Aug. 13, 2007

Courtesy of B.J Evans, USA Volleyball

USA vs. Poland Box Score
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Bangkok, Thailand - The U.S. Men's Volleyball Team improved to 4-0 at the 2007 Summer World University Games with a 3-2 win over Poland on Sunday at the IMPACT Convention Center. Team USA dropped its first set and came from behind in both the second and fifth sets for the win, 25-22, 34-32, 22-25, 17-25, 15-13.

"To get down 0-5, in the fifth, and to win, doesn't happen very often," said head coach Alan Knipe. "I think the guys are doing a nice job showing composure, and they believe that as long as there's time left on the scoreboard, they can still score points. And, they can score points in bunches."

After a long battle in the second set, the U.S. saw Poland take the upper had in the third set and cruise through the fourth. Poland also came out swinging in the fifth, leading 5-0 before Team USA got on the board. The U.S. tied the set at 9-9 on a block by Evan Patak (Pleasanton, Calif./UC Santa Barbara), and timely kills by Andy Hein (Carol Stream, Ill./Pepperdine) added the final two points for the squad to seal the 15-13 win.

"I was a little disappointed how we started game three, when we had the opportunity to put a really good team out," said Knipe. "I thought we played well as that game went on. It's such a fickle game, volleyball, with momentum, that when they got it, they ran with it, it took a lot to get back.

"Brian Thornton had one of the better saves in volleyball," Knipe continued. "He came in and served five or six straight points and got them in a lot of trouble. It was a situation where it was just a different look than what they had been seeing."

Thornton (San Clemente, Calif.) worked as a substitute in all five sets. The setter combined with UC Irvine teammate David Smith (Saugust, Calif.) late in the game.

"With [David] Smith and [Jayson] Jablonsky - I've been playing with those guys for four years now - so there's no thought process involved. We just know each other so well, everything just clicks," said Thornton. "With this whole team, coming from behind tonight says a lot. It shows how we hate to lose and don't want to lose - it just shows a lot of heart."

Patak once again led the team in points, as he has done throughout the tournament, collecting 19 vs. Poland on 17 kills. Hein added 13 points, Robert Tarr (Cape Canaveral, Fla./Long Beach State) finished with 12 points, including three blocks, and Smith recorded 11 points.

Knipe went with his usual starting lineup of Patak at opposite, Winder at setter, Lotman and Tarr at outside hitter, Hein and Smith at middle blocker and Alfred Reft (Oxnard, Calif./Hawai'i) at libero. C.J. Macias (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./IPFW), Brian Thornton (San Clemente, Calif./UC Irvine) and Jayson Jablonsky (Yorba Linda, Calif./UC Irvine) also substituted. Macias has now seen action in the last three matches for Team USA.

"I'm really proud of the guys because they could have easily have thought, `this isn't going our way,' in game five. But, just like last night in game four, they believed they could win," said Knipe.

The U.S. wraps up play in Pool C on Monday at 3 p.m. vs. Chinese Taipei at the IMPACT Convention Center.

U.S. World University Games Schedule (all times local)
Aug. 9 1 p.m. Japan def.. Chinese Taipei, 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-20)
Aug. 9 3 p.m. Poland def. Sweden, 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-20)
Aug. 9 5 p.m. USA def.. Germany, 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-22)
Aug. 10 11 a.m. Germany def. Chinese Taipei, 3-1 (25-16, 25-13, 26-28, 25-22) 
Aug. 10 1 p.m. USA def. Sweden, 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-21)
Aug. 10 1 p.m. Poland def. Japan, 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 29-27)   
Aug. 11 1 p.m. Poland def. Chinese Taipei, 3-0 (26-24, 27-25, 25-19)
Aug. 11 3 p.m. USA def. Japan, 3-1 (25-20, 19-25, 25-23, 26-24)
Aug. 11 5 p.m. Germany def. Sweden, 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-13)
Aug. 12 1 p.m. Sweden def. Chinese Taipei, 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 26-24, 26-24)
Aug. 12 3 p.m. Japan def. Germany, 3-2 (22-25, 26-24, 20-25, 25-23, 15-10)
Aug. 12 5 p.m. USA def. Poland, 3-2 (25-22, 34-32, 22-25, 17-25, 15-13)
Aug. 13 1 p.m. USA vs. Chinese Taipei
Aug. 13 3 p.m. Germany vs. Poland
Aug. 13 5 p.m. Sweden vs. Japan

Standings as of Aug. 12

Pool A
Ukraine 4-0
Canada 3-1
Thailand 2-2
Egypt 2-2
France 1-3
United Arab Emirates 0-4

Pool B
Turkey 4-0
Czech Republic 3-1
Brazil 3-1
Korea 1-3
Switzerland 1-3
China 0-4

Pool C
USA 4-0
Poland 3-1
Germany 2-2
Japan 2-2
Sweden 1-3
Chinese Taipei 0-4

Pool D
Italy 3-0
Serbia 2-2
Russian Federation 2-1
Mexico 1-2
South Africa 0-2