U.S. Men's Players Compete in Qatar

B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct. 14, 2011) – U.S. middle blocker Russell Holmes was named Best Blocker as his Polish men’s volleyball club team KS Jastryebski Wegiel won the silver medal at the FIVB Club World Championships on Friday in Doha, Qatar.

The Russian club team Zenit Kazan, including Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) finished third.

After going 3-0 in pool play and winning its semifinal match over Brazil’s SESI-Sao Paolo, the team from Poland fell to Italy’s Trentino Diatec Trento in the final, 29-31, 25-16, 25-11, 25-16.

Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) started the final match for Poland at middle blocker and finished with six points on five kills and one block. U.S. setter Brian Thornton (Lakewood, Calif.), who also competes for Jastrzebie, played as a substitute.

Holmes led all blockers in the tournament with 14 for an average of 0.7 per set. Priddy finished third among all blockers with 11, for a total of 0.58 per set.

Holmes also finished fifth among all servers with six aces for an average of 0.3 per set.

In the third-place match, Kazan defeated SESI Sao Paolo, 19-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-23. Priddy started the first and fourth sets and finished with seven points on five attacks and two blocks.

The two teams faced each other in pool play on Oct. 10, with Wegiel winning a battle, 25-22, 25-17, 11-25, 21-25, 19-17. Priddy started all five sets and scored 15 points on 10 kills and five blocks. Holmes started all five sets for his team and scored six points on two kills, three blocks and one ace.

UPDATED TRANSFERS

This is a list of men's volleyball players from the United States who are registered to play for club teams in another country through the FIVB:

Tags: Brian Thornton, FIVB, FIVB Club World Championship, mobile, Reid Priddy, Russell Holmes, U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team