Pan American Cup 2008


  • GROUP A
    Canada (CAN)
    Puerto Rico (PUR)
    Dominican Republic (DOM)
    Trinidad & Tobago (TTO)


    GROUP B
    USA (USA)
    Mexico (MEX)
    Costa Rica (CRC)


    June 2
    PUR - DOM 1-3 (20-25 19-25 25-22 21-25) STATS
    CAN - TTO 3-0 (25-12 25-13 25-13) STATS
    USA - CRC 3-0 (25-15 25-18 25-17) STATS


    June 3
    CAN - PUR 3-0 (25-14 25-15 25-13) STATS
    DOM - TTO 3-0 (25-17 25-22 27-25) STATS
    USA - MEX 3-0 (25-20 25-11 25-16) STATS

  • ANAHEIM, Calif. (May 30, 2008) – Volleyball fans may be getting a glimpse of the future of the U.S. Men’s National Team on June 2-7 at the Pan American Cup in Winnipeg, Canada.


    The 12-man U.S. team competing at the seven-team tournament is comprised of 11 players who finished their college careers in the last three years and one who is still in college.


    Among the players, 11 have played in at least one World University Games. Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.), who is entering his senior year at Penn State, has not played at the World University Games, but played for the 2007 Junior Men’s National Team at the FIVB Junior Men’s World Championship.


    His Penn State team also won the 2008 NCAA men’s volleyball national championship on May 3.


    Eight of the team members – Anderson, Evan Patak (Pleasanton, Calif.), Matt Proper (Meadville, Pa.), Jayson Jablonsky (Yorba Linda, Calif.), Jonathan Winder (Irvine, Calif.), Andrew Hein (Carol Stream, Ill.), Nick Scheftic (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) traveled to Japan in May to help the Japanese men’s national team prepare for its Olympic qualifying tournament.


    The head coach of the team is Alan Knipe, who took his Long Beach State men’s volleyball team to the NCAA semifinals in May and who coached the U.S. Men to a bronze medal at the 2007 World University Games. He will be assisted by John Hawks of USC, who was his assistant coach at the World University Games and who also led the team that trained with Japan’s national team.


    The United States was scheduled to play in a group with Cuba, Mexico and Costa Rica. However a notice on Canada’s Web site says Cuba pulled out of the tournament this week. The other group is scheduled to include Canada, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Trinidad & Tobago.


    The event Web site is at http://www.volleyball.ca/index.asp?page=295.

  • ANAHEIM, Calif. (June 2, 2008) – Led by Evan Patak with 11 points and Nate Meerstein with 10, the U.S. Men's National Team defeated Costa Rica 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-17) on Monday in the first match of the 2008 Pan American Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba.


    A group of young players are representing the United States in Canada and they are now 1-0 in the tournament. On Tuesday, they will play Mexico (6 p.m., PDT).


    In the tournament's other group, the Dominican Republic defeated Puerto Rico, 3-1 (25 20, 25-19, 22-25, 25- 21) and Canada beat Trinidad & Tobago, 3-0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-13).


    Every player on the U.S. roster competed Monday and everyone scored at least one point except libero Alfee Reft (Oxnard, Calif.).


    Patak (Pleasanton, Calif.) scored his 11 points on 10 kills and the United States' only ace. Meerstein (La Porte City, Iowa) had eight kills and two blocks. Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) scored seven points.


    Andrew Hein (Carol Stream, Ill.), who is serving as the team's captain, scored six points. Nick Scheftic (Santa Barbara, Calif.) added five. Matt Proper (Meadville, Pa.) and Jayson Jablonsky (Yorba Linda, Calif.) each contributed three points. Robert Tarr (Cape Canaveral, Fla.) and Tyler Hildebrand (Mesa, Ariz.) each scored two points and Jonathan Winder (Irvine, Calif.) and Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) each had one.


    Reft was credited with 18 successful serve receptions in 19 attempts. Setters Winder – who started the first set – and Hildebrand – who started the second and third – helped the team convert 45 percent of their attack attempts into points.


    Costa Rica, who was led by Orozco Calderon with nine points, converted 35 percent of its kill attempts into points. The United States out-hit Costa Rica 42-20 and out-blocked its opponent 8-2.


    The event Web site is http://www.volleyball.ca/index.asp?page=295.

  • ANAHEIM, Calif. (June 3, 2008) – A young U.S. Men’s National Team advanced to the semifinals of the Pan American Cup with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-11, 25-16) victory over Mexico on Tuesday in Winnipeg, Manitoba.


    The U.S. Men improved to 2-0 in the tournament and will play next in the semifinals on Friday. Mexico (0-1) will play Costa Rica on Wednesday to determine second and third place in the group. In the other group, Canada picked up its second win by beating Puerto Rico, 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-13) and Dominican Republic also remained undefeated by beating Trinidad & Tobago, 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 27-25). Canada will play Dominican Republic on Wednesday to determine the group winner.



    "For a team that did not practice a lot together before this tournament, we picked up a lot of things on the fly," U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe (Long Beach State) said after the United States’ victory Monday over Costa Rica.


    Team USA was led by team captain Andrew Hein (Carol Stream, Ill.), who scored 11 points on six kills, four blocks and one ace. Evan Patak (Pleasanton, Calif.) added 10 points on a match-high eight kills, one block and one ace.


    For the second night, every player on the U.S. roster saw time on the court.


    Tyler Hildebrand (Mesa, Ariz.), who started the first two sets at setter, scored five points on a match-high five blocks. Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) scored five points, including three on aces to lead the match.


    Nate Meerstein (La Porte City, Iowa) and Robert Tarr (Cape Canaveral, Fla.) each scored four points. Matt Proper (Meadville, Pa.) added three. Jayson Jablonsky (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) each contributed two points and Nick Scheftic (Santa Barbara, Calif.) had one.


    Setters Jonathan Winder (Irvine, Calif.) and Hildebrand shared playing time and helped the U.S. Men 38 percent of their attempts into kills.


    Libero Alfee Reft (Oxnard, Calif.) was credited with 13 digs and 47 percent "excellent" service receptions.


    Francisco Enriquez led Mexico with seven points scored on kills. Mexico was hurt by 28 errors as opposed to 18 for the United States. The U.S. Men out-hit Mexico 26-24, out-blocked it 15-4 and scored on six aces as opposed to one for Mexico.


    The event Web site is http://www.volleyball.ca/index.asp?page=295.

  • June 6
    Semi-final #1
    USA - DOM 3-1 (25-22 32-30 22-25 25-23) STATS
    Semi-final #2
    CAN - MEX 3-1 (18-25 25-22 25-12 25-18 ) STATS


    June 7
    Bronze Medal Final
    DOM - MEX 3-2 (23-25 25-21 23-25 25-18 15-12) STATS
    Gold Medal Final
    USA - CAN 3-1 (25-22 27-29 25-22 25-22) STATS


    Gold Medalists: USA
    Silver Medalists: Canada
    Bronze Medalists: Dominican Republic


    Individual Player Awards
    - Most Valuable Player: Evan Patak (USA)
    - Best Scorer: Elvis D. Contreras (DOM)
    - Best Spiker: Gavin Schmitt (CAN)
    - Best Blocker: Tomas Aguilera (MEX)
    - Best Server: Evan Patak (USA)
    - Best Digger: Alvaro Cascante Retana (CRC)
    - Best Setter: Pedro Rangel (MEX)