Thornton keys