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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 30, 2025) – The U.S. Boys U19 National Team nearly pulled off a reverse sweep but fell to Bulgaria, 3-2 (25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 14-25, 16-14) in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIVB U19 World Championship on Wednesday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The U.S. (3-3) will face Argentina (4-2) in the playoff round on Friday, August 1.
The U.S. led Bulgaria in kills (59-54), served the only two aces of the match, and made six fewer errors (28-22). Bulgaria finished with 20 kills, four more than the U.S.
Outside hitter Grant Lamoureux led all scorers with 24 kills and 28 points, adding three blocks and an ace. He also contributed 10 successful receptions and five digs.
Opposite Corbin Batista put together his best match of the tournament with 15 points on 13 kills and two blocks with nine digs. Libero Layton Bluth led all players with 12 digs and 11 successful receptions.
Middle blocker Luc Soerensen recorded a match-high six blocks to go with five kills for 11 points. Outside Myles Jordan also finished with 11 points on nine kills, one block, and one ace. Middle Roman Payne scored six points on three kills and three blocks.
Back-to-back blocks gave Bulgaria a four-point lead, 17-13, in a first set in which neither team had led by more than two points. Scrambling defense kept a rally alive and led to a Lamoureux kill and he followed with a block to cut the lead to one, 18-17.
Two more blocks gave Bulgaria late three-point advantages. The U.S. held off two set points before dropping the set. Lamoureux scored seven points on six kills and a block.
A block gave Bulgaria a 12-9 lead in the second set. Still facing a three-point deficit at 15-12, the U.S. went on a 4-1 run with a Soerensen block evening the set at 16. A Soerensen kill put the U.S. out in front 20-19, but Bulgaria retook the lead by scoring the next two points.
Lamoureux tied the set at 22 but two more Bulgaria blocks made it 24-22. After saving one set point, the U.S. dropped the set on a service error. Lamoureux delivered six kills in the set, while Soerensen scored five points on three kills and two blocks.
A Jordan kill off hands and a block staked the U.S. to a 9-4 lead in the third set. Bulgaria used two blocks to cut the lead to two, 10-8, but Batista put the U.S. back up by three with a kill to end a long rally. The lead reached four, 17-13, when Jordan produced another kill off the block.
A Soerensen block followed by two Bulgaria hitting errors gave the U.S. its largest lead at 20-14. Bulgaria was unable to get any closer than four points the remainder of the set. Lamoureux recorded five more kills with Batista adding four, and Jordan scoring four points on three kills and a block.
Lamoureux served for seven consecutive points to turn a 9-8 U.S. lead in the fourth set into an eight-point advantage. Payne posted two blocks in the run and Lamoureux served an ace. A Jordan kill upped the margin to nine points, 19-10.
Blocks by Soerensen and Urbina, and a Jordan ace brought set point at 24-11. After Bulgaria held off three set points, Lamoureux ended the set with his fourth kill and fifth point. Jordan also scored five points on four kills and a block.
A Batista kill gave the U.S. the lead, 8-7, at the side switch in the fifth set. The U.S. ran off three consecutive points to take a 13-10, the last on a Soerensen kill. A Jordan kill gave the U.S. three match points at 14-11 but Bulgaria scored the final five points of the match, the last on its 20th block, to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. Lamoureux scored four points on two blocks and two kills, and Batista added three points on two kills and a block.
Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, School, USAV Region)
1 Layton Bluth (L, 5-8, Gilbert, Ariz., Casteel HS, Northern California)
4 Lucas Helle (S, 6-4, Pauline, S.C., Dorman HS, Palmetto)
5 Elan Taylor (OH, 6-4, San Jose, Calif., Valley Christian HS, Northern California)
8 Myles Jordan (OH, 6-5, Houston, Texas, Ridge Point HS, Lonestar)
10 Noah Douphner (OH, 6-6, Stevenson Ranch, Calif., West Ranch HS, Southern California)
12 Rafael Urbina (S, 6-6, Broomfield, Colo., Legacy HS, Rocky Mountain)
14 Aleksey Mikhailenko (OH, 6-8, Mequon, Wis., Homestead HS, Badger)
16 Luc Soerensen (MB, 6-8, Meadville, Pa., Meadville Area Senior HS, Keystone)
19 Roman Payne (MB, 7-0, Carlsbad, Calif., Carlsbad HS, Southern California)
20 Grant Lamoureux (OH, 6-10, Clemmons, N.C., Pepperdine University, Carolina)
21 William Dryden (OPP, 6-7, Los Gatos, Calif., Archbishop Mitty HS, Northern California)
23 Corbin Batista (OPP, 6-7, St. George, Utah, Alta HS, Intermountain)
28 Thomas Henige (MB, 6-9, Glendale, Ariz., Perry HS, Arizona)
Head Coach: Charlie Sullivan (Springfield College)
Assistant Coach: Jonah Carson (MVVC)
Assistant Coach: Patrick Shawaryn (Penn State)
Performance Analyst: AJ Ruttenberg (UCLA)
Team Doctor: Dr. Chris Cornell (Coduhi Clinic)
Team Lead: Donovan Martinez (NTDP)
2025 Boys U19 World Championship Schedule
All times Pacific
July 24: Finland def. USA, 3-1 (17-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-20)
July 25: USA def. Cuba, 3-1 (17-25, 25-19, 25-15, 25-21)
July 26: USA def. Colombia, 3-2 (25-19, 19-25, 25-18, 30-32, 15-9)
July 28: Brazil def. USA, 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-22)
July 29: USA def. Korea, 3-1 (25-27, 28-26, 25-22, 25-19)
July 30: Round of 16: Bulgaria def. USA, 3-2 (25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 14-25, 16-14)
Aug. 1: Playoffs: USA vs. Argentina
Aug. 2: Playoffs, TBA
Aug. 3: Finals, TBA
The U.S. Boys U19 National Team used a dominating block to record a critical 3-1 (25-27, 28-26, 25-22, 25-19) victory over Korea to close out pool play at the FIVB U19 World Championship on Tuesday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The U.S. Boys U19 National Team fell to Brazil, 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-22) at the FIVB U19 World Championship on Monday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The U.S. Boys U19 National Team won its second consecutive match at the FIVB U19 World Championship with a hard-fought 3-2 (25-19, 19-25, 25-18, 30-32, 15-9) victory over Colombia on Saturday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The U.S. Boys U19 National Team used a suffocating block to defeat Cuba, 3-1 (17-25, 25-19, 25-15, 25-21) and earn its first win at the FIVB U19 World Championship on Friday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The U.S. Boys U19 National Team was unable to maintain the momentum of a strong first set, dropping its opener at the FIVB U19 World Championship, 3-1 (17-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-20) to Finland on Thursday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
USA Volleyball has selected 12 members of the 2025 Boys U19 National Team to compete at the FIVB U19 World Championship, July 24-Aug. 3, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
USA Volleyball is pleased to announce the 28 players on the 2025 U.S. Boys U19 National Team. All 28 athletes will participate in a training block June 1-7 at the National Team Training Center in Anaheim, Calif. At the end of training, 12 athletes will be selected to compete at the 2025 NORCECA Boys U19 Pan American Cup, and another 12 will be selected to compete at the 2025 FIVB Boys U19 World Championship.
