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USA loses in 5 games to Czech Republic, drops to 3rd place in World Games pool

The United States path to the gold medal at the World University Games just became a little more challenging.

Entering the match tied for first place in its pool, the United States lost to the Czech Republic 23-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-27, 15-13 on Monday in Shenzhen, China to drop into third place.

The top two teams in each pool at the end of the five-match pool-play round will advance to the World University Games quarterfinals.
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Hawai’i promotes Podlewski to assistant coach for 2012 season

Hawai’i hired from within its men’s volleyball program to fill its assistant coaching void.

The Hawai’i athletics department announced Friday that Vernon Podlewski, a former Warrior and U.S. Men’s National Team member, has been promoted to an assistant coach for the upcoming season.

Podlewski spent the previous season as a volunteer assistant coach and primarily worked with the players on their defense and passing skills.
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UCLA’s Amberg block too much for Turkey in USA sweep at World Games

UCLA middle attacker Thomas Amberg block kept the United States’ record perfect at the World University Games.

Amberg had a match-high eight blocks as the United States swept Turkey 25-18, 25-9, 25-20 to remain undefeated in pool-play at the international tournament on Saturday in Shenzhen, China.

The United States (2-0, 2-0 Pool D) out-blocked Turkey 12-2 in the victory. In addition, Amberg’s UCLA teammate Wes Dunlap was second on the United States with two blocks.
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Former Highlander setter Trevino named assistant coach at NJIT

One of the best men’s volleyball setters in NJIT history will return to the team as an assistant coach.

The NJIT athletics department announced Wednesday that it hired Pedro Trevino to join the Highlanders’ coaching staff for the upcoming season.

Trevino, a four-year starting setter from 1997-2000, finished his final two season with NJIT in the nation’s top 10 in assists per game average and was selected to the All-EIVA team.
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Former Gaucho Menzel leads USA in sweep vs. Mexico in World Games opener

Former UC Santa Barbara outside attacker Jeff Menzel in his World University Games debut picked up right where he left off from the NCAA postseason.

Menzel had a match-high 15 kills as the United States swept Mexico 25-17, 25-23, 25-15 in its pool-play opener at the World University Games on Friday in Shenzhen, China.

Menzel was one of 12 current or recently graduated college men’s volleyball players selected to represent the United States at the international tournament, after he led the Gauchos to the 2011 NCAA championship match. The senior outside attacker had a more than 100 postseason kills as UC Santa Barbara upset three top-five ranked teams to reach its first Final Four in more than 20 years.
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NCAA raises APR benchmark, to ban poor academic performing teams from playoffs

The NCAA placing a greater emphasis on academic performance could make some men’s volleyball team in the future ineligible for the postseason.

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors unanimously voted Thursday to raise the Academic Progress Rate benchmark from 900 to 930 and would require teams to meet the new benchmark in order to participate in the postseason.

“This is about the academic performance of all of our students in all of our sports,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement. “This is about the academic expectations we have for all of our student-athletes.”
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The aftermath of the World Championship: 5 things to take away from Team USA

The World Championship ended Wednesday, but there are many things college men’s volleyball teams and fans should take away from the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team’s performance.

No. 9 United States reached the final four for the first time in World Championship history before losing to No. 1 Argentina in the semifinals and No. 5 Serbia in the bronze medal game. The United States roster was comprised of 15 current college men’s volleyball players and four incoming freshmen.

Check out the top five things to take away from the World Championship for the upcoming NCAA men’s volleyball season in January.
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Former Hawai’i, Cal Poly coach Wilton selected for Cal Poly Hall of Fame

A multiple winner of the AVCA Men’s Volleyball Coach of Year award will be inducted into a college’s athletics hall of fame for his work with women’s volleyball.

Mike Wilton, a former men’s volleyball coach at Hawai’i and women’s volleyball coach at Cal Poly, was selected to the Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame, the school’s athletics department announced Tuesday.

Wilton in his 11 years at Cal Poly from 1978-89 guided the Mustangs to nine NCAA Tournament appearances. In addition, the coach reached the NCAA Regional Finals three times, and the Mustangs were ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll during the 1985 season.
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Serbia blows past USA in four games to win World Championship bronze medal

The U.S. Men’s Junior National Team will leave the World Championship without a medal.

No. 9 United States lost to No. 5 Serbia 25-15, 25-20, 23-25, 25-13 in the bronze medal match Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and failed to win the country’s first medal in the 40-year history of the international tournament.

The United States committed a tournament-high 38 errors in the loss — 19 more errors than Serbia.
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