Decker/De Falco Win USA Volleyball Beach High Performance Championships at Hermosa

July 17, 2011 – Hermosa Beach, CA
Fifteen year old Parker resident Mitch Decker and partner TJ De Falco of San Diego, CA won the gold medal and were named national champions in the Boys U17 division at the USA Volleyball Beach High Performance (HP) Championships in Hermosa Beach, CA.

The two were paired by USA Volleyball for this competition and had not previously played together but the combination proved to be a lethal force on the sand going undefeated in the three day event and sweeping the competition 2-0 in the semifinal and final to clinch the championship gold medal.

This was the first major beach competition for Mitch.  “I was a little nervous going to a California competition thinking about playing against guys who play a lot of beach [volleyball].  But the preparation with my beach coach Vince Robbins paid off.  My partner TJ and I had never met before this event but we have very complementary skills and it came down to fundamental ball control in the windy hot conditions that gave us the edge” said Decker.

The event drew top names from across the country including members of the indoor and beach national teams and was organized into five age divisions. 

About the experience, Decker said “It was great to not only play at Hermosa but also to watch and learn from some of the older teams that are working towards a place on future Olympic teams.  I have a better idea about what I’ll need to do to get to that level.”
Decker has played competitive indoor volleyball since he was nine years old.  Last year he was the setter for the Front Range Volleyball Club’s 14 year old boys team that won a bronze medal at the USA Volleyball Indoor Junior National Championships.   Since then, he entered high school and helped the Regis Jesuit Raider win their second consecutive state championship playing at the outside hitter position.  At the 2011 Junior Nationals in early July, his Front Range 16s took 5th place.

All told, it has been a phenomenal year for Mitch.  In addition to his beach gold, he was named High School All State, was named to the Mens’ Division II Regional All Star Team, and was named All Tournament at the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships and his team took 5th place at Junior Nationals.

“When I started playing, there was almost no boys volleyball in Colorado.  This year my club, Front Range, had three teams in the top ten [club division] at Junior Nationals.  I see the younger kids coming up behind me and I’m proud that I’m a part of helping to grow the sport.”

Back from Hermosa, he has three days to do laundry and play with his dogs before he heads to Tucson, Arizona with team mates from his Front Range 16s team Connor Stewart (Parker) and Jack Carlson and Regis Jesuit team mate Michael Courtois, also from Parker for the USA Volleyball High Performance Indoor Championships. All of these boys play indoor volleyball for Front Range Volleyball Club.

When asked whether he likes beach or indoor volleyball better, he responds by saying “I love both formats and one makes you stronger in the other; they are very complimentary.  I don’t think I’ll have to choose between them.”

He could be right.  Recently the NCAA added Sand Volleyball to their sanctioned sports for girls.  Some circles are reporting the mens collegiate sand volleyball may be just around the corner.  “That would be a welcome development” said Mitch’s father and coach Bruce Decker.  “Title IX has really hurt mens volleyball.   I hope one day we’ll be at a place where we no longer feel that we have to deprive opportunities to boys to ensure opportunities for girls.”

USAV Names 2011 U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 5, 2011) – USA Volleyball is proud to announce its 12-player U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team roster for the upcoming 2011 FIVB Girls’ Youth (U-18) World Championship that will take place Aug. 12-21 in Turkey.

Middle blockers selected for the team are Alexis Austin (Houston, Thunder Volleyball/Lone Star Region), Janae Hall (Centennial, Colo., Front Range/Rocky Mountain Region), Molly McCage (Spring, Texas, Woodlands Wave/Lone Star Region) and Amber Rolfzen (Papillion, Neb., Nebraska Juniors/Great Plains Region). Setters are Lauren Carlini (Aurora, Ill., Sports Performance) and.Nicole Edelman (Boulder, Colo., Front Range/Rocky Mountain).

Selected as outside hitters are Jordan Burgess (Tampa, Fla., Tampa Bay Juniors/Florida Region), Paulina Prieto (Miami, Boomers Volleyball Club/Florida Region) and Kadie Rolfzen (Papillion, Neb., Nebraska Juniors/Great Plains Region). The two opposites are Andie Malloy (Allen, Texas, Skyline Juniors/North Texas Region) and Nicole Dalton (Boulder, Colo., Front Range/Rocky Mountain Region). The libero is Allison Palmer (Laguna Beach, Calif., Laguna Beach Volleyball Club/Southern California Region).

