Candice Kasischke
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 1, 2011) - The U.S. Men’s Junior National Team beat Bulgaria in a straight-set 25-22, 25-18, 25-21 victory on Monday afternoon in its first match of first round of pool play at the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Junior World Championships Brazil 2011 held at Maracanazinho Gymnasium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Team USA, part of the four-team Pool A in the 16-team tournament continues pool play on Tuesday afternoon versus host and top-ranked Brazil at 2:30 p.m. PT before concluding first-round group action on Aug. 3 versus Japan at noon PT.

Taylor Sander (Norco, Calif.) led the U.S. Men’s Junior Team with 15 points on 11 kills, two blocks and two aces. Maurice Torres (Riverside, Calif.) added 13 points with 10 kills on 16 attacks for a 62.5 kill percent, two aces, and a block. Dylan Davis (Corona del Mar., Calif.) and Eric Mochalski (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) each scored eight points apiece. Davis racked up his points with four kills and four blocks, while Mochalski had four kills on six errorless attacks, three blocks and an ace.

U.S. team captain Taylor Crabb (Honolulu) scored six kills and Josh Taylor (Honolulu, Hawaii) added a kill and a block for Team USA first pool play match.

“We served very well and I am very satisfied with that,” U.S. Men’s Junior National Team Head Coach John Hawks said. “Bulgaria’s team is very tall and we needed to serve well to play well against them. Ball control and speed were two key things for our win.”

Crabb added that the U.S. team prepared well for its first match of the tournament.

“We started the tournament very well,” Crabb said. “We had a good strategy for this match and we followed it perfectly. Our serve was tough and that gave us confidence to do well with our blocking and digging.”

Bulgaria’s Penchev Nikolay scored 11 points and was the leading scorer for his team.

Henry Cassiday (Honolulu) contributed six digs and seven excellent receptions on 13 attempts for the U.S. team. Crabb added five digs and 11 excellent receptions on 17 attempts, while Sander had four digs and nine receptions. Christenson contributed 29 assists out of 59 total set attempts and had four digs.

Hawks started Crabb and Sander at outside hitter, Davis and Mochalski at middle blocker, Christenson at setter and Torres as opposite. Cassiday was the designated libero. Brian Cook (Santa Cruz, Calif.) contributed court action in the first and third sets. Taylor played in the third set.

Team USA racked up 36 kills on 75 attempts for 48.0 kill percent and a .360 hitting efficiency with just nine attack errors. The U.S. team out-blocked Bulgaria 11-6. However, Bulgaria held a 35-26 advantage in digs.

“We could have played better in hitting and blocking specifically,” Bulgaria’s Head Coach Nikolay Jeliazkov said. “Six points in blocking is too few for our team. I am hoping we will play better in our second match.”

In the first set, the U.S. and Bulgaria battled to a 5-all tie, but Team USA broke away on a three-point run to gain the advantage. Both teams were swinging hard and took turns leading. The score was tied at 13-all, 19-all and 20-all. The Americans had an ace and a block and scored two more points to take a 24-20 lead. Bulgaria took the next two points, but Team USA ended the set with a kill. The U.S. team took the first set with a 25-22 victory.

In the second set, the U.S. took an 11-6 lead. Bulgaria gained momentum and tied the U.S. at 16-all. Team USA instantly regained control with a six-point run. Bulgaria called a timeout and took the next two points, but the U.S. sealed the second set victory, 25-18.

In the third set, the two teams matched each other to an 11-all score. Team USA then made a four-point run to take the lead at 15-all. Bulgaria played tough, but the U.S. managed to stay on top. The U.S. team made a powerful block for a 20-16 advantage. Bulgaria put forth tremendous effort, but could not overcome Team USA. The U.S. won the match with a third set victory, 25-21

In Pool A, Brazil is set to face Japan at 2:30 p.m. PT on Monday afternoon.

On Monday in Pool B, Argentina defeated Puerto Rico, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-17 and Spain defeated Tunisia, 25-14, 25-18, 25-17.

In Pool C, India defeated Germany, 19-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-20 and Russia defeated Egypt, 25-16, 25-16, 25-13.

In Pool D, Iran defeated Canada, 25-19, 25-19, 25-20 and Serbia is set to face Belgium at 2:30 p.m. PT on Monday.

The top three teams of the 2010 NORCECA Men’s Junior Continental Championship earned berths into FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship in Brazil 2011. The U.S. Men’s Junior National Team qualified for this year’s event when it defeated Canada to capture the gold medal at the 2010 NORCEA Men’s Junior Continental Championship in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. Puerto Rico earned berth to this year’s event after defeating Cuba in the bronze-medal match.

