COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – From the 2016 FIVB Under 21 World Championships, USA’s Sarah Sponcil and Torrey Van Winden finished fourth after a highly contested medal match against twins from UCLA.
Sponcil and Van Winden were the highest finishers for the United States at the tournament, which saw the U.S. send two pairs in both genders. Sponcil and Van Winden fell to UCLA’s Megan and Nicole McNamara, who won bronze for Team Canada.
In the bronze medal match, Sponcil and Van Winden won the first set 21-18, but after dropping the second, 23-21, were unable to hold on for the medal, falling 15-10 in the third frame. The duo suffered only one other loss in the week-long event, falling to Brazil 21-19, 22-20 in the semifinal.
Prior to Monday’s matches, Sponcil and Van Winden went 3-0 in pool play before topping Austria in round two.
Abril Bustamante and Zana Muno tied for 17th after being eliminated in three sets in the first round by the same Austrian team. The pair fought their way into the main draw after going a clean 3-0 in qualification and 2-1 in pool play.
The United States’ men’s teams were eliminated in the early goings. Cam Rodrigues and Kyle Skinner fell in the second round of qualification while their compatriots Nathanael Vander Meer and Ben Vaught went 0-3 in pool play.
The next aged-group FIVB World Championship is for Under 19, and will take place in Larnaka, Cyprus from July 25-31.
WEEK IN REVIEW
FIVB U21 World Championships
– Sarah Sponcil and Torrey Van Winden finished fourth
– Abril Bustamante and Zana Muno tied for 17th
– Nathanael Vander Meer and Ben Vaught were eliminated after pool play, tying them for 25th
– Cam Rodrigues and Kyle Skinner were eliminated in the second round of qualification