The First Pool Match
U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Mexico

Match Score: 3-0 (25-15; 28-26; 25-16)

Highlight statistics:
Service Aces:
Paul Lotman 6
Evan Patak 4
Points:
Patak 12
Tom Hoff 8
Kills:
Patak 10
Sean Rooney 10
Stuffs:
Patak 4
Lee/Hanson/Hoff 2 each

Conditions: Begin at 2 p.m. pouring down rain but, this time, remaining outside of the beautiful arena, which would rank with any NBA venue.

Starting Lineup: Setter: Kevin Hansen; Middles: David Lee and Tom Hoff; Left sides: Sean Rooney and Paul Lotman; Evan Patak at Opposite; the Libero Rich Lambourne

Description:
Playing in front of a crowd of about 50 generating the energy of a one-seat barbershop on a Saturday morning, we did what we had to do to win. Both teams played like they knew the inevitable outcome. 

The first set went as scripted. We served, scored a few points. They would serve and we would score another, then serve and score a couple others and so on. Not many scintillating rallies.

The second set, however, got a little dicey. We played bored and the young Mexicans sniffed blood. The USA serve-receive got erratic, the offense tentative, and the smaller Mexican block went to work. The U.S. dropped behind three points with “25” closing in. Behind Paul Lotman’s string of aces, Hoff and Patak closing the door on a couple of Mexican spikes, the Americans eked it out.

The third set mirrored the first with ailing David Lee concluding the match with a thunderous kill off a Hansen quick followed by a stuff block.

Kevin Hansen set the entire match with the intention to get him back into the flow quickly after flying from somewhere near the Arctic Circle through Moscow, to JFK, down to San Juan. Reid Priddy made the same journey but was allowed to rest suffering a bit of the Russian stomach ailment. His turn to tune up comes tomorrow.  (Priddy and Hansen... Lewis and Clark... both famous travel pairs. Meriwether and William couldn’t play volleyball very well as far as we know. What would those guys think of today’s itineraries?)

It is impressive how well these men perform considering their respective travel schedules. It is great to be young but the travel combined with training and playing takes its toll.  Fortunately, we have time to get everybody healthy by the stretch run at the end of the week. The young dogs are playing well, supplementing the veterans with fresh legs and arms. The depth is impressive and the team unity is something that elevates this team from good to great. I wish everyone who plays team sports could experience the special relationship these guys have.

More on that later.

The other match in the USA pool saw Canada decimate Panama in 3.

Cuba mauled a very physical Dominican Republic, displaying their deep arsenal of fire power.

As I am writing this Puerto Rico, playing in front of their home crowd (now in the thousands up from 50... or, at least, in the upper 100’s), is likely punishing Barbados.

Without question I will have more detail on the Cubans as Assistant Coach Gary Sato and I are assigned to analyzing everything about them down to how frayed their shoe laces might be. First things first, but we are on a collision course with the Islanders.

Sitting in a great barbershop on a Saturday morning is great, but despite a match that matched the weather, I would rather be here – in anticipation of some great competition coming up.

More later.

NEV