Tag: USA

With Final 8 chances slim, Team USA turns focus to Olympics

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Team USA’s Micah Christenson in the VNL Week 3 in Manila. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — USA skipper Micah Christenson has accepted they won’t make it to the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Final Eight despite the slim chance, but he looks to make the most of their Manila experience to entertain Filipinos and prepare for the Paris Olympics 2024.

Christenson had a playmaking masterpiece of 41 excellent sets to treat the Filipino fans with USA’s 25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-9 win over Brazil on Thursday evening at Mall of Asia Arena.

The veteran setter, who is averaging 30.7 excellent sets per game in the VNL, gave his best effort to greet and sign autographs of their supporters at the fan zone after their game.

READ: VNL 2024: Team USA overcomes Brazil for first win in Manila

“Back in the United States, we play in certain areas where other teams’ fans fill the gym a little bit more. So, this feels like a pretty true home game for us and we’re very grateful for that,” said Christenson, whose teammates also felt at home with the hospitality and energy of the Filipinos.

“I can’t say enough about the support. We felt it a lot, even being here in the Philippines. So now we’re finally here, and we get to feel it in the stadium, it’s something really really special and we can’t say enough about it. We can’t thank the fans enough for being here and supporting us.”

USA, the runner-up of last year’s VNL, still has a chance to the Final Eight with a 4-6 record in 11th place but Christenson is already shifting their focus to the Olympics.

READ: Team USA has ‘mountain to climb’ as VNL unfolds in Manila

“We’re probably not gonna make the VNL Finals so what we’re gonna do is try to build and work our way towards the Olympic Games and getting ready. Tonight was just the first step, the first building block,” said Christenson. “Hopefully, for these next two games, we continue to get just a little bit better.”

“We can do a little bit more in certain phases of the game but we’re having that mindset of just getting a little bit better and trusting the process with the building blocks that we can build,” he added. 

USA wraps up its VNL campaign against Germany on Saturday at 11 a.m., before facing fellow crowd-favorite Japan on Sunday at 7 p.m.



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“I think we’ve shown over the years that we are a very resilient team. We know how to respond to a lot of difficult situations so, we’re gonna fix a few things, but at the same time, we’re gonna trust our process,” Christenson said. “I think, like I said before, it’s a step in the right direction. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

Team USA overcomes Brazil for first win in Manila

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Team USA’s TJ Defalco goes for a hit during a VNL 2024 game in Manila. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — TJ Defalco connected to Micah Christenson’s brilliant playmaking as USA earned its first win in Manila after staving off Brazil in five sets,  25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-9, in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 3 on Thursday night at Mall of Asia Arena.

Defalco delivered 21 points including the two game-clinching attacks, as Christenson orchestrated USA’s offense with 41 excellent sets to keep themselves in the hunt for the Final Eight with a 4-6 record in 11th place. 

The 27-year-old Defalco also led the Americans’ bounce back from a tough 26-28, 25-23, 25-18, 26-28, 15-13 loss to Iran less than 24 hours ago as his 33-point explosion went for naught. 

READ: VNL 2024: Team USA’s Erik Shoji lauds ‘awesome’ Filipino fans

“That one was tough. We’re in an interesting part right now in USA volleyball. We just come out of every game trying to get better and just trying to play USA volleyball. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re figuring it out and that was a big step for us,” said Defalco, who had 18 kills and three aces.

“Coming out of playing Brazil, you know they’re gonna play hard every single time, and I’m very proud of our team staying in the game. We helped each other out. Brazil’s an amazing team and it feels great to barely pull that one out in five.”

Micah Christenson and Torey Defalco in Team USA's first win in VNL Week 3 in Manila

Micah Christenson and Torey Defalco in Team USA’s first win in VNL Week 3 in Manila. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Maxwell Holt finished with 15 points built on nine attacks, four blocks, and two aces that gave USA an 11-6 lead before Defalco put on the finishing touches.

Matt Anderson chipped in 13 points, while Taylor Averill added 11 points to gift their thousands of Filipino fans with a win.

READ: VNL 2024: Micah Christenson, USA grateful for fans’ support in loss

“Very intense five sets against Brazil. They’re always there to come out and play as hard as they can. Our only hope is to match that energy and I feel like we did that tonight,” Defalco said. “A lot of the USA guys are very friendly with Team Brazil because one, they compete really hard when they come to play. Real volleyball all the time. So, it’s very easy to compete and try to get to that level, and they’re at a very high level.”

