Boys’ Youth Will Go for Bronze at U-19 Pan Am Cup

Becky Murdy

Assistant, Media Relations and Publications

Phone: 719-228-6800

E-Mail: becky.murdy@usav.org

View Official Match Statistics

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 15, 2011) -The U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team dropped a tough loss to Brazil on Friday, 25-19, 25-23, 25-21 in the semifinal match at the Boys’ Youth (Under-19) Pan American Cup in Mexicali, Mexico.

The Americans (2-2) put up a fight against Brazil (3-0) but could not come out with the win. The U.S. will battle for the bronze medal on Saturday at 5 p.m. PT. The team’s opponent will be determined at the conclusion of Friday evening’s semifinal match between Mexico (2-0) and Puerto Rico (1-1).

The gold medal match will follow the bronze match at 7 p.m. PT.

Costa Rica (1-3) defeated Trinidad and Tobago (0-4), 13-25, 25-20, 13-25, 25-21, 15-12 to capture the fifth-place spot.

Matt Tarantino (Van Nuys, Calif.) led the U.S. Boys’ Youth Team in points and attacks with 10 kills, three blocks and a service ace. Cody Caldwell (Newport Beach, Calif.) charted nine points off of nine kills, five of which came in the third set alone.

Nikola Antonijevic (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) tallied four kills in addition to a team- and match-high four blocks for eight points. Aaron Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) finished with five kills, one block and a service ace for a seven points. 

Following a strong performance on Thursday, Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill.) continued his successful play, tallying six kills for six points with starts and playing time in just the second and third sets. Also scoring for the U.S. was D.J. White (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) who played outside hitter in the first set and charted two kills. 

Tarantino started at opposite while Caldwell started all three sets at outside hitter. White started the first set at outside hitter and was replaced by Petty, who clocked starting time in the second and third sets. Antonikevic and Russell started all three sets as middle blockers.

Team Captain Matt West (Seattle, Wash.), was the setter throughout the match and Andrew Sato (Calabasas, Calif.) remained as team libero.

Benjamin Patch (Provo, Utah) subbed in as opposite in the second and third set while Josh Kirchner (Sussex, Wis.) subbed in as middle blocker in the second set.

Both teams came out swinging in the first set with Tarantino connecting on a one-two kill at 2-2. A kill from Caldwell and a miss hit by Brazil brought the game to 4-all. The U.S. was unable to take the lead and fell to a 9-15 deficit after a four-point run by Brazil. The Americans looked for a spark and found it off the attacks of Caldwell, Tarantino and White to bring the game within two at 13-15. Kills by Russell and White and consecutive blocks by Tarantino and Antonijevic were separated by Brazil heavy hitting and sent the U.S. back by four at 17-21. Antonijevic fired a kill followed by a Brazil error at 19-22. The U.S. was unable to catch up after that and dropped the set 19-25. Tarantino led the U.S. with four points off of three kills and a block. 

Petty, who did not start the first set, came out firing in the second recording two kills giving the U.S. its first lead in the match at 3-2. Blocks from Antonijevic and Tarantino ignited the Americans to a 7-5 lead. Tarantino fed off the team’s energy and gave the U.S. its next three points off of two kills and a service ace bringing the match to 10-8. Brazil brought it back within one but back-to-back, hard-hit attacks from Russell and Caldwell gave the U.S. a two-point cushion at 13-11. Brazil took its first lead of the set at 14-13 before Petty recorded his third kill and tied the game up at 14-all. Down by one, the U.S. looked to a solid swing from Antonijevic to tie it up at 15-15 and give the team an edge. Shibuya subbed Patch and Kirchner into the rotation looking to spark a run for the win. The teams exchanged points until 20-22 when Brazil took a two-point lead. Consecutive U.S. points from Antonijevic’s fourth block and Tarnatino’s seventh kill brought the game to 22-all. Brazil took the next two points, reaching set point first, but a bullet from Tarantino kept the U.S. alive at 23-24. The team was unable to rally another point and Brazil took the second set 25-23. Tarantino tallied five points in the second half with five kills to lead the U.S. with 11 points.

