COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 17, 2016) – U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach John Speraw spent some time in the spotlight on March 8 at the Team USA Media Summit, which was held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Almost 700 media members, from NBC to Sports Illustrated to various lifestyle publications, attended the event.
To participate, Speraw had to take a day off from coaching the UCLA Men’s Volleyball Team. The Bruins are 19-3 this season and ranked third in the AVCA Division I-II Men’s Poll.
Here are five things you might not know about Johns Speraw:
- He was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at UCLA
- He played middle blocker at UCLA from 1992-95 and his major was microbiology and molecular genetics. He comes from a family of doctors and nurses and he thought he was going to go to medical school and become a doctor. But he started coaching on the side and enjoyed it.
- His first coaching job was as a volunteer assistant to former UCLA Head Coach Al Scates. His first paid coaching job was as an assistant to Scates for the World University Games.
- The Orange County Register named him one of Orange County’s 100 most influential people of 2015.
- He and wife Michelle welcomed their first child, a daughter named Brooklyn, last November.
GERMANY
Setter Erik Shoji, outside hitter Paul Lotman and the Berlin Recycling Volleys finished the regular season in first place in the league with a 17-3 record. In their final regular-season match on March 12, Berlin defeated VSG Coburg/Grub, 25-14, 25-17, 25-20. Shoji was credited with 11 receptions, 64 percent positive. Lotman did not play in the match.
Middle blocker Scott Kevorken and Luneburg beat outside hitter Peter Russell and TV Ingersoll Buhl, 33-31, 28-26, 21-25, 25-17 on March 12. Graham McIlvaine, who is normally Buhl’s starting setter, did not play in the match due to injury. Kevorken scored 12 points on six attacks, four blocks and two aces. Russell scored seven points on four attacks, one block and two aces. Luneburg finished the season in fourth place at 13-7. Buhl was sixth at 10-10.
ITALY
In the best-of three playoff quarterfinals, outside hitter Aaron Russell and Sir Safety Conad Perugia have a 2-0 lead over outside hitter Taylor Sander and Calzedonia Verona. On March 10, Perugia beat Verona, 24-26, 20-25, 25-17, 25-21, 15-10. Russell scored 24 points on 19 kills and five aces. He was credited with 22 receptions, 32 percent positive. Sander scored 13 points on 10 attacks and three aces. He was credited with 42 receptions, 48 percent positive.
On March 13, Perugia won, 25-17, 25-23, 25-20. Russell was named the match MVP as he led all scorers with 16 points on 14 kills and two blocks. He was credited with 13 receptions, 38 percent positive. Sander scored nine points on eight kills and one ace. He was credited with 16 receptions, 63 percent positive.
Setter Micah Christenson, outside hitter Reid Priddy and Cucine Lube Banca Marche Civitanova have a 2-0 lead against Ninfa Latina. On March 10, Civitanova won, 23-25, 25-14, 24-26, 25-22, 15-13. Christenson scored five points on two kills and a team-high three aces. He set the team to a .414 hitting efficiency. Priddy played as a substitute and scored one point with a block.
On March 13, Civitanova won, 25-21, 25-17, 25-15. Christenson scored two points on one kill and one block and set his team to a .606 hitting efficiency (only two hitting errors on 71 attempts).
Outside hitter Brian Cook, middle blocker Taylor Averill and Tonazzo Padova are 1-1 with DHL Modena. On March 10, Modena won 25-20, 34-32, 25-20. Cook led Padova with 13 points on 11 attacks and two blocks. He was credited with 26 receptions, 38 percent positive. Averill added six points on four kills, one block and one ace.
On March 13, Padova came back to win 19-25, 25-22, 25-21, 26-24. Cook scored 20 points on 13 attacks, a team-high three blocks and a match-high four aces. Averill added five points on four attacks and one block.
RUSSIA
On March 12, Matt Anderson led his team over Fakel Novy Urengoy, 25-22, 25-21, 25-16. Anderson, who plays outside hitter for Kazan, led all scorers with 19 points on 12 kills, a match-high four blocks and a match-high three aces. He was credited with 20 receptions, 30 percent positive.
