Women's Jr. Team Beats Korea and Wins Pool C

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

Unofficial DataVolley Stats * Official Match Statistics

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 24, 2011) - The U.S. Women’s Junior National Team conquered a straight set victory over Korea 25-23, 25-14, 25-23 and concluded first round pool play on Sunday afternoon in the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Junior World Championships Peru 2011 held in Trujillo at the Gran Chimu Gymnasium.

Team USA, winner of the four-team Pool C in the 16-team tournament, stands undefeated after its victory against Korea on Sunday. The U.S. team swept Belgium on Friday and defeated Poland, 3-1, on Saturday. The U.S., enters the second round which will be played from July 26-28. Korea finished the first round with a 1-2 record.

Haley Eckerman (Waterloo, Iowa) led the U.S. Women’s Junior Team with 16 points on 15 kills and an ace. U.S. captain Kelly Reeves (San Diego) scored with 14 points on nine kills, three aces and two blocks. Moneshia Simmons (Buford, Ga.) added nine points, contributing five kills and four blocks.

Madelyn Hutson (Brentwood, Tenn.) scored eight points with six kills, a block and an ace. Sallie McLaurin (Midwest City, Okla.) added seven points with two kills, three blocks and two aces. Lauren Plum (Poway, Calif.) and Hannah Allison (Siloam Springs, Ark.) each scored two points apiece. Plum racked up her points by adding a kill and an ace, while Allison scored two aces in Team USA’s third match victory.

Reeves contributed 11 digs and 12 receptions for the U.S. team. Natalie Hagglund (Poway, Calif.) added 10 digs and nine receptions. Plum contributed 22 assists out of 63 total set attempts and had four digs. Allison added four assists out of 14 attempts and had three digs.

Browning started Reeves and Eckerman at outside hitter, McLaurin, who stepped onto the court for the first time in the tournament, and Hutson at middle blocker, Plum at setter and Simmons as opposite. Hagglund was the designated libero. McHugh subbed in early on in all three sets. Allison and Holthus contributed court action later on in all three sets.

Team USA carried a 10-2 block margin against Korea and accumulated a 10-7 ace advantage. The U.S. team racked up 38 kills on 90 attempts for a 42.2 kill percent, while its opponent scored 28 kills on 105 attacks.

U.S. Women's Junior National Team Head Coach Rob Browning was pleased with his team’s performance and first place finish in Pool C.

“We are very happy with this victory,” Browning said. “We knew that Korea was a strong team and we went into the match prepared to play tough. Pool C was a difficult pool to be placed into, and we are lucky to be in first.”

McLaurin added, “We all had great chemistry. The team focused on one goal of winning and we accomplished it.”

Korea’s Choi Eun-Ji scored 11 points and was the leading scorer for her team.

Head Coach Gi-Ju Park congratulated the U.S. for its win and is focusing on the next match.

“Congratulations to Team USA for winning this match," Park said. "Now we have to focus on our strategy so that we can win the next one.”

In Pool C’s other match on Sunday, Belgium defeated Poland, 20-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-16.

On Sunday in Pool A, Tunisia defeated Egypt, 26-24, 25-22, 21-25, 20-25, 17-15, to conclude pool play. Peru will face Slovakia 4:15 p.m. PT.

In Pool B on Sunday, Italy defeated Serbia, 25-14, 25-15, 25-20 and Brazil defeated Cuba to win its pool, 25-13, 25-15, 25-21.

In Pool D on Sunday, China defeated the Dominican Republic, 25-23, 25-21, 25-23 to win its pool. Russia is set to play Japan at 5:15 p.m. PT.

In the first set, Korea claimed the first two points, but the U.S. caught up to tie the score 4-all. Team USA established a 17-13 advantage, but Korea’s consistent serving and defense allowed them to battle back to a 19-all score. The U.S. blocking and well-rounded performance carried them to gain a 23-20 lead. Korea’s offense kept firing away and matched the U.S. at 23-all. Team USA took then next two points and won the first set, 25-23.

In the second set, the two teams battled early on, but the Americans’ successful offensive play could not be denied. The U.S. gained an early 12-7 advantage. Korea stepped up its play and lessened the deficit to 14-12. Team USA kept focused and struck back to win the next four points. Korea played tough, but the U.S. kept too large of a point spread to top. The U.S. won the second set with a 25-14 victory.

In the third set, Korea started with a different line-up with hopes of stirring up the U.S. team. Korea took a 6-3 lead, but the score tied at 7-all. The U.S. played tough defense and kept swinging aggressively, but trailed behind Korea by a few points. At a 21-18 score in Korea’s favor, the U.S. forced a side out and then scored an ace to bring the score to 21-20, still in Korea’s favor. The two teams battled back and forth. The U.S. scored two consecutive points with a block and a kill to seal a third set victory 25-23.

