USA Too Much for Trinidad & Tobago  

Long Beach, California, May 7, 2012 – Host and defending Olympic Games champion United States overwhelmed Trinidad & Tobago 25-9, 25-10, 25-14 on the opening day of the NORCECA Men’s Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament on Monday at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif. The winner of the eight-team tournament earns a spot in the 2012 Olympic Games volleyball competition.

David Lee paced the USA with 11 points and Matt Anderson added nine points as nine different players scored in the match. Nolan Tash and Marc Honore led Trinidad & Tobago with six and five points, respectively.

USA converted 33 of 49 attacks into points for a 67.3 spike percent, in addition to a 12-0 margin in service aces. Rich Lambourne produced 11 of the USA’s 20 digs in the match.

USA returns to Pool A action on Tuesday against Costa Rica at 8 p.m. Pacific Time, while Trinidad & Tobago challenges Mexico on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Pacific Time.

“I thought our first match went well,” USA captain Clay Stanley said. “We did a great job behind the service line. Our block was good and it put a lot of pressure on Trinidad.”

“Our team played in spurts,” Trinidad & Tobago Coach Gideon Dickson said. “We didn’t capitalize on any of the opportunities given to us. The U.S. victory shows their experience and shows the caliber of their players.”