Patak Leads U.S. Men
Past Costa Rica at Pan
Am Cup
Led by Evan Patak with
11 points and Nate
Meerstein with 10, the
U.S. Men's National Team
defeated Costa Rica 3-0
(25-15, 25-18, 25-17) on
Monday in the first
match of the 2008 Pan
American Cup in
Winnipeg, Manitoba.
A group of young players
are representing the
United States in Canada
and they are now 1-0 in
the tournament. On
Tuesday, they will play
Mexico (6 p.m., PDT).
In the tournament's
other group, the
Dominican Republic
defeated Puerto Rico,
3-1 (25 20, 25-19,
22-25, 25- 21) and
Canada beat Trinidad &
Tobago, 3-0 (25-12,
25-13, 25-13).
Every player on the U.S.
roster competed Monday
and everyone scored at
least one point except
libero Alfee Reft
(Oxnard, Calif.).
Patak (Pleasanton,
Calif.) scored his 11
points on 10 kills and
the United States' only
ace. Meerstein (La Porte
City, Iowa) had eight
kills and two blocks.
Matt Anderson (West
Seneca, N.Y.) scored
seven points.
Andrew Hein (Carol
Stream, Ill.), who is
serving as the team's
captain, scored six
points. Nick Scheftic
(Santa Barbara, Calif.)
added five. Matt Proper
(Meadville, Pa.) and
Jayson Jablonsky (Yorba
Linda, Calif.) each
contributed three
points. Robert Tarr
(Cape Canaveral, Fla.)
and Tyler Hildebrand
(Mesa, Ariz.) each
scored two points and
Jonathan Winder (Irvine,
Calif.) and Paul Lotman
(Lakewood, Calif.) each
had one.
Reft was credited with
18 successful serve
receptions in 19
attempts. Setters Winder
– who started the first
set – and Hildebrand –
who started the second
and third – helped the
team convert 45 percent
of their attack attempts
into points.
Costa Rica, who was led
by Orozco Calderon with
nine points, converted
35 percent of its kill
attempts into points.
The United States
out-hit Costa Rica 42-20
and out-blocked its
opponent 8-2.
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