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U.S. Men Upset World No. 1-Ranked Brazil to Open 2007 World Cup
By B.J. Hoeptner Evans // USA Volleyball // November 18, 2007
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Nov. 18, 2007) – The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team upset world No. 1- ranked Brazil in straight sets (28-26, 30-28, 25-20) in its opening match of the 2007 FIVB World Cup on Sunday in Matsumoto, Japan.
Four U.S. players scored in double figures in the victory, which gives the fifth-ranked U.S. Men a 1-0 record to begin the two-week tournament. The top three teams will qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
While the win is important, the U.S. Men were careful not to get too excited.
“Brazil is always a challenging team to play, so, while we are happy to win we still have many matches to go,” U.S. Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon said. “The focus has to be tomorrow's match against a good Puerto Rico team.”
The U.S. Men will play NORCECA-rival Puerto Rico, ranked 17th in the world, on Monday at 3:35 p.m. local time (10:30 p.m. on Sunday, PST). Puerto Rico qualified for the World Cup by finishing second to the United States at the NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship.
On Sunday, Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) led all scorers with 16 points on 15 kills and one ace. Riley Salmon (League City, Texas) added 11 points on 10 kills and one block. Ryan Millar (Palmdale, Calif.) scored 11 points on nine kills and two blocks. Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawai’i) tallied 10 points on a match-high four aces and six kills. David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) contributed nine points on a match-high five blocks and four kills.
Setter Lloy Ball (Woodburn, Ind.) scored two points on blocks and the U.S. Men converted 51 percent of their kill attempts into points. U.S. libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) had five digs and 11 “excellent” service receptions.
Brazilian team captain Gilberto Godoy Filho (Giba) led his team with 14 points on 11 kills and three blocks. Rodrigo Santana added 10 points on nine kills and one block. No other Brazilian player scored in double figures.
The United States led Brazil in blocks (10-7) and aces (5-0) and had two fewer errors. Team USA was credited with 50 “excellent” serve receptions and no faults while Brazil had 42 “excellents” and five faults.
“We started well but we had a lack of confidence and our service didn't flow,” said Brazil Head Coach Coach Bernardo Resende. “It is a tough beginning. We have to climb a big mountain.”
McCutcheon started Priddy and Salmon at outside hitter, Lee and Millar at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite and Ball at setter. Lambourne is the United States’ designated libero for the tournament. Gabe Gardner (San Clemente, Calif.) and Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) each entered the match as substitutes.
In the first set, Brazil held an 8-5 lead at the first technical timeout and extended that to 12-7, before an estimated crowd of 6,500 that was decidedly pro-Brazil.
The U.S. Men worked their way back and only trailed by three, 13-16, at the second timeout. Priddy turned up the head with a kill and an ace and Stanley and Salmon each added an ace as the United States went on a 5-3 run to trim Brazil’s lead to 19-18. Millar’s kill tied the score at 19-19.
Brazil’s service error put the United States at set point, 24-23, but Brazil fought it off and reached its own set point at 26-25. Another Brazil error tied the score for the United States and Stanley followed with two straight aces to give Team USA the set win.
The U.S. Men held the lead at 13-10 in the second set, but Brazil came back to make it 14-13. Led by Giba, Brazil increased the lead to 21-17, but the United States rattled off three straight points to cut Brazil’s lead to one.
Brazil reached set point first at 24-23, but could not convert. Lee stepped up his blocking and eventually, the U.S. Men gained the set victory, 30-28.
In the third set, the U.S. Men led 8-7 at the first technical timeout and 16-14 at the second. A 5-2 run gave them a five-point lead and Brazil could not recover. Priddy’s kill gave Team USA match point and a Brazilian blocking error gave the United States the victory.
For the U.S. Men's World Cup Media Guide (1 MB), click here.
For the FIVB Men's World Cup Media Guide (8 MB), click here.
The FIVB Men’s World Cup web site is at www.fivb.org/EN/volleyball/competitions/WorldCup/2007/Men/.
The Japanese World Cup web site is at www.vbworldcup.jp/2007/en.
View the TV schedule on Universal HD here.
