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Check out all FIVB U21 World Championship semifinal matches to follow on Saturday and how to follow the matches live. In addition, to view the updated World Championship standings and tournament brackets, click here
13th-PLACE SEMIFINALS
United States (1-5) vs. Morocco (0-6)
Match vitals: 12:30 p.m. (5:30 a.m. CST) in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats, Online video
World Rankings: United States (No. 9); Morocco (No. 15)
NCAA players on U.S. roster: Kyle Ensing (Long Beach State); Jordan Ewert (Stanford); Patrick Gasman (Hawai’i); George Huhmann (Princeton); Micah Ma’a (UCLA); Austin Matautia (Hawai’i); Dylan Missry (UCLA); Brett Rosenmeier (Hawai’i); Scott Stadick (UC Irvine); Matt Szews (Ball State); Josh Tuaniga (Long Beach State); Gage Worsley (Hawai’i)
NCAA players on Morocco roster: None
World Championship appearances: United States (9); Morocco (5)
Best World Championship finish: United States (fourth place in 2011); Morocco (ninth place in 2005)
What to know: This was not the semifinals that the United States envisioned making at the start of the FIVB U21 World Championship. The United States after losing five of its first six matches to open the World Championship will play Morocco in the 13th-place semifinals. The United States was relegated to the 13th-place semifinals and dropped out of contention for a top-10 tournament finish after it lost to Egypt on Thursday in a de-facto play-in match to the ninth-place semifinals. Long Beach State All-American opposite Kyle Ensing in the four-game loss finished with a match-high 20 kills. Ensing ended the three-match second round with 48 combined kills and had back-to-back matches with 20 kills. He also enters the semifinals in the top 10 at the World Championship with both 79 kills and a 49.07 percent offensive efficiency. Along with Ensing, Hawai’i outside attacker Brett Rosenmeier had at least eight kills in every second-round matches, including a tournament-high 14 kills in the loss to Egypt. The United States also has two of the top defensive players at the World Championship. Hawai’i libero Gage Worsley is in the tournament’s top five with a 2.95 digs per game average and had a combined 36 digs in the last two matches. In addition, UC Irvine middle attacker Scott Stadick leads the United State and is ninth at the World Championship averaging 0.67 blocks per game. The Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Freshman All-American also had a match-high six blocks and added 10 kills on a .615 attack percentage in a five-game victory against the Czech Republic on Wednesday. Morocco, the only remaining winless team at the World Championship, reached the 13th-place semifinals after finishing in last place in its consolation pool. In addition, Morocco has been swept in five of its six tournament matches. However, Morocco setter Karim Lamri is third at the tournament with a 5.47 excellent sets per game average. Long Beach State All-American setter Josh Tuaniga is second in the tournament with a 5.48 excellent sets per game average. The winner of the United States versus Morocco will advance to 13th-place finals and play the winner of the semifinal match between Japan and the Czech Republic. The two teams that lose in the semifinals will meet in the 15th-place finals.
Japan (3-3) vs. Czech Republic (1-5)
Match vitals: 3 p.m. (8 a.m. CST) in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats
World Rankings: Japan (No. 14); Czech Republic (No. 35)
NCAA players on Japan roster: None
NCAA players on Czech Republic roster: None
World Championship appearances: Japan (13); Czech Republic (1)
Best World Championship finish: Japan (silver medal in 1989); Czech Republic (First appearance)
THE SEMIFINALS
Russia (6-0) vs. Cuba (4-2)
Match vitals: 5:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. CST) in Brno, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats, Online video
World Rankings: Russia (No. 1); Cuba (No. 13)
NCAA players on Russia roster: None
NCAA players on Cuba roster: None
World Championship appearances: Russia (19); Cuba (12)
Best World Championship finish: Russia (gold medal in 1977, 1981, 1985, 1989, 1995, 1999, 2005, 2011, 2013 and 2015); Cuba (silver medal in 1987 and 2009)
Poland (6-0) vs. Brazil (5-1)
Match vitals: 8 p.m. (1 p.m. CST) in Brno, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats, Online video
World Rankings: Poland (No. 7); Brazil (No. 4)
NCAA players on Poland roster: None
NCAA players on Brazil roster: None
World Championship appearances: Poland (9); Brazil (19)
Best World Championship finish: Poland (gold medal in 1997 and 2003); Brazil (gold medal in 1993, 2001, 2007 and 2009)
5th-PLACE SEMIFINALS
Iran (4-2) vs. Argentina (2-4)
Match vitals: 12:30 p.m. (5:30 a.m. CST) in Brno, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats
World Rankings: Iran (No. 11); Argentina (No. 2)
NCAA players on Iran roster: None
NCAA players on Argentina roster: None
World Championship appearances: Iran (11); Argentina (14)
Best World Championship finish: Iran (bronze medal in 2007); Argentina (silver medal in 2013 and 2015)
Canada (3-3) vs. China (2-4)
Match vitals: 3 p.m. (8 a.m. CST) in Brno, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats
World Rankings: Canada (No. 8); China (No. 3)
NCAA players on Canada roster: Daenan Gyimah (UCLA)
NCAA players on China roster: None
World Championship appearances: Canada (10); China (15)
Best World Championship finish: Canada (fifth place in 1999); China (silver medal in 1977)
9th-PLACE SEMIFINALS
Turkey (3-3) vs. Egypt (2-4)
Match vitals: 5:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. CST) in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats
World Rankings: Turkey (No. 6); Egypt (No. 11)
NCAA players on Turkey roster: None
NCAA players on Egypt roster: None
World Championship appearances: Turkey (3); Egypt (11)
Best World Championship finish: Turkey (sixth place in 2013 and 2015); Egypt (ninth place in 2003)
Italy (4-2) vs. Ukraine (2-4)
Match vitals: 8 p.m. (1 p.m. CST) in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Follow live: Live stats
World Rankings: Italy (No. 5); Ukraine (No. 15)
NCAA players on Italy roster: None
NCAA players on Ukraine roster: None
World Championship appearances: Italy (13); Ukraine (3)
Best World Championship finish: Italy (silver medal in 1985, 1991 and 1993); Ukraine (ninth place in 1999)