Cassiday, Christenson Make 2011 U.S. Junior National Team
June 27, 2011 | Men's Volleyball
June 27, 2011
USC sophomore libero Henry Cassiday and incoming freshman setter Micah Christenson have been named to the 12-player U.S. Men's Junior National Team that will compete at the 2011 FIVB Men's Junior (U-21) World Championship in Brazil on Aug. 1-10.
The ninth-ranked U.S. team will compete in pool play against No. 6 Brazil, No. 13 Japan and No. 15 Bulgaria. The top two teams in each of four pools will advance to two final pools, where they will compete for one of four semifinal spots.
The team will train in July in Geneva, Ohio, then will travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina on July 24 to play in a tournament against several international teams in preparation for the World Championships.
The U.S. placed 10th at the most recent FIVB Men's Junior World Championship held in 2009 in Italy.
Christenson was a starter on the U.S. Junior National Team that won a gold medal in the 2010 NORCECA Junior Championship in Canada, earning his team a berth in the 2011 Junior World Championship. He was named Best Setter of that tourney.
He recently was named the Honolulu Star-Advertiser's 2011 All-State Player of the Year after leading his Kamehameha-Kapalama High team to the 2011 Hawaii state Division I championship.
(Fellow USC Honolulu signees Ben Lam of Punahou High and Tyler Cundiff of Iolani High made All-State first team and honorable mention, respectively.)
Cassiday, who prepped at Punahou, was a 2011 All-American third teamer and MPSF All-Freshman first teamer while starting all season at libero for USC.
