U.S. Volleyball Team Sweeps Past Soviet Union

The U.S. national men’s volleyball team rolled to its second straight victory in the Stubbies USA Cup in the Forum Friday night, sweeping the Soviet Union in three games.

Or was that the Soviet taxi squad? The U.S. players were not quite sure.

“We had a lot of different names for them,” said Karch Kiraly, the U.S. team captain. “One was the Goon Squad. Another one was the heavy lineup, a la the (Washington) Redskins. . . . It’s like they took the five biggest guys and put them with the second setter, like they were going for poundage. We’ve never seen anything like that from them before.”

Frustrated by five straight losses to the United States, four of which came during a tour of the East Coast earlier this month, Soviet Coach Gennadi Parchin juggled his lineup again, benching five of six regular starters and inserting five players who are 6 feet 6 inches or taller. All the height added up to, however, was a victory for the top-ranked United States, 15-9, 15-11, 15-7, in front of 4,167.

The matchup of the world’s two best teams was never close. The United States--which got 12 kills from Doug Partie, 10 each from Steve Timmons and Kiraly and 9 each from Dave Saunders and Bob Ctvrtlik --controlled the match, trailing only early in the second game. After Friday’s results, the No. 2 Soviets may try another strategy if the teams meet again in Sunday’s final.

Parchin said his young team was “overwhelmed” and had “no chance.”

“Every time we try different players in the series and you know the results--it’s 4-0 (5-0, actually),” he said. “The team you saw did not actually have enough time to prepare for the tour. They played together only a week after being assembled.”

Indeed, the current picture may be distorted, but Parchin does have a clear view of what awaits the Soviet Union in Seoul at the Summer Olympics. As he told a couple Americans two nights earlier after watching the United States sweep Japan:

“The purpose of the American team is to prove it is unbeatable and No. 1 and to create an inferiority complex in the team they are playing. We have a different purpose, to give a young team a chance to play against top competition.

“It is very difficult to have one team with such a collection of stars. The biggest achievement is the spirit of the fighter. . . . This quality makes your team unbeatable for many years.”

Friday fell into that category.

“We’re real confident now,” Saunders said. “It seems like any combination teams use, it doesn’t matter. We have had success against them all. Tonight, they (the Soviets) used a huge lineup, and we adjusted accordingly.”

Said Coach Marv Dunphy: “We’re ready for anything. . . . We talked in the locker room that we don’t care who they put on the court, that we were just going to focus on our own game.

“As it turned out, we weren’t challenged. But a lot of that was because of (Craig) Buck and Partie blocking the balls at the net.”

France, ranked fourth in the world, made quick work of Japan in the second match Friday, winning 15-6, 16-14, 15-10.

The competition continues tonight, with the Soviet Union meeting Japan at 5 p.m. and the United States playing France at 7. A high school exhibition match between Palisades, the City’s best high school team, and Loyola of Los Angeles, the Southern Section 5-A champion, will follow.