U.S. Boys' Youth Team Overcomes Algeria

B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 1, 2009) – The U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team opened play in Pool H at the FIVB Boys’ Youth (U-19) World Championship on Tuesday winning a battle over Algeria, 3-2 (25-17, 22-25, 25-17, 20-25, 15-6) in Bassano del Grappa, Italy.

The U.S. Boys’ Youth Team (3-1), which is playing for ninth place, will face Egypt on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. local time (3:30 a.m. PT). Algeria (0-4) will face Brazil (1-2) at 10 a.m. local.

The United States’ Josh Taylor (Honolulu, Hawai’i) led all scorers on Tuesday with 21 points on a match-high 18 kills and three blocks. Taylor Sander (Norco, Calif.) finished with 18 points on 15 kills and a match-high three aces. Dylan Davis (Corona del Mar, Calif.) added 12 points on eight kills, two blocks and two aces. Jeremy Dejno (New Berlin, Wis.) also scored in double figures with 11 points on nine kills and two aces.

Raouf Nedjar led Algeria with 19 points on 15 kills and a match-high four blocks.

The U.S. Boys’ Youth Team completed 59 of 113 kill attempts (52 percent) with 24 errors. Taylor led the way, completing 18 of 30 attempts (60 percent) with eight errors. Sander was 15 of 28 (54 percent) with five errors.

Algeria completed 41 of 103 kill attempts (40 percent) with 26 errors.

Algeria out-blocked the United States 11-10, but Team USA had 10 aces as compared to Algeria’s five.

Among other U.S. scorers, Spencer Rowe (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) totaled nine points on seven kills, one block and one ace. Connor Olbright (Orange, Calif.) scored five points on three blocks and two aces. Taylor Crabb (Honolulu, Hawai’i) added two points on one kill and one block and Tanner Clayton (San Diego, Calif.) scored one point on one kill.

Olbright was credited with 33 running sets and one fault on 99 attempts and 12 digs with two faults on 14 attempts. Libero Evan Mottram (Leona Valley, Calif.) had 15 digs and four faults on 19 attempts. Mottram was also credited with 19 excellent receptions and two faults on 28 attempts. Sander had 14 excellent receptions and two faults on 28 attempts.

U.S. Head Coach Andy Read started Dejno and Sander at outside hitter, Davis and Rowe at middle blocker, Olbright at setter, Taylor at opposite and Mottram at libero. Crabb started the third and fourth sets for Dejno and Clayton started the fourth set for Rowe. Setter Micah Christenson (Honolulu, Hawai’i) played as a substitute.

The U.S. Boys’ Youth Team got off to a strong start in the first set and led 8-4 at the first technical timeout (TTO) thanks to two kills from Sander, two from Rowe and a Dejno ace. Team USA extended the lead to 16-10 at the second TTO, including a kill and another ace by Dejno, a kill and an ace from Sander, and a kill and block by Davis. Taylor added two kills and a block as the United States’ lead increased to 22-12. Algeria scored the next four points, three on U.S. errors, to make the score 22-16. But Taylor ended the run with another kill. Team USA reached set point first at 24-16. Algeria scored once before Dejno ended the set with a quick kill.

Algeria gained the upper hand early in the second set and led 8-4 at the first TTO. Trailing 6-11, Team USA scored three straight points on kills by Taylor and Sander and an Algerian error. But Algeria called timeout and ended the run with a kill. Algeria led 18-15 at the second TTO, but the U.S. Boys’ Youth Team came back to score three straight points at tie the score at 18-18 on Taylors quick kill and two Algerian errors. Later, with the score tied 22-22, Algeria scored on a kill, then reached set point on a U.S. error. Algeria won the set with a kill.

Team USA took a 4-1 lead to open the second set, including a kill by Sander, two blocks by Rowe and an Olbright block. It held an 8-4 lead at the first TTO thanks to two more Sander kills and an Olbright ace. Later, with the United States leading 18-13, it scored four straight points on blocks by Crabb and Davis, and kills by Taylor and Rowe to lead by nine at 22-13. Algeria could not recover. Davis scored all three of the United States’ final points as it won the set 25-17.

