Becky Murdy
FIVB Offical Stats *Photos
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 25, 2011) -The U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team (BYNT) used endurance to outlast Russia 25-20, 20-25, 25-18, 22-25, 15-13 in a five-set marathon victory on Thursday in second-round Pool H action at the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ Youth World Championship Argentina 2011 in Buenos Aires.

Matt Tarantino (Van Nuys, Calif.) led the U.S. in points with 22 from a team-high 19 kills on 47 attacks, two blocks and an ace. Aaron Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) connected on 11 kills on 19 swings, three blocks and two service aces for 16 points. Setter James Shaw (Woodside, Calif.) contributed a double-double with 11 points on six kills, four blocks and an ace to go with 14 assists on 102 set attempts. Nikola Antonijevic (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) and Cody Caldwell (Newport Beach, Calif.) both charted nine kills, while Antonikevic added a service ace and Caldwell a block for 10 points each. Austin Kingi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) posted eight points from two attacks, four blocks and a pair of service aces. Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill.) tallied one kill for the U.S.

Caldwell led the team with 22 excellent receptions on 41 attempts and was second in digs with seven. Kingi had his game of the tournament leading the team in passing with 13 digs. Shibuya started Antonijevic and Russell at middle blocker, Caldwell and Tarantino at outside hitter, Kingi at opposite and Shaw at setter. Andrew Sato (Calabasas, Calif.) was the libero for the match. Ben Patch (Provo, Utah) subbed in at opposite in the first set, while Scott Rhein (Pleasant View, Tenn.) entered the match in all five sets. Petty clocked time in the third, fourth and fifth sets and Matt West (Seattle, Wash.) entered the match to set during the fourth. Petty saw court time in the third, fourth and fifth sets.

The United States converted 57 attacks for kills with a .252 hitting efficiency (57-20-147) compared to Russia’s 60 conversions with a .206 hitting efficiency (60-28-155). The Americans held a 14-8 hitting advantage and delivered seven aces to Russia’s four. Russia led in passing with 52 digs, while the U.S. tallied 42. Russia posted 46 excellent receptions to the Americans’ 42. The U.S. committed 36 errors in the match (attack errors, service errors and reception errors), while Russia had 43 errors.

Russia was led by captain Vladimir Manerov who delivered 19 kills for 19 points. Konstantin Gavrilov posted 18 points from 17 kills and a service ace.

Earlier today in the top-eight Pool E Serbia defeated Cuba 22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-15. Also in the top eight, Spain outplayed France 25-22, 25-17, 18-25, 15-25, 15-10 and Bulgaria chalked a win against Greece 25-23, 25-19, 25-21 in Pool F. In 9-16 classification Pool G Brazil defeated Puerto Rico 25-17, 25-16, 25-18 and Egypt defeated Tunisia 25-19, 25-22, 15-25, 28-26. In Pool H Russia won against Korea 21-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-22.

In the first set Kingi made his first start and the first point of the match posting a block for the U.S. Russia answered with a kill followed by a swing from Russell to take the lead at 2-1. Manerov delivered a kill for Russia, but was answered by a four-point run by the U.S. off kills from Russell, Caldwell and Shaw in addition to a Caldwell block at 6-2. Russia fired back with two points before Tarantino jumped on the scoreboard with a kill at 7-4. A three-point run by Russia tied the set at seven-all before an error gave the U.S. an 8-7 lead at the first technical timeout. Russia took its first lead at 9-8 after consecutive points. Tarantino tied the set at nine-all with a kill before both teams exchanged errors and Russell connected on his third kill at 11-10. Points alternated to reach 15-all with U.S. points from Shaw and Caldwell kills. Antonijevic connected for a kill at 16-all before Caldwell gave the Americans a one-point lead at 18-17. Kingi followed suit with his second block at 18-16. The U.S. took another two-point lead at 19-17 with a bullet from Tarantino. Tarantino knocked another kill down at 21-18 and the U.S. took control from there. Russell posted a kill at 22-19 and Kingi delivered a service ace to give the U.S. set point at 24-20. Antonijevic silenced Russia with a kill ending the set 25-20.

