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Check out all FIVB U21 World Championship opening-round pool-play matches to follow today and how to follow the matches live.
United States (0-2, 0 Points Pool B) vs. Russia (2-0, 6 points Pool B)
Match vitals: 8 p.m. (1 p.m. CST) in Brno, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
World Rankings: United States (9); Russia (No. 1)
NCAA players on U.S. roster: Kyle Ensing (Long Beach State); Jordan Ewert (Stanford); Patrick Gasman (Hawai’i); George Huhmann (Princeton); Micah Ma’a (UCLA); Austin Matautia (Hawai’i); Dylan Missry (UCLA); Brett Rosenmeier (Hawai’i); Scott Stadick (UC Irvine); Matt Szews (Ball State); Josh Tuaniga (Long Beach State); Gage Worsley (Hawai’i)
NCAA players on Russia roster: None
World Championship appearances: United States (9); Russia (19)
Best World Championship finish: United States (fourth place in 2011); Russia (gold medal in 1977, 1981, 1985, 1989, 1995, 1999, 2005, 2011, 2013 and 2015)
What to know: The only thing the United States has left to play for in the opening round is pulling off the biggest upset at the FIVB U21 World Championship. The United States after two losses to start the tournament and being eliminated from medal contention will play the defending World Championship gold medalists Russia in its pool-play finale. Russia has already clinched a berth to the second round with back-to-back sweeps in its first two pool-play matches. It also will be assured the Pool B championship if it wins one game versus the United States. The U.S. team is still attempting to win a game at the international tournament following three-game losses to Turkey and Cuba in pool-play. Long Beach State All-American opposite Kyle Ensing, though, is fourth among all players in the tournament with 31 kills. Ensing has led the United States in kills during both matches, including a match-high 14 kills in the loss to Cuba on Saturday. Russia outside attacker Anton Semyshev also is one of the seven players at the World Championship with at least 30 kills and is second among all players with a 66.7 percent offensive efficiency. Semyshev finished with a match-high 14 kills in a sweep against Turkey on Saturday. U.S. coach Jay Hosack said in an interview with Off the Block on Saturday that the United States will likely use a new starting lineup for the third consecutive match to open the tournament. Hosack in the loss to Turkey opted to start UCLA All-American setter Micah Ma’a and Hawai’i outside attacker Brett Rosenmeier for the first time this tournament. Rosenmeier ended the match with 10 kills and a team-high 55.6 percent offensive efficiency. The United States also enters this match with a history of upsetting Russia. Future U.S. Olympians Matt Anderson and Max Holt led the United States to an upset victory against Russia in the pool-play round of the 2007 World Championship. The United States following the conclusion of this opening round will move to the consolation second round. The consolation second round will be comprised of the third-place and fourth-place teams in each of the four World Championship pools. Those eight teams will play each other for the ninth place through 16th-place finish at the World Championship.
Poland (2-0, 6 points Pool A) vs. Canada (2-0, 5 points Pool A)
Match vitals: 12:30 p.m. (5:30 a.m. CST) in Brno, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats
World Rankings: Poland (No. 7); Canada (No. 8)
NCAA players on Poland roster: None
NCAA players on Canada roster: Daenan Gyimah (UCLA)
World Championship appearances: Poland (9); Canada (10)
Best World Championship finish: Poland (gold medal in 1997 and 2003); Canada (fifth place in 1999)
Italy (0-2, 0 points Pool C) vs. Ukraine (0-2, 1 point Pool C)
Match vitals: 12:30 p.m. (5:30 a.m. CST) in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats
World Rankings: Italy (No. 5); Ukraine (No. 15)
NCAA players on Italy roster: None
NCAA players on Ukraine roster: None
World Championship appearances: Italy (13); Ukraine (3)
Best World Championship finish: Italy (silver medal in 1985, 1991 and 1993); Ukraine (ninth place in 1999)
Turkey (1-1, 3 points Pool B) vs. Cuba (1-1, 3 points Pool B)
Match vitals: 3 p.m. (8 a.m. CST) in Brno, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats
World Rankings: Turkey (No. 6); Cuba (No. 13)
NCAA players on Cuba roster: None
NCAA players on Turkey roster: None
World Championship appearances: Turkey (3); Cuba (12)
Best World Championship finish: Turkey (sixth place in 2013 and 2015); Cuba (silver medal in 1987 and 2009)
Brazil (2-0, 6 points Pool D) vs. Japan (1-1, 3 points Pool D)
Match vitals: 3 p.m. (8 a.m. CST) in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats
World Rankings: Brazil (No. 4); Japan (No. 14)
NCAA players on Brazil roster: None
NCAA players on Japan roster: None
World Championship appearances: Brazil (19); Japan (13)
Best World Championship finish: Brazil (gold medal in 1993, 2001, 2007 and 2009); Japan (silver medal in 1989)
Czech Republic (0-2, 1 point Pool A) vs. Morocco (0-2, 0 points Pool A)
Match vitals: 5:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. CST) in Brno, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats
World Rankings: Czech Republic (No. 35); Morocco (No. 15)
NCAA players on Czech Republic roster: None
NCAA players on Morocco roster: None
World Championship appearances: Czech Republic (1); Morocco (5)
Best World Championship finish: Czech Republic (First appearance); Morocco (ninth place in 2005)
Argentina (2-0, 6 points Pool C) vs. Iran (2-0, 5 points Pool C)
Match vitals: 5:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. CST) in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats
World Rankings: Argentina (No. 2); Iran (No. 11)
NCAA players on Argentina roster: None
NCAA players on Iran roster: None
World Championship appearances: Argentina (14); Iran (11)
Best World Championship finish: Argentina (silver medal in 2013 and 2015); Iran (bronze medal in 2007)
China (1-1, 3 points Pool D) vs. Egypt (0-2, 0 points Pool D)
Match vitals: 8 p.m. (1 p.m. CST) in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats
World Rankings: China (No. 3); Egypt (No. 11)
NCAA players on China roster: None
NCAA players on Egypt roster: None
World Championship appearances: China (15); Egypt (11)
Best World Championship finish: China (silver medal in 1977); Egypt (ninth place in 2003)