COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 18, 2021) – The U.S. Women’s U21 National Team capped off the FIVB U20 World Championship with a comeback 3-2 (14-25, 18-25, 25-16, 29-27, 15-13) win in the fifth-place match on Sunday.
The U20 Team (6-2) finished as the top non-European competitor. Italy won the championship over Serbia. Russia beat Netherlands for bronze.
The team never stopped battling, coming back from deficits of 12-17 in the fourth set and 2-6 in the fifth.
“It’s been such an honor to be playing with this group of girls,” Team Captain Kami Miner said. “I think from the very start of the tournament, we have had great team chemistry and that carried us through. That’s what showed up the most in this last match going five sets – that heart and that will to win.”
OFFICIAL STATISTICS * TEAM STATISTICS
Miner finished with seven points on three kills, three blocks and one ace. She and backup setter Averi Carlson combined to set the U20 Team to a .346 hitting efficiency. Poland hit .333.
Libero Lexi Rodriguez was clutch for the U.S., finishing with a match-high 18 digs and nine successful receptions.
The U.S. led in kills (61-53) while Poland led in blocks (17-13) and aces (12-6). Poland scored 24 points on U.S. errors while committing 21.
Opposite Emily Londot led the U.S. scoring with 17 points on a team-high 16 kills and one block. Outside hitter Allison Jacobs, who started the first, second and fifth sets, scored 14 points on 12 kills, one block and one ace. Outside hitter Ally Batenhorst, who started the first four sets, scored 12 points on 12 kills.
Backup opposite Lindsay Krause finished with nine points on six kills and three blocks. Middle blocker Caroline Crawford had eight points on four kills and a team-high four blocks. Outside hitter Elena Oglivie, who started the final three sets, scored seven points on five kills and a team-high two aces.
Middle blocker Reagan Hope scored five points on three kills, one block and one ace. Carlson scored a point with an ace.
After trailing 12-17 in the fourth set, the U.S. got two kills from Jacobs and one from Hope to pull to within two at 15-17. Poland reached match point at 24-22 but starting setter Julia Binczycka went down with an injury and left the match. The U.S. tied it on Poland’s serving error and an Oglivie attack. Poland again held match point at 25-24, but Poland’s service error tied it again. The U.S. took set point twice but Poland fought it off. It took set point a third time on a Londot kill and won on Londot’s block.
The U.S. fell behind quickly in the fourth set 0-4. With Poland up 6-2, Hope scored with a kill. U.S. Head Coach Dan Fisher brought in Carlson and Krause in a double substitution for Miner and Londot and the U.S. scored three straight points on two Krause attacks and an ace by Carlson to tie it. Poland scored on a U.S. service error, but the U.S. came right back with three straight point on a kill by Jacobs and two blocks from Krause. The U.S. led 9-7 and never trailed again.
U.S. Women’s U20 National Team
Player (Position, Height, HS Grad Year, Hometown, Club, Region, College)
1 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-7, 2021, Sterling, Ill., Club Fusion VBC, Great Lakes, Nebraska)
3 Elena Oglivie (OH, 5-9, 2020, Kapolei, Hawaii, Kuikahi VBC, Aloha, Stanford)
5 Allison Jacobs (OH, 5-11, 2020, Stevenson Ranch, Calif., Legacy VBC, Southern Cal, UCLA)
6C Kami Miner (S, 6-0, 2021, Redondo Beach, Calif., Mizuno Long Beach VBC, Southern Cal, Stanford)
7 Averi Carlson (S, 6-0, 2022, Lucas, Texas, Skyline Juniors Dallas, North Texas Region, Baylor)
10 Reagan Hope (MB, 6-2, 2021, Phoenix, Ariz., Arizona Storm Elite, Arizona Region, Oregon)
11 Jordan Middleton (OH, 6-2, 2022, Gilbert, Ariz., Arizona Storm Elite, Arizona, Southern California)
12 Caroline Crawford (MB, 6-2, 2020, Lansing, Kan., MAVS KC, Heart of America, Kansas)
14 Emily Londot (OH, 6-2, 2020, Utica, Ohio, Mintonette Sports, Ohio Valley, Ohio State)
16 Gabbi Essix (MB, 6-4, 2021, Hoover, Ala., Southern Performance, Southern, Florida)
17 Lindsay Krause (OH, 6-4, 2021, Papillion, Neb., Premier Nebraska, Great Plains, Nebraska)
19 Ally Batenhorst (OH, 6-4, 2021, Katy, Texas, Houston Juniors, Lone Star, Nebraska)
Head Coach: Dan Fisher (Head Coach, University of Pittsburgh)
Assistant Coach: Jon Newman-Gonchar (Head Coach, University of New Mexico)
Assistant Coach: Jessica Aschenbrenner (Assistant Coach, University of Denver)
Technical Coordinator: Jon Wong (Assistant Coach, Texas Tech)
Doctor: David Dyck Jr.
Team Lead: Nicole Segura (Athlete Development Lead, NTDP)
U.S. First-Round Pool-Play Schedule (all times PT)
Matches will be live streamed on the Volleyball World YouTube channel
July 9: USA def Russia, 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-14, 25-17)
July 10: USA def Thailand, 3-0 (25-15, 25-8, 25-13)
July 11: USA def Turkey, 3-0 (25-18, 27-25, 25-22)
July 13: USA def Brazil, 3-1 (25-22, 27-29, 25-20, 25-14)
July 14: Russia def USA, 3-1 (25-13, 25-22, 28-30, 25-23)
July 15: Netherlands def USA, 3-2 (25-15, 25-22, 21-25, 21-25, 15-10)
July 17: USA def. Dominican Republic, 3-0 (25–22, 25-15, 25-18)
July 18: Fifth-place: USA def Poland, 3-2 (14-25, 18-25, 25-16, 29-27, 15-13)