Posted by GEVA Web Editor on August 27, 2001 at 09:26:57:
In Reply to: Volleyball Leadership Articles posted by GEVA Web Editor on August 27, 2001 at 09:07:04:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sunday, August 26, 2001
USA Men?s Volleyball Team Advances To Quarterfinals Of 2001 World
University Games With 3-2 Win Over Japan
BEIJING, CHINA ? The USA Men?s Volleyball Team advanced to the
quarterfinals of the 2001 Summer World University Games Men?s Volleyball
Tournament with their three games to two victory (17-25, 25-28, 25-23, 21-
25, 15-10) over Japan this afternoon at the Fengtai Sports Centre
Gymnasium. The victory guaranteed that the United States would advance
to the quarterfinals from pool play as the number one ranked team coming
out of the combined pools of C and F. With their three games to two
victory over the Ukraine, Turkey finished ranked second in the combined
pools of C and F and also advance to the quarterfinals. The four
quarterfinal matches will be played on Tuesday, August 28 at the
Gymnasium of the NOSC (National Olympic Sports Committee) in Beijing,
China. Team USA does not yet know who it will face or what time they
will play as the seeding of the teams advancing to the quarterfinals will
not be determined until all pool play matches are complete today. Team
USA has a record of four wins and no losses as they advance into the
final stages of the tournament. The U.S. has posted victories over
Portugal (August 22), the Ukraine (August 24), Turkey (August 25) and now
Japan today.
?I thought this was a real good win for a lot of reasons,? said
Ruben Nieves, Head Coach of the 2001 USA Summer World University Games
Men?s Volleyball Team. ?Japan is a different type of team than we have
played. They pass significantly better than our first three opponents so
we weren?t going to be able to beat them with serving. We weren?t going
to get the easy points that we got against our prior three opponents.
They forced us to serve a high percentage of serves in and to score
points with our blocking, our digging, and our transition game. We made
an adjustment at the end of game on in terms of our serving that helped
us a lot. We just made sure that we gave ourselves plenty of chances to
block, dig, and transition, and not give them any free side-outs. They
also control the ball so much better than our first three opponents, so
that if you don?t execute on offense, they make you pay. They are able
to capitalize on your weak offensive plays and turn them into their own
swings. They make you play better volleyball. We also played a team
that had their backs to the wall. Once Turkey won the earlier match,
Japan was in a do or die situation, they had to beat us to advance and
stay in gold medal contention. We were playing a team that had that
attitude that ?this is it, it?s all or nothing at this point?. They
certainly came out playing with a lot of emotion and energy, which is
typical of them in the first place. Again we were mature enough, poised
enough, and patient enough to let the good parts of our game eventually
win the match for us.?
The Long Beach State University duo of David McKienzie
(Littleton, Colorado) and Jim Polster (Laguna Niguel, California) teamed
up to lead Team USA this afternoon. McKienzie posted 18 kills, a .450
hitting percentage, two blocks, four digs, and one service ace. Polster
notched 17 kills, a .520 hitting percentage, two blocks, seven digs, and
one service ace. Polster was also the team?s leading passer. Stanford
product Curt Toppel (Pacific Palisades, California) pitched in nicely
with 15 kills, a .310 hitting percentage, five blocks, and four digs.
BYU?s Mac Wilson (Palmdale, California) contributed four stuff blocks,
while libero Andy Rivera (Los Angeles, California/University of
California, Santa Barbara) had seven digs. As a team, the USA had 59
kills, a .370 hitting percentage, 14 blocks, 28 digs, and two service
aces.
?This was the first time that we played a team that really tested
us and passed well,? said Jim Polster. ?Usually we rely on our serves
and teams will just kind of fold for us and we can overpower them from
the end-line, but tonight Japan was a really good ball control team and
they forced us to side-out with them and made our block and defense earn
it.?
On looking at the road ahead, David McKenzie added, ?We came to
win a medal and we?re not planning on leaving without getting a medal. I
think that whatever team we play next, our chances are really, really
good. We?re playing great, we?re blocking well, our passing is coming
around, we?re siding out, and we?re playing great defense. I like our
chances.?
Starters for Team USA in today?s match were outside hitter Curt
Toppel, outside hitter Jim Polster, middle blocker Mac Wilson, middle
blocker Colin McMillan, outside hitter David McKienzie, setter Chris
Seiffert, and libero Andy Rivera. Also seeing action were Scott Wong,
Keith Barnett, Paul Fasshauer, and Chris Gisslen who came in at the
setter position at the beginning of the third game.
You can follow all of the action of the 21st Universiade by
logging onto the official website for the games at
www.universiade21.org.cn.
Please see below for the complete roster of the 2001 USA Summer
World University Games Men?s Volleyball Team.
