Ball State University Athletics
Walsh To Compete With Men's Junior National Team
September 11, 2015 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - Ball State men's volleyball sophomore Matt Walsh has been named to the U.S. Men's Junior National Team (MJNT), who has arrived in Tijuana, Mexico to compete in the 2015 FIVB Men's U21 World Championship from Sept. 11-20.
Walsh is competing alongside of several Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association opponents, including Loyola's Ricky Gevis and Jeff Jendryk, and Lewis' Mitch Perinar. The team is also led by Dan Friend, head coach at Lewis.
Prior to the 2015 FIVB Men's U21 World Championship, Walsh and the MJNT competed at the 2015 U21 Pan American Cup in Canada back in June and took on teams from Mexico, Barbados and Brazil, among others.
The World Championship, which will feature 16 teams, begins in four pools of four teams from Sept. 11-13. The teams will then go into bracket play to decide final placing. The U.S. will kick off the tournament with a match against Argentina on Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. ET.
The team is returning five players from the 2014 squad that took bronze at the NORCECA Continental Championship: outside hitter Kupono Fey, opposite Mitch Perinar, middle blockers Jeff Jendryk and Andy Benesh, and setter Soren Dion-Kindem.
The newcomers to the 2015 team include outside hitters JT Hatch, Chris Nugent, and Colby Harriman, opposite Ricky Gevis, middle blocker Walsh, setter Jennings Franciskovic and libero Hayden Boehle.
The Men's Junior National Team has competed in seven editions of the FIVB Men's U21 World Championship. The highest finish was fourth place in 2011.
# - Name (Position, Height, Hometown, College, USAV Region)
1 - Andy Benesh (MB, 6-8, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Southern California, SCVA)
2 - Hayden Boehle (L, 6-1, Westchester, Calif., UCSB, SCVA)
3 - Soren Dion-Kindem (S, 6-3, Agoura Hills, Calif., Pepperdine, SCVA)
4 - Kupono Fey (OH, 6-5, Honolulu, Hawaii, University of Hawaii, Aloha)
5 - Jennings Franciskovic (S, 6-5, Westlake Village, Calif., University of Hawaii, SCVA)
6 - Ricky Gevis (Opp, 6-11, Naperville, Ill., Loyola of Chicago, Great Lakes)
7 - JT Hatch (OH, 6-2, Mesa, Ariz., UCLA, Arizona)
8 - Jeff Jendryk (MB, 6-10, Wheaton, Ill., Loyola of Chicago, Great Lakes)
9 - Chris Nugent (OH, 6-5, Fair Lawn, N.J., Penn State, GEVA)
10 - Mitch Perinar (Opp, 6-7, Channahon, Ill., Lewis, Great Lakes)
12 - Matt Walsh (MB, 6-11, Chicago, Ill., Ball State, Great Lakes)
13 - Colby Harriman (OH, 6-4, Rochester, N.Y., Pepperdine, Western Empire)
Staff
Head Coach – Dan Friend (Joliet, Ill., Lewis)
Asst. Coach – Jay Hosack (Pleasant Gap, Pa., George Mason)
Asst. Coach – Sam Shweisky (Princeton, N.J., Princeton)
Technical Coordinator – Kyle Homeyer (Kirkwood, Mo., Ohio State)
Team Manager – Cecile Reynaud
Team Therapist – Kristine Jespersen
2015 FIVB Men's U21 World Championship Schedule
(All times ET)
Pool B
9/11 – U.S. v Argentina, 8 p.m.
9/12 – U.S. v Poland, 5 p.m.
9/13 – U.S. v Russia, 8 p.m.
Coverage and more information on the USA Volleyball Cup can be found at the Team USA website at: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/Events/International/USAV-Cup
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