USA Men Hit the Road for World League

ANAHEIM, California, July 20, 2006.- The U.S. Men’s National Team will play its first “away” matches of FIVB World League competition on July 22-23 at the Hiroshima Green Arena in Hiroshima, Japan.

The U.S. Men find themselves in last place in Pool A after losing two straight matches to Poland on July 14-15 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Poland leads the Pool at 2-0 while Japan and Serbia & Montenegro are each 1-1 after splitting their weekend matches.

Japan meanwhile has some momentum after beating Serbia & Montenegro, ranked third in the world, in three games in their opening match on July 15 in Tokyo. Serbia & Montenegro came back to win 3-1 in the second match.

Japan went into World League play ranked 12th in the world. “We’ve been preparing for Japan specifically this week,” said U.S. Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon. “They play a different type of offense (from Poland).”

 “But our bigger issue is for us to step up and play at the level we know we can. That was the most disappointing thing about the losses to Poland. We weren’t playing at our highest level.”

The look of the U.S. team will be different as David Lee takes over at middle blocker for Ryan Millar whose wife is having their first child. David McKenzie has also been added to the roster at opposite, replacing Brook Billings. The U.S. team will miss usual starting outside hitter Riley Salmon, who continues to rehabilitate an injured shoulder