2001 USA Summer World University Games Men?s Volleyball Team Roster
2001 World University Games
Beijing, China - August 22-30, 2001
(Final Numerical Roster As of 8-25-01)
No. Name Position Ht. (ft.) University Hometown
1 Curt Toppel OPP 6?9? Stanford University Pacific
Palisades, California
2 Andy Rivera L 6?2? University of California, Santa
Barbara Los Angeles, California
4 Jim Polster OH 6?6? Long Beach State University
Laguna Niguel, California
5 Mac Wilson MB 6?9? Brigham Young University (BYU)
Palmdale, California
6 Colin McMillan MB 6?11? Ohio State University
Burlington, Wisconsin
9 Scott Wong OH 6?5? Pepperdine University Pearl
City, Hawaii
10 Chris Gisslen S 6?6? Indiana-Purdue, Fort Wayne (IPFW)
Red Wing, Minnesota
11 David McKienzie OH 6?4? Long Beach State University
Littleton, Colorado
12 Pieter Olree OH 6?6? Ohio State University Reading,
Pennsylvania
14 Paul Fasshauer MB 6?8? Ball State University Hoffman
Estates, Illinois
15 Keith Barnett S 6?3? Pepperdine University Hermosa
Beach, California
16 Chris Seiffert S 6?3? Long Beach State University
Laguna Niguel, California
Staff:
Head Coach: Ruben Nieves ? Head Coach, Stanford University (1991-2001)
Assistant Coach: Gordon Mayforth ? Head Coach, Loyola University,
Chicago
Assistant Coach: Jeff Stork ? Assistant Coach, Pepperdine
University
Team Leader: Mark Pavlik ? Head Coach, Penn State University
Please see below for the complete schedule of the 2001 World
University Games Men?s Volleyball Tournament for Team USA.
2001 World University Games Men?s Volleyball Tournament
August 22 ? September 1, 2001
Beijing, China
Pool F
USA
Portugal
Ukraine
Schedule:
Preliminary Pool Play ? Pool F
Date Match Time Location Result
8/22 USA vs. Portugal 11:30 a.m. Guangcai Gymnasium
USA won 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-16)
8/23 Portugal vs. Ukraine 3:30 p.m. Guangcai Gymnasium
Ukraine won 3-2 (16-25, 25-19, 27-29, 25-16, 15-10)
8/24 Ukraine vs. USA 3:30 p.m. Guangcai Gymnasium USA won 3-
0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-20)
Second Round Pool Play ? Combined Pool C and F
(Top two teams from Pools C and F)
USA
Ukraine
Turkey
Japan
Date Match Time Location Result
*8/25 Japan vs. Ukraine 1:30 p.m. Fengtai Sports Centre
Gymnasium Japan won 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-12, 25-11)
*8/25 USA vs. Turkey 3:30 p.m. Fengtai Sports Centre Gymnasium
USA won 3-0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-22)
*8/26 Turkey vs. Ukraine 1:30 p.m. Fengtai Sports Centre
Gymnasium Turkey won 3-2 (23-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-19, 15-9)
*8/26 Japan vs. USA 3:30 p.m. Fengtai Sports Centre Gymnasium
USA won 3-2 (17-25, 25-18, 25-23, 21-25, 15-10)
Medal Round
Date Match Time Location Result
*8/28 Quarterfinal #1 1:30 p.m. Gymnasium of NOSC
*8/28 Quarterfinal #2 3:30 p.m. Gymnasium of NOSC
*8/28 Quarterfinal #3 6:30 p.m. Gymnasium of NOSC
*8/28 Quarterfinal #4 8:30 p.m. Gymnasium of NOSC
*8/29 Semifinal #1 6:30 p.m. Capital Gymnasium
*8/29 Semifinal #2 8:30 p.m. Capital Gymnasium
*8/30 Gold Medal Match 8:30 p.m. Capital Gymnasium
*United States must advance to play in these matches in the winner?s
bracket. If the U.S. does not advance they will play in a loser?s
bracket.
(All times are Beijing, China Time)
For more information please contact Cecil Bleiker, Coordinator, Public
Relations and Publicity for USA Volleyball and Press Officer for the 2001
USA Summer World University Games Men?s Volleyball Team in Beijing, China
at 011-86-136-1606-7022or e-mail: Cecil.Bleiker@usav.org. This release
is also available on the following websites : www.usavolleyball.org and
http://usocpressbox.org.
USA Volleyball is the National Governing Body for the sport of Volleyball
in the United States and as such is recognized by the United States
Olympic Committee and the FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball)
as the organization primarily responsible for increasing participation
and awareness of the sport of Volleyball in the United States. USA
Volleyball?s efforts are aided by the many member organizations with
which it is affiliated, such as 38 Regional Volleyball Associations, the
Amateur Athletic Union, NCAA, YMCA, National Federation of State High
School Associations, the American Volleyball Coaches Association and the
United States Youth Volleyball League.
-USAV-
Cecil Bleiker
Coordinator, Public Relations & Publicity
USA Volleyball
715 South Circle Drive
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80910
Phone: (719) 228-6800
Fax: (719) 228-6899
www.usavolleyball.org