U.S. Men's Jr. Team in FIVB World Semifinal

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

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 8, 2011) – The U.S. Men’s Junior National Team will play top-ranked Argentina on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. PT in a semifinal match at the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Junior World Championship Brazil 2011 in Rio De Janeiro with history on the line.

This year’s U.S. Men’s Junior National Team could make USA Volleyball history by medaling at the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Junior World Championship. No U.S. youth or junior team of either gender has medaled in their respective FIVB World Championship. The U.S. Men’s Junior National Team is assured of its highest finish ever in the tournament by reaching the semifinal round as they have three seventh-place finishes and two eighth-place finishes in their five previous entries.

At the most recent edition of the FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship held in 2009 at Pune, India, the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team finished eighth in the tournament and Argentina earned the bronze medal. To tune in for the live webstream, click here. For live scoring of the match, click here.

In the other gold-medal semifinal match, Russia is set to play Serbia at noon PT. The medal matches will conclude tournament play on Aug. 10.

Taylor Sander (Norco, Calif.) is currently ranked as the second best scorer of the FIVB tournament with 122 points on 99 kills, 14 blocks and nine aces. Sander is the third best server with nine aces on 85 attempts. Sander is also ranks as the seventh best spiker of the tournament with a 45.1 kill percent and is 11th in best blocker with a 0.56 block average. He stands at No. 12 in receiving with 62 excellent receptions as part of a 31.95 efficiency percent.

U.S. captain Taylor Crabb (Honolulu) is ranked No. 16 in the best scorer category, contributing 66 points on 59 kills, five blocks and two aces. Crabb is ranked 19th in the best spiker category with 59 kills on 163 attempts and a 36.20 kill percent. Crab ranks 18th in best digger with a 1.76 dig average and fifth in best receiver with a 37.82 efficiency percent.

Dylan Davis (Corona del Mar, Calif.) ranks as the third best blocker of the FIVB tournament with 21 blocks as part of a 0.84 block average and is No. 23 in best scorer with 59 points on 38 kills and 21 blocks.

Maurice Torres (Riverside, Calif.) is currently ranked as the third best spiker in the FIVB tournament with 63 kills out of 124 total attempts and a 50.81 kill percent. Torres ranks seventh in serving with eight aces as part of a 0.32 service ace average.

Micah Christenson (Honolulu) is the third best setter with 189 assists on 556 attempts as part of a 7.56 average per set. Eric Mochalski (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) ranks eighth in serving with six aces and 0.24 average per set. He ranks 16th in best blocker with 11 blocks as part of a 0.44 block average.

Henry Cassiday (Honolulu) ranks as the fourth best digger with a 2.96 dig average. He ranks No. 15 in receiving with 50 excellent receptions as part of a 24.14 efficiency percent.

2011 U.S. Men's Junior National Team
Name (Position, Height, Hometown, HS Grad Year, Club/School, Region)
1 - Henry Cassiday (L, 6-3, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2010, USC, Southern California)
2 - Micah Christenson (S, 6-5, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2011, Outrigger Canoe Club, Aloha)
4 - Brian Cook (OH, 6-5, Santa Cruz, Calif., 2010, Stanford Univ., Southern California)
5 - Taylor Crabb (OH, 6-1, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2009, Long Beach State Univ., Aloha)
6 - Dylan Davis (MB, 6-9, Corona del Mar, Calif., 2009, UC Santa Barbara, Southern California)
8 - Steven Irvin (OH, 6-5, Pacific Palisades, Calif., 2010, Stanford Univ., Southern California)
9 - Scott Kevorken (MB, 6-8, Westlake Village, Calif., 2009, UC Irvine, Southern California)
10 - Connor Olbright (S, 6-5, Orange, Calif., 2010, Long Beach State Univ., Southern California)
11 - Eric Mochalski (MB, 6-6, Manhattan Beach, Calif., 2010, Stanford Univ., Southern California)
15 - Taylor Sander (OH, 6-5, Norco, Calif., 2010, BYU, Southern California)
17 - Joshua Taylor (Opp, 6-7, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2011, Outrigger Canoe Club, Aloha)
18 - Maurice Torres (Opp, 6-7, Riverside, Calif., 2009, Pepperdine Univ., Southern California)

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

FIVB Volleyball Men’s Junior World Championship Brazil 2011 Results

First Round (August 1-3)

Pool A (at Rio De Janeiro, Brazil)
Aug. 1: USA def. Bulgaria 25-22, 25-18, 25-21
Aug. 1: Japan def. Brazil 21-25, 25-19, 25-20, 22-25, 18-16
Aug. 2: Japan def. Bulgaria 20-25, 20-25, 33-31, 25-18, 15-11
Aug. 2: Brazil def. USA 25-19, 21-25, 25-23, 25-19
Aug. 3: USA def. Japan 25-20, 21-25, 25-18, 25-19
Aug. 3: Brazil def. Bulgaria 23-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 15-8

