Iran vs. USA Men’s Volleyball Coming to Southern California
August 1, 2014, Washington, D.C. – In less than two weeks, the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team will host Iran for four matches at sites around Southern California. The matches will help both teams prepare for the 2014 FIVB Men’s World Championship on Aug. 30-Sept. 21 in Poland.
The full schedule of the matches is:
Aug. 9, 2014
7 p.m.
Galen Center, University of Southern California
Purchase tickets here.
Aug. 13, 2014
7 p.m.
Anaheim Convention Center
Purchase tickets here.
Aug. 15, 2014
7 p.m.
San Diego State University
Purchase tickets through Ticketmaster or SDSU.
Aug. 16, 2014
6 p.m.
New site TBD due to water main break damage
Purchase tickets here.
USA recently finished first in the 2014 FIVB World League, becoming the fourth nation in the world to have won multiple gold medals in the competition. Iran finished fourth in the World League, making the country the most successful Asian nation in the competition.
The U.S. Men, ranked No. 4 in the world by the FIVB, will be looking for a measure of revenge against Iran after losing to the Asian champions at the 2013 FIVB World Grand Champions Cup last November.
“Iran recently beat the U.S. at the Grand Champions Cup in Japan,” said U.S. Men’s Head Coach John Speraw on the upcoming matches. “They are a lot better than they used to be and we have to really take them seriously. We are in their pool at the World Championships this fall in Poland and we’ll use these matches to figure them out.”
Both teams have notable star players. Iranian opposite Amir Ghafour topped the scoring charts in the FIVB Volleyball World League Final Four with 71 points, and Iranian captain and playmaker Saeed Marouf was chosen as the Best Setter. USA outside hitter Taylor Sander received the Most Valuable Player Award, the highest individual honor on the FIVB Volleyball World League Dream Team, and was chosen Best Spiker, thanks in part to his amazing 42” vertical jump.
The United States has a 2-1 record against Iran since 1980. The two countries will face each other in Pool D in the 2014 FIVB Men’s World Championship.
