U.S. Boys' Youth Beats Mexico for Bronze

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

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 16, 2011) – The U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team captured the bronze medal on Saturday after defeating Mexico, 25-23, 25-19, 25-21, at the Boys’ Youth (Under-19) Pan American Cup in Mexicali, Mexico.

The Americans (3-2) beat Mexico (2-2) in a rematch of their pool play battle. Mexico had previously beaten the U.S. in its second match, securing a position in the semifinals.

The gold medal match between Brazil and Puerto Rico was set for 7 p.m. PT on Saturday.

The U.S. Boys' Youth National Team will head to San Diego in early August to train before competing at the 2011 FIVB Boys’ Youth (U-19) World Championship on Aug. 19-28 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Cody Caldwell (Newport Beach, Calif.) led the United States with 14 points off of nine kills, three blocks and two service aces. Both Aaron Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) and Scott Rhein (Pleasant View, Tenn.) tallied 10 points each with Russell delivering a match-high 10 kills. Rhein recorded seven kills, one block and two service aces.

As a team, the U.S. out-attacked Mexico 38-20. It also led in blocks (11-5) and in aces (6-2).

Among other U.S. scorers, Nikola Antonijevic (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) earned nine points off of six attacks and three blocks. Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill.) scored four points for the U.S. off of two kills and two blocks. Matt Tarantino (Van Nuys, Calif.) subbed in the second set and started the third, tallying four kills.

Also scoring for the U.S. was setter and team captain Matt West (Seattle, Wash.) who charted two blocks and a service ace. Ben Patch (Provo, Utah) subbed in both the second and third set recording a point off a service ace.

Rhein and Caldwell started all three sets as outside hitter with Petty starting both the first and second set at opposite. Tarantino subbed in the second set and started the third at opposite while D.J. White (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) subbed in the third set. Both Russell and Antonijevic started as middle blockers in all three sets.

Patch entered the game as a sub in both the second and third set with Josh Kirchner (Sussex, Wis.) clocking time as middle blocker in the second set.

West was the setter throughout the match and Andrew Sato (Calabasas, Calif.) remained as team libero.

The U.S. took control of the first set early with a 2-0 lead after a service ace followed by a kill from Rhein. Mexico tied up the game at 3-3 but the Americans retaliated with three consecutive kills off of Caldwell and two from Russell to bring the match to 5-all. The U.S. took a six-point lead at 14-8 after Petty charted three points off of consecutive kills and a block. Mexico responded with a three-point run, but unforced errors gave the U.S. the ball at 15-11. Back-to-back attacks from Russell and an additional kill off of Rhein gave the U.S. a 20-19 lead. Petty and Caldwell threw up consecutive blocks to give the U.S. set point at 24-22. A solid connection from Russell secured the set for the U.S. at 25-21. Russell and Caldwell both charted five points with Russell recording a team-high five kills and Caldwell tallying three kills, a block and an ace.

Antonijevic recorded two kills for the U.S. early in the second set to give the team a 3-2 advantage. West threw up a solo block followed by a point from Russell who connected on a one-two kill to bring the game to 8-5. Back-to-back errors from Mexico gave the U.S. a five-point lead at 10-5. Patch subbed in and recorded a service ace to bring the game to 16-11 before two Mexico errors and two blocks from Caldwell ignited the Americans to a 20-13 lead. White charted his second block expanding the lead to 21-17. Tarantino, who had entered the game as a sub in the second set, marked his first point with a kill at 23-18. The U.S. captured the second set at 25-19 off of a kill from Caldwell that the Mexico team couldn't handle.

With the U.S. down by two for the first time in the match, Antonijevic put up a solo block to bring the match to 4-all. The U.S. was down by one at 7-6 before three consecutive kills from Russell, Rhein and Caldwell gave the U.S. momentum and a 13-11 lead. Errors were exchanged by both teams and the score was tied up at 14-all. Down by one after a kill from Mexico, the U.S. called upon Caldwell to connect with a perfect set from West tying the match at 15-all. Points were alternated between teams until the U.S. made a five-point run at 21-201 with points from an Antonijevic kill followed by a solo block and back-to-back Mexico errors. Tarantino offered a bullet over the net to give the U.S. the set, match point and the bronze medal at 25-21. Both Tarantino and Russell charted three kills in the third set.

2011 Boys' Youth (U-19) 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: Brazil def. Costa Rica 25-6, 25-8, 25-10
July 12: Puerto Rico def. Costa Rica 25-9, 25-10, 25-15
July 13: Brazil def. Puerto Rico 25-17, 25-9, 25-18

Group B
July 11: Mexico def. Trinidad and Tobago 25-19, 25-18, 25-11
July 12: USA def. Trinidad and Tobago 25-12, 25-10, 25-13&
July 13: Mexico def. USA 25-21, 19-25, 21-25, 27-25, 15-13

July 14: Quarterfinal, Puerto Rico def. Trinidad and Tobago 25-17, 25-14, 25-18
July 14: Quarterfinal, USA def. Costa Rica 25-19, 25-4, 25-12

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

July 15: Semifinal: Brazil def. USA 25-19, 25-23, 25-21
July 15: Semifinal: Mexico def. Puerto Rico 25-17, 23-25, 21-25, 25-20, 13-15

July 16: Bronze Medal, USA def. Mexico 25-23, 25-19, 25-21
July 16: Gold Medal, Brazil vs. Puerto Rico

Tags: 2011 Boys' Youth National Team , Aaron Russell, Andrew Sato, Ben Patch, Cody Caldwell, D.J. White, Dan Friend, Greg Petty, James Shaw, Josh Kirchner, Ken Shibuya, Matt Tarantino, Matt West, Scott Rhein, U.S. Boys' Youth National Team