2017 FIVB Boys’ U19 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- August 18th-28th
- Riffa and Isa Town, Bahrain
- Schedule
- Teams
- Day 1
- Day 2
- Day 3
- Day 4
- Day 5
- Round of 16
- Quarterfinals
- Semifinals
- Finals and Bronze Medal
- Event page
The 2017 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship will be hosted by Bahrain in the cities of Riffa and Isa Town from 18 to 27 August 2017. In 2015 Poland, Argentina, and Iran went to the Podium. Do they have what it takes to maintain their hegemony? We will follow their matches day-by-day here in Volleymob.com. 0 teams will compete for the crown, divided in four pools of four teams that will play against each other in a simple round robin format. The first four teams of each pool will advance to the round of 16, so a simple win or two might be enough to earn each team a ticket there.
Pools after day 1 and 2 of play.
Pool A
| Matches | Pts | Sets | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | W | L | W | L | Ratio | W | L | Ratio | |
| 1 |  Bahrain |
1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3.000 | 94 | 82 | 1.146 |
| 2 |  Egypt |
1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1.000 | 184 | 183 | 1.005 |
| 3 |  Puerto Rico |
1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0.800 | 206 | 214 | 0.963 |
| 4 |  Tunisia |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.667 | 112 | 117 | 0.957 |
| 5 |  United States |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | MAX | 0 | 0 | MAX |
Pool B
| Matches | Pts | Sets | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | W | L | W | L | Ratio | W | L | Ratio | |
| 1 |  France |
2 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3.000 | 185 | 155 | 1.194 |
| 2 |  Brazil |
1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 1.250 | 196 | 188 | 1.043 |
| 3 |  Japan |
1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | MAX | 75 | 51 | 1.471 |
| 4 |  Poland |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.333 | 78 | 97 | 0.804 |
| 5 |  Cuba |
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.000 | 107 | 150 | 0.713 |
Pool C
| Matches | Pts | Sets | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | W | L | W | L | Ratio | W | L | Ratio | |
| 1 |  South Korea |
1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | MAX | 75 | 54 | 1.389 |
| 2 |  Argentina |
1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3.000 | 96 | 85 | 1.129 |
| 3 |  Russia |
1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1.333 | 160 | 138 | 1.159 |
| 4 |  Turkey |
1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1.000 | 117 | 127 | 0.921 |
| 5 |  Chile |
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.000 | 106 | 150 | 0.707 |
Pool D
| Matches | Pts | Sets | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | W | L | W | L | Ratio | W | L | Ratio | |
| 1 |  China |
1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | MAX | 75 | 55 | 1.364 |
| 2 |  Italy |
1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3.000 | 99 | 93 | 1.065 |
| 3 |  Czech Republic |
1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1.333 | 171 | 158 | 1.082 |
| 4 |  Mexico |
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.000 | 114 | 153 | 0.745 |
| 5 |  Iran |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | MAX | 0 | 0 | MAX |
Recaps
France x Brazil
The first game of the tournament was an instant classic. Remi Bassereau led France to a 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-17, 17-14) win over Brazil, with a great all-around game, tallying 18 attacks, three blocks and two aces. The French outside spiker was helped by teammates Pierre Derouillon, Celestin Cardin and Pierre Toledo, who all scored in double-figures to post a superb comeback in the last three sets. Victor Cardoso of Brazil topped all scorers with a whopping 26 points.
The first set showed the two sides locked in a neck-and-neck race, but Brazil’s was able to seal the win at 25-23. France struggled on a string of errors, which gave Brazil a 2-0 set advantage, but the Europeans improved and converted on their attack attempts to take the next two sets. Brazil led in the final set but France prevailed on two attack errors to complete the comeback win at 17-15.
Here are the post match reactions:
France coach Belmadi Slimane: It was a very hard match. It is always difficult to play against Brazil because they are very physical. They jump very high and they have strong spikes. Against Brazil, we know that we have to be technical and tactical to win the game. We had to change our tactic on attack but it was very difficult to absorb especially for young players. The good thing is we won because they believed in themselves.
France captain Lucas Soldner: “We tried to match Brazil’s power and that didn’t work out in the first two sets. So we just played our game and we managed to win this game.”
France player Remi Bassereau: “We didn’t play well in the first two sets, but as soon as we fixed our reception, the other skills also got better. We started to play in the middle of the fifth set as our attack became more efficient, as well as our block.”
Brazil coach Leonardo Carvalho: “The French are very strong. In my opinion, we had good balance in the first and second sets, but unfortunately we couldn’t play at the same level. It was an even match in the fifth set and we could win, but unfortunately we lost in small details. They fought back in the match but we should try to play in each set and each point better. I’m not so happy because in the third and fourth set we didn’t play. France deserved to win.”
Brazil captain João Franck: “We need to forget this match and keep working for the competition. We need to understand that we cannot forget to play after two sets. This is our big challenge – to try to play in our best level at all times. It’s not so easy for us young players but we need to try.”
