MATCH INFO
USA qualifies for next round with 3-1 win over Japan
United States reached six points and are qualified for the second round
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 3 – In a deciding match for both sides, the United States played better and defeated Japan on Wednesday at FIVB Men's Junior World Championship in Rio de Janeiro. The American team beat the Asian side 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-18 and 25-19) at Maracanazinho Gymnasium to assure their spot in the top second round of the tournament.
With the win against the Japanese, the United States reached six points in Pool A and can only be reached by Brazil (4), who will face Bulgaria (1) later today in the closing of the schedule. With four points, the Japanese depend on the result of the clash between South American and European to qualify. Two teams from the pool will advance for the next round.
American outside hitter Taylor Sander led all scorers of the match with 23 points. Taylor Crabb and Dylan Davis each collected 11 points and Eric Mochalski added 10. Japanese opposite Takashi Dekita and middle blocker Yamato Fushimi charted 19 and 15 to their side respectively. The winners outblocked the defeated side 13-2.
The United States scored the first three points of the match and took advantage of the great start to increase at 9-2 with Sander blocking. After a slow start, Japan improved during the partial and reduced the difference to four points at 18-14, but there was no time to do more than that and the Americans won 25-20 after a quick spike of middle blocker Dylan Davis.
Japan did not repeat the bad start in the second frame and used its serve to score points as Yamato Fushimi served do make 10-8. With Japanese star Dekita in the line, the Asian team improved it to 15-10. American head coach John Hawks IV made three substitutions on his side and the team played better, but Japan prevailed in the end with Dekita spiking to score 25-21.
The third set's beginning was the tightest of the match as the American were the first to have a two-point advantage at 17-15, with Sander blocking. Japan quickly reacted and tied the frame in the 17th point, with Dekita, but after four straight points, ended by a backcourt spike of captain Taylor Crabb, the Americans had 21-17. A serve point of Sander closed the set 25-18.
Led by setter Micah Christenson, the United States managed to score 4-1 in the beginning of the fourth set. The American controlled the match and kept the same difference in the second technical timeout (16-13), after a wrong spike of the Japanese. In the set, the USA improved the advantage and closed the match with Crabb spiking: 25-19.
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