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Three days before the start of the FIVB U21 World Championship and the United States has completed the challenge of making cuts to finalize its tournament roster.
USA volleyball unveiled on Monday its 12-player roster that includes three college men’s volleyball All-Americans and several players who earned all-conference honors.
The United States will have two All-American setters with Long Beach State setter Josh Tuaniga and UCLA setter Micah Ma’a. In addition, Tuaniga was the most valuable player of the 2016 U21 NORCECA Continental Championship as the United States won the tournament to earn a World Championship berth.
Long Beach State opposite Kyle Ensign is the only All-American pin-hitter playing for the United States. The U.S. roster, though, also includes Stanford outside attacker Jordan Ewert, a 2017 All-MPSF honorable mention, and Ball State opposite Matt Szews, the 2017 MIVA Freshman of the Year.
Szews is one of the three Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Freshmen All-American Team selections to make the U.S. roster. Freshman All-American middle attacker Scott Stadick, the 2017 MPSF Freshman of the Year, and George Huhmann, the 2017 EIVA Newcomer of the Year, both earned roster spots.
Along with these two middle attackers, Hawai’i MPSF All-Freshman middle attacker Patrick Gasman rounds out the three U.S. middle attackers.
The U.S. roster features all current college players with the exception of libero Gage Worsley. The incoming recruit for Hawai’i and high school All-American is the youngest player to make the team.
The Rainbow Warriors also led all schools with four players making the U.S. team.
U.S. head coach Jay Hosack and his staff determined the final roster from a 20-player training team that spent the last two weeks participating in the team’s train camp in Lake Placid, New York.
The United States enters the World Championship at No. 9 in the FIVB World Rankings is attempting to win the country’s first medal in the history of the bi-annual tournament.
The World Championship will begin Friday in the Czech Republic. The United States playing Turkey in its opening pool-play match.
U.S. Men’s Junior National Team roster
Setter: Micah Ma’a, UCLA
Setter: Josh Tuaniga, Long Beach State
Opposite: Kyle Ensing, Long Beach State
Opposite: Matt Szews, Ball State
Outside attacker: Jordan Ewert, Stanford
Outside attacker: Austin Matautia, Hawai’i
Outside attacker: Dylan Missry, UCLA
Outside attacker: Brett Rosenmeier, Hawai’i
Middle attacker: Patrick Gasman, Hawai’i
Middle attacker: George Huhmann, Princeton
Middle attacker: Scott Stadick, UC Irvine
Libero: Gage Worsley, Hawai’i
Coaching staff
Head coach: Jay Hosack, George Mason
Assistant Coach: Jonah Carson, Mountain View Volleyball Club
Assistant Coach: Matt McCarthy, Lewis
Team Manager: Jen Armson Dyer, Badger Region Volleyball
Doctor: David Dyck, Jr.
Technical Coordinator: Galen Dodd, UCLA