“It is a pretty athletic group,” said U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team Head Coach Jim Stone in reference to its strengths heading into this summer’s competition in Turkey. “However, they still need to learn the whole game – hit, pass, serve and dig – as the international game has limited subs. That part has to work out in a short period of training time. We have good athletes and I was impressed with their work ethic this weekend, so I think they will be fine and ready for World Championship.”

Burgess, Malloy, McCage and Palmer are repeat selections from last year. The foursome helped the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team qualify for this year’s FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championship by claiming the gold medal at the 2010 NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship held in Guatemala.

“Ideally, you would want 12 players all returning with international experience,” Stone said. “At the same time, you don’t want to preclude any athlete who does not have international experience.”

In addition to the 12-player roster, seven individuals were named as alternates to the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team. The alternates are outside hitters Breanna Atkinson (Ashburn, Va., Virginia Elite/Chesapeake Region) and Mylan Eugene (Houston, Texas Pride/Lone Star Region), opposites Melanie Wade (Palo Alto, Calif., City Beach/Northern California Region) and Daniela Campbell (Denver, Front Range/Rocky Mountain Region), middle blocker Shelby Sullivan (Richardson, Texas, Texas Advantage/North Texas Region), setter Chloe Collins (Cypress, Texas, Texas Pride/Lone Star Region) and libero Haley Pouliezos (Imperial, Mo., High Performance/Gateway Region).

The U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team will compete in the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships (HPC) held July 26-30 in Tucson, Ariz., in preparation for the World Championships. At the completion of the HPC, the team will continue training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y., before departing for Turkey.

The alternates, who could replace one of the top 12 players in case of injury or illness, and the other six non-selected athletes have first right refusal to participate in the Girls’ Youth A2 program, which also takes part in the HPC.

The U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team roster was determined through a second tryout session held June 3-5 with 25 athletes participating at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

To be eligible for the Girls’ Youth program, athletes must be United States citizens born in either 1994 or 1995.

2011 U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team
Name (Pos, Hometown, HS Grad Year, Club/Region)
Alexis Austin (MB, Houston, Texas, 2012, Thunder Volleyball/Lone star)
Jordan Burgess (OH, Tampa, Fla., 2012, Tampa Bay Juniors/Florida)
Lauren Carlini (S, Aurora, Ill., 2013, Sports Performance/Great Lakes)
Nicole Dalton (OPP, Parker, Colo., 2012, Front Range/Rocky Mountain)
Nicole Edelman (S, Boulder, Colo., 2012, Front Range/Rocky Mountain)
Janae Hall (MB, Centennial, Colo., 2012, Front Range/Rocky Mountain)
Andie Malloy (OPP, Allen, Texas, 2012, Skyline Juniors/North Texas)
Molly McCage (MB, Spring, Texas, 2012, Woodlands Wave/Lone Star)
Allison Palmer (L, Laguna Beach, Calif., 2012, Laguna Beach/Southern California)
Paulina Prieto (OH, Miami, Fla., 2011, Boomers Volleyball Club/Florida)
Amber Rolfzen (MB, Papillion, Neb., 2013, Nebraska Juniors/Great Plains)
Kadie Rolfzen (OH, Papillion, Neb., 2013, Nebraska Juniors/Great Plains)

2011 U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team Alternates
Name (Pos, Hometown, HS Grad Year, Club/Region)
Breanna Atkinson (OH, Ashburn, Va., 2012, Virginia Elite/Chesapeake)
Daniela Campbell (OPP, Denver, Colo., 2012, Front Range/Rocky Mountain)
Chloe Collins (S, Cypress, Texas, 2013, Texas Pride/Lone star)
Mylan Eugene (OH, Houston, Texas, 2014, Texas Pride/Lone Star)
Haley Pouliezos (L, Imperial, Mo., 2012, High Performance/Gateway)
Shelby Sullivan (MB, Richardson, Texas, 2012, Texas Advantage/North Texas)
Melanie Wade (OPP, Palo Alto, Calif., 2012, City Beach/Northern California)

Staff
Head Coach: Jim Stone, USA Volleyball High Performance
Asst. Coach: Melissa Wolter, University of West Florida
Asst. Coach: Charlene Whitted, USA Volleyball High Performance