Algeria came back in the fourth set and took an 8-2 lead at the first TTO. The United States stayed with it and pulled to within four at 10-6 as Sander, Clayton, Dejno and Davis all contributed kills. But with Algeria leading 15-11, it scored five straight points on two blocks and an ace along with two U.S. errors to lead 20-11. The U.S. Boys’ Youth Team could not recover. Algeria reached set point first at 24-18. The United States scored twice on a Sander kill and Algerian error before Algeria took the set 25-20.

The U.S. Boys’ Youth Team trailed3-4 in the tiebreaker before reeling off six straight points on kills by Rowe, Taylor and Dejno and an ace from Sander along with two Algerian errors. Algeria scored once, but Team USA went on the attack again and scored four more straight points on a kill and block from Taylor and a Rowe ace. Algeria scored one more time on a U.S. error before attacks by Dejno and Davis ended the match with a U.S. victory.

Read Ken Preston’s “Blogging from the Boot.”

View Ken Preston’s photo gallery.

The event web site is at www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/Youth/men/2009/.

FIVB Boys’ Youth World Championship
Aug. 28-Sept. 6 in Jesolo and Bassano del Grappa, Italy

No Name (Position, Hometown, Region, Club)
2 Micah Christenson (S, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Aloha, Outrigger Canoe VC)
3 Tanner Clayton (MB, San Diego, Calif., Southern California, Epic VC)
4 Taylor Crabb (OH, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Aloha, Outrigger Canoe VC)
6 Dylan Davis (MB, Corona del Mar, Calif., So Cal, Balboa Bay VC)
7 Jeremy Dejno (OH, New Berlin, Wis., Badger, Lightning VC)
10 Nick Gibson (OH, Shorewood, Wis., Badger, North Shore Milwaukee VC)
12 Evan Mottram (L, Leona Valley, Calif., So Cal, Pacific Palisades VC)
14 Connor Olbright (S, Orange, Calif., So Cal, Balboa Bay VC)
15 Spencer Rowe (MB, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., So Cal, OCVC)
16 C Taylor Sander (OH, Norco, Calif., So Cal, Orange Coast VC)
18 Joshua Taylor (Opp/OH, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Aloha, Ku’ikahi VC)
19 Maurice Torres (Opp/OH, Riverside, Calif., So Cal, OC Riptides)

Head Coach: Andy Read (Long Beach State University)
Assistant Coach: Sean Byron (Ohio State University)
Team Leader/Manager: Ken Preston (former head coach at UC Santa Barbara)
Doctor: David Dyck Jr.
Therapist/Trainer: Daniel Friend (Lewis University)
Technical Coordinator: Chris Birch (Penn State University)

Pool H Standings
Country Record (Point Ratio)
Brazil 1-0 (1.210)
USA 1-0 (1.189)
Algeria 0-1 (0.841)
Egypt 0-1 (0.827)

Pool H Schedule (All times local) and Results
All matches in Bassano del Grappa
Sept. 1
USA def. Algeria, 25-17, 22-25, 25-17, 20-25, 15-6
Brazil def. Egypt, 25-20, 25-20, 25-22
Sept. 2
Algeria vs. Brazil, 10 a.m.
USA vs. Egypt, 12:30 p.m.
Sept. 3
Brazil vs. USA, 10 a.m.
Egypt vs. Algeria, 12:30 p.m.

Pool B Final Standings:
Country Record (Point Ratio)
Iran 2-1 (1.151)
Serbia 2-1 (1.039)
USA 2-1 (0.941)
Japan 0-3 (0.906)

Pool B Match Schedule and Results
All matches in Jesolo
Aug. 28
Serbia def. Japan, 20-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-21, 15-13
USA def. Iran, 25-20, 13-25, 25-22, 25-23
Aug. 29
Iran def. Japan, 25-20, 25-18, 19-25, 25-18
Serbia def. USA, 17-25, 18-25, 18-25
Aug. 30
USA def. Japan, 25-21, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22
Iran def. Serbia, 25-22, 25-11, 25-23

Tags: 2009 U.S. Boys' Youth National Team, FIVB World Championship, U.S. Boys' Youth National Team, Youth World Championships