Boys’ Youth Fall in Four to Iran at Worlds

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

FIVB Offical Stats *Photos

The U.S. will take its 0-1 Pool H record, which wipes the first-round records and points clean, into Thursday’s showdown with Russia. The U.S. will then face Korea on Friday to conclude second-round play. The top two teams in Pool H standings advance to the 9-12 classification semifinals on Saturday, while the bottom two teams will fight for 13-16 classification.

In the first set the U.S. had difficulty stopping the attack of Iran captain Pourya Fayazi Damnabi, who charted eight kills and three blocks, guiding his team to a 25-21 win. In the second set Ben Patch (Provo, Utah) led the team with five kills, contributing to a four-point run that pulled the U.S. from a 17-14 deficit to take the set at 25-22. Though the Americans defense was able to hold Damnabi to just four points in the third set, 10 U.S. errors gave Iran the third set at 25-16. The fourth set remained close with Iran edging the U.S. by one or two points throughout the climb until a surprising six-point run at 19-18 gave Iran the set and match at 25-18.

Patch dominated for the U.S. at outside tallying a team-high (tied match-high with Iran’s Damnabi) 17 kills on 40 attacks in addition to a service ace for 18 points. Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill) charted 11 points off of nine kills on 21 swings and a pair of service aces. Aaron Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) posted a team-high four blocks with six kills for 10 points, while Scott Rhein (Pleasant View, Tenn.) connected on eight kills and a block for nine points. Cody Caldwell (Newport Beach, Calif.) delivered four kills and a block to contribute five points. Matt West (Seattle, Wash.) contributed nine digs and 24 assists as setter for the U.S. in addition to tallying both an attack and a block for two points.

Shibuya started Kirchner and Russell at middle blocker, Petty and Rhein at outside hitters and Patch at opposite and West at setter. Andrew Sato (Calabasas, Calif.) was the libero for the match. Caldwell subbed in during the third set and started the fourth. James Shaw (Woodside, Calif.) saw playing time in the third, while Austin Kingi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) exited the bench in the fourth.

The United States connected on 50 attacks with a 40.0 kill percent and .184 hitting efficiency (50-27-125), while Iran posted 46 kills contributing to a 43.8 kill percent and .305 hitting efficiency (46-14-105). Iran held a 14-8 block advantage and edged the U.S. with a 40-37 dig and 8-3 ace lead. Iran posted 28 assists to the U.S. 24 and earned a 41-36 excellent reception advantage. Both teams posted errors (hitting errors, service errors and reception errors) late in the match with Iran posting a match-total of 25 and the U.S. 46. Iran was led by Damnabi, who posted 17 kills, five blocks and three service aces, leading his team in all three categories for a match-high 25 points.

Earlier today in 9-16 classification Pool G Brazil defeated Tunisia 25-15, 21-25, 25-12, 25-21 and Egypt outplayed Puerto Rico 15-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-27. In the top eight Pool F Spain was victorious against Bulgaria 22-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-17 and France downed Greece 19-25, 25-14, 25-20, 26-24. In top eight Pool E Cuba edged China in a marathon match, 25-18, 20-25, 25-14, 23-25, 17-15.

Iran’s Damnabi dropped a kill and a block to start the first set 2-0, before Patch swung for a kill at 2-1 followed by a second kill from Damnabi at 3-1. Patch and Rhein both connected on kills to tie the set at three-all and initiate a point battle to 7-all. Rhein and Russell both posted kills before Iran posted the first error of the match at 6-5, giving the U.S. its first lead. Iran answered with two points off of kills from Milad H. Ebadipour Ghara and Damnabi at 7-6. Patch attacked to side out for the U.S. and tie the set at 7-all. Iran held the U.S. for four unanswered points at 11-7 where Patch connected on his fourth kill followed by a block off of Rhein to bring the U.S. within three at 12-9. Damnabi continued to find holes through U.S. blocks and tallied two more kills before Kirchner delivered a kill at 15-10 with the advantage still with Iran. The U.S. gave three points to Iran at 18-10 before they shifted the momentum with a 5-1 run from a pair of kills off of Russell and a kill from both West and Petty to bring the score to 19-16. At 21-17 Petty and Patch connected on kills followed by back-to-back Iran errors for a four-point U.S. run to 23-19. The U.S. reached 21 but continued to be unable to stop Damnabi’s attacks and Iran took the set, 25-21.

