MNT Update: Kyle Ensing is MVP in France

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 20, 2023) – It has been another big week for U.S. Men’s players competing for professional clubs around the world.

FRANCE

Opposite Kyle Ensing and St. Nazaire (12-4) have moved up to third place in the league. On January 13, they beat middle Patrick Gasman and Chaumont 3-1 (22-25, 25-15, 25-16, 25-16). Ensing was named match MVP after leading all scorers with 20 points on a match-high 16 kills (.516), three blocks and one ace. Gasman started the first three sets and scored six points on five kills and one block for Chaumont. American Michael Marshman started the final three sets for Chaumont and scored eight points on eight kills.

Sète (6-10) with opposite Kyle Russell fell to Nantes Rezé on January 14, 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-19, 25-23). Russell led Sète in scoring with 25 points on 25 kills (.537).

Libero Kyle Dagostino and Nice (5-11) fell to Paris 3-2 (16-25, 25-18, 25-22, 18-25, 15-11) on January 14. Dagostino was credited with 30 receptions, 57 percent positive.

Middle Tyler Mitchem and Plessis-Robinson (5-10) fell to Poitiers 3-2 (25-19, 15-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-11) on January 14. Mitchem scored 10 points on nine kills and one block.

CEV TOURNAMENTS

Setter Micah Ma’a and Turkey’s HalkBank Ankara (4-1) moved into first place in Pool B with a hard-fought 3-2 (21-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 19-17) win over Poland’s Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie on January 11. Ma’a scored three points on a kill, a block and an ace and set Ankara to a .455 hitting efficiency. He was named the match MVP.

Outside hitter Cody Kessel and Germany’s Berlin Recycling Volleys (3-2) are in third place in Pool B after a 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-20) win over Bulgaria’s Hebar Pezardzhik on January 10. Kessel played as a substitute and scored one point with a block.

Italy’s Cucine Lube Civitanova with opposite Gabi Garcia (5-0) leads Pool C after beating Sport Lisboa e Benfica of Portugal 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-18) on January 10. Garcia led all scorers with 15 points on 15 kills.

Libero Erik Shoji, middle blocker David Smith and Poland’s Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle (5-1) remain in second place in Pool D after beating ČEZ Karlovarsko of the Czech Republic 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 15-13) on January 11. Smith scored 17 points for ZAKSA on 13 kills (.722), three blocks and one ace. Shoji was credited with 15 receptions, 53 percent positive.

Germany’s SVG Lüneburg with setter Joe Worsley, libero Gage Worsley, outside hitter Jordan Ewert and outside hitter Colton Cowell got a big CEV Cup win on January 11, 3-2 (25-19, 26-28, 28-26, 18-25, 17-15) over Italy’s Valsa Group Modena.

Ewert led his team’s scoring with 21 points on 17 kills and four blocks. He was credited with 25 receptions, 40 percent positive. Cowell added 15 points on 11 kills, three aces and one block. He was credited with 31 receptions, 52 percent positive. Joe Worsley scored four points on three kills and one block. He set Lüneburg to a .377 hitting efficiency. Gage Worsley was credited with 27 receptions, 30 percent positive.

POLAND

Outside hitter T.J. DeFalco and first-place Asseco Resovia Rzeszów (17-3) beat PGE Skra Bełchatów on January 15, 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-13). DeFalco scored 14 points on 11 kills, two aces and one block. He had 14 receptions, 50 percent positive.

Shoji, Smith and fourth-place Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle (15-5) got a win over PSG Stal Nysa, 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-21) on January 16. Smith scored eight points on six kills and two blocks. Shoji had 13 receptions, 62 percent positive.

Indykpol AZS Olsztyn (12-8) with middle Taylor Averill and setter Josh Tuaniga moved into seventh place. The team is coached by U.S. Men’s assistant Javier Weber. They beat GKS Katowice on January 17, 3-1 (39-37, 25-14, 21-25, 25-22). Averill scored nine points on seven kills and two blocks. Tuaniga scored four points on two aces, a kill and a block. He set the team to a .452 hitting efficiency.

LUK Lublin (11-9) with middle Jeff Jendryk and libero Dustin Watten has moved up to ninth place. On January 13, Lublin beat GKS Katowice 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-21). Jendryk scored five points on four kills and one ace. Watten was credited with six receptions, 50 percent positive.

Setter Matt West and Cerrad Enea Czarni Radom (2-18) fell to Trefl Gdańsk 3-1 (18-25, 25-23, 25-17, 37-35). West played as a substitute.

On January 6, opposite Jake Haines led BBTS Bielsko-Biała (2-18) with 15 points on 11 kills, three blocks and one ace in a 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-19) loss to Shoji, Smith and Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle.

JAPAN

Outside hitter Aaron Russell and seventh-place JT Thunders Hiroshima (8-10) fell to the JTEKT Stings on January 15. Russell scored 15 points on 12 kills, two blocks and one ace.

RUSSIA

Opposite Matt Anderson and league-leading Zenit St. Petersburg (18-0) beat NOVA Novokuybyshevsk 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-21). Anderson scored eight points on six kills and two aces.

Right behind St. Petersburg is Zenit Kazan (17-2) with setter Micah Christenson. On January 18, Kazan beat Dinamo Moscow 3-1 (25-16, 25-19, 22-25, 27-25). Christenson scored four points on two kills, one block and one ace. He set the team to a .495 hitting efficiency.

GERMANY

The Berlin Recycling Volleys (13-2) with Kessel continue to lead the league and got a 3-1 (33-31, 27-25, 25-17, 25-20) over Düren on January 18. Kessel started the final two sets and scored seven points on six kills and one block. He was credited with 23 receptions, 61 percent positive.

SVG Lüneburg (10-4) with U.S. libero Gage Worsley, outside hitter Jordan Ewert, setter Joe Worsley and outside hitter Colton Cowell beat Energiequelle Netzhoppers KW-Bestensee 3-1 (25-19, 25-17, 22-25, 25-21) on January 18. Gage Wosley was credited with 17 receptions, 53 percent positive. Ewert played as a substitute and started the fourth set and scored seven points on six kills and one block. He had 16 receptions, 56 percent positive. Cowell started the first three sets and scored seven points on seven kills. He had nine receptions, 78 percent positive. Joe Worsley scored two points on two kills and set his team to a .421 hitting efficiency.  U.S. middle Kyler Presho scored six points on six kills for KW-Bestensee.

Setter James Shaw and WWK Volleys Herrsching (7-7) fell to SVG Lüneburg 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-16) on January 14. Shaw scored two points on two kills and set his team to a ,292 hitting efficiency.

TURKIYË

Ma’a and league-leading Halkbank (14-1) beat Tursad 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 32-30) on January 15. Ma’a scored four points on two kills, one block and one ace. He set Halkbank to a .550 hitting efficiency.

Middle Dan McDonnell and Arkas Spor (12-3) beat Tokat Belediye Plevne 3-0 (25-232, 27-25, 25-19) on January 15. McDonnell scored eight points on five kills and three blocks.