USAV Declares 2011 Boys’ Youth National Team

Becky Murdy
Assistant, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: becky.murdy@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 1, 2011)- The USA Volleyball High Performance Department is pleased to announce its 2011 Boys’ Youth National Team (BYNT) that will represent the United States at the Boys’ Youth Pan American Cup on July 9-17 in Mexico and the 2011 FIVB Boys’ Youth (U-19) World Championship, Aug. 19-28 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Seven of the 12 players tallied playing time as the U.S. captured silver at the 2010 NORCECA Boys’ Youth (U-19) Continental Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico, including Aaron Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) who was named the tournament’s Best Blocker. Additional returning players include Nikola Antonijevic (Buffalo Grove, Ill.), Scott Rhein (Pleasant View, Tenn.), Andrew Sato (Calabasas, Calif.), Matthew Tarantino (Van Nuys, Calif.), Matthew West (Seattle, Wash.) and DJ White (Hermosa Beach, Calif.).

New to the team are outside hitters, Cody Caldwell (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Greg Petty (Downers Gorve, Ill.), middle blocker Josh Kirchner (Sussex, Wis.), opposite Ben Patch (Provo, Utah) and setter James Shaw (Woodside, Calif.). 

BYNT head coach Ken Shibuya has just completed his fifth season as Stanford University’s men’s volleyball coach. Shibuya is assisted by Dan Friend of Lewis University and Rob Neilson of Brigham Young University.

The coaching staff determined the 12-player roster after a three-day second tryout held May 27-29 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The team is steep in geographical distribution with athletes representing seven states; Ill., Calif., Wis., Utah Tenn, Md., and Wash., and eight regions including four from the Southern California region, two from the Great Lakes region, and one from each of the Badger, Intermountain, Southern, Chesapeake and Puget Sound region.

The team will make a quick adjustment into competitive play at the Pan Am Cup before returning to the United States to prepare for the FIVB World Championship.

2011 U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team Roster

Name (Position, City, State, Club, Region)
Nikola Antonijevic (MB, Buffalo Grove, Ill., Adversity, Great Lakes)
Cody Caldwell (OH, Newport Beach, Calif., Balboa Bay, Southern California)
Josh Kirchner (MB, Sussex, Wis., West Allis Lightning, Badger)
Ben Patch (Opposite, Provo, Utah, Vegas VC, Intermountain)
Greg Petty (OH, Downers Grove, Ill., Sports Performance, Great Lakes)
Scott Rhein (OH, Pleasant View, Tenn., Impact, Southern)
Aaron Russell (MB, Ellicott City, Md., MVP, Chesapeake)
Andrew Sato (Libero, Calabasas, Calif., SMBC, Southern California)
James Shaw (Setter, Woodside, Calif., Mountain View, Northern California)
Matthew Tarantino (OH, Van Nuys, Calif., SMBC, Southern California)
Matthew West (Setter, Seattle, Wash., Spaceneedle, Puget Sound)
DJ White (OH, Hermosa Beach, Calif., MB Surf, Southern California)

Alternates
Dillon Hoffman (Libero, San Clemente, Calif., Balboa Bay, Southern California)
Michael Mullahey (Setter, Manhattan Beach, Calif., SCVC, Southern California)
Nicholas Olson (MB, New Berlin, Wis., West Allis Lightning, Badger Region)
Austin Kingi (OH, Tousand Oaks, Calif., SMBC, Southern California)

Staff

Head Coach – Ken Shibuya, Stanford University
Asst. Coach – Dan Friend, Lewis University
Asst. Coach – Rob Neilson, Bringham Young University

Tags: 2011 U.S. Boys' Youth National Team, Aaron Russell, Andrew Sato, Cody Caldwell, D.J. White, FIVB World Championship, Greg Petty, High Performance, James Shaw, Josh Kirchner, Matt Tarantino, Matt West, Nikola Antonijevic, Pan American Cup, Scott Rhein