2024 Boys U19 Team Wins First Match at NORCECA Continental Championship

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 14, 2024) – The U.S. Boys U19 National Team opened the 2024 NORCECA Continental Championship with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-23) win over Canada on Tuesday in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Now 1-0 in the tournament, the team plays Suriname on May 15 at 11 a.m. PT. The match will not be livestreamed. Suriname lost to Cuba 3-0 earlier today.

Outside hitter Grant Lamoureux led all scorers with 15 points with match-highs of nine kills and five service aces to go with one block. He also registered six digs, second only to setter Rafa Urbina’s seven. Opposite Cooper Keane (seven kills, two aces, one block) and outside hitter Aleksey Mikhailenko (eight kills, two aces) each contributed 10 points.

After a shaky first set, the U.S. settled in during the second set. “I think we had a lot more energy in the second set, played more as a team, and got all the nerves out,” Lamoureux said.

Middle blocker Roman Payne recorded a match-best three blocks and finished with six points, while fellow middle blocker Dante Cayaban added five points on four kills and an ace.

The U.S. Boys U19 squad led in every statistical category, including a 12-4 advantage in aces, 33-22 in kills, and 6-3 in blocks.

Neither team led by more than two points in the first set until Keane served for six consecutive points with the score tied at 12. A Payne block made it 16-12 and forced a Canada timeout. The U.S. scored the next two points to take its biggest lead of the set at six points.

Canada scored 11 of the next 16 points to even the set at 23-23 before a block and ace by Keane gave the U.S. the first set.

The U.S. served six aces in the second set, including four in an 11-2 run that broke open the second set after the lead was just one, 11-10. Back-to-back aces by outside hitter Thomas Demps IV and a Keane kill off a kick assist by Urbina gave the U.S. an 18-11 lead.

Lamoureux served for seven consecutive points in the third set to give the U.S. a 12-5 lead, but Canada fought back and pulled within one point on four occasions. With a 24-23 lead, the U.S. closed out the match on a Keane kill.

Boys U19 Roster for the NORCECA

No., Name (Pos., Ht, Hometown, School, USAV Region)
1 Layton Bluth (L, 5-8, Gilbert, Ariz., Casteel HS, Arizona)
4 Malakai Tuakoi (S, 6-3, Los Angeles, Calif., Da Vinci HS, Southern California)
6 Thomas Demps IV (OH, 6-4, Raleigh, N.C., Broughton HS, Carolina)
7 Noah Meabon (OH/Opp, 6-4, Fairport, N.Y., Fairport, Western Empire)
8 Myles Jordan (OH, 6-5, Houston, Texas, Ridge Point HS, Lone Star)
9 Dante Cayaban (MB, 6-6, St. Cloud, Fla., St. Cloud HS, Florida)
11 Cooper Keane (Opp, 6-6, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Mira Costa HS, Southern California)
12 Rafa Urbina (S, 6-6, Broomfield, Colo., Legacy HS, Rocky Mountain)
14 Aleksey Mikhailenko (OH, 6-7, Mequon, Wis., Homestead HS, Badger)
16 Luc Soerensen (MB, 6-8, Meadville, Pa., Meadville Area Senior HS, Southern)
19 Roman Payne (MB, 6-10, Carlsbad, Calif., Carlsbad HS, Southern California)
20C Grant Lamoureux (OH, 6-10, Clemmons, N.C., West Forsyth HS, Carolina)

Alternates
Titus Brown (OH, 6-4, Groton, Conn., Robert E. Fitch HS, New England)
Joel Eanes (Opp, 6-9, Virginia Beach, Va., Floyd E. Kellam HS, Old Dominion)
Blake Fahlbusch (OH, 6-8, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Loyola HS of Los Angeles, Southern California)
Matt Fisher (S, 6-6, Camarillo, Calif., Adolfo Camarillo HS, Southern California)
Tristan Hassell (Opp, 6-5, Toronto, Ontario, Emily Carr SS, Western Empire)
Isaiah McCoy (MB, 6-7, Lantana, Fla., The Kings Academy, Florida)
Leon Meng (L, 5-8, Los Altos, Calif., Homestead HS, Northern California)
Lincoln Myers (MB, 6-9, Madison, Wis., Vel Phillips Memorial HS, Badger)
Thomas Phung (L, 5-10, Dallas, Texas, North Garland HS, Southern)

Head Coach: Charlie Sullivan (Springfield College)
Assistant Coach: Pat Shawaryn (Penn State)
Assistant Coach: Chris Seiffert (Concordia Irvine)
Performance Analyst: Evan Metzger (Springfield College)
Team Doctor: Dr. Chris Cornell (Coduhi Clinic)
Team Lead: Sean Byron (Marist College)

Schedule
All Times PT

May 14
USA def. Canada, 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-23)

May 15
USA vs. Surinam, 11 a.m.

May 16
USA vs. Cuba, 1 p.m.

May 17
Quarterfinals

May 18
Semifinals

May 19
Medal Matches