Anderson Paces USA to Sweep of Iran, Perfect Home Record

2018 FIVB MEN’S VOLLEYBALL NATIONS LEAGUE – WEEK 4/POOL 15

• June 15th-June 17th, 2018
• Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States (seating 10,000)
• Time Zone: US Central Time (U.S. Eastern Time -1)
• World Rankings: #2 United States, #3 Poland, #8 Iran, #11 Serbia
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• Schedule/Results

Date	Time		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total	Report
15 Jun	17:30	Poland	0–3	Iran	24–26	24–26	22–25			70–77
15 Jun	20:00	United States	3–0	Serbia	25–22	25–16	25–14			75–52
16 Jun	14:00	Iran	2–3	Serbia	25–21	22–25	25–27	25–20	11–15	108–108	P2 Report
16 Jun	19:30	United States	3–0	Poland	25–20	25–19	25–19			75–58	P2 Report
17 Jun	12:00	Poland	0–3	Serbia	23–25	23–25	23–25			69–75
17 Jun	17:30	United States	3–0	Iran	29–27	25–20	26–24			80–71

United States def. Iran 3-0

• United States defeated Iran 29-27, 25-20, 26-24
• United States moved to 10-2 (29 points); Iran moved to 4-8 (13 points)

All six starters scored, led by Matt Anderson‘s 18 points, as the United States finished off a perfect 3-0 week at home in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Daniel McDonnell (12), Aaron Russell (11), TJ DeFalco (10) and Jeff Jendryk (6) followed, while Micah Christenson rounded out the scorers with one point from a block.  Anderson downed a match-high 13 kills and added team bests of three aces and two blocks. McDonnell chipped in nine kills, two aces and a block, while Russell also tacked on nine putaways to go with a block and an ace. DeFalco chimed in with eight kills and two aces. Jendryk put up a team-leading two blocks to go with four putaways. The Americans did not use any substitutes in the match. McDonnell and Jendryk started in place of Max Holt and David Smith.

Milan Ebadipour and Porya Yali turned in 13 points apiece for Iran. Yali downed 10 kills and added two aces and a block, while Ebadipour notched nine kills, two blocks and two aces. Ali Shafiei was next with seven points (5 kills, 2 blocks). Mohammad Vadi also added two stuffs.

The Americans boasted a 43-33 lead in kills and 8-4 advantage in aces. Iran edged Team USA in blocks (9-7) and had help from 25 miscues, while committing 22 of its own.

“ We passed really well and made us very difficult to stop,” Jendryk said. “We will carry on fighting in every game.”

Iran led 15-13 midway through Set 1. Ties at 15 and 21 were signs of things to come as the stanza would go deep into extra points. But first, two Russell aces gave the Americans a 23-21 edge. Team USA had the first set-point try at 24-23, but missed on a service error. The Iranians battled back and had a chance at the set. Eventually, McDonnell ended the stanza at 29-27 with an ace, the sixth of the match for Team USA.

Anderson’s offense and Jendryk’s blocking lifted the United States to a 25-20 Set 2 win. Iran led 11-9 but a four-point serving run on the hand of DeFalco put the Americans on top, giving them a lead which they would not relinquish.

Set 3 was another close one, with the teams drawing level at 16 and again at 23. The Americans earned the first match point try, but Iran thwarted it with a kill to tie it up again at 24. Two points later, Anderson fittingly closed out the team’s stay in Chicago with a kill to seal the sweep.

Here are some post-match reactions.

USA coach John Speraw: “We didn’t know much about their setter, but I thought he did a great job. They did use some new players. Obviously the depth of Iran is very good and they played a very good volleyball match. We didn’t know as much as we do about some of their other players, but I thought they were very skilled and it was a tough match.”

Iran coach Igor Kolakovic: “It was a tough game in all senses, but USA were better than us and I congratulate them for the victory. We did a lot of changes in the team because we have some players with injuries and we have some young players who we’d like to give an opportunity to show their quality. I think we were so close to taking one set, but we need experience to win one set against the USA. For that reason I am so unhappy, but thanks to the spectators here because they made a perfect atmosphere to play volleyball tonight.”