2013 U.S. Men's National Team Press Kit for World League by USA Volleyball

2013 U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team World League Media Kit

Photo by Matt Brown/USAV

USA Volleyball

Table of Contents Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................................................3 Fast Facts....................................................................................................................................................................4-5 2013 U.S. Men’s World League Roster..............................................................................................................................6 2013 U.S. World League Schedule and TV Schedule..........................................................................................................7 2013 World League Preview..........................................................................................................................................8-9 2012 Rosters...........................................................................................................................................................10-11 2012 Results............................................................................................................................................................12-13 2012 Season Review................................................................................................................................................14-16 2012 Players of the Year................................................................................................................................................17 2012 U.S. Men’s Statistics (sponsored by DataProject).....................................................................................................18 Match Recaps for 2012 NORCECA Men’s Olympic Qualifier.........................................................................................19-29 Match Recaps for 2012 FIVB World League................................................................................................................30-61 Match Recaps from the 2012 Pan American Cup........................................................................................................62-66 Team Photo for the 2012 Olympic Team..........................................................................................................................67 Match Recaps for 2012 Olympic Games....................................................................................................................68-79 U.S. Men’s National Team Player Bios......................................................................................................................78-101 U.S. Men’s National Team Staff Bios.......................................................................................................................102-105 All-Time Olympians......................................................................................................................................................106 U.S. Men’s National Team All-Time Results Versus International Competition....................................................................107 International Volleyball Fact Sheet..........................................................................................................................108-110 USA Volleyball Fact Sheet.............................................................................................................................................111

Credits: The 2013 U.S. Men’s National Team World League Media Guide is a copyrighted publication produced by USA Volleyball. Content and Design: B.J. Hoeptner Evans, USA Volleyball Commmunications Manager USA Volleyball, 4065 Sinton Road, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 Phone: (719) 228-6800 E-Mail: info@usav.org Web Site: http://usavolleyball.org

U.S. Men's Team Fast Facts 2012 Results (includes all senior level men’s teams)

Headquarters: The American Sports Centers in Anaheim, Calif. Address 1500 Anaheim Blvd., Suite. 200, Anaheim, CA 92805 Phone: (714) 917-3535 Fax: (714) 917-3536 Web site: USAVolleyball.org World Ranking: Fifth 2012 Record: 25-7 2011 Record: 26-15 2010 Record: 14-7 2009 Record: 16-6 Head Coach: John Speraw Assistant Coach: Matt Fuerbringer Technical Coordinator: Anton Willert Athletic Trainer: (2006-present): Aaron Brock Media Inquiries: B.J. Hoeptner Evans Phone: (719) 228-6800 E-mail: BJ.Evans@USAV.org USA Volleyball Fast Facts CEO: Doug Beal National Office: 4065 Sinton Road, Suite 200 Colorado Springs, CO 80907 (719) 228-6800 International Federation: The FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball — fivb.org) Regional Confederation: NORCECA (North, Central America and Caribbean — norceca.org) Sponsors: City of Anaheim, American Sports Centers, Mizuno, Molten, Data Project Founded in 1928, USA Volleyball is a Colorado incorporated non-profit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) as the National Governing Body for the sport of Volleyball in the United States. USAV is responsible for both the Olympic disciplines of indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. USAV has more than 262,000 registered members, 12,000 teams and 5,300 clubs nationwide. With an annual budget in excess of $18 million dollars, USA Volleyball supports the USA men’s and women’s senior national team programs, youth and junior national teams, national championship events, coaching education and certification programs, grassroots development, and programs for the disabled and Paralympic Teams. USA Volleyball has a rich tradition of success.

Argentina Exhibitions 4-27: Won v Argentina, 3-1 4-29: Won v Argentina, 3-2 NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament 5-7: Won v Trinidad & Tobago, 3-0 5-8: Won v Costa Rica, 3-0 5-9: Won v Mexico, 3-0 5-11: Won v Cuba, 3-1 5-12: Won v Canada, 3-0

USA Volleyball National Teams Center and The City of Anaheim Since 2006, the City of Anaheim, Calif., has been proud to serve as the Official Host City for the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team, followed by the Women’s Team in 2009. The teams train at the American Sports Centers. Anaheim is the 10th largest city in California, and home to world class sports and entertainment such as Angels Baseball, the Anaheim Ducks, the LEED-certified Anaheim Convention Center, the largest convention center on the west coast, and the Disneyland Resort. For more information about the City’s commitment to USAV, please visit www.anaheim.net/usav.

FIVB World League 5-18: Loss v France, 3-1 5-19: Won v Korea, 3-2 5-20: Loss v Italy, 3-0 6-15: Won v Italy, 3-0 6-16: Won v Korea, 3-1 6-17: Won v France, 3-1 6-22: Won v Italy, 3-1 6-23: Won v France, 3-0 6-24: Won v Korea, 3-0 6-29: Won v Korea, 3-0 6-30: Loss v France, 3-2 7-1: Win v Italy, 3-2 7-5: Loss v Germany, 3-2 (Final round) 7-6: Win v Bularia, 3-0 (Final round) 7-7: Win v Cuba, 3-0 (Semifinal) 7-8: Loss v Poland, 3-0 (Gold medal) Pan American Cup 7-9: Win v Venezuela, 3-0 7-10: Win v Mexico, 3-0 7-11: Win v Brazil, 3-1 7-13 Win v Dominican Republic, 3-2 (Semifinal) 7-14: Win v Argentina, 3-0 Olympic Games 7-29: Win v Serbia, 3-0 7-31: Win v Germany, 3-0 8-2: Win v Brazil, 3-1 8-4: Loss v Russia, 3-2 8-6: Win v Tunisia, 3-0 8-8: Loss v Italy, 3-0

U.S. Men's Team Fast Facts 2012 FIVB World Rankings - Final

1 Brazil 300.00 2 Russia 276.50 3 Italy 235.50 4 Poland 230.75 5 USA 203.00 6 Cuba 190.5 7 Serbia 155.00 8 Bulgaria 152.50 9 Argentina 144.00 10 Germany 115.75 11 Australia 63.00 12 Tunisia 57.00 13 Egypt 56.75 14 Iran 53.00 15 China 48.00 16 France 47.75 17 Cameroon 46.75 18 Canada 46.00 19 Japan 41.75 20 Venezuela 40.00 21 Puerto Rico 38.75 22 Republic of Korea 35.75 23 Mexico 33.75 24 Czech Republic 32.00 25 Algeria 27.50 26 Colombia 26.75 27 Slovakia 26.25 28 Great Britain 24.75 29 Spain 24.50 30 India 21.75 31 Finland 21.25 32 Chile 20.50 33 Trinidad & Tobago 17.00 34 Morocco 16.75 35 Republic of the Congo 14.00 36 Slovenia 13.75 37 Pakistan 13.00 38 Portugal 12.75 38 Estonia 12.75 40 South Africa 12.50 41 Netherlands 12.25 41 Romania 12.25 43 Costa Rica 12.00 44 Belgium 11.75 45 Panama 11.50 45 Dominican Republic 11.50 47 Botswana 11.00 48 Turkey 10.50 48 Thailand 10.50 48 Kazakhstan 10.50

Story Ideas for the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team 1. Many Hats: New U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach John Speraw is doing double duty as the head coach of both the UCLA men’s volleyball team and the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team. The fact that both these programs wanted him is a testament to his success as a coach. Speraw won three NCAA DI-II Men’s National Collegiate Volleyball Championships with UC Irvine when he served as its coach for 10 seasons until 2012, when he took the UCLA position. He was an assistant coach under Hugh McCutcheon with the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and under Alan Knipe at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. 2. Off the Beach: Matt Fuerbringer had been planning to play professional beach volleyball overseas in 2013 until John Speraw asked him to be the assistant coach of the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team. It has been a quick transition from player to coach and beach to indoor, but the U.S. Men’s Team players appreciate the perspective and organization he brings to the staff. 3. Brothers in Arms: Kawika and Erik Shoji are two brothers who are both competing with the U.S. Men’s National Team this summer. They have a strong volleyball background as their father is David Shoji, the women’s volleyball coach at the University of Hawaii. Both Kawika (who is two years older) and Erik grew up in Hawaii and played for Iolani School and the Outrigger Canoe Volleyball Club. Both played on U.S. youth and junior national teams. They both attended Stanford and during the winter of 2012-13, both played professionally for teams in Germany. Kawika is a setter and Erik is a libero. Although he is not related, the brothers are also very close to outside hitter Brad Lawson, another Hawaii native who played at Stanford with them. All three were on the 2011 U.S. Men’s World University Games Team together. 4. New Leadership: With Head Coach John Speraw testing out a newer, younger group of players in 2013, athletes who were considered rookies in 2012 are now considered veterans. Matt Anderson, Russell Holmes, Brian Thornton, Paul Lotman and David Smith all competed in their first Olympic Games in 2012. Now they are offering advice to an even younger group of players. 5. Bouncing back: Seven players return to the 2013 U.S. Men’s National Team for World League who finished fifth at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Two of the five – Rich Lambourne and David Lee – were also on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team that won the gold medal in Beijing. Now these players are trying to bounce back from their disappointing finish in London and look forward to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where volleyball will be a spotlight sport.

What is World League? The 24th edition of the world’s premier annual men’s volleyball tournament will be held from May 31 to July 14, 2013 with the Finals set to take place in Mar del Plata, Argentina from July 17 to 21, 2013. It will be the first time the World League will feature 18 teams, having had 16 teams from 2001 to 2003 and from 2006 to 2012. The World League featured eight teams in its inaugural year in 1990, 10 in 1991 and then 12 from 1992 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2005. The 18 teams are split into three pools of six. Pools A and B are determined using the serpentine system based on the world rankings as of Aug. 13, 2012. Pool C features teams ranked as the next best four in the world rankings after the 12 teams in Pool A and B plus two wild cards decided by the FIVB. The top three world ranked teams in each pool will play three matches at home and two away with the bottom three world ranked teams playing twice at home and three times away. Each pool will play over six weekends before the Finals take place from July 17 to 21. Six teams will qualify for the World League Finals featuring the top two teams from Pools A and B, plus the winners of Pool C and the host country. As Argentina is in Pool A and is already among the qualified teams, the best ranked team of pool A – not already qualified – will be selected.

2013 U.S. World League Roster No. Name Pos. Age Ht. Wt. Hometown College 1 Matt Anderson OH 26 6-10 220 West Seneca, N.Y. Penn State 2 Jeff Menzel OH/Opp 24 6-6 210 Santa Barbara, Calif. UC Santa Barbara 3 Evan Patak Opp 28 6-8 250 Pleasanton, Calif. UC Santa Barbara 4 David Lee MB 31 6-8 231 Alpine, Calif. Long Beach State 5 Rich Lambourne L 38 6-3 198 Tustin, Calif. BYU 6 Paul Lotman OH 27 6-7 225 Lakewood, Calif. Long Beach State 7 Kawika Shoji S 25 6-3 194 Honolulu, Hawaii Stanford 8 Kyle Caldwell S 23 6-8 225 Newport Beach, Calif. Pepperdine 9 Murphy Troy Opp 24 6-5 235 St. Louis, Mo. USC 10 Tony Ciarelli OH 23 6-6 215 Huntington Beach, Calif. USC 11 Brian Thornton S 28 6-3 187 San Clemente, Calif. UC Irvine 12 Russell Holmes MB 29 6-8 210 Fountain Valley, Calif. BYU 13 Matt Rawson MB 26 6-8 205 Los Angeles, Calif. Hawaii 14 Ryan Ammerman S 27 6-9 198 Denver, Colo. UC Irvine 15 Carson Clark Opp 24 6-6 205 Santa Barbara, Calif. UC Irvine 16 Jayson Jablonsky OH 26 6-5 205 Yorba Linda, Calif. UC Irvine 17 Maxwell Holt MB 25 6-9 198 Cincinnati, Ohio Penn State 18 Garrett Muagututia OH 25 6-8 210 Oceanside, Calif. UCLA 19 Alfee Reft L 30 5-10 176 Oxnard, Calif. Hawaii 20 David Smith MB 27 6-7 190 Saugus, Calif. UC Irvine 21 Brad Lawson OH 23 6-7 205 Honolulu, Hawaii Stanford 22 Erik Shoji L 23 6-0 180 Honolulu, Hawaii Stanford Average age: 27.1 Oldest: Rich Lambourne Youngest: Tony Ciarelli Average Height: 6-6 Head Coach: John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Matt Fuerbringer (Costa Mesa, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Mike Sealy (Santa Monica, Calif.) Consultant Coach: Andrea Becker (Martinez, Calif.) Physiotherapist/Athletic Trainer: Aaron Brock (Storm Lake, Iowa) Technical Coordinator: Anton Willert (Berlin, Germany) Doctor: Andrew Gregory (Nashville, Tenn.)

Pronunciation Guide 3 Evan Patak ..................................................................................................... PAT-ek (sounds like attic, not attack) 7 Kawika Shoji......................................................................................................................... ka-WEE-ka SHOW-jee 10 Tony Ciarelli ........................................................................................................................................CHUH-relly 18 Garrett Muagututia ....................................................................................................... Moo-ahn-guh-too-TEE-uh 22 Erik Shoji...............................................................................................................................................Show-jee

2013 U.S. Men's Schedule 2013 FIVB World League Date & Time (local) Opponent 6/7 at 7 p.m. Argentina 6/8 at 7 p.m. Argentina 6/14 at 7 p.m. France 6/15 at 7 p.m. France 6/28 at 7 p.m. Bulgaria 6/29 at 7 p.m. Bulgaria 7/5 at 8:15 p.m. Poland 7/7 at 8:15 p.m. Poland 7/13 at 10 a.m. Brazil 7/14 at 9:45 a.m. Brazil

City Wichita, Kan. Wichita, Kan. Tulsa, Okla. Tulsa, Okla. Reno, Nev. Reno, Nev. Katowice, Poland Wroclaw, Poland Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Venue Charles Koch Arena Charles Koch Arena Tulsa Convention Center Tulsa Convention Center Reno Events Center Reno Events Center Spodek Hall Centennial Hall Maracanazinho Maracanazinho

FIVB World League Final Round: July 17-21 in Mar del Plata, Argentina (will feature the top two teams from pools A and B plus the winner of Pool C and Argentina as the host nation) NORCECA Continental Championship Sept. 21-29 in Langley, Canada Grand Champions Cup (must qualify) Nov. 19-24 in Japan

U.S. World League TV Schedule Event Dates Match Air Date Network June 7-8 vs. Argentina June 12, Midnight-2 a.m. NBCSN June 13, Midnight-2 a.m. NBCSN June 14-15 vs. France June 19, Midnight-2 a.m. NBCSN June 21, Midnight-2 a.m. NBCSN June 28-29 vs. Bulgaria July 3, 4:30-6 p.m. NBCSN July 4, 4:30-6 p.m. NBCSN July 5 and 7 at Poland July 10, 8-10 p.m. Universal Sports July 11, 8-10 p.m. Universal Sports July 13-14 at Brazil July 17, 8-10 p.m. Universal Sports July 18, 8-10 p.m. Universal Sports July 21 Final July 24, 9-11 p.m. NBCSN July 21 Final July 25, 9-11 p.m. Universal Sports (Re-air)

2013 FIVB World League Preview

he U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team, ranked No. 5 in the world by the FIVB, and took second at the 2012 FIVB World League with a 12man Final Round team whose average age was 31.1.

winter of 2012-13 in France. At outside hitter, three-time Olympian Reid Priddy is taking some time off, although he has still been training at the ASC. Look for 2012 USA Volleyball men’s indoor athlete of the year and Olympian Matt Anderson to step into a leadership role after a winter break spent playing in Russia. Paul Lotman, another 2012 Olympian, should also play a greater role after helping his Polish team to the league championship over the winter.

The average age of the 22-man roster for the 2013 World League is 27.1. If you remove Rich Lambourne and David Lee – the only two veterans on the roster from the 2008 U.S. Men’s Volleyball Team that won World League and the Olympic gold medal – the average age drops to 25.7. First-year U.S. Men’s Head Coach John Speraw made it clear from the start that he was going to use the first World League of his tenure to assess new talent, even if it meant some growing pains; and he has followed through on that promise.

Newcomers looking to break through will be Ciarelli and Lawson as well as Jayson Jablonsky and Garrett Muagututia. Ciarelli and Lawson were both college standouts who have played on the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team. Ciarelli, Jablonsky and Muagututia have all played on Pan Am Cup teams.

“I think it’s about turnover and who the young guys are and how much experience we can get them early,” Speraw said. “I think we’re going to have to get some new blood in here and take a look at some new young players and see what they can do, particularly early in the (quadrennial). I think the coach needs empowered to take some risks even if it means there are some early failures, because I think it’s going to mean success in the long run.”

Thornton, a 2012 Olympian who started at setter for the U.S. Men for much of the 2010 and 2011 seasons, is the veteran of the setting corp. Setter Kawika Shoji has played on U.S. youth, junior and Pan American Cup teams and spent the winter leading his German team to the league championship. Setters Kyle Caldwell and Ryan Ammerman will be looking to help as well. Caldwell, who played in the 2011 Pan American Games, competed over the winter in Belgium. Ammerman was on the 2012 Pan Am Cup team and played over the winter in Croatia.

Working with younger players has also made it easier for Speraw to implement transition in the gym. “We have been working on establishing the system we want to run over the next four years,” Speraw said of his first days in the gym with the team at the American Sports Centers (ASC) in Anaheim, Calif. “We want to establish the culture that we want to compete with the best in the world.”

Jeff Menzel, who competed in the 2011 World University Games and Pan American Cup and spent the winter of 2012-13 playing in Italy, is training at both outside hitter and opposite.

The U.S. Men finished second at the 2012 World League - FIVB photo There is a solid core of athletes returning from the 2012 U.S. Opposite Clay Stanley, a threeOlympic Men’s Volleyball Team: Lambourne and Lee along with Matt time Olympian and 2008 Most Valuable Player in Beijing, will also miss Anderson, Russell Holmes, Paul Lotman, David Smith and Brian Thornton. World League this year, opening the door for Murphy Troy, Carson Clark and Evan Patak. Troy played over the winter in Italy, while Clark was in Those last five, who were considered “rookies” in London, are now the France and Patak in Puerto Rico and France. Patak has the most interones who are advising even younger players such as Kyle Caldwell, Tony national experience with the U.S. Men’s Team, having been the starting Ciarelli, Brad Lawson and Erik Shoji, who are all 23. opposite for much of 2009 while Stanley rested.

“It will definitely be a new experience for me, being one of the older guys,” said Lotman, 28. “I’m looking forward to it. The first two weeks I was back I had a minor injury so I acted as more of a coach.”

After two Olympic Games, Lambourne continues to be a solid force at libero. Erik Shoji and Alfee Reft will also be looking for playing time. Reft was the backup to Lambourne in 2009 and 2010 before leaving the team to try full-time coaching. He returns after playing over the winter in France. Shoji has played on U.S. youth and junior teams along with the 2011 World University Games team.

The Team

iddle blocker is a strong position for the U.S. Men’s Team as three players return from the 2012 Olympic Team: Holmes, Lee and Smith.

The Competition

Behind them, Max Holt, who was a 2012 Olympic Team alternate, had a strong winter season in Italy’s Serie A league, where his team advanced to the league final and won the CEV Challenge Cup. Matt Rawson has played at the Pan American Games and Pan American Cup and played the

he United States has competed in World League 15 times since the start of the competition in 1990, including every year from 2006-12.

If the U.S. Men qualify for the World League Final Round in 2013, it will

2013 FIVB World League Preview be the third straight time they have made it and the fifth time since 2005. Prior to the 2012 World League silver medal, the U.S. Men won the gold medal in 2008, bronze in 2007 and bronze in 1992.

After a week off, the U.S. Men’s Team will be in Reno, Nev., on June 28-29 to face No. 8 Bulgaria. In 2012, the U.S. Men faced Bulgaria on its home turf in Sofia in the World League Final Round and came away with a victory in front of 10,500 fans. Bulgaria finished fourth in World League and went on to place fourth in the Olympic Games. The United States is 23-13 against Bulgaria since 1980.

One benefit to finishing second at the 2012 FIVB World League is that the U.S. Men got a particularly favorable schedule. They will get to play three matches in the United States against some lower-ranked teams before they travel to play Poland, ranked No. 4 by the FIVB and the defending World League champions, and Brazil, the world’s No. 1 ranked team and the nine-time World League champion.

The U.S. Men will play in two different Polish cities during their trip to Eastern Europe. On July 5 they will play in Katowice while on July 7 they will be in Wroclaw. The United States played Poland once in 2012, losing in the World League final. After winning World League, Poland finished tied for fifth at the Olympic Games. U.S. players Lotman and Holmes have both played in Poland the last two winters. The U.S. Men have a 33-18 record against Poland since 1980.

The U.S. will open World League against No. on June 7-8 in Wichita, Kan., against No. 9 Argentina. In 2012, the U.S. Men won two preseason scrimmages against Argentina and also defeated the South Americans at the Pan American Cup. Argentina finished 10th at the 2012 World League and fifth at the 2012 Olympic Games. Argentina will be without its top outside hitter Facundo Conte, who recently underwent shoulder surgery. The U.S. Men are 43-8 against Argentina since 1980.

Pool play will end for the U.S. Men on July 13-14 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which is just a short hop from where the Final Round will be held in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The U.S. Men defeated Brazil twice in 2012, once at the Pan American Cup and once in pool play at the Olympic Games. However Brazil bounced back from that loss and ended up winning the silver medal in London. It finished sixth at World League. The U.S. Men have a 64-75 record against Brazil since 1980.

On June 14-15, the U.S. Men will be in Tulsa to face No. 15 France. The two teams were in the same pool in 2012 and the U.S. Men went 2-2 against the European team. In fact, the U.S. Men had to win it final pool play match against Italy in order to keep France from winning the pool. France finished seventh at World League. It did not qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games. The United States is 39-8 against France since 1980. Four players on the U.S. World League Team – Patak, Clark, Reft and Smith – played in France’s professional league during the winter of 2012-13.

Six teams will qualify for the World League Finals on July 17-21 in Mar del Plata, Argentina: The top two teams from Pools A and B, plus the winners of Pool C and the host country. As Argentina is in Pool A and is already among the qualified teams, the best ranked team of Pool A – not already qualified – will be selected.

The U.S. Men’s Team for the 2013 FIVB World League - USAV/B.J. Evans

2012 U.S. Men's Rosters 2012 NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament May 7-12 in Long Beach, Calif. 1. Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State) 4. David Lee (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Calif., Long Beach State) 5. Rich Lambourne (L, 6-3, Tustin, Calif., BYU) 6. Paul Lotman (OH, 6-7, Lakewood, Calif., Long Beach State) 7. Donald Suxho (S, 6-5, Korce, Albania, USC) 8. Reid Priddy (OH, 6-5, Richmond, Va., Loyola Marymount) 9. Ryan Millar (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Utah, BYU) 10. Riley Salmon (OH, 6-6, League City, Texas, Pierce College) 11. Brian Thornton (S, 6-3, San Clemente, Calif., UC Irvine) 12. Russell Holmes (MB, 6-8, Fountain Valley, Calif., BYU) 13. Clay Stanley (Opp, 6-9, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Hawaii) 19. David McKienzie (Opp, 6-4, Littleton, Colo., Long Beach State) Head Coach: Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) Team Manager: Rob Browning (Newport Beach, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Gary Sato (Los Angeles, Calif.) Assistant Coach: John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Ron Larsen (Lafayette, Calif.) Technical Coordinator: Chris Jackson (Phoenix, Ariz.) Medical Support: Aaron Brock (Storm Lake, Iowa) 2012 FIVB World League Long List May 18-July 1 at various sites 1. Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State) 2. Sean Rooney (OH, 6-9, Wheaton, Ill., Pepperdine) 3. Evan Patak (Opp, 6-8, Pleasanton, Calif., UC Santa Barbara) 4. David Lee (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Calif., Long Beach State) 5. Rich Lambourne (L, 6-3, Tustin, Calif., BYU) 6. Paul Lotman (OH, 6-7, Lakewood, Calif., Long Beach State) 7. Donald Suxho (S, 6-5, Korce, Albania, USC) 8. Reid Priddy (OH, 6-5, Richmond, Va., Loyola Marymount) 9. Ryan Millar (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Utah, BYU) 10. Riley Salmon (L, 6-6, League City, Texas, Pierce College) 11. Brian Thornton (S, 6-3, San Clemente, Calif., UC Irvine) 12. Russell Holmes (MB, 6-8, Fountain Valley, Calif., BYU) 13. Clay Stanley (OPP, 6-9, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Hawaii) 14. Kevin Hansen (S, 6-5, Newport Beach, Calif., Stanford) 15. Gabe Gardner (Opp, 6-8, San Clemente, Calif., Stanford) 16. Jayson Jablonsky (OH, 6-5, Yorba Linda, Calif., UC Irvine) 17. Max Holt (MB, 6-9, Cincinnati, Ohio, Penn State) 18. Scott Touzinsky (OH, 6-6, St. Louis, Mo., Long Beach State) 19. Robert Tarr (OH, 6-6, Cape Canaveral, Fla., Long Beach State) 20. David Smith (MB, 6-7, Saugus, Calif., UC Irvine) 21. David McKienzie (Opp, 6-4, Littleton, Colo., Long Beach State) 22. Taylor Sander (OH, 6-4, Huntington Beach, Calif., BYU) 23. Jeff Menzel (OH, 6-6, Santa Barbara, Calif., UC Santa Barbara) 24. Kawika Shoji (S, 6-3, Honolulu, Hawaii, Stanford) 25. Jonathan Winder (S, 6-8, Irvine, Calif., Pepperdine)

Head Coach: Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) Team Manager: Rob Browning (Newport Beach, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Gary Sato (Los Angeles, Calif.) Assistant Coach: John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Ron Larsen (Lafayette, Calif.) Technical Coordinator: Chris Jackson (Phoenix, Ariz.) Medical Support: Aaron Brock (Storm Lake, Iowa) U.S. World League 14-Player Roster for May 18-20 in Florence, Italy 1. Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State) 2. Sean Rooney (OH, 6-9, Wheaton, Ill., Pepperdine) 4. David Lee (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Calif., Long Beach State) 5. Rich Lambourne (L, 6-3, Tustin, Calif., BYU) 6. Paul Lotman (OH, 6-7, Lakewood, Calif., Long Beach State) 7. Donald Suxho (S, 6-5, Korce, Albania, USC) 8. Reid Priddy (OH, 6-5, Richmond, Va., Loyola Marymount) 9. Ryan Millar (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Utah, BYU) 10. Riley Salmon (L, 6-6, League City, Texas, Pierce College) 11. Brian Thornton (S, 6-3, San Clemente, Calif., UC Irvine) 12. Russell Holmes (MB, 6-8, Fountain Valley, Calif., BYU) 13. Clay Stanley (OPP, 6-9, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Hawaii) 15. Gabe Gardner (Opp, 6-8, San Clemente, Calif., Stanford) 21. David McKienzie (Opp, 6-4, Littleton, Colo., Long Beach State) Head Coach: Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) Team Manager: Rob Browning (Newport Beach, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Gary Sato (Los Angeles, Calif.) Assistant Coach: John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Ron Larsen (Lafayette, Calif.) Technical Coordinator: Chris Jackson (Phoenix, Ariz.) Medical Support: Aaron Brock (Storm Lake, Iowa) U.S. World League 14-Player Roster for June 15-17 in Lyon, France 1. Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State) 2. Sean Rooney (OH, 6-9, Wheaton, Ill., Pepperdine) 4. David Lee (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Calif., Long Beach State) 5. Rich Lambourne (L, 6-3, Tustin, Calif., BYU) 6. Paul Lotman (OH, 6-7, Lakewood, Calif., Long Beach State) 7. Donald Suxho (S, 6-5, Korce, Albania, USC) 9. Ryan Millar (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Utah, BYU) 11. Brian Thornton (S, 6-3, San Clemente, Calif., UC Irvine) 12. Russell Holmes (MB, 6-8, Fountain Valley, Calif., BYU) 13. Clay Stanley (OPP, 6-9, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Hawaii) 15. Gabe Gardner (Opp, 6-8, San Clemente, Calif., Stanford) 16. Jayson Jablonsky (OH, 6-5, Yorba Linda, Calif., UC Irvine) 20. David Smith (MB, 6-7, Saugus, Calif., UC Irvine) 21. David McKienzie (Opp, 6-4, Littleton, Colo., Long Beach State) Assistant Coach: John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.) Team Manager: Rob Browning (Newport Beach, Calif.)

2012 U.S. Men's Rosters Assistant Coach: Gary Sato (Los Angeles, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Ron Larsen (Lafayette, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Mike Sealy (Santa Monica, Calif.) Technical Coordinator: Chris Jackson (Phoenix, Ariz.) Medical Support: Aaron Brock (Storm Lake, Iowa) U.S. World League 14-Player Roster for June 22-24 in Gwangju, Korea 1. Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State) 2. Sean Rooney (OH, 6-9, Wheaton, Ill., Pepperdine) 4. David Lee (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Calif., Long Beach State) 5. Rich Lambourne (L, 6-3, Tustin, Calif., BYU) 6. Paul Lotman (OH, 6-7, Lakewood, Calif., Long Beach State) 7. Donald Suxho (S, 6-5, Korce, Albania, USC) 8. Reid Priddy (OH, 6-5, Richmond, Va., Loyola Marymount) 11. Brian Thornton (S, 6-3, San Clemente, Calif., UC Irvine) 12. Russell Holmes (MB, 6-8, Fountain Valley, Calif., BYU) 13. Clay Stanley (OPP, 6-9, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Hawaii) 15. Gabe Gardner (Opp, 6-8, San Clemente, Calif., Stanford) 17. Max Holt (MB, 6-9, Cincinnati, Ohio, Penn State) 20. David Smith (MB, 6-7, Saugus, Calif., UC Irvine) 21. David McKienzie (Opp, 6-4, Littleton, Colo., Long Beach State)

2012 Pan American Cup July 9-14 in Santo Dominco, Dominican Republic 1 Dylan Davis (MB, 6-9, Corona Del Mar, Calif., UC Santa Barbara) 2 Matt Rawson (MB, 6-7, Los Angeles, Hawaii) 4 Carson Clark (Opp, 6-5, Santa Barbara, Calif., UC Irvine) 5 Garrett Muagututia (OH, 6-5, Oceanside, Calif., UCLA) 6 Murphy Troy (Opp, 6-8, St. Louis, Mo., USC) 7 Jordan Dufault (OH, 6-4, Lakewood, Calif., UC Irvine) 9 Daniel McDonnell (MB, 6-6, Glendale, Ariz., UC Irvine) 12 Tony Ciarelli (OH, 6-6, Huntington Beach, Calif., USC) 13 Ryan Ammerman (S, 6-8, Parker, Colo., UC Irvine) 14 Dustin Watten (L, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Long Beach State) 22 Taylor Sander (OH, 6-4, Huntington Beach, Calif., BYU) 24 Kawika Shoji (S, 6-3, Honolulu, Stanford) Head Coach: Shawn Patchell Assistant Coach: Tim Johnson Team Manager: Nicholas MacRae Athletic Trainer: Chad Eichten

Assistant Coach: John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.) Team Manager: Rob Browning (Newport Beach, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Gary Sato (Los Angeles, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Ron Larsen (Lafayette, Calif.) Technical Coordinator: Chris Jackson (Phoenix, Ariz.) Medical Support: Aaron Brock (Storm Lake, Iowa) U.S. World League 14-Player Roster for June 29-July 1 in Dallas, Texas 1. Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State) 2. Sean Rooney (OH, 6-9, Wheaton, Ill., Pepperdine) 4. David Lee (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Calif., Long Beach State) 5. Rich Lambourne (L, 6-3, Tustin, Calif., BYU) 6. Paul Lotman (OH, 6-7, Lakewood, Calif., Long Beach State) 7. Donald Suxho (S, 6-5, Korce, Albania, USC) 8. Reid Priddy (OH, 6-5, Richmond, Va., Loyola Marymount) 10. Riley Salmon (L, 6-6, League City, Texas, Pierce College) 11. Brian Thornton (S, 6-3, San Clemente, Calif., UC Irvine) 12. Russell Holmes (MB, 6-8, Fountain Valley, Calif., BYU) 13. Clay Stanley (OPP, 6-9, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Hawaii) 16. Jayson Jablonsky (OH, 6-5, Yorba Linda, Calif., UC Irvine) 20. David Smith (MB, 6-7, Saugus, Calif., UC Irvine) 21. David McKienzie (Opp, 6-4, Littleton, Colo., Long Beach State) Head Coach: Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) Team Manager: Rob Browning (Newport Beach, Calif.) Assistant Coach: John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Gary Sato (Los Angeles, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Ron Larsen (Lafayette, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Mike Sealy (Santa Monica, Calif.) Technical Coordinator: Chris Jackson (Phoenix, Ariz.) Medical Support: Aaron Brock (Storm Lake, Iowa) U.S. World League Roster for Final Round July 4-8 in Sofia, Bulgaria 1. Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State) 2. Sean Rooney (OH, 6-9, Wheaton, Ill., Pepperdine) 4. David Lee (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Calif., Long Beach State) 5. Rich Lambourne (L, 6-3, Tustin, Calif., BYU) 6. Paul Lotman (OH, 6-7, Lakewood, Calif., Long Beach State) 7. Donald Suxho (S, 6-5, Korce, Albania, USC) 8. Reid Priddy (OH, 6-5, Richmond, Va., Loyola Marymount) 11. Brian Thornton (S, 6-3, San Clemente, Calif., UC Irvine) 12. Russell Holmes (MB, 6-8, Fountain Valley, Calif., BYU) 13. Clay Stanley (OPP, 6-9, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Hawaii) 20. David Smith (MB, 6-7, Saugus, Calif., UC Irvine) 21. David McKienzie (Opp, 6-4, Littleton, Colo., Long Beach State) Head Coach: Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) Team Manager: Rob Browning (Newport Beach, Calif.) Assistant Coach: John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Gary Sato (Los Angeles, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Ron Larsen (Lafayette, Calif.) Technical Coordinator: Chris Jackson (Phoenix, Ariz.) Medical Support: Aaron Brock (Storm Lake, Iowa)

2012 U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team July 28-Aug. 12 in London, England 1. Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State) 2. Sean Rooney (OH, 6-9, Wheaton, Ill., Pepperdine) 4. David Lee (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Calif., Long Beach State) 5. Rich Lambourne (L, 6-3, Tustin, Calif., BYU) 6. Paul Lotman (OH, 6-7, Lakewood, Calif., Long Beach State) 7. Donald Suxho (S, 6-5, Korce, Albania, USC) 8. Reid Priddy (OH, 6-5, Richmond, Va., Loyola Marymount) 11. Brian Thornton (S, 6-3, San Clemente, Calif., UC Irvine) 12. Russell Holmes (MB, 6-8, Fountain Valley, Calif., BYU) 13. Clay Stanley (OPP, 6-9, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Hawaii) 20. David Smith (MB, 6-7, Saugus, Calif., UC Irvine) 21. David McKienzie (Opp, 6-4, Littleton, Colo., Long Beach State) Head Coach: Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) Team Manager: Rob Browning (Newport Beach, Calif.) Assistant Coach: John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Gary Sato (Los Angeles, Calif.) Assistant Coach: Ron Larsen (Lafayette, Calif.) Technical Coordinator: Chris Jackson (Phoenix, Ariz.) Medical Support: Aaron Brock (Storm Lake, Iowa) Scout Coach: Andy Read (Garden Grove, Calif.) Scout Coach: Mike Sealy (Santa Monica, Calif.) Replacement Players for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team 3. Evan Patak (Opp, 6-8, Pleasanton, Calif., UC Santa Barbara) 9. Ryan Millar (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Utah, BYU) 10. Riley Salmon (L, 6-6, League City, Texas, Pierce College) 14. Kevin Hansen (S, 6-5, Newport Beach, Calif., Stanford) 15. Gabe Gardner (Opp, 6-8, San Clemente, Calif., Stanford) 16. Jayson Jablonsky (OH, 6-5, Yorba Linda, Calif., UC Irvine) 17. Max Holt (MB, 6-9, Cincinnati, Ohio, Penn State) 25. Jonathan Winder (S, 6-8, Irvine, Calif., Pepperdine)

2012 U.S. Men's Results Argentina Exhibitions at JSerra High School in San Juan Capistrano Date

Opponent

Result

Location

Points Leader

Attendance

4/27

Argentina

W (21-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-17)

San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

Anderson (16)

4/29

Argentina

W (25-20, 22-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-13)

San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

McKienzie (15)

NORCECA Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament at the Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif. Date

Opponent (Record)

Result

Points Leader

Attendance

5/7

Trinidad & Tobago (1-0)

W (25-9, 25-10, 25-14

Anderson/Lee (9)

1,325

5/8

Costa Rica (2-0)

W (25-14, 25-9, 25-9)

McKienzie (10)

1,200

5/9

Mexico (3-0)

W (25-23, 25-19, 25-14)

Stanley (14)

1,550

5/10

Cuba (4-0)

W (28-26, 25-18, 25-20)

Anderson (24)

3,000

5/11

Canada (5-0)

W (28-26, 25-18, 25-20)

Stanley (15)

4,700

Final Standings: 1. USA, 2. Canada, 3. Cuba, 4. Puerto Rico, 5. Mexico, 6. Dominican Republic, 7. Trinidad & Tobago, 8. Costa Rica FIVB World League Date

Opponent (Record)

Result

City

Points Leader

Attendance

5/18

France (5-1)

L (17-25, 25-20, 26-24, 25-17)

Florence, Italy

Stanley (18)

2,100

5/19

Korea (6-1)

W (20-25, 18-25, 25-17, 25-23, 17-15)

Florence, Italy

Priddy (19)

5,100

5/20

Italy (6-2)

L (25-16, 25-20, 25-16)

Florence, Italy

Holmes/Stanley/ Anderson (8)

6,200

6/15

Italy (7-2)

W (30-28, 28-26, 25-22)

Lyon, France

Anderson (17)

900

6/16

Korea (8-2)

W (22-25, 25-23, 27-25, 25-16)

Lyon, France

Anderson (21)

1,160

6/17

France (9-2)

W (20-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-21)

Lyon, France

Rooney (21)

1,200

6/22

France (10-2)

W (22-25, 25-21, 29-27, 25-16)

Gwangju, Korea

Anderson (21)

830

6/23

Italy (11-2)

W (25-21, 25-21, 25-20)

Gwangju, Korea

Rooney/Holmes/ Stanley (12)

450

6/24

Korea (12-2)

W (25-20, 25-18, 25-18)

Gwangju, Korea

Anderson/Priddy (13)

4,950

6/29

Korea (13-2)

W (32-30, 26-24, 25-22)

Dallas, Texas

Stanley/Anderson (19)

2,028

6/30

France (13-3)

L (25-20, 22-25, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13)

Dallas, Texas

Anderson (17)

3,853

7/1

Italy (14-3)

W (26-28, 25-20, 24-26, 25-17, 15-10)

Dallas, Texas

Stanley (26)

5,139

7/5

Germany (14-4)

L (20-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20, 16-14)

Sofia, Bulgaria

Stanley (23)

3,000

7/6

Bulgaria (15-4)

W (25-21, 25-16, 25-17)

Sofia, Bulgaria

Anderson/Rooney (16)

10,500

7/7

Cuba (16-4)

W (25-23, 25-22, 25-23)

Sofia, Bulgaria

Stanley (18)

4,000

7/8

Poland (16-5)

L (25-17, 26-24, 25-20)

Sofia, Bulgaria

Stanley (15)

5,000

Final Standings: 1. Poland, 2. USA, 3. Cuba, 4. Bulgaria, 5. Germany, 6. Brazil, 7. France, 8. Russia, 9. Serbia, 10. Argentina, 11. Italy, 12. Canada, 13 Finland, 14. Korea, 15. Japan, 16. Portugal

2012 U.S. Men's Results Pan American Cup Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Date

Opponent (Record)

Result

Points Leader

Attendance

7/9

Venezuela (17-5)

W (25-17, 25-19, 25-12)

Sander/McDonnell (12)

200

7/10

Mexico (18-5)

W (25-8, 25-16, 25-18)

Troy (14)

7/11

Brazil (19-5)

W (22-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-22)

Sander (23)

300

7/13

Dominican Republic (20-5)

W (25-21, 23-25, 25-22. 25-27, 15-12)

Sander (23)

800

7/14

Argentina (21-5)

W (29-27, 25-20, 25-11)

Clark (18)

400

Final Standings: 1. USA, 2. Argentina, 3. Dominican Republic, 4. Brazil, 5. Mexico, 6. Canada, 7. Venezuela, 8. Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Games Earls Court Exhibition Center in London Date

Opponent (Record)

Result

Points Leader

Attendance

7/29

Serbia (22-5)

W (25-17, 25-22, 25-21)

Anderson 16

12,000

7/31

Germany (23-5)

W (25-23, 25-16, 25-20)

Stanley 16

13,000

8/2

Brazil (24-5)

W (23-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-17)

Priddy 20

11,500

8/4

Russia (24-6)

L (27-29, 19-25, 26-24, 25-16, 15-8)

Anderson 18

13,650

8/6

Tunisia (25-6)

W (25-15, 25-19, 25-19)

McKienzie 17

11,000

8/8

Italy (25-7)

L (28-26, 25-20, 25-20)

Stanley 17

14,000

Final Standings: 1. Russia, 2. Brazil, 3. Italy, 4. Bulgaria, 5T. USA, Argentina, Germany, Poland, 9T. Australia, Serbia, 11T. Great Britain, Tunisia

2012 Season Review The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team saved the best for last, putting together its best season of the 2009-12 quadrennial in 2012. But would it be good enough to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games and defend the Olympic gold medal it won in 2008?