The United States started the second set down 2-0 before Antonijevic connected on a kill followed by a pair of kills from Russell and Tarantino at 4-3. Russia posted consecutive points to reach a three-point lead at 6-3 answered by back-to-back American points to reach 7-5. Russia delivered a three-point run and set the Americans back five at 10-5, the furthest behind of the set to that point. Kingi extinguished the fire from Russia with a kill at 10-6. The U.S. began to make its climb back reaching 12-9 off of a pair of Shaw kills before taking another five-point deficit at 10-5. Tarantino posted three points for the U.S. in its efforts to climb back with a pair of kills and a service ace leading to 19-14 Russian advantage. Shaw posted a stuff-block at 19-15 in which Russia responded with a kill taking a 20-15 lead. At 21-15 it looked like the Americans were losing momentum, but a kill from Russell to side out followed by his own service ace and a Caldwell kill took the U.S. back within three at 21-18. The U.S. fought hard at the end holding Russia at 24-19 off a Shaw kill and then again at 24-20 from Antonijevic’s fourth kill, but Russia held up the lead and took the second set 25-20.

Russia contributed to the first two points posting a kill and an unforced error at 1-1. Russia posted two points at 3-1 before the U.S. took off on a 4-1 run as Tarantino connected on a kill to side-out, setting up an Antonikevic service ace followed by a block off of Tarantino to give the U.S. a 4-3 advantage. The set was tied up at 4-all and 5-all preceding a four-point run by Russia to take the advantage and lead at 8-5. Tarantino connected on a kill at 8-6 to stop the run and initiate momentum on the U.S. side of the net. Shaw posted a block at 9-7 and Caldwell connected on a kill at 10-8 to side-out and give Russell the opportunity for a service ace to be followed by Antonijevic’s fifth kill to tie the set at 10-all. Russia took a short-lived lead at 11-10 until the Americans gained two points and took the lead at 12-11. The set tied at 13 and 14-all before Antonijevic connected on two kills to give the U.S. the lead and momentum at 16-14. A three-point run from a pair of Tarantino kills and a Russian error earned the U.S. its greatest lead of the set 19-15. Russia responded with a steady climb back within one at 19-18, but Tarantino charted his 12th kill to silence their efforts at 20-18. The Americans halted the Russians at 18 as they posted six unanswered points with a kill from Tarantino, blocks off of Russell and Shaw and a pair of Russian unforced errors to take the set 25-18.

The United States came out swinging in the fourth set posting its first three points off of kills from Antonijevic, Caldwell and Russell at 3-2. Kingi denied Russia twice with two blocks at 5-2. In an effort to alter its offense Russia miss-hit two balls to post back-to-back errors giving the U.S. a five-point advantage at 7-2. Russia answered with a surprising five-point run to tie the set at seven. Russia took a two-point lead at 10-8, responded to by swings from Tarantino and Antonijevic to tie the set at 11-all. Tarantino connected on his 14th ball to try and regain the momentum for the U.S. at 13-13, but Russia continued to climb reaching 15-13. Kingi delivered an attack to take the Americans within one at 15-14. Russia wasted no time to regain its three-point cushion taking the score to 20-17. Caldwell and Shaw posted kills at 20-19, but Russia took off with three points at 23-19 only to be halted by a Caldwell kill and a Petty kill to hold them to two set-points. Russia took the set 25-22.

The third set was a battle with U.S. posting points from Tarantino and Russell kills. Shaw delivered a service ace to take a 3-1 lead before Russia retaliated to three-all. The set tied up at 4-all and 5-all before the Americans posted three points from a pair of kills off of Russell and an ace from Kingi at 8-5. The U.S. increased its lead by four from a block-stuff off of Russell at 10-5, but Russia wasn’t going to let the fifth set go quietly rallying back to get within one at 10-9 off of four unanswered points. Caldwell knocked down his ninth kill at 11-9 followed by a block from Tarantino divided up by a Russian point to bring the set to 13-10. A Russian error gave the U.S. the first set-match point at 14-10, but it wasn’t until the fourth try that Tarantino connected to deliver a kill giving the U.S. a 15-13 set win and the match.

*White will not be making the trip to Argentina due to scheduling conflict with Harvard University.