2011 U.S. Men's Junior National Team
Name (Position, Height, Hometown, HS Grad Year, Club/School, Region)
1. Henry Cassiday (L, 6-3, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2010, USC, Southern California)
2. Micah Christenson (S, 6-5, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2011, Outrigger Canoe Club, Aloha)
4. Brian Cook (OH, 6-5, Santa Cruz, Calif., 2010, Stanford Univ., Southern California)
5. Taylor Crabb (OH, 6-1, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2009, Long Beach State Univ., Aloha)
6. Dylan Davis (MB, 6-9, Corona del Mar, Calif., 2009, UC Santa Barbara, Southern California)
8. Steven Irvin (OH, 6-5, Pacific Palisades, Calif., 2010, Stanford Univ., Southern California)
9. Scott Kevorken (MB, 6-8, Westlake Village, Calif., 2009, UC Irvine, Southern California)
10. Connor Olbright (S, 6-5, Orange, Calif., 2010, Long Beach State Univ., Southern California)
11. Eric Mochalski (MB, 6-6, Manhattan Beach, Calif., 2010, Stanford Univ., Southern California)
15. Taylor Sander (OH, 6-5, Norco, Calif., 2010, BYU, Southern California)
17. Joshua Taylor (Opp, 6-7, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2011, Outrigger Canoe Club, Aloha)
18. Maurice Torres (Opp, 6-7, Riverside, Calif., 2009, Pepperdine Univ., Southern California)

Staff
Head Coach - John Hawks (Long Beach State)
Assistant Coach - Colin McMillan (Penn State)
Assistant Coach - David Hunt (Pepperdine)
Head of Delegation - Shawn Patchell (San Diego, Calif.)
Technical Coordinator - Randy Nako (Honolulu, Hawaii)

First Round (August 1-3)
Pool A (at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Aug. 1: USA def. Bulgaria, 25-22, 25-18, 25-21
Aug. 1: Brazil vs. Japan, 2:30 p.m. PT
Aug. 2: Japan vs. Bulgaria, 12:00 p.m. PT
Aug. 2: USA vs. Brazil, 2:30 p.m. PT
Aug. 3: USA vs. Japan, 12:00 p.m. PT
Aug. 3: Bulgaria vs. Brazil, 2:30 p.m. PT

Pool B (at Niteroi, Brazil)
Aug. 1: Argentina def. Puerto Rico, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-17
Aug. 1: Spain def. Tunisia, 25-14, 25-18, 25-17
Aug. 2: Puerto Rico vs. Spain, 6:00 a.m. PT
Aug. 2: Argentina vs. Tunisia, 8:30 a.m. PT
Aug. 3: Spain vs. Argentina, 6:00 a.m. PT
Aug. 3: Tunisia vs. Puerto Rico, 8:30 a.m. PT

Pool C (at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Aug. 1: India def. Germany, 19-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-20
Aug. 1: Russia def. Egypt, 25-16, 25-16, 25-13
Aug. 2: Egypt vs. Germany, 6:00 a.m. PT
Aug. 2: Russia vs. India, 8:30 a.m. PT
Aug. 3: India vs. Egypt, 6:00 a.m. PT
Aug. 3: Germany vs. Russia, 8:30 a.m. PT

Pool D (at Niteroi, Brazil)
Aug. 1: Iran def. Canada, 25-19, 25-19, 25-20
Aug. 1: Serbia vs. Belgium 2:30 p.m. PT
Aug. 2: Canada vs. Belgium, 12:00 p.m. PT
Aug. 2: Iran vs. Serbia, 2:30 p.m. PT
Aug. 3: Belgium vs. Iran, 12:00 p.m. PT
Aug. 3: Serbia vs. Canada, 2:30 p.m. PT

Second Round (Aug. 5-7)
Pool E: A1, B2, C1, D2
Pool F: B1, A2, D1, C2
Pool G: A3, B4, C3, D4
Pool H: B3, A4, D3, C4

Semifinals and Playoffs (Aug. 9)
E1 vs. F2 (gold semifinals)
F1 vs. E2 (gold semifinals)
E3 vs. F4
F3 vs. E4
G1 vs. H2
H1 vs. G2
G3 vs. H4
H3 vs. G4

Medal Rounds and Playoffs (Aug. 10)
- the winners of the semifinals will play the final for the 1st and 2nd position.
- the losers of the semifinals will play for the 3rd and 4th position.
- the winners of the play-off 5-8 will play for the 5th-6th position.
- the losers of the play-off 5-8 will play for the 7th-8th position.
- the winners of the play-off 9-12 will play for the 9th-10th position.
- the losers of the play-off 9-12 will play for the 11th-12th position.
- the winners of the play-off 13-16 will play for the 13th-14th position.
- the losers of the play-off 13-16 will play for the 15th-16th position.

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