In the semifinals, the U.S. Men were somewhat surprised to find themselves playing Cuba, which had lost to Canada in pool play and finished second. Cuba defeated Trinidad & Tobago in the quarterfinals and advanced to play the United States in the semis.

The U.S. Men’s Team started the 2012 season under pressure after finishing sixth at the 2011 FIVB World Cup and not qualifying for the London Olympic Games.

After losing a close first set, the U.S. Men won the next three, led by outside hitter Matt Anderson’s 24 points, to win the match and advance to the final against Canada.

The U.S. Men knew their next best chance to qualify would be at the 2012 NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament. But they also knew they would have to beat Cuba, the team they had lost to in the final of the 2011 NORCECA Continental Championship, among others in order to qualify.

“I don’t know what happened in the first set. Cuba put some pressure on us, but I am really proud of my team,” Stanley said after the match. “Matt Anderson served his butt off tonight and he played great offense. Russell Holmes did a great job. We passed the ball pretty good. As a team we played an all-around good match.”

The U.S. Men got good news in February when it was announced that Puerto Rico could not host the NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament and it was awarded to the United States. Moreover, it would be held at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif., about a 20-minute drive from the team’s headquarters at the American Sports Centers in Anaheim More good news came when the team’s starting opposite and captain Clay Stanley, the 2008 Olympic Games Most Valuable Player, made it clear that he was almost fully recovered from offseason knee surgery and would be able to play in the tournament. The U.S. Men played two preseason exhibition matches against a split squad of Argentina’s national team in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and won both, 3-1 and 3-2. The NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament began May 7 and the U.S. Men had an easy time in pool play, defeating Trinidad & Tobago (25-9, 25-10, 25-14) , Costa Rica (2514, 25-9, 25-9) and Mexico (25-23, 25-19, 25-14) without dropping a set.

A crowd of 4,700 turned out for the May 12 final, which would determine an Olympic berth. After losing a tough first set, Canada struggled to find its rhythm and the U.S. Men cruised to a 2826, 25-18, 25-20 victory. Stanley led the United States with 15 points as his team used a balanced offense to win. Stanley was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Anderson won best spiker. U.S. middle blocker David Lee was named best blocker. “Now we can prepare for teams qualified for the Olympics and not just teams trying to qualify,” U.S. Men’s Head Coach Alan Knipe said. “And we can prepare our guys. We only had eight practices to prepare for this tournament and team did a great job.” With little time to rest, the team traveled to Italy for the first round of FIVB World League on May 18-20. Because of the 2012 Olympic Games, World League used a different format. For the first time in the tournament’s history, the World League Intercontinental (pool play) Round, still featured 16 teams across four pools, but it was played over four weekends with each country hosting all four teams in their 14

2012 Season Review pool. “For us to win our three games is very positive,” U.S. opposite and team captain Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) said. “We put together a good game plan. We are happy about the way we played. We were consistent throughout these three matches so that’s the best thing that we could ask for.” The team traveled straight from France to Gwangju, Korea where Speraw again served as head coach and helped the U.S. Men win all three matches against Italy (22-25, 25-21, 29-27, 25-16), France (25-21, 25-21, 25-20) and Korea (2520, 25-18, 25-18). Team USA left Korea with a 7-2 record and the lead in the pool. But it still needed to win two matches when it hosted World League in Dallas on June 29-July 1. “We are in the process of deciding our final 12 players for London,” said Knipe, who rejoined the team in Dallas. “These World League matches are an important part of that. “We are also continuing to fine-tune our game plan for London.” The U.S. Men got off to a good start in Dallas by sweeping Korea 32-30, 26-24, 25-22. But it stumbled in its second match, falling to France 25-20, 22-25, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13. respective pool on one weekend each. The four pool winners, plus the best second-place team and host Bulgaria qualified for the Final Round. The first World League weekend was rough as the U.S. Men fell to France (17-25, 25-20, 26-24, 25-17), needed five sets to defeat Korea (20-25, 18-25, 25-17, 25-23, 17-15) and lost 3-0 to host Italy (25-16, 25-20, 25-16). Knipe admitted that fatigue could have been a factor in the team’s poor performance. “I think it was hard for the guys to stay so focused for so many weeks in a row,” he said. “But we still could have played much better than we did.”

Things did not look good in the match against Italy as the U.S. Men fell behind 2-1 in sets and were trailing 8-6 in the fourth. The team used a 4-0 run to pull ahead and went on to win the match 26-28, 25-20, 24-26, 25-17, 15-10. “It was a great effort by our team, especially players who came off the bench: Dave Smith, Sean Rooney,” Stanley said. “We have been trying not to get down in matches and keep our heads up; keep pushing, keep going.” The U.S. Men traveled straight from Dallas to Sofia, Bulgaria for the Final Round on July 4-8. They opened with a five-set loss to Germany, 25-20, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20, 16-14. But a three-set victory over Bulgaria the next night (25-21, 25-16, 25-17) gave the U.S. Men to pool victory. They advanced to

The team then had three weeks off from World League competition while other Olympic qualifying tournaments were played. It traveled to Lyon, France for the next World League weekend on June 15-17. Knipe did not travel with the team as he dealt with a family emergency. John Speraw filled in along with assistant coaches Gary Sato and Ron Larsen and helped the team go 3-0 in France with victories over Italy (30-28, 28-26, 25-22), Korea (22-25, 25-23, 27-25, 25-16) and France (20-25, 2522, 25-19, 25-21). The U.S. Men left Lyon with the lead in the 15

2012 U.S. Men's Season Review the semifinals where they defeated their NORCECA foe Cuba, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23.

the second set.” Team USA suffered its first loss of the 2012 Olympic Games on Aug. 4 when it fell to Russia, 27-29, 19-25, 26-24, 25-16, 15-8 after holding a match point in the third set.

In the final, the U.S. Men lost to Poland, 25-17, 26-24, 2520. The team won $500,000 for second place and won its first World League medal since it won the title in 2008.

“I think (Russia) made some changes to their personnel and they started to serve really aggressively,” middle blocker David Lee said. “They put us in a bad position where we couldn’t side out and we couldn’t run our offense.”

“In the beginning of World League, I didn’t think we’d be in this position,” said Stanley, who won the Best Server award for the Final Round. “I thought our team improved each weekend. We did a lot of great things to get to this final, although I’m disappointed in how we showed up to play tonight.”

Despite the loss, the U.S. Men still led Pool B and won the pool with a 25-15, 25-19, 25-19 victory over Tunisia on Aug. 6. U.S. opposite David McKienzie got his first Olympic Games start in the tournament and led the team with 17 points with 14 kills on 25 attacks, two aces and a block.

It was the first time that the U.S. Men have medaled in World League in the same year that the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team has medaled in the FIVB Grand Prix. The U.S. Women won the Grand Prix on July 1.

The U.S. Men advanced to the quarterfinals, where they found themselves playing their old World League foe, Italy, which had finished fourth in Pool A where it went 3-2. The matchup proved to be a bad one for Team USA, which ended its season with a 28-26, 25-20, 25-20 loss to Italy on Aug. 8.

“I’m disappointed in the way we played tonight,” Knipe said. “But a lot of really good things have come out in the last few weeks. These were important matches for us. We wanted to reach the final and experience these matches and build toward the Olympic Games.” The U.S. Men returned to Anaheim for their final training block before the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where it hoped to become the first country to win the men’s volleyball gold medal four times. During the break, the U.S. Men’s A2 Team won the Pan American Cup, defeating Argentina in the final. The Olympic men’s volleyball tournament, which was played at Earls Court in London, began with pool play on July 29 as the U.S. Men easily handled Serbia, 25-16, 25-22, 2521. They followed that with a victory over Germany on July 31, 25-23, 25-16, 25-20.

“It was frustrating for us,” Knipe said. “When we look back at this we will see we had lots of opportunities to win the first set. We came in with a really good game plan and when we were in our game plan and executing it, we were winning points.” The U.S. Men finished the tournament tied for fifth. After the season, most of the U.S. athletes went to play on international teams. Knipe returned to his position as head coach of the men’s volleyball team at Long Beach State University.

On Aug. 2, the U.S. Men defeated world No. 1 and topranked Brazil, 23-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-17 and took the lead in Pool B. “It was an important match,” setter Donald Suxho said. “We worked hard and got better by sticking together and trusting each other more. (Brazil) is the best team in the world. The first set it was all them and we had to adapt and change for 16

2012 Players of the Year Outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) has been named the USA Volleyball Indoor Male Athlete of the Year for 2012, while setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) has been selected as USA Volleyball’s Most Improved Player in the indoor male athlete category.

“My sights are already set on (the Olympic Games in) Rio 2016,” Anderson said. “If I’m lucky enough to make that squad, I don’t want to go home from those Games without a medal, hopefully gold.”

At 25, Anderson was the youngest player on the U.S. Men’s Olympic Volleyball Team and finished the 2012 season as the team’s leading scorer with 393 points on a team-leading 326 kills, 42 blocks and 25 aces (second highest on team). Anderson started 96 out of the 97 sets for the U.S. Men. His kill percent was 50.7 and his hitting efficiency was .440. “My success this season with the National Team came from the realization of the trust my teammates and coaches had in me,” Anderson said via e-mail from Russia where he is playing for Zenit Kazan in the Super League. “In training we created an atmosphere of the best volleyball and it was tough to differentiate between training and big-time matches.”

Suxho finished second in the Best Setter category at the 2012 Olympic Games in London where he was credited with 213 running sets (10.65 per set). He started 20 out of 21 sets and scored 10 points on three kills, six blocks and one ace.

Suxho played in 57 out of 60 FIVB World League sets for the U.S. Men, scoring 29 points on 14 kills and 15 blocks, including highs of five points against France in France (four kills, one block) and against France in Dallas (one kill, four blocks). He finished first in the Best Setter category in pool play with 331 running sets (5.81 per set) and finished second among all setters in the Final Round with 74 running sets (5.29 per set).

“The highlight of my 2012 season was being a part of the 2012 Olympic Games,” Anderson said. “There is no words to describe the honor I received being able to walk with the team in Opening Ceremonies, and then to compete on the world’s biggest stage for my country, the USA. The low point is leaving the Olympics knowing we could have accomplished more as a team.”

Anderson was named “Best Spiker” at the NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament on May 7-12 in Long Beach, Calif., as the U.S. Men qualified for the Olympic Games. He played in 15 out of 16 sets and was the team’s leading scorer, finishing with 64 points on 52 kills, four blocks, and eight aces. His hitting efficiency was .585 and he scored a tournament-high 24 points against Cuba.

“I am extremely thankful to the USA Volleyball organization, the USA coaching staff and the medical staff for training and helping me,” Suxho said. “I also want to thank my teammates for trusting me.”

“The highlight of my season was winning our group at the Olympics,” Suxho said. “The low point was losing to Italy in the quarterfinals. It was like a stab in the heart.”

Anderson started all 21 sets of the Olympic Games in London and was the team’s leading scorer with 81 points on 69 kills (.390 hitting efficiency), six aces and six blocks. His tournament best was 18 points (16 attacks, one block and one ace) scored in 3-2, pool play loss to Russia. The U.S. Men finished fifth in London.

Anderson played in all 60 FIVB World League sets in which the U.S. Men competed and was the team’s leading scorer. He finished with 248 points on a team-leading 205 kills, 32 blocks and 11 aces. He was fifth among all World League scorers at the end of pool play. His tournament high was 21 points scored against Korea on June 16.

Suxho, 36, went into the 2012 season not knowing for sure if he would be the team’s starting setter, as he had to battle Brian Thornton (San Clemente, Calif.) and Kevin Hansen (Newport Beach, Calif.) for the slot. Suxho ended up playing in 92 of 115 sets in which the U.S. Men competed. He helped the team to a season kill percentage of 45.4 and a hitting efficiency of .375. He also finished the season with 46 points on 18 kills, 24 blocks and four aces. He was credited with 128 digs (1.39 per set) and 705 running sets (7.67 per set).

He started 15 out of 16 sets for the U.S. Men at the NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament. He finished with seven points on one kills, three blocks and three aces and was credited with 87 running sets (5.44 per set). “My goals are to continue to improve my game, stay healthy and win gold in Rio,” Suxho said.

2012 U.S. Men's Final Statistics DataVolley statistics based on the following 2012 events: NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualification Touranment, FIVB World League, Pan American Cup and the Olympic Games. Name

Sets

Kills

Kills/set

Kill pct

Hit errors

Attempts

Efficiency

Aces

Aces/set

Blocks

Blocks/set

Digs

Digs/set

Points

Points/set

Ryan Ammerman

0.25

100.0

1.000

0.00

0.25

Matt Anderson

326

3.40

50.7

643

0.440

0.26

0.44

103

1.07

393

4.09

Tony Ciarelli

2.93

61.1

0.528

0.4

0.07

0.00

3.40

Carson Clark

3.17

50.0

0.474

0.25

0.00

1.17

3.42

Dylan Davis

1.73

70.3

0.622

0.00

0.53

0.07

2.27

Jordan Dufault

0.50

71.4

0.714

0.00

0.30

0.50

Gabe Gardner

1.00

53.8

0.462

0.00

0.30

1.00

Russell Holmes

120

1.45

60.3

199

0.543

0.14

0.83

0.23

201

2.42

Rich Lambourne

0.00

00.0

0.000

0.00

144

1.48

0.00

David Lee

116

1.59

64.8

179

0.581

0.14

0.66

0.03

174

2.38

Paul Lotman

0.30

41.5

0.341

0.11

0.02

0.23

0.43

Dan McDonnell

0.80

36.6

0.318

0.70

0.60

0.30

2.10

David McKienzie

0.71

59.7

0.468

0.22

0.06

0.28

0.98

Ryan Millar

0.92

66.7

0.545

0.00

0.25

0.33

1.17

Garrett Muagututia

2.83

48.6

0.457

0.17

0.00

1.17

3.00

Reid Priddy

146

2.21

40.7

359

0.343

0.27

0.48

1.12

196

2.97

Matt Rawson

1.00

65.4

0.654

0.00

1.06

0.18

2.06

Sean Rooney

102

2.76

48.1

212

0.434

0.19

0.62

1.30

132

3.57

Riley Salmon

0.42

35.7

0.286

0.00

0.42

Taylor Sander

3.82

60.2

108

0.509

0.53

0.24

0.94

4.59

Kawika Shoji

0.11

100.0

1.000

0.22

0.11

0.00

0.44 1.60

David Smith

1.02

64.0

0.627

0.15

0.43

0.28

Clay Stanley

269

3.09

50.3

535

0.452

0.46

0.56

1.00

358

4.11

Donald Suxho

0.20

43.9

0.317

0.04

0.26

128

1.39

0.50

Brian Thornton

0.09

33.3

0.000

0.00

0.18

0.64

0.27

Murphy Troy

2.64

78.7

0.681

0.50

0.14

0.43

3.29

Dustin Watten

0.00

00.0

0.000

0.00

2.50

115

1503

13.07

52.6

181

2857

0.463

180

1.57

361

3.14

785

6.83

2044

17.77

Opponents

115

1421

12.36

45.4

247

3127

0.375

134

1.17

195

1.70

802

6.97

1750

15.22

Setting Statistics based on the following 2012 events as determined by the FIVB and NORCECA: NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualification Touranment, FIVB World League, Pan American Cup and the Olympic Games. Name

Sets Running Faults Played Sets

Total Attempts

Running Sets Per Set

Donald Suxho Brian Thornton Kawika Shoji Ryan Ammerman

92 705 16 11 57 0 18 55 1 4 1 1

1,829 144 391 15

7.66 5.18 3.06 0.25

All photos on this page by Matt Brown for USAV 19

1 2 3 USA 25 25 25 TRI 9 10 14

U.S. Men Top Trinidad & Tobago to Open Qualifier LONG BEACH, Calif. (May 7, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team had little trouble winning their first match of the NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament as they swept Trinidad & Tobago on Monday, 25-9, 25-10, 25-14 at the Pyramid in Long Beach. The winner of the eight-team tournament will qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The U.S. Men open tournament pool play with a 1-0 record and will play Costa Rica (0-1) on Tuesday. Trinidad & Tobago will play Mexico. The U.S. dominated Trinidad & Tobago, leading 12-0 in aces, 7-2 in blocks and 33-14 in attacks. “It was our first match,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe said. “I thought it was important that we play with the right mentality and a good sense of urgency.”

Matt Anderson digs the Molten as Reid Priddy (8) and Rich Lambourne watch. (USAV/Matt Brown)

U.S. middle blocker David Lee led all scorers on Monday with 11 points on a match-high eight attacks (72.7 kill percent, .636 hitting efficiency), two blocks and one ace. Outside hitter Matt Anderson added nine points on six attacks, one block and two aces. Outside hitter Paul Lotman, who started only the third set, totaled seven points on five kills and two aces. Outside hitter Reid Priddy finished with six points on two kills, one block and a match-high three aces. Opposite and team captain Clay Stanley totaled six points on six attacks. “We did a great job behind the service line,” Stanley said. “Our block was good and it put a lot of pressure on Trinidad.” Opposite Dave McKienzie scored five points on four kills and one ace. Setter Donald Suxho finished with four points on two blocks and two aces. Middle blocker Russell Holmes added three points on one kill, one block and one ace.

Russell Holmes attacks from the middle against Trinidad & Tobago. (USAV/Matt Brown)

Middle blocker Ryan Millar finished with one point on one attack. Suxho set the U.S. Men to a 67.3 kill percent and a .571 hitting efficiency. Libero Rich Lambourne led in digs with 11 and was credited with four excellent serve receptions. Anderson led the team in excellent receptions with eight. Trinidad team captain Nolan Tash paced the Caribbean team with six points on six attacks. U.S. Men’s Head Coach Alan Knipe started Anderson and Priddy at outside hitter, Lee and Millar at middle blocker, Suxho at setter, Stanley at opposite and Lambourne at libero.

The U.S. Men salute the flag. (USAV/Matt Brown)

Donald Suxho (7) sets against the block of Trinidad & Tobago (USAV/Matt Brown) 21

Donald Suxho (7) sets for the U.S. in front of Trinidadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s block. (Matt A. Brown)

1 2 3 USA 25 25 25 CRC 14 9 9 U.S. Men Cruise Past Costa Rica at Qualifier LONG BEACH, Calif. (May 8, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team coasted past Costa Rica, 25-14, 25-9, 25-9 on Tuesday at the NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif. The U.S. Men improved to 2-0 in pool play. They will try to secure the pool victory on Wednesday when they play Mexico (2-0). Costa Rica (0-2) will play Trinidad & Tobago (0-2).

Clay Stanley (13), Russell Holmes and Matt Anderson (1) block against Costa Rica. (USAV/Matt Brown)

The U.S. Men dominated the match, leading in kills, 38-18, in blocks, 8-2 and in aces, 11-0. “We subbed a little more freely tonight and the guys did a good job keeping their focus,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe said. “We stressed a lot about continued pressure on the end line.” U.S. opposite David McKienzie led all scorers with 10 points on a match-high eight kills (80.0 kill percent, .700 hitting efficiency) and two aces. Opposite Clay Stanley added eight points on three attacks (75.0 kill percent, .750 hitting efficiency), a match-high three blocks and two aces. “I thought our team controlled the game behind the service line,” Stanley said. “We had a pretty nice control block giving them pressure and having it hard (for Costa Rica) to side out.” Middle blocker Russell Holmes totaled seven points on four kills and a match-high three aces. Middle blocker Ryan Millar added seven points on five attacks and two blocks. Outside hitter Matt Anderson scored six points on six attacks. Middle blocker David Lee totaled five points on three kills, one block and one ace. Outside hitter Paul Lotman scored five points on three attacks and two aces. Outside hitter Reid Priddy added five points on three kills and two blocks. Outside hitter Riley Salmon contributed three points on three attacks and setter Donald Suxho scored a point with a kill. Setters Suxho and Brian Thornton combined to help the U.S. Men to a 69.1 kill percent and a .600 hitting efficiency. Libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) had six of the United States’ 26 digs while Suxho had five. Lambourne was also credited with 12 excellent receptions. Knipe started Anderson and Priddy at outside hitter, Lee and Millar at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite, Suxho at setter and Lambourne at libero. Holmes started the second and third sets for Lee. Lotman started the third set for Priddy. Thornton started the third set for Suxho. McKienzie started the third set for Stanley. Lotman started the third set for Priddy. Holmes took over for Millar in the second set and started the third. McKienzie played as a substitute as did Salmon.

Matt Anderson (1) hits against Costa Rica. (USAV/Matt Brown) Dave McKienzie celebrates during the match against Costa Rica. (USAV/ Matt Brown)

Brian Thornton receives the Molten. (USAV/Matt Brown) 23

1 2 3 USA 25 25 25 MEX 23 19 14 U.S. Men to Play Cuba in Semifinals LONG BEACH, Calif. (May 9, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team will advance to the semifinals of the NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament after beating Mexico on Wednesday, 2523, 25-19, 25-14.

Matt Anderson (1) dives for the ball. (USAV/Matt Brown)

The winner of the tournament will qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The U.S. Men won their pool with a 3-0 record and will await their opponent for Friday‘s semifinal. Mexico (2-1) will play Puerto Rico (1-2) in one of Thursday’s quarterfinals while Cuba (2-1) will play Trinidad & Tobago (1-2) in the other. Canada (3-0), which scored an upset over Cuba in their final pool play match on Wednesday, will play in the other semifinal on Friday. The U.S. Men got off to a slow start on Wednesday, but accelerated and finished the match leading Mexico in kills (40-31), blocks (8-4) and aces (6-3). “I would like to congratulate Mexico for coming out ready to play,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) said. “They put pressure on us early and often. We haven’t allowed teams to earn many points that teams don’t earn. I think we have room for improvement and things on video we can clean up on our day off tomorrow.”

Fans cheer for the U.S. Men’s National Team. (USAV/Matt Brown)

U.S. opposite Clay Stanley led all scorers with 14 points on 10 kills (58.8 kill percent, , three blocks and one ace. “Mexico did a great job,” Stanley said. “They are really scrappy and made a lot of great plays. We made a lot of little plays in the beginning that kept the game close especially in the first set with over passes and free balls. In the third set we opened that set up with service to put them in trouble spots.” Outside hitter Matt Anderson added 12 points on 10 attacks and two aces. Outside hitter Reid Priddy totaled 10 points on nine attacks and one block. Middle blocker David Lee added seven points on four attacks and three blocks. Middle blocker Russell Holmes scored six points on six kills. Middle blocker Ryan Millar scored two points on one kill and one block. Outside hitter Paul Lotman and opposite Dave McKienzie each scored one point with an ace. Setter Donald Suxho added one point with a block. Suxho set the team to a 49.4 kill percent and a .370 hitting efficiency. Libero Rich Lambourne had 13 of the team’s 43 digs. Stanley had nine. Lambourne was credited with 11 excellent receptions while Priddy led with 12. Mexico’s Carlos Guerra produced a team-high 12 points and captain Gerardo Contreras added nine points. Reid Priddy shouts his encouragement. (USAV/Matt Brown)

Rich Lambourne passes the Molten (USAV/Matt Brown) 25

1 2 3 4 USA 21 25 25 25 CUB 25 18 17 16 U.S. Men to Play Canada for Olympic Berth LONG BEACH, Calif. (May 11, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team will play Canada for a berth at the 2012 Olympic Games on Saturday after beating Cuba on Friday, 21-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-16 at the NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif.

Alan Knipe and his players listen to the National Anthem before the match. (USAV/Matt Brown)

The United States (4-0) will play Canada (4-0) on Saturday at the Pyramid with the winner taking the Olympic berth. Cuba (3-2) will play Puerto Rico (2-3) in the bronze-medal match. The U.S. block came up big against Cuba with the United States holding a 14-5 blocking advantage. Four U.S. players finished with three blocks each. The U.S. also led in aces, 10-5, while Cuba held the edge in attacks, 49-46. The U.S. scored 26 points on Cuban errors while giving away only 17. U.S. outside hitter Matt Anderson led all scorers with 24 points on a matchhigh 17 kills (70.8 kill percent, .708 hitting efficiency), three blocks and a match-high four aces. Opposite Clay Stanley added 13 points on seven attacks, three blocks and three aces.

Russell Holmes (12) goes for the kill off the set by Donald Suxho (left in white). (USAV/Matt Brown)

The U.S. Men kept the first set close, but were never able to take a lead and pull away. In the next three sets, they took early leads and pulled away from Cuba. “We didn’t start off the way we wanted to, but some of that credit goes to Cuba,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe said. “I want to give a lot of credit to our passers tonight because (Wilfredo) Leon and (Fernando) Hernandez can put a lot of pressure on you. I was extremely proud of that effort as the match went on, but more importantly of the group because they stayed together and kept focus.” “I don’t know what happened in the first set, Cuba put some pressure on us, but I am really proud of my team,” Stanley said. “Matt Anderson served his butt off tonight and he played great offense. Russell Holmes did a great job. We passed the ball pretty good. As a team we played an all-around good match.” Wilfredo Leon paced Cuba with 15 points on 13 attacks and two aces. Among other U.S. scorers, middle blocker David Lee finished with 11 points on eight attacks and three blocks. Middle blocker Russell Holmes totaled 11 points on six kills, three blocks and two aces. Outside hitter Reid Priddy contributed eight points on seven attacks and one block. Setter Donald Suxho totaled two points on one kill and one block and opposite David McKienzie had one point on a service ace. Suxho set the U.S. Men to a 52.3 kill percent and a .477 hitting efficiency. Cuba had a 45.4 kill percent and a .370 hitting efficiency.

Clay Stanley (13) and David Lee (4) go up for the block against Cuba. (USAV/Matt Brown)

Clay Stanley attacks against Cuba (USAV/Matt Brown)

1 2 3 USA 28 25 25 CAN 26 18 20 U.S. Men Book Ticket to London 2012 LONG BEACH, Calif. (May 12, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team qualified for its eighth straight Olympic Games with a 28-26, 25-18, 25-20 victory over Canada at the NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament at the Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif. The eight-team tournament awarded the winner berth into the Olympic Games later this summer in London. The U.S. Men finished the tournament with a 5-0 record. Canada finished second at 4-1. Cuba defeated Puerto Rico, 25-20, 25-21, 25-15, to win the bronze.

Russell Holmes celebrates a great play. (USAV/Matt Brown)

The United States, ranked sixth in the latest FIVB World ranking compared to Canada’s No. 18 ranking, has now qualified for each of the last four Olympic Games through the NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament. However the 2012 event marks the first time the Americans have qualified on U.S. soil as a sell-out crowd watched the gold-medal match. “I’ve never played in such an important match on U.S. soil with as much significance an as much support as this one,” U.S. outside hitter Reid Priddy said. “Being in the twilight of my career, this is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Thank you to UPS, USA Volleyball, the City of Anaheim and everyone who made it possible.” U.S. opposite Clay Stanley was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Outside hitter Matt Anderson was named best spiker. U.S. middle blocker David Lee was named best blocker. Stanley led the United States with 15 points as his team used a balanced offense. Stanley scored on 12 kills, one block and two aces. Lee provided 13 points on seven attacks and a match-high five blocks. Anderson contributed 13 points on 13 attacks Priddy contributed 12 points on 10 kills, one block and one ace. Middle blocker Russell Holmes scored nine points on five kills and four aces.

From left, Donald Suxho, Reid Priddy and Matt Anderson celebrate. (USAV/Matt Brown)

Canada was led by Dallas Soonias’ 19 points, followed by Fred Winters’ 12 points. The U.S. Men managed a 47-37 advantage in attack points, in addition to an 11-5 margin in blocks and a 4-3 lead in aces. “Now we can prepare for teams qualified for the Olympics and not just teams trying to qualify,” U.S. Men’s Head Coach Alan Knipe said. “And we can prepare our guys. We only had eight practices to prepare for this tournament and team did a great job.” Setter Donald Suxho helped the U.S. Men to a 52.2 kill percent and a .467 hitting efficiency. Libero Rich Lambourne led the team in digs with seven while Anderson added six. Lambourne was credited with 17 receptions (65 percent positive). Anderson led the team in receptions with 18 (67 percent positive). Priddy also had 17 receptions (59 percent positive).

From left, Ryan Millar, Riley Salmon with son Lincoln and Brian Thornton. (USAV/Matt Brown)

David Lee attacks against Canada (USAV/Matt Brown) 29

1 2 3 4 USA 25 20 24 17 FRA 17 25 26 25 U.S. Men Fall to France in World League Opener FLORENCE, Italy (May 18, 2012) – Perhaps showing the strain of its rigorous early season schedule, the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team fell to France, 17-25, 25-20, 26-24, 25-17 on Friday in their opening pool play match of the 2012 FIVB World League in Florence, Italy. The U.S. Men are coming off the six-day, eight-team NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament, which they won with a 5-0 record while dropping only one set. “We started the game well, but after the first set we fell asleep,” U.S. Men’s Team Captain Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) said in an FIVB press release. After a strong first set on Friday, the U.S. Men saw France turn up its blocking pressure while Team USA struggled with its serve. France led 8-1 in aces while the U.S. Men had 17 service errors as compared to 14 for France. France led in digs 52-37 and in receptions 49-42. “We couldn’t follow our technical plan, but we made a lot of mistakes in reception,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) said in an FIVB release. “Definitely we weren’t focused on the match.” France out-attacked the U.S. Men, 50-46 while the United States led in blocks 15-10. However five of the U.S. blocks came in the first set.

Clay Stanley tips the ball against France. (FIVB photo)

Opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) led the United States with 17 points on 12 kills (52.2 kill percent, .435 hitting efficiency) and a team-high five blocks. Outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) added 14 points on a team-high 13 attacks (46.4 kill percent, .321 hitting efficiency) and one ace. Middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) totaled 10 points on seven attacks (63.6 kill percent, .455 hitting efficiency) and three blocks. Marien Mareau and Earvin Ngapeth each scored 16 points for France. Kevin Le Roux added 13. Outside hitter Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) scored nine points on seven kills and two blocks. Middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) amassed six points on three attacks and three blocks. Setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) totaled three points on one kill and two blocks. He also set the team to a 46.0 kill percent and a .320 hitting efficiency. Outside hitters Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) and Riley Salmon (League City, Texas) along with middle blocker Ryan Millar (Alpine, Utah) each scored one point with an attack. U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) started Anderson and Priddy at outside hitter, Holmes and Lee at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite and Suxho at setter. Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) is the designated libero for the tournament. Lotman started the fourth set for Priddy and Millar started for Holmes. David McKienzie (Littleton, Colo.) and Salmon played as substitutes. Donald Suxho (7) sets for Russell Holmes (12). (FIVB photo)

Matt Anderson blocks against France as Ryan Millar watches (FIVB photo)

1 2 3 4 5 USA 20 18 25 25 17 KOR 25 25 17 23 15 U.S. Men Complete Comeback to Beat Korea FLORENCE, Italy (May 19, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team used a valiant comeback to defeat Korea, 20-25, 18-25, 25-17, 2523, 17-15 on Saturday in an FIVB World League pool play match played in Florence, Italy. After losing the first two sets to Korea, which had a 34-18 lead in attacks after the first two sets, the U.S. Men pulled together. The United States fell behind 9-6 in the third set, but took its first lead at 14-13. With the score tied 15-15, the U.S. used a Korean serving error, a block by middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) and an ace from outside hitter Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) to take an 18-15 lead that it never gave up. The U.S. Men were behind 23-19 in the fourth set when Priddy scored with a block and Millar connected on an attack. Korea called timeout. But Priddy scored the final four points of the set on a block and three kills to give the U.S. the victory. Team USA also looked to be in trouble in the tiebreaker as Korea reached match point at 14-13. Millar tied the score with a block and Holmes served an ace to give the U.S. match point. Korea tied it at 15-15 with a kill, but opposite David McKienzie (Littleton, Colo.) came through with the final two points on an attack and a block.

Ryan Millar (9) and Reid Priddy (8) keep their eyes on the ball. (FIVB photo)

“I’m happy with the way we responded,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) said. “My thanks to our guys.” The match was the second-straight five-set loss for Korea, which also tested Italy on Friday, 24-26, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23, 18-16. The U.S. finished the match with a 16-6 lead in blocks. The teams were tied in aces with seven apiece while Korea held the edge in kills, 60-59. The U.S. kill percent was 50.0 while its hitting efficiency was .330. Korea’s kill percent was 52.17 and its hitting efficiency was .313. Korea led in digs, 46-35, but the U.S. led in receptions, 61-51. Priddy led the U.S. Men with 19 points on 15 attacks, two blocks and two aces. Holmes had 16 points on seven kills, a match-high seven blocks and two aces. Outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) added 16 points on 15 attacks and one block.

Dave McKienzie and the team celebrate a great play. (FIVB photo)

McKienzie, who substituted for opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) in the second set and started the rest of the match, finished with 15 points on 12 attacks, two blocks and one ace. Korea’s Yo-Han Kim led all scorers with 20 points on 17 attacks and a matchhigh three aces. Hong-Suk Choi added 19 points on 15 kills and four blocks. U.S. Middle blocker Ryan Millar (Alpine, Utah) totaled nine points on six kills and three blocks. Stanley finished with five points on three kills and two aces. Setter Brian Thornton (San Clemente, Calif.) scored one point with a kill while starting setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) had one point on a block.

