NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand | The United States U-18 volleyball team, including Eaglecrest High School junior-to-be Jordyn Poulter, won Pool C at the FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championships Tuesday.
The U.S. swept Algeria 25-12, 25-18, 25-7 in a crisp 58-minute match at Chatchai Hall to finish atop its pool with a 3-1 record. The Americans had the same record in pool play as Brazil, but swept the Brazilians in three sets and had better ratios in sets won and points scored to take the pool’s top seed.
Twenty teams started the tournament and 16 advanced to the championship round out of pool play, with the U.S. drawing a match against Chinese Taipei on Aug. 1 for a spot in the quarterfinals. Chinese Taipei finished third in Pool D with a 1-3 record.
Poulter started the first three pool play matches for the U.S. — a four-set loss to Slovenia and sweeps of Brazil and the Dominican Republic — and but the 6-foot-1 setter did not play against Algeria, which finished pool play winless.
The Americans put themselves in good position to improve on their ninth-place finish at the 2011 tournament in Ankara, Turkey.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
2013 FIVB U-18 GIRLS’ YOUTH WORLD VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
Round of 16 Schedule (Aug. 1)
Upper bracket — Egypt vs. Japan; Italy vs. Brazil; Puerto Rico vs. Poland; Chinese Taipei vs. UNITED STATES; Lower bracket — Dominican Republic vs. Turkey; China vs. Thailand; Slovenia vs. Peru; Greece vs. Serbia
Pool Play Records
Pool A — Serbia (4-0), Thailand (3-1), Puerto Rico (2-2), Egypt (1-3), Tunisia (0-4); Pool B — Japan (3-1), Poland (3-1), China (2-2), Greece (1-3), Argentina (1-3); Pool C — UNITED STATES (3-1), Brazil (3-1), Slovenia (2-2), Dominican Republic (2-2), Algeria (0-4); Pool D – Turkey (3-1), Peru (3-1), Italy (2-2), Chinese Taipei (1-3), Mexico (1-3)
