Samuelson won a bronze medal with the United States national team in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

[2][3] At the Barcelona Olympics, Samuelson was the central character in the controversial preliminary round match against Japan in which the United States won until the result was overturned on appeal.

[5] Samuelson then played college volleyball at Cal State Northridge (CSUN), where he was a two-time All-American.

[6] Samuelson left the national team to compete for the Suntory Sunbirds of the Japanese V.League in 1994, where he played for three seasons.

[1] Samuelson led the team to the championship in his first season, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player.