FIVB World Cup Individual Awards Most Valuable Player — Matt Anderson (USA) 1st Best Outside Spiker — Osmany Juantorena (ITA) 2nd Best Outside Spiker — Yuki Ishikawa (JPN) 1st Best Middle Blocker — Sebastian Sole (ARG) 2nd Best Middle Blocker — Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi (IRI) Best Opposite Spiker — Ivan Zaytsev (ITA) Best Setter — Micah Christenson (USA) Best Libero — Erik Shoji (USA)
TOP GUN: Matt Anderson credited his teammates for helping him win the MVP award at the 2015 FIVB World Cup.
PHOTOS BY FIVB
world champion Poland’s only loss of the 11-match tournament. Poland defeated the U.S. earlier in the tournament in four sets. Poland’s loss left the Americans in control of their own destiny and they went on to defeat Argentina, 25-20, 25-21, 17- 25, 25-20 in Tokyo. The victory gave the U.S. a 10-1 record, tying it with Italy and Poland. The U.S. won the fi rst tie-breaker, which was the points earned for wins, with 30 points. Italy, which tied Poland with 29
GOOD AS GOLD: Setter Micah Christenson and the U.S. Men’s National Team pulled off a big performance at the FIVB World Cup.
points, took the silver medal and the sec- ond Olympic berth by winning the second tie-breaker, set ratio.
Italy and the United States are the only teams to earn berths into the 2016 Olym- pics (No. 1-ranked Brazil is in as the host country). Nine spots remain, which will be determined by various zone and world qualifi ers over the next six months. It is the fi rst time the U.S. Men have
qualifi ed for the Olympics at the World Cup.
Opposite Matt Anderson was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Micah Christenson was named Best Setter and Erik Shoji won Best Libero. “To do something that hasn’t been done in 30 years is an exceptional achievement,” Speraw said. “I don’t think there is a harder tournament to win, physi- cally and mentally, than the World Cup. “The team was just tremendous in its ability to maintain focus and to play each match, each set, each point as if it would
USAVOLLEYBALL.ORG | 71
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78