VOLLEYBALL : U.S. Gains Momentum With Sweep

The U.S. men’s volleyball team got a much-needed confidence boost Saturday, defeating the Polish national team, 15-7, 9-15, 15-6, 15-6, at Pepperdine.

The victory completed a four-match sweep of Poland this week, but more important, it gave the United States momentum heading into the World Championships later this month.

The match also gave local volleyball fans a rare chance to see the U.S. national team, many members of which formerly played at local universities.

And it was clear which players the crowd of 2,563 at the Firestone Fieldhouse had come to see: former Pepperdine stars Bob Ctvrtlik and Tom Sorensen.

Sorensen did not disappoint. He added 24 kills to Bryan Ivie’s team-leading 25 and also served an ace to win match point.

Poland was led by Mariusz Sordyl, who had 27 kills.

Poland were overmatched, but U.S. Coach Fred Sturm is taking any victory he can get after making a horrendous run through the World League last spring, when the United States finished in last place in its pool and failed to advance to the final round.

“We’re in a situation where we benefit tremendously from game time,” Sturm said.

The United States also has benefited tremendously from the recent return of 1988 Olympic gold medalists Scott Fortune and Ctvrtlik, both swing hitters who were playing on the four-man beach volleyball circuit before returning to the national team.

With them, the United States is a much better team than it was in the spring.

And that is key with the World Championships scheduled to begin Sept. 29 at Athens, Greece.

“This is a good start,” Fortune said. “What I think is important about the World Championships is to start getting back in people’s minds, ‘Hey, the U.S. team is back and we’re going to be strong again.”’