Courtesy of FIVB
Russia x Turkey
Russia opened their bid with a very one sided 3-0 win (25-16, 25-14, 25-12) against Turkey. Russia’s opposite spiker Maksim Sapozhkov led all scorers on the board with 18 points. The Russian defenders imposed a strong presence at the net, scoring off a total of nine blocks. By the third set, Russia looked for a strong finish. Pavel Tetyukhin served ferociously to sustain an unheard of 11-0 lead for the Russian side. Turkey faced difficulty in handling the first ball, which Russia clearly took advantage of, scoring a total of five service aces in the match.
Here are the post match reactions:
Russia coach Andrey Nozdrin: : “It’s a great feeling to win the first match because maybe we were feeling nervous, but we were able to show our kind of game. We want to see the team play better after each match. This result shows the preparation for our match. It is the result of our worklic’s turn to play good volleyball. I needed to change some of my players, and I am very happy that even my bench players performed well.”
Russia captain Konstantin Abaev: “We had good service today, and maybe Turkey made errors in attack and service. We have a great group with good teamwork.”
Turkey coach Umit Hizal: “It was very important match against Russia but the team was not able to perform well today. I do not know exactly why. Of course Russia is a very strong team. We have to think about the next games and I wish the teams plays better.”
Courtesy of FIVB
Chile X South Korea
Korea beat Chile in 3-0 match (25-12, 25-21, 25-20). Donghyeok had 18 points and Sunho Kim 16, in a display of Korea’s attack prowess. Chile picked up their tempo in the second set, but Korea prevailed with a quicker, more cohesive offence. By the third set, Chile attempted a a comeback, and leveled at 18-18. The South American side later succumbed to errors and attack, while Korea displayed better control in both offence and defence.
Here are the post match reactions:
Korea coach Wongil Park: “It was difficult for us to deal with the time difference and the travel, that we did not have enough time to rest. But we are really glad to win today. We will then have to face the other teams and for sure, it will be tough.”
Korea captain Ikje Choi: “I want to thank all of my teammates for today’s win. Everyone gathered and worked together as a team.”
Chile coach Ivan Villareal: “For our country, it is very important to compete in this tournament. It is a big honour. We have strong teams in our continent, and it is important to improve our skill in the competition. We want to raise our level of the national team. Today’s performance, I have to say, was not good. But I hope, we can play better in the next match.”
Chile captain Joaquin Leon: “We were nervous so it was a difficult match for us. Korea is such a strong team, but we have many things to learn from this match.”
Courtesy of FIVB
Japan x Cuba
Japan had a surprising lopsided 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-12) victory against Cuba behind the strong play of Kento Miyaura and Tatsunori Otsuka, who scored 11 points apiece. Lazaro Yoelvis Brunet Llanes top scored for Cuba with 17 markers. Japan ran a well-balanced offence and excellent defence to outplay Cuba in the first two sets. The Asian side showed some might at the net against the much taller Cuban attackers to gain a comfortable lead and complete their straight-set win.
Here are the post match reactions:
Japan captain Kento Miyaura: “Before the match, we thought it would be a very tough one because Cuba are strong opponents, but we are satisfied with our strategy, good defence and reception, and good combinations. This is our first game so we are going to try and continue to do our best and hopefully it will lead to victories.”
Japan coach Hiroshi Honda: “We thought it would be a tough one. Our reception was very good. We played with good strategy and our combination plays were good.”
Cuba coach Jesus Lopez: “The boys were very nervous. We didn’t expect to lose like that but this is the World Championship and all the teams are strong. Everyone came here to win. We have to keep in mind that we came here to play four games in the first round. We have three more matches and we have to think that we are going to win. We cannot accept any other result. We lost the first match and we have to finish (the preliminary round) 3-1.”
Cuba captain Rey Quesada: “This first game was an experience. We will talk as a team about this match later.”
Courtesy of FIVBItaly x Czech Republic
Italy overcame Czech Republic in a very narrow 3-1 (25-19, 25-21, 19-25, 30-28) win. Diego Cantagalli scored 16 points, while Lorenzo Cortesia helped with 12 more points for Italy. Czech Republic’s Jan Svoboda led all scorers in the field with 17 points, but his team found difficulty in addressing the opponents’ service pressure. The Italian side served ferociously which gave difficulty to the Czech side’s passing. Czech Republic took control of the third set by trying to give the same level of pressure from the service line. Setter and captain Ondrej Piskacek ran a tighter offence and enabled his hitters to connect. By the fourth set, the Czech side tried to maintain their momentum, nearly forcing a decider. Italy showed better composure in their defense and closed the match with a block.
Here are the post match reactions:
Italy coach Mario Barbiero: “Today’s match is very difficult. We know Czech Republic to be a very strong team as we have played against them in the European Championship. Every match is very difficult. In the first and second set, we played really good volleyball in both service and attack. In the third and fourth set, it was Czech Republic’s turn to play good volleyball. I needed to change some of my players, and I am very happy that even my bench players performed well.”
