Story By B.J. Hoeptner Evans 

The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team rebounded from Saturday’s five-set loss and defeated China on Sunday, 3-1 (25-18, 20-25, 25-21, 25-12) in an FIVB World League match in Nanjing, China.

With the victory, the U.S. Men improved to 6-2 and held on to their lead in Pool A. China fell to 2-6. Team USA returns to the United States and will play two matches against Italy on July 10-11 at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

The U.S. Men showed great improvement on Sunday, scoring on eight aces, as opposed to one on Saturday, and out-blocking China 11-6. Team USA converted 57 percent of its kill attempts while China could only convert 47 percent.

China was also hurt by 29 team errors while the United States had 17.

“We were exceptionally good in serving, defending and blocking,” U.S. Head Coach Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) said. “As a young team, there will be a long way to get better. As I said yesterday, we lost the game and we would fight back today.”

Evan Patak (Pleasanton, Calif.) led all scorers with 17 points on 12 kills, one block and a match-high four aces. Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) added 12 points on 10 kills and two blocks. David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) scored 11 points on seven kills, two blocks and two aces while Scott Touzinsky (St. Louis, Mo.) tallied 11 points on nine kills and two blocks. Andrew Hein (Carol Stream, Ill.) totaled 10 points on seven kills and a match-high three blocks.

Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawai’i) scored two points on two aces. Kevin Hansen (Newport Beach, Calif.) scored two points on a kill and a block. Jayson Jablonsky (Yorba Linda, Calif.) scored one point on one kill.

Ping Chen paced China with 15 points on 12 kills and three aces. Weijun Zhong added 13 points on 11 kills and two aces.

Knipe gave his team a new look on Sunday, starting Hansen at setter and Patak at opposite. He also started Rooney and Touzinsky at outside hitter, Hein and Lee at middle blocker and Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) at libero.

Stanley, Jablonsky and Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) played as substitutes.

The first set made it look like the match would be a repeat of Saturday, as China took an 8-6 lead at the first technical timeout (TTO), including three kills and two blocks. However the United States used a 5-1 run to take the lead at 11-9. China never tied the score, although it stayed close until the U.S. lead was 14-13. Two straight kills by Lee and Patak gave Team USA a 16-13 edge. China caught up to 16-15, but the United States cored three more straight points on a kill by Patak, an ace by Lee and a Hansen block to secure the set victory.

The U.S. offense got quiet in the second set and China held an 8-5 lead at the first TTO. It increased the lead to 11-6 and Knipe called a timeout. The Chinese attack continued however. With the United States trailing 11-14, China scored four straight points on a U.S. serving error and a block, a kill and an ace to secure the set victory.

China’s momentum continued in the third set and it jumped out to an 8-4 lead at the first TTO. China maintained the lead until it was 17-15. Two China errors tied the score at 17-17. Later, with the score tied at 20-20, the United States put together a four-point run on two kills and an ace by Patak and a block by Touzinsky to reach set point. China scored once more, but a kill from Lee gave Team USA the victory.

The U.S. Men built on their momentum in the fourth set and held an 8-5 lead at the first TTO, including two kills, a block and an ace by Patak. The U.S. lead was still three at 10-7 when Team USA scored four straight points on two kills by Rooney, a block by Hein and a Lee ace. China never recovered and the United States raced to a 25-12 set victory.