Pools Drawn for FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship

Candice Kasischke
Intern, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719)-228-6800
E-Mail: candice.kasischke@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 6, 2011) - The U.S. Men's Junior National Team will compete within Pool C against Brazil, Japan and Bulgaria in the first round of the FIVB Men’s Junior (U-20) World Championship held Aug. 12-21.

The 16th edition of the FIVB Men's Junior World Championship will be played in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which was the location of the tournament's first edition held in 1977.

Mr. Phillippe Berben, vice-president of the European Confederation, and Dr. Ary Graça, president of South American Confederation, conducted the drawing of lots alongside several local ambassadors, government officials and the media.

The U.S. is ranked ninth in the world in FIVB's combined male youth and junior rankings. Brazil is ranked sixth, while Japan is No. 13 and Bulgaria is No. 15.

The top two teams from each of the four original first round pools will be placed into two final pools competing for one of the top four slots for advancement into the semifinal round.

Eleven U.S. players who have made the 2011 U.S. Men’s National Training Team helped the 2010 U.S. Mens' Junior National Team capture the gold medal at the NORCECA Men's Junior (U-20) Continental Championship held in Gateneau, Quebec, qualifying the Americans into the FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship.

The U.S. placed 10th at the most recent edition of the FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship held in 2009 in Italy. Serbia is the defending champion.

Pool A
Brazil
USA
Japan
Bulgaria

Pool B
Argentina
Tunisia
Puerto Rico
Spain

Pool C
Russia
India
Egypt
Germany

Pool D
Iran
Serbia
Canada
Belgium

2011 U.S. Men's Junior National Training Team
No. - Name (Position, Height, Hometown, HS Grad Year, Club/School, Region)
1 - Micah Christenson (S, 6-5, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2011, Outrigger Canoe Club, Aloha)
2 - Matt West (S, 6-5, Seattle, Wash., 2011, Space Needle VBC, Puget Sound)
3 - Connor Olbright (S, 6-5, Orange, Calif., 2010, Long Beach State Univ., Southern California)
4 - Joshua Taylor (Opp, 6-7, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2011, Outrigger Canoe Club, Aloha)
5 - Maurice Torres (Opp, 6-7, Riverside, Calif., 2009, Pepperdine Univ., Southern California)
6 - Eric Mochalski (MB, 6-6, Manhattan Beach, Calif., 2010, Stanford Univ., Southern California)
7 - Scott Kevorken (MB, 6-8, Westlake Village, Calif., 2009, UC Irvine, Southern California)
8 - Dylan Davis (MB, 6-9, Corona del Mar, Calif., 2009, UC Santa Barbara, Southern California)
9 - Grayson Overman (MB, 6-6, San Clemente, Calif., 2009, Ohio State Univ., Southern California)
10 - Jeff Ornee (MB, 6-9, Cypress, Calif., 2009, Long Beach State Univ., Southern California)
11 - Jeremy Dejno (OH, 6-5, New Berlin, Wis., 2010, UC Irvine, Badger)
12 - Taylor Sander (OH, 6-5, Norco, Calif., 2010, BYU, Southern California)
13 - Robart Page (OH, 7-0, Victor, N.Y., 2010, UCLA, Western Empire)
14 - Brian Cook (OH, 6-5, Santa Cruz, Calif., 2010, Stanford Univ., Southern California)
15 - Taylor Crabb (OH, 6-1, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2009, Long Beach State Univ., Aloha)
16 - Steven Irvin (OH, 6-5, Pacific Palisades, Calif., 2010, Stanford Univ., Southern California)
17 - Jace Olsen (OH, 6-7, Chandler, Ariz., 2010, Penn State Univ., Arizona)
18 - Michael Brinkley (L, 5-10, Huntington Beach, Calif., 2011, Balboa Bay VC, Southern California)
19 - Henry Cassiday (L, 6-3, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2010, USC, Southern California)

Head Coach - John Hawks (Long Beach State)
Assistant Coach - Colin McMillan (Penn State)
Assistant Coach - David Hunt (Pepperdine)
Head of Delegation - Shawn Patchell (San Diego, Calif.)
Technical Coordinator - Randy Nako (Honolulu, Hawaii)