Jacob Pasteur was named the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week in January 2024. Credit: Ohio State Athletics/Jay LaPrete
Many collegiate athletes learn their sport at a young age.
For Jacob Pasteur, however, the path to playing volleyball was unorthodox yet fruitful.
An open gym in eighth grade led the multitalented athlete to become one of Ohio State’s top men’s volleyball players. Now, Pasteur has the chance to qualify as a United States Olympic athlete.
“I’m super excited for that next chapter, to be uncomfortable again,” said Pasteur, a former member of the Ohio State men’s volleyball team since graduating this past spring semester. “The new environment and new culture, just to go around the world and try my hand at a professional career.”
Considering Pasteur’s volleyball success, it may seem hard to imagine he hasn’t always been immersed in the sport.
In eighth grade, Pasteur said a volleyball clinic flyer displayed at a local sports facility caught his attention. Since volleyball was one of the few sports he had not yet tried, Pasteur said he decided to attend the clinic.
Pasteur said he was the only male in attendance, but Ed Benish — then-head-coach of the women’s volleyball team at Westminster High School in Westminster, Maryland — invited him to participate. At the clinic’s conclusion, Benish offered Pasteur a position as a manager for the team, which he accepted.
Pasteur said his experience as a team manager helped him learn the game from a managerial and coaching standpoint.
He continued to play volleyball and improve his skills at open gyms, many of which took place at Volleyball House — a club in Elkridge, Maryland where both his parents had frequented in their playing days. There, Pasteur met Alexis Gonzalez, an employee at the club who became a mentor for him, he said.
“Alexis ended up seeing me play and told me ‘You’re going to come in an hour early next week,’” Pasteur said. “And so, I’d be at Volleyball House every Friday from about 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.”
During Pasteur’s sophomore year of high school, he said he began playing for Yorktowne Volleyball Club in York, Pennsylvania. There, head coach Josh Brenneman helped him get his name out to collegiate programs, he said.
“[Coach] Brenneman did a great job with recruiting,” Pasteur said. “He got my name out to Ohio State, Penn State and a couple other schools as well.”
Pasteur said Ohio State stuck out to him not only because of the volleyball program’s success, but also its rigorous academics and great support for student-athletes.
“I know we have nice facilities,” Pasteur said. “But it’s the people you’re going to remember, and they were just so passionate about pushing for excellence and wanting me to succeed at a high level that I was blown away.”
A similar sentiment was echoed by Ohio State men’s volleyball head coach, Kevin Burch.
While recruiting Pasteur, Burch said he was enamored by his talent. But what stood out even more was his shared values of “integrity, hard work and teamwork,” he said.
“Jake’s athleticism is what everyone noticed first, and that was no different for me in the recruiting process,” Burch said. “However, what I value most is his character and growth mindset.”
And so, Pasteur’s career as a Buckeye began.
After a rocky freshman year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pasteur excelled in his second year at Ohio State, leading the team in kills and aces for the 2022 season and earning First Team All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) honors.
Pasteur was also placed by USA Volleyball on the 2022 25-player roster for the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) — an international men’s volleyball competition — which allowed him to travel and compete outside of the United States.
“I was fortunate enough to go to Brazil, Japan, Italy, as well as the Dominican Republic, Canada and Mexico,” Pasteur said. “I’ve been super blessed to be able to travel the world for a sport, which has been fantastic.”
In his junior season at Ohio State, Pasteur added to his accolades. He was named Preseason MIVA Player of the Year and named to the All-MIVA Preseason Team.
Also during this season, Pasteur led the team in kills, aces, total attacks, digs and points. He was also named an AVCA First-Team All-American and First-Team All-MIVA for a second consecutive year, topping it off with MIVA Player of the Year.
Pasteur’s career total of 99 aces after the conclusion of the 2023 season sets him at No. 8 all-time for Ohio State, while his career kill total of 1,102 places him at No. 13 in Buckeye history.
In his final year as a Buckeye, Pasteur continued to excel, once again receiving Preseason All-MIVA Team and Player of the Year honors.
He led the team in kills and aces. In fact, Pasteur’s 63 aces this season put him at a 162 career total, good for No. 2 all-time at Ohio State. With 390 kills on the year, he currently sits at No. 4 in that category with 1,492.
In addition to his accolades, Burch said Pasteur is far more than just a stellar stat sheet.
“When people first see [Pasteur] play, they see a great athlete who can jump incredibly high and hit exceptionally hard,” Burch said. “What many don’t see is how disciplined, intelligent and hard working he is. And in my view, what’s more impressive is that when people first meet him, they often tell me right away how impressive he is as a young man.”
Pasteur’s character, along with his superb talent, helped the Buckeyes reach even greater heights.
After a successful regular season, Pasteur led No. 6 seed Ohio State in the postseason to its second consecutive MIVA Tournament Championship.
For junior libero Grant Strong, Pasteur’s impact on the court extends far beyond his physical abilities.
“What I will miss most about Jacob is the leadership and experience he brings to this program,” Strong said. “Jacob pushes everyone around him to be their best on and off the court, which creates a high standard for our guys to look up to.”
Pasteur is now set to compete with USA Volleyball at the VNL, with the possibility of making the 13-man roster for the Paris 2024 Olympic USA Team.
Following the VNL tournament and Olympic summer, Pasteur said he will head overseas to begin his professional career and is specifically looking to further his volleyball career in France.
Strong said he looks forward to seeing where Pasteur’s path takes him.
“His talent and contributions to Buckeye volleyball will have a lasting impact,” Strong said. “I’m so excited to see what he accomplishes in his professional career.”
As his next chapter begins, Pasteur said he’s thankful for the time he spent as a Buckeye.
“It’s been a blessing and a great experience. I don’t think I would have gotten what I got here anywhere else,” Pasteur said. “I’m super thankful that I learned how to love volleyball again and how to enjoy myself in environments I’m not accustomed to — dealing with different cultures and people with different perspectives from all different walks of life.”