From left, Donald Suxho, Russell Holmes and Reid Priddy put up a block. (FIVB photo)

Clay Stanley attacks against Korea (FIVB photo) 33

1 2 3 USA 16 20 16 ITA 25 25 25 U.S. Men Struggle Against Italy FLORENCE, Italy (May 20, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team struggled to find its rhythm as it fell to Italy 25-16, 25-20, 25-16 on Sunday in an FIVB World League pool play match in Florence, Italy. Italy dominated the match, leading in attacks, 44-27, in blocks, 11-8 and in aces, 4-0. U.S. opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) and outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) each scored eight points for the U.S. Men. Each had seven attacks and one block. “I’m really disappointed, but it was hard to play against Italy tonight,” Stanley said in an FIVB press release. Middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) added seven points on three kills and a match-high four blocks. Italy’s Ivan Zaytsev led all scorers with 17 points on 14 kills, two blocks and one ace. Michal Lasko added 14 points on 11 attacks and three blocks. Among other U.S. scorers, outside hitter Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) finished with four points on three attacks and one block. Middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) totaled three points on two kills and one block while outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) added three on three attacks.

The U.S. Men’s Team celebrates. (FIVB photo)

Setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) and outside hitter Riley Salmon (League City, Texas) each scored one point with a kill. Libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) led the U.S. in digs with 10 and in receptions with 14. Suxho, who started the first two sets of the match, was credited with 10 assists and no faults while setter Brian Thornton (San Clemente, Calif.), who replaced Suxho in the second set and started the third, before Suxho was brought back, was credited with four. U.S. Men’s Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) started Anderson and Priddy at outside hitter, Lee and Holmes at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite and Susho at setter. Lambourne is the designated libero for the tournament. Salmon started the third set for Priddy and Thornton started the third set for Suxho, who returned later in the set. Lotman, middle blocker Ryan Millar (Alpine, Utah) and opposite David McKienzie (Littleton, Colo.) all played as substitutes. Italy held a 13-9 lead in the first set when Holmes scored with a quick kill and then combined with Suxho for a block. A Stanley attack pulled the U.S. to within one at 13-12, but the next U.S. serve went out of bounds. Zaytsev scored on an ace for Italy and pulled the European side ahead 15-12. Italy still led by three at 17-14 when Buti scored with a quick kill followed by an Italy block. The U.S. called timeout, but came back with a hitting error that put Italy ahead 19-14. The U.S. was never able to pull any closer. Italy reached set point at 24-16 and used a block to win the set. Italy out-attacked the U.S. 13-7 in the first set and led 2-0 in aces.

Reid Priddy wipes off his face. (FIVB photo)

Clay Stanley serves against Italy (FIVB photo) 35

1 2 3 USA 30 28 25 ITA 28 26 22 U.S. Men Return to World League with Win LEON, France (June 15, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team returned to FIVB World League action on Friday with a 30-28, 28-26, 25-22 victory over Italy in Lyon, France. After a four-week competition break, the U.S. Men evened their World League record at 2-2. Italy suffered its first World League loss and now has a record of 3-1.

David Smith attacks the ball as Matt Anderson tries to fake out the blocker and Donald Suxho, left, watches the action. (FIVB photo)

The last time the two teams played, on May 20 in Florence, Italy swept the U.S. Men. However both teams made some lineup changes on Friday as Italy went with a young lineup, save for team captain Simone Buti. In fact, both teams were without their head coaches. On the U.S. side, John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.) took over for Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.), who is dealing with a family issue. Paolo Montagnani took over for Italy’s Mauro Berruto. “We didn’t have a lot of information about this young Italian team,” U.S. team captain Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) said. “In the first set maybe we start too slow, but we were very focused, point after point.” The U.S. took advantage of 26 Italy errors, including 11 service errors, while committing only 15, including just one service error. Italy led in attacks, 47-42 and aces, 8-5. The U.S. Men led in blocks 10-6. The U.S. Men came back from a seven-point deficit to win the first set. In the second and third sets they kept the score close and pulled out the victories at the end. “The future of Italian volleyball will be good,” Speraw said. “Early in the first set we had some trouble but we stayed focused. Our objective is to continue to improve. We need to play.” U.S. outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) led his team with 17 points on 13 attacks (59.1 kill percent, .545 hitting efficiency) , two blocks and two aces. Outside hitter Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) added 13 points on 10 kills (47.6 kill percent, .333 hitting efficiency) and three blocks. Middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) contributed 11 points on nine kills (75.0 kill percent, .750 hitting efficiency) and two blocks.

Sean Rooney receives the ball against Italy. (FIVB photo)

Giulio Sabbi paced Italy with 17 points on a match-high 15 attacks and two aces. Jiri Kovar and Buti each added 11. Among other U.S. scorers, Stanley scored seven points on five attacks and two aces. Middle blocker Dave Smith (Saugus, Calif.) added seven points on four kills and three blocks. Outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) scored a point on an ace. Setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania), scored a point with a kill. Suxho was credited with 27 assists. He set the team to a 47.2 kill percent and a .360 hitting efficiency. Italy had a 46.1 kill percent and a .235 hitting efficiency. U.S. libero Rich Lambourne led the team in digs with 12 and added 11 excellent receptions. Anderson led the team in excellent receptions with 13. Rooney also had 11.

From left, Matt Anderson, David Smith and Clay Stanley put up a block against France. (FIVB photo)

John Speraw thinks the ball is out (FIVB photo) 37

1 2 3 4 USA 22 25 27 25 KOR 25 23 25 16 Anderson Leads U.S. Men Past Korea FLORENCE, Italy (June 16, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team rode a strong performance by outside hitter Matt Anderson to a 22-25, 25-23, 27-25, 25-16 pool play victory over Korea on Saturday in an FIVB World League match played in Lyon, France. Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) led the U.S. Men on Saturday with 21 points with 14 attacks (50.0 kill percent, .429 hitting efficiency), a match-high six blocks and one ace. He also led the team in excellent receptions with 21 on 34 attempts. The blocking proved to be a key as the U.S. led Korea in blocks, 14-7. Korea led in attacks, 60-54 while the U.S. held a 3-2 edge in aces. The United States also scored on 28 Korea errors while committing only 20. “I’m always satisfied to win but I think we have to play better tomorrow if we want to win against France,” U.S. Head Coach John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.) said in an FIVB press release. “Our defense was not very good but of course Korea plays well in defense. Chul-Woo Park played fantastic volleyball. The third set was the key point of the match.”

Matt Anderson receives the ball. (FIVB photo)

Setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) served as U.S. team captain for the match as usual captain Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) took the evening off. “Korea is a very good team, very tactical, so we had a difficult game,” Suxho said. “Korea never gave up and played incredible balls. So we stayed together and it worked because we stayed in-system.” Among other U.S. scorers, outside hitter Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) finished with 11 points on 10 kills (50.0 kill percent, .400 hitting efficiency) and one ace. Middle blocker Ryan Millar (Alpine, Utah) scored 10 points on eight kills and two blocks. Middle blocker David Smith (Saugus, Calif.) added 10 points on seven attacks and three blocks. Opposite Dave McKienzie (Littleton, Colo.) scored 10 points on nine attacks (56.3 kill percent, .500 hitting efficiency) and one ace. Opposite Gabe Gardner (San Clemente, Calif.) totaled five points on five attacks. Setter Donald Suxho added three points on three blocks and outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) scored a point with a kill. Suxho was credited with 44 assists and no errors. He set the U.S. Men to an overall kill percent of 56.3 and a hitting efficiency of .458. Korea’s kill percent was 53.6 and its hitting efficiency was .348.

Matt Anderson (1) and David Smith (20) block against Korea. (FIVB photo)

U.S. libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) led the team in digs with seven and was also credited with 16 excellent receptions. Korea’s Chul-Woo Park led all scorers with 24 points on 23 kills and one ace. Speraw, who is filling in for Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) while he deals with a family issue, started Anderson and Rooney at outside hitter, Millar and Smith at middle blocker, Gardner at opposite, Suxho at setter and Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) at libero. McKienzie substituted for Gardner in the second set and started the third and fourth. Lotman and middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) played as substitutes.

From left, Russell Holmes, Sean Rooney and Brian Thornton listen to the National Anthem. (FIVB photo)

David McKienzie hits against Korea (FIVB photo) 39

1 2 3 4 USA 20 25 25 25 FRA 25 22 19 21 U.S. Men Leave France with Pool Lead LYON, France (June 17, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team completed its FIVB World League weekend in Lyon with a 20-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-21 victory over host France on Sunday. Halfway through World League pool play, the U.S. Men lead Pool C with a record of 4-2 and 11 points. France is also 4-2 with 11 points, but the U.S. has a better set ratio. “For us to win our three games is very positive,” U.S. opposite and team captain Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) said. “We put together a good game plan. We are happy about the way we played. We were consistant throughout these three matches so that’s the best thing that we could ask for.”

Russell Holmes, left, and Donald Suxho block against France. (FIVB photo)

The U.S. Men will travel straight from France to Korea for their next weekend of play on June 22-24. On Sunday, the U.S. Men led France in kills (54-51), blocks (11-4) and aces (8-5). U.S. outside hitter Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) led the United States with 21 points on a match-high 16 kills (59.3 kill percent, .519 hitting efficiency), three blocks and two aces. Stanley added 16 points on nine attacks (56.3 kill percent, .375 hitting efficiency), three blocks and a match-high four aces. Outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) scored 15 points on 13 attacks, one block and one ace. “It’s a very nice weekend with three wins; it’s very good for us,” U.S. Head Coach John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.) said. “A lot of teams took the opportunity to play with young guys. Obviously we did too for example with Sean Rooney and he plays very well, that’s very good for us. We also had nice contribution of guys from the bench.”

Sean Rooney dives for the ball against France. (FIVB photo)

Earvin Ngapeth paced France with 17 points on 14 attacks and three aces. Among other U.S. scorers, middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) totaled eight points on six kills and two blocks. Middle blocker David Smith (Saugus, Calif.) added seven points on five attacks, one block and one ace. Setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) had four points on three kills and one block and outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) added two points on two attacks. Suxho was credited with 34 assists and set the U.S. Men to a 50.9 kill percent and a .396 hitting efficiency. France had a 43.2 kill percent and a .280 hitting efficiency. U.S. libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) led the team in digs with nine. He was also credited with 11 excellent receptions. Rooney led the team in excellent receptions with 21. Speraw, who is filling in for Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) while he deals with a family issue, started Anderson and Rooney at outside hitter, Holmes and Smith at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite, Suxho at setter and Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) at libero.

Clay Stanley (13) attacks against France. (FIVB photo)

Clay Stanley (FIVB photo) 41

1 2 3 4 USA 22 25 29 25 ITA 25 21 27 16 U.S. Men Upend Italy GWANGJU, Korea (June 22, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team held on to its Pool C lead in the FIVB World League on Friday as it defeated Italy, 22-25, 25-21, 29-27, 25-16 in Gwangju, Korea. The U.S. Men, who went into the weekend leading Pool C, improved their record to 5-2. Italy, which has been playing a younger lineup, fell to 3-4. The U.S. Men led Italy in kills (55-54), blocks (14-7) and aces (6-4). The United States also held the edge in digs, 11-7. Italy continued to use a young roster as it did during the World League weekend in France and was coached by assistant Paolo Montagnani. The U.S. Men were coached by assistant John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.), who continued to fill in for Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) while Knipe attends to a family issue.

Sean Rooney (2) and Matt Anderson (1) celebrate a great play with the rest of the team.. (FIVB photo)

“There were some problems with passing and serving in the first set, but we got better from the second set.” Speraw said in an FIVB press release. “We were fortunate to get the third set, which was very competitive. Overall, I am happy to win today’s match.” The U.S. Men struggled early in the match, particularly with serve receive. But the U.S. turned up the blocking in the second set, which helped the offense gain momentum. Outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) led all scorers with 21 points on 16 attacks (51.6 kill percent, .387 hitting efficiency), four blocks and one ace. Opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) added 20 points on 14 kills (53.9 kill percent, 46.2 hitting efficiency), four blocks and two aces. Middle blocker David Smith (Saugus, Calif.) looked strong with 17 points on 10 kills, a match-high five blocks and two aces. Giulio Sabbi paced Italy with 19 points on 16 attacks, two blocks and one ace. Among other U.S. scorers, middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) scored eight points on eight kills. Outside hitter Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) totaled five points on four kills and one block. Outside hitter Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) scored four points on three attacks and one ace.

Sean Rooney celebrates. (FIVB photo)

U.S. setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) was credited with 27 assists. He set the U.S. Men to a 50.9 kill percent and a .389 hitting efficiency. Italy had a 47.0 kill percent and a .296 hitting efficiency. U.S. libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) led the U.S. in digs with four and was also credited with seven excellent receptions. Anderson led the U.S. in excellent receptions with 15. Speraw started Anderson and Priddy at outside hitter, Smith and Lee at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite, Suxho at setter and Lambourne at libero. Rooney substituted for Priddy in the third set and started the rest of the match. Middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) and opposite Dave McKienzie (Littleton, Colo.) also played as substitutes. The U.S. Men celebrate the victory. (FIVB photo)

FIVB hero Clay Stanley (FIVB photo) 43

1 2 3 USA 25 25 25 FRA 21 21 20 U.S. Men Alone in Pool Lead After Win GWANGJU, Korea (June 23, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team extended its lead in Pool C on Saturday with a 25-21, 25-21, 25-20 victory over France in FIVB World League pool play in Gwangju, Korea. The U.S. Men had been tied with France in the Pool C lead, but had been in first place by virtue of its set ratio. With Saturday’s victory, the U.S. improved its record to 6-2 with 17 points while France is 5-3 with 14 points. Italy, which beat Korea on Saturday, is in third place at 4-4 with 11 points.

Sean Rooney lays out his body to get the ball. (FIVB photo)

The U.S. Men will complete their weekend series in Gwangju against host Korea at 10 p.m. PT on Saturday. France led the U.S. in attacks on Saturday, 43-40. But the U.S. held a big edge in blocks, 12-3, including five blocks in a second-set comeback, and had a smaller edge in aces, 3-2. The U.S. Men led in digs 18-14. The U.S. also took advantage of 21 French errors while committing only 15. The U.S. got balanced scoring from its starters, with four in double digits. U.S. outside hitter Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) led all scorers with 13 points on nine kills (40.90 kill percent, .364 hitting efficiency) and a match-high four blocks. Opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) added 12 points on 10 attacks (45.5 kill percent, .364 hitting efficiency) and two blocks. “We did a great job today,” Stanley said. “Our team led the game with excellent teamwork. It was consistent. Also, we showed incredible defense and blocking today. It was a pretty good match.”

David Smith, left, and Sean Rooney celebrate a great play. (FIVB photo)

Middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) contributed 11 points on seven attacks, three blocks and one ace. Outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) totaled 10 points on nine kills and one block. Middle blocker David Smith (Saugus, Calif.) scored seven points on five attacks, on block and one ace. Setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) scored one point with a block. Suxho was credited with 27 assists and no faults. He set the U.S. to a 44.9 kill percent and a .348 hitting efficiency. France’s kill percent was 39.8 and its hitting efficiency was .185. U.S. libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) led the team in digs with six and added five excellent receptions. Anderson led the team in excellent receptions with nine. Antonin Rouzier led France with 11 points on 11 attacks. Kevin Tillie, who played on UC Irvine’s 2012 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship team under U.S. coach John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.) also made an appearance in the third set and scored seven points on seven kills in the losing effort. Speraw, who continued to fill in for Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) while Knipe attends to a family issue, started Anderson and Rooney at outside hitter, Holmes and Smith at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite, Suxho at setter and Lambourne at libero. Outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) played as a substitute.

Russell Holmes attacks against France. (FIVB photo)

David Smith goes for a block (FIVB photo)

1 2 3 USA 25 25 25 KOR 20 18 18 U.S. Men Win Sixth in a Row GWANGJU, Korea (June 24, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team will return to the United States on a six-match, FIVB World League win streak after defeating Korea, 25-20, 25-18, 25-18 on Sunday in Gwangju, Korea. The U.S. Men (7-2) leave Gwangju in first place in Pool C and will host their final three pool play matches on June 29-July 1 at the Dallas Convention Center Arena in Texas. (BUY TICKETS) Korea fell to 1-8 with Sunday’s loss. If the U.S. Men can continue their winning streak in Dallas, they will qualify for the World League Final Round on July 4-8 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The winning World League team earns $1 million.

Reid Priddy hits against Korea’s block. (FIVB photo)

“It is nice to win three straight World League matches in Gwangju,” U.S. opposite and team captain Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) said. “ It was an almost perfect game today. Both serving and blocking were very good. I hope we have more games like this.“ The U.S. Men led Korea in kills (39-37), blocks (10-4) and aces (6-1). The U.S. Men also scored on 20 Korean team errors while committing only 14. U.S. outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) led the U.S. with 13 points on nine attacks, one block and a match-high three aces. Outside hitter Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) added 12 points on nine kills (51.72 kill percent, .379 hitting efficiency), two blocks and one ace. Opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) finished with nine points on seven kills (58.3 kill percent, .500 hitting efficiency), one block and one ace. Middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) scored eight points on six attacks and two blocks. Middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) totaled six points on four attacks and two blocks.

Donald Suxho (7) sets for David Lee. (FIVB photo)

Setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) contributed three points on one kill and two blocks. Outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) added two points on one attack and one ace and opposite Gabe Gardner (San Clemente, Calif.) scored two points on two attacks. Suxho was credited with 26 assists and no faults. He set the team to a 53.4 kill percent and a .411 hitting efficiency. Korea’s kill percent was 46.3 and its hitting efficiency was .213. U.S. libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) led the team with three digs and also had nine excellent receptions. Chul-Woo Park led Korea with 13 points on 12 kills and one block. U.S. Coach John Speraw (Irvine, Calif.), who continued to fill in for Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) while Knipe attends to a family issue, started Anderson and Priddy at outside hitter, Holmes and Lee at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite, Suxho at setter and Lambourne at libero. Lotman, Gardner and opposite Dave McKienzie (Littleton, Colo.) played as substitutes.

Matt Anderson attacks against Korea. (FIVB photo)

Russell Holmes attacks (FIVB photo) 47

1 2 3 USA 32 26 25 KOR 30 24 22 U.S. Men One Win Away from Pool Victory DALLAS, Texas (June 29, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Team maintained its Pool C lead in the FIVB World League on Friday with a 32-30, 26-24, 25-22 victory over Korea on Friday before an enthusiastic crowd of 2,028 at the Dallas Convention Center Arena.

Dallas fans cheer on the U.S. Men’s Volleyball Team. (FIVB photo)

The United States improved its record to 8-2 while Korea fell to 1-9. If the U.S. Men can defeat France on Saturday, they will secure victory in Pool C and advance to the World League Final Round on July 4-8 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The overall World League winner earns $1 million. “We knew what was at stake coming into this weekend,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) said. “We got a good win tonight against a good Korean team and now we need to prepare for France. They got a nice win tonight so we will focus on them now.” France defeated Italy in the first match of the evening, 29-31, 2523, 25-18, 21-25, 15-12. The U.S. led Korea in attacks, 49-43, in blocks, 13-6 and in aces 6-3. Korea led in digs 26-24. U.S. opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) led all scorers with 19 points on 14 attacks (63.6 kill percent, .455 hitting efficiency), three blocks and two aces. Outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) added 17 points on a match-high 16 attacks (53.3 kill percent, .367 hitting efficiency) and one ace. Kwang-In Jeon led Korea with 14 points on 13 spikes and one block. “I thought we got off to a really slow start in the first set, but I am glad that we steadied out and stopped making bad plays,” Stanley said.

Libero Rich Lambourne dives for the ball. (FIVB photo)

“Overall, I don’t think it was a great night for us. It was a great learning experience and Korea put pressure on us the whole time.” Among other U.S. scorers, middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) totaled 11 points on five kills, a match-high five blocks and one ace. Outside hitter Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) finished with 11 points on nine attacks and two blocks. Middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) scored 10 points on five attacks, three blocks and two aces. U.S. libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) led the team in digs with 10 and was credited with 18 excellent receptions. U.S. setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) was credited with 32 assists and no faults. He set the U.S. to a 53.9 kill percent and a .396 hitting efficiency. Korea’s kill percent was 47.3 and its hitting efficiency was .275.

Reid Priddy receives the ball against Korea. (FIVB photo)

Donald Suxho (7) sets for David Lee (FIVB photo) 49

1 2 3 4 5 USA 20 25 25 23 13 FRA 25 22 23 25 15 France Interrupts U.S. Winning Streak DALLAS, Texas (June 30, 2012) – The winner of Pool C of the FIVB World League will be determined on the final day of the Intercontinental (pool play) Round as France defeated the United States, 25-20, 22-25, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13 on Saturday at the Dallas Convention Center Arena. Despite the five-set loss, the U.S. (8-3) maintains the Pool C lead with 24 points while France (8-3) has 21. However, France could win the pool on Sunday with a win over Korea while the United States faces Italy. The pool winner advances to the Final Round on July 4-8 in Sofia, Bulgaria and a chance to win $1 million. France led the U.S. in kills, 75-61, aces, 9-0, and digs, 42-31. The U.S. led in blocks 19-5 as setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania), outside hitter Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) and middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) were each credited with four. Suxho set the U.S. to a 53.5 kill percent and a .456 hitting efficiency. France finished with a 51.0 kill percent and a .327 hitting efficiency. “It’s really tough,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) said. “We won in so many key areas but not in the most important area. We need to pass better. Even though we won the blocking battle, our blocks could be better. France played very well. The made good plays when they needed to.” Outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) paced the United States with 18 points on 15 attacks (68.18 kill percent, .591 hitting efficiency) and three blocks.

Donald Suxho (7) sets for David Lee (4). (FIVB photo)

Opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) added 16 points on 13 attacks and three blocks. Priddy totaled 16 points on 12 attacks and four blocks. “We need to find a way not to start the game off sloppily,” Stanley said. “We had trouble serving and when we did serve well they sent it back. It took me a while to get in a good blocking rhythm. But I figured it out.” Lee finished with 13 points on nine kills and four blocks. Middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) tallied 11 points on 10 attacks and one block. Suxho added five points on 1 attack and four blocks. Outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) finished with one point on a kill. Libero Rich Lambourne was credited with four digs and 16 excellent receptions. Priddy led the team in digs with nine while Suxho had eight. Anderson led in excellent receptions with 29. France’s Antonin Rouzier led all scorers with 21 points on 18 attacks and a match-high three aces. France’s Kevin Tillie added 19 points on 18 spikes and one block. Knipe started Anderson and Priddy at outside hitter, Holmes and Lee at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite, Suxho at setter and Lambourne at libero. Lotman, middle blocker David Smith (Saugus, Calif.) and opposite David McKienzie (Littleton, Colo.) all played as substitutes.

Matt Anderson receives the ball against Italy. (FIVB photo)

Paul Lotman tips against France (FIVB photo) 51

1 2 3 4 5 USA 26 25 24 25 15 ITA 28 20 26 17 10 U.S. Men Headed to Final Round DALLAS, Texas (July 1, 2012) – The United States won Pool C and a trip to Bulgaria on Sunday as it defeated Italy, 26-28, 25-20, 24-26, 25-17, 15-10, in the final Intercontinental Round match of the 2012 FIVB World League at the Dallas Convention Center Arena. The U.S. Men, ranked No. 6 in the world, completed pool play with a 9-3 record while Italy, ranked No. 3, finished at 5-7. The five-set victory meant the U.S. Men beat France for the pool win. France had put pressure on the United States by sweeping Korea in the first match of the evening, 25-19, 25-15, 25-17. The U.S. was trailing 2-1 in sets and 8-6 in points in the fourth set when it tied the score at 8-8 and then used 4-0 run to pull ahead at 12-9. The run included a kill by outside hitter Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.), who had replaced Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) in the third set and made several crucial plays.

Russell Holmes attacks against Italy. (FIVB photo)

The U.S. Men also bounced back from a first-set loss in which Italy fought off six set points and went on to win. “It was a great effort by our team, especially players who came off the bench: Dave Smith, Sean Rooney,” U.S. team captain and opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) said. “We have been trying not to get down in matches and keep our heads up; keep pushing, keep going.” The U.S. led Italy in blocks, 18-11, aces, 3-2 and digs, 47-46. Italy led in attacks, 67-64. Stanley led all scorers with 25 points on a match-high 23 attacks (56.1 kill percent, .439 hitting efficiency) and two blocks. Outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) added 20 points on 16 kills (45.7 kill percent, .343 hitting efficiency) and four blocks. Middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) finished with 13 points on six kills, a match-high six blocks and blocks and a match-high three aces. Priddy scored two points on two kills. David Smith (Saugus, Calif.) at middle blocker added two points on one kill and one block. Setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania ) scored two points on two blocks. He was credited with 29 assists and set the United States to a 46.0 kill percent and a .317 hitting efficiency. Italy had a 44.4 kill percent and a .252 hitting efficiency. Libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) was credited with 11 digs and nine excellent receptions. Stanley led in digs with 13 and Anderson led in excellent receptions with 15. “We are pleased,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe said. “It was a must-win for us against a quality opponent, an Olympic opponent. It allows us to go on and gain experience before London.” Ivan Zaytsev paced Italy with 21 points on 18 attacks, one block and two aces.

U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe. (FIVB photo)

The U.S. Men celebrate their victory (FIVB photo) 53

1 2 3 4 5 USA 25 21 25 20 14 GER 20 25 21 25 16 U.S. Opens Final Round with Loss to Germany SOFIA, Bulgaria (July 5, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team opened the FIVB World League Final Round with a five-set loss to Germany, 20-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20, 16-14 on Thursday in Sofia, Bulgaria. The U.S. Men (0-1) will play Bulgaria (1-0) on Friday at 10:45 a.m. PT to try to advance to the semifinals. Germany completed Final Round pool play at 1-1. The U.S. led Germany in kills, 66-60 and blocks, 17-15, while the two teams tied in aces 4-4. However Germany scored on 28 U.S. team errors while committing 18. “It was frustrating. If you look at the stats, in a lot of areas we had an edge,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) “But in receptions, we didn’t and in the most important area, the final score, we didn’t. It was a struggle to maintain a high standard of consistency.” U.S. opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu) led all scorers with 22 points on a match-high 18 kills, three blocks and one ace. Outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) added 20 points on 19 attacks and one block. “We had a pretty good blocking defense, but for us it was more running our offense,” Stanley said. “We had trouble with reception of their float serves. I think that was a bigger point in the match.”

Clay Stanley attacks against Germany. (FIVB photo)

Among other U.S. scorers, middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) scored 11 points on seven attacks, two blocks and two aces. Outside hitter Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) added 11 points on seven kills and four blocks. Middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) totaled nine points on four attacks and a match-high five blocks. Outside hitter Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) added eight points on seven kills and one block. Middle blocker David Smith (Saugus, Calif.) contributed five points on three attacks, one block and one ace. Setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) scored a point on an attack. Knipe started Anderson and Priddy at outside hitter, Holmes and Lee at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite, Suxho at setter and Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) at libero. Smith replaced Holmes in the third set and started the fourth. Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) took over for Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) in the fourth set and started the fifth. Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) and David McKienzie (Littleton, Colo.) played as substitutes. “David Smith generally can give us a spark,” Knipe said. “He brings some energy. He has a different serve, a jump serve as a middle blocker. He gave us a spark right away.”

Donald Suxho (7) back sets next to Russell Holmes. (FIVB photo)

From left, Clay Stanley, Russell Holmes and Reid Priddy block (FIVB photo) 55

1 2 3 USA 25 25 25 BUL 21 16 17 U.S. Men Advance to Semifinals SOFIA Bulgaria (July 6, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team advanced to the semifinals of the 2012 FIVB World League with a 25-21, 25-16, 25-17 victory over host Bulgaria on Friday. The U.S. Men earned three points with the victory and won Pool A with four points and a 1-1 record. They will play Cuba (1-1), the second-place team from Pool B, on Saturday while Bulgaria (1-1) will face Poland (20). The winners will play Sunday for the gold medal while the losers will compete for bronze. The U.S. victory was its fifth in 17 matches against Bulgaria. It last played Bulgaria in 2008, going 1-3 during World League pool play. On Friday, the U.S. led Bulgaria in kills, 40-34, blocks, 10-5 and aces, 5-1. The U.S. Men also took advantage of 20 Bulgarian errors while committing 14. “Our outside hitters passed the ball really well, which helped us run our offense,” U.S. opposite and team captain Clay Stanley (Honolulu) said. “Our middles had an excellent match getting numerous kills off the net. Donny (Suxho) set them really well. I look forward to the semifinals.”

Sean Rooney (2) and David Lee (4) block against Bulgaria. (FIVB photo)

U.S. outside hitters Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) and Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) shared the scoring lead with 15 points each. Anderson scored on a match-high 11 attacks (50.0 kill percent, .455 hitting efficiency), three blocks and one ace. Rooney totaled 10 attacks (62.5 kill percent, .563 hitting efficiency), three blocks and two aces. Stanley added eight points on six attacks, one block and one kill. Middle blockers David Smith (Saugus, Calif.) and David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) each scored seven points. Smith scored with seven attacks while Lee added four attacks and three blocks. Setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) contributed two points on two attacks and serving substitute David McKienzie (Littleton, Colo.) scored on an ace. Suxho was credited with 16 assists and no faults. He set the United States to a 52.0 kill percent and a .455 hitting efficiency. Bulgaria had a 38.6 kill percent and a .182 hitting efficiency.

Team USA celebrates a great play. (FIVB photo)

The U.S. was credited with 16 excellent receptions, including eight from Rooney and six by libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.). Todor Aleksiev paced Bulgaria with 12 points on 10 attacks and two blocks. “What I’m most proud of is how our team responded and the attention to detail and energy they brought tonight,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) said. “We are going to need to show that in these next two matches.” Knipe started Anderson and Rooney at outside hitter, Lee and Smith at middle blocker, Suxho at setter and Lambourne at libero. McKienzie and Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Colo.) played as substitutes. Donald Suxho, left, and David Lee block against Bulgaria. (FIVB photo)

Sean Rooney celebrates (FIVB photo) 57

1 2 3 USA 25 25 25 CUB 23 22 23 U.S. Men to Play Poland for Gold SOFIA, Bulgaria (July 7, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team will play in its first FIVB World League final since 2008 on Sunday after defeating Cuba in the semifinals, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23 on Saturday at Arena Armeec in Sofia. The U.S. Men (2-1) will play the winner of Saturday’s second semifinal match between Poland and Bulgaria for the World League championship on Sunday at 10:45 a.m. PT. Cuba will play the loser in the bronze medal match at 7:30 a.m. PT. The U.S. Men won the 2008 FIVB World League, then went on to win the Olympic gold medal in Beijing. The U.S. has also won World League bronze medals in 1992 and 2007. On Saturday, the U.S. led Cuba in blocks, 7-2 and aces, 5-3. Cuba held the edge in attacks, 46-42. The U.S. scored on 21 Cuba errors while committing 17. “We know Cuba pretty well from playing them both in World cup and the Olympic qualifier,” U.S. outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) said. “They have a different lineup here, but we were still confident in our preparations.”

Donald Suxho (7) dumps the ball. (FIVB photo)

U.S. opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu) led his team with 17 points on 13 kills (72.2 kill percent; 66.7 hitting efficiency) and a matchhigh four aces. Anderson added 13 points on 13 attacks (59.1 kill percent; .545 hitting efficiency). Outside hitter Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) totaled 11 points on 10 attacks and one ace. Wilfredo Leon paced Cuba with 16 points on a match-high 16 attacks. “If you look at the stats, the teams are close,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) said. “For the second night, I thought our guys did good job in serve reception. Also important was the ability for us to create opportunities in our blocking defense and then convert those and sustain the energy by winning those points.” Among other U.S. scorers, middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) tallied six points on four attacks and two blocks. Middle blocker David Smith (Saugus, Calif.) added five points on two kills and a match-high three blocks. Setter Donald Suxho tallied two points with two blocks. Suxho was credited with 17 assists. He set the U.S. Men to a 48.3 kill percent and a .414 hitting efficiency. Libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) led the U.S. Men in digs with nine. He also led in excellent receptions with eight.

Matt Anderson blocks against Cuba. (FIVB photo)

David Lee attacks off a set from Donald Suxho (FIVB photo) 59

1 2 3 USA 25 26 25 POL 17 24 20 U.S. Men Win Silver in World League Final Round SOFIA, Bulgaria (July 12, 2012) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team was awarded the silver medal on Sunday after falling to Poland in the FIVB World League championship match, 25-17, 26-24, 25-20. The U.S. Men completed the World League Final Round with a record of 2-2 and completed the 2012 World League with an overall record of 115. It is the best World League finish for the U.S. Men since they won the title in 2008 and the first silver medal for the team, which won bronze in 1992 and 2007. The U.S. won $500,000 for the second-place finish. U.S. opposite and team captain Clay Stanley (Honolulu) was named the Best Server of the World League Final Round, finishing with nine aces, including three on Sunday, for an average of .64 per set. Stanley also finished second among all Final Round scorers with 62 points on 49 attacks, four blocks and nine aces. It is the first time that the U.S. Men have medaled in World League in the same year that the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team has medaled in the FIVB Grand Prix. The U.S. Women won the Grand Prix on July 1. On Sunday, Poland led the overall statistics in kills (42-32), blocks (11-7) and aces (7-3).

Matt Anderson attacks against Poland. (FIVB photo)

Stanley (Honolulu) led the U.S. with 15 points on a team-high 12 attacks and three aces. Outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) added eight points on six kills and two blocks. Middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) finished with seven points on four attacks and a team-high three blocks. Outside hitter Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) added five points on four attacks and one block. Middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) tallied four points on three attacks and one block. Outside hitter Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) totaled two points on two kills. Outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) had one point with a kill. Setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) was credited with 13 assists. Setter Brian Thornton (San Clemente, Calif.), who substituted for Suxho in the third set, had one.

David Lee holds up the trophy for second place. (FIVB photo)

The two combined to set the U.S. Men to a 41.0 kill percent and a .218 hitting efficiency. Poland had a 54.0 kill percent and a .421 hitting efficiency. Cuba defeated Bulgaria, 25-18, 19-25, 23-25, 25-23, 15-12 to win the bronze medal. U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) started Anderson and Rooney at outside hitter, Holmes and Lee at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite, Suxho at setter and Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) at libero. Priddy substituted for Rooney in the second set and started the third. Thornton took over for Suxho in the third set. Lotman took over for Anderson in the third. David McKienzie (Littleton, Colo.) also played as a substitute.

Clay Stanley, far left, holds the award for Best Server. (FIVB photo)

Clay Stanley (13) and Russell Holmes (12) block (FIVB photo) 61

2012 Pan American Cup U.S. MEN SWEEP VENEZUELA

USA..................................25 Venezuela.........................17

25 19

25 12

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (July 9, 2011) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team used a definitive serving advantage to defeat Venezuela 25-17, 25-19, 25-12 to open the Men’s Pan American Cup in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The U.S. continues Pool B action on July 10 against Mexico before concluding the preliminary round on July 11. The U.S. was led by Daniel McDonnell (Glendale, Ariz.) and Taylor Sander (Huntington Beach, Calif.), who each pocketed 12 points in the victory over Venezuela. McDonnell reached his dozen points with five kills on eight errorless attacks, two blocks and five aces. Sander recorded nine kills on 13 attacks, two aces and a block.

The U.S. Men’s Pan American Cup Team. (NORCECA Photo)

Tony Ciarelli (Huntington Beach, Calif.) charted six kills on 10 attacks, three aces and a block for 10 points. Murphy Troy (St. Louis, Mo.) added eight points with four aces, three kills and a block. Carson Clark (Santa Barbara, Calif.) produced six points all on kills. Matt Rawson (Los Angeles) and Garrett Muagututia (Oceanside, Calif.) tallied three points each. Dylan Davis (Corona Del Mar, Calif.), Jordan DeFault (Lakewood, Calif.) and Kawika Shoji (Honolulu) rounded out the scoring with a point each. As the setter, Shoji directed the U.S. offense to a 61.3 kill percent and .548 hitting efficiency with only four errors on 62 attempts. Dustin Watten (Long Beach, Calif.) totaled a team-high five digs along with five excellent receptions on 13 attempts. Sander charted seven excellent receptions on 14 attempts. “We have worked hard to achieve this kind of victory,” U.S. Men’s Volleyball Coach Shawn Patchell said. “Our start was not the best and I was concerned but we improved a lot and after the first set our serves were accurate and a key to the victory. This is a good group of young players who are gaining confidence and can improve their game even more.” The U.S. started Shoji at setter, Clark at opposite, Davis and McDonnell at middle blocker, and Sander and Ciarelli at outside hitter. Watten was the designated libero. Murphy started the second and third sets for Clark. Rawson subbed in the second set and started the third set. Muagututia started the third set. Ryan Ammierman (Parker, Colo.) was a sub in the second and third sets, while DuFault was a sub in the third set. The U.S. serve routinely took Venezuela out of its game with a 14-2 ace advantage. Team USA held a 38-26 margin in kills, in addition to a slim 5-3 advantage in blocks and 18-10 dig advantage. “Venezuelans played very well at the beginning of the match, but our good service made the difference,” Shoji said.

Carson Clark hits against Venezuela (NORCECA photo)

Venezuela was led by Kervin Pinerua’s 11 points, and no other player scored more than six points.

Team Captain Kawika Shoji, far right, and Head Coach Shawn Patchell pose with Venezuela at the press conference. (NORCECA photo)

Tony Ciarelli attacks against Venezuela’s blockers. (NORCECA photo)

2012 Pan American Cup U.S. MEN DOMINATE MEXICO

USA..................................25 Mexico.............................. 8

25 16

25 18

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (July 10, 2011) – A group of young players from the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team dominated Mexico, 25-8, 25-16, 25-18 at the Pan American Cup in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The U.S. Men improved their record to 2-0 in pool play, which it will conclude on July 11 against Brazil. The U.S. Men beat Mexico 42-23 in kills, 11-7 in blocks, 7-2 in aces and 24-7 in digs. “Our Pan Am Cup team is doing an excellent job serving the ball,” U.S. Men’s Pan American Team Head Coach Shawn Patchell said via e-mail. “We lead the tournament in aces and we are getting teams out of system so we are blocking some balls. We had a longer training block for this tournament so the boys are rested and playing with a lot of poise. We hope to keep improving throughout the tournament.