Defalco also thanked the Filipino fans, who made them feel at home before they take a break on Friday before ending their Week 3 stint against Germany and Japan over the weekend.

Brazil remained as the fourth seed despite dropping to a 6-4 record. Alan Souza carried the team with 26 points. Lukas Bergmann had 19 points, while Lucarelli Souza added 13 points.



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Brazil seeks to bounce back against Canada at 3 p.m. on Friday

Iran upsets powerhouse USA for first win

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MANILA, Philippines — Iran turned to Poriya Hossein and Milad Ebadipour to stun the powerhouse USA, in five sets, 26-28, 25-23, 25-18, 26-28, 15-13, and earn its first win in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Although they are no longer in contention for the Final Eight, the Iranians played their hearts out to overcome the runner-up and Olympic-bound USA and snap an eight-game skid.

Hossein drilled 23 points including the game-winning kill to end a thrilling two-hour and 21-minute duel, while Ebadipour delivered 20 points off 16 kills, three blocks, and an ace to overcome TJ Defalco’s 33-point explosion.

VNL 2024 SCHEDULE: Week 3 Manila, Philippines leg

“It was a great game. We had tough weeks in the past and we lost eight games from eight. This is the most difficult team to play in the third week, to start (the week) against USA, one of the biggest teams in the world,” said Ebadipour.

“I think we have to start to win games and today was our first game in the third week. I’m so happy to win against the biggest team like USA.”

The Iranians couldn’t close out the game in the fourth, allowing the Americans to force a decider, where the former squandered a 13-11 lead before Defalco trimmed it down to one before Micah Ma’a’s crucial service error that sent Iran to matchpoint, 14-12.

Defalco saved a point but Poriya ended the game for Iran to improve to a 1-8 record and sent USA to a 3-6 record in 12th place.

READ: Team USA has ‘mountain to climb’ as VNL unfolds in Manila

Amin Esmaeilnezhad also stepped up for Iran with 14 points including three blocks, while Alireza Moslehabadi added nine points.

Ebadipour is proud of his young teammates for holding their ground against the World No.6 USA.

“I would say I’m proud of them (Iran team). We have a really young generation as I’ve said many times. They have a really good and nice future. I’m happy for this because today, they showed in the future that they can show the best performance and they can improve a lot,” he said.

“All of them are almost under 25 years old. This is great for our national team. This is really good and today, they showed the best quality, especially in the fifth set because it is not easy to play a fifth set against USA or these kinds of teams but they showed the best quality and I’m happy.”



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Iran seeks to carry its momentum heading ito Thursday’s game against the Netherlands at 3 p.m.

Defalco poured in 30 kills, two blocks, and an ace. Setter Micah Christenson ran the plays for the USA, as Matthew Anderson had 13 points including three aces. Jordan Ewert added 10 points. 

USA has less than 24 hours before facing Brazil on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Micah Christenson, USA grateful for fans’ support in loss

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Micah Christenson and Team USA during a VNL Week 3 game against Iran. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

VNL 2024 SCHEDULE: Week 3 Manila, Philippines leg

MANILA, Philippines — Team USA setter Micah Christenson wanted to win it for their Filipino fans, but their Manila debut was spoiled by Iran in five sets in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 3 on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Christenson and the fan-favorite USA, cheered by the Filipino crowd, couldn’t complete a comeback as Iran pulled off a 26-28, 25-23, 25-18, 26-28, 15-13 stunner to end a winless eight-game skid.

“I wish it could’ve gone differently, you know? But nonetheless, we really, really appreciate all of the support and love from the Filipino fans. We feel it every day all the time. It’s great to finally be here and try to put on some good performances for them in person,” said the American captain.

READ: VNL 2024: Iran upsets powerhouse USA for first win

TJ Defalco unleashed 33 points but it wasn’t enough as the Olympic-bound USA dropped to a 3-6 record in 12th place.

Christenson and some of his teammates still accommodated their supporters at the fan zone to show their appreciation after their post-game interviews. 

With USA’s final eight chances in limbo, the veteran setter seeks to keep on improving before heading to the Paris Olympics next month.

“We have a long way to go from where we wanna be, in the Olympics, so we’re gonna continue to work on that,” Christenson said.

The USA star praised Iran for pulling off a big win to improve to a 1-8 record despite their valiant effort to force a fifth set. 