2007 FIVB World Cup
U.S. Men’s Roster
(No., Name, Position, Height, Hometown, College)
1 Lloy Ball (S, 6-8, Woodburn, Ind., Indiana-Purdue, Fort Wayne)
2 Sean Rooney (OH, 6-9, Wheaton, Ill., Pepperdine)
3 Jim Polster (OH, 6-6, Laguna Niguel, Calif., Long Beach State)
4 David Lee (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Calif., Long Beach State)
5 Rich Lambourne (L, 6-3, Tustin, Calif., BYU)
8 Reid Priddy (OH, 6-5, Richmond, Va., Loyola Marymount)
9 Ryan Millar (MB, 6-8, Palmdale, Calif., BYU)
10 Riley Salmon (OH, 6-6, League City, Texas, Pierce College)
12 Tom Hoff (MB, 6-8, Park Ridge, Ill., Long Beach State)
13 Clay Stanley (OPP, 6-9, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Hawai’i)
14 Kevin Hansen (S, 6-5, Newport Beach, Calif., Stanford)
15 Gabe Gardner (OPP, 6-9, San Clemente, Calif., Stanford)
Head Coach: Hugh McCutcheon
Team Manager: Marv Dunphy
Assistant Coach: Ron Larsen
Assistant Coach: John Speraw
Doctor: Dr. Alex Torres
Technical Coordinator: Jamie Morrison
Medical Support: Aaron Brock
Technical Consultant: Radford Nakamura
Technical Consultant: Charles Sullivan
Standings
Puerto Rico 1-0
Russia 1-0
Bulgaria 1-0
USA 1-0
Australia 1-0
Tunisia 1-0
Japan 0-1
Korea 0-1
Brazil 0-1
Spain 0-1
Argentina 0-1
Egypt 0-1
First Round
Nov. 18 - Matsumoto
USA def. Brazil (28-26, 30-28, 25-20)
Bulgaria def. Spain (25-21, 19-25, 25-20, 25-17)
Puerto Rico def. Egypt (25-17, 25-19, 25-17)
Nov. 18 - Saitama
Australia def. Korea (22-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-20, 29-27)
Tunisia def. Japan (22-25, 25-21, 18-25, 25-22, 16-14)
Russia def. Argentina (25-16, 25-22, 25-17)
Nov. 19 - Matsumoto
USA vs. Puerto Rico
Bulgaria vs. Egypt
Brazil vs. Spain
Nov. 19 - Saitama
Australia vs. Russia
Tunisia vs. Argentina
Korea vs. Japan
Nov. 20 - Matsumoto
Spain vs. USA
Egypt vs. Brazil
Puerto Rico vs. Bulgaria
Nov. 20 - Saitama
Japan vs. Australia
Argentina vs. Korea
Russia vs. Tunisia
Second Round
Nov. 22 - Toyama
USA vs. Bulgaria
Brazil vs. Puerto Rico
Spain vs. Egypt
Nov. 22 - Hiroshima
Australia vs. Tunisia
Korea vs. Russia
Japan vs. Argentina
Nov. 23 - Toyama
Egypt vs. USA
Puerto Rico vs. Spain
Bulgaria vs. Brazil
Nov. 23 - Hiroshima
Argentina vs. Australia
Russia vs. Japan
Tunisia vs. Korea
Third Round
Nov. 25 – Okayama
Tunisia vs. USA
Bulgaria vs. Korea
Brazil vs. Australia
Nov. 25 – Fukuoka
Argentina vs. Puerto Rico
Spain vs. Russia
Japan vs. Egypt
Nov. 26 – Okayama
Korea vs. USA
Australia vs. Bulgaria
Brazil vs. Tunisia
Nov. 26 – Fukuoka
Argentina vs. Spain
Egypt vs. Russia
Japan vs. Puerto Rico
Nov. 27 – Okayama
Australia vs. USA
Bulgaria vs. Tunisia
Brazil vs. Korea
Nov. 27 – Fukuoka
Argentina vs. Egypt
Puerto Rico vs. Russia
Japan vs. Spain
Fourth Round
Nov. 30 – Tokyo A
Argentina vs. Brazil
Bulgaria vs. Russia
Japan vs. USA
Nov. 30 – Tokyo B
Puerto Rico vs. Tunisia
Egypt vs. Korea
Australia vs. Spain
Dec. 1 – Tokyo A
Argentina vs. USA
Brazil vs. Russia
Japan vs. Bulgaria
Dec. 1 – Tokyo B
Egypt vs. Tunisia
Spain vs. Korea
Australia vs. Puerto Rico
Dec. 2 – Tokyo A
Argentina vs. Bulgaria
Russia vs. USA
Japan vs. Brazil
Dec. 2 – Tokyo B
Spain vs. Tunisia
Korea vs. Puerto Rico
Australia vs. Egypt
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