Led by Cooper Robinson, the American squad clinched a vital win against Argentina, overcoming a dominant 30-point performance from Pablo Kukartsev, and significantly boosting their position for the VNL Finals.
USA’s Cooper Robinson spikes past the Argentinean blockers.
The United States men`s volleyball team took a significant stride towards securing a coveted spot in the Volleyball Nations League Finals. In their opening match in Chiba, Japan, the American side triumphed over one of their direct rivals for qualification, Argentina, in a hard-fought four-set encounter. This victory propelled them to ninth place in the current VNL standings, boasting a 6-4 win-loss record and 16 points. The Americans are now part of a competitive cluster of five teams, all with six wins, currently occupying spots from fifth to ninth in the heated race for the quarterfinal vacancies. Meanwhile, Argentina has slipped to eleventh place with a 5-5 record and 14 points, but they remain well within contention for a ticket to Ningbo.
Team USA strategically capitalized on numerous unforced errors from their South American opponents to clinch a 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-20, 25-23) victory. Twenty-two-year-old outside hitter Cooper Robinson was the linchpin of their success, contributing an impressive 20 points, which included the decisive match-winning point. His offensive prowess was evident with 18 kills in attack, complemented by one ace and one kill block. Middle blocker Merrick McHenry also delivered a remarkable performance, showcasing a 79% success rate in attack. He accounted for two of USA`s six aces in the match, concluding with 13 points, a tally matched by opposite Kyle Ensing.
After the match, Robinson shared his enthusiasm in an interview, stating, “This was super fun! We had some great energy on the court. It was really great to play with some of the guys again, so I had a blast! It was a very important win. We needed to win this one. If we had lost, we would have been out of contention, so this was a huge win.” He also lauded the Japanese spectators, remarking, “The crowd here is amazing! I love all these fans. They are so energetic and passionate about the game of volleyball, so I can’t wait to play here next year.”
For Argentina, opposite Pablo Kukartsev was by far the match`s highest scorer, amassing an extraordinary 30 points. He converted 26 spikes at an impressive 52% success rate and added two points each from blocking and serving. Outside hitter Luciano Palonsky also made a significant contribution to the South American side, adding another 16 points, all exclusively from attacks.
The Volleyball Nations League action in Chiba is set to continue with a highly anticipated clash between Brazil and the host nation, Japan, scheduled to commence at 19:20 local time (10:20 UTC). Concurrently, other VNL matches on Friday will unfold in Gdansk and Ljubljana.
Jasper Thornfield