MNT Update: Holt, Jaeschke Win Chinese League with Beijing

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 5, 2023) – U.S. Men’s National Team players are helping international club teams in many different countries around the world.

CHINA

Beijing, with outside hitter Thomas Jaeschke and middle Max Holt, won the league title on January 5 after defeating Shanghai in matches 2-0. On January 4, Beijing beat Shanghai 3-1 (25-23, 16-25, 28-26, 26-24). On January 5, Beijing won 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-21).

In the final, Jaeschke led his team with 16 points. Holt had 15 points, including four aces.

POLAND

Outside hitter T.J. DeFalco and Asseco Resovia Rzeszów (16-2) lead the Polish PlusLiga. On Jan. 3, Resovia Rzeszów beat Ślepsk Malow Suwałki 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 26-24, 25-22). DeFalco led all scorers with 23 points on 20 kills, two blocks and one ace. He was credited with 17 receptions, 59 percent positive.

Libero Erik Shoji, middle blocker David Smith and Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle (13-5) are in fourth place. On Dec. 30, Kędzierzyn-Koźle beat Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie 3-1 (20-25, 25-28, 27-25, 25-22). Smith scored four points on seven kills, two aces and one block. Shoji did not play.

Indykpol AZS Olsztyn (10-7) with middle Taylor Averill and setter Josh Tuaniga is in eighth place. The team is coached by U.S. Men’s assistant Javier Weber. Olsztyn last played a league match on Dec. 21 when it beat Jastrzębski Węgiel 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 21-25, 29-27). Averill scored 13 points on nine kills, three blocks and one ace. Tuaniga scored one point on a kill and set Olsztyn to a .486 hitting efficiency.

LUK Lublin (9-9) with middle Jeff Jendryk and libero Dustin Watten is in 10^th place. Lublin last played on Dec. 20 when it beat Kędzierzyn-Koźle 3-2 (39-37, 18-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-10). Watten had 13 receptions, 54 percent positive. Jendryk started the first three sets and scored eight points on four kills, three blocks and one ace. For Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Smith scored 11 points on seven kills and four blocks. Shoji finished with 11 receptions, 64 percent positive.

Setter Matt West is now on the roster for Cerrad Enea Czarni Radom (2-15), which is in 15^th place. On Dec. 28, Radom fell to BBTS Bielsko-Biała (2-16) with opposite Jake Hanes 3-2 (25-22, 25-17, 22-25, 22-25, 15-13). Hanes led all scorers with 22 points on 20 kills and two blocks. West played as a substitute. Bielsko-Biała is in 16^th place.

JAPAN

Outside hitter Aaron Russell and the JT Thunders Hiroshima (6-8) head into the new year in seventh place in the league.

RUSSIA

Opposite Matt Anderson and Zenit St. Petersburg (15-0) lead the Russian league. On January 4, Zenit St. Petersburg beat Ural Ufa 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-19). Anderson scored 12 points on 11 kills and one ace.

Setter Micah Christenson and Zenit Kazan (14-2) are in second place in the league. On January 5, Kazan beat VC Yenisey Krasnoyarsk, 3-1 (24-26, 27-25, 25-12, 25-20). Christenson scored nine points on four kills, three aces and two blocks. At the end of 2022, Kazan won the Russian Cup.

FRANCE

U.S. middle Patrick Gasman and Chaumont (10-4) are in second place in the league. On Dec. 30, Chaumont beat Cambrai 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-23). Gasman scored eight points on seven kills and one block. American Michael Marshman is also on Chaumont’s roster but did not play.

Opposite Kyle Ensing and St. Nazaire (10-4) are in fourth place. On Dec. 30, St. Nazaire beat Poitiers, 3-1 (25-20, 25-18, 24-26, 25-20). Ensing led all scorers with 23 points on 19 kills, two blocks and two aces.

Sète (5-9) with opposite Kyle Russell is in ninth place. On Dec. 30, Sète beat Tourcoing, 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-23). Russell led all scorers with 24 points on 22 kills and two aces. Russell leads the league in aces with 22 in 43 sets played.

Libero Kyle Dagostino and Nice (5-9) are in 12^th place. On Dec. 30, Nice fell to Nantes Reze 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-17). Dagostino was credited with 16 receptions, 56 percent positive.

Middle Tyler Mitchem and Plessis-Robinson (5-9) are in 13^th place. On Dec. 30, Plessis-Robinson fell to Paris, 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-21). Mitchem scored seven points on four kills, two blocks and one ace.

GERMANY

The Berlin Recycling Volleys (11-1) and outside hitter Cody Kessel lead the league. On January 4, they beat fifth-place SVG Lüneburg 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-14, 25-23). Kessel played as a substitute.

U.S. libero Gage Worsley was credited with 23 receptions, 26 percent positive. Outside hitter Jordan Ewert started the first three sets and scored 10 points for Lüneburg on eight kills and two blocks. Outside hitter Colton Cowell scored six points on five kills and one ace. Setter Joe Worsley scored one point with a block and set Lüneburg to a .349 hitting efficiency. Lüneburg (7-4) is in fifth place in the league.

Setter James Shaw and WWK Volleys Herrsching (6-6) are in sixth place. On January 4, Herrsching beat Haching München 3-1 (25-23, 25-18, 26-28, 25-20). Shaw scored six points on four aces, one block and one kill. He set Herrsching to a .440 hitting efficiency.

TURKIYË

The men’s league in Turkiyë has been off since December 17.

Setter Micah Ma’a and Halkbank lead the league with a 12-1 record. Middle Dan McDonnell and Arkas Spor are in third at 10-3. Shaw

ITALY

Opposite Gabi Garcia and Cucine Lube Civitanova (9-4) are in second place in Italy’s Serie A League.

On December 26, Civitanova beat Pallavolo Padova 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-17). Garcia played as a substitute and scored three points on two kills and one ace.

CEV TOURNAMENTS

In the CEV Champions League, Turkey’s Halkbank Ankara (3-1) with Ma’a is in second place in Pool B. The Berlin Recycling Volleys (2-2) with Kessel are in third. The two teams played each other on Dec. 13, with Ankara winning 3-0 (25-16, 35-33, 25-22). Ma’a scored three points on a kill and two blocks. He set Ankara to a .516 hitting efficiency. Kessel played as a substitute.

Italy’s Cucine Lube Civitanova with Garcia leads Pool C at 4-0.

Shoji, Smith and Poland’s Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle, the two-time defending Champions League champions, are in second place in Pool D at 3-1.

Germany’s SVG Lüneburg with Joe Worsley, Gage Worsley, Ewert and Cowell has advanced to the playoff round of the CEV Cup where it will play two matches against Italy’s Valsa Group Modena.