BYU's Patch named MVP in NORCECA Championship

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – BYU men's volleyball's incoming freshman Ben Patch was named the Most Valuable Player in the U.S. Men's Junior (U-21) National Volleyball Team's gold medal win over Canada in the 2012 NORCECA Men's Junior Continental Championship (U-21) on Saturday.

The U.S. edged out Canada 26-24, 25-17, 23-25, 21-25  at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The United States has now won the tournament’s gold medal for the second straight time, having defeated Canada in the last edition of the biennial tournament held in 2010.

"This is a total honor,” Patch said. “I don’t think it’s about one valuable person for our team. No one person can excel without great setters and great passers. It was a team effort out there tonight.”

Patch, a native of Provo, Utah, helped the United States defend its title of the biennial NORCECA Men’s Junior Continental Championship with 19 points in the gold-medal match against Canada. He finished the tournament with 55 total points, including 47 kills, seven blocks and an ace. Patch ranked fifth in Best Spiker with a 48.45 kill percent on 97 attempts.

U.S. Men's Junior National Volleyball Team Head Coach Peter Hanson started all three sets with Patch at opposite.

The U.S. claimed two other individual awards with Greg Petty (Lewis) named the Best Server and Best Setter earned by Micah Christenson (USC).

As the top three finishers, the U.S., Canada and Mexico secured spots in the 2013 NORCECA Men's Junior World Champinships in Instanbul, Turkey. 

For a complete match recap and pictures, visit teamusa.org.