The U.S. fell to a 4-7 deficit early in the third set, but rallied with three unanswered points off consecutive kills from Caldwell and Petty tying the set at 7-7. The Americans stayed quiet for three points before Russell threw a solo block followed by kills from Antonijevic and Caldwell to bring the match to 11-all. The U.S. fell back three at 12-15 and couldn’t regain the lead. Petty, Caldwell and Russell connected on attacks keeping the game within one at 17-18. The Americans’ next four points came from consecutive kills from Caldwell, Tarantino and Petty at 21-22. Tarantino recorded two, reaching 10 kills; the only double-digit finish for the U.S. Brazil secured the set and match with a three-point, unanswered run to end at 25-21. Caldwell made the most noise in the third set for the U.S. recording five kills.  

For live scoring of the matches, visit the NORCECA web site by clicking here.

2011 Pan American Cup
July 11-16 in Mexicali, Mexico

U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team Roster
No Name (Position, City, State, Club, Region) 
1 Nikola Antonijevic (MB, Buffalo Grove, Ill., Adversity, Great Lakes)

2 Cody Caldwell  (OH, Newport Beach, Calif., Balboa Bay, Southern California)

6 Josh Kirchner (MB, Sussex, Wis., West Allis Lightning, Badger)

10 Ben Patch (OPP, Provo, Utah, Vegas VC, Intermountain)

11 Greg Petty (OH, Downers Grove, Ill., Sports Performance, Great Lakes)

12 Scott Rhein  (OH, Pleasant View, Tenn., Impact, Southern)

13 Aaron Russell  (MB, Ellicott City, Md., MVP, Chesapeake)

15 Andrew Sato (L, Calabasas, Calif., SMBC, Southern California)

16 James Shaw (S, Woodside, Calif., Mountain View, Northern California)

17 Matthew Tarantino (OH, Van Nuys, Calif., SMBC, Southern California)

18 Matthew West (S, Seattle, Wash., Space Needle, Puget Sound)

19 DJ White (OH, Hermosa Beach, Calif., MB Surf, Southern California)

Staff
Head Coach: Ken Shibuya, Stanford University

Asst. Coach: Dan Friend, Lewis University

Asst. Coach: Rob Neilson, Brigham Young University

2011 Pan American Cup Schedule and Results (All times PT) 
Group A

July 11 at 5 p.m.: Brazil def. Costa Rica 25-6, 25-8, 25-10

July 12 at 5 p.m.: Puerto Rico def. Costa Rica 25-9, 25-10, 25-15

July 13 at 5 p.m.: Brazil def. Puerto Rico 25-17, 25-9, 25-18

Group B

July 11 at 7 p.m.: Mexico def. Trinidad and Tobago 25-19, 25-18, 25-11

July 12 at 7 p.m.: USA def. Trinidad and Tobago 25-12, 25-10, 25-13

July 13 at 7 p.m.: Mexico def. USA 25-21, 19-25, 21-25, 27-25, 15-13

July 14 at 5 p.m.: Puerto Rico def. Trinidad and Tobago
25-17, 25-14, 25-18
July 14 at 6 p.m.: USA def. Costa Rica 25-19, 25-4, 25-12

July 15 at 3 p.m.: Costa Rica def. Trinidad and Tobago 25-13, 20-25, 25-13, 21-25, 12-15

July 15 at 5 p.m.: Brazil def. USA 25-19, 25-23, 25-21 
July 15 at 7 p.m.: Mexico vs. Puerto Rico (semifinals)

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

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

Tags: 2011 U.S. Boys' Youth National Team, Aaron Russell, Andrew Sato, Ben Patch, Cody Caldwell, D.J. White, Greg Petty, Josh Kirchner, Matt Tarantino, Matt West, Nikola Antonijevic, U.S. Boys' Youth National Team