Middle Hitter Blog

Team USA generates a commanding lead in Group 1 Pool B of the 2015 FIVB World League competition by defeating Poland for the second night in a row to a sold out crowd (10,000) at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, IL. Aaron Russell led Team USA with 20 points on 19 kills and 1 block.Rookie national team player Russell’s hitting percentage was .826 against a tough Polish team. Poland was once again led by Bartosz Kurek with 12 kills and 1 service ace. The first set has Murphy Troy, David Smith and Aaron Russell across the front row. Matt Anderson, Max Holt and Micah Christenson in the back row. Erik Shoji was the libero throughout the match. Team Poland started Nowakowski, Mika, Kurek in the front and Drzyzga, Kubiak and Bieniek across the backrow. Team USA had a brief lead at 2-1 but never regained the lead from that point. Poland lead by 1 to 4 points throughout the set with Team USA last tying things up at 20-20. A tough Kurek jump serve handcuffed Shoji for an ace putting Poland u

Tonight’s USA vs. Poland FIVB World League match at the Sear’s Centre in Hoffman Estates was a challenge for both teams. Team USA outlasted Team Poland 3-2 to take the first match of the weekend series. It is also a challenging night for Middle Hitter since I left my 10 pages of match notes on my clipboard in the press conference area and am sitting home writing this story. I will have to use my memory. Anderson and Aaron Russell started at the pin positions. Max Holt and David Smith were the middles with Murphy Troy as the opposite. The starters were rounded out with Micah Christenson setting and Erik Shoji as the libero. Poland has Mateusz Bieniek and Piotr Nowakowski as middles and Mateusz Mika and Michal Kubiak at the outsides. Fabian Drzyzga was setting and Pawel Zatorski started as libero. These six would start every set for Team Poland. Usually I provide the rotation but that is in my missing notes. The first set was tightly contested with Poland running 1 or 2 points ahead for