Press Clippings NORCECA Men's Olympic Qualifier by USA Volleyball

U.S. men's volleyball qualifies for Olympics | set, team, stan - Sports - The Orange Count... Page 1 of 2

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U.S. men's volleyball qualifies for Olympics 0

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By BRIAN WHITEHEAD / SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER LONG BEACH – Clayton Stanley, 34, stands approximately 6-foot-9. The Hawaiian weighs just north of 230 pounds and has a spike of 141 inches. His serve gracefully glides over the net, then makes a 90-degree downward turn with all the grace of a broken-down garbage truck.

When Team USA's captain leaves the ground to ready a point-ender, you can practically feel the red, green and white melt off the volleyball. In Saturday's NORCECA Men's Continental Olympic Qualifying Tournament final, Team USA's burly enforcer led the team with 15 points as the United States claimed the gold medal and a spot in the 2012 Summer Olympics with a 2826, 25-18, 25-20 victory over Canada at Walter Pyramid. Team USA, the defending Olympic gold medalist, held sizable advantages in kills (47-37, 12 by Stanley) and blocks (11-5). In the opening set, the U.S. led by four points in the early going, reached both 10- and 20-point plateaus first, then got the first crack at the set, 24-23. It would take the U.S. three additional serves — at 25, 26 and 27 — before William Priddy's fourth and final kill of the set handed the United States a first-round victory.

David Lee (five kills), Priddy and Stanley (four) spearheaded the United States' 18-16 kill and 5550 kill percentage advantage over Canada. With a 1-0 lead, Team USA padded a 10-6 advantage with six of the next 10 points, enjoying an eight-point cushion at 20 before Canada rallied off three consecutive points to close the gap. After a Lee kill at 23-18 set up the first match point of the set, a deflected Stanley kill bounced out of bounds as the United States surged ahead, 2-0. By the start of the third set, Stanley led Team USA with nine kills and a pair of aces. In the match-clinching third set, USA turned a 9-7 deficit into a 14-11 advantage and hit 20 first for the third time in as many sets.

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After sweating out a strong Canada rally, USA served for the match at 24-20. A deflected Canadian spike was dug by Stanley, set by Ryan Millar and finished by Matthew Anderson on a block that bounced out of bounds to end the match.

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