Middle Hitter Blog

 Got the Second Match Figured Out   Team USA defeated Team Poland three sets to one tonight in their second match of the two match home country World League series. The scores were 25-21, 15-25, 25-18 and 25-22. Matt Anderson stepped up and led Team USA with a 20 point performance made up of 16 kills, 1 ace and 3 blocks. Team USA now has a solid second place standing in Pool A with Brazil leading the pack, Poland in 3rd and Puerto Rico in last place. The match was played in front of a packed house of 6,000 fans at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, IL. Team USA has won the second match after losing the first match in three out of their four World League weekend series so far including delivering world leader Brazil their first loss this past Sunday while playing away in Brazil. As with Friday night, the Polish fans packed the house. The Team USA fans, while outnumbered, did a lot more respectable effort in supporting their team including chants and jeers (Bartman, Bartman, etc�) of

As expected, it seemed that 4,000 of the 4,700 spectators at tonight's first World League match in the US were for Team Polska.  The volleyball savvy and proud Polish fans brought the wonderful experience of attending a European volleyball match right to the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, IL.  The cheers, the songs, the whistles (versus booing) and the loudest singing of a national anthem I have heard at a volleyball match.  This is no surprise for the international volleyball fan. The surprise of the night was the play of Team USA.  It was as if a group of very talented players met at an open gym for the first time.  A few great individual plays and efforts were quickly lost by a lack of cohesiveness, consistency and even communications.  Was this the same team that beat Brazil, number one in the world rankings, just five days ago? Coach Alan Knipe started Matt Anderson, Clay Stanley, and David Lee across the front row.  Ryan Millar, Brian Thornton and Reid Priddy were in the ba