Staff
Head Coach – Ken Shibuya, Stanford University
Asst. Coach – Dan Friend, Lewis University
Asst. Coach – Rob Neilson, Brigham Young University
Team Manager: Tom Tait
Team Doctor: Julie Chuan
Technical Coordinator: Jonah Carson

Second Round (Aug. 24-26)
Times are in Pacific Time

Pool E (Times Local)
Aug. 24: Cuba def. China 25-18, 20-25, 25-14, 23-25, 17-15
Aug. 24: Serbia def. Argentina 23-25, 25-21, 25-22, 22-25, 15-9
Aug. 25: Serbia def. Cuba 22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-15
Aug. 25: Argentina def. China 25-23, 19-25, 25-15, 25-19
Aug. 26: Serbia vs. China, 6 p.m.
Aug. 26: Argentina vs. Cuba, 9 p.m.

Pool F (Times Local)
Aug. 24: Spain def. Bulgaria 22-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-17
Aug. 24: France def. Greece 19-25, 25-14, 25-20, 26-24
Aug. 25: Spain def. France 25-22, 25-17, 18-25, 15-25, 15-10
Aug. 25: Bulgaria def. 25-23, 25-19, 25-21
Aug. 26: France vs. Bulgaria, 10 a.m.
Aug. 26: Greece vs. Spain, 1 p.m.

Pool G (Times Local)
Aug. 24: Brazil def. Tunisia 25-15, 21-25, 25-12, 25-21
Aug. 24: Egypt def. Puerto Rico 15-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-17
Aug. 25: Brazil def. Puerto Rico 25-17, 25-16, 25-18
Aug. 25: Egypt def. Tunisia 25-19, 25-22, 15-25, 28-26
Aug. 26: Puerto Rico vs. Tunisia, 10 a.m.
Aug. 26: Egypt vs. Brazil, 1 p.m.

Pool H (Times Local)

First Round (Aug. 19-21)

Pool A (Almirante Brown)

Pool B (Bahia Blanca)
Aug. 19: Greece def. Russia 25-12, 25-23, 32-30
Aug. 19: China def. Tunisia 26-24, 21-25, 25-27, 25-21, 15-6 
Aug. 20: Greece def. China 25-14, 25-22, 25-12
Aug. 20: Russia def. Tunisia 25-12, 25-19, 25-14
Aug. 21: Greece def. Tunisia 25-22, 25-10, 25-20
Aug. 22: China vs. Russia, 5 p.m.

Pool C (Almirante Brown)
Aug. 19: Brazil def. Korea 25-19, 25-14, 23-25, 20-25, 15-9
Aug. 19: Cuba def. France 25-20, 16-25, 25-21, 25-21
Aug. 20: France def. Korea 29-27, 25-20, 25-22
Aug. 20: Cuba def. Brazil 21-25, 19-25, 25-21, 27-25, 15-13
Aug. 21: France def. Brazil 14-25, 25-20, 9-25, 25-22, 15-12 6 
Aug. 21: Cuba def. Korea 24-26, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20, 15-13

Pool D (Bahia Blanca)
Aug. 19: Serbia def. Puerto Rico 25-16, 25-22, 25-20
Aug. 19: Spain def. Iran 25-22, 27-25, 25-21
Aug. 20: Spain def. Puerto 25-21, 25-17, 25-15
Aug. 20: Iran def. Serbia 25-22, 13-25, 30-28, 25-18
Aug. 21: Serbia def. Spain 21-25, 28-26, 25-22, 25-21
Aug. 21: Iran def. Puerto Rico 25-12, 25-15, 25-19

Semifinals (Aug. 27)

The semifinals and play-offs consist of a total of eight matches: two semifinal matches for the rankings 1-4, two matches for the classification 5-8, two matches for the qualification 9-12 and two matches for the classification 13-16.

Finals (Aug. 28)

The finals and play-offs consist of a total of eight matches:
- the winners of the semifinals will play the final for the 1st and 2nd position.
- the losers of the semifinals will play for the 3rd and 4th position.
- the winners of the play-off 5-8 will play for the 5th-6th position.
- the losers of the play-off 5-8 will play for the 7th-8th position.
- the winners of the play-off 9-12 will play for the 9th-10th position.
- the losers of the play-off 9-12 will play for the 11th-12th position.
- the winners of the play-off 13-16 will play for the 13th-14th position.
- the losers of the play-off 13-16 will play for the 15th-16th position