Benjamin Patch (born June 21, 1994) is an American

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

player. With the United States, Patch was a gold medalist at the 2017 NORCECA Championship.

Personal life

Patch was raised by white, Mormon adoptive parents in Utah, and he served as a missionary in Columbus, Ohio, for one year. In October 2020, Patch publicly came out as queer in the German publication ''

Der Tagesspiegel ''Der Tagesspiegel'' (meaning ''The Daily Mirror'') is a German daily newspaper. It has regional correspondent offices in Washington D.C. and Potsdam. It is the only major newspaper in the capital to have increased its circulation, now 148,000, ...

''. He became the first openly queer active player in a German men's professional sports league. Patch maintains an active ceramic art practice and a photography business alongside his professional volleyball career.

Sporting achievements

College

* National championships ** 2013 Silver medal with cup

NCAA national championship, with BYU Cougars ** 2016 Silver medal with cup

NCAA national championship, with BYU Cougars ** 2017 Silver medal with cup

NCAA national championship, with BYU Cougars

Clubs

* National championships ** 2018/2019 Gold medal with cup

German Championship, with

Berlin Recycling Volleys Berlin Recycling Volleys is a professional men's volleyball club founded in 1991 and based in Berlin, Germany. They compete in the German Bundesliga and the CEV Champions League. Honours Domestic * Volleyball Bundesliga :Winners (12): 1992–9 ...

** 2019/2020 Simple gold cup

German SuperCup, with

** 2019/2020 Simple gold cup

German Cup, with

** 2021/2022 Simple gold cup

German SuperCup, with

** 2021/2022 Gold medal with cup

German Championship, with

Youth national team

* 2012

NORCECA U21 Championship

Individual awards

* 2012: NORCECA U21 Championship – Most Valuable Player * 2013: NCAA national championship – All-Tournament Team