The second set started with a 1-0 Iran advantage followed by a kill and service ace from Petty to give the U.S. the 2-1 lead. Iran looked to its blocking game to halt the U.S. attack and bring the set to three-all. Javid Hosseinabadi connected on a kill and gave Iran a 4-3 advantage. The U.S. held Iran at five as it climbed to take the lead back at 6-5 with a service ace from Patch and two points off the block of Russell and the attack of Rhein. The Americans’ three-point run was answered by an Iran three-point run to take the lead at 8-6. Rhein stopped the run with his fifth kill at 8-7, and West posted a block to tie the match at eight-all. Iran took a two-point lead at 10-8 thanks to its new attacker Hosseinabadi. The U.S. kept Damnabi quiet until his first kill of the second set at 11-9, in which Petty responded with his fourth kill to bring the set back within one at 11-10. Both teams posted two points with Kirchner and Rhein connecting on kills for the Americans at 13-12. Patch connected on a kill at 15-13 followed by an Iran kill before Russell posted a kill to side out at 16-14. The U.S. fell back three points at 17-14 before a four-point run to take its first lead in 12 points at 18-17 thanks to a kill and a block from Russell and a kill from Rhein. Iran tied the set at 18-all, but the U.S. continued to edge in points leading at 20-18 and 22-20. Iran posted an error at 23-20 and Patch connected on his ninth kill to give the U.S. set-point at 24-21. In its second set-point Patch delivered an attack that Iran couldn’t handle giving the Americans the second set at 25-22.

Kirchner kicked-off the third set with a kill followed by an unforced Iran error to give the U.S. the 2-0 lead. Iran posted three points to take the lead at 3-2 then Rhein delivered a kill to tie the set at four-all. Iran posted another point, but the U.S. was there to answer back again, this time off a kill from Patch at five-all. Iran quickly shifted the momentum and rallied with a 5-0 run to take the lead at 10-5. Petty would give the U.S. its next three points with a pair of kills and a service ace, but Iran points broke up each effort giving it a 13-8 advantage. Caldwell subbed in for the U.S. and delivered a kill at 15-10 to bring the U.S. within five. Iran posted two errors as it continued to block against the U.S. taking the score to 17-12. Kirchner connected on a kill at 18-13 before Iran posted two points at 20-13. Petty charted his eighth kill at 20-14, but the U.S. couldn’t stop a 4-1 Iran run that took it to set-point. Caldwell held off one set point with a kill at 24-16, but Iran secured the set at 25-16.

Iran controlled the fourth set early on with a 5-1 run off of the attack of Milad and Damnabi with Petty connecting on a kill for the first U.S. point. A kill from Kirchner at 5-2 ignited a spark under the U.S sending it on a 5-1 run of its own to tie the set at six-all. American points came off a kill from Kirchner followed by a stuff-block from Russell and a pair of kills from Caldwell and Russell. Iran regained the lead at 7-6, but handed the U.S. a seven-all score with an error. Iran tallied a two-point run at 9-7, delivered an error then scored another point to take the set to 10-8. Patch brought the Americans within one at 10-9. Kirchner delivered a kill at 12-10 in Iran’s advantage, followed by Iran’s 19th error at 12-11. Patch connected on a kill at 14-12 tracked by Russell’s fourth block to bring the set to 15-14. Patch saved the U.S. from a three-point deficit with a pair of kills followed by a bullet from Kirchner. Iran capitalized on Damnabi again, who posted four kills in between U.S. efforts to take the score to 19-16. Patch posted his 17th kill at 19-17 followed by a block off the hands of Caldwell at 19-18. In a surprise push to the finish Iran posted six unanswered points to take the set and match at 25-18.

 The U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team (BYNT) fell in four sets to Iran 25-21, 22-25, 25-16, 25-18 on Wednesday in its initial second-round match in Pool H action at the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ Youth World Championship Argentina 2011 in Buenos Aires.

