MATCH INFO

Niterói, Brazil, August 3, 2011 – In the last match of the day in Niterói on Wednesday, Serbia defeated Canada, 3-2 (25-17, 19-25, 25-15, 21-25, 15-4) on Wednesday in Pool D match of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Junior World Championship. But it was not easy for the European team.

Serbia improved its record to 3-0 and secured its Pool D victory while Canada won its first sets of the tournament and scored its first point in the 2-3 loss. Serbia will travel to Rio de Janeiro to compete for the gold medal while Canada will stay in Niteroi and play for ninth through 16th.

Serbian captain Aleksandar Atanasijevic was the top scorer along with teammate Uros Kovacevic, both scoring 23 points each. Kovacevic was the leading spiker with 21 and also had two aces. Atanasijevic scored on 19 attacks, two blocks and two aces.

Tristan Aubry and Nicholas Hoag led Canada with 16 points each. Aubry scored on 10 spikes, four blocks and his team’s only two aces. Hoag scored on 15 spikes and one block. Lucas Van Berkel had eight blocks for Canada.

Serbian led in attacks, 59-47 and in service aces 8-2. Canada dominated in blocking 17-8. Canada granted 30 points in errors to Serbia, which committed 20.

Serbia jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set and led 8-5 at the first technical timeout (TTO) and 16-14 at the second. Canada stayed within two points of the Europeans until Serbia’s lead was 18-16. Then Canada had two straight errors to give Serbia the four-point edge. Serbia scored the final five points of the set. Uros Kovacevic had seven points in the set for Serbia, which scored on 10 Canada errors while committing only four.

The third set stayed close, with Canada maintaining a slim lead until it held an 18-16 advantage and scored three straight points on a tip, a kill from Tommy Bylisle and Lucas Van Berkel’s attack on an overpass to lead 21-16. Serbia came back with two straight points on spikes from Kovacevic and Atanasijevic, but Serbia’s next serve flew long and Canada steamed ahead to its first set win in the tournament.

Canada’s momentum did not carry into the third set and it fell behind 5-3 when Serbia’s Vuk Milutinovic scored on a tip that put Atanasijevic at the service line. The Serbian captain served for four straight points to give his team a 10-3 lead. Canada scored on a block by Van Berkel, but Serbia scored the next four points to lead 14-4 and put the set out of reach.

Canada took an 8-6 lead at the first TTO of the fourth set and 16-14 in the second. Canada still led by two points at 23-21 and won the set on two straight spikes by Nicholas Hoag.

Serbia led 5-3 in the tie-breaker when it served out of bounds, pulling Canada to within one point.  But  Canada served into the net, giving the serve to Serbia’s Lazar Koprivica, who served for the rest of the set, including an ace, and Serbia took its third victory of the tournament.