Shaun Powell has played for Marienlyst Volley for the past three years

ODENSE, Denmark - After wrapping up his men's volleyball career at George Mason as an AVCA Division I-II First-Team All-American in 2006, Shaun Powell has continued to play overseas as a member of the Marienlyst Volley Club in the Dansk Volleyball Forbund (DVBF) in Odense, Denmark for the past three seasons. Powell has excelled at the professional level as well, earning Opposite Hitter of the Year honors three times.

Powell, the EIVA Player of the Year during his senior season, honed his skills at the position under the tutelage of George Mason head coach Fred Chao. The Toronto, Canada native's name can be found throughout the George Mason school record book. For his career, he ranks first all-time at Mason in kills (1,537), second in aces (102), fourth in digs (512) and seventh in blocks (267) during the rally-scoring era.

"Fred played a large part in my development as a player," Powell said. "At times, he gave me the freedom to do things on the court and pushed me to do more with the talent that I have. And, at other times, he gave me restraints to keep me heading in the right direction. I would not trade my experience at Mason for anything."

Those skills and lessons learned at Mason have helped Powell lead his team to the Danish Pokal Championship in 2007 and 2008, and the Danish League Championship in 2008. When Marienlyst Volley took first place at the 2009 Nordic Club Championships, it became the first Danish team to ever win a major international title.

When he's not on the court, Powell serves as a coach of the highest level youth team in Denmark, imparting his knowledge of the game to up-and-coming players.

"I am proud of the guys I coach and how devoted they are to the game," Powell said. "They remind me of myself at that age."