From left, Tony Ciarelli waits for the play while Matt Rawson and Taylor Sander block against Mexico. (NORCECA Photo)

“The tourny is now a toss up between USA, Brazil, Arg, and the Dominican. All are undefeated until tomorrow. We face a similar team to ourselves in Brazil tomorrow. They are a young team that is filled with 2016 Olympic hopefuls.” U.S. opposite Murphy Troy (St. Louis, Mo.) led all scorers with 14 points on a matchhigh 12 kills and two blocks. Outside hitter Taylor Sander (Huntington Beach, Calif.) added nine points on six attacks, two blocks and one ace. Outside hitter Garrett Muagututia (Oceanside, Calif.), who played only the third set, totaled eight points on eight attacks. Middle blocker Matt Rawson (Los Angeles) tallied eight points on five kills and a match-high three blocks. Middle blocker Daniel McDonnell (Glendale, Ariz.) finished with seven points on two spikes, two blocks and a match-high three aces. Outside hitter Tony Ciarelli (Huntington Beach, Calif.) scored six points on four attacks and two aces. Outside hitter Jordan Dufault (Lakewood, Calif.), played as a substitute in the second set and started the third, finishing with four points on three attacks and one block. Setter Kawika Shoji (Honolulu) finished with two points on one kill and one ace. Shoji, who is the team captain, was credited with 18 assists and also set the team to a 54.6 kill percent and a .429 hitting efficiency. Mexico had a 27.7 kill percent and a .036 hitting efficiency.

Matt Rawson (2) and Jordan DuFault block. (NORCECA Photo)

Leonardo Manzo led Mexico with seven points. U.S. libero Dustin Watten (Long Beach, Calif.) was credited with a match-high 11 digs and five excellent receptions. Muagututia led the U.S. in excellent receptions with seven. Patchell started Ciarelli and Sander at outside hitter, McDonnell and Rawson at middle blocker, Troy at opposite, Shoji at setter and Watten at libero. Dufault substituted in the second set and started the third. Muagututia started the third set. Setter Ryan Ammerman (Parker, Colo.) and middle blocker Dylan Davis (Corona Del Mar, Calif.) played as substitutes.

Matt Rawson (2) and Jordan DuFault block. (NORCECA Photo)

Dan McDonnell and Murphy Troy (6) block. (NORCECA Photo)

The U.S. Men celebrate. (NORCECA Photo)

2012 Pan American Cup U.S. MEN SURGE PAST BRAZIL

USA..................................22 Brazil................................25

25 23

25 20

25 22

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (July 11, 2011) – A group of young players from the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team came back to defeat Brazil, 22-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-22 on Wednesday at the Pan American Cup in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The victory means the U.S. Men (3-0) win Pool B and will get a day off on Thursday while the quarterfinals are played. Brazil finishes the pool second at 2-1. The U.S. Men led Brazil in kills (56-53), blocks (11-9), aces (9-5) and digs (24-15). After losing the first set, the U.S. Men trailed in the second set 23-21, but scored the final four points to win 25-23. The U.S. took an 8-5 lead in the third set and never trailed. The fourth set was tied at 18-18 when the U.S. scored twice and Brazil never caught up. Outside hitter Taylor Sander (Huntington Beach, Calif.) led all scorers with a matchhigh 19 kills (59.4 kill percent, .500 hitting efficiency), one block and a team-high three aces. Outside hitter Tony Ciarelli (Huntington Beach, Calif.) added 16 points on 13 kills (52.0 kill percent, .400 hitting efficiency), two blocks and one ace.

Tony Ciarelli attacks against Brazil’s blockers. (NORCECA photo)

Opposite Carson Clark (Santa Barbara, Calif.) finished with 12 points on 10 attacks and two aces. Middle blocker Dylan Davis (Corona Del Mar, Calif.) totaled seven points on seven attacks while middle blocker Matt Rawson (Los Angeles) added seven points on three kills and a team-high four blocks. Opposite Murphy Troy (St. Louis, Mo.) compiled six points on three kills, two blocks and one ace. Setter Kawika Shoji (Honolulu) tallied four points on two blocks and two aces while middle blocker Dan McDonnell (Glendale, Ariz.) finished with one point on a kill. U.S. libero Dustin Watten (Long Beach, Calif.) led the U.S. in digs with 11 and also was credited with seven excellent receptions. Sander led in excellent receptions with 14. Shoji was credited with eight assists and set the U.S. Men to a 49.6 kill percent and a .310 hitting efficiency. Brazil had a 50.5 kill percent and a .352 hitting efficiency. Gustavo Bonatto led Brazil with 18 points on 12 attacks and a match-high six blocks. U.S. Head Coach Shawn Patchell started Ciarelli and Sander at outside hitter, McDonnell and Rawson at middle blocker, Troy at opposite, Shoji at setter and Watten at libero. Davis substituted for McDonnell in the second set and started the third and fourth sets. Clark substituted in the second set for Troy and started the third and fourth sets. Outside hitter Jordan Dufault (Lakewood, Calif.) played as a substitute. The first set came down to the final points as Brazil led 23-21. The U.S. pulled to within one at 23-22, but Brazil scored the final two points for the victory. The U.S. was hurt by seven team errors in the first set while Brazil committed only four. Sander led the U.S. with eight points on six kills, one block and one ace. The U.S. and Brazil kept things close in the second set as well. The United States led 8-7 at the first technical timeout (TTO) and 16-15 at the second. Brazil seemed to have the upper hand as it pulled out to a 23-21 lead, but the U.S. scored the final four points of the set to pull out the victory. The U.S. led 3-1 in the third set and 8-5 at the first TTO, getting points off two kills from Ciarelli, two from Sander, two from Davis and one from Clark along with an ace by Shoji. The U.S. Men extended the lead to 16-11 at the second TTO. With the U.S. leading 21-15, Brazil scored three straight points to pull to within three before Ciarelli ended the run with a kill. The U.S. reached set point at 24-20 on an attack by Clark. Brazil scored once more before the U.S. won it on a Brazilian error. Brazil took a 4-1 lead in the fourth set and led 8-5 at the first TTO. The U.S. got points on two kills from Clark and one each by Ciarelli, Sander and Davis. The U.S. cut the lead to one at 11-10 before Brazil went on a three-point run to lead 14-10. The U.S. tied the score at 15-15. The teams battled back and forth until the score was tied 18-18 and the U.S. scored two straight points on a Brazil error and Clark kill. Brazil never caught up. The U.S. was leading 23-22 when it scored the final two points on a Ciarelli attack and Clark ace.

Carson Clarks gets emotional. (NORCECA photo)

Kawika Shoji, far left, and Shawn Patchell, second from left pose at the press conference with Brazil. (NORCECA photo)

2012 Pan American Cup U.S. MEN TOP DOMINICAN REPUBLIC; WILL FACE ARGENTINA

USA..................................25 Dominican Republic..........21

23 25

25 22

25 27

15 12

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (July 13, 2011) – A young group of players from the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team will play Argentina in the finals of the Pan American Cup on July 14 after outlasting the Dominican Republic, 25-21, 23-25, 25-22, 25-27, 15-12 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The U.S. Men (4-0) will play Argentina (4-0) for the gold medal. Dominican Republic (32) will face Brazil (3-2) for the bronze. The U.S. Men led the Dominican Republic in kills (63-59) and blocks (12-10). The Dominicans led in aces (10-4) and digs (29-19). The U.S. took advantage of 34 Dominican errors while giving up 28 points on errors.

Dustin Watten celebrates a great play. (NORCECA photo)

The score was tied 7-7 in the fifth-set tiebreaker when the U.S. Men scored twice on a Dominican error and Rawson block. The U.S. reached match point at 14-11. The Dominican came back to score before the U.S. won it on a Dominican error. “The Dominican Republic has made amazing improvement since I saw them in California (at the NORCECA Olympic Qualifier),” U.S. Head Coach Shawn Patchell said. “Their serves kept us off balance.” U.S. outside hitter Taylor Sander (Huntington Beach, Calif.) led his team with 22 points on a team-high 19 kills (54.3 kill percent, .400 hitting efficiency), one block and a team-high two aces. Opposite Murphy Troy (St. Louis, Mo.) added 15 points on 14 attacks (50.0 kill percent, .357 hitting efficiency) and one block. Outside hitter Tony Ciarelli (Huntington Beach, Calif.) contributed 10 points on nine attacks and one block. Middle blocker Matt Rawson (Los Angeles) totaled nine points on four kills and a team-high five blocks. Outside hitter Garrett Muagututia (Oceanside, Calif.) scored seven points on six attacks and one ace. Opposite Carson Clark (Santa Barbara, Calif.) added five points on five attacks. Setter Kawika Shoji (Hawaii) finished with five points on two kills, two blocks and one ace. He was credited with 15 assists and set the team to a 50.4 kill percent and a .376 hitting efficiency. The Dominican had a 40.4 kill percent and a .226 hitting efficiency. The Dominican Republic’s Elvis Contreras led all scorers with 28 points on 22 kills, one block and five aces. U.S. libero Dustin Watten (Long Beach, Calif.) was credited with a team-high nine digs and 10 excellent receptions. Sander led in excellent receptions with 13. Patchell started Sander and Ciarelli at outside hitter, Rawson and Dan McDonnell (Glendale, Ariz.) at middle blocker, Clark at opposite, Shoji at setter and Watten at libero. Davis substituted for McDonnell in the first set and started the next four. Troy took over for Clark in the second set and started the next three. Muagututia substituted for Ciarelli in the second set and started the third and fourth before Ciarelli returned to start the fifth. Outside hitter Jordan Dufault (Lakewood, Calif.) played as a substitute.

Dylan Davis blocks against the Dominican Republic. (NORCECA photo)

Matt Rawson attacks against Dominican Republic off a set from Kawika Shoji, left. (NORCECA photo)

Murphy Troy attacks against Dominican Republic. (NORCECA photo)

2012 Pan American Cup U.S. MEN BRINGING HOME PAN AMERICAN GOLD MEDALS

USA..................................29 Argentina..........................27

25 20

25 11

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (July 14, 2011) – A group of young players from the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team defeated Argentina, 29-27, 25-20, 2511 to win the gold medal at the Pan American Cup in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The U.S. Men, some of whom could be on the U.S. Olympic volleyball team in 2016, finished the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record. Argentina finished second at 4-1. It is the fifth time the U.S. Men have won the tournament since it started in 2006. U.S. outside hitter Taylor Sander (Huntington Beach, Calif.) was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Dustin Watten, second from left, Taylor Sander (22) and Tony Ciarelli (12) pose with their “Best Player” awards. (NORCECA photo)

Outside hitter Tony Ciarelli (Huntington Beach, Calif.) was named Best Attacker and Dustin Watten (Long Beach, Calif.) earned Best Defense honors. The U.S. Men led Argentina in kills (46-30), blocks (5-4), aces (3-1) and digs (29-18). After close contests in the first two sets, the U.S. Men blew the third set wide open, leading 16-6 at the second technical timeout (TTO) and scoring the last three points of the match. U.S. opposite Carson Clark (Santa Barbara, Calif.) led all scorers with 19 points on a match-high 18 kills (62.1 kill percent, .517 hitting efficiency) and one ace. Sander added 10 points on nine attacks and one block. Ciarelli finished with seven points on seven kills. Middle blocker Dylan Davis (Corona Del Mar, Calif.) and middle blocker Matt Rawson each scored six points and each had four attacks and two blocks. Opposite Murphy Troy (St. Louis, Mo.) compiled four points on two attacks and two aces. Outside hitter Garrett Muagututia (Oceanside, Calif.) totaled two points on two attacks. U.S. setter Kawika Shoji (Honolulu) was credited with 11 assists as he set the U.S. Men to a 48.4 kill percent and a .379 hitting efficiency. Argentina finished with a 30.0 kill percent and a .140 hitting efficiency. Watten was credited with nine digs and seven excellent receptions. Sander led in receptions with eight. U.S. Head Coach Shawn Patchell (Huntington Beach, Calif.) started Muagututia and Sander at outside hitter, Davis and Rawson at middle blocker, Clark at opposite, Shoji at setter and Watten at libero.

Taylor Sander shows his MVP award. (NORCECA photo)

Ciarelli substituted in the first set for Muagututia and started the rest of the match. Opposite Murphy Troy (St. Louis, Mo.), outside hitter Jordan Dufault (Lakewood, Calif.) and setter Ryan Ammerman (Parker, Colo.) played as substitutes. In the first set, the U.S. Men held leads of 8-6 and 11-9. Argentina came back to tie the score at 13-13 and the teams traded points. Argentina seemed to have the set in hand when it reached set point at 24-22. But the U.S. came back with a Sander kill, Argentina error and Troy ace to take its own set point at 25-24. The U.S. would take set point again at 26-25 and 27-26. Finally, the U.S. took set point No. 4 at 28-27 on a Ciarelli kill and won the set on Argentina’s error. With the score tied 9-9 in the second set, the U.S. scored four unanswered points on a Clark attack, block by Sander and two Argentina errors to lead 13-9. Argentina closed the gap at 21-20, but then stopped scoring as the U.S. scored the final four points of the set, including three Argentina errors and a Sander attack, for the victory. The U.S. Men led 7-5 in the third set when Team USA used a 7-0 run to build a significant lead. Clark had two kills in the run while Sander, Davis and Ciarelli each had one. The U.S. Men went on to lead 16-6 at the second TTO and scored the final three points of the match for the victory.

The U.S. Men receive the Pan American Cup trophy as the tournament champions. (NORCECA photo)

2012 Olympic Games

2012 U.S. Olympic Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Volleyball Team

Back row, standing, from left: Dr. William Stetson, Athletic Trainer Aaron Brock, Assistant Coach Ron Larsen, Technical Coordinator Chris Jackson, Sean Rooney, David Lee, Clay Stanley, Matt Anderson, Russell Holmes, David Smith, Head Coach Alan Knipe, Team Leader Rob Browning, Scout Coach Mike Seely, Assistant Coach John Speraw Front row, from left: Reid Priddy, David McKienzie, Donald Suxho, Rich Lambourne, Paul Lotman, Brian Thornton Missing: Assistant Coach Gary Sato Scout Coach Andy Read

7/29 1 2 3 USA 25 25 25 SRB 17 22 21 U.S. Men Open with Impressive Sweep over Serbia LONDON (July 29, 2012) – The U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team opened its Olympic Games title defense with 25-17, 25-22, 25-21 win over Serbia Sunday afternoon in London as first-time Olympian Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) shined with 18 points. The Americans raced to a 13-4 lead in the opening set on a 9-1 scoring run and cruised to a 25-16 victory. Team USA recovered from an early 5-1 deficit in the second set to tie it at 9-all, then used a 6-0 run with four blocks to erase a 19-17 deficit going on to win 25-22. Overall, the U.S. tallied nine blocks in the second set. Team USA started the third set with a 13-4 lead that included four blocks, but needed to hold off a furious Serbia charge to win 25-21.

Reid Priddy attacks against Serbia’s block. (FIVB photo)

“I thought there were a lot of good things we did, but probably better than most was the attention to detail especially our blocking defense, our transition; just the out-of –system plays created a lot of opportunities to score points,” U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Coach Alan Knipe said. “Obviously we started out well in the first and third sets and we were able to keep that cushion. In the second set we were faced with not a nice start and we were able to come back and chip away at it and not really deal with a lot of panic.” Anderson tallied 16 kills on 23 attacks with two blocks for 18 points. “Yeah, I was,” Anderson said about whether he entered the match nervous. “I was nervous that I was going to be nervous. I was lucky that I wasn’t nervous.”

Donald Suxho (7), David Lee (4) and Matt Anderson (1) block a Serbia attack. (FIVB photo)

Clay Stanley chipped in 13 points with nine kills and four blocks. Reid Priddy tallied nine points on four kills, three blocks and two aces. David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) contributed seven points on two kills, three blocks and two aces. Russell Holmes charted three kills and three blocks for six points. Donald Suxho rounded out the scoring with a block and ace for two points. Suxho ran the offense to a 46.7 kill percent and .227 hitting efficiency (3518-75) with 27 running sets on 57 set attempts. Anderson contributed 15 excellent receptions on 17 errorless attempts. Priddy added a team-high five digs to go with a team-high 16 excellent receptions on 24 attempts. “I thought there were ebbs and flows in this match, which kept us honest and made us focused on what at hand,” Priddy said. “Overall there was the right amount of effort. You saw some really high points where we scored a succession of points - which put us ahead in the first set and allowed us to catch up in the second. The best part of our play was these point surges. We now need to have a better follow-up to them.” Knipe started Priddy and Anderson at outside hitter, Lee and Holmes at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite and Suxho at setter. Lambourne is the designated libero for the tournament. Paul Lotman and David Smith were subs in the opening set.

(Left) David Lee blasts a kill past the Serbia block. (Right) Clay Stanley has reason to smile with an opening victory. (FIVB photo)

Team USA out-blocked Serbia 16-11 as both teams served five aces and totaled 19 digs. The Americans held Serbia to a .115 hitting efficiency (34-24-87). “We feel like we’ve played well this summer,” Knipe said on the team’s expectations at the Olympics. “We played well at NORCECA, we played well in the finals of World League. Right now we’re going to worry about what we can control and that’s our next match.” Marko Podrascanin led Serbia with 13 points, while Aleksandar Atanasijevic added 12 points.

USA fans watching the U.S. Men defeat Serbia. (FIVB photo)

Matt Anderson hits over the Serbia block (FIVB photo) 69

7/31 1 2 3 USA 25 25 25 GER 23 16 20 U.S. Men Blitz Germany in Sweep, Improve to 2-0 LONDON (July 31, 2012) – The U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team defeated Germany 25-23, 25-16, 25-20 on July 31 during an Olympic Games Pool B match at Earls Court in London. Team USA, ranked fifth in the world and the defending Olympic Games champion, improved to 2-0 with six points in Pool B. The Americans continues Pool B on Thursday against Brazil at 8 p.m. local time (noon PT). Team USA, with three Olympic Games titles to its credit, has now won 10 straight matches in Olympic Games competition.

Reid Priddy serves against Germany. (FIVB Photo)

Less than a month ago, Germany edged out Team USA in a five-set thriller during the FIVB World League Final Round pool play. However, the Americans bounced back in that that tournament and finished with the silver medal. After falling behind 4-0 in the first set, the U.S. scored the next four points and the rest of tight with no team leading by more than two points. Team USA scored the final three points of the set to rally from a 23-22 deficit to win 25-23. The Americans pushed out to a 17-11 lead in the second set on a 6-1 run and closed out the set with the final four points for a 25-16 victory. Team USA separated from Germany in the third set with a 5-1 scoring run to take a 14-8 lead, then expanded its advantage to 21-14 late before holding off Germany down the stretch for a 25-20 victory. “Tonight was a completely different feel than the last match where we got off to a really good start on the scoreboard,” U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team Head Coach Alan Knipe said. “Tonight, (Germany) got behind the end line and served well and right out of the gate got us down. I thought our guys did a really good job of staying composed and getting the side out we needed after the time out. My comment to them was that we didn’t need to get it all back in one serve, and then Clay went and got it all back in one serve.”

Clay Stanley (13), Russell Holmes (12) and Reid Priddy (8) form a blocking wall against Germany. (FIVB photo)

Clay Stanley collected a Team USA-high 16 points with 13 kills on 18 attacks, two aces and a block. Matt Anderson contributed 11 kills on 20 attacks, three aces and a block for 15 points. Russell Holmes turned in five kills on seven attacks with four blocks for nine points. Reid Priddy pocketed seven kills and an ace for eight points, which was matched by David Lee as he had five kills on eight attacks and three blocks. Donald Suxho rounded out the scoring with two blocks. Suxho tallid 35 running sets on 58 assist attempts leading to a 56.2 kill percent and .438 hitting efficiency (41-9-73). Anderson provided 17 excellent receptions on 24 attempts, while Suxho was the U.S. leader in digs with five.

Team USA celebrates a key point against Germany. (FIVB photo)

Knipe started Priddy and Anderson at outside hitter, Lee and Holmes at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite and Suxho at setter. Rich Lambourne is the designated libero for the tournament. Paul Lotman was a sub in all three sets, while David McKienzie was a sub in the first and third sets. The U.S. held a commanding 11-4 block advantage in the match and held a 6-4 margin in aces. Germany managed a slim 25-22 edge in digs and 2726 cushion in excellent receptions. However, Team USA’s 53.1 excellent reception percent was better than Germany’s 44.3 percent. Further, the U.S. limited Germany to a 37.0 kill percent and .161 hitting efficiency (30-17-81). “It was good, but wasn’t clean all the time,” Priddy said about the match. “We worked together and worked hard, as well as showing a lot of composure. I’m quite happy, it’s not going to look perfect all the time.” Germany was led by Grorgy Grozer’s 12 points as he was the only player in double-digit scoring.

Reid Priddy giant cut-out face and wobble-head doll. (FIVB photo)

Donald Suxho sets David Lee. (FIVB photo) 71

8/2 1 2 3 4 USA 23 27 25 25 BRA 25 25 19 17 U.S. Men Rally to Upset Top-Ranked Brazil LONDON (Aug. 2, 2012) – The U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team upset top-ranked Brazil 23-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-17 on Aug. 2 in a battle of undefeated teams during an Olympic Games Pool B match at Earls Court in London. The match produced identical results as the 2008 Olympic Games gold-medal match with the U.S. coming out on top. Brazil came back from a 23-22 deficit in the opening set to win 25-23 with consecutive aces. The second set was full of roller coaster moments as Brazil scored eight straight points to overcome a 19-13 deficit. The U.S. recovered to take a 24-22 advantage, only to have Brazil save two set points and take a 25-24 lead. Team USA responded with the final peak with three straight points to close out the 27-25 victory. The U.S. used a 6-1 spurt in the third set to take a commanding 20-15 advantage and went on to win 25-19 as Brazil had troubles gaining momentum with five service errors. The Americans broke a 10-all tie in the fourth set with a 7-0 scoring run and ran away with a 25-17 victory to close out the match.

Donald Suxho (7), David Lee (4) and Matt Anderson combine to stop a Brazil attack. (FIVB Photo)

“The thing that stands out probably the most to me is that we got better as the match went on,” U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Coach Alan Knipe said. “We passed the ball better, we blocked better and we served the ball better. We were much better in counter attack and in transition. I was happy with the team composure after losing the first set.” Team USA opposite Clay Stanley led all scorers with 19 points with 16 kills on 29 attacks and three aces. Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) added 17 points via 14 kills on 26 attacks, two aces and a block. Matt Anderson collected 11 kills on 26 attacks, two aces and a block for 14 points.

Rich Lambourne dives to keep the ball in play against Brazil. (FIVB photo)

“We hung in there,” Priddy said. “We were tight in the beginning and tried to do too much defense. They are a great team, and we are really glad to beat one of the world-class teams. There are six teams that can do well in the rest of the tournament, so we need to work hard. We improved from the last match, which was important. We don’t just need to win, we need to improve.” David Lee contributed seven kills on 10 errorless attacks and two blocks for nine points. Russell Holmes pocketed seven kills on eight swings, on ace and once block for nine points. Donald Suxho tacked on two kills and a block, while David McKienzie rounded out the scoring with an ace. Suxho provided 49 running sets on 81 assist attempts as the Americans converted 56.4 percent of its attacks with a .465 hitting efficiency (57-10101). He added a team-high nine digs in the victory. Anderson was credited with a team-leading 21 excellent receptions on 27 attempts along with seven digs. Stanley and Rich Lambourne handled eight digs each.

Reid Priddy (8), David Lee (4) and Clay Stanley (13) force the Brazil attack high and wide. (FIVB photo)

“It was an important match,” Suxho said. “We worked hard and got better by sticking together and trusting each other more. (Brazil) is the best team in the world. The first set it was all them and we had to adapt and change for the second set.” Knipe started Priddy and Anderson at outside hitter, Lee and Holmes at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite and Suxho at setter. Lambourne is the designated libero for the tournament. McKienzie was a serving sub in all but the second set, while David Smith was subbed into the contest in the first two sets. Paul Lotman appeared briefly in the third set. Team USA held advantages in all three scoring categories: 57-56 in kills, 6-2 in blocks and 9-5 in aces. Further, Brazil committed 28 errors including 17 on the service line to the Americans’ 23 errors. In addition, the U.S. held a 39-31 margin in digs. Brazil converted 50.9 percent of its attacks, but with only a .364 hitting efficiency (56-16-110) as 16 errors proved costly. Leandro Vissotto paced Brazil with 15 points in the match.

Team USA celebrates its victory over Brazil. (FIVB photo)

Reid Priddy connects with the ball as Russell Holmes (12) and Donald Suxho (7) are ready for the cover. (FIVB photo) 73

8/4 1 2 3 4 5 USA 29 25 24 16 8 RUS 27 19 26 25 15 U.S. Men Fall to Russia for First Olympic Loss in 2012 LONDON (Aug. 4, 2012) – The U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team lost to No. 2 Russia 27-29, 19-25, 26-24, 25-16, 15-8 on Aug. 4 after it held a match point in the third set in a Pool B match during the Olympic Games at London’s Earls Court. The U.S., which had its 11-match Olympic Games win streak dating back to the 2008 Beijing Games snapped, still led the group standing despite the loss.

Team USA and Russia lineup for the team introductions. (FIVB Photo)

“The good thing is we can learn from this,” U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team Head Coach Alan Knipe said. “There’s a lot of things that we know on our side of the net we can do better. We also get a point. We wanted to win, but we do get a point and stay in the driver’s seat in the pool.” The U.S. rallied from a 19-14 deficit in the opening set to win 29-27 on its fifth set point opportunity as Russia committed 15 errors. The Americans broke a 12-all tie in the second set with a 4-0 run, then tallied five of the final six points to capture a 25-19 victory with its seventh block of the set. Russia battled back from a 22-19 deficit in the third set, and after saving one match point, closed out the set 26-24 with an ace to extend the match. Russia built a 12-4 lead in the fourth set and withstood a Team USA challenge that narrowed the gap to 13-11, then controlled the rest of the set for a 25-16 win. Russia raced out to a 6-2 lead in the tiebreaker and continued to build its advantage to a 15-8 final. Matt Anderson topped the U.S. in scoring with 16 kills on 32 attacks, one block and one ace for 18 points. Clay Stanley added 14 points via 12 kills on 37 swings and two blocks. David Lee charted 12 points on eight kills on 12 attacks and four blocks. Reid Priddy chipped in five kills, four blocks and two aces for 11 points. Sean Rooney came off the bench to score five kills and two blocks for seven points. Russell Holmes tallied five points and David McKienzie scored three aces on 10 serves as a serving sub.

Russell Holmes blasts a spike through the Russia block with Rich Lambourne in the background ready for the cover. (FIVB Photo)

Rich Lambourne totaled a team-high nine digs, while Anderson contributed 25 excellent receptions on 40 errorless attempts. Donald Suxho provided 44 running sets as the U.S. offense converted 37.7 percent of its attacks with a .169 hitting efficiency (49-27-130). “I think (Russia) made some changes to their personnel and they started to serve really aggressively,” Lee said. “They put us in a bad position where we couldn’t side out and we couldn’t run our offense.” Knipe started Priddy and Anderson at outside hitter, Lee and Holmes at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite and Suxho at setter. Lambourne is the U.S. designated libero for the Olympic Games. McKienzie was a serving sub in all five sets, while Rooney came on as a sub in the fourth set for Priddy and started the fifth set. David Smith (Saugus, Calif.) was a sub in the first, third and fourth sets. Paul Lotman (Lakewookd, Calif.) was a sub in the first and third sets. Russia used a formidable block to rally with nine blocks in the final three sets to take a 16-15 block advantage. Russia also held margins of 8-6 in aces and 67-49 in kills. Russia overcame 15 errors in the first set with just 17 the rest of the match. Russia converted 48.2 percent of its attacks with a .309 hitting efficiency (67-24-139) to make up for 20 service errors.

(Left) David Lee wins a joust against Russia. (Right) David Lee attacks against Russia without a blocker above the net. (FIVB photo)

“I thought Russia made some good adjustments,” Holmes said. “They brought guys in and we didn’t adjust well and adapt well to the changes they were making.” Maxim Mikhaylov led Russia with 27 points on 23 kills, two blocks and two aces. Sergey Tetyukhin added 21 points with 17 kills, two blocks and two aces.

Matt Anderson hits above the Russia triple block. (FIVB photo)

Team USA breaks the timeout against Russia. (FIVB photo) 75

8/6 1 2 3 USA 25 25 25 TUN 15 19 19 U.S. Men Sweep Tunisia to Claim Pool B LONDON (Aug. 6, 2012) – The U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team, ranked fifth in the world and defending Olympic Games champion, defeated Tunisia 25-15, 25-19, 25-19 on Aug. 6 at Earls Court in London to finish atop the Olympic Games Pool B. Team USA finished the preliminary round with 13 points and a 4-1 record. The Americans needed to win to guarantee themselves as the top seed out of Pool B.

Team USA and Tunisia during the pre-match handshake and gift exchange. (FIVB photo)

Using a roster with three different starters than the previous four pool matches, the U.S. broke a 3-all tie in the opening set with a 7-0 run and close the set on a 5-2 run for a 25-15 victory. The Americans out-blocked Tunisia 5-1 in the set. Team USA built a 13-8 lead in the second set and overcame 10 errors to capture the set 25-18. The American took a 9-4 lead in the early stages of the third set and handled the end game with a 25-19 victory. David McKienzie received his first Olympic Games start and piled up a match-high 17 points with 14 kills on 25 attacks, two aces and a block. Sean Rooney, also in his first start of the 2012 Olympics, tallied eight kills on 14 swings and four blocks for 12 points. Matt Anderson contributed 10 points via nine kills on 18 attempts and a block. “We have some guys who haven’t played much who are extremely talented and they’re fresh, full of energy and delighted to get their opportunity,” U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team Head Coach Alan Knipe said. “I think there have been some really good things to come out of the pool stage and that’s a good example.”

David Smith (20) puts up a block with David McKienzie to his side against Tunisia. (FIVB Photo)

Russell Holmes chipped in a match-high five blocks with four kills for nine points. David Smith charted five kills on six swings with two aces and a block for eight points. Paul Lotman added two points and Donald Suxho rounded out the scoring with a point. “We played well and we were focused, organized and enjoying the match,” McKienzie said. “We have been playing increasingly better and I think we have more to show.” “Every match we play, we have been able to get better in some part of our game,” Knipe said. “Now we’re moving into the second phase and I know that the guys are excited to get out there.” Suxho totaled 25 running sets on 34 set attempts, while Brian Thornton added 15 running sets in a reserve role. The two setters helped the U.S. offense to a 56.8 kill percent and .432 hitting efficiency (42-10-74).

Team USA celebrates a point versus Tunisia. (FIVB Photo)

Rooney recorded a team-high nine digs and added nine excellent receptions on 12 attempts. Rich Lambourne collected six digs and a team-high 15 excellent receptions on 20 attempts. Knipe started Smith and Holmes at middle blocker, Anderson and Rooney at outside hitter, McKienzie at opposite and Suxho at setter. Lambourne is the U.S. designated libero for the Olympic Games. Thornton was a sub in the first two sets and started the third set in place of Suxho. Lotman was a late sub in the third set. The Americans held a commanding 15-3 margin in blocks along with a 4-2 edge in aces. The U.S. tallied 42 kills to Tunisia’s 27. Team USA also edged Tunisia 27-25 in digs. Tunisia was led in scoring by Ismail Moalla’s nine points in a reserve role, while Hichem Kaabi pocketed eight points off the bench.

Fans of the USA surround a London Games volunteer with several cameras recording the moment. (FIVB photo)

Russell Holmes (12) attacks as Sean Rooney (2), Rich Lambourne (5) and Donald Suxho, lower left, watch. (FIVB photo)

8/8 1 2 3 USA 26 20 20 ITA 28 25 25 U.S. Men End Olympic Run with Loss to Italy LONDON (Aug. 8, 2012) – The U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team, ranked fifth in the world and defending Olympic Games champion, had its dream of repeating history stopped on Aug. 8 with a 28-26, 25-20, 25-20 loss to Italy in the quarterfinal round at Earls Court in London. Team USA finishes the 2012 Olympic Games with a 5-1 overall record and in a tie for fifth after finishing atop Pool B. The U.S. recovered from a 21-19 deficit in the first set to take three set points, only to have Italy save all three and serve its third ace of the set for the 28-26 victory. The Americans tallied eight blocks in the opening set. Italy used a 7-1 scoring run to come back from a 16-15 deficit in the second set and benefited from three aces and eight Team USA errors to win 25-20. Italy built a 10-6 advantage in the third set with a 6-0 scoring run on aggressive serving to recover from an early 6-4 hole en route finishing the match with a 25-20 set win. “It was frustrating for us,” U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Coach Alan Knipe said. “When we look back at this we will see we had lots of opportunities to win the first set. We came in with a really good game plan and when we were in our game plan and executing it, we were winning points.”

Donald Suxho sets up David Lee against Italy. (FIVB Photo)

Clay Stanley led the U.S. with 16 points via 12 kills on 28 attacks, three blocks and an ace. Reid Priddy added eight points on five kills, two blocks and an ace. David Lee totaled seven points on four kills and three blocks. Matt Anderson tacked on seven points, all on kills. Russell Holmes turned in seven points with five kills and two blocks. Sean Rooney rounded out the scoring with a kill in a reserve role. Anderson, in his first Olympic Games, was credited with 17 excellent receptions on 27 attempts, but with three faults. Donald Suxho tallied 33 running sets and seven digs, while Rich Lambourne provided six digs and nine excellent receptions. “Italy played great and found their rhythm,” Stanley said. “They turned it up a notch and we turned it down. We worked four years for this. It’s kind of tough.” Knipe started Anderson and Priddy at outside hitter, Lee and Holmes at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite and Suxho at setter. Lambourne is the U.S. designated libero for the Olympic Games. David McKienzie (Littleton, Colo.) was a serving sub in all three sets, while David Smith came on in the first and third sets. Rooney was a sub in the second and third sets.

(Left) Reid Priddy hits to the side of the Italy block. (Right) Donald Suxho ties up the Italy attack. (FIVB Photos)

Italy’s serve proved to a major difference in the match with a 9-2 ace advantage and consistently keeping the American offense out of system. Team USA converted 41.0 percent of its attacks into points, but 14 errors led to a .241 hitting efficiency. In contrast, Italy converted 42.4 percent of its attacks with a .253 hitting efficiency. The U.S. managed a 10-8 advantage in blocks for the match, but eight of those blocks came in the opening set. “We had some chances tonight, including the first set, but we didn’t capitalize on them,” Lee said. “Italy served us tough, and I give them credit for that.” Italian captain Cristian Savani produced a match-high 19 points including four aces, while Ivan Zaytsev totaled 16 points with 15 kills on 28 attacks. Italy’s setter Dragan Travica’s serve netted four of the team’s nine aces. “It’s kind of hard to put things into perspective straight after a loss,” Rooney said. “We put together a great performance in pool play, and it was about putting ourselves in the best position to win gold.”

A U.S. timeout attempting to regroup against Italy. (FIVB photo)

Reid Priddy passes against Italy. (FIVB photo) 79

COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2009 – Led UC Irvine to the NCAA National Championship with comeback victory in the final after being down 2-1 in sets… Named the tournament’s most outstanding player with 12 blocks, Setter * 6-9 six kills, and 55 assists in the championship match… Named to the AllDenver, Colo. Tournament team… AVCA First Team All-American and First Team AllCollege: UC Irvine MPSF… Averaged 12.55 set assists and led the team in service aces. Birth Year: 1985 2008 – Saw action in 74 games... Averaged 8.64 assists and 0.55 blocks Joined Team: 2012 per game... Had a career-high 60 set assists against Ohio State... Averaged 1.18 digs per game. 2007 – Helped UC Irvine with the NCAA National MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2013 – FIVB World League Championship… Recorded 90 set assists in 38 games...had three kills, four preliminary roster. 2012 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). digs and 10 blocks. 2006 – Played in 18 games... Totaled 32 set assists and INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Played the winter of 2012-13 five block assists... Fired two service aces. 2005 – Redshirted. for OK MLADOST Marina Kaštela in Croatia. 2012 – Was a member of the Pan American Cup team that won the gold medal in Santo Domingo, PERSONAL: Born Ryan Ammerman in 1985 in Anchorage, Alaska… Parents are Brett and Maria Ammerman… Maria played at the University of AlaskaDominican Republic. Anchorage and Brett played club volleyball at Purdue… Ryan is the oldest USA VOLLEYBALL HIGHLIGHTS: 2003 – Alternate for the U.S. Boys’ of eight children… Brothers are Luke (1991), Dalton (1991) and Sebastian Youth National Team and MVP of the USA Developmental Camp. (2005)… Sisters are Sarah (1987), Hannah (2000), Emma (2002) and Mary (2007)… Dalton played on the 2008 U.S. Boys’ Youth National Volleyball Team CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: Started playing volleyball in 2002… and also at Long Beach State… Sarah played volleyball at Texas A&M… Played for Chaparral High School in Parker, Colo. … All-Continental League Ryan’s favorite food is sushi… favorite book is The Fountainhead by Ayn honoree… Team won state title in 2004, however volleyball is not a sanction sport in Colorado… Played for the Colorado Gold club team, which finished Rand… Favorite musical group is Twenty-One Pilots… Favorite professional second at the 2003 USAV Boys’ Junior National Championships… Tabbed team is the Denver Nuggets… Favorite athlete is Michael Jordan… Most admired person is his sister Sarah “she is the best person that I know and has as one of the “Top 25 Underclassmen to Watch” by Volleyball Magazine. a fantastic approach and view of life.”