Italy captain Daniele Lavia: “The key was our service and reception. We are happy for the victory but we want to improve more technical aspects of our individual performance.”
Czech Republic coach Jiri Zach: “In the first two sets, the Italians played with good service and we had problems in reception. We improved after that but we later made some mistakes. We were not as organised as we had planned to be.”
Czech Republic captain Ondrej Piskacek: “We started badly but we improved our play. It’s heartbreaking to deal with this loss, when we had the chance to go to the fifth set and to win.”
Courtesy of FIVB
Puerto Rico x Tunisia
Puerto Rico triumphed over Tunisia in a very tight 3-2 (20-25, 25-18, 30-32, 25-22, 17-15) contest. Gabriel Garcia helped his team with a whopping 30 points, including 26 attacks, three blocks and an ace to. Hedi Khazri top scored for Tunisia with 16 points. Tunisia and Puerto Rico had alternate set wins leading to the fifth set, which saw Puerto Rico mounting a big lead. Tunisia refused to give up and took advantage of Garcia’s errors from the attack line. However, Puerto Rico recovered just in time to secure the last two points from a soft shot from the middle and a Tunisian attack error.
Here are the post match reactions:
Puerto Rico captain Gabriel Garcia: “We were very nervous at the start of the match. Most of our players are rookies and it is their first time playing in a World Championship. The key thing for us in the end was patience. Patience did everything. We talked a lot with the coach and the staff and we did the work.”
Puerto Rico coach Juan Albarran: “It was very important for us to start this tournament with a win. This is the first time we have done this in the competition we have played in. In the fifth set we told our players to calm down and relax. In the end, we had lesser errors than Tunisia. They made their adjustments and they played well.”
Tunisia coach Chokri Bouzidi: “Our overall performance in the game was average as both teams committed a lot of mistakes, which was also why the game was extended to five sets. This was not our real performance. We have lots of things to offer in our succeeding matches. Our preparation was only a month before the World Championship and we haven’t played any friendlies. We still have three matches left and we hope to show everyone our true performance as African champions.”
Courtesy of FIVB
China x Mexico
China captured an easy 3-0 victory (25-19, 25-17, 25-19) against Mexico. Cong Tian led the way for the Chinese squad with 18 points while Chao Wang added 10. Mexico’s Raymond Gerald Stephens picked up 17 but the NORCECA side gave away much points from unforced errors. What also mattered for the Chinese team was their dominance at the net. Each one proved capable to guard the net, as every single player on the Chinese side scored from blocking. China scored off a total of eight blocks in the match. Mexico persisted with better handling of the ball and tried to execute their offence more cohesively, connecting with points from the flank. China also suffered from their own share of errors, but in the end, showed better coordination and orchestration of their plays.
Here are the post match reactions:
China coach Haichuan Wang: “Our captain was instrumental in inspiring the others to give their best in the match. We want to review how we performed in this match so we can do even better. Maybe, my players have to play stronger and more aggressive so we can perform well in the entire tournament.”
China captain Cong Tian: “Today we tried to use some new players, and everyone needed to do their best.”
Mexico coach Gabriela Isela: “China is a team that plays in a very organised manner. They are much stronger and taller than us. I could also see that they are well-disciplined and well-orchestrated on the court and for this, we need a lot of work to improve.”
Mexico captain Raymond Gerald Stephens: “Somehow, we try to look at the small positive things in the match, like how we improved our service in the second set. We also started the match without passing the ball so well but we did better in the next set. We have to change some things in the way we play and we can do better.”
Courtesy of FIVB
Bahrain x Egypt
Host Bahrain gifted the home crowd with a competent 3-1 (25-17, 25-20, 19-25, 25-20) win over Egypt. Husain Thamer scored 21 points for the home team, while Egypt’s Youssef Hamdy Awad made 13 points on a losing effort. Bahrain outplayed Egypt at the net with 44 attacks and 13 stuff blocks. The hosts dominated in the first two sets as they utilised opposite Thamer to demolish the Egyptian block, while his team-mates imposed solid blocks on the Egyptian hitters. Egypt came up with a better attack strategy that gave them momentum in the third, but Bahrain became aggressive in the fourth to secure set and match.
Herea are the post match reactions:
Bahrain coach Yousef Khalifa: “This is a good start for us. This is the World Championship. We must play every game like a final. It is only our first game and we felt a lot of pressure. Our players still have a lot more to give and I hope we can continue to play like this, especially against the USA tomorrow.”
Bahrain captain Said Yusuf: “A big thanks to our supporters. This win certainly gave us a big boost in our confidence.”
Egypt coach Nehad Shehata: “Unfortunately, my players didn’t play well today especially at the start of the match. They didn’t feel the ball and they didn’t feel the hall. In the third set they tried to come back, but Bahrain played better than us today. We had some problems in some skills but we will work on them in the next matches.”
Egypt captain George Bakhit: “Our team is playing on a high level, but we didn’t show that today. I really cannot find a reason why we played like that. We will come back and try to win the next match.”
Courtesy of FIVB
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