Photo by: UCLA Athletics
Pair of Bruins to Represent U.S. at NORCECA U21 Championships
June 10, 2024 | Men's Volleyball
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Volleyball and its National Team Development Program announced that 12 athletes, including a pair of incoming Bruin men's volleyball freshmen --- outside hitter Sean Kelly and setter Trent Tailaferro -- will compete for the U.S. at the NORCECA Men's U21 Continental Championship on June 11-16 in Nogales, Mexico The event is a qualifier for the 2025 FIVB Men's U21 World Championship.
Kelly, a product of Loyola High School, was named the First Best Spiker, at the 2023 NORCEVA U19 Pan Am Cup and served as team captain of the Boys U19 National Team in 2022 while being named MVP of the Pan Am Cup and First Best Spiker at the event. Kelly has also participated with the 2021 National Training and Development Program Indoor Training Series. He was a member of the U.S. Team which finished fourth at the 2023 FIVB U19 World Championship after earning gold at the NORCECA U19 Pan American Cup in both 2023 and 2022.
Taliaferro, who attends JSerra High School in Orange County, was selected for the 2023 Boys U19 National Team and the 2022 Boys U19 National Training Team. In 2023, he was a member of the U.S. teams which finished fourth at the 2023 FIVB U19 World Championships and earned gold at the 2023 U19 Pan American Cup.
The U.S. last competed at the NORCECA Men's U21 Continental Championship in 2018 and finished fourth. It won gold at the event in 2016 with a team that included several current Men's National Team members. The 2023 U.S. Boys U19 Team won the NORCECA Pan American Cup and finished fourth at the FIVB World Championship, the best U.S. finish ever. The 2023 U.S. Men's U21 Team took silver at the NORCECA Pan American Cup and finished 13th at the FIVB World Championship.
2024 U.S. Men's U21 National Team for the NORCECA Continental Championship
Name (Pos., Height, Hometown, School)
2 Roan Alviar (L, 5-11, Hayward, Calif., Princeton)
3 Cole Hartke (OH, 7-0, Barrington, Ill., Pepperdine)
6 Victor Loiola (OH, 6-4, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Long Beach State)
7 Trent Taliaferro (S, 6-5, San Clemente, Calif., UCLA)
11 Finn Kearney (Opp, 6-5, Phoenix, Ariz., Univ. of Hawaii)
12 Sterling Foley (OH, 6-7, Newport Beach, Calif., Univ. of Southern California)
13 Sean Kelly (OH, 6-7, Manhattan Beach, Calif., UCLA)
15 Joshua Aruya (MB, 6-9, Mission Viejo, Calif., UC Santa Barbara)
16 Tread Rosenthal (S, 6-9, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Univ. of Hawaii)
19 Aidan Klein (MB, 6-10, Evanston, Ill., Loyola University Chicago)
20 Parker Tomkinson (MB, 7-0, Carlsbad, Calif., Univ. of Southern California)
21 Jackson Cryst (MB, 6-10, Long Beach, Calif., Sage Hill School)
Playing Schedule (All times PT)
June 12-- USA v Suriname
June 13-- USA v Mexico
June 14-- Quarterfinals
June 15-- Semifinals and Classification matches
June 16-- Final, third-place and classification matches
Kelly, a product of Loyola High School, was named the First Best Spiker, at the 2023 NORCEVA U19 Pan Am Cup and served as team captain of the Boys U19 National Team in 2022 while being named MVP of the Pan Am Cup and First Best Spiker at the event. Kelly has also participated with the 2021 National Training and Development Program Indoor Training Series. He was a member of the U.S. Team which finished fourth at the 2023 FIVB U19 World Championship after earning gold at the NORCECA U19 Pan American Cup in both 2023 and 2022.
Taliaferro, who attends JSerra High School in Orange County, was selected for the 2023 Boys U19 National Team and the 2022 Boys U19 National Training Team. In 2023, he was a member of the U.S. teams which finished fourth at the 2023 FIVB U19 World Championships and earned gold at the 2023 U19 Pan American Cup.
The U.S. last competed at the NORCECA Men's U21 Continental Championship in 2018 and finished fourth. It won gold at the event in 2016 with a team that included several current Men's National Team members. The 2023 U.S. Boys U19 Team won the NORCECA Pan American Cup and finished fourth at the FIVB World Championship, the best U.S. finish ever. The 2023 U.S. Men's U21 Team took silver at the NORCECA Pan American Cup and finished 13th at the FIVB World Championship.
2024 U.S. Men's U21 National Team for the NORCECA Continental Championship
Name (Pos., Height, Hometown, School)
2 Roan Alviar (L, 5-11, Hayward, Calif., Princeton)
3 Cole Hartke (OH, 7-0, Barrington, Ill., Pepperdine)
6 Victor Loiola (OH, 6-4, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Long Beach State)
7 Trent Taliaferro (S, 6-5, San Clemente, Calif., UCLA)
11 Finn Kearney (Opp, 6-5, Phoenix, Ariz., Univ. of Hawaii)
12 Sterling Foley (OH, 6-7, Newport Beach, Calif., Univ. of Southern California)
13 Sean Kelly (OH, 6-7, Manhattan Beach, Calif., UCLA)
15 Joshua Aruya (MB, 6-9, Mission Viejo, Calif., UC Santa Barbara)
16 Tread Rosenthal (S, 6-9, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Univ. of Hawaii)
19 Aidan Klein (MB, 6-10, Evanston, Ill., Loyola University Chicago)
20 Parker Tomkinson (MB, 7-0, Carlsbad, Calif., Univ. of Southern California)
21 Jackson Cryst (MB, 6-10, Long Beach, Calif., Sage Hill School)
Playing Schedule (All times PT)
June 12-- USA v Suriname
June 13-- USA v Mexico
June 14-- Quarterfinals
June 15-- Semifinals and Classification matches
June 16-- Final, third-place and classification matches
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