No. 14 Ryan Ammerman

Photo by Suzie Houseworth

No. 1 Matt Anderson Outside Hitter * 6-10 West Seneca, N.Y. College: Penn State Birth Year: 1987 Joined Team: 2008

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2013 – FIVB World League preliminary roster. 2012 – Olympic Games... FIVB World League (Silver Medal)... NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament (Gold Medal). 2011 – FIVB World Cup… NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship… London Volleyball International Invitational… FIVB World League. 2010 – FIVB World Championship. FIVB World League. 2009 – Brazil Tour... FIVB World League. 2008 – America’s Cup... Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2007 – FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship. 2006 – NORCECA Men’s Junior Continental Championship (Silver Medal). 2005 – Four Nation Tournament. INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Played for Zenit Kazan in Russia during the winter of 2012-13. 2012 – Named the USA Volleyball Male Indoor Athlete of the Year... Finished season as the team’s leading scorer with 393 points on a team-leading 326 kills, 42 blocks and 25 aces (second highest on team). Started 96 out of 97 sets. Hitting efficiency was .440. Credited with 103 digs (1.07 per set), third best on the team… Was the youngest player on the U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team. Started all 21 sets of the Olympic Games and was the team’s leading scorer with 81 points on 69 kills (.390 hitting efficiency), six aces and six blocks. Tourney-high was 18 points (16 attacks, one block, one ace) scored in 3-2 loss to Russia. Finished eighth in kills among all Olympic players. Played in all 60 World League sets and was the team’s leading scorer, finishing with 248 points on a team-leading 205 kills, 32 blocks and 11 aces. Fifth among all World League scorers at the end of pool play. Tourney-high was 21 points scored against Korea on June 16… Named “Best Spiker” at the NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament on May 7-12 in Long Beach, Calif. Played in 15 out of 16 sets. Was the team’s leading scorer, finishing with 64 points on 52 kills, four blocks, and eight aces. Hitting efficiency was 0.585. Scored a tourney-high 24 points against Cuba… During the winter of 2011-12, played for Casa Modena in Italy’s Serie A League. 2011 – Played in more sets than any other U.S. Men’s player in 2011 and was the team’s leading scorer with 493 points on 420 kills, 39 blocks and 34 aces. His kill percent for the season was 48.7 and his hitting efficiency was .414. He was third on the team in digs with 125… Played in 32 sets of the FIVB World Cup and was the team’s leading scorer with 158 points on 139 kills, five blocks and 14 aces. He was the team leader in attacks and fourth overall. His kill percent was 52.5 and his hitting efficiency was .479. The U.S. Men finished sixth… Was the team’s leading scorer at the NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship on Sept. 3-11 in Puerto Rico…Finished with 67 points on 57 kills, four blocks and six aces… His hitting efficiency was 0.468 and his kill percent was 52… Was the team’s second-leading scorer at the London Volleyball International Invitational on July 20-24 where the U.S. Men placed third. He finished with 58 points (3.87 per set) on 47 kills (3.13 per set), seven blocks (0.47 per set) and four aces (0.27 per set)… Started 52 sets of the 2011 FIVB World League for the U.S. Men and was the team’s leading scorer with 210 points (4.04 per set) on 177 kills (3.40 per set), 23 blocks (0.44 per set) and 10 aces (0.19 per set). The U.S. Men finished seventh at World League. The U.S. Men finished seventh at World League… During the winter of 2010-11, Matt played for Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia in Italy’s Serie A League. 2010 – Finished the season as the U.S. Men’s fifth-leading scorer with 112 points and an average of 3.20 points per set. He had 94 kills on 235 attempts. He was third on the team in aces with eight (0.23 per set)... Played in four sets for the U.S. Men at the FIVB World Championship in Italy. Scored seven points on six kills and one ace. The U.S. Men placed sixth… Played in 31 sets of the FIVB World League where he tallied 83 kills (2.68 per set) and his 212 total attempts was third on the team. He ranked 31st among the League’s best attackers and he finished third on the team with 3.06 points per set. He also totaled 95 points, 7 aces (0.14 per set) and 18 digs (0.37 per set). 2009 – Had

a serious case of pneumonia during Courtesy of FIVB the 2009 summer season, but still finished sixth on the team in scoring with 71 points in 21 sets (3.38 points per set). Finished the 2009 season averaging 2.9 kills per set with a hitting percentage of 0.419... After returning from pneumonia, started four out of five matches during the U.S. Men’s Brazil Tour on Sept. 22-27. The U.S. Men - a group of veterans and newer players - did not win a match. Started five World League matches before falling ill with pneumonia and sitting out the rest of the tournament. He finished with 69 points on 58 kills, eight blocks and three aces (21 sets). During the winter of 2009, played for the Hyundai Capital Skywalkers in Korea. 2008 – Played on the U.S. Men’s Team that traveled to Cuiaba, Brazil for the America’s Cup in September. The team finished fifth. Scored 44 points on 39 kills and five blocks in three matches (13 sets)... Was a member of the U.S. Men’s team that won gold at the 2008 Pan American Cup on June 2-7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba... He scored 29 points on 25 kills, two blocks and two aces during the tournament... Was a member of the U.S. Men’s Training Team that traveled to Japan from May 17-25 to help prepare the Japanese National team for Olympic qualification. 2007 – Started at outside hitter for the Men’s Junior National Team that finished seventh at the FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship in Rabat, Morocco... Recorded 91 total points for an average of 3.37 points per game, racked up 77 kills (2.85 kills per game) and added four aces, 10 blocks and 32 digs. 2006 – Was a member of the Men’s Junior National Team that finished second at the NORCECA Men’s Junior Continental Championship and qualified for the 2007 FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship. 2005 – Was a member of the U.S. Boys Youth National Team that competed at the Four Nation Tournament in Cabo Frio, Brazil. COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 – Left Penn State after his junior year to play for the Hyundai Capital Skywalkers, a professional volleyball club in Korea… As a junior, was AVCA Co-Player of the Year with Paul Lotman of Long Beach State… Penn State won the NCAA National Championship with a victory over Pepperdine in the final... Named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament... AVCA All-American first team... EIVA Player of the Year... First Team All-EIVA... Led the Nittany Lions with 5.64 kills per game on .390 hitting... A two-time EIVA Player of the Week... AVCA National Player of the Week on Feb. 11. 2007 – AVCA Second Team All-America... First Team All-EIVA... EIVA Championship All-Tournament Team... Averaged 4.35 kills per game as an opposite... Added 33 service aces, good for second on the team and ninth on the all-time single-season chart... Provided 104 total digs and 69 total blocks, good for averages of 1.02 digs per game and 0.68 blocks per game... Set a new career high and Penn State rally-scoring-era record with 35 kills (on .452 hitting) in the five-game win at No. 4 UC Santa Barbara (3/12). 2006 – Second Team All-East... Played in 91 games and all 30 matches... Averaged 2.21 kills per game. HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB HIGHLIGHTS: Attended West Seneca West High School (N.Y.) and led the boys’ volleyball team to a 17-0 regular-season record during his senior season... Squad was the 2004 Division I champions and Matt served as team captain... Was a member of the Eden Volleyball Club in Eden, N.Y. PERSONAL: Born Matthew John Anderson in 1987, in Buffalo, N.Y.... Mother is Nancy Anderson. Matthew’s father, Michael Anderson, died in January 2010... Has three older sisters, Jennifer, Joelle and Amy and one older brother Joshua, one brother-in-law Rialdo, two nephews Aedan and Tristin and two nieces, Alexis and Juliana... Sister Joelle played volleyball at the College of Saint Rose... Sister Amy played volleyball and basketball at Hilbert College... Names Oasis as favorite musical entertainer, buffalo wings from Buffalo, N.Y., as favorite food, and Top Gun as favorite movie... Majored

No. 8 Kyle Caldwell Setter * 6-8 Newport Beach, Calif. College: UCLA Birth Year: 1990 Joined Team: 2011

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2011 – Pan American Games. 2008 – NORCECA Men’s Junior Continental Championship (Bronze medal). INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Named to the World League preliminary roster... Played the winter of 2012-13 for Volleyball Club Noliko Masseik in Belgium. 2011 – Was the starting setter for the U.S. Men’s National Team that placed fifth at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. Finished third among all setters in the tournament with 176 running sets and six faults on 651 attempts for an average of 6.07 running sets per set. 2008 – Played for the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team that won the bronze medal at the NORCECA Continental Championship in El Salvador. COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2012 – Earned consensus first-team All-America honors from the AVCA and Volleyball magazine... Also selected First-Team All-MPSF after ranking ninth in the conference at 9.80 in assists per set... Played in 29 matches and started 28... Recorded 1,023 sets during the season, which ranked seventh on the UCLA rally-scoring chart... Scored 203 points (1.3 pps) during the season to lead all MPSF setters... Also hit .440 for the season with 131 kills, both UCLA records for setters ... His 2012 hitting percentage ranks sixth on the rally-scoring chart... Received the 2012 Maggie Gilbert Academic Achievement Award, given to the student-athlete who improves his grade point average throughout his career at UCLA. 2011 – Started in 24 matches and played in 26 mostly at opposite for UCLA… finished the season with 2.5 kills per set, 2.5 digs per set and 2.9 points per set. 2010 – Played in 13 matches and started in six… averaged 7.3 assists per set. 2009 – Played in 21 matches and started in 10 as a freshman… recorded five double-digit kill matches.

CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: Eight-time letterman in basketball and volleyball at Newport Harbor HS. 2008 – Led Balboa Bay Volleyball Club to the gold medal in the 18s Division... In high school volleyball, was an All-league selection and league MVP... Orange County Player of the Year... All-CIF. In basketball, he was a two-time All-Sunset League selection, earning co-MVP honors as a senior. 2007 – Member of the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club team that won gold at the USA Volleyball Junior Olympics. 2006 – Led the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club to a bronze medal in the 2006 USA Volleyball Junior Nationals where he was named Most Valuable Player.

Courtesy of FIVB Courtesy of FIVB Photo by Suzie Houseworth

PERSONAL: Born Kyle Jonathan Caldwell in 1990.... Parents are Anne and Bruce Caldwell... Has a younger brother, Cody Caldwell, who was a member of the 2011 U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team... Kyle graduated from Newport Harbor High School in 2008 and is projected to graduate from UCLA in 2012 with a major in History…His favorite food is sushi… favorite book is The Wave… favorite type of music is hip-hop and favorite movie is Drive. Will Ferrell is Kyle’s favorite actor and the Los Angeles Lakers are his team-of-choice. Lionel Messi is his favorite athlete and in his free time he plays basketball and ping pong… Kyle lists his parents as the people he most admires… Kyle’s grandfather, George Yardley played in the NBA for the Detroit Pistons and is in the NBA Hall of Fame.

All-Orange County third team and All-Seaview League Co-MVP honors as a junior. 2006 – Made the 16-and-Under All-Tournament team at the 2006 Junior Nationals as his club won the 16s gold medal.

No. 10 Tony Ciarelli Outside Hitter * 6-6 Huntington Beach, Calif. College: USC Birth Year: 1990 Joined Team: 2011

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 – Pan American Cup (Gold medal). 2011 – Pan American Games... Pan American Cup (Silver medal). 2009 – FIVB Men’s Junior (U-21) World Championship. INTERNATIONAL INDOOR HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Named to the World League preliminary roster. 2012 – Named Best Spiker of the Pan American Cup as the U.S. won the tournament (July 9-14 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)... Finished with 39 kills on 71 attempts (54.9 kill percent) with 10 errors (.408 hitting efficiency)... Was the United States’ second leading scorer for the tournament, finishing with 49 points on 39 kills, four blocks and six aces. 2011 – Was the second best U.S. scorer and sixth overall at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico... Finished with 90 points on 75 kills, 12 blocks and three aces. Helped the U.S. Men win the silver medal at the Pan American Cup in Gatineau, Canada. 2009 – Tony was the starting outside hitter on the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team that finished eighth at the FIVB World Championship in Pune, India… Tony was the United States’ leading scorer and ninth among all players with 105 points on 86 kills, 12 blocks and seven aces… He was seventh among all spikers with a kill percentage of 48.59… He was the team’s best server and 10th overall with an average of 0.23 aces per set… He was the team’s third-leading blocker, averaging 0.40 blocks per set… Tony was also on the training team for the FIVB Beach Junior World Championships. INTERNATIONAL BEACH COMPETITIONS: 2012 – NORCECA - Trinidad & Tobago (Gold medal)... NORCECA - St. Lucia (Silver medal)... NORCECA - Chula Vista. 2010 – FIVB Beach Junior (U-21) World Championships. 2008 – FIVB Beach Youth (U-19) World Championships (Silver Medal). INTERNATIONAL BEACH HIGHLIGHTS: 2012 – Won the gold medal with partner Will Montgomery at the NORCECA Beach Circuit event in Trinidad & Tobago... Won the silver medal with partner Jeff Carlson at the NORCECA Beach Circuit event in St. Lucia... Finished tied for fifth with partner Jeff Carlson at the NORCECA Beach Circuit event in Chula Vista, Calif. 2010 – Tied for fifth at the FIVB Beach Junior (U-21) World Championship with teammate Evan Barry. Tony was a last-minute replacement on the team for Will Montgomery, who was injured. 2008 – Tony and partner Jeff Carlson won the silver medal at the FIVB Beach Youth World Championships in The Hague, Netherlands. He was also on the training team for the Beach Junior World Championships.

COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2012 – AVCA and Volleyball Magazine Player of the Year... AVCA All-American First Team... MPSF Player of the Year... First Team All-MPSF... Led the Trojans to the final of the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Division I Championship where they lost to UC Irvine... Led the nation in aces per set (.61)... set the school record (in the rally-scoring era) for aces in a four-year career with 164... Averaged 4.13 kills per set. 2011 – Started for his third season at outside hitter as a junior... Made the 2011 AVCA All-American second team, Volleyball Magazine All-American third team and All-MPSF first team ... He also made the 2011 MPSF All-Tournament team... Second on USC in kills (350) and aces (36), tied for third in blocks (64) and was fourth in digs (142) while hitting .317. 2010 – Started all season at outside hitter as a sophomore... Led the team in aces (38), was second in kills (406) while hitting .231 and digs (194) and fourth in blocks (73) ... Made 2010 All-MPSF honorable mention. 2009 – Became just the third Trojan (and first since 1999) to be named National Freshman of the Year by Volleyball Magazine... Named Second Team All-American by Volleyball Magazine and the AVCA... Helped USC to the NCAA final where it lost to UC Irvine, 3-2… Started all 32 matches at outside hitter... Overall while hitting .277, he was second on the team in kills (468) and aces (31) and third on the team in digs (195) and blocks (75)... All-MPSF third team, All-MPSF Freshman team (USC’s first such frosh honoree since 1999) and MPSF All-Tournament team. PERSONAL: Born Antonio Chalmers Ciarelli in 1990 in Laguna Beach, Calif. ... Parents are Rocky and Cammy Ciarelli... Has one sister, Felicia (1988)... Rocky played volleyball at Long Beach State (1977-79) before becoming an assistant coach there and now is a volunteer assistant coach at USC, while his mother, Cammy (Chalmers), played at UCLA (1979-82) and then won 14 pro beach tournaments in the early 1990s (mainly with Holly McPeak)... Tony began playing volleyball in 2000 with Surf City Volleyball Club... Graduated from Huntington Beach High School in 2008... Favorite food is Italian... Favorite book is Sacred Hoops by Phil Jackson... Favorite music category is hip-hop/rap... Favorite musician is Ben Harper... Favorite sports team is the New York Yankees... Favorite athlete is Joe DiMaggio... Most admired person is his father.

CLUB/PREP HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 – Won the Under-18 Open Championship and was named MVP with Balboa 18 Quiksilver at the Boys’ National Championship in Sandy, Utah… Volleyball Magazine All-American second team, Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 list, All-CIF Division I first team and Orange County Register All-Orange County first team as a senior at Huntington Beach (Calif.) High... Had 433 kills, 210 digs, 45 aces, 40 blocks and a hitting percentage of .350 in 2008. 2007 – MVP of the 2007 International Youth Boys division at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships as his team won a bronze medal… Earned All-CIF Division I second team, Los Angeles Times All-Star second team, Orange County Register

Courtesy of NORCECA

spikers with a hitting percentage of 0.42. 2007 – Carson was the United States’ second leading scorer at the FIVB Boys’ Youth World Championship in Baja, Mexico, finishing with 77 points on 65 kills, nine blocks and three aces. 2006 – Was a member of the U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team that finished second at the NORCECA Championship in Dominican Republic. The team lost to Puerto Rico in the final.

No. 15 Carson Clark Opposite * 6-8 Santa Barbara, Calif. College: UC Irvine Birth Year: 1989 Joined Team: 2010

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2011 – World University Games in Shenzhen, China. 2010 – FIVB World Championship... Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2007 – FIVB Boys’ Youth World Championship (15th). 2006 – NORCECA Boys’ Youth Continental Championship (Silver Medal). INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Named to the preliminary U.S. World League roster... Played for Montpellier in France’s A1 league during the winter of 2012-13. 2012 – Helped the U.S. Men win the gold medal at the Pan American Cup in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic... Finished with 42 points on 39 kills and three aces in 12 sets played. 2011 – Competed in 21 sets and started 10 for the U.S. team at the World University Games on Aug. 12-23 in Shenzhen, China. The U.S. Men finished 13th at the Games. Clark had 61 points on 41 kills, eight blocks and five aces. 2010 – Carson was the backup opposite to Clay Stanley at the FIVB World Championship in Italy where the U.S. Men finished sixth... Carson saw playing time in one match and did not score... Carson was the starting opposite for the Pan American Cup team that won the gold medal in San Juan, Puerto Rico (May 24-29). He was the United States’ third-leading scorer and 10th among all scorers with 56 points on 49 kills, three blocks and four spikes in 18 sets. He was third among all Courtesy of NORCECA

COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2012 – Helped UC Irvine win the NCAA Division I-II National Championship... Voted outstanding player of the NCAA tournament, finishing the final with 22 kills and a hitting efficiency of .465... AVCA First Team All-American... First Team All-MPSF... Finished as Irvine’s all-time kill leaders with 1.861. 2011 – Second team All-American and first team All-MPSF honoree... Averaged 4.54 kills and 5.21 points per set...ranked third in the nation in kills per set and seventh in aces (0.42)... Ranked second in the MPSF with a 4.58 kills and 5.29 points average overall and also ranked third in service aces with a 0.44 average... Ended the year ranked second in UCI career service aces (122), third in attack attempts (3,105) and fourth in kills (1,447)... His 47 aces in 2011 was tied for second in the season record book... Totaled double-digit kills in all but two matches this year, totaling 20 or more kills 10 times... Put away 35 kills against Pepperdine (1/21/11) which was the 10th best total in a match at UCI and the most by an MPSF player last season... Named AVCA National Player of the Week as well as MPSF Co-Player of the Week on Apr. 4, 2011. 2010 – AVCA First Team All-American… First Team AllMPSF… Set UCI single-season records for service aces (50) and attack attempts (1,259) as well as ranking fourth in kills (564)… Played 108 sets for UCA… Finished the season with 625 points on 541 kills (.306 hitting percentage), 12 aces (0.11 per set), 7 solo blocks and 58 block assists… Carson also had 196 digs (1.81 per set). 2009 – Helped UC Irvine win the NCAA Men’s National Championship... Named to the NCAA All-tournament Team... Second Team AVCA All-America... Named MPSF Freshman of the Year as well as first team and All-Freshman team accolades... Led the team with a 3.90 kill average, which was 17th in the country and eighth in the MPSF... Hit .336 overall which was 25th in the country... Ranked eighth among MPSF players in points per set at 4.51... Tallied 25 aces... Recorded kills in double-digits 20 times, including 20 or more kills on seven occasions... Named to the UCSB/Elephant Bar Collegiate All-Tournament Team. 2008 – Redshirted. CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: Began playing volleyball in 2003 for the Southern California Volleyball Club… Won a silver medal with the SCVC Boys 18s team at the 2005 Junior National Championships and won a bronze medal in 2004... Earned all-tournament honors at the 2003 Junior Nationals… Attended Santa Barbara High School 2005-07… Fourtime All-CIF selection from Santa Barbara HS... Team was CIF Division 2 finalist... Channel League Co-MVP as a senior... Team won Channel League title... Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selection PERSONAL: Born Carson Martin Clark in 1989 in Santa Barbara, Calif. … Parents are Glen and Candy Clark… Carson has two older brothers, Ian and Sutton… Graduated from UC Irvine in 2012 with a degree in sociology… Favorite food is sushi… Favorite book is Into the Wild… Favorite musician is Kid Cudi… Favorite professional team is Liverpool FC… Favorite athlete is Laird Hamilton… Hobbies include going to the beach and naps… Clark considered leaving UCI after his junior year to play overseas professionally, but stayed and ended up winning his second NCAA national championship... His most admired person is Obi Wan Kenobi because “He is what I wish I could be.”

No. 12 Russell Holmes Middle Blocker * 6-8 Fountain Valley, Calif. College: Brigham Young Birth Year: 1982 Joined Team: 2009

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 – Olympic Games... FIVB World League (Silver Medal)... NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament (Gold Medal). 2011 – FIVB World Cup… London Volleyball International Invitational (Bronze Medal)... FIVB World League. 2010 – FIVB World Championship... FIVB World League. 2009 – Brazil Tour... FIVB World League. INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Named to the World League preliminary roster... Played the winter of 2012-13 for Poland’s Jastrzębski Węgiel in the Plus Liga. 2012 – Played in 83 sets and started 75 in 2012 and finished as the team’s third-leading scorer and leading blocker with 201 points on 120 kills, 69 blocks (.83 per set) and 12 aces. Hitting efficiency was .543… Started all 21 sets of the Olympic Games and finished 46 points on 28 kills, 17 blocks and one ace. Led the team in blocks (.81 per set) and was second among all Olympic players. Scored tourney-high nine points in 3-0 victories over Germany and Tunisia… Was the team’s thirdleading World League scorer, finishing with 122 points on 71 attacks, a team-leading 44 blocks (.90 per set) and seven aces. Played in 49 sets. Best match came against Korea on May 19 when he scored 15 points on seven attacks, six blocks and two aces.... Was the fifth-leading scorer for the U.S. at the NORCECA Olympic Qualifier (5/7-12). Played in 13 sets and scored 33 points on 21 kills, eight blocks, and four aces. Hitting efficiency was .714. During the winter of 2011-12, played for Poland’s Jastrzębski Węgiel in the Plus Liga. 2011 – Finished the 2011 season as the team’s eighth leading scorer with 109 points on 77 attacks, 27 blocks and five aces in 71 sets played. His 27 blocks put him fourth on the team… Was the team’s fourth-leading scorer and second-leading blocker at the FIVB World Cup where he finished with 57 points on 38 attacks, 16 blocks and three aces in 29 sets played. The U.S. Men finished sixth… Started 15 out of 18 sets at the London Volleyball International Invitational, where the U.S. Men finished third. He scored 32 points on 24 kills, seven blocks and one ace. His hitting efficiency was 0.512 and his kill percent was 56. Russell started 10 sets and played in 27 during the FIVB World League, where the U.S. Men finished eighth... He finished with 20 points on 15 kills, four blocks and one ace. During the winter of 2010-11, Russell played for Vivo/Minas in Brazil’s Superliga. 2010 – Was the U.S. Men’s Team’s fifth-leading scorer in 2010 with 115 points (2.21 points per set) on 70 kills (0.44 hitting percentage), 38 blocks (0.73 blocks per set) and seven aces (0.13 blocks per set). His 38 blocks was second on the team… Played in 25 sets and started 23 at the FIVB World Championship in Italy where the U.S. Men finished sixth. He was the team’s fifth-leading scorer with 46 points on 29 kills, 12 blocks and five aces. Was the team’s third-leading blocker and 29th overall with 12 blocks and 18 faults on 51 attempts for an average of 0.36 blocks per set... Played in 27 sets during the FIVB World League. He posted 43 kills (1.52 per set) and his .524 hitting percentage was the team-high. His 23 stuff blocks (.47 per set) were good enough for second place among the team’s leaders. He tallied a service ace and three digs. He finished the League with 41 points (1.52 per set). Played the winter of 2009-10 for HYPO Tirol Innsbruck in Austria. The team won its second-straight Austrian Cup Championship and finished fifth in the CEV Cup. 2009 – Was part of the U.S. Men’s team that traveled to Brazil for five exhibition matches. The United States did not win a match; but scored 30 points, including seven blocks, in 15 sets played... Saw limited playing time in five World League pool play matches. U.S. Men

went on to finish sixth. 2008-09 – Played overseas for Austria’s HYPO Tirol in the Middle European Volleyball Zone Association, winning the MEVZA Cup and the Austrian Cup. C O L L E G E HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 – Started in all 30 matches and all 113 games ... Named AVCA First-Team AllAmerican... Earned All-MPSF First Team accolades... Finished the season fourth in the nation in hitting percentage at 0.454 and second in the nation Matt Brown averaging 1.52 blocks per game. 2007 – A second team AVCA All-America honoree for the second straight season... Named to the All-MPSF Second Team... Team captain... Played in all 29 matches, starting 28... Played in a team-high 99 games during the season... Named the Outrigger Hotels Invitational Tournament Most Outstanding Player award... Set a BYU season record for block solos with 28, beating out the previous record of 22 formerly held by Ryan Millar... Led the team in hitting percentage (.438), total blocks (144), blocks per game (1.45), block solos (28) and block assists (116)... Led the nation in block solos (28). 2006 – Named to the AVCA All-America Second Team... Earned second-team All-MPSF honors... A Student Athlete Academic Center Scholar Athlete... Started all 27 matches and was the only player on the team to play in all 104 sets... Finished sixth in the nation with a .456 hitting percentage and third in MPSF play at .462. 2005 – Played in 30 matches and appeared in 98 games... Started 13 matches... Recorded 107 kills while hitting .368... Totaled 67 blocks. 2004 – Freshman red shirt the year BYU won the NCAA National Championship. CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: In 2001, his Long Beach club team won the gold medal at the U.S. Junior Nationals and he was named an AllAmerican… Named to Volleyball Magazine’s Fab 50 in 2001… Played for Fountain Valley High School. PERSONAL: Born Russell Kenneth Holmes in 1982 in Anaheim, Calif. ... Parents are Mark and Tamara (Tami) Holmes... Has a younger brother, Dane, and an older sister, Leah… Has a daughter, Sadie Rae, who was born in June 2007... Served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints to London, England... Started playing volleyball as a junior at Fountain Valley High School with friends… Graduated from Fountain Valley in 2001… Also lettered three years ... He enjoys beach volleyball, surfing and snowboarding… Is an Eagle Scout… He graduated from BYU in 2008 with a degree in sociology… His most admired person is his father: “for his patience, love, support, integrity and hard work. He is someone I aspire to be like as a father and husband”… His happiest moment in life was witnessing the birth of his daughter.

No. 17 Max Holt Middle Blocker * 6-9 Cincinnati, Ohio College: Penn State Birth Year: 1987 Joined Team: 2009

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 – World League (Silver medal) 2011 – FIVB World Cup… NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship (Silver Medal)... London Volleyball International Invitational (Bronze Medal)… FIVB World League. 2010 – FIVB World Championship. FIVB World League. 2009 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2007 – FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship (7th). 2006 – NORCECA Men’s Junior Continental Championship (Silver Medal). 2005 – Four Nations Tournament. INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the FIVB World League preliminary roster... Played during the winter of 2012-13 for Copra Elior Piacenza in Italy’s Serie A league. Helped the team win the CEV Challenge Cup and finish second in the league playoffs. 2012 – Was an alternate on the 2012 Olympic Team... Traveled for a weekend of World League 2011 – Finished the season with 76 points on 49 kills, seven blocks and six aces in 39 sets played… Played in nine sets of the FIVB World Cup and finished with nine points on five attacks and four blocks… Started 15 out of 18 sets at the NORCECA Championship in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico where the U.S. Men finished second to Cuba... Second on the U.S. team and among all players in blocks with 13...Finished with a total of 40 points on 24 kills, 13 blocks and

three aces... His hitting efficiency was 0.455 and his kill percent was 54.5. Max started 11 sets of the London Volleyball International Invitational where the U.S. Men finished third. He finished with 23 points (2.09 per set) on 16 kills (1.45 per set), four blocks (0.36 per set) and three aces (0.27 per set)... Max saw limited playing time during the 2011 FIVB World League as middle blockers Dave Lee and Ryan Millar got most of the starts. The U.S. Men finished seventh in World League. Max played for Copra Morpho Piacenza in Italy’s Serie A league during the winter of 2010-11... Played for Copra Morpho Piacenza in Italy’s Serie A league during the winter of 2010-11. 2010 – Played in 41 sets for the U.S. Men in 2010, finishing with 57 points on 41 kills (0.372 hitting percentage), 13 blocks (0.32 blocks per set) and three aces (0,07 aces per set)... Max appeared in 22 sets and started 21 at the FIVB World Championship in Italy where the U.S. Men finished sixth. He finished the tournament with 37 points on 28 kills, eight blocks and one ace. He averaged 0.24 blocks per set... Max appeared in 19 sets during the FIVB World League and had a hitting percentage of .471, second best for the team. He also tallied 10 kills (0.53 per set), two stuff blocks (0.04 per set) and two service aces (0.04 per set). He finished the League with 14 total points (0.74). Played for Bluvolley Verona in Italy’s Serie A League during the winter of 2009-10. 2009 – Played on the Pan American Cup team that won the gold medal in Chiapas, Mexico… Max started all four matches and played 16 sets… He finished with 56 points on 41 kills, 10 blocks and 5 aces. 2007 – Was a starting middle blocker for the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team that finished seventh at the FIVB World Championship in Rabat, Morocco… Scored 56 points for the championship... Provided 42 kills for an average of 1.55 kills per set on .400 hitting... Added five blocks and six digs. 2006 – Was a starting middle blocker on the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team that finished second to Cuba at the NORCECA Continental Championship in Monterrey, Mexico… Max was named the tournament’s Best Blocker. COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2009 (Senior) – Named AVCA Division I All American for the second year as Penn State advanced to the NCAA Championship match where it lost to USC… Max was named the 2009 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Player of the Year and was on the EIVA All-East First Team… He ranked first in the nation in aces per game and hitting percentage. 2008 (Junior) – AVCA First Team All-American... NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team... First Team All-EIVA... EIVA All-Championship Team... four-time EIVA Player of the Week... Played in 100 of 103 games and all 31 matches... Recorded 318 kills, 48 service aces, 41 digs and 130 total blocks... Averaged 3.18 kills per game on .548 hitting, good for first on the team and in the nation. 2007 (Sophomore) – First Team All-EIVA... EIVA Championship AllTournament Team... Active Ankle/Long Beach State Guesthouse Classic All-Tournament Team... Played in every game of the season, averaging 2.71 kills per game on .447 hitting, good for 12th on the Penn State single-season hitting percentage list. 2006 (Freshman) – First Team All-East... EIVA All-Championship team... played in all 30 matches and 108 games... Averaged 2.17 kills per game on .415 hitting (15th in the nation) with 0.23 service aces per game, 0.44 digs per game and 1.19 blocks per game. CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: Max was a six-time letterwinner (four in volleyball and two in soccer) for Purcell Marian (Ohio) High School... Named the Ohio Player of the Year following senior season in 2005... First team all-state as a junior and third team all-region as a sophomore... Played for the Cincinnati Attack club team... Squad was Flight 1 champions at the 2004 Junior National Championship. PERSONAL: Born Maxwell Philip Holt on March 12, 1987 in Cincinnati, Ohio... Parents are Kim and Angie Holt... Has two older siblings, Megan and Nick, and a younger brother, Sam, who also plays volleyball... Max was a six-time letterwinner (four in volleyball and two in soccer) for Purcell Marian (Ohio) High School... Named the Ohio Player of the Year following senior season in 2005... First team all-state as a junior and third team all-region as a sophomore... Played for the Cincinnati Attack club team... Squad was Flight 1 champions at the 2004 Junior National Championship… Max names Ben Harper as favorite musical entertainer, history as favorite school subject, the Cincinnati Bengals as favorite pro sports team and Chad Johnson as favorite athlete... Graduated from Penn State in 2009 with a degree in journalism.

Courtesy of FIVB

No. 18 Jayson Jablonsky Outside Hitter * 6-5 Yorba Linda, Calif. College: UC Irvine Birth Year: 1986 Joined Team: 2008

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 – FIVB World League (Silver medal). 2011 – NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship (Silver Medal)… London International Volleyball Invitational (Bronze Medal)… Pan American Cup (Silver Medal). 2009 – Brazil Tour... 2010 FIVB World Championship Qualifier for NORCECA Group F (Gold Medal)… FIVB World League. 2008 – America’s Cup... Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2007 – World University Games (Bronze Medal). INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the FIVB World League preliminary roster. 2012 – Was named an alternate on the 2012 Olympic Team... Traveled for a weekend of World League pool play. 2011 – Fnished the season with a kill percent of 54.2 and a hitting efficiency of .483. He averaged 2.48 points per set and one dig per set... Jayson played in seven sets and started five at the NORCECA Championship, where the U.S. Men finished second to Cuba... Jayson scored 17 points on 16 kills and one block... Jayson’s hitting efficiency was 0.577 and his kill percent was 62. Jayson played in nine sets of the London Test Event, starting three, and scoring 15 points on 12 kills, two blocks and one ace… Jayson was on the 20-man roster for the 2011 FIVB World League but did not play… Jayson and middle blocker David Smith tied as the second-leading scorer at the 2011 Pan American Cup in Canada with 45 points on 36 kills, four blocks and five aces. His hitting efficiency was 0.451. His kill percent was 63.4. 2010 – Jayson played the winter of 2010-11 for Olympiakos in the Hellenic League... Jayson played on the U.S. Men’s A2 Team that won the Pan American Cup in San Juan, Puerto Rico... Jayson was named the tournament MVP and Best Spiker... He led all spikers with 59 kills and eight errors on 110 total attempts (53.64 success percentage). Jayson concluded the tournament with a total of 75 points, good for second place among leading scorers... He was fifth among all blockers with an average of 0.67 blocks per set... He was the United States’ leading server and 10th

Courtesy of NORCECA

overall with four aces and four faults on 72 attempts for an average of 0.22 aces per set... Jayson was the United States’ leading receiver and seventh overall with 51 excellent receptions and four faults on 83 attempts for an efficiency percentage of 56.63. 2009 – Jayson played the 2009-10 winter season for Leones de Ponce, but had to leave the team early due to injury... Jayson finished the season with a 0.600 hitting percentage, with 27 kills and no errors on 45 attempts in 15 sets. He finished the season averaging 1.93 points per set... Jayson accompanied the team on a Tour of Brazil, playing in five exhibition matches... Jayson was the United States’ third-leading scorer and seventh overall as the U.S. Men won the 2010 FIVB World Championship Qualifier for NORCECA Group F held Aug. 1517 in Irvine, Calif. He finished with 22 points on 20 kills and two aces. He finished third among all spikers with 20 kills and four errors in 31 attempts for a success percentage of 64.52… Jayson helped the U.S. Men finish sixth in the FIVB World League tournament. 2008 – Played on the U.S. Men’s Team that finished fifth at the America’s Cup in Brazil... Was an alternate for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team... Played on the gold-medal winning 2008 Pan American Cup team (June 2-7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba)... Scored 32 points on 25 kills, five blocks and two aces in the tournament... Was a member of the U.S. Men’s Training Team that traveled to Japan to prepare the Japanese squad for Olympic qualification from May 17-25. 2007 – Helped the U.S. men win the bronze medal at the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand. 2005 – Played on the U.S. Junior National Team that finished eighth in the 2005 FIVB Men’s U-21 World Volleyball Championships in Andhra Pradesh, India. 2004 – Helped the U.S. Junior National Team to a second place finish at the 2004 NORCECA Junior Men’s Volleyball Championship in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2007 – Helped UC Irvine to the NCAA Division I Men’s Volleyball National Championship... Jayson was named secondteam All-America by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)... Second team All-MPSF selection... Named to the NCAA all-tournament team after totaling 32 kills in two matches... In the postseason, he averaged 4.30 kills and 4.89 points per game... Averaged 3.89 kills, 1.58 digs and 4.61 points per game overall... Led the team against MPSF opponents with a 3.80 kill average... Ranked 18th nationally in aces (.371). Also was fourth in aces (0.38) among MPSF players and 10th in points per game (4.57)... UCI’s all-time ace leader with 128. Had 46 aces, firing at least one in 28 of 34 matches this year. 46 aces tied for second in the season record book... Totaled kills in double-digits in 29 of 34 matches... Ends his career second in kills with 1,528 and in career attack attempts (3,081). Fourth in career digs (595)... Named to the 2007 Elephant Bar All-Tournament team. 2006 – Named AVCA National Player of the Year as well as MPSF Player of the Year... First team All-America and All-MPSF... Named UCI’s Male Athlete of the Year... First-team Asics/Volleyball Magazine All-American and Player of the Year... Named to the NCAA All-Tournament team... Averaged 4.17 kills per game which ranked 17th in the country, was 18th in points (4.89) and 11th in aces (.367)... Also averaged 1.61 digs and 0.65 blocks per game... Led the team with 40 service aces, which ranked second most in a season at UCI... Had 454 kills, which is seventh in the UCI season records and 892 attempts which is 10th... Following the end of the season, he ranks seventh in career kills (1,046), 10th in attempts (2,102) and fourth in aces (82). 2005 – Named second-team All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF)... Named second team All-American by Volleyball Magazine... Led the team in kills, averaging 4.03 per game... Averaged 1.26 digs and 0.59 blocks per game... Totaled 27 service aces... Averaged 21 kills over the last five matches. 2004 – Third on the team in kills, averaging 2.54 per game... Averaged 1.37 digs and 0.57 blocks per game... Totaled 15 service aces. PERSONAL: Born Jayson Michael Jablonsky on July 23, 1985, in Orange, Calif.... Parents are Paul and Betty Jablonsky... Has two older siblings, Matt and Heather... Jayson married Tammara Koehler in July of 2009... Jayson attended Esperanza High School (1999-2003) where he also played soccer... Played for the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club... Studied criminology at UC Irvine... Sushi is his favorite food... J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” is his favorite book... His favorite movie is Edward Scissorhands... The Office is his favorite television show... Listens to rock music with AFI as his favorite band... Likes to watch hockey and the Anaheim Ducks are his favorite professional team... Enjoys playing the guitar, the beach and trying to surf... His happiest moment in life has yet to come, but his fondest sports memory was winning the 2007 NCAA Division I men’s volleyball national championship.

