COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (August 20, 2025) – The 2025 Men’s U21 National Team opened the 2025 FIVB Men’s U21 World Championship with an impressive 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-19) win over Thailand on Thursday in Jiangmen, China (Wednesday night in the U.S.)

The U.S. returns to action tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 21 (Friday in China) against Türkiye at 11 p.m. PT.

The U.S. led in kills (42-31) and blocks (8-3) but dominated the service line with 10 aces to none for Thailand.

“I’m really excited for our guys to be able to go out there and get a first win in this tournament,” said U.S. head coach John Hawks. “We’ve got some stuff to clean up on our side. It was an honor for us to play Thailand, and we’re looking forward to our next match tomorrow.”

Setter Tread Rosenthal led the team to an incredible .537 hitting percentage with 42 kills and only six errors in 67 total attacks. He registered a match-high three blocks and contributed two aces and a kill for six points.

Four U.S. players reached double digits with opposite Cole Hartke pacing the squad with 13 points on nine kills, two blocks and two aces. Outside hitter Sean Kelly led the team with 10 kills and added an ace for 11 points, while middle blocker Jackson Cryst used his match-high four aces to go with five kills and two blocks to also score 11 points. Outside Sterling Foley finished with 10 points on eight kills, a block and an ace.

Cryst delivered aces on the first two U.S. serves of the match and the U.S. would never trail after jumping out to a 3-0 lead. An ace by Rosenthal and a kill from Goss extended the lead to four points, 13-9. Kills by Foley (15-10) and Hartke (16-11) gave the U.S. a five-point advantage.

Twice Thailand pulled within three points before Cryst scored on off-speed attacks. A Cryst block put the U.S. up 24-19. After a Thailand timeout and one saved set point, a hitting error ended the set. The U.S. recorded one fewer kill but registered all four aces and the only block in addition to making one less error. Cryst led all players with six points on three kills, a block and his two early aces.

The U.S. took an early 4-2 lead in the second set when Kelly won a joust at the net, but Thailand took its first lead of the match by scoring the next three points. A Hartke kill followed by a Thailand net error in which one of its players collided with Foley gave the U.S. a 9-7 advantage. Unfazed, Foley scored on his next two swings to make it 11-9.

A kill by Goss extended the margin to three points, 12-9, for the first time and forced a Thailand timeout. A Rosenthal ace pushed the lead to five, 15-10, but Thailand ran off the next three points to cut the lead to two. Kelly produced a kill and an ace for a 17-13 advantage. Back-to-back kills by Cryst and Rosenthal upped the lead back to five, 20-15.

Following a timeout by Thailand, a Cryst block and Foley kill made it 22-15 to start a 5-0 run to end the set. Hartke served an ace to bring up set point when another Cryst block finished it. Hartke scored six points on five kills and an ace, while Kelly added five points on four kills and an ace.

Middle blocker Tre Jordan started the third set and delivered a kill for a 4-1 lead. Thailand recorded just its second and third blocks of the match on consecutive plays to pull within a point, 7-6. The U.S. responded by scoring the next three points, the final two on a Kelly kill after an overpass and a Foley ace, before a Thailand timeout.

A Kelly kill gave the U.S. a five-point lead, 12-7. Trailing 16-13, Thailand had swings to cut the lead to two, but a Foley kill ended the rally for a four-point lead. Another off-speed attack and then an ace by Cryst raised the lead back to five points, 19-14. A Thailand timeout could not stop Cryst, who served another ace for a 20-14 advantage. Opposite Kainoa Wade gave the U.S. a 23-17 lead, outside hitter Sebastiano Sani set up match point, and a Rosenthal block ended it. Hartke scored five points on three kills and two blocks, and Jordan finished with four kills.

Men’s U21 National Team World Championship Roster

Name (Pos., Height, Hometown, School/Club, USAV Region)

1 Kellen Larson (L, 5-9, Irvine, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California/Southern Nevada)
3 Cole Hartke (OPP, 6-11, Barrington, Ill., Pepperdine, Great Lakes)
7 Trent Taliaferro (S, 6-5, San Clemente, Calif., UCLA, Southern California/Southern Nevada)
9 Tre Jordan (MB, 6-10, Mesa, Ariz., Univ. of Hawaii, Arizona)
12 Sterling Foley (OH, 6-6, Los Angeles, Calif., Univ. of Southern California, Southern California/Southern Nevada)
13 Sean Kelly (OH, 6-7, Manhattan Beach, Calif., UCLA, Southern California/Southern Nevada)
16 Tread Rosenthal (S, 6-10, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Univ. of Hawaii, Southern California/Southern Nevada)
17 Riggs Guy (OH, 6-3, Newport Beach, Calif., UC Santa Barbara, Southern California/Southern Nevada)
18 Kainoa Wade (OPP, 6-10, Kailua, Hawaii, Univ. of Hawaii, Aloha Region)
21 Jackson Cryst (MB, 6-10, Long Beach, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California/Southern Nevada)
22 Sebastiano Sani (OH, 6-8, Aliso Viejo, Calif., Long Beach State, Chesapeake)
23 Micah Goss (MB, 6-6, Santa Barbara, Calif., UC Irvine, Southern California/Southern Nevada)

Coaches
Head Coach: John Hawks (UCLA)
Assistant Coach: Donan Cruz
Assistant Coach: Matthew Pollock (Pepperdine)
Performance Analyst: Alex Hurlburt (The Volleyball institute)
Athletic Trainer: Rachel Menze (Pepperdine)
Team Lead: Donovan Martinez (NTDP)

Schedule

All times PT
Aug. 20: USA def. Thailand, 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-19)
Aug. 21: USA vs. Türkiye, 11 p.m.
Aug. 22: USA vs. vs. Egypt, 8 p.m.
Aug. 24: USA vs. China, 11 p.m.
Aug. 25: USA vs. Morocco, 11 p.m.
Aug. 26: Round of 16
Aug. 29: Quarterfinals
Aug. 30: Semifinals
Aug. 31: Medal matches