Pool B (at Niteroi, Brazil)
Aug. 1: Argentina def. Puerto Rico 23-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-17
Aug. 1: Spain def. Tunisia 25-14, 25-18, 25-17
Aug. 2: Spain def. Puerto Rico 25-7, 15-25, 25-18
Aug. 2: Argentina def. Tunisia 25-17, 25-23, 25-22
Aug. 3: Argentina def. Spain 25-20, 22-25, 25-14, 25-8
Aug. 3: Puerto Rico def. Tunisia 20-25, 25-13, 23-25, 25-20, 15-11

Pool C (at Rio De Janeiro, Brazil)
Aug. 1: India def. Germany 19-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-20
Aug. 1: Russia def. Egypt 25-16, 25-16, 25-13
Aug. 2: Egypt def. Germany 26-24, 25-20, 22-25, 25-23
Aug. 2: Russia def. India 25-23, 25-17, 25-18
Aug. 3: India def. Egypt 25-17, 25-19, 25-18
Aug. 3: Russia def. Germany 25-20, 24-26, 25-23, 25-23

Pool D (at Niteroi, Brazil)
Aug. 1: Iran def. Canada 25-19, 25-19, 25-20
Aug. 2: Serbia def. Iran 23-25, 22-25, 30-28, 25-18, 15-13
Aug. 2: Belgium def. Canada 25-23, 25-22, 25-17
Aug. 2: Serbia def. Iran 23-25, 22-25, 30-28, 25-18, 15-13
Aug. 3: Iran def. Belgium 25-20, 23-25, 25-23, 17-14
Aug. 3: Serbia def. Canada 25-17, 19-25, 25-15, 21-25, 15-4

Second Round (Aug. 5-7)

Pool E (at Rio De Janeiro)
Aug. 5: Russia def. Spain 25-20, 25-18, 25-20
Aug. 5: USA def. Iran 22-25, 25-20, 25-15, 25-17
Aug. 6: Russia def. Iran 25-21, 25-19, 25-22
Aug. 6: USA def. Spain 25-21, 20-25, 26-24, 28-30, 15-11
Aug. 7: Iran def. Spain 26-24, 25-20, 25-23
Aug. 7: Russia def. USA 19-25, 27-29, 25-21, 25-17, 15-13

Pool F (at Rio De Janeiro)
Aug. 5: Argentina def. India 25-21, 23-25, 25-16, 25-19
Aug. 5: Brazil def. Serbia 25-16, 25-19, 25-21
Aug. 6: Serbia def. India 25-13, 19-25, 25-22, 27-25
Aug. 6: Argentina def. Brazil 14-25, 25-20, 26-24, 25-17
Aug. 7: Serbia def. Argentina 24-26, 25-18, 20-25, 25-10, 15-9
Aug. 7: India def. Brazil 36-34, 22-25, 21-25, 25-17, 16-14

Pool G (at Niteroi)
Aug. 5: Canada def. Japan 25-12, 25-17, 25-14
Aug. 5: Tunisia def. Egypt 23-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-13
Aug. 6: Canada def. Egypt 19-25, 25-20, 25-17, 21-25, 15-11
Aug. 6: Japan def. Tunisia 25-19, 25-20, 25-18
Aug. 7: Canada def. Tunisia 25-20, 25-21, 25-21, 25-23
Aug. 7: Japan def. Egypt 25-18, 15-25, 20-25, 25-21, 16-14

Pool H (at Niteroi)
Aug. 5: Germany def. Puerto Rico 25-14, 25-22, 32-34, 25-12
Aug. 5: Belgium def. Bulgaria 25-23, 25-19, 22-25, 25-23
Aug. 6: Belgium def. Germany 23-25, 25-20, 28-26, 21-25, 15-10
Aug. 6: Bulgaria def. Puerto Rico 25-15, 25-12, 25-18
Aug. 7: Belgium def. Puerto Rico 25-22, 25-19, 25-21
Aug. 7: Germany def. Bulgaria 25-23, 29-27, 25-24

Semifinals (at Rio De Janeiro)
Aug. 9: USA vs. Argentina, 12:30 p.m. (1-4 classification)
Aug. 9: Russia vs. Serbia, 4 p.m. (1-4 classification)
Aug. 9: Iran vs. India, 10 a.m. (5-8 classification)
Aug. 9: Brazil vs. Spain, 6:30 p.m. (5-8 classification)

Semifinals (at Niteroi)
Aug. 8: Tunisia vs. Puerto Rico, 4 p.m. (13-16 classification)
Aug. 8: Bulgaria vs. Egypt, 6:30 p.m. (13-16 classification)
Aug. 9: Canada vs. Germany, 10 a.m. (9-12 classification)
Aug. 9: Belgium vs. Japan, 12:30 a.m. (9-12 classification)

Finals - Medal Rounds and All Classifications
Schedule to be determined

Tags: 2011 U.S. Men's Junior National Team, Brian Cook, Connor Olbright, Dylan Davis, Eric Mochalski, FIVB Volleyball Men's Jr. World Championship Brazil 2011, Henry Cassiday, Josh Taylor, Joshua Taylor, Maurice Torres, Micah Christenson, mobile, Scott Kevorken, Taylor Crabb, Taylor Sander, U.S. Men's Junior National Team