COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 9, 2019) – The U.S. Girls Youth National Team (GYNT) overwhelmed Canada 25-10, 25-13, 25-16 on Monday in Ismailia, Egypt, to conclude Pool B of the FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship with a 3-1 record.
Team USA, which finished second in Pool B, will now play Pool A’s third-place team (Monday’s loser between Brazil and Egypt) in the Eight Finals Round (Top 16) on Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET (change from original schedule to accommodate Egypt television). The top four teams in each of the four pools of five countries advance to the Eight Finals for crossover play with the winners advancing to the quarterfinals and losers falling into the 9-16 classification matches. The biennial tournament concludes on Sept. 14 with the medal-round matches.
Opposite Emily Londot (Utica, Ohio) pocketed a Team USA-leading 13 points with 11 kills on 14 errorless attacks, one block and one ace. Middle Devyn Robinson (Ankeny, Iowa) charted 12 points for the Americans including eight kills on 14 swings, three blocks and an ace. Outside hitter Elena Oglivie (Kapolei, Hawaii) record nine kills on 16 attacks and an ace for 10 points.
“I think today’s match went really well,” Londot said. “I think our energy carried us through the match. Our reserves came off the bench and did a really good job, knowing what their job was and getting it done. I am really excited for the match tomorrow against host Egypt.”
Outside hitter Jess Mruzik (Livonia, Michigan) totaled nine points with eight kills on 17 swings and an ace. Allison Jacobs (Stevenson Ranch, California), a sub in the second and third sets, scored three aces in the second set and kill in the third set for four points. Middle Caroline Crawford (Lansing, Kansas) notched an ace and setter Kennedi Orr (Eagan, Minnesota) rounded out the scoring with a kill.
The U.S. Girls Youth National Team crushed Canada 25-10, 25-13, 25-16 to conclude FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship…
Posted by USA Volleyball on Monday, September 9, 2019
American libero Lexi Rodriguez handled 11 receptions while Oglivie had 10 receptions as part of a 40 positive reception percent.
Orr set Team USA to a 55 kill percent and .493 hitting efficiency (40-4-73). The Americans limited the Canadians to a 29 kill percent and .090 hitting efficiency (23-16-78).
“Against Canada, our team did a really good job of playing fairly consistent,” U.S. Girls Youth National Team Head Coach Jim Stone said. “We didn’t allow them to run off two or three points in a row hardly at all. That part was good. In terms of consistent play, it was our best performance so far. Now we are looking forward to playing Egypt. We haven’t seen Egypt, so we don’t know what to expect. But we are moving on, so we are happy.”
The U.S. out-served Canada 8-2 in aces, produced a 40-23 margin in kills and held a slim 4-2 advantage in blocks.
The U.S. started Orr at setter, Crawford and Robinson at middle, Oglivie and Mruzik at outside hitter, Londot at opposite, and Rodriguez at libero. Sydney Taylor (Grove City, Ohio) was subs in the final two sets. Carter Booth (Englewood, Colorado) saw her first action of the tournament as a sub in the second set, while Kami Miner (Redondo Beach, California) was a sub in the third set.
The U.S. used a 6-0 scoring run to stake a 12-5 advantage in the opening set. After Canada scored consecutive points, Team USA rolled off five unanswered points to go up 17-7. The Americans scored the set’s final five points to win 25-10. The U.S. had three aces in the set.
The Americans started the second set on fire with a 3-0 advantage, but Canada quickly tied the set at 3-all. Team USA used a 6-1 run to gain a 9-4 advantage, then extended the margin to 16-9 by the second technical timeout. The U.S. went on to win the set 25-13. Jacobs score three aces as a sub in the set.
Canada opened the third set with a 3-1 advantage, though the U.S. leveled the set at 5-all. Canada regained a two-point cushion at 8-6 heading into the technical timeout. Team USA used a 3-0 run to take the lead at 10-9. Canada answered with its own 3-0 run to retake a two-point edge at 12-10. Trailing 13-11, the Americans put together an 11-0 run on Oglivie’s serve to take a commanding 22-13 advantage. The U.S. finished the set at 25-16.
U.S. Girls Youth National Team at 2019 FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship
# – Name (Pos, Ht, Hometown, HS Grad Year, Club/Region, College Verbal Commitment)
1 – Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-6, Sterling, Illinois, 2021, Sports Performance/Great Lakes, Nebraska)
3 – Elena Oglivie (OH, 5-10, Kapolei, Hawaii, 2020, Ku’ikahi VBC/Aloha, Stanford University)
4 – Sydney Taylor (L, 5-10, Grove City, Ohio, 2021, Mintonette Sports/Ohio Valley, N/A)
5 – Allison Jacobs (OH, 5-11, Stevenson Ranch, California, 2020, Legacy Volleyball Club/Southern California, UCLA)
6 – Kami Miner (S, 6-0, Redondo Beach, California, 2021, Mizuno Long Beach/Southern California, Uncommitted)
7 – Kennedi Orr (S, 6-0, Eagan, Minnesota, 2021, Mizuno Northern Lights/North Country, University of Nebraska)
11 – Jess Mruzik (OH, 6-1, Livonia, Michigan, 2020, Legacy Volleyball Club/Lakeshore, University of Michigan)
12 – Caroline Crawford (M, 6-2, Lansing, Kansas, 2020, Mid-America Volleyball Club/Heart of America, University of Kansas)
13 – Devyn Robinson (M, 6-2, Ankeny, Iowa, 2020, Iowa Powerplex/Iowa, University of Wisconsin)
14 – Emily Londot (OH, 6-2, Utica, Ohio, 2020, Mintonette Sports/Ohio Valley, Ohio State University)
17 – Lindsay Krause (OH, 6-3, Papillion, Nebraska, 2021, Premier Nebraska/Great Plains, University of Nebraska)
20 – Carter Booth (M, 6-7, Englewood, Colorado, 2022, Colorado Juniors/Rocky Mountain, University of Minnesota)
Head Coach: Jim Stone
Assistant Coaches: Nicki Holmes, Jen Flynn Oldenburg
Technical Coordinator: Mike Gee
Head of Delegation: Meredith Lee