Poughkeepsie, NY - Vassar College Men's Volleyball junior Armaan Desai has been named to the USA D3 Volleyball Team and will head south to Brazil from June 8 to 17 to compete against local Brazilian teams.

Desai, a junior from Pennington, NJ, put together an impressive junior campaign for the men's volleyball program as he finished the season ranked second nationally in blocks per set and also tied the single season record for solo blocks with 29. Desai helped Vassar to a 17 win campaign, which included five nationally-ranked victories and wins over eventual national champions Springfield and #3 Stevens. Desai was selected as an All-UVC first team selection for the first time, earned his second AVCA All-Region II selection and was named an AVCA First Team All-American for the first time in his career and was recently named Vassar Athletics Betty Richey Performer of the Year.

The USA D-3 Volleyball Teams (men's and women's teams) are invited NCAA Division III women's and men's players from across the country. These teams are comprised of players recognized nationally, Regionally and by their Conferences. The Men's Team is made up of 10 players representing seven different colleges and universities and coming from nine different home states.

"This is an outstanding group of young women and men." says Ron Smith of USA Sports. "Many of the players on this year's USA D-3 Volleyball Team - Brazil Tour had great individual seasons and led their teams into post season play." "This tour is designed to expose players to a great international volleyball experience while providing a once in a lifetime opportunity for educational, cultural and social growth."

The USA D-3 Volleyball Teams tour will run from June 8 through June 17.  The teams will begin with orientation in Orlando, Florida on June 8 before the team departs for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The teams will play a doubleheader in the cities and clubs visited. The teams are scheduled to play on Wednesday, June 10 and Thursday, June 11 in Rio. In Brazil, the teams will be a part of an "International Challenge" on Saturday, June 13 at the Marina Barra Clube in Barra Tijuca. The USA teams will play three matches each vs. Brazilian teams. During the team's time in Rio, the squad will be conducting a youth clinic at the Marina Barra Clube, hosted by Ripper Volei as part of their "social outreach project". This popular outreach opportunity for the USA D-3 Volleyball Teams is already filled to capacity.

While in Brazil, the team will experience educational, cultural, and social aspects of Brazilian life through city, school and sports club visits. In Rio the team will be staying on the world famous Copacabana Beach (location for the 2016 Rio Olympic Beach Volleyball) and touring the Christ the Redeemer Statue and Sugar Loaf Mountain, two of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. The team will visit the popular international market in Ipanema and Ipanema Beach.

USA D-3 Volleyball Men's Roster
Andrew Byrne - Juniata College
Connor Carroll - Aurora University
Brennan Cutter - Springfield College
Brady Dastrup - Southern Virginia University
Armaan Desai - Vassar College
Ethan Gundrum - Baldwin Wallace University
Sam Levinson - Springfield College
Will Sierer - Juniata College
Nikko Tenedorio - New Paltz
Jason Wang - Southern Virginia University
Head Coach - Kevin Kustura (North Central College)