2017 FIVB WORLD LEAGUE – GROUP 1
- June 2nd-July 8th, 2017
- Schedule
- Teams
- Event Page
- Final 6
- Arena da Baixada, Curitaba, Brazil
Ben Patch has made a huge impact for the United States during the FIVB World League so far. Despite the loss to France on their first day of the Final Six, Patch proved to be a dominant and impactful player for the Americans.
Patch hammered down 16 kills and two blocks in the loss to France, leading the USA squad. In the preliminary rounds of the World League, Patch ranked seventh overall with 11 kills, 14 blocks and one ace. Sure, Patch made his fair share of errors in the match against France, he is using his first year as a professional volleyball player as a learning experience.
“This is such a challenging environment to play against some of the best players in the world,” said Patch. “So my first year is, for me, all about learning and try to absorb as much as I can.”
After playing with BYU for three seasons, Patch decided to opt out of his final year of college to turn pro. Recently, Patch signed his first professional club volleyball contract with Vibo Valenti in the Italian Serie A1 league.
The American crew is not done, as they still have a chance to make it to the semifinals of the Final Six, but will have to get through defending champions Serbia. A win, however, will not guarantee them a spot in the semifinals, they will need other teams to either win or lose to keep their chance alive.
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