in the tournament.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Clay helped Team USA win their first gold medal in 20 years. He was amazing during the tournament. Because of his great performance, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP). He also won awards for Best Scorer and Best Server of the Olympics.

Playing for Professional Clubs

Clay also played for several professional volleyball clubs. With the club Iraklis Thessaloniki, he won silver medals in the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons. In both years, he was recognized as the "Best Scorer" and "Best Server."

Later, playing with Dynamo-Tattransgaz, he won the 2007–08 CEV Champions League. He was also named the "Most Valuable Player" for that tournament.

Retirement from Volleyball

Clay was one of the older players on the 2012 Olympic team. The team lost in the quarterfinals in London. Clay got a knee injury during those games. After that, he did not play in any more major tournaments for the U.S. national team. In August 2016, he officially retired from his professional volleyball career.