U.S. Boys’ Youth Team Heads to Pan Am Cup

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

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 8, 2011)- The 2011 U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team (BYNT) will get its first chance to compete as a team at the Boys’ Youth (Under-19) Pan American Cup on July 9-16 in Mexicali, Mexico.

Competing in Pool B, the United States will face Trinidad & Tobago on Tuesday (7 p.m. PT) and host Mexico on Wednesday (7 p.m. PT) before the quarterfinal round.

Pool A is composed of Brazil, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica.

Quarterfinals will be held on Thursday with semifinals following on Friday and both medal matches will be played on Saturday.

Leading the team will be Head Coach Ken Shibuya who will enter his sixth season as Stanford University’s assistant men’s volleyball coach. Dan Friend of Lewis University and Rob Neilson of Brigham Young University will assist Shibuya.

After a three-day tryout on May 27-29 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., the coaching staff whittled down the 19-player roster to 12.

Seven of the 12 players tallied playing time when 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.).

Following the Pan American Cup the team will return to the United States to prepare for the 2011 FIVB Boys’ Youth (U-19) World Championship on Aug. 19-28 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

2011 Pan American Cup Schedule (All times PT)
Group A
July 11 at 5 p.m.: Brazil vs. Costa Rica
July 12 at 5 p.m.: Puerto Rico vs. Costa Rica
July 13 at 5 p.m.: Brazil vs. Puerto Rico

Group B
July 11 at 7 p.m.: Mexico vs. Trinidad and Tobago
July 12 at 7 p.m.: USA vs. Trinidad and Tobago
July 13 at 7 p.m.: Mexico vs. USA

July 14 at 5 p.m.: Quarterfinal 1 (A2 vs B3)
July 14 at 6 p.m.: Quarterfinal 2 (B2 vs A3)

July 15 at 3 p.m.: Fifth-place match
July 15 at 5 p.m.: Semifinals
July 15 at 7 p.m.: Semifinals

July 16 at 5 p.m.: Finals Bronze-Medal Match
July 16 at 7 p.m.: Finals Gold-Medal Match

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 (OPP, 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 (L, Calabasas, Calif., SMBC, Southern California)
James Shaw (S, Woodside, Calif., Mountain View, Northern California)
Matthew Tarantino (OH, Van Nuys, Calif., SMBC, Southern California)
Matthew West (S, Seattle, Wash., Space Needle, Puget Sound)
DJ White (OH, Hermosa Beach, Calif., MB Surf, Southern California)

Alternates
Dillon Hoffman (L, San Clemente, Calif., Balboa Bay, Southern California)
Michael Mullahey (S, 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, Brigham Young University

Tags: 2011 Boys' Youth National Team , NORCECA Boys' Youth Continental Championship, Pan American Cup, U.S. Boys' Youth National Team