USA are aiming to be the first team to win back-to-back World League titles since Brazil (2009 and 2010)
Los Angeles, California, USA, May 30, 2015 - FIVB World League champions USA started their 2015 campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 (25-19, 25-22, 23-25, 25-23) Pool B win against Iran, on a day of high-scoring, power-hitting individual efforts across the globe.
In other matches on Saturday, in Pool D France beat Korea 3-1 and Japan beat Czech Republic 3-1, Italy beat Australia 3-1 in Pool A, Canada beat Bulgaria 3-1 in Pool C, Belgium beat Finalnd 3-1 in Pool E and Cuba beat Argentina 3-2 in Pool C.
Key Points• Thomas Edgar’s 28 points in Australia’s 3-1 loss against Italy and Rolando Cepeda’s 28 in Cuba’s 3-2 win against Argentina are the highest individual scores of the 2015 World League.
• Gavin Schmitt’s 26 points in Canada’s 3-1 win against Bulgaria is the third most points scored this World League.
• Konstantin Shumov scored eight of Finland’s 11 blocks in their 3-1 loss against Belgium. Shumov’s eight blocks is the highest in this World League by three.
• Cuba’s 25-17 second-set victory was their first winning set of the 2015 World League and their 3-2 win against Argentina was their first win of this campaign.
• USA are aiming to be the first team to win back-to-back World League titles since Brazil (2009 and 2010).
Top scoring performances• 28 - Thomas Edgar of Australia v Italy (May 30)
• 28 - Rolando Cepeda of Cuba v Argentina (May 30)
• 26 - Gavin Schmitt of Canada v Bulgaria (May 30)
• 25 – Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 25 - Dick Kooy of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 24 - Hugo Gaspar of Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
• 23 - Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Russia (May 29)
• 22 – Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 21 - Antonin Rouzier of France v Korea (May 30)
• 21 - Mateusz Mika of Poland v Russia (May 29)
• 21 – Gert Van Walle of Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 21 - Antti Siltala of Finland v Belgium (May 24)
• 21 - Antti Siltala of Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 21 - Urpo Sivula of Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 21 - Kay van Dijk of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 20 - Vladimir Nikolov of Bulgaria v Canada (May 30)
• 20 - Thomas Edgar of Australia v Italy (May 29)
Top scoring performances by team• 117 – Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 115 - Brazil v Serbia (May 29)
• 113 – Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 112 - Poland v Russia (May 29)
• 108 – Finland v Belgium (May 24)
• 106 - Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 105 – Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 105 - Russia v Poland (May 29)
• 104 - Serbia v Brazil (May 29)
• 103 - France v Korea (May 30)
• 102 - Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
Top blocking performances• 8 - Konstantin Shumov of Finland v Belgium (May 30)
• 5 - Travis Passier of Australia v Italy (May 29)
• 5 – Pieter Coolman of Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 5 – Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 5 - Cornelius Bontje Johannes of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 4 - Martin Ramos of Argentina v Cuba (May 30
• 4 - Pieter Coolman of Belgium v Finland (May 30)
• 4 - John Gordon Perrin of Canada v Bulgaria (May 30)
• 4 - Yoshifumi Suzuki of Japan v Czech Republic (May 30)
• 4 - Kevin Le Roux of France v Korea (May 30)
• 4 – Eemi Tervaportti of Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 4 - Nimir Abdel-Aziz of Netherlands v Portugal (May 16)
• 4 – Mateusz Bieniek of Poland v Russia (May 28)
• 4 - Simone Anzani of Italy v Australia (May 29)
• 4 - Dragan Travica of Italy v Australia (May 29)
Top blocking performances by team• 17 – Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 16 - Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 15 – Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 14 - Canada v Bulgaria (May 30)
• 14 - Italy v Australia (May 29)
• 13 - Belgium v Finland (May 30)
• 13 - Finland v Belgium (May 24)
• 12 - Netherlands v Portgual (May 16)
• 11 - Finland v Belgium (May 30)
• 11 - Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
• 11 – Poland v Russia (May 28)
• 11 – Russia v Poland (May 28)
• 11 - Australia v Italy (May 29)
Top serving performances• 6 – Pieter Coolman of Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 5 - Micah Christenson of USA v Iran (May 30)
• 5 - Gavin Schmitt of Canada v Bulgaria (May 30)
• 5 - Antonin Rouzier of France v Korea (May 30)
• 4 - Rolando Cepeda of Cuba v Argentina (May 30)
• 4 – Antti Siltala of Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 4 - Dick Kooy of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 3 - Earvin Ngapeth of France v Korea (May
30)
• 3 - Samuel Walker of Australia v Italy (May 29)
• 3 - Oleg Antonov of Italy v Australia (May 29)
• 3 - Filippo Lanza of Italy v Australia (May 29)
• 3 - Andre Reis Lopes of Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
• 3 - Jeroen Rauwerdink of Netherlands v Portugal (May 16)
• 3 - Andre Reis Lopes of Portugal v Netherlands (May 16)
• 3 – Mateusz Bieniek of Poland v Russia (May 28)
Top serving performances by team• 12 - France v Korea (May 30)
• 10 – Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 9 - Portugal v Netherlands (May 16)
• 8 - Australia v Italy (May 29)
• 8 - Italy v Australia (May 29)
• 8 – Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 7 - USA v Iran (May 30)
• 7 - Cuba v Argentina (May 30)
• 7 – Finland v Belgium (May 24)
• 7 - Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
Highest scorer by round• Day 1: 17 - Gavin Schmitt of Canada v Cuba (May 16)
• Day 2: 25 - Dick Kooy of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• Day 3: 25 - Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• Day 5: 15 - Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Russia (May 28)
• Day 6: 23 - Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Russia (May 29)
• Day 7: 28 - Thomas Edgar of Australia v Italy and Rolando Cepeda of Cuba v Argentina (May 30)
Highest set score• Day 1: Canada v Cuba, 26-24 (May 16)
• Day 2: Canada v Cuba and Portugal v Netherlands, 26-24 (May 17)
• Day 3: Belgium v Finland, 30-28 (May 23)
• Day 4: Belgium v Finland, 31-29 (May 24)
• Day 5: Poland v Russia, 25-20 (May 28)
• Day 6: Brazil v Serbia, 26-28 (May 29)
• Day 7: Korea v France, 30-28 (May 30)
Highest scoring matches• Day 1: Netherlands v Portugal (May 16) (23-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-20) - 184
• Day 2: Netherlands v Portugal (May 17) (17-25, 25-18, 24-26, 25-21, 25-12) - 208
• Day 3: Belgium v Finland (May 23) (25-20, 30-28, 20-25, 23-25, 15-7) - 218
• Day 4: Belgium v Finland (May 24) (29-31, 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 15-11) – 225
• Day 5: Poland v Russia (May 28) (25-16, 25-17, 25-20) – 128
• Day 6: Brazil v Serbia (May 29) (24-26, 25-17, 25-22, 26-28, 15-11) - 219
• Day 7: Argentina v Cuba (May 30) (25-17, 17-25, 21-25, 25-16, 9-15) - 195