No. 5 Rich Lambourne Libero * 6-3 Tustin, Calif. College: BYU Birth Year: 1975 Joined Team: 2000

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 – Olympic Games... FIVB World League (Silver Medal)... NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament (Gold Medal). 2011 – FIVB World Cup... NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship (Silver Medal)... FIVB World League. 2010 – FIVB World Championship... FIVB World League. 2009 – NORCECA Continental Championship (Silver Medal)... Brazil Tour... 2010 FIVB World Championship Qualifier for NORCECA Group F (Gold Medal)... FIVB World League. 2008 – America’s Cup... Olympic Games (Gold Medal)... FIVB World League (Gold Medal)... Four Nations’ Tournament (Gold Medal)... NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualifying Championship (Gold Medal). 2007 – FIVB World Cup... NORCECA Continental Championship (Gold Medal)... Americas’ Cup (Gold Medal)... Pan American Games (Silver Medal)... FIVB World League (Bronze Medal). 2006 – FIVB World Championships... FIVB World League... Pan American Cup (Gold Medal)... Argentina Tour. 2005 – Pacific Northwest Tour vs. Netherlands... USOC International Sports Invitational (Silver Medal)... Argentina Tour... Americas’ Cup (Gold Medal)... FIVB World Championship Qualifying Tournament (Gold Medal)... NORCECA Continental Championships (Gold Medal)... World Grand Champions Cup (Silver Medal). 2003 – Colorado/Nebraska Tour... Canada Tour... Japan Tour (Training Team)... NORCECA Zone Championships (Gold Medal). 2002 – Louisville Tour. 2001 - Japan Tour... World League... NORCECA Zone Championships. INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the FIVB World League preliminary roster. 2012 – Started all 97 sets in which the top U.S. Men’s National Team competed in 2012. Led team in digs with 144 (1.48 per set)… Played in all 21 sets of the Olympic Games. Credited with 31 digs and 86 excellent receptions. Finished seventh among all diggers and eighth among all liberos… Played in all 60 World League sets. Finished with a total of 75 digs (1.25 digs per set). Finished pool play fourth among all liberos. Was fourth in digs during pool play with an average of 2.02 per set... Played in 16 sets of the NORCECA Olympic Qualifier where the U.S. men won gold... Led the team in digs with 38 (2.38 digs per set). 2011 – Finished the season as the team’s leading digger with 180 in 107 sets played (1.68 digs per set)… Competed in 31 sets of the FIVB World Cup and finished as the team’s leading digger and seventh overall with 61 digs... Played in all 18 sets of the NORCECA Championship in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico where the U.S. Men finished second to Cuba. Credited with 97 receptions and 27 digs.... Played in all 58 sets of the 2011 FIVB World League where the U.S. Men advanced to the Final Round and finished seventh. Finished pool play ranked third among all liberos. Led the team in digs in pool play with 132 in 214 attempts and an average of 2.93 per set.... In the Final Round, led the team in digs with 45 in 13 sets for an average of 3.46 per set... He had 146 receptions on 248 attempts in pool play... Rich joined Fart Kielce in Poland in the winter of 2011. 2010 – Finished 2010 having played in 80 sets for the U.S. Men. He finished with 114 digs (1.42 digs per set). He was also credited with one point on a kill... Rich started all 33 of the United States’ sets at the FIVB World Championship in Italy where the U.S. Men finished sixth. Rich finished fifth among all liberos with 199 “excellents” and 39 faults for an average of 6.03 per set. Rich was the U.S. Men’s leading digger and sixth overall with 76 digs and 30 faults on 115 attempts for an average of 2.30 per set. He was also the team’s leading receiver and ninth overall with 123 excellents and nine faults on 192 attempts for an efficiency percentage of 59.38... Rich played in 45 sets over the course of the FIVB World League Intercontinental Round and led the team with 64 digs (1.31 per set). He also ranked 11th amongst the League’s best in both digs and liberos, where he tallied 150 “excellents”. He averaged 3.06 “excellents” per set. 2009 – Finished the season with 137 digs in 71 sets for an average of 1.93 digs per set.... Joined the U.S. Team for the Brazil Tour in which they played five exhibition matches in Brazil... Was the United States’ best digger and second overall at the NORCECA Continental Championship. Credited with 40 digs (2.35 per set) and 23 faults on 85 attempts. Ranked the third-best libero overall... Helped the U.S. win the 2010 FIVB World Championship Qualifier on Aug. 15-17 in Irvine, Calif. Won Best Digger (0.89 digs per set), Best Receiver (23 excellents and no faults in 29 attempts) and Best Libero (31 excellents and four faults in 64 attempts)… Was the United States’ starting

libero in every match but one of the 2009 FIVB World League… Averaged 1.84 digs per set in pool play and had 94 excellent receptions on 294 attempts. Fourth among liberos in the final round with 24 “excellents” on 48 attempts and an average of four per set. 2008 – Played with the U.S. Men’s Team that finished fifth at the America’s Cup in Brazil... Played in every set of the Olympic Games and helped the U.S. Men to the gold medal. He was credited with 64 digs and 147 “excellent” service receptions on 230 total attempts for a success percentage of 63.91... Played in every set of the FIVB World League and was named best libero of the final round as the U.S. Men won their first World League title. Finished the final round with 45 digs and 25 faults in 74 total attempts for an average of three digs per set. He was also credited with 76 “excellent” receptions on 131 attempts for an efficiency percentage of 55... Played in all 15 sets for the U.S. Men at the NORCECA Olympic Qualifier as Team USA won and qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games. Credited with 59 receptions and 29 digs. He was named Best Libero and Best Receiver of the tournament. 2007 – Played in 147 sets for the U.S. Men, which was every set played in the season. He finished the year with 337 digs, averaging 2.29 digs per set... Ranked fourth among all liberos at the 2007 World Cup, finishing with 229 “excellent” receptions in 369 attempts for a success percentage of 59.62... Third best digger of the NORCECA Continental Championship with 25 digs, 22 receptions and six faults in 53 attempts... Named the Best Libero of the 2007 World League. He finished the final round with an average of 1.79 digs per set and 42 “excellent” serve receptions out of 87 attempts. Finished second among all World League “serve receivers” in pool play with a 65.47 efficiency percentage. 2006 – Was the starting libero for all U.S. matches in 2006 and played 119 sets...Led the team in digs with 264... Helped the team remain undefeated (4-0) during the inaugural Pan American Cup in June and was named the tournament’s best digger... Played on the Argentina tour when the team went 4-1. 2005 – Was the team’s starting libero all season... Played every set of every match (119 sets overall) and led the team in digs with 283... Rich capped the 2005 season as a member of the USA squad that captured the silver medal at the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup in November in Japan... Earned “Best Libero” honors as the USA Men stunned the world’s best team when it defeated 2004 Olympic gold medalist Brazil in five sets to win the America’s Cup tournament in Brazil on Aug. 7... Earned a gold medal as Team USA won its secondstraight NORCECA Continental Championship with a four-set victory over Cuba on Sept. 15... The USA Men qualified for the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup with the win...Named “Best Receiver” and earned a gold medal in August at the FIVB World Championship Qualifying Tournament as the USA Men qualified for the 2006 World Championships. 2004 – Was one of six alternates for the 2004 USA Men’s Olympic Volleyball Team. 2003 – Started for the United States in the NORCECA Zone Championships in Mexico as Team USA captured the gold medal and a berth in the 2003 World Cup, the first Olympic qualifier. 2002 – Competed with teammate Erik Sullivan for the starting libero position...Played in just one tour during the year (Louisville Tour vs. Australia and Canada)... Played in 29 totals sets during the year and racked up 76 digs (2.62 per set). 2001 – Captured the Best Digger award at the NORCECA Zone Championships in August as the U.S. earned the silver medal... Finished third on the team in digs with 102... Played professionally with the Vienna HotVolleys in Austria after the National Team season ended. COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 1999 – Started at outside hitter on BYU’s first-ever national championship team... Played in 82 games and posted 252 kills, 205 digs, 88 blocks and a .348 hitting percentage. 1998 – Played in 21-of-22 matches... Recorded 150 kills, 133 digs and 78 blocks. 1997 – Ranked fourth nationally with 2.73 digs per game... Named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Week on March 22... Set a career-high with 23 digs against nationally ranked Hawaii. PERSONAL: Born Richard Edward Lambourne in 1975 in Louisville, Ky. ... Now calls San Diego, Calif., home... Parents are Paul and Ann Lambourne... Has one brother, Stuart, and two sisters, Gwen and Tracy... Stuart was MVP at Foothills High and played volleyball briefly at BYU... Rich enjoys golf, beach volleyball and tennis... Majored in Japanese at BYU... After the 2008 Olympic Games, appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s Olympic show and the Bonnie Hunt Show... Rich was badly injured during a bike accident when he was 6. He skinned his shoulder to the bone and mangled the right side of his face. Says of the accident, “I could have been much uglier but due to my loving parents and medical science, I am only mostly unattractive”... His favorite food is Mexican... Pillars of the Earth is his favorite book... South Park and Family Guy are his favorite television shows... His favorite sports to watch include basketball, golf and football... Notes that he is a “bandwagon guy” when it comes to favorite professional sports teams... Michael Jordan is his favorite athlete... Lists his mom as his most admired person because of her “strength of character, conviction and faith”... Says he is “super sarcastic.”

No. 21 Brad Lawson Outside Hitter * 6-7 Honolulu, Hawaii College: Stanford Birth Year: 1989 Joined Team: 2012

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS: 2011 – World University Games. 2008 – NORCECA Continental Championships, El Salvador (Bronze Medal). 2007 – FIVB World Youth Championships in Mexico. 2006 – NORCECA Continental Championship in Dominican Republic (Silver Medal) INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the preliminary roster for the FIVB World League... Played the winter of 2013-13 for CV Mitteldeutschland in Germany’s top league. 2011 – A member of the U.S. men’s team that competed at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China, in August, 2011... Had 14 kills, two aces and 10 digs against the Czech Republic ... the U.S. finished 12th, though it posted a 5-3 record. 2008 – Member of the Men’s Junior National Team that took bronze at the NORCECA Continental Championships in El Salvador. 2007 – Member of the Boys’ Youth National Team that competed in the FIVB World Championships in Baja, Calif., and Mexico. 2006 – Member of the Boys’ Youth National Team that took silver in the NORCECA Continental Championships in the Dominican Republic. 2005 – USA Youth A2 Camp COLLEGIATE HIGHLIGHTS: 2012 – Became one of four Stanford players to receive three first-team All-America honors... named an AVCA first-team All-American ... also selected to the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation first team for the third time... named to the MPSF All-Tournament team... twice named AVCA National Player of the Week (Feb. 14, April 17), the latter after combining for 27 kills and a .523 hitting percentage in regular-season closing victories over UC Santa Barbarba and UCLA... also named MPSF Player of the Week after combining for 40 kills and a .352 hitting percentage in road victories over Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge... established school career records (rally-scoring era) in kills (1,828) and service aces (128)... also finished at No. 2 in career sets (437), No. 3 in career kills per set (4.18) and No. 7 in career hitting percentage (.326)... also moved into Stanford top-10 in four single-season categories: No. 2 in aces (41), No. 3 in aces per set (0.37), and No. 6 in kills (451)... all four of his kill totals rank among the top 10 in the rally-scoring era... Member of Stanford’s winningest class, with 86 victories... Received the Spirit of Stanford Award by the Stanford Athletic Board. 2011 – Named an AVCA first-team All-American... started all 27 matches he played in as a team captain... led the team with 455 kills and 26 aces... also posted a team-high seven double-doubles... named AVCA National Player of the Week in late February after combining for 43 kills, three aces, and 14 digs against UCLA (Feb. 25) and UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 26)... his hitting percentage of .564 in the second match was also the second-best single-match performance by a Cardinal player this year... earned MPSF Player of the Week honors two weeks into the season, posting a combined 39 kills against BYU in two midJanuary matches... his 27 kills against Long Beach State (April 23) in the last match of the season were the second-most in a single match by a Stanford player on the year... also had the highest number of kills in a four-set match, with 23 against Pacific (April 16) ... earned a spot on the All-MPSF first team as well as the MPSF All-Academic team... brought his career kill total to 1,377, the second-highest tally by a Stanford player in the rallyscoring era... reached the 20-kill mark in nine matches... his 87 aces also rank fourth in Stanford history... finished the season ranked among the top

10 in Stanford career or single-season categories for the rally-scoring era... Had a career-high 16 digs in a five-set victory over UC Irvine (Feb. 12). 2010 – Named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Year ... had what is considered to be the most dominant performance by an outside hitter in an NCAA men’s volleyball final (May 8)... had 24 kills in 28 attacks in the championship sweep over Penn State with only one error, for stepping on the line on a back-row attack... his .821 hitting percentage in the match was nearly .200 better than Stanford’s nextbest performance in 2010 (.625 by Lawson at UC San Diego on 12-for-16)... also had four aces in the match, breaking the school single-season record with 43... hit over .300 in 26 of the team’s 30 matches... named NCAA Tournament’s co-Most Outstanding Player, along with teammate Kawika Shoji... selected as a first-team All-America by the AVCA and Volleyball Suzie Houseworth Magazine... named as the Stanford Athletic Board’s Conference Male Athlete of the Year for his dominance in conference play... led team, and was fifth in the nation, in kills per game (4.92)... broke school season kills record (in the rally-scoring era) in the NCAA final, with 522... led Stanford in service aces (43) and points (601), and points per set (5.67 ... honored with AllTournament awards from MPSF and NCAA, while also earning a spot on the MPSF All-Academic team... started all 30 matches. 2009 – Started all 32 matches - the only Stanford player to do so - and led the team in sets played (116) ... named to the All-MPSF third team and All-MPSF freshmen team... named MPSF player of the week for Feb. 2 after he had a collegiate career-high 27 kills (.438) - including several late in a tight third set - and 11 digs to lead Stanford from a two-set deficit to beat Long Beach State (Jan. 30) ... second behind Evan Romero in kills with 400, a school record for freshman in the rally-scoring era (since 2001)... averaged 3.45 kills per set... recorded 117 digs for the season, reaching double-digits against BYU, Long Beach State, and Pepperdine... averaged 1.53 digs per set... scored 18 service aces for the season. CLUB/PREP HIGHLIGHTS: 2007-08 – Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 Captain... Mizuno First team All-American and Player of the Year... State Player of the year... Led Iolani School to a state championship. 2006-07 – ILH Player of the Year... Finished second at USAV Boys’ Junior National Championships with the Outrigger Canoe Club. 2005 – Finished second at USAV Boys’ Junior National Championships with the Outrigger Conoe Club. PERSONAL: Born Bradley Colgate Lawson in 1989 in Honolulu, Hawaii... Parents are Bill and Laurie Lawson... Has a brother Billy (1984) and a sister Amy (1986)... Sister Amy is a four-time All-NAIA soccer player at Westmont (Calif.) College... Father was an all-conference soccer goalkeeper at Trinity (Conn.) College... Began playing volleyball in 2002 with the Outrigger Canoe Club... Graduated from Iolani School in 2008... Favorite book is Enders Game... Favorite professional sports team is the Dallas Mavericks and favorite athlete is Steve Nash... Hobbies include photography, music, surfing, and piano... has sung the national anthem before Stanford women’s volleyball matches... Graduated from Stanford in 2012 with a degree in science, technology and society.

No. 4 David Lee

Middle Blocker * 6-8 Alpine, Calif. College: Long Beach State Birth Year: 1982 Joined Team: 2003 MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 – Olympic Games… FIVB World League (Silver Medal)… NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament (Gold Medal). 2011 – FIVB World Cup… NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship (Silver Medal)… FIVB World League. 2010 – FIVB World Championship... FIVB World League. 2009 – NORCECA Continental Championship (Silver Medal)... 2010 FIVB World Championship Qualifier for NORCECA Group F (Gold Medal)… FIVB World League. 2008 – Olympic Games (Gold Medal)... FIVB World League (Gold medal)... NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualifying Championship (Gold Medal). 2007 – FIVB World Cup... NORCECA Continental Championship (Gold Medal)... Pan American Games (Silver Medal)... FIVB World League (Bronze Medal). 2006 – FIVB World League... Pan American Cup (Gold Medal)... Argentina Tour. 2005 – Pacific Northwest Tour vs. Netherlands... USOC International Sports Invitational (Silver Medal)... Argentina Tour... America’s Cup (Gold Medal)... FIVB World Championship Qualifying Tournament (Gold Medal)... NORCECA Continental - Championships (Gold Medal). 2003 – World University Games (Bronze Medal). INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the preliminary roster for the FIVB World League... Played the winter of 2013 for Zenit Kazan in Russia. 2012 – Finished season as team’s fifth-leading scorer with 174 points on 116 kills, 48 blocks in 10 aces. Hitting efficiency was .581. Played in 73 out of 97 sets. His 48 blocks (.66 per set) put him third on the team… Started 18 Olympic sets, finishing with 42 points on 25 kills, 15 blocks and two aces. Best match was in 3-2 loss to Russia where he scored 11 points on seven kills and four blocks. Finished fourth among all Olympic blockers (.83 blocks per set)… Finished World League with 89 points on 61 kills, 22 blocks and six aces in 41 sets played. Was eighth among all blockers in the Final Round with eight blocks in 14 sets (.57 blocks per set)… Named tournament’s Best Blocker at the NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualifier with 11 blocks in 14 sets played (.79 blocks per set). Finished with 43 points on 30 kills, 11 blocks, and two aces. Hitting efficiency was .784 and kill percent was 81.1. 2011 – Finished the season as the team’s leading blocker with 82 in 104 sets played (.79 blocks per set). Fourth on the team in scoring with 230 points (2.21 points per set) on 140 kills, 82 blocks and eight aces… Started 32 sets at the FIVB World Cup and finished with 43 points on 29 attacks and 14 blocks… Started 14 sets at the NORCECA Championship in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, where the U.S. Men finished second behind Cuba. Named the tournament’s best blocker with 16. Finished the tournament with 45 points on 28 kills, 16 blocks and one ace... David’s hitting efficiency was 0.587 and his kill percent was 61... Was one of three players who competed in all 58 sets of the FIVB World League (along with Rich Lambourne and Clay Stanley)… Was the leading blocker for the U.S. Men at World League with 52 in 58 sets for an average of 0.90 blocks per set. Finished pool play second among all blockers. Finished World League as the United States’ fourth-leading scorer with 142 points on 83 kills (0.462 hitting efficiency, 53.2 kill percent), 52 blocks and seven aces. 2010 – Played the winter of 2010-11 for Kuzbass Kemerovo in Russia’s Super League... Finished the 2010 season having played in 75 sets, the second most on the team. Finished as the team’s fourth-leading scorer with 150 points on 85 kills (0.36 hitting percentage), 55 blocks (0.73 blocks per set) and 10 aces (0.13 aces per set). His 55 blocks led the team and his 10 aces put him second... Played in 26 sets of the FIVB World Championship. Was the United States’ fourth-leading scorer with 48 points on 28 kills, 18 blocks and two aces. His 18 blocks tied him with Clay Stanley as the team’s leading blocker with an average of .55 per set. Twelfth among all blockers... Was the only player to play in all 49 sets of pool play for the U.S. Men in the FIVB World League. Finished pool play as the League’s fourth-best blocker with his 40 total stuff blocks and 0.82 blocks per set. He also tallied 58 kills (1.18 per set) and had an attacking percentage of .333. He ranked 32nd on the League’s best servers list with eight aces (0.16 per set). He finished the League with 106 points and averaged 2.16 points per set. 2009 – Played for Lokomotiv Novosibirsk in the Russian Super League during the winter of 2009-10... Was the U.S. Men’s leading blocker in 2009 with 49 stuff blocks in 66 sets for an average of .74 per set. Was the team’s third-leading scorer with 176 points on 113 kills, 49 blocks and 14 aces. Had the third most aces on the team...Helped the team to a second-place finish at the 2009 NORCECA Continental Championship in Puerto Rico... Helped

the U.S. Men win the 2010 FIVB World Courtesy of FIVB Championship Qualifier on Aug. 1517 in Irvine, Calif. … Helped the U.S. Men to a sixth-place finish at World League. Was the leading blocker in the final round, but did not receive the award because the U.S. Men did not play for a medal. finished with eight blocks and six errors in 26 attempts for an average of 1.33 blocks per set... Was the United States’ leading blocker and fourth overall in the continental (pool play) round with 30 blocks and 32 errors in 80 attempts and an average of 0.67 blocks per set. 2008 – Played the 2008-09 winter season for Sisley Treviso in Italy’s Serie A League... Finished the 2008 season as the team’s fourth leading scorer with 243 points in 95 sets played (2.56 points per set). Finished as the second-leading blocker with 63 (0.66 per set). Tallied 168 kills and had a hitting percentage of 0.58... Finished second among all blockers at the Olympic Games with 33 kill blocks for an average of 1 per set. Finished ninth among all scorers (third among U.S. scorers) with 90 points on 53 kills, 33 blocks and four aces. In the United States’ semifinal match against Russia, came up big in the fifth set, tallying a kill and block on consecutive plays to yield a 13-12 advantage. After Russia tied the set at 13-all, Lee ended the match with a kill and block. He scored four of his 12 points in the final five points of the match.... Finished seventh among all blockers in the World League final round with eight blocks for an average of 0.53 per set as the U.S. Men won their first World League title. Was 13th among all blockers in pool play with an average of .45 blocks per set... David scored 28 points on 21 kills and seven blocks at the NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualifier, which the United States won to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games. 2007 – Moved from backup to part-time starter (sharing time with Tom Hoff) and finished the season second on the team in stuff blocks with 69 for an average of 0.67 blocks per set. He was sixth on the team in scoring with 230 points... Was the United States’ second-leading blocker and third overall at the FIVB World Cup, where the U.S. Men finished fourth. David had 25 blocks in 108 attempts and averaged 0.63 blocks per set... Was the top U.S. blocker and fourth overall at the NORCECA Continental Championship. He was credited with 13 blocks on 32 attempts…. Was the top U.S. blocker and second overall at the Pan American Games where he was credited with 12 blocks for an average of 0.75 per set... David was the United States’ leading blocker with an average of 0.43 per set... Started seven out of 10 World League pool-play matches and played in 10. 2006 – Played in six FIVB World League matches in place of Ryan Millar... Played two matches in the inaugural Pan America Cup in June with a 4-0 record... Helped the team finish 4-1 on the Argentina tour. 2005 – David played 65 of 119 sets during the year but finished second in total blocks with 59. Finished second in blocks per set (0.91) and fifth in total points with 162... Named “Best Blocker” and earned a gold medal in August at the FIVB World Championship Qualifying Tournament as the USA Men qualified for the 2006 World Championships... Led Team USA in scoring with nine points on four kills, four blocks and one ace in a 3-0 win over Barbados on Aug. 25 at the WCQT. 2003 – Scored 20 points as the U.S. Men captured the bronze medal at the World University Games with a 3-2 win over France in Daegu, South Korea. COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2004 – Named first team AVCA All American. 2003 – Named to the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) second-team... Led the team and conference with a .483 hitting percentage... Recorded a team-high 1.18 blocks per game. 2002 – Appeared in 118 games as a sophomore...Averaged 2.64 kills and 0.95 blocks per game. 2001 – Averaged 1.17 kills and 0.75 blocks per game... Recorded five blocks in a match three times. CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: Played high school volleyball at Granite Hills High School in El Cajon... Played club volleyball for Seaside Volleyball Club PERSONAL: Born David Cameron Lee in 1982 in Alpine, Calif.... Parents are Mac and Robin Lee... Also has two older brothers named Nathan and Mark... David is the tallest member of his immediate family... Enjoys listening to reggae and watching volleyball and basketball... Majored in human development at Long Beach State... Favorite foods are filet mignon and lobster... Favorite pro team is the Los Angeles Lakers.

No. 6 Paul Lotman

Outside Hitter * 6-7 Lakewood, Calif. College: Long Beach State Birth Year: 1985 Joined Team: 2008 MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 – Olympic Games... FIVB World League (Silver Medal)... NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament (Gold Medal). 2011 – FIVB World Cup… NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship (Silver Medal)... London Volleyball International Invitational (Bronze Medal)... FIVB World League. 2010 – FIVB World Championship... FIVB World League. 2009 – NORCECA Continental Championship (Silver Medal)... Tour of Brazil... 2010 FIVB World Championship Qualifier for NORCECA Group F (Gold Medal)... FIVB World League. 2008 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2007 – World University Games (Gold Medal). 2005 – FIVB Men’s U-21 World Championship. INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the FIVB World League preliminary roster... Played the winter of 2012-13 for Asseco Resovia and helped it win the Polish league championship. 2012 – Served as backup outside hitter and serving specialist. Played in 56 sets. Finished season with 24 points on 17 kills, six aces and one block. Also credited with 13 digs (1.3. per set)… Played as a substitute and serving specialist in eight sets of the Olympic Games and finished with two points on one kill and one block… Finished World League with 12 points on 10 attacks and two aces in 38 sets... Played in 10 sets and started two of the NORCECA Olympic qualifier and finished with 10 points on six kills and four aces. His tourney-high was six points (four kills, two aces) scored against Trinidad & Tobago. Played the winter of 2011-12 for Asseco Resovia and helped it win the Polish league championship. 2011 – Finished the season as the team’s sixth-leading scorer with 130 points on 107 attacks, 10 blocks and 13 aces in 85 sets played. Kill percentage for the season was 48.9 and his hitting efficiency was .411… Played in 13 sets of the FIVB World Cup, finishing with seven points on six kills and one ace… Played in 13 sets and started 12 at the NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship in Puerto Rico. Finished with 38 points on 27 kills (46.6 kill percent), six blocks and five aces… Played in 17 sets of the London Volleyball International Invitational, a 2012 Olympic test event, and started in 14. He finished the tournament with 39 points on 36 kills (50.0 kill percent), one block and two aces… Played in 42 sets of the FIVB World League, usually as a serving specialist. He finished World League with 46 points on 38 kills, three blocks and five aces. The U.S. Men finished second in their World League pool and advanced to the Final Round where they finished seventh. Played for Marmi Lanza Verona in Italy’s Serie A League during the winter of 2010-11. 2010 – Played in 55 sets for the U.S. Men during the 2010 Matt Brown season. He finished eighth on

the team in scoring with 72 points on 60 kills (0.324 hitting percentage), seven blocks (0.18 blocks per set) and five aces (0.09 aces per set). Also had 36 digs (0.65 digs per set), tied for sixth on the team... Played in 30 sets during the FIVB World Championship in Italy. Started nine sets. Finished the tournament with 24 points on 18 kills, five blocks and one ace... Played in 25 pool play sets for the U.S. Men during the FIVB World League and posted 25 kills (1.71 per set). He tallied four aces (0.08 per set) and three stuff blocks (0.04 per set). His 45 “excellents” tied him for 24th among the League’s best receivers and third best on the team. He totaled 50 points (.152) in his 25 set appearances. 2009 – Finished the 2009 season with 32 points on 22 kills, seven aces and three blocks in 17 sets played... Helped the U.S. Men to the silver medal at the NORCECA Continental Championship in Puerto Rico... Traveled to Brazil with a U.S. Men’s Team made up of veterans and newcomers for five exhibition matches on Sept. 22-27. The team did not win a match. Paul was the high scorer in two of the matches with 12 points in each... Helped U.S. Men win the FIVB World Championship Qualifier on Aug. 15-17 in Irvine, Calif. Paul played in six sets and scored 10 points on nine kills and one ace... Helped the U.S. Men to a sixth place finish at World League. 2008 – Helped U.S. Men win the gold medal at the Pan American Cup in Winnipeg, Canada. 2007 – Helped the U.S. Men win the bronze medal at the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand. 2005 – Played on the USA Junior National Team that finished eighth in the 2005 FIVB Men’s U-21 World Volleyball Championship in Andhra Pradesh, India. COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 – Named AVCA co-Player of the Year along with Penn State’s Matt Anderson... Named AVCA First Team All-American... Named MPSF Player of the Year... Led 49ers to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament... Averaged a team-best 5.44 kills per game while adding 1.51 digs per contest, all while hitting 0.326... Paul tallied 20 or more kills 14 times in the season. He tallied double-figures in kills in 29 of the 30 matches... Paul led the team with 60 service aces, a 49er single-season record. Paul finished second on the 49er career service ace chart with 135 aces. He ranked seventh in career kills (1,408) and ninth in career digs (631). 2007 – Named honorable mention All-MPSF after averaging 4.51 kills and 1.60 digs per game... Finished first on the team with 496 kills, 176 digs and 34 aces... Was third on the team with 88 blocks... Named the Most Valuable Player of the Active Ankle/Long Beach Guesthouse Classic (March 16-17) after helping the 49ers to a 2-0 record averaging a .387 hitting percentage, 4.8 kills, 1.5 digs and 1.4 blocks per game... Named the Sports Imports/ AVCA Division I-II Men’s National Player of the Week and the MPSF Player of the Week on March 19... Recorded double digits in kills in 27 matches with seven double-doubles on the season. 2006 – As a full-time starter averaged 2.00 kills, 1.66 digs and 0.72 blocks per game while hitting .234... Finished tied for second on the team with his 204 total digs. 2005 – Played in 23 matches and 64 sets on the year. 2004 – Redshirt season. PERSONAL: Born Paul Michael Lotman in 1985, in Lakewood, Calif. … Mother is Kathleen Lotman. Father Albert Lotman died in 2011... Has two older brothers, Mark and Steven and an older sister, Shelley… Married wife Jasmine in August, 2011... Attended Los Alamitos High School (19992003)… Played for the Surf City club team in Huntington Beach… Graduated from Long Beach State in 2008 with a degree in sociology… Chipotle is his favorite food... ”Angels and Demons” by Dan Brown is his favorite book… Favorite movie is Wedding Crashers and Entourage is his favorite TV show… Steve Nash is his favorite professional athlete and the Dallas Mavericks are his favorite team… Listens to hip-hop and house music… Enjoys beach volleyball… Admires his brother for his recovery from drug abuse… Likes to watch college basketball, volleyball, tennis and college football… His happiest moment in life was playing in his first collegiate volleyball game Courtesy of FIVB and his fondest sports memory is playing volleyball.

No. 2 Jeff Menzel

Opp/OH * 6-6 Santa Barbara, Calif. College: UC Santa Barbara Birth Year: 1988 Joined Team: 2012 MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2011 – World University Games... Pan American Cup INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the preliminary roster for the FIVB World League... Played the winter of 2012-13 for BCC-NEB Castellana Grotte in Italy’s Serie A League. 2011 – Competed with the U.S. Men’s Team that finished 12th at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China… Competed for the U.S. Men’s Team that finished second at the Pan American Cup in Canada. COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2011 – First team AVCA All American and AllMPSF... Helped Santa Barbara to the NCAA Men’s Division I Championship match where it lost to Ohio State... Led the Gauchos in most offensive categories in 2011, including kills (453), kills per game (4.23), service aces (29) and total points (509). Kill rate was good enough for fourth in the conference, and his serving also placed him in the conference top-10 for serving... Was a staple on the back line for the Gauchos, compiling 135 digs on the year, good for third on the team, while also leading the team in reception attempts... Finished his UCSB career third all time on the kills list and second all time on the aces list. 2010 – All MPSF Third Team... Led the nation in kills (588) and is second in kills per set (5.16)... Led the MPSF in total points (672.5) and points per set (5.9). Set career highs in kills (34),

aces (5), and total points (37.0). 2009 – An Honorable Mention All-MPSF selection for the second straight season ... Led the team in kills (530), kills per set (5.25), total attacks (1,185), service aces (36), receptions (677), and points (601.0) ... His 5.25 kills per set average ranked sixth in the country ... Started all 26 of the matches he suited up for at outside hitter ... His 530 kills rank eighth in UCSB single season history ... His 36 aces rank fifth on UCSB’s single season list. 2008 – Picked up All-MPSF Honorable Mention accolades ... As a true freshman, started all 27 matches and played in 95 of a possible 98 sets ... Started his first five matches at outside hitter before being moved to opposite for the rest of the season ... Ranked fourth in kills per set and points per set among all MPSF players ... Also ranked in the top-10 nationally in those two categories ... Led the Gauchos in kills (450), kills per set (4.74), attack attempts (992), and aces (25) ... Second in blocks (68) and fourth in digs (112) ... Led UCSB in kills 20 times, attack attempts 21 times, and point production 18 times ... Began his career with 11 or more kills in 12 straight matches ... Posted double-digit kill totals in all but two matches ... Had 20 or more kills 10 times ... Recorded multiple aces eight times. CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: A 2007 graduate of San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, Calif. ... Named 2007 AVCA High School All-American as a senior… Named First Team All-CIF as a sophomore in 2005… Was also a three-time All-CIF performer. PERSONAL: Born Jeffrey Menzel in 1988 in Santa Barbara, Calif… Parents are Paul and Karen Menzel… Older sisters are Erica and Marisa… Favorite professional team is the LA Lakers… Favorite TV show is Californication on Showtime… Favorite music artist is Lil’ Wayne… Favorite moment in life was when he won former UCSB volleyball coach, Ken Preston’s, final career match in 2008… Majored in sociology at UCSB.

Suzie Houseworth

No. 18 Garrett Muagututia Outside Hitter * 6-5 Oceanside, Calif. College: UCLA Birth Year: 1988 Joined Team: 2011

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2011 – Pan American Cup (Silver Medal). INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the FIVB World League preliminary roster... Competed during the winter of 2012-13 for Sieco Service Ortona in Italy’s Serie A2 league. 2012 – Competed with the U.S. Men’s Team that won the gold medal at the Pan American Cup in Quebec, Canada… Finished with 18 points in six sets played. 2011 – Named to the U.S. Men’s A2 National Team that won the silver medal in the Pan American Cup in Quebec, Canada. COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2010 – Earned Second Team AVCA and Volleyball All-America honors and Second Team All-MPSF acclaim... Awarded MPSF co-Player of the Week (Feb. 8) for his 46-kill (.455) performance in the Hawaii series... Started 28 of 30 matches... Led the team with 446 kills (3.91 kps), 509.5 points (4.47 pps)... Ranked second on the team with 222 digs (1.95 dps) and 32 aces (0.28 aps)... Had a service reception percentage of .980, and recorded 16 matches without a reception error in 2010... Ended his career with 19 double-doubles and 71 double-digit kill matches ... On the UCLA all-time career charts, he ranked fifth in kills (1,473), tied for seventh in aces (99) and eighth in digs (741)... On the rally-scoring charts he ranked second in kills, second in attempts (3,116), tied for first in aces, first in solo blocks (44), sixth in block assists (204), sixth in total blocks (248) and second in points (1,718.0). 2009 – Earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from Vball magazine ... Second-Team All-MPSF selection ... Started 22 of the 25 matches in which he played... Sat out

six matches with a sprained ankle suffered at Lewis (2/13)... Recorded a season-high of 22 kills (.390) vs. UCI (1/30) and a career-high of four aces for a season-best 27.0 points ... His four aces in Game 1 tied the single game school record... Ended the season tied for the team lead with 23 aces. 2008 – Earned 2nd Team Volleyball All-America and All-MPSF honors ... Started and played in 30 matches ... Recorded double-digit kills in 24 matches ... Boasted 35 career double-digit kill matches and 21 errorless passing matches ... Recorded eight double-doubles in 2008 and has a career total of 11 ... Ranked 18th nationally in kills per game and 19th in points per game ... Led the team in kills (473), kills per game (4.04), points (547.0) and points per game (4.68) ... Established a career high of 31 kills (.480) vs. CSN (2/22) ... Tied his career high of 11 digs vs. Pep (1/25) ... Established a new single season rally scoring UCLA record with 473 kills last year ... Ranks in the Top 10 on the UCLA career rally scoring charts for kills (5th), attempts (4th), aces (10th), digs and block solos (6th), total blocks (10th) and total points (7th). 2007 – Played in all 30 matches and 103 games... Recorded 12 double-digit kill matches and two double-digit dig matches. CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: Eight-time letterman in basketball (4) and volleyball (4) at Francis Parker HS ... Was a center in basketball and a middle blocker in volleyball... Led the Lancers to the 2006 co-league championship, while leading the conference in rebounding and earning First-Team All-CIF and all-league honors... Named MVP of the division and was his high school’s team captain and MVP... In volleyball, he led the Lancers to league and CIF championships, and earned divisional MVP honors as well as First-Team All-CIF and all-league honors. PERSONAL: Born Garrett Thomas Muagututia in 1988… He is the son of Faauuga and Kathleen Muagututia… Father was a three-sport athlete at Carson (Calif.) High School and went on to become a Navy SEAL and played on the Navy volleyball team... Mother played volleyball at UC Riverside... Garrett is the second of three brothers… Younger brother Myles plays volleyball for Stanford… Older brother’s name is Grant… Garrett’s hobbies are singing and playing the ukulele.

