Initial roster unveiled for U.S. Men’s Junior National Team

More than 20 college men’s volleyball players have been selected to possibly play for the United States at a qualifying tournament for the World Championship.

USA Volleyball earlier this week announced its 21-player training roster for the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team.



Among the players making to the initial roster includes four Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Freshmen All-American Team selections from last season — UC Santa Barbara libero Hayden Boehle, UCLA outside attacker JT Hatch, Loyola middle attacker Jeff Jendryk and Ball State middle attacker Matt Walsh. In addition, Hawai’i all-conference setter Jennings Franciskovic and Princeton all-conference middle attacker Junior Oboh were among the sophomores to earn a roster spot.

This initial U.S. roster will be cut to 12 players following a two-week training session starting Wednesday in Lake Placid, New York.

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The United States will compete at the Men’s Under-21 Pan American Cup on June 23-28 in Canada. If the United States can win this tournament, it will clinch a spot in the upcoming FIVB U-21 World Championship in the fall.

The United States narrowly missed qualifying last season for the upcoming World Championship after finishing in third place at the NORCECA Continental Championship.

Along with eight players returning from last year’s U.S. team, the coaching staff will remain the same. Lewis coach Dan Friend will serve as the U.S. head coach, while Penn State assistant coach Jay Hosack and Princeton coach Sam Shweisky will both be assistant coaches.

UCLA and the defending-NCAA champions Loyola led all schools with three players making the initial roster. In addition, Hawai’i, Long Beach State and Pepperdine each had multiple players selected to the U.S. roster.

Ball State, BYU, CSUN, Lewis, Penn State, Princeton, UC Santa Barbara and USC all had one player make the training roster.

U.S. Men’s Junior National Team training roster
Setter: Soren Dion-Kindem, Pepperdine
Setter: Jennings Franciskovic, Hawai’i
Setter: Curtis Stallings, Long Beach State
Opposite: Ricky Gevis, Loyola
Opposite: Oliver Martin, UCLA
Opposite: Mitch Perinar, Lewis
Opposite: Ben Plaisted, Loyola
Outside attacker: Kupono Fey, Hawai’i
Outside attacker: Colby Harriman, Pepperdine
Outside attacker: JT Hatch, UCLA
Outside attacker: Chris Nugent, Penn State
Outside attacker: Louis Richard, Long Beach State
Outside attacker: Brenden Sander, BYU
Middle attacker: Andy Benesh, USC
Middle attacker: Josiah Byers, CSUN
Middle attacker: Jeff Jendryk, Loyola
Middle attacker: Junior Oboh, Princeton
Middle attacker: Matt Walsh, Ball State
Libero: Jackson Bantle, UCLA
Libero: Hayden Boehle, UC Santa Barbara
Libero: Evan Enriques, Stanford