Ava Nicols
Sports Editor
After being invited to the USA U19 training team, sophomore volleyball players Victor Loiola and Tread Rosenthal made the 12-man roster, traveling to Guatemala to play international teams such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and Chile in an exclusive indoor tournament. The two left the training team tryout in Anaheim on May 21. The tryout was a success, and, according to coach Charlie Sullivan, the boys quickly adapted to the competitive environment.
“You were playing with people you just met and not used to,” Loiola said. “We built a family, and everyone had such an open mindset.”
On May 23, Team USA headed into its first game against Chile, beginning its winning streak, 3-0. Rosenthal was put on the starting roster, playing the first international game of his career. According to Rosenthal, they had a rough start but eventually were able to finish the game and secure a win.
“The USA team was a powerhouse,” Rosenthal said. “I think our bench alone could have swept the tournament.”
The team took on Costa Rica the following day with a new lineup. According to Loiola, they were confident enough to rotate their players from the bench onto the court, allowing everyone to get some court-time. The winner of this match secured a bye to the semifinals and admission into the 2023 Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) U19 World Championship.
“I like to see great team success and pick up the culture,” Loiola said. “If everybody’s happy and doing well, it pays off. Whenever we get a win, I like to feel the vibe and celebrate it.”
USA defeated Costa Rica, 3-0, with the help of Loiola, who was among several new starters as the United States out-hit Costa Rica. Loiola and Rosenthal both appeared on the court during the team’s third game against Chile in the semifinals.
“Our bench was amazing; they really fired us up,” Rosenthal said. “The start was a bit slow, we had a lot of errors, but in the end picked up and got it going.”
On May 28, the winning championship game against Mexico [had a score of 3-0], closing the tournament. Team USA remained undefeated without losing a single set. Despite being the youngest of the 12 players, Rosenthal was named Best Setter of the tournament.
“It was cool to be recognized for being the best setter,” Rosenthal said. “That’s all I have worked for up until now.”
Following the tournament win, the team secured a spot in the upcoming World Championship. Team USA will face Chile, Mexico and Puerto Rico again in the summer of 2023.
“Next step is to just get a little better; we have some things to learn from this tournament.” Sullivan said.”It was a good first experience for the guys, so now they have a little taste of traveling and competing.”
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