The United States U21 Men’s National Team achieved a milestone at the FIVB U21 World Championships in Jiangmen, China, by winning the bronze medal. This marks the first time a U.S. team, men’s or women’s, has medaled at this event.
The team was led by head coach John Hawks from UCLA and included players Sean Kelly and Trent Taliaferro. On Sunday, Team USA defeated Czechia 3-0 to secure third place in the tournament.
Team USA finished with an 8-1 record overall and performed strongly throughout pool A play, going undefeated with five wins. They opened pool play with a sweep of Thailand, followed by five-set victories over Türkiye and Egypt, and then beat host nation China in four sets. The pool stage concluded with another sweep against Morocco.
In the round of 16, the United States swept Bulgaria before facing France in the quarterfinals. Team captain Sean Kelly led his team with 20 kills and one block during a five-set win over France. The Americans lost their only match of the tournament to Iran in the semifinals but rebounded to defeat Czechia for third place.
Kelly ended as the 19th-best scorer in the tournament, recording 119 points—104 kills, ten blocks, and five service aces. He scored at least 19 points in four matches and had standout performances against France (21 points) and Türkiye (22 points).
Trent Taliaferro started twice at setter during the championships. He helped guide victories over Morocco and China by delivering 107 successful sets along with three blocks and a service ace versus Morocco.
“This is a significant achievement for our program,” said head coach John Hawks following Sunday’s victory. “I’m proud of how these young men represented our country on this international stage.”
Kelly commented on his experience as captain: “Leading this group has been an honor. We set out to make history together, and we did that.”
Taliaferro added: “Everyone played their role well throughout this tournament. It was truly a team effort from start to finish.”