Suzie Houseworth

No. 3 Evan Patak

Opposite * 6-8 Pleasanton, California College: UC Santa Barbara Birth Year: 1984 Joined Team: 2008 MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2011 – FIVB World Cup... NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship (Silver Medal)… London Volleyball International Invitational (Bronze Medal)… FIVB World League. 2010 – FIVB World League. 2009 – NORCECA Continental Championship (Silver Medal)... 2010 World Championship Qualifier for NORCECA Group F (Gold Medal)... FIVB World League. 2008 – America’s Cup... Pan American Cup (Gold Medal)... Four Nations’ Tournament (Gold Medal). 2007 – World University Games (Bronze Medal). 2003 – World University Games (Bronze Medal). INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the FIVB World League preliminary roster... Competed during the winter of 2012-13 for Plataneros de Corozal in Puerto Rico and Toulouse in France. 2012 – Named an alternate on the 2012 Olympic Team. 2011 – Finished the 2011 season as the team’s fifth-leading scorer with 140 points on 104 attacks, 10 blocks and 26 aces in 92 sets… Played in 29 sets of the FIVB World Cup, including starting the final three matches for Clay Stanley. Finished with 31 points on 22 attacks, five blocks and four aces… Was the only member of the U.S. Men’s National Team to play in the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, and served as the team’s captain. The team finished fifth. Finished as the second-leading scorer in the tournament with 118 points on 96 kills, 11 blocks, including seven against USAV Puerto Rico, and 11 aces, including five against Argentina. Had the most aces of any player in the tournament, but did not win the best server award because he did not have the best aces-per-set ratio… Saw playing time at the NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship after starter Clay Stanley suffered an injury. Played in 18 sets, started seven and finished with 31 points on 18 kills (47.4 kill percent), three blocks and 10 aces (0.56 per set). His 10 aces put him second among all servers. The U.S. Men finished second and qualified for the FIVB World Cup… Was the United States’ leading scorer at the London Volleyball International Invitational. He played in all 18 sets and scored 78 points on 67 kill (50.0 kill percent), two blocks and 12 aces (0.67 per set). The U.S. Men finished the tournament in third… Opened 2011 as the third opposite on the depth chart, but moved up to second after Gabe Gardner suffered an injury… Received limited playing time behind Stanley in the FIVB World League. Played in 27 World League sets, mostly as a serving specialist, and finished with six points, including three aces. The U.S. Men finished second in their pool in World League and advanced to the Final Round where they placed seventh. Played for the Air Jumbos in Korea during the winter of 2010-11. 2010 – Appeared in 40 sets during the FIVB World League and tallied eight service aces (0.16 per set) that tied him for second place among the teams’ leaders and 34th among the League’s best servers. Posted 40 kills (0.65 per set) and 13 digs (0.27 per set). 2009 – Played the winter of 2009-10 for Halkbank in the Turkish men’s league... Shared the starting opposite role with Clay Stanley and finished the 2009 season as the U.S. Men’s second-leading scorer with 221 points on 159 kills, 46 aces and 20 blocks. His 46 aces were by far the most on the team and he averaged 0.74 aces per set... Was named best server at the NORCECA Continental Championship as the U.S. Men won the silver medal.

He finished with 10 aces... Was named the MVP and Best Server of the 2010 World Championship Qualifier as the United States won all three matches to qualify for the World Championship. Evan was the United States’ leading scorer and second overall with 37 points on 20 kills, two blocks and 15 aces in six sets played... Was the United States’ second-leading scorer in pool play at the FIVB World League as he shared starting opposite duties with Clay Stanley. He finished with 114 points on 91 kills, six blocks and 17 aces. His 17 aces put him third among all servers with an average of .38 per set... Played fall of 2008 for Aon hotVolleys in Vienna before moving to PAOK in Greece in January of 2009. 2008 – Was a member of the U.S. Men’s Team that placed fifth at the America’s Cup in Brazil. Was the United States’ leading scorer with 44 points in 13 sets (3.38 points per set)... Was an alternate for the Olympic team... Was named MVP and best server of the Pan American Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as a young U.S. Men’s team won the gold medal, defeating host Canada in the final... Was part of a training team that traveled to Japan to help the Japanese men’s national team prepare for its Olympic qualifying tournament... Played professionally for San Juan Playeros in Puerto Rico and Aris Thessalonica in Greece. 2007 – Was the United States’ leading scorer as the team won the bronze medal at the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand. 2003 – Helped the United States win a bronze medal at the World University Games in Daegu, Korea (Aug. 21-31). COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2007 – First team American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America... Led the country in kills (5.78/game), service aces (.948/game), and points (7.09/game)... The 2007 All-MPSF First Team selection led the league in kills (5.98/game), aces (1.02/game), and points (7.40/game) in conference matches... Put down 30 or more kills seven times this season and set a new school single-season record with 110 aces... Finished his career with 2,112 kills, second in program history, and is UCSB’s all-time leader in aces with 255. 2006 – Played in 20 matches and started 19 (72 games) before becoming ineligible... Despite missing nine matches, Patak was the national leader in kills per game at 5.88 (423 kills), aces per game at .722 (52 aces), and points per game (7.10)... In MPSF matches only, Patak led the league in kills per game at 6.06 (327 kills, 54 games), aces per game at .741 (40 aces), and points per game (7.13)... Had double figures in kills in all but one match... His season-high of 31 kills came in his final match of the year at Cal State Northridge (3/31)... The 31 kills was the most by any Gaucho all season... Aced opponents five or more times in five matches, including a season-high seven against Hawai’i (1/14)... Set a new hitting percentage career-high by going 19-2-26 for a .654 clip against UC San Diego (3/3)... His season-high in points was 36 at Cal State Northridge (3/31), which was the highest point total put up by any UCSB player in 2006... Led the Gauchos in kills (423), kills per game (5.88), attempts (810), aces (52), aces per game (.72), total points (501.5), and points per game (6.97). 2005 – Named First Team All-American and First Team All-MPSF, appearing in 106 games... Led the team with 1,149 total attacks, including 63 in two matches against Hawai’i... Led the nation with 586 kills, including a single match-high of 48 at Stanford to set an NCAA Division I-II rally scoring-era record with 53 total points... Set a new single season UCSB record after leading the Gauchos with 58 service aces. 2004 – Earned AVCA and MPSF Newcomer of the Year and Second Team All-American honors... Ranked fourth nationally with a 5.63 points per game average, fifth with a per game kill average of 4.75, and 13th in ace percentage at .385. PERSONAL: Born Evan Hoburg Patak in 1984, in Santa Maria, Calif.... Parents are Kim and Gloria Patak... Has an older sister, Jessica... Evan played basketball and volleyball for Foothill High School (1998-2002) in Pleasanton... Evan played club volleyball for Diablo Valley... Graduated from UC Santa Barbara (2007) where he majored in sociology and minored in sports management... Caddyshack is his favorite movie and Top Gear and Entourage are his favorite TV shows... Enjoys mountain biking, wakeboarding, and golfing... His favorite genre of music are Hip Hop, Metal, House and Filthy Dubstep... Golden State Warriors are his favorite professional team... Admires his parents... Likes to watch extreme sports and college basketball.

Courtesy of NORCECA

No. 13 Matt Rawson Middle Blocker * 6-8 Westchester, Calif. College: Hawaii Birth Year: 1986 Joined Team: 2011

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2011 – Pan American Games. INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the preliminary roster for the FIVB World League… Played the winter of 2012-13 for AS Cannes in France’s top league. 2012 – Finished third among all blockers at the Pan American Cup in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic as the U.S. Men won the gold medal. Averaged .78 blocks per set. 2011 – Competed with the Pan American Games team that finished fifth in Guadalajara, Mexico. 2004 – Was a member of the Men’s Junior National Team. 2003 – Was a member of the U.S. Boys Youth National Team. COLLEGIATE HIGHLIGHTS: 2010 (Senior) – Started 28 of 29 matches at middle blocker… Averaged 2.17 kills and a team-leading 1.20 blocks per set, which ranked sixth in the MPSF… Led all UH starters with a .376 percentage on the year… Only the third player in school history to record 500 career kills and 400 blocks. 2009 (Junior) – Competed in 71 sets and started 19 of 22 matches… Averaged 1.37 kills and 1.17 blocks per set… Finished second on the team in total blocks with 83. 2008 (Sophomore) – Played in 57 games in 18 matches... Tallied 57 kills for a 1.33 kill average... Fourth on the team in total blocks with 77 for a 1.35 average... Ranked fifth in MPSF and 20th nationally in blocks. 2007 (Freshman) – Played 91 games in 27 matches, started 24... Tallied 142 kills for fifth best on team... Second on squad with 119 blocks... Averaged 1.31 blocks per game. 2006 – Redshirted. HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB HIGHLIGHTS: Attended Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, Calif., and graduated in 2005… Lettered one year in volleyball at Mira Costa under head coach Mike Cook... Was a first-team all-league and all-federation selection... Daily Breeze Player of the Year... He was named player of the year, best blocker, and best spiker.

PERSONAL: Born Matthew James Rawson in 1986 in Los Angeles to parents Michael and Dona Rawson... Matt has two brothers, Chris and Jonny, and a sister named Mallory... He began playing volleyball in 2002… He graduated from the University of Hawaii in 2010 with a degree in American studies… Matt lists L&L Hawaiian BBQ as his favorite food… Game of Thrones is his favorite book… He loves all types of music and lists Sublime as his favorite musical group… Matt’s favorite movie is Team America … The Los Angeles Lakers, Dodgers and Kings are his favorite professional teams and Kobe Bryant is his favorite athlete… He most admires his mother for “fighting off cancer while managing her own business and raising a family.”

No. 19 Alfee Reft Libero * 5-10 Oxnard, Calif. College: Hawaii Birth Year: 1982 Joined Team: 2006

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2010 – FIVB World Championship... FIVB World League. 2009 – NORCECA Continental Championship (Silver Medal)... Brazil Tour... FIVB World League. 2008 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2007 - World University Games (Bronze Medal). INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the FIVB World League preliminary roster... Played the winter of 2013 for Montpellier in France’s top league. 2010 – Alfee traveled to the FIVB World Championship in Italy where the U.S. Men finished sixth as the backup to Rich Lambourne... Played in the last match of the FIVB World League against Russia. In the four-game contest, he tallied nine digs (0.18 per set). Played the 2009-10 winter season for Benfica in Portugal. 2009 – Finished the 2009 season with 11 digs in six sets (1.83 per set)... Alfee started one match for the U.S. Men at the NORCECA Continental Championship in Puerto Rico... Started two matches for U.S. Men during their Brazil tour... Started one match in pool play during the FIVB World League. 2008 – Was an alternate for the 2008 Olympic Team... Was the United States’ designated libero for the 2008 Pan American Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which the United States won. 2007 – Played in every match of the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand where the U.S. Men won the bronze medal... Was on the preliminary roster for the FIVB World League but did not play. COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2005 – Only returner that played in all 102 games... Selected to both the MPSF and AVCA All-America first teams as a libero... Also tabbed Asics/Volleyball Magazine first team All-American, while garnering Defensive Player of the Year honors... Collected 272 digs, setting a new UH single-season record... Tied for third in the nation in digs per game (2.67)... Posted 14 double-digit dig matches, including a career-high 22 digs against Pepperdine March 2... Picked up one kill on an overpass. 2004 – Alfee transferred to the University of Hawai’i in the fall of 2003 and became the Warriors’ starting libero in the spring of 2004... Set the UH single-season record for digs in the rally scoring era with 238. He also had 72

assists with no ball-handling errors in being the only Warrior to play in all 114 games... Averaged 2.09 digs per game for the season... Posted nine doubledigit dig performances... Had season-high 15-dig matches vs. Pepperdine (April 15) and UC Santa Barbara (Jan. 16)... Also sported 72 assists and two Courtesy of NORCECA kills. 2003 – Redshirted with UC Santa Barbara. 2002 – Played sparingly as a freshman with UC Santa Barbara. HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB HIGHLIGHTS: Started playing volleyball in 1993 with the Channel Islands Club out of Ventura, Calif.... Attended Oxnard High School from 1997-2001... lettered in volleyball all four years under coaches Pat Casey, Lori Rice, and Dan Ventura... Voted all-CIF in 2001 PERSONAL: Born Alfredo Corino Reft in 1982 in Oxnard, Calif.... Mother is Grace Reft... Alfee’s father, Thomas Reft, died in December 2009... Has one brother, Roderick, and two sisters, Cheryll and Charolotte... Alfee originally went to UC Santa Barbara in 2001, but saw limited playing time for two seasons. In 2003, he considered giving up volleyball and going to UCLA, but he also sent a tape to Hawai’i and ended up as the Warriors’ starting libero beginning in the spring of 2004... Alfee was a setter until his last year of club volleyball, when he switched to libero to become more versatile... Graduated from Hawai’i in 2006 with a BA in English... Favorite food is Mexican... Favorite movie is Remember the Titans... Favorite professional team is the LA Lakers... Alfee has Alaskan, Asian and Filipino roots.

Club of Honolulu.

No. 22 Erik Shoji Libero * 6-0 Honolulu, Hawaii College: Stanford Birth Year: 1989 Joined Team: 2013

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS: 2011 – World University Games. 2009 – FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship. 2008 – NORCECA Continental Championship (Bronze Medal). 2007 – FIVB Youth World Championships in Baja, Calif. and Mexico. 2006 – NORCECA Continental Championships, Dominican Republic (Silver Medal) INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the preliminary roster for the FIVB World League... Played the winter of 2013-13 for CV Mitteldeutschland in Germany’s top league. 2011 – Competed for the United States at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China… The U.S. finished 12th, though it posted a 5-3 record. 2009 – Was a member of the Men’s Junior National Team that finished eighth at the FIVB Junior World Championship in Pune, India. 2008 – Member of the Men’s Junior National Team that took bronze at the NORCECA Continental Championships in El Salvador. Named Best Passer, Best Defender, and Best Libero of the Tournament. 2007 – Member of the Boys’ Youth National Team that competed in the FIVB World Championships in Baja, Calif. and Mexico. Named Best Defender and Best Libero. 2006 – Member of the Boys’ Youth National Team that took silver in the NORCECA Continental Championships in the Dominican Republic CLUB/PREP HIGHLIGHTS: Four-time all-state first-team selection while playing for Punahou School in Honolulu ... Two-time All-America selection. 2008 – Interscholastic League of Honolulu player of the year. 2006 – Boys’ National Championship all-tournament 17s choice for the runner-up Outrigger Canoe Volleyball

COLLEGIATE HIGHLIGHTS: 2012 – Became the first four-time firstteam All-America in the history of AVCA honors... Named AVCA first-team All-America... Made his first All-MPSF first team and named to the MPSF All-Tournament team… Finished as collegiate record-holder in career digs, with 1,402, which also is the most in Stanford history, including the sideout era... Set Stanford career records for digs per set (3.16) and in sets played (443)... Received the Biff Hoffman Award as the school’s Outstanding Male Senior, by the Stanford Athletic Board. 2011 – Earned a third AVCA first-team All-America honor, becoming just the second Stanford player to do so... Set a Stanford record for career digs (1,098) for all eras while recording the third-best single-season dig total for a Cardinal player (286) in the rally-scoring era... Named to the All-MPSF second team and the MPSF All-Academic team. 2010 – Earned his second consecutive AVCA first-team All-America honor... First-team choice by Volleyball Magazine... Led MPSF, and was fourth in the nation, in digs per game (3.46). 2009 – The AVCA’s national Newcomer of the Year for 2009... AVCA first-team All-American ... Erik and brother Kawikia became the first brothers ever to earn first-team honors in the same yea ... Set the unofficial national record for digs in a season, with 447 (the NCAA began to keep official records in 2009)... National Leader in digs (447) and digs per set (3.92)... Named to AllMPSF second team and All-MPSF freshmen team. PERSONAL: Born Erik Thomas Shoji in 1989 in Honolulu, Hawaii... Parents are Dave and Mary Shoji... Has a brother, Kawika (1987) and a sister Cobey (1979)... Kawika is also on the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team as a setter… Father is University of Hawaii women’s volleyball coach and has won four national titles in 34 seasons... USAV Mother played basketball at Hawaii... Erik graduated from Punahou School in 2008... While playing for Stanford, Erik had a “kick set” featured on ESPN’s Plays of the Week... Favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird... Favorite food is sushi... Favorite athletes are Marat Safin and Serena Williams.

No. 7 Kawika Shoji Setter * 6-3 Honolulu, Hawaii College: Stanford Birth Year: 1987 Joined Team: 2010

USAV/Julian Baum

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2013 – FIVB World League. 2012 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2011 – World University Games… Pan American Cup (Silver Medal). 2007 – FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship (7th). 2006 – NORCECA Men’s Junior Championship (Silver Medal). 2004 – NORCECA Boys’ Youth Championship (Gold Medal). INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the FIVB World League preliminary roster… Played the winter of 2012-13 for the Berlin Recycling Volleys and helped them win the German league title. 2012 – Served as team captain for the U.S. Pan American Cup team that won the gold medal in Santo Dominco, Dominican Republic… Finished second among all setters with 55 running sets and one fault on 391 attempts (3.06 sets per set). 2011 – Served as the team captain for the United States at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China, where the U.S. team placed 12th. Kawika competed in 27 sets and started 22. He finished with 20 points on six kills, 11 block and one ace. He had five blocks in the five-set loss to Czech Republic... Kawika competed with the U.S. A2 Team at the Pan American Cup in Quebec. The U.S. placed second to Brazil. Kawika played in 11 sets and started two. He scored four points on one kill, two blocks and one ace. 2007 – Was the libero for the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team that finished seventh at the FIVB World Championship in Casablanca & Rabat, Morocco. 2006 – Was the starting setter for the U.S. Men’s Junior Team that finished second to Cuba at the NORCECA Continental Championship in Monterrey, Mexico. 2005 – A member of the U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team. 2004 – Was named Best Setter at the NORCECA Boys’ Youth Continental Championship as the U.S. won the gold medal in Mexico City. COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2010 – Named the American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year for NCAA Division I-II as he led Stanford to the NCAA National Championship match where it defeated Penn State… AVCA All American First Team… Co-Most Outstanding Player along with teammate Brad Lawson at the NCAA tournament, also on the All-Tournament Team… All-MPSF First Team… Competed in 30 matches and 105 sets at setter for Stanford… Finished the season with 162 points on 93 kills (0.415 hitting percentage), 31 aces (0.31 per set), 11 solo blocks and 54 block assists (0.62 blocks per set)… Kawika was also credited with 1,455 assists (13.86 per set). 2009 – AVCA first-team All-American... Along with brother Erik, became Stanford’s first first-team selection since 2005... The Shojis became the first brothers ever to earn first-team honors in the same year... Also named first-team All-American by Volleyball Magazine... ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American... Set school season record for assists in the rally-scoring era (since 2001) with 1,394, breaking the mark held by Kevin Hansen... Named to All-MPSF first-team... Ranked 11th in nation in assists per set with 12.56. 2008 – AVCA second-team All-America honors, becoming Stanford’s first All-American since Olympic gold medalist Kevin Hansen in 2005 and the school’s 17th overall... Also named to All-MPSF second team and MPSF All-Academic team. 2007 – All-MPSF honorable mention selection... Averaged 6.92 assists per set... Led team with 180 digs, third in kills (182) and fourth in blocks (46)... Often started at opposite hitter.

CLUB/PREP HIGHLIGHTS: Lettered four years in volleyball and golf and three years in basketball at Iolani School in Honolulu... Four-time Junior National Championship all-tournament choice with the Outrigger Canoe Volleyball Club... Honolulu Advertiser co-state player of the year with Jordan Inafuku in 2004... Three-time all-state selection... Won state volleyball title as a sophomore... Interscholastic League of Honolulu Player of the Year in 2004... Three-time all-league selection... Honolulu Advertiser co-State Player of the Year in basketball for the 2005-06 season... Second-team all-state in golf... PERSONAL: Born Kawika Shoji in 1987 in Honolulu, Hawaii… Parents are Dave and Mary Shoji... Has a brother, Erik (1989) and a sister Cobey (1979)... Erik is also on the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team as a libero… Father is University of Hawaii women’s volleyball coach and has won four national titles in 34 seasons... Mother played basketball at Hawaii... Kawika graduated from Stanford in 2010 with a degree in political science... His hobbies include surfing, ping pong, playing pool and hanging out at the beach.

No. 20 David Smith Middle Blocker * 6-7 Saugus, California College: UC Irvine Birth Year: 1985 Joined Team: 2009

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 – Olympic Games... FIVB World League (Silver Medal). 2011 – London Volleyball International Invitational (Bronze Medal)... Pan American Cup (Silver Medal). 2010 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2009 – Brazil Tour… 2010 World Championship Qualifier for NORCECA Group F (Gold Medal)… FIVB World League. 2007 – World University Games (bronze medal). 2005 – FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship. 2004 – NORCECA Junior Men’s Volleyball Championship (silver medal). INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the FIVB World League preliminary roster… Played the winter of 2012-13 for Tours and helped it win the French league title. 2012 – Served as a backup middle blocker in 2012. Played in 47 sets and started 29. Finished with 75 points on 48 attacks, 20 blocks and seven aces. Hitting efficiency was .627… Played 10 sets of the Olympic Games, including three as a starter in a 3-0 win over Tunisia. Finished that match and the Games with eight points on five kills (.833 hitting efficiency), one block and two aces… After not playing for the top team in 2011, got his chance in 2012 when he was named to the World League squad and he played in 37 sets, starting 26. Finished with 67 points on 43 attacks (.609 hitting efficiency), 19 blocks and five aces. His best match was 17 points (10 kills, five blocks, two aces) against Italy on June 22 in Korea. His performance helped him earn a spot on the 2012 Olympic Team… During the winter of 2011-12, played for Tours in France’s A League. 2011 – Played in 16 sets and started 10 at the London Volleyball Invitational where the U.S. Men finished third... Finished with 20 points on 11 kills, six blocks and three aces... Started all 16 sets of the Pan American Cup as the U.S. Men finished second to Brazil in Canada... Tied as the United States’ second-leading scorer with 45 points on 26 kills, 13 blocks and six aces... Smith’s 13 blocks led the team and was third among all blockers... His six aces placed him sixth among all servers. Played during the winter of 2010-11 for Unicaja Almeria in Spain’s club league. 2010 – Was on the U.S. Men’s A2 Team that won the Pan American Cup in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Was the team’s fourth-leading scorer and 18th among all scorers with 42 points on 30 kills, nine blocks and three aces. Played during the 2009-10 winter season for San Sebastian in the Puerto Rican men’s league. Led the league in blocks during the regular season and was named to the All-Star team. 2009 – Part of a group of mostly younger players who traveled to Brazil on Sept. 22-27 for five friendly matches. The U.S. lost all five... Won the Best Blocker award at the World Championship Qualifier on Aug. 15-17 in Irvine, Calif., as the U.S. Men won the event. Finished with nine blocks and five errors on 22 attempts and an average of one block per set… Was not originally on the roster to play at World League, but was added at the last minute when Riley Salmon couldn’t play. Played in all but two pool play matches and started five sets. He played as a substitute in two final round matches. 2007 – Played on U.S. Men’s Team that won the bronze medal at the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand. 2005 – Played on the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team that finished eighth in the 2005 FIVB Men’s U-21 World Volleyball Championships in Andhra Pradesh, India. 2004 – Helped the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team to a second place finish at the 2004 NORCECA Junior Men’s Volleyball Championship in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

overall… Hit .573 (199-23-307) against MPSF opponents, which led the conference… Topped the squad with a 1.37 blocking average overall (6th nationally) and had a 1.44 mark versus MPSF teams (3rd)… UCI career block assists leader with 471 and total blocks leader with 520… Sixth in UCI career solo blocks with 49… Set a UCI season record with 160 block assists… Named the MVP of the 2007 USA Volleyball Open National Championships. 2006 – Named All-MPSF honorable mention... Averaged 2.19 kills per game and owned a .412 hitting percentage... Ranked 16th nationally in hitting and ranks third best in the UCI season record book... Second on the team with a 1.27 blocking average which was 14th in the country... Hit .700 or better six times, including .769 in the regular season meeting with Penn State, the eighth best mark in a match at UCI. 2005 – Averaged 2.16 kills per game...second on the squad in hitting percentage at .401, which ranks third on the UCI season list...second on the team with a 0.86 blocking average... Recorded kills in double-digits 11 times. 2004 – Averaged 2.22 kills per game which was fourth on the squad... Led the team in hitting percentage at .369, which ranks ninth in the UCI season records... Second on the team with a 1.03 blocking average... Had 102 block assists, which is ninth most in a season at UCI... Recorded kills in double-digits eight times... Recorded at least one block assist in all but two matches. PERSONAL: Born David Smith in1985 in Panorama City, Calif… Parents are Rick and Nancy… Has an older brother, Robert, and a younger sister, Kristen… David married wife, Kelli in 2008. Son Cohen was born in 2012... David was born with mild-to-severe hearing loss. He wears hearing aids to assist him on and off the court. He also reads lips… David attended Saugus High School (1999-2003) where he played both volleyball and soccer… Studying civil engineering at UC Irvine… Shredded beef is his favorite food… The Bible is his favorite book… Favorite big screen flick is the Italian Job...Watches The Office… Favorite bands are Supertones and Switchfoot… Anaheim Angels are his favorite professional team… Enjoys music and golf… Admires his parents for their unwavering support and love… Likes to watch basketball…Winning the 2007 NCAA Division I men’s volleyball national championship is his happiest sports memory.

COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2007 – Named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team…Named first team All-American and first team All-MPSF… Led the nation with a .559 hitting percentage, a new UCI season record… Hit .567 (61-6-97) in UCI’s five post-season wins… Averaged 2.44 kills per game

USAV/Jose Jimenez

No. 11 Brian Thornton Setter * 6-3 San Clemente, California College: UC Irvine Birth Year: 1985 Joined Team: 2009

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 – Olympic Games... FIVB World League (Silver Medal)... NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament (Gold Medal). 2011 – FIVB World Cup… NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship (Silver Medal)… London Volleyball International Invitational (Bronze Medal)… FIVB World League. 2010 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2009 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2007 – World University Games (Bronze Medal) INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE: 2013 – Made the FIVB World League preliminary roster. 2012 – Was the backup setter for the U.S. Men in 2012, playing in 11 sets, starting seven. Finished the season with three points on one attack and two blocks. Credited with 57 running sets (5.18 per set)… Played as the substitute setter at the 2012 Olympic Games. Played in three sets against Tunisia, started the third, and finished with two points on two blocks. He was credited with 15 running sets… Played in eight World League sets, seven in pool play and one in the final round. Started five. Credited with 34 running sets (4.25 per set). Scored one point on one attack... Started one set against Costa Rica at the NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament. Was credited with seven running sets. Did not score. 2011 – Led all U.S. setters in 2011 with 514 assists on 1,799 attempts in 99 sets played (according to the FIVB. This does not include the London Invitational, which did not provide setting statistics). He averaged 5.19 assists per set in 2011. He also scored 33 points on four kills, 15 blocks and 14 aces… Started 31 sets at the FIVB World Cup and finished with nine points on five kills and four blocks. The FIVB credited him with 220 assists on 665 attempts… Played as a substitute in the NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship behind Kevin Hansen and was credited with 11 assists on 18 attempts in two sets… Played in 13 sets of the London Volleyball International Invitational and started seven. Finished with three points on two aces and one block… When setter Kevin Hansen had to undergo an appendectomy prior to the start of the 2011 season, Thornton moved into the backup setter role and traveled with the team to World League where he took over starting duties from Donald Suxho in the middle of the third match of pool play, which was in Puerto Rico. He started a total of 49 sets and played in 52. In pool play, he was credited with at total of 283 assists for an average of 5.44 per set. He also scored 15 points on two kills, 11 blocks and two aces. 2010 – For the U.S., Brian started four out of five matches (13 sets) at the Pan American Cup and placed third among all setters with 4.94 average assists per set. He did not receive a single setting fault. He scored six points on three kills, two blocks and one ace… Played for Chaumont in France’s B League during the winter of 2010-11. 2009 – Accompanied a group of veteran and younger players on a five-match tour of Brazil... Played in the 2009 Pan American Cup where the United States won the gold medal. Brian started one match and scored four points on one kills, two blocks and one ace. 2007 – A member of the World University Games team that won the bronze medal in Thailand.

All-American... Averaged 13.70 set assists which led the nation... His 1,548 set assists ranks third in the UCI season record book... Averaged 1.60 digs and 0.65 blocks per game... His 181 digs ranked 10th best in a season... Fired 22 service aces. 2005 – Recorded 1,320 set assists, which is the fourth best total in the UCI season record books... Averaged 12.57 set assists and 1.38 digs per game... Ranked 11th nationally and fourth in the MPSF in assists... Fired 21 service aces on the year... Ranks seventh all-time in assists (1,469)... Had a career-high 65 assists versus Pacific. 2004 – Played in 16 games before missing the rest of the year with Mononucleosis... Averaged 9.31 set assists and 0.69 digs per game. CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: Attended San Clemente High School (2000-03)… Played for the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club. PERSONAL: Born Brian Charles Thornton in 1985, in San Clemente, Calif. ... Parents are Mike and Colleen Thornton… Mike played basketball and also baseball and was a late-round draft pick of the Montreal Expos in 1969... Brian’s younger brother, Keith, also attended UC Irvine and their younger sister, Kelsey, will start there in the fall and play on the water polo team.… A UCI/Big West Scholar-Athlete majoring in sociology… Fish and lobster are his favorite foods… Favorite book is “Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger… Favorite movie is Good Will Hunting… Anaheim Angels are his favorite professional team… Enjoys Entourage, football and college basketball on TV… Admires his brother for his attitude and approach to life… His fondest sports memory is winning an NCAA Division I men’s volleyball national championship with UC Irvine in 2007.

COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 2007 – Ended his career as UCI’s all-time set assists leader with 4,662…totaled 1,645 assists as a senior which is also a UCI season record…member of UC Irvine’s NCAA Championship team… Named to the NCAA All-Tournament team… Team went 29-5 which is the most wins in program history… Second team All-American… Third team All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation… Averaged 13.27 set assists which ranked fourth nationally… Named MPSF Player of the Week on Jan. 8… Named MVP of the UC Santa Barbara Invitational. 2006 – Second team All-America as well as All-MPSF...second team Asics/Volleyball Magazine

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USAV/Matt Brown

No. 9 Murphy Troy

Courtesy of NORCECA

Opposite * 6-8 St. Louis, Mo. College: USC Birth Year: 1989 Joined Team: 2012

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2012 – Pan American Cup (Gold Medal). 2011 – World University Games in Shenzhen, China... London International Invitational (Bronze medal)... Pan American Cup (Silver Medal) 2008 – NORCECA Continental Championships, El Salvador (Bronze medal). 2007 – FIVB World Youth Championships, Baja, Calif. and Mexico. 2006 – NORCECA Continental Championships, Dominican Republic (Silver medal) INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 – Made the FIVB World League preliminary roster... Played the winter of 2012-13 for Andreoli Latina in Italya’s Serie A League. 2012 – Was the third-leading scorer for the U.S. Men’s Team that won the Pan American Cup on July 9-14 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic... Started 14 sets and finished with 46 points on 37 kills, (.681 hitting efficiency), two blocks and seven aces... His tournament high was 16 points on 15 attacks and one block scored against Dominican Republic... Played the winter of 2011-12 for Andreoli Latina in Italy’s Serie A League. 2011 – Competed for the United States at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China... Played in 25 sets and started 18... Scored a total of 71 points on 62 kills, five blocks and four aces... Finished with a kill percent of 48.8 and a hitting efficiency of 0.402... Competed at the Pan American Cup in Canada where the U.S. Men’s A2 Team finished second... Played in 11 sets and started two... Finished with 18 points on 15 kills, one block and two aces. 2009 – Captain of the Men’s Junior National Team that took bronze at the NORCECA Continental Championships in El Salvador. 2007 – Captain of the Boys’ Youth National Team that competed in the FIVB World Championships in Baja, Calif. and Mexico. 2006 – Member of the Boys’ Youth National Team that took silver in the NORCECA Continental Championships in the Dominican Republic. COLLEGIATE HIGHLIGHTS: 2011 – Named 2011 AVCA Men’s Division I-II National Player of the Year and MPSF Player of the Year and AVCA AllAmerica First-Team honoree... Received the 2010-11 Pac-10 Tom Hansen Conference Medal for the exhibition of the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics and leadership... Helped lead USC to a 23-3 record, the MPSF regular season title with a 20-2 league mark, and the No. 1 seed heading into the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship semifinal, where it was upset by fourth-seeded UC Santa Barbara... Going into that semifinal match, Troy led USC in kills (358) and aces (37) in 2011 and was fourth in digs (140) and blocks (57). He was eighth nationally in aces (0.41), 10th in hitting percentage (.357) and 13th in kills (3.98). In his career, the USC co-captain had 1,884 kills, 655 digs, 249 blocks and 142 aces. His kills, aces and 32 matches with 20-plus kills were USC rally scoring era career records. 2010 – Started all 26 matches in which he appeared (19 at opposite hitter and 7 mid-season matches at outside hitter). Led USC with 481 kills while hitting .255, plus he had 27 aces (second on USC), 179 digs (third on USC) and 77 blocks (third on USC)... He was in double kill figures 25 times (including 10 times with 20plus kills, with a USC season high of 34 kills against Pacific), had 5-plus digs 18 times (including 6 times with 10-plus digs) and 5-plus blocks 5 times... He was fifth in the MPSF (10th in the NCAA) in kill average (4.62) and seventh in the MPSF in points average (5.31)... He made the 2010 Volleyball Magazine All-American second team and All-MPSF third team.

2009 – While starting for his second season (the first 18 matches at outside hitter and the final 14 at his more natural opposite hitter), he ranked among the top players in the collegiate game as just a sophomore in 2009 ... He hit .319 and led USC in kills (615) and aces (43), and also had 192 digs and 50 blocks ... His 615 kills, 5.04 kill average, 29 matches in double figure kills and 16 matches with 20-plus kills are USC rally scoring era season records ... He was in double kill figures 29 times (including 16 times with 20-plus kills, with a high of 33), hit .500-plus 6 times and had 5-plus digs 21 times (including 4 times with 10-plus digs) ... His 33 kills and 62 attempts against UCLA were USC season highs ... He was eighth nationally in kills (5.04, fifth in MPSF), 22nd in aces (0.35, fifth in MPSF) and 28th in hitting percentage (.319) ... He also was fifth in the MPSF in points (5.62) ... He made the 2009 AVCA All-American first team, Volleyball Magazine All-American first team, VBall Magazine All-American first team and All-MPSF first team (USC’s first such honoree at either level since 2000) ... He also made the NCAA AllTournament team (he had 50 kills, hit .465 and had 11 digs). 2008 – As a first-year freshman, started all of 2008 at outside hitter and had a dramatic impact ... Overall while starting all 29 matches, he led USC in aces (35), was second in kills (430) and third in digs (144) .. He also had 65 blocks and hit .287... Made the 2008 Asics/Volleyball Magazine All-American honorable mention and All-MPSF third team. CLUB/PREP HIGHLIGHTS: 2007 – Helped his St. Louis (Mo.) University High team to the 2007 Missouri Class 4 State Volleyball championship ... He was named the 2007 Volleyball Magazine All-American first team, Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 list and St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro Player of the Year while posting 171 kills, 22 blocks and 117 digs as a senior despite missing the early part of the season with a broken foot. 2006 – Made the St. Louis Post Dispatch All-Metro First Team. PERSONAL: Born Murphy Edward Troy in 1989 in St. Louis, Mo. ... Parents are John Troy and Sally Miller... Has a brother Phineas (1985) and a sister Sadie (1987)... Began playing volleyball in 1999 with Midwest Select Volleyball Club... Favorite book is Catcher in the Rye... Favorite sports team is the St. Louis Cardinals and favorite athlete is Albert Pujols... Hobbies include basketball and football... Most admired person is his mother... Has a yellow Labrador named Buster... Currently attends USC majoring in physics... Was named a 2009 Marks Scholar

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that finished fifth at the 2011 Pan American Games.

John Speraw

In 2012, Speraw returned as the assistant coach for the FIVB World League and filled in as head coach for the 2012 World League team for four overseas pool play matches while then head coach Alan Knipe was dealing with a family emergency. The U.S. Men went on to win the silver medal in the FIVB World League Final Round.

Head Coach * First Year Hometown: Irvine, Calif.

John Speraw, a two-time Olympic assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team, was named the program’s head coach for the Olympic Games quadrennial culminating at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, on March 25, 2013. Speraw, 41, also continues as the head men’s volleyball coach at UCLA in a dual role with the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team. He accepted the head job at his alma mater in June 2012. “I am very happy that John has accepted our offer to be the U.S. Men’s head coach,” Beal said. “He’s the right person for the job for this quad at this time. He’s a terrifically talented coach who has had a remarkable level of success at the college level. He knows the current U.S. Men’s player pool very well from his experiences over the last two quads. He has mentored under both Hugh McCutcheon and Alan Knipe.” Speraw said he felt ready for the challenge of leading two men’s volleyball teams.

