2013 NORCECA Championship Preview Two returning veterans and three newcomers highlight the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the 2013 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship on Sept. 23-28 in Langley, B.C., Canada.
“We were successful in that we were doing better than we expected,” he said. “But then we were disappointed when we came so close (to victory) in Poland, but we didn’t win. Then in Brazil, we just didn’t play well. I think those environments are really challenging for players that have never been in them.”
The biennial NORCECA (North America, Central America and Caribbean) Championship will qualify the victor for the FIVB The U.S. finished 12th at World League with a 4-6 record and Grand Champions Cup on Nov. 19-24 in Japan. goes into the NORCECA Championship tied with Cuba for the No. 5 ranking in the world. Playing with the team for the first time since the 2012 Olympic Games in London will be outside hitters Reid Priddy (Richmond, Speraw is going into NORCECA with a hopeful but practical Va.) and Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.), both of whom won gold attitude. medals at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. “I hope to see us win and qualify for the Grand Champions Competing with the National Team for the first time in their Cup,” he said. “Aside from that, I’d like to see us improve in a careers will be setter Micah Christenson (Honolulu), outside hit- number of areas that weren’t particularly strong during World ter Jeff Menzel (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and middle blocker Futi League. This group has improved in those areas; but we’ve Tavana (Kalaheo, Hawaii). lacked competitive opportunities this summer. I want to get out there and compete and learn.” “I want to continue to look at other people,” U.S. Men’s Head Coach John Speraw (Los Angeles) said. “The general philoso- Following World League, the U.S. Men are ranked No. 5 in the phy of this summer is that I want to look at a broad number of world, and tied with Cuba, which finished 13th at World League players and see where everyone fits.” and has won the last two NORCECA Championships. Canada had a good World League, winning its pool and upsetting RusThe other seven players on the roster all had significant playing sia in the Final Round before finishing fifth. Canada’s world time for the U.S. Men at the 2013 FIVB World League: out- ranking improved to No. 11. side hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.; 2012 Olympian), middle blockers David Lee (Alpine, Calif.; 2008 gold medalist Bahamas, Cuba and Puerto Rico are in Pool B. Pool C is comand 2012 Olympian) and Max Holt (Cincinnati), opposites Car- posed of Canada, Guatemala and Mexico. son Clark (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Murphy Troy (St. Louis, Mo.), setter Kyle Caldwell (Newport Beach, Calif.) and libero In Pool A, the U.S. Men will open with matches against St. LuErik Shoji (Honolulu). cia (ranked No. 53 in the world) at 4 p.m. PT on Sept. 23 and Dominican Republic (ranked 41 in When he was announced as the the world) at 8 p.m. PT on Sept. 24. U.S. Men’s head coach in March, Speraw said his first season would The U.S. Men last won the NORCEbe devoted to assembling the best CA Championship in 2007. They team and developing a new culture finished second to Cuba in 2009 and would not focus on wins and and ’11. Overall, the United States losses. has won the Men’s NORCECA Championship seven times since Yet it was hard for him not to be exit was first held in 1969. Cuba, the cited when the team won four 2013 only other team to have won, has World League matches in a row. 15 titles. Jeff Menzel hits against the block of Futi Tavana and Micah Christenson.
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