Middle blocker Max Holt and Dinamo Moscow beat Gazprom Yugra Surgut, 20-25, 20-25, 28-26, 25-22, 15-8 on March 12. Holt started the first three sets and scored one point on one block.
POLAND
Outside hitter Thomas Jaeschke, middle blocker
On March 16, Rzeszow beat Indykpol AZS Olsztyn, 25-23, 25-17, 25-17. Jaeschke started the first two sets and scored one point on one kill. Holmes scored seven points on five kills, one block and one ace.
On March 12, opposite Murphy Troy and Lotos Trefl Gdansk fell to AZS Politechnika Warszawska, 30-28, 30-28, 25-20. Troy started the first two sets and scored 12 points on 10 kills and two aces.
FRANCE
Middle blocker David Smith and Tours beat libero Dustin Watten and Nancy, 25-17, 25-19, 25-20 on March 10. Smith scored eight points on three kills, three blocks and two aces. Watten was credited with 11 receptions, 45 percent positive.
Outside hitter Scott Rhein and Chaumont beat Paris, 17-25, 29-27, 22-25, 27-25, 15-10 on March 11. Rhein scored 12 points on 12 kills. He was credited with 24 receptions, 54 percent positive.
TURKEY
Setter Kawika Shoji and Arkas Spor fell to Fenerbahce, 25-21, 25-20, 25-23 on March 12. Shoji scored two points on a kill and a block. He set his team to a .295 hitting efficiency.
Opposite Will Price and Istanbul BBSK defeated Bornova Anadolu Lisesi, 25-13, 25-19, 25-20 on March 13. Price led all scorers with 18 points on 16 attacks, one block and one ace.
GREECE
Middle blocker David Lee, outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky and PAOK beat Iraklis, 25-17, 23-25, 25-12, 23-25, 15-12 on March 13. Lee scored 12 points on eight kills, two blocks and two aces. Jablonsky scored 12 points on 11 kills and one block. He was credited with 35 receptions, 49 percent positive.
CEV CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Micah Christenson, Reid Priddy and Italy’s Cucine Lube Civitanova came back to defeat Turkey’s Halkbank Ankara, 21-25, 21-25, 25-17, 25-18, 15-11 on March 17 in the first match of the round of six teams. Christenson scored three points on one attack and two blocks and set the team to a .453 hitting efficiency. Priddy started the final three sets and scored 13 points on 10 kills, two blocks and one ace. He was credited with 16 receptions, 63 percent positive.
Matt Anderson and Zenit Kazan fell to Poland’s PGE Skra Belchatow, 23-25, 21-25, 25-23, 27-25, 18-16 on March 16. Anderson scored 23 points on 17 kills, one block and a match-high five aces. He was credited with 29 receptions, 52 percent positive.
CEV CUP
Erik Shoji, Paul Lotman and Germany’s Berlin Recycling Volleys won the first match of the CEV Cup semifinals over Belgium’s Knack Roeselare, 29-31, 25-23, 21-25, 25-21, 15-10 on March 15. Lotman led all scorers with 26 points on 20 kills, a team-high five blocks and one ace. He was credited with 35 receptions, 63 percent positive. Shoji played as a substitute.
Max Holt and Russia’s Dinamo Moscow beat Russia’s Gazprom-Ugra Surgut, 25-23, 25-21, 25-18 on March 15. Holt scored 12 points on six kills, a match-high four blocks and two aces.
The semifinals will continue on March 19.
CEV CHALLENGE CUP
Taylor Sander and Italy’s Calzedonia Verona fell to Portugal’s Benfica Lisboa in the first semifinal match of the CEV Challenge Cup, 18-25, 26-24, 25-16, 21-25, 15-12 on March 16. Sander led his team with 23 points 18 kills, four blocks and a team-high three aces. He was credited with 25 receptions, 52 percent positive.