Off the Block

Category: Division I-II

  • No. 6 Brazil knocks off No. 9 USA in 9th place semifinals at World Championship

    The U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team’s chances of getting the nation’s best finish in more than 10 years at the Youth World Championship ended Saturday.

    No. 9 United States lost to No. 6 Brazil 25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 25-16 in the semifinals for ninth place at the World Championship on Saturday Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    This loss assures the United States (2-5) of an 11th or 12th place finish at the 16-team international team. The United States has not finished better than 10th place in the last five World Championship tournaments.
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  • Youth World Championship volleyball match to follow today: USA vs. Brazil

    The U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team is one win away from a top-10 finish at the World Championship.

    After finishing its second-round pool in second place, No. 9 United States will play No. 6 Brazil in the semifinals for ninth place at 6 p.m. (5 p.m. EST) Saturday in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    The winner of this match will play the winner of the other semifinals match between No. 4 Iran and No. 10 Egypt. The two ninth-place semifinals match losers will play each for 11th place.
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  • USA wins tiebreaker to reach 9th place semis, to play No. 6 Brazil

    It wasn’t pretty, but the U.S. Boys Youth National Team still has a chance to finish the World Championship in ninth place despite a losing record in the second round.

    No. 9 United States (2-4, 1-2 Pool H, 3 points) qualified for the ninth place semifinals after finishing the consolation second round in a three-way tie for second place and winning the point differential tiebreak on Friday in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    The United States began the final day of second-round pool-play in third place in Pool H and lost to previous winless Korea in five games. However, the one point the United States received for forcing the match to a fifth game, coupled with first-place Iran sweeping Russia created a three-way tie for the final Pool H berth to the ninth place semifinals.
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  • USA loses in five games to Korea, to await World Championship fate

    The U.S. Youth Boys’ National Team will have to wait to find out its semifinal fate at the World Championship.

    No. 9 United States lost to the previously winless No. 19 Korea 25-20, 20-25, 18-25, 25-19, 15-11 in its consolation second-round pool-play finale on Friday in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    The loss temporary puts the United States (2-4, 1-2 Pool H, 3 points) in a three-way tie for second place in Pool H with Korea (1-5, 1-2 Pool H, 3 points) and No. 2 Russia (3-2, 1-1 Pool H, 3 points). The top two teams in Pool H following the three-match consolation second round will advance to the semifinals for ninth-place.
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  • 5 storylines for men’s volleyball fans to follow this NCAA women’s volleyball season

    With the start of the NCAA women’s volleyball season today, it means the men’s volleyball season is about four months away from beginning.

    It’s still the offseason, but men’s and women’s volleyball do not exist completely separate of each other — and there are plenty of tie-ins for the college men’s volleyball fan to follow during the 2011 women’s volleyball season.

    Check out the top five storylines for the college men’s volleyball fan to follow this women’s volleyball season.
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  • Youth World Championship volleyball match to follow today: USA vs. Korea

    The U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team has a chance on the final day of second-round play to clinch a spot in the semifinals for ninth place at the World Championship.

    Less than 24 hours after upsetting No. 2 Russia, No. 9 United States will play No. 19 Korea in its consolation second-round pool-play finale at 6 p.m. (5 p.m. EST) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    The United States enters today in third place in Pool H, while Korea is in last place. The top two teams in Pool H following the three-match consolation second round will advance to play for a ninth-place finish in the 16-team international tournament.
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  • Pepperdine recruit Tarantino directs USA to upset victory against No. 2 Russia

    With the U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team at match-point in the fifth game, it was fitting that outside attacker Matthew Tarantino got the final kill to upset No. 2 Russia.

    Tarantino had a match-high 19 kills as the No. 9 United States defeated Russia 25-20, 20-25, 25-18, 22-25, 15-13 in its World Championship consolation second-round pool-play match Thursday in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    The victory keeps the United States (2-3, 1-1 Pool H, 2 points) alive for a chance to finish the international tournament in ninth place. It was also the highest ranked team any U.S. junior or youth team has defeated in tournament-play this year.
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  • UCLA releases 2012 schedule: 5 things to know about this schedule

    The final regular season schedule in Hall of Fame coach Al Scates’ 50-year tenure at UCLA was released Wednesday.

    The only coach in UCLA men’s volleyball history announced in May that he would retire at the end the 2012 season. Sactes and the Bruins enter the upcoming season with six returning starters after finishing last season in eighth place in the MPSF and losing in the conference tournament quarterfinals.

    Check out the five things to take away from UCLA’s schedule for the 2012 season.
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  • Youth World Championship volleyball match to follow today: USA vs. Russia

    The chances of the U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team finishing outside the bottom four places at World Championship largely depends to it being able to defeat one of the world’s top ranked teams.

    No. 9 United States will continue its consolation second-round pool-play with a match agianst No. 2 Russia on Thursday in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    The United States after losing its second-round Pool H opener must defeat Russia to remain alive for a ninth to 12th place finish at the World Championship. The top two teams in Pool H following the three-match consolation second round will advance to play for a ninth-place finish in the 16-team international tournament.
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  • No. 9 USA can’t upset No. 4 Iran, loses 2nd-round opener at World Championship

    The troubles for the U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team at the World Championship have continued into the second round.

    No. 9 United States committed 29 errors as it lost to No. 4 Iran 25-21, 22-25, 25-16, 25-18 in its consolation bracket second-round opener on Wednesday in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    Along with committing 10 less than errors than the United States (1-3, 0-1 Pool H), Iran out-blocked the United States 14-8 in the victory.
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