ISLE FILE
U.S. junior volleyball team reaches semifinals
Advertiser Staff
The U.S. Men's Junior National Team, featuring three players from Hawai'i, persevered through a volleyball marathon over two days to qualify for today's semifinals of the 2008 NORCECA Continental Men's Junior Championship in San Salvador, El Salvador.
After a leaky roof forced the stoppage of Team USA's final pool-play match against Puerto Rico on Wednesday night with the score tied at one game apiece, the match was restarted from the beginning yesterday morning. The delay didn't seem to hurt Team USA, which posted a 22-25, 27-25, 25-18, 25-22 victory.
The win gave Team USA a 2-1 record in Pool A (Canada was 3-0), leading to a quarterfinal match last night against Guatemala. The Americans won, 25-22, 25-12, 25-23.
Team USA — including Honolulu's Tri Bourne (Academy of the Pacific '07), Brad Lawson ('Iolani '08) and Erik Shoji (Punahou '08) — will play Cuba in today's semifinals. Mexico meets Canada in the other semifinal match.
"Looking toward Cuba, we look forward to a rematch of our NORCECA semifinal at the youth level two years ago," U.S. coach Shawn Patchell said. "They are a talented team that will challenge our block. We look forward to the challenge."
In yesterday's match against Puerto Rico, Kyle Caldwell (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Murphy Troy (St. Louis, Mo.) each scored 22 points for Team USA. Caldwell had a match-high 19 kills, a match-high two aces and one block. Troy scored on 18 kills and four blocks.
Bourne, who started at outside hitter, added 11 points on nine kills and two blocks. Shoji, the starting libero, was credited with 15 "excellent" digs on 22 attempts and with 28 "excellent" serve receptions out of 30 attempted. Lawson, who started in the loss to Canada, has not played since injuring his ankle in that match.
Reserve Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) had a team-high 16 points on 11 kills, four blocks and one ace against Guatemala. Bourne contributed nine points.
The NORCECA Men's Junior Continental Championships is a qualifier for the 2009 FIVB Men's Junior World Championship.
www.teamusa.org contributed to this report.
TENNIS
COACHES' WORKSHOP SET
The annual Coaches Workshop, July 26 and 27, will focus on the QuickStart Format, biomechanics of the modern game and an overview of the modern game with high-speed video analysis of 20 elite players.
The workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. at the Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park Tennis Complex.
Featured coaches are Paul Roetert, managing director of USTA player development, John Yandell, instructional editor for Tennis magazine, and Anne Pankhurst, administrator of USTA coaching education.
Cost is $30 a day, which includes lunch. For information, contact Madeleine Dreith at the USTA/Hawai'i Pacific Section, at 955-6696, ext. 26, or dreith@hawaii.usta.com.
SPEED CLINIC
EX-WARRIORS ON TAP
Former University of Hawai'i football players Leonard Peters and Kenny Patton will be guest instructors at tomorrow's Hawai'i Speed & Quickness clinic.
The clinic is 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the University of Hawai'i athletics complex.
Peters is a safety with the Chicago Bears. Patton, a cornerback, was released by the New York Jets yesterday.