2011 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)
5 - Austin Kingi (OH, Tousand Oaks, Calif., SMBC, Southern California)
6 - Josh Kirchner (MB, Sussex, Wis., West Allis Lightning, Badger)
10 - Ben Patch (Opposite, 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 (Libero, Calabasas, Calif., SMBC, Southern California)
16 - James Shaw (Setter, Woodside, Calif., Mountain View, Northern California)
17 - Matthew Tarantino (OH, Van Nuys, Calif., SMBC, Southern California)
18 - Matthew West (Setter, Seattle, Wash., Spaceneedle, Puget Sound)
*DJ White (OH, Hermosa Beach, Calif., MB Surf, Southern California)

*White will not be making the trip to Argentina due to scheduling conflict with Harvard University.

Staff
Head Coach: Ken Shibuya (Stanford University)
Asst. Coach: Dan Friend (Lewis University)
Asst. Coach: Rob Neilson (Brigham Young University)
Team Manager: Tom Tait
Team Doctor: Julie Chuan
Technical Coordinator: Jonah Carson

Pool E (Times Local)
Aug. 24: Cuba def. China 25-18, 20-25, 25-14, 23-25, 17-15
Aug. 24: Argentina vs. Serbia, 9 p.m.
Aug. 25: Cuba vs. Serbia, 6 p.m.
Aug. 25: China vs. Argentina, 9 p.m.
Aug. 26: Serbia vs. China, 6 p.m.
Aug. 26: Argentina vs. Cuba, 9 p.m.

Pool F (Times Local)
Aug. 24: Spain def. Bulgaria 22-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-17
Aug. 24: France def. Greece 19-25, 25-14, 25-20, 26-24
Aug. 25: Spain vs. France, 10 a.m.
Aug. 25: Bulgaria vs. Greece, 1 p.m.
Aug. 26: France vs. Bulgaria, 10 a.m.
Aug. 26: Greece vs. Spain, 1 p.m.

Pool G (Times Local)
Aug. 24: Brazil def. Tunisia 25-15, 21-25, 25-12, 25-21
Aug. 24: Egypt def. Puerto Rico 15-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-17
Aug. 25: Brazil vs. Puerto Rico, 10 a.m.
Aug. 25: Tunisia vs. Egypt, 1 p.m.
Aug. 26: Puerto Rico vs. Tunisia, 10 a.m.
Aug. 26: Egypt vs. Brazil, 1 p.m.

Pool H (Times Local)

First Round (Aug. 19-21)

Pool A (Almirante Brown)

Pool B (Bahia Blanca)
Aug. 19: Greece def. Russia 25-12, 25-23, 32-30
Aug. 19: China def. Tunisia 26-24, 21-25, 25-27, 25-21, 15-6
Aug. 20: Greece def. China 25-14, 25-22, 25-12
Aug. 20: Russia def. Tunisia 25-12, 25-19, 25-14
Aug. 21: Greece def. Tunisia 25-22, 25-10, 25-20
Aug. 21: China def. Russia 25-22, 17-25, 18-25, 25-20, 15-13

Pool C (Almirante Brown)
Aug. 19: Brazil def. Korea 25-19, 25-14, 23-25, 20-25, 15-9
Aug. 19: Cuba def. France 25-20, 16-25, 25-21, 25-21
Aug. 20: France def. Korea 29-27, 25-20, 25-22
Aug. 20: Cuba def. Brazil 21-25, 19-25, 25-21, 27-25, 15-13
Aug. 21: France def. Brazil 14-25, 25-20, 9-25, 25-22, 15-12
Aug. 21: Cuba def. Korea 24-26, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20, 15-13

Pool D (Bahia Blanca)
Aug. 19: Serbia def. Puerto Rico 25-16, 25-22, 25-20
Aug. 19: Spain def. Iran 25-22, 27-25, 25-21
Aug. 20: Spain def. Puerto 25-21, 25-17, 25-15
Aug. 20: Iran def. Serbia 25-22, 13-25, 30-28, 25-18
Aug. 21: Serbia def. Spain 21-25, 28-26, 25-22, 25-21
Aug. 21: Iran def. Puerto Rico 25-12, 25-15, 25-19

Tags: 2011 U.S. Boys' Youth National Team, Aaron Russell, Andrew Sato, Austin Kingi, Ben Patch, Cody Caldwell, Dan Friend, FIVB Volleyball Boys' Youth World Championship Argentina 2011, Greg Petty, James Shaw, Josh Franklin, Ken Shibuya, Matt Tarantino, Matt West, mobile, Nikola Antonijevic, Rob Neilson, Scott Rhein