Kendall Kipp attacking against Brazil at FIVB Women’s U20 World Championship

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 20, 2019) – The U.S. Women’s Junior National Team fell to Brazil 25-15, 14-25, 25-9, 25-15 in the FIVB Women’s U20 World Championship classification 5-8 match in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Team USA, 2-5 overall at the World Championship, will play for seventh place on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET against the loser of today’s other classification 5-8 match between China and Poland (match at 4 p.m. ET). The FIVB Women’s U20 World Championship is a 16-team event.

Outside hitter Logan Eggleston (Brentwood, Tennessee) led the U.S. with 14 points including eight kills, a team-high five blocks and an ace. Opposite Kendall Kipp (Newport Beach, California) charted 11 kills on 25 swings and a block coming off the bench. Outside hitter Anna Dixon (Louisburg, Kansas) scored six points with four kills, one block and one ace.

Middle Molly Phillips (Mansfield, Texas) tallied four blocks and a kill for five points. Middle Heather Gneiting (Provo, Utah) contributed two kills, one block and one ace for four points. Opposite Azhani Tealer (Grand Prairie, Texas) pocketed one kill and one block in starting the first set. Opposite Skylar Fields (Missouri City, Texas), a sub in all four sets, added two kills. Setters Mia Tuaniga (Long Beach, California) and Ella Powell (Fayetteville, Arkansas), and outside hitter Jenna Wenaas (Frisco, Texas) all scored one point each.

U.S. Women’s Junior National Team Head Coach Jerritt Elliott said the team fared well in the second set, but overall the squad was unable to maintain that level throughout the match.

“We executed at a higher level (in the second set)”, Elliott said. “Today was probably our sloppiest day that we have had in all aspects from passing to setting to hitting. We just got on our heals early. Right from the start we didn’t pass very well. We have to find a solution in the next 24 hours to get seventh place.”

Powell felt the team was unable to shake off mistakes early in sets but continued to push in a positive way.

“I think our struggle is just getting caught up in our mistakes,” Powell said. “I felt like we continued to come back from those mistakes, looking each other in the eye and being like we got you and just making up for those mistakes in such a positive way. I think we did a better job of that in the second set.”

USA out-blocked Brazil 13-12, but 25 American errors proved to be a major difference in the match. Brazil held a 46-32 margin in kills and a 6-3 edge in aces while committing just 16 errors.

The U.S. started Tuaniga at setter, Eggleston and Wenaas at outside, Tealer at opposite, Phillips and Gneiting at middle and Brooke Nuneviller (Chandler, Arizona) at libero. Kipp, Dixon and Powell started the final three sets, while Katie Clark (Arlington, Texas) started the fourth set.

With one more match remaining, Powell said the team has yet another opportunity to learn and represent the USA at the World Championship while focusing on themselves.

“I think bettering ourselves, not focusing on the other team and just being able to come together as a team, making the best of our situation and continuing to learn and have fun.”

2019 U.S. Women’s Junior National Team Roster
Name (Position, Height, HS Grad Year, Club/Region, College, Hometown)
3 – Brooke Nuneviller (L, 5-11, 2018, Aspire VBC/Arizona, Oregon, Chandler, Ariz.)
4 – Mia Tuaniga (S, 5-9, 2020, Apex1/Southern Cal, Long Beach State, Long Beach, Calif.)
5 – Azhani Tealer (OPP, 5-10, 2019, Texas Image/North Texas, Kentucky, Grand Prairie, Texas)
6 – Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-1, 2018, Alliance/Southern, Texas, Brentwood, Tenn.)
7 – Jenna Wenaas (OH, 6-1, 2020, TAV/North Texas, Minnesota, Frisco, Texas)
9 – Skylar Fields (OPP, 6-2, 2019, Houston Juniors/Lone Star, Texas, Missouri City, Texas)
11 – Molly Phillips (M, 6-2, 2019, Texas Image/North Texas, Texas, Mansfield, Texas)
13 – Ella May Powell (S, 6-2, 2018, Ozark Juniors/Delta, Washington, Fayetteville, Ark.)
15 – Katie Clark (M, 6-3, 2018, TAV/North Texas, TCU, Arlington, Texas)
17 – Anna Dixon (OH, 6-3, 2019, KC Power/Heart of America, Kansas State, Louisburg, Kan.)
19 – Kendall Kipp (OPP, 6-6, 2019, Laguna Beach VBC/Southern Cal, Stanford, Newport Beach, Calif.)
20 – Heather Gneiting (M, 6-6, 2018, Club V/Intermountain, BYU, Provo, Utah)

Head Coach: Jerritt Elliott (University of Texas)
Assistant Coaches: Paula Weishoff (Concordia Irvine) and Jenny Hazelwood (Infinity Volleyball Club)
Technical Coordinator: Jon Wong (Bradley University)
Head of Delegation: Coley Pawlikowski