Team Kyle Paulson extends his contract

SWD powervolleys Düren can count on Kyle Paulson in 2026/27 as well. The 23-year-old American returns not as a middle blocker, though, but as an outside hitter. He is the fifth player under contract for the new season. In the quarter- and semifinals he was already Düren’s secret weapon, helping the team make up for a string of injuries among the outside hitters.

Head coach Christophe Achten praises how hard Paulson worked and how quickly he improved in the new position. He already has huge potential in attack, block and serve, and the club is glad he will continue his development in Düren.

Suddenly an outside hitter

The wish to stop playing in the middle had been growing for a while. Paulson wants to be more involved in the game – as a middle blocker, the libero replaces him half of the time. His long-term plans on the sand also play a role: Paulson is part of the program from which the USA recruits its beach volleyball national players. In spring and summer he plays tournaments, at least on the AVP tour and possibly on the world tour. The tasks of an indoor outside hitter are closer to beach volleyball than those of a middle blocker, he says. His long-term goal is the Olympics in beach volleyball.

Improving in the new position

In his first match as an outside hitter, the 3-2 quarterfinal win against Giesen, he was very nervous, Paulson says. But the team supported him a lot and he got better week by week. In training he will focus above all on reception, which he hardly practiced as a middle blocker.

He has two reasons for taking the new path in Düren: the good feeling the team and the club give him, and the plan for how the team will develop. Paulson is convinced Düren will be strong next season.