COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 30, 2019) – The U.S. Boys Youth National Team finished the FIVB U19 World Championship with a 25-20, 25-21, 25-15 win over Chinese Taipei on Friday in Tunisia.
The Boys Youth Team finished the tournament with a 3-4 record. Alex Knight led the team in scoring for the tournament with 87 points on 78 kills, seven blocks and two aces. Libero Mason Briggs finished second among all players for digs with an average of 1.64 per set.
On Friday, the U.S. Boys led Chinese Taipei in kills (44-29) and blocks (10-7). The teams were even in aces (4-4). The U.S. scored 17 points on Taipei errors while committing 16.
Outside hitters Francesco Sani and Clarke Godbold and opposite Akin Akinwumi led the U.S. Each finished with 12 points. Sani had 11 kills and one block. Godbold had 10 kills and two blocks and Akinwumi finished with nine kills and three blocks.
Middle blocker Ethan Hill totaled seven points on four kills and three blocks. Setter Kevin Kauling finished with two kills, one block and a match-high three aces. Kauling set the team to a 57.1 kill percentage. Taipei’s kill percentage was 37.6.
Middle blocker Rico Wardlow scored four points on three kills and one ace.
STARTERS FOR THE U.S. BOYS YOUTH TEAM VS CHINESE TAIPEI
Outside hitters: Francesco Sani and Clarke Godbold
Middle blockers: Ethan Hill and Clarke Godbold
Setter: Kevin Kauling
Opposite: Akin Akinwumi
Libero: Mason Briggs
Substitutes: Joe Karlous (S), James Hartley (Opp)
2019 U.S. Boys Youth National Team
Name (Pos., Height, Hometown, Region, College Commit)
1 Kevin Kauling (S, 6-8, Naperville, Ill., Great Lakes, committed to Lewis)
3 Mason Briggs (L, 5-11, Valencia, Calif., So Cal, signed with Long Beach State)
4 Joe Karlous (S, 6-0, Costa Mesa, Calif., So Cal, signed with Pepperdine)
8 Akinola Akinwumi (Opp, 6-6, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., So Cal, signed with Pepperdine)
9 Clarke Godbold (Opp, 6-5, San Pedro, Calif., So Cal, committed to Long Beach State)
10 James Hartley (OH, 6-6, Waxhaw, N.C., Carolina, signed with Princeton)
11 Rico Wardlow (MB, 6-5, Bolingbrook, Ill., Great Lakes, signed with Purdue University Fort Wayne)
12 Alex Knight (OH, 6-6, Culver City, Calif., So Cal, signed with UCLA)
13 Ethan Hill (MB, 6-7, San Clemente, Calif., So Cal, signed with UCLA)
14 Francesco Sani (OH, 6-8, Bethesda, Md., Old Dominion, committed to UC Irvine)
15 Joe Deluzio (OH, 6-6, Windermere, Fla., Florida, committed to Pepperdine)
17 Gavin Julien (MB, 6-8, Whitefish Bay, Wis., Badger, signed with BYU)
Head Coach: David Hunt (Pepperdine men’s volleyball head coach)
Assistant Coach: Nick MacRae (Long Beach State men’s assistant coach)
Assistant Coach: Colin McMillan (Penn State men’s associate head coach)
Technical Coordinator: Nate Ngo (U.S. Men’s National Team)
Team Manager: Gabby Lutjen
Doctor: David Dyck
Schedule/Results (All times MT)
Aug. 21: USA def Dominican Republic, 25-18, 31-29, 25-17
Aug. 22: Korea def USA, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20, 25-22
Aug. 23: USA def Nigeria, 25-22, 25-19, 25-20
Aug. 25: Russia def. USA, 25-12, 25-19, 25-12
Aug. 27: Argentina def. USA, 25-20, 25-19, 25-14
Aug. 28: Brazil def. USA, 24-26, 25-23, 21-15, 25-17, 15-10
Aug. 29: Germany def USA, 25-19, 19-25, 25-19, 25-14
Aug. 30: USA def Chinese Taipei, 25-20, 25-21, 25-15