USA men qualify for 2004 Olympic Games!

by Paul Soriano USA Volleyball Manager, Public Relations & Publications

The USA men's national volleyball team qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games after defeating Cuba, 3-2, in the championship match of the NORCECA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Saturday night in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Reid Priddy scored a team-high 16 points and Clay Stanley added 15 points in the marathon 21-25, 25-18, 24-26, 25-22, 15-13 victory as Team USA finished the tournament with a perfect 6-0 record.

The United States joins Brazil, Italy, Serbia and Montenegro, Russia and Greece in the men's Olympic field so far. Brazil, Italy and Serbia and Montenegro qualified in November 2003 by finishing in the top three of the first Olympic qualifier, the World Cup in Japan (the USA finished fourth).

Greece earns an automatic bid as the host country, while Russia reserved its spot by defeating the Netherlands in the European Olympic qualifier earlier Saturday. On Sunday one team from both the African and South American zones will earn a ticket to the Olympics.

The final qualifying tournaments to complete the 12-team field in Athens will be held in Spain, Portugal and Japan in May.

The USA Men have now qualified for the Olympics three times with current head coach Doug Beal (1984, 2000 and 2004) and for the sixth-straight quadrennial overall (1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004).

The Americans captured Olympic gold medals in 1984 and 1988 and earned a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics. The team finished ninth in 1996 and 11th in 2000.

Priddy (Richmond, Va.) blasted 13 kills along with three blocks and seven digs while Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii), playing with a dislocated pinky finger on his left (non-hitting) hand, had 11 kills and a team-high-tying four blocks to lead a deep and balanced attack for the United States.

Ryan Millar added 14 points and Riley Salmon tallied 10 points for Team USA, which lost just three sets the entire tournament-all to Cuba.

Millar (Palmdale, Calif.) had 11 kills, two blocks and one service ace while Salmon (League City, Texas) added nine kills and one ace as the United States defeated Cuba for the second time in the tournament.

The Americans also emerged victorious in round-robin action on Jan. 6 by a 3-1 score (25-16, 25-21, 23-25, 25-22).

Tom Hoff (Park Ridge, Ill.) chipped in with nine points on five kills and four blocks, Gabe Gardner (San Clemente, Calif.) scored eight points on seven kills and one block and Lloy Ball (Woodburn, Ind.), a two-time Olympian (1996 and 2000), added six points on three kills, three blocks and nine digs.

American libero Erik Sullivan (Encinitas, Calif.) recorded a team-high 17 digs.

As a team, the United States outblocked Cuba, 17-13. Cuba held a commanding edge in service aces, 9-2.

Yasser Portuondo scored a match-high 26 points on 21 kills, three aces and two blocks to lead four players in double figures for Cuba, which finished the tournament with a record of 4-2.

NORCECA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Results

Bronze Medal Match Canada def. Puerto Rico, 3-2

Gold Medal Match USA def. Cuba, 3-2

Final Standings 1-USA (6-0) 2-Cuba (4-2) 3-Canada (2-4) 4-Puerto Rico (1-5) 5-Mexico (1-3)

For more information, go to the USA Volleyball web site.