2011 U.S. Women’s Junior National Team Alternates
Name (Position, Height, Hometown, H.S. Grad Year, Club/School, Region)
Jennifer Bonilla (L, 5-10, Reseda, Calif., 2010, Sports Shack/University of Illinois, SCVA)
Samantha Cash (MB, 6-3, San Diego, Calif., 2011, Coast/Pepperdine, SCVA)
Mackenzie Dagostino (S, 5-10, Tampa Bay, Fla., 2012, Tampa Bay Juniors/University of Maryland, Florida)
Madison Kingdon (OH, 6-0, Phoenix, Ariz., 2011, Arizona Storm/University of Arizona, Arizona)
Molly Kreklow (S, 6-0, Delano, Minn., 2010, Mizuno Northern Lights/ University of Missouri, North Country)
Liz McMahon (OH, 6-6, Liberty Township, Ohio, 2011, Team Z/University of Illinois, Ohio Valley)
Alyssa Warren (L, 5-9, Joliet, Ill., 2010, Sports Performance/Seton Hall University, Great Lakes)

2011 U.S. Women's Junior National Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Rob Browning, Saint Mary’s College (Calif.)
Assistant Coach: Erik Sullivan, University of Texas
Assistant Coach: Jill Kramer, West Virginia University
Team Leader/Assistant Coach: Denise Corlett, Stanford University

2011 FIVB Women’s Junior World Championship

First Round (July 22-24)
Pool A (at Trujillo, Peru)
July 22: Slovakia def. Tunisia, 25-15, 25-10, 25-14
July 22: Peru def. Egypt, 25-18, 25-17, 25-16
July 23: Slovakia def. Egypt, 25-20, 25-10, 25-10
July 23: Peru def. Tunisia, 25-7, 25-11, 25-10
July 24: Tunisia def. Egypt, 26-24, 25-22, 21-25, 20-25, 17-15
July 24: Peru vs. Slovakia, 18:15

Pool B (at Lima, Peru)
July 22: Brazil def. Italy, 23-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-16
July 22: Serbia def. Cuba, 25-22, 23-25, 25-17, 25-10
July 23: Italy def. Cuba, 25-16, 25-12, 26-24
July 23: Brazil def. Serbia, 23-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-18
July 24: Italy def. Serbia, 25-14, 25-15, 25-20
July 24: Brazil def. Cuba, 25-13, 25-15, 25-21

Pool C (at Trujillo, Peru)
July 22: Korea def. Poland, 22-25, 25-22, 24-26, 25-19, 15-10
July 22: USA def. Belgium, 25-21, 25-18, 25-16
July 23: Belgium def. Korea, 25-19, 25-16, 18-25, 25-20
July 23: USA def. Poland, 25-19, 16-25, 29-27, 25-14
July 24: Belgium def. Poland, 20-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-16
July 24: USA def. Korea, 25-23, 25-14, 25-23

Pool D (at Lima, Peru)
July 22: Dominican Republic def. Japan, 25-14, 25-20, 20-25, 25-22
July 22: China def. Russia, 25-19, 25-19, 27-25
July 23: Dominican Republic def. Russia, 17-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-20
July 23: China def. Japan, 25-18, 17-25, 25-23, 25-19
July 24: China vs. Dominican Republic, 16:15
July 24: Russia vs. Japan, 18:15

Second Round (July 26-28)
Pool E: A1, B2, C1, D2 (at Lima or Trujillo)
Pool F: B1, A2, D1, C2 (at Lima or Trujillo)
Pool G: A3, B4, c3, D4 (at Lima or Trujillo)
Pool H: B3, A4, D3, C4 (at Lima or Trujillo)

Semifinals and Playoffs (July 30)
E1 vs. F2 (gold semifinals)
F1 vs. E2 (gold semifinals)
E3 vs. F4
F3 vs. E4
G1 vs. H2
H1 vs. G2
G3 vs. H4
H3 vs. G4

Medal Rounds and Playoffs (July 31)
- the winners of the semifinals will play the final for the 1st and 2nd position.
- the losers of the semifinals will play for the 3rd and 4th position.
- the winners of the play-off 5-8 will play for the 5th-6th position.
- the losers of the play-off 5-8 will play for the 7th-8th position.
- the winners of the play-off 9-12 will play for the 9th-10th position.
- the losers of the play-off 9-12 will play for the 11th-12th position.
- the winners of the play-off 13-16 will play for the 13th-14th position.
- the losers of the play-off 13-16 will play for the 15th-16th position.

Tags: Andrea McHugh, Carly Wopat, FIVB Women's Junior World Championship Peru 2011, Haleigh Hampton, Haley Eckerman, Hannah Allison, Kelly Reeves, Madelyn Hutson, Moneshia Simmons, Natalie Hagglund, Rob Browning, Sallie McLaurin, Stephanie Holthus, U.S. Women's Junior National Team