Speraw assisted Knipe at the 2012 Olympic Games in London where the U.S. Men placed fifth after winning its preliminary pool with a 4-1 record. The U.S. Men go into 2013 ranked fifth in the world by the FIVB. Speraw served as head coach of the U.S. Men’s Junior National Volleyball Team that won the silver medal at the NORCECA Men’s Junior (U-21) Continental Volleyball Championship in 2004 and the team that placed sixth at the 2005 FIVB Junior World Championship. He served as an assistant for the U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team (1998 and 2001), the World University Games Team (1997 and 1999) and the Pan American Games Team (1999, 2007). As UC Irvine’s men’s volleyball coach, Speraw transformed the program into a national power. Under his direction, the Anteaters won three NCAA Men’s National Collegiate Volleyball Championship titles in the last six years and advanced to the NCAA Championship four times, won two Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) regular season titles and a pair of MPSF Tournament championships. USAV/Matt Brown

“Now that I’ve been at UCLA for almost a full season, it is apparent that (coaching both teams) is doable,” Speraw said. “The support and resources at UCLA are beyond what I have imagined. I have two great assistant coaches (at UCLA) in Brad Keller and Andrea Becker and an amazing staff. “I am excited to take on this new role with USA Volleyball,” Speraw said. “I am honored to have been selected to coach this elite group of talented U.S. players and I appreciate UCLA’s support in allowing me to pursue this tremendous opportunity.” The U.S. Men’s National Team moved to Anaheim in 2006 and it is now the Official Host City for both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Volleyball Teams. Speraw joined the U.S. Men’s staff in 2007 under then head coach Hugh McCutcheon. In 2008, he traveled with the U.S. Men to the Olympic Games in Beijing where they won the gold medal. After 2008, he worked with the U.S. Men as needed, including a stint as the head coach of a young team

In 2008, Speraw received a Pillar Award, which showcases outstanding achievement in ethical leadership at the12th Annual Ethics in America Awards. In 2011, he was given the U.S. Olympic Achievement Award, an honor that recognizes the colleges and universities whose coaches and student-athletes have won Olympic medals. Prior to UCI, Speraw served in various roles with the UCLA men’s volleyball program for 12 years. He played middle blocker for the Bruins from 199295 and was a member of two national championship teams. He was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team in 1995 when he had 11 kills and eight blocks in the championship victory over Penn State. Speraw became a volunteer assistant coach with the Bruins before assuming a full-time assistant’s position in 1998. He graduated from UCLA in 1995 with a bachelor of science degree in microbiology and molecular genetics. Speraw is the co-author of the book “Exercise for Your Muscle Type: The Smart Way to Get Fit.”

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played outside hitter at Stanford.

Matt Fuerbringer Assistant Coach * First Year Hometown: Costa Mesa, Calif.

Matt Fuerbringer joined the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team staff as an assistant coach on April 1, 2013. Fuerbringer, 39, has almost 10 years of experience coaching junior club volleyball and has spent the last year as the volunteer assistant coach under Speraw at UCLA. He is well-known for being a pro beach volleyball player and came close to making the 2012 U.S. Olympic Beach Volleyball Team. He played indoor volleyball for Stanford University and also professionally overseas. “I was honored and humbled to be asked to be an assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team,” Fuerbringer said. “Coaching is what I have always wanted to do and working with John at UCLA has helped me realize I’m ready to take my coaching career to the next level.” “Matt is an absolutely outstanding coach even though he doesn’t have much formal experience,” Speraw said. “He’s been a professional on the beach and an excellent player on the beach for a long time. He’s got great presence. He’s articulate and intelligent. His professional experience gives him empathy with the players and their situation. I’m excited about him joining our staff and know he’ll be a great coach for Team USA.” Fuerbringer has already begun work at the USA Volleyball offices at the American Sports Centers in Anaheim, Calif. The U.S. Men’s National Team moved to Anaheim in 2006 and it is now the Official Host City for both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Volleyball Teams. Speraw, who was named the U.S. Men’s National Team head coach on March 25, 2013, has known Fuerbringer since the two played against each other in college. Speraw was a middle blocker at UCLA and Fuerbringer

Prior to working with Speraw at UCLA, Fuerbringer coached at Mizuno Long Beach, a program directed by his wife Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer, and founded Team Rockstar three years ago. Fuerbringer grew up in Costa Mesa, Calif., and played volleyball and basketball at Estancia High School. At Suzie Houseworth Stanford, Fuerbringer was a four-time AVCA All-American and a member of the 1997 NCAA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship team. His final block sealed the first NCAA men’s volleyball title for Stanford. After Stanford, Fuerbringer played professional indoor volleyball from 19992003. Fuerbringer has played pro beach volleyball since 2003. In 2012, he and partner Nick Lucena were edged out for the United States’ final Olympic Games berth in a battle that came down to the final qualification tournament. Fuerbringer and Lucena finished fifth in the FIVB Olympic rankings and were the highest ranked team not to go to London because the United States was limited to two teams per gender. Matt Fuerbringer and Joy Fuerbringer-McKienzie have two children, Charlie and Mateo.

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Aaron Brock

Anton Willert

Director, Sports Medicine and Performance to the U.S. National Teams Eighth Year

Technical Coordinator First Year

Hometown: Berlin, Germany

Hometown: Storm Lake, Iowa Anton Willert serves as the technical coordinator for the U.S. Men’s National Team. “It’s an honor to be a part of the Olympic team coaching staff for the quad,” Willert said. “It is an opportunity to work with a great team and one of the best coaches in the world. I’m looking forward to spending all of my time supporting the team.” Willert, a native of Berlin, Germany, spent the last year and a half as the team manager and video coordinator for the men’s and women’s volleyball programs at the University of Hawaii, where he is working toward a master’s degree in communicology. In 2009-10, Willert was an assistant coach for Team-Berlin and 2nd Division VC Olympia in Germany’s Premier League . He spent the 2010-2011 season as an assistant coach for the German junior national team. He was also an assistant coach for 1st Division VC Olympia volleyball club in Premier League during this time. From 2007-10, Willert served as the head coach of 3rd Division BBSC volleyball club. While he was at the helm, the team won the Berlin-Brandenburg regional championship in 2009. He holds two bachelor’s degrees; one in journalism/mass communication from Freie University in Berlin, and the other in business studies from the University of Potsdam in Brandenburg. Both were earned in 2011. As a player, he was a libero and outside hitter and a member of BTSC volleyball club, which won four German championships. He graduated CoubertinGymnasium in 2007, and his team won third place at the High School World Championship in 2006.

Aaron Brock of Storm Lake, Iowa, is in his seventh year in 2012 as the full-time certified athletic trainer for the U.S. Men’s National Team at its headquarters at the American Sports Centers in Anaheim, Calif. In 2009, he added the title of Director of Sports Medicine and Performance to the U.S. National Teams. In 2008, he was working with the U.S. Men’s Team as it won the Olympic gold medal in Beijing and its first FIVB World League title. The U.S. Men’s Team had its best season of the next four-year Olympic quadrennial in 2012 as it achieved a 5-0 match record to win the NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament on May 7-12 in Long Beach, Calif. The U.S. Men won their pool in the 2012 FIVB World League. The team advanced to the Final Round where it won the silver medal. At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the U.S. Men again won their pool, advancing to the quarterfinals where they fell to Italy. They finished tied for fifth. Before joining the U.S. Men’s Team in 2006, Aaron worked with the U.S. Water Polo Team at the 2003 Pan American Games and the 2004 Olympic Games. He also has experience with high school and NCAA Division I and Division III sports teams as well as professional football and basketball teams. Aaron, who was a four-sport high school athlete in Storm Lake, Iowa, went to the University of Iowa for both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Aaron is married to Kelly and has sons named Noah (born 2007) and Cameron (born 2010) along with a daughter named Bayla (2012). He lives in Tustin, Calif. Aaron’s day starts around 8 a.m. when he writes up rehabilitation and treatment protocols. He also gets the players ready for practice with taping and stretching exercises. Once practice starts, he runs a 15-minute injury-prevention session that includes core abdominal and back exercises and proprioception exercises for ankle and knee stability. Finally, there are shoulder exercises to generate strength and wake up the muscles. Players who can’t practice due to injury will go to the athletic training room and do rehab. Brock monitors practice in case there is an injury. After practice, Brock runs a stretching session. Then it’s time for more treatments for the athletes who are playing and practicing while injured.

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Mike Sealy

Andrea Becker

Hometown: Santa Monica, Calif.

Hometown: Martinez, Calif.

Assistant Coach

Consultant Coach

Mike Sealy has helped as a U.S. Men’s National Team assistant coach at international events since 2011, including serving as a scout coach at the 2012 Olympic Games. Sealy, whose full-time job is as the women’s volleyball head coach at UCLA, played with the U.S. Men’s National Team in 1993-97. In just his second year as the head coach of the UCLA women’s volleyball team, Sealy led the Bruins to the program’s fourth NCAA title and seventh national championship in 2011. The Bruins posted a 30-6 record and defeated four-time defending champion Penn State, #1 overall seed Texas, Florida State and Illinois en route to the championship. Sealy, with a two-year record of 52-15 (.776), was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2011. The Bruins finished second in the Pac-12 Conference with a 17-5 record. Six players were honored on the All-Conference teams, while junior Rachael Kidder, the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament, was a firstteam All-America and All-Region selection. UCLA recorded its 13th-straight, 20-win season in ‘11 and finished fifth in the nation in assists per set (13.71) and eighth in kills per set (14.52). Among Pac-12 teams, the Bruins ranked first in aps, second in kps and opponent hitting percentage (.160) and third in digs per set (15.95). In his first campaign, Sealy guided the Bruins to a 22-9 record, a fourth-place finish in the Pacific-10 Conference (11-7) and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Sealy was named head coach of the Bruin women’s volleyball program in February, 2010. Sealy returned to his alma mater after spending four seasons (2006-09) as an associate head coach at the University of Hawaii. Sealy helped Hawaii to a berth in the National Semifinals in 2009. The Rainbow Wahine recorded their second-straight, 30-win season last year, going 32-3 overall. They also posted a 16-0 mark in conference play to earn their 14th-straight Western Athletic Conference title and went on to claim their 10th-consecutive WAC Tournament championship. Sealy’s record during his tenure at Hawaii was 119-19 (.862 winning percentage). Prior to his stint at Hawaii, Sealy coached for four seasons at UCLA, where he was an assistant on the men’s side from 2003-2006 and an assistant for the women’s volleyball team in 2005. Sealy was also a volunteer assistant with the Cal State Northridge men’s volleyball team in 2000 before working in the same capacity with the UCLA men in 2001. One of the top setters in UCLA history, Sealy was a four-year letterwinner with the Bruins from 1990-93 and ranks fourth in Bruin annals in assists (4,749). In his senior season, Sealy and the Bruins won the program’s 14th National Championship, going 24-3. The team captain was named the co-Most Outstanding Player of the 1993 NCAA Tournament and also earned ASICS/Volleyball Monthly Player of the Year and AVCA All-American first-team honors. In addition, Sealy was named an All-American in 1991 (first-team) and 1992 (third-team), as well as All-Conference three times. Sealy graduated from UCLA in 1993 with a degree in physiological science.

Andrea Becker serves as a consultant coach for John Speraw and the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team. Becker also serves as an assistant coach for the men’s volleyball team at UCLA, where Speraw is the head coach. Becker also served as an assistant men’s volleyball coach at UC Irvine in 2012 when the Anteaters marched to their third NCAA championship, has been hired in the same capacity at UCLA, Head Coach John Speraw announced Wednesday. Becker is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Cal State Fullerton but is taking a one-year sabbatical while helping UCLA and the U.S. Men’s Team. In 2012, Becker helped UC Irvine capture the NCAA championship. UCI finished with a 26-5 record, won the MPSF Tournament crown and defeated top-ranked USC in three sets to capture its third national championship in six years. Becker received her PhD in Sport Studies from the University of Tennessee in 2007 where she also worked in the volunteer athletic department providing sport psychology services to athletes, coaches and teams. In final year at Tennessee, she was honored with the Edward A. Capen Research Award and the Extraordinary Professional Promise Award. She received her BS and MS degrees in Kinesiology and Sport Performance from Sacramento State, where she was honored with the A.W. Hobt Teaching Award for the 2004-05 academic year. Becker is an active member of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology and the National Assn. for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. She has published her research in The Sport Psychologist, where she also serves on the editorial board. She is also co-author of Focused For Fastpitch, a softball-specific mental training book. She has written extensively about successful coaches, and coaching techniques and behaviors. In addition, she has several papers in progress, including a study of the role of optimism in coaching effectiveness. On the public speaking circuit, Becker has given numerous lectures and scholarly presentations both locally and nationally on successful coaching methods, sport research and training, and the practice of sport and exercise psychology. Becker was a four-year softball player at Sacramento State, where she played 118 games and started 102 primarily as a middle infielder. She was a four-year National Fastpitch Coaches Association Scholar All-American as well as a two-year CoSIDA Academic All-American. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Sacramento State in 2001.

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All-Time U.S. Men's Indoor Volleyball Olympians 1964 (Tokyo) 9th Place Mike Bright Barry Brown Keith Erickson William Griebenow Richard Hammer Jacob Highland Ron Lang Charles Nelson Mike Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara Ernie Suwara John Taylor Pete Velasco, Jr. Head Coach: Harry Wilson Assistant Coach: Burt DeGroot 1968 (Mexico City) 7th Place John Alstrom Mike Bright Wink Davenport Smitty Duke Tom Haine John Henn Butch May Danny Patterson Larry Rundle Jon Stanley Rudy Suwara Pete Velasco, Jr. Head Coach: Jim Coleman Assistant Coach: John Lowell Trainer: Joe Abrahams 1984 (Los Angeles) Gold Medal Aldis Berzins Craig Buck Rich Duwelius Dusty Dvorak Karch Kiraly Chris Marlowe Pat Powers Steve Salmons Dave Saunders Paul Sunderland Steve Timmons Marc Waldie Head Coach: Doug Beal Assistant Coach: Bill Neville Assistant Coach: Tony Crabbe Team Manager: Mark Miller 1988 (Seoul) Gold Medal Craig Buck Bob Ctvrtlik Scott Fortune Karch Kiraly Ricci Luyties Doug Partie Jon Root Eric Sato Dave Saunders Jeff Stork Troy Tanner Steve Timmons Head Coach: Marv Dunphy Assistant Coach: Gary Sato Assistant Coach: Jim Coleman Team Manager: Gary Moy

1992 (Barcelona) Bronze Medal Nick Becker Carlos Briceno Bob Ctvrtlik Scott Fortune Dan Greenbaum Brent Hilliard Bryan Ivie Doug Partie Bob Samuelson Eric Sato Jeff Stork Steve Timmons Head Coach: Fred Sturm Assistant Coach: John Cook Assistant Coach: Gary Sato Team Manager: Kevin Ring 1996 (Atlanta) 9th Place Lloy Ball Bob Ctvrtlik Scott Fortune John Hyden Bryan Ivie Mike Lambert Dan Landry Jeff Nygaard Tom Sorensen Jeff Stork Ethan Watts Brett Winslow Head Coach: Fred Sturm Assistant Coach: Rudy Suwara Assistant Coach: Rod Wilde Team Manager: Eric Daly 2000 (Sydney) 11th Place Lloy Ball Kevin Barnett Tom Hoff John Hyden Mike Lambert Dan Landry Chip McCaw Ryan Millar Jeff Nygaard George Roumain Erik Sullivan Andy Witt Head Coach: Doug Beal Assistant Coach: Marv Dunphy Assistant Coach: Rod Wilde Team Leader: Jim Coleman

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2004 (Athens) 4th Place Lloy Ball Kevin Barnett Brook Billings Phil Eatherton Gabe Gardner Tom Hoff Ryan Millar Reid Priddy Riley Salmon Clay Stanley Erik Sullivan Donald Suxho Head Coach: Doug Beal Assistant Coach: Hugh McCutcheon Assistant Coach: Rob Browning Assistant Coach: Carl McGown Team Consultant: Marv Dunphy Team Leader: Al Monaco Trainer: Nick Metskas 2008 (Beijing) Gold Medal Lloy Ball Gabe Gardner Kevin Hansen Tom Hoff Rich Lambourne David Lee Ryan Millar Reid Priddy Sean Rooney Riley Salmon Clay Stanley Scott Touzinsky Head Coach: Hugh McCutcheon Assistant Coach: John Speraw Assistant Coach: Ron Larsen Technical Consultant: Marv Dunphy Technical Consultant: Carl McGown Technical Coach: Jamie Morrison Team Doctor: Chris Koutures Athletic Trainer: Aaron Brock 2012 (London) 5th Place Matt Anderson Sean Rooney David Lee Rich Lambourne Paul Lotman Donald Suxho Reid Priddy Brian Thornton Russell Holmes Clay Stanley David Smith David McKienzie Head Coach: Alan Knipe Team Manager: Rob Browning Assistant Coach: John Speraw Assistant Coach: Gary Sato Assistant Coach: Ron Larsen Technical Coordinator: Chris Jackson Medical Support: Aaron Brock Scout Coach: Andy Read Scout Coach: Mike Sealy

USA All-Time Versus International Competition USA Men's Volleyball Team Record vs. World (1981-2012) Country Argentina Australia Bahamas Barbados Brazil Bulgaria Cameroon Canada Chile China Costa Rica Cuba Cuba "B" Czech "B" Czech Rep. Denmark Domin. Rep.

Egypt Finland France Germany

Great Britain

Greece Guatemala Haiti Honduras India Iran Iraq Italy Jamaica Japan Korea Libya Mexico Neth. Ant.

Netherlands

Panama Poland Portugal

Puerto Rico

Romania Russia Russia "B"

Serbia/Mont.

Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Thailand Trin & Tob Tunisia Ukraine Venezuela Virgin Is. Total

Overall Record 43-8 17-1 1-0 9-0 64-75 23-13 2-0 94-34 2-0 44-12 3-0 76-69 0-3 1-0 20-5 3-0 14-0 13-0 13-1 39-18 18-6 1-0 12-8 6-0 4-0 1-0 1-0 2-0 1-0 26-42 1-0 137-59 49-7 1-0 27-0 2-0 24-31 7-0 33-18 3-0 28-1 1-0 56-46 1-0 11-13 1-0 4-0 16-5 10-4 1-0 2-0 9-0 1-1 12-3 2-0 992-483

1981 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 7-5 0-0 0-0 7-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-6 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

1982 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-1 0-0 8-1 1-0 3-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 4-2 0-0 11-4 6-1 1-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-3 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-1 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0

1983 2-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2 4-0 0-0 8-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 4-6 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 5-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 5-4 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 11-2 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0

1984 3-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 7-8 4-0 0-0 2-2 0-0 5-0 0-0 5-7 0-0 1-0 5-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 8-0 4-0 0-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 4-1 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

1985 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-1 6-0 0-0 4-3 0-0 1-0 0-0 9-4 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 8-0 4-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 3-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 8-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0

1986 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 5-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 9-5 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 6-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 12-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 5-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 22-13 47-16 44-16 55-18 56-11 47-9 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986

1987 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 11-3 0-0 0-0 5-0 0-0 6-0 0-0 6-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 2-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 4-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 6-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 49-9 1987

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 5-0 0-0 0-0 2-2 0-0 2-1 0-0 14-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 4-1 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 8-0 11-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 9-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 4-1 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 64-8

0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 5-1 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 8-1 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 3-7 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 8-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 5-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-4 0-1 1-0 0-5 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-7 0-2 0-0 5-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 5-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-5 0-0 3-4 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0

0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 5-2 1-0 0-1 0-0 1-3 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-3 0-0 6-6 3-2 0-0 2-0 0-0 4-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

0-0 0-0 1-0 1-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-4 1-12 1-4 1-5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 4-5 1-1 6-4 6-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-1 0-0 3-2 2-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-8 1-5 2-0 4-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 2-1 0-0 2-2 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-2 0-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-1 0-4 0-2 1-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 7-7 3-9 5-4 7-3 0-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-4 0-0 0-2 3-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 4-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 4-1 1-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 1-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 2-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-0 2-2 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 8-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-1 0-0 3-2 0-0 0-0 4-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 39-19 21-37 29-23 26-31 18-38 27-26 36-27 28-8 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996

107

0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-2 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 4-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 11-8

5-0 3-1 0-0 0-0 2-2 0-0 0-0 7-1 0-0 6-0 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-1 3-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2 0-0 4-1 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 2-4 3-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-1 0-1 0-0 47-19 1997 1998

2-0 3-0 0-0 1-0 1-2 0-0 0-0 3-3 0-0 1-0 0-0 4-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-3 1-0 6-1 2-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0

2-1 4-0 0-0 0-0 4-4 2-1 0-0 1-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-0 4-2 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 4-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-0 4-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0

1-1 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-5 0-0 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 4-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-4 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0

0-0 4-0 0-0 0-0 1-1 0-1 0-0 3-1 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-4 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 1-1 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0

0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-2 0-0 0-0 5-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 1-0 5-1 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 32-15 28-18 15-17 19-17 23-6 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

2-0 5-1 4-1 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 2-0 1-1 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-1 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-1 1-0 4-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 2-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 3-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 20-9 27-6 18-14 2004 2005 2006

3-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 2-1 2-0 0-0 1-0 2-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-1 3-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 1-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 4-0 0-0 3-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 4-0 1-0 3-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 5-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-1 0-0 0-0 2-0 1-1 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-1 2-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2 1-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-1 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 4-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 33-8 29-5 16-6 2007 2008 2009

1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 4-0 3-1 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 14-7 2010

2-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 2-6 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 3-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 2-3 0-0 6-0 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 26-15 2011

1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 2-2 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-2 0-0 0-0 4-0 0-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 25-7 2012

International Volleyball Fact Sheet Introduction: Volleyball has major international competitions every year and, at its highest level, is a physically demanding sport played by some of the world’s most elite athletes. Of course, volleyball is also a popular recreational activity enjoyed by more than 38 million persons in the United States (more than any team sport but basketball) and more than 800 million persons globally, making it the world’s most popular participant sport. This fact sheet is designed to provide more understanding about international volleyball and its major competitions, including the Olympic Games. International Governing Body: The international governing body for volleyball is the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. The FIVB is the world’s largest sports federation, with more than 200 member nations. Under the direction of its president, Dr. Ruben Acosta of Mexico, the FIVB oversees the administration of volleyball throughout the world and is responsible for producing several major events, including the Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and World Grand Prix. National Governing Body: The national governing body (NGB) for volleyball in the United States is USA Volleyball, formerly known as the United States Volleyball Association. Founded in 1928, USA Volleyball is responsible for the administration of all forms of volleyball in the United States, including producing the annual USA Open Volleyball Championships, Junior Olympic Championships and the USA Outdoor National Championships. As mandated by the 1978 Amateur Sports Act, USA Volleyball is responsible to the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and the FIVB for training and nominating the teams which represent the United States in the Olympic Games and other important volleyball competitions worldwide. Major Competitions: The four major events on the international volleyball calendar are the Olympic Games (men and women, indoor and beach), World Championships (men and women, indoor and beach), World Cup (men and women, indoor), World League (men, indoor) and World Grand Prix (women, indoor). All events are conducted quadrennially, with the exceptions of the annual World League/Grand Prix and the biennial Beach World Championships. World Rankings: Following the decision of the FIVB Board of Administration, a new system of point attribution based on a new scale has been implemented for the FIVB World Ranking of Volleyball National Teams. The following competitions are now included: • Senior World Championships included for four years - 25 percent reduction each year. Points are also granted for the qualification matches, to the best non-qualified teams. • Olympic Games included for four years - 25 percent reduction each year. Points are also granted for the qualification matches, to the best non-qualified teams. • World Cup included for two years - 50 percent reduction the second year. • Senior Continental Championships included for two years - 50 percent reduction the second year; points are also granted for the qualification matches to the best non-qualified teams. • Men’s World League / Women’s World Grand Prix included for one year.

Top 40 teams in the FIVB World Ranking: Women (Points) - as of 8/13/2012 1. USA (245) 2. Brazil (217.5) 3. Japan (197.25) 4. Italy (190.75) 5. China (169) 6. Serbia (145) 7. Russia (131.25) 8. Germany (108.25) 9. Dominican Republic (72.75) 10. Cuba (69) 11. Turkey (64.25) 12. Thailand (62) 13. Korea (56.25) 14. Poland (55.75) 15. Kenya (50.75) 16. Algeria (47.25) 17. Peru (42.5) 18. Argentina (40) 19. Puerto Rico (33.5) 20. Netherlands (30.25) 21. Egypt (28) 22. Canada (25.75) 23T. Czech Republic (23.75) 23T. Kazakhstan (23.75) 25. Senegal (23.5) 26. Colombia (22.5) 27. Mexico (20.25) 28T. Costa Rica (20) 28T. Chinese Taipei (20) 30. Cameroon (19) 31. Uruguay (18.25) 32. Croatia (17.25) 33. Tunisia (16) 34. Trinidad & Tobago (15.75) 35. Romania (14.5) 36. Azerbaijan (14.25) 37. Chile (13.75) 38T. Belgium (12.25) 38T. Belarus (12.25) 40T. Spain (10.5) 40T. France (10.5)

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Men (Points) as of 8/13/2012 1. Brazil (300) 2. Russia (276.5) 3. Italy (235.5) 4. Poland (230.75) 5. USA (203) 6. Cuba (190.5) 7. Serbia (155) 8. Bulgaria (152.5) 9. Argentina (144) 10. Germany (115.75) 11. Australia (63) 12. Tunisia (57) 13. Egypt (56.75) 14. Iran (53) 15. China (48) 16. France (47.75) 17. Cameroon (46.75) 18. Canada (46) 19. Japan (41.75) 20. Venezuela (40) 21. Puerto Rico (38.75) 22. Rep. of Korea (35.75) 23. Mexico (33.75) 24. Czech Republic (32) 25. Algeria (27.25) 26. Colombia (26.75) 27. Slovakia (26.25) 28. Great Britain (24.75) 29. Spain (24.5) 30. India (21.75) 31. Finland (21.25) 32. Chile (20.5) 33. Trinidad & Tobago (17) 34. Morocco (16.75) 35. Congo (14) 36. Slovenia (13.75) 37. Pakistan (13) 38T. Portugal (12.75) 38T. Estonia (12.75) 40. South Africa (12.5)

International Volleyball Fact Sheet Olympic Games: Volleyball made its debut in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. Twelve teams in both the men’s and women’s draw earn the right to compete:

2002: Brazil (USA, ninth) 2006: Brazil (USA, 10th) 2010: Brazil (USA, sixth)

Past Olympic Champions (Men) 1964: Soviet Union (USA, ninth) 1968: Soviet Union (USA, seventh) 1972: Japan, (USA, DNQ) 1976: Poland (USA, DNQ) 1980: Soviet Union (USA, DNQ) 1984: USA 1988: USA 1992: Brazil (USA, third) 1996: Netherlands (USA, ninth) 2000: Yugoslavia (USA, 11th) 2004: Brazil (USA, fourth) 2008: USA 2012: Russia (USA, fifth)

Past World Champions (Women) 1952: Soviet Union (USA, DNP) 1956: Soviet Union (USA, ninth) 1960: Soviet Union (USA, sixth) 1962: Japan (USA, DNP) 1966: Japan (USA, second) 1970: Soviet Union (USA, 11th) 1974: Japan (USA, 12th) 1978: Cuba (USA, fifth) 1982: China (USA, third) 1986: China (USA, 10th) 1990: Soviet Union (USA, third) 1994: Cuba (USA, sixth) 1998: Cuba (USA, 13th) 2002: Italy (USA, second) 2006: Russia (USA, ninth) 2010: Russia (USA, fourth)

Past Olympic Champions (Women) 1964: Japan (USA, fifth) 1968: Soviet Union (USA, eighth) 1972: Soviet Union (USA, DNQ) 1976: Japan (USA, DNQ) 1980: Soviet Union (USA, DNP) 1984: China (USA, second) 1988: Soviet Union (USA, seventh) 1992: Cuba (USA, third) 1996: Cuba (USA, seventh) 2000: Cuba (USA, fourth) 2004: China (USA, fifth) 2008: Brazil (USA, second) 2012: Brazil (USA, second)

World Cup: The World Cup is held every four years, in the year prior to the Olympic Games. Though originally held at various sites, it has been hosted by Japan since 1977. Prior to 1991, the World Cup took place in the year immediately following the Olympics. The 12 berths in the World Cup for men and women are gained in the following manner: • Host country (Japan- Men and Women) • Defending World Cup champion • Winners of the five zone championships • The highest-placed team (of each zone) not qualified for the Olympic Games in accordance with the ranking of the zone championships.

World Championships: The World Championships are held every four years in the second year after the Olympics. The site, usually separate for the men’s and women’s competitions, is determined by the FIVB based on bids received from interested cities. The 24 berths for the men and women are gained in the following manner (2006 information is provided in parenthesis where available): • Host country • Defending World Champions • FIVB determined the appropriate number of qualification spots for each continent/zone based on performance at the 2002 World Championships and the number of teams registered for the 2006 World Championships. Each continent/zone played a World Championships Qualification Tournament in early 2002. Past World Champions (Men) 1949: Soviet Union (USA, DNP) 1952: Soviet Union (USA, DNP) 1956: Czechoslovakia (USA, sixth) 1960: Soviet Union (USA, seventh) 1962: Soviet Union (USA, DNP) 1966: Czechoslovakia (USA, 11th) 1970: East Germany (USA, 18th) 1974: Not held 1978: Soviet Union (USA, 19th) 1982: Soviet Union (USA, 13th) 1986: USA 1990: Italy (USA, 13th) 1994: Italy (USA, third) 1998: Italy (USA, ninth)

Past World Cup Champions (Men) 1965: Soviet Union (USA, DNP) 1969: East Germany (USA, DNP) 1973: Soviet Union (USA, seventh) 1977: Soviet Union (USA, 10th) 1981: Soviet Union (USA, DNQ) 1985: USA 1989: Cuba (USA, fourth) 1991: Soviet Union (USA, third) 1995: Italy (USA, fourth) 1999: Russia (USA, fourth) 2003: Brazil (USA, fourth) 2007: Brazil (USA, fourth) 2011: Russia (USA, sixth) Past World Cup Champions (Women) 1973: Soviet Union (USA, sixth) 1977: Japan (USA, seventh) 1981: China (USA, fourth) 1985: China (USA, DNQ) 1989: Cuba (USA, DNQ) 1991: Cuba (USA, fourth) 1995: Cuba (USA, seventh) 1999: Cuba (USA, ninth) 2003: China (USA, third) 2007: Italy (USA, third) 2011: Italy (USA, second)

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International Volleyball Fact Sheet Zone Championships: The volleyball world is divided into five international zones.The United States is in the NORCECA (North America Central America Caribbean) Zone, with championships held every other year at various sites. The other zones are Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. The frequency of zone championships competition varies in each of the five sections. Any nation in a particular zone may participate in its zone championships whenever such a competition is conducted. Past NORCECA Champions (Men) 1969: Cuba (USA, third) 1971: Cuba (USA, second) 1973: USA 1975: Cuba (USA, third) 1977: Cuba (USA, fifth) 1979: Cuba (USA, fifth) 1981: Cuba (USA, second) 1983: USA 1985: USA 1987: Cuba (USA, second) 1989: Cuba (USA, third) 1991: Cuba (USA, second) 1993: Cuba (USA, second) 1995: Cuba (USA, second) 1997: Cuba (USA, second) 1999: USA 2001: Cuba (USA, second) 2003: USA 2005: USA 2007: USA 2009: Cuba (USA, second) 2011: Cuba (USA, second) Past NORCECA Champions (Women) 1969: Mexico (USA, bronze) 1971: Mexico (USA, DNP) 1973: Cuba (USA, third) 1975: Cuba (USA, second) 1977: Cuba (USA, third) 1979: Cuba (USA, second) 1981: USA 1983: USA 1985: Cuba (USA, second) 1987: Cuba (USA, second) 1989: Cuba (USA, third) 1991: Cuba (USA, second) 1993: Cuba (USA, second) 1995: Cuba (USA, second) 1997: Cuba (USA, second) 1999: Cuba (USA, second) 2001: USA 2003: USA 2005: USA 2007: Cuba (USA, second) 2009: Dominican Republic (USA, fourth) 2011: USA

World League and World Grand Prix: The World League features the top 12 men’s volleyball teams in the world in competition for a total purse that has grown to $15 million since the inaugural season in 1990. Teams are divided into three, four-team pools and each country playing the other teams in their pool four times (twice at home, twice on the road). The winner and runner-up in each pool advance to a seeded playoff round. The regular season is usually played in May and June with playoffs in early July. The World Grand Prix is the women’s counterpart to the World League, and offers a total purse of $2 million to its 12-team field. Teams play in different four-team pools each weekend, at round-robin tournaments hosted by cities throughout Asia. The three teams with the best records join the host country for the Grand Prix Finals. The regular season is played in August and early-September with playoffs in mid-September. World League Champions 1990: Italy (USA, fourth in pool) 1991: Italy (USA, third in pool) 1992: Italy (USA, first in pool, third overall) 1993: Brazil (USA, fifth in pool) 1994: Italy (USA, fourth in pool) 1995: Italy (USA, fourth in pool) 1996: Netherlands (USA, DNP) 1997: Italy (USA, DNP) 1998: Cuba (USA, DNP) 1999: Italy (USA, DNP) 2000: Italy (USA, first in pool, sixth overall) 2001: Brazil (USA, third in pool, tied-ninth overall) 2002: Russia (USA, DNP) 2003: Brazil (USA, DNP) 2004: Brazil (USA, DNP) 2005: Brazil (USA, DNP) 2006: Brazil (USA, third in pool) 2007: Brazil (USA, third in finals) 2008: USA 2009: Brazil (USA, sixth) 2010: Brazil (USA, eighth) 2011: Russia (USA, seventh) 2012: Poland (USA, second) World Grand Prix Champions 1993: Cuba (USA, seventh regular season) 1994: Brazil (USA, fifth regular season) 1995: USA 1996: Brazil (USA, fifth) 1997: Russia (USA, eighth) 1998: Brazil (USA, eighth) 1999: Russia (USA, DNP) 2000: Cuba (USA, sixth) 2001: USA 2002: Russia (USA, sixth) 2003: China (USA, third) 2004: Brazil (USA, third) 2005: Brazil (USA, eighth) 2006: Brazil (USA, seventh) 2007: Netherlands (USA, eighth final, seventh preliminary) 2008: Brazil (USA, fourth) 2009: Brazil (USA, ninth) 2010: USA 2011: USA 2012: USA

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USA Volleyball Fact Sheet

Name: USA Volleyball Location: Colorado Springs, Colo. Founded: 1928 Membership: Approximately 275,000 Mission: USA Volleyball is the National Governing Body (NGB) for all disciplines of volleyball in the United States and is officially recognized by the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). As mandated by the Amateur Sports Act, USA Volleyball is responsible for the growth of the sport in America at the grassroots and most elite levels. USA Volleyball is the parent organization of the USA National Teams. Chief Executive Officer: Doug Beal Head Coach USA Women: Karch Kiraly (First year as head coach with women’s team) Head Coach USA Men: John Speraw (First year as head coach with men’s team) Major 2013 National Team Events: Senior Men’s Volleyball FIVB World League (May 31-July 21 in Various countries) NORCECA Continental Championship (Sept. 23-29 in Langley, Canada) FIVB Grand Champions Cup (Nov. 19-24 in Japan)

Indoor High Performance and USAV Juniors (Youth and Junior) FIVB Women’s U20 World Championship (June 21-30 in Czech Republic) FIVB Boys’ U19 World Championship (June 27-July 7 in Mexico) USAV Girls’ Junior National Championships (June 28-July 5, Dallas, Texas) NORCECA Boys’ Youth Championship (July 2-7, Mexico) USAV Boys’ Junior National Championships (June 27-July 4 in Dallas, Texas) USAV High Performance Championships (July 23-27 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship (July 26-Aug. 4 in Thailand) FIVB Men’s U21 World Championship (Aug. 22-Sept. 1 in Turkey)

Senior Women’s Volleyball Pan American Cup (June 8-17 in Peru) USA Volleyball Cup vs. Japan (July 10, 12, 13 in San Diego/Long Beach/San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) FIVB World Grand Prix (Aug. 2-Sept. 1 in Various countries) Beach NORCECA Continental Championship (Sept. 14-22 in Omaha, Neb., USA) FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour (various countries) FIVB Grand Champions Cup (Nov. 12-17 in Japan) NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour (various countries) FIVB U23 World Championships (June 5-9 in Myslowice, Poland) Other USAV Events FIVB U21 World Championships (June 19-23 in Umag, Croatia) NCVF Collegiate Club Championships (April 4-6 in Dallas, Texas) FIVB U19 World Championships (July 11-14 in Porto, Portugal) USAV Beach Collegiate Challenge (March 14-17 in Chula Vista, Calif.) World University Games (July 5-17 in Kazan, Russia) USAV Beach Collegiate Challenge (April 20-21 in Hermosa Beach, Calif.) USAV High Performance Championships (July 17-20 in Hermosa Beach, Calif.) USA Volleyball Open National Championships (May 24-29, Lousiville, Calif.) USA Beach Junior Tour (various locations) About USA Volleyball: Founded in 1928, USA Volleyball is a Colorado incorporated non-profit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) as the National Governing Body for the sport of Volleyball in the United States. USA Volleyball is responsible for both the Olympic disciplines of indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. USA Volleyball has over 275,000 registered members, 12,000 teams and 5,300 clubs nationwide. With an annual budget in excess of $17 million dollars, USA Volleyball supports the USA men’s and women’s senior national team programs, youth and junior national teams, national championship events, coaching education and certification programs, grassroots development, and programs for the disabled and Paralympic Teams. USA Volleyball has a rich tradition of success as evidenced by winning an Olympic medal in every Olympic Games since 1984 and capturing numerous World Cup, World Championship and Continental Championship titles. USA Volleyball is committed to and works toward opportunity for all to participate. It is an advocate for all Americans endeavoring to assure universal access to opportunities at all levels of the game. For more information please visit www.usavolleyball.org. Other: USA Volleyball consists of 40 regional volleyball associations which manage grassroots playing opportunities for the USA Volleyball membership and is affiliated with 36 member organizations (i.e. NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, YMCA) that provide playing opportunities at a variety of levels.

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