Final Paralympic Qualifier Begins with a Sweep over Canada

DALI, China (April 3, 2024) – The U.S. Men’s Sitting Team opened play at the 2024 World ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball Final Qualifier with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-19) win over Canada on Wednesday in Dali, China.

The winner of the Final Qualifier will get the last berth available at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Eight teams will play each other in a round robin, and the two with the best records will play a championship match for the berth on April 10.

The U.S. continues its qualification campaign with a match against Iraq at 2 p.m. local on April 4 (2a.m. Eastern/11 p.m. Pacific on April 3).

“I’m really thrilled to get a sweep over Canada,” U.S. Head Coach Greg Walker said after the match. “They’re doing good things; they have good ball-handling and are finding ways to score. They always get up for this game, and it’s great to see a push early in this tournament.”

Strong passing led to a more effective attack for the U.S. The Men’s Sitting Team, which posted a 71% positive mark on 48 receptions. The U.S. Men outscored Canada 44 kills to 24 and 42% to 30% in points percentage.

Middle blocker James Stuck led all scorers with 17 points. He also had 19 receptions for a 58% positive mark. Opposite Zach Upp added 12 kills. Middle blocker Roderick Green scored 10, pairing six kills with three blocks and an ace. Libero Nick Dadgostar and outside hitter Eric Duda each posted reception percentages above 67% positive.

“It’s exciting how tight the competition is here,” Walker said. “We truly are battling for that last spot, and the teams are that close. We hope that we can carry over what we took from this game and get into our groove as we take on a talented and tough Iraq team.”

U.S. Men’s Sitting Team Roster

No Name (Position, Height, Hometown, Region)
1 Travis Ricks (L, 5-7, San Diego, Calif., Southern California)
2 Dan Regan (OH, 6-0, St. Louis, Gateway)
3 Nicholas Dadgostar (L, 6-0, Sidney, Neb., Chesapeake)
4 Ben Aman (OH, 6-5, Edmond, Okla., Oklahoma)
5 Eric Duda (S/OH, 6-5, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Florida)
7 Robbie Gaupp (Opp/OH, Havre De Grace, Md., Chesapeake)
8 James Stuck (S/OH, 6-5, New Kensington, Pa., Keystone)
11C Roderick Green (MB, 6-3, West Monroe, La., Bayou)
12 Patrick Young (OH, 6-4, Albuquerque, N.M., Sun Country)
14 John Kremer (L, 5-9, Buford, Ga., Southern)
15 Chris Seilkop (OH, 6-6, Deland, Fla., Florida)
17 Zach Upp (OH, 6-5, Bartlett, Ill., Great Lakes)
20 Jason Roberts (San Diego, Calif., Southern California)
23 William Curtis (Tampa, Fla., Florida)

Head Coach: Greg Walker
Assistant Coach: Joe Skinner
Assistant Coach: Julie Allen
Team Leader: Jeffery Hicks
Performance Analyst: Sydnie Mabry
Athletic Trainer: Whitney Padgett
Sport Psychologist: Taylor Gabler

U.S. Schedule (All times PDT)

April 2: USA def. Canada, 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-19)
April 3: 11 p.m. USA vs Iraq
April 4: 8 p.m. USA vs Ukraine
April 6: 1 a.m. USA vs China
April 6: 6 p.m. USA vs Poland
April 8: 1 a.m. USA vs Japan
April 8: 8 p.m. USA vs Croatia