“I think we have to first give credit to Iran. They played great. Everybody was making good defensive plays, even the middle blockers. They put a lot of pressure on us in certain situations. We have to give a lot of credit there, but we also have a lot to work on. We know that and we’re going to face it head-on,” he said.

“They’re always a dangerous team and they showed it tonight.”



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Christenson and USA have less than 24 hours before facing Brazil on Thursday at 7 p.m. as they hope to deliver a win for their country and Filipino fans.

Team USA faces ‘mountain to climb’ as VNL unfolds in Manila

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USA team captain Micah Christenson during a press conference ahead of the VNL Week 3 in Manila. –PNVF PHOTO

VNL 2024 schedule: Week 3 Manila, Philippines leg

MANILA, Philippines — Team USA braces for a tough climb to the Final Eight of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) as it plays crucial games in its first stint in Manila for Week 3.

All eyes are on the Americans as they play at Mall of Asia Arena for the first time in the Philippines’ third straight hosting of the prestigious world tournament.

“It’s a pleasure to be here. It’s our first year here. We felt a lot of love online and on social media from Filipino fans so to finally be here and experience it in person is a real pleasure,” USA skipper Micah Christenson said. “We’re excited to experience it all.”

Christenson, the reigning VNL Best Setter, knows his team is facing the daunting task of making it to the Top 8 as they are currently in 12th place with a 3-5 record.

“I think we’re trying to just improve and get better. We’ve got a bit of a mountain to climb in terms of qualifying for the finals,” he said. “But we brought our climbing gears so we’re going to try our best to get up there.”

READ: ‘Great expectations’ ahead for Japan in VNL Manila leg

USA coach John Speraw, meanwhile, said is awe of the Philippine volleyball’s popularity that they will finally get to experience it in Manila, where the FIVB Men’s World Championship next year will also be held. 

“We were talking about the fact that we had not had an opportunity to come to the Philippines yet we were looking forward to that day. Here we are so we’re excited to be here and grateful for the opportunity to experience it,” Speraw said.

“I’ve heard so much about which is the support of the Philippine fans and how much volleyball has grown here in this country. And certainly a precursor to the world championships next year.”

The USA will debut in Manila on Wednesday against Iran at 7 p.m. after the 3 p.m. game between France and Germany.

“We’re trying to have our best week of VNL and play our best volleyball this summer and as we look to continue to improve with the ultimate goal in mind. We’re excited to get out and compete and see all the fans,” said the USA coach.

The Top 8 teams will qualify in the VNL Final Round in Poland. The league is also serving as the final volleyball tournament before the Paris Olympics with five tickets based on the FIVB World Rankings up for grabs.



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Only seven countries – USA, host France, Germany, Brazil, Japan, Poland, and Canada – have booked their Olympic seats so far.

The Netherlands and Brazil open the VNL Leg 3 on Tuesday at 5 p.m., followed by the main game between Japan and Canada at 8:30 p.m.

Team USA, Japan arrive for VNL in Manila

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Team USA arriving in Manila for the VNL competition hosted by the country. –PH VOLLEYBALL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) fever is on as fan favorites the United States and Japan arrived in Manila on Saturday.

The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) shared that the competing men’s teams in its third consecutive hosting of the VNL have landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Team USA, led by ace setter Micah Christenson, is set for its Manila debut, receiving a warm welcome from its Filipino fans at the airport.

READ: VNL: A primer on a world-class tournament

The Americans will debut on Wednesday against Iran at Mall of Asia Arena, 7 p.m.

Japan, bannered by Ran Takahashi, Yuki Ishikawa, and Yuji Nishida, also arrived on Saturday afternoon for its third consecutive Manila stint.

The Japanese highlight the opening day of the third leg on Tuesday against Canada, which landed in Manila earlier, at 8:30 p.m. The Netherlands and Brazil raise the curtains at 5 p.m.

READ: MOA Arena to host 2024 VNL Manila leg

Alas Pilipinas men’s squad was supposed to take on Japan in a friendly but PNVF announced it won’t push through “due to unforeseen circumstances that have impacted its preparation and scheduling.”

“Our commitment to delivering an exciting volleyball experience remains unwavering. Please stay tuned to our official channels for updates on future events,” the PNVF wrote on Friday. “In the meantime, join us for Week 3 of VNL 2024 from June 18-23 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. We look forward to seeing you cheer your hearts out!”

Germany and France are also part of the third VNL in Manila.



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