Brian Thornton
Position: Setter
Height: 6-3 (190cm)
Weight: 187 (88kg)
College: UC Irvine
Joined Team: 2009
PERSONAL: Born Brian Charles Thornton on April 22, 1985, in San Clemente, Calif. ... Parents are Mike and Colleen Thornton… Has a younger brother and sister… Attended San Clemente High School (2000-03)… Played for the Balboa Bay Club… A UCI/Big West Scholar-Athlete majoring in sociology… Fish and lobster are his favorite foods… Favorite book is “Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger… Favorite movie is Good Will Hunting… Anaheim Angels are his favorite professional team… Enjoys Entourage, football and college basketball on TV… Admires his brother for his attitude and approach to life… His fondest sports memory is winning an NCAA Division I men’s volleyball national championship with UC Irvine in 2007.
MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2011 – FIVB World Cup… NORCECA Men's Continental Championship (Silver Medal)… London Volleyball International Invitational (Bronze Medal)… FIVB World League. 2010 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2009 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2007 – World University Games (Bronze Medal)
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE: 2011 – Brian led all U.S. setters in 2011 with 514 assists on 1,799 attempts in 99 sets played (according to the FIVB. This does not include the London Invitational, which did not provide setting statistics). He averaged 5.19 assists per set in 2011. He also scored 33 points on four kills, 15 blocks and 14 aces… Brian started 31 sets at the FIVB World Cup and finished with nine points on five kills and four blocks. The FIVB credited him with 220 assists on 665 attempts… Brian played as a substitute in the NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship behind Kevin Hansen and was credited with 11 assists on 18 attempts in two sets… Brian played in 13 sets of the London Volleyball International Invitational and started seven, splitting time with Kevin Hansen. He finished with three points on two aces and one block… When setter Kevin Hansen had to undergo an appendectomy prior to the start of the 2011 season, Brian moved into the backup setter role and traveled with the team to World League where he took over starting duties from Donald Suxho in the middle of the third match of pool play, which was in Puerto Rico. He started a total of 49 sets and played in 52. In pool play, he was credited with at total of 283 assists for an average of 5.44 per set. He also scored 15 points on two kills, 11 blocks and two aces. The U.S. Men finished second in their pool and advanced to the Final Round where they placed seventh. 2010 – Brian played for Chaumont in France’s B League during the winter of 2010-11… Brian started four out of five matches (13 sets) at the Pan American Cup and placed third among all setters with 4.94 average assists per set. He did not receive a single setting fault. He scored six points on three kills, two blocks and one ace. 2009 – Accompanied a group of veteran and younger players on a five-match tour of Brazil... Played in the 2009 Pan American Cup where the United States won the gold medal. Brian started one match and scored four points on one kills, two blocks and one ace. 2007 – A member of the World University Games team that won the bronze medal in Thailand.
Updated Jan. 11, 2011
