Short characterization

Short characterization USA

General remarks

Average height of first six: 197.
This 4^th place is the best result ever for USA in Men’s Junior WC.
Substitutes played a lot in this team.
Performance reception in complex 1 is average and in complex 2 blocking is good.
Most players are powerful in jumping and spiking.
Athletic, explosive players, able to jump high.
Good combination of universal playing abilities and individual strength.
Technical and tactical adaptation in playing actions.

Serve

The team is in ranking “best servers” in 4^th place.
2 players are in top 10 individual players ranking: Taylor Sander (12 aces, 17 faults, 0.36 average by set) and Maurice Torres (8 aces, 18 faults and 0.24 average by set). Sander and Torres toss the ball high with a lot of variable side spin.
Most of the players apply a high risk jump spin power serve, 2 players apply (jumping) float serve.
Power-jump spin service, precision and tactical efficiency adapted to opponent.
Objective is to score direct point or directly disturb opponents complex 1 play.

Serve reception

The team ended in ranking best receivers in 8^th place of best 8 teams
The reception of the team is instable: 233 exc., 27 faults, eff. % 31.50
One player is in Top 10 “best receivers”: Taylor Sander (94 exc., 9 faults, eff.% 34.14)
In the case of jump serve by opponent: underhand passing, the arms of the service-passer move sideward, backward or to the floor; when the ball is played
Three players in reception formation; in the case of (jump-)floats the starting position of the players is far forward (3,5-4 meters from the net) and overhand passing is applied (standing, falling, jumping or rolling)

Set/Attack - Complex I and Complex II

In players ranking setter Micah Christenson is in 4^th place of best setters; in team ranking USA is in 3^rd place.
Mostly jumping setting techniques: with takeoff and landing with both feet, sometimes running and take off by one foot. Always taking the ball as high as possible.
Variable distribution of the sets, mainly with short movement impulse (active wrist and finger actions).
Easy and quick steps from starting position to target. Adjustment by short steps from target to playing position.
A lot of backcourt attacks from both outside hitters (pipe) and opposite. Secure quick sets to pos. 4 and 2.
Backcourt attack depends of net position where 1^st tempo is played.
Quick attacking play in complex 1: quick sets to middle player. Attackers are in last step of approach when setter touches the ball.
Simply structured attacks in complex 1: effective set-distribution and variation: pos. 4, 1st tempo in the middle of the net, and to player in position 2 and a standard used incorporated back row attack (“pipe”).
Freeball-attack: effective variation of set-distribution; tempo and positions.
Quick and precise overhand and underhand sets from nearly all the positions in the court.

Block and defense

In “team ranking best blockers” USA is in 3rd place.
High level of block performance: 87 kill blocks, 2.64 average by set. Number of rebounds in whole tournament is 217, the highest score of all the teams.
Efficiency and organization of blocking.
Different step combinations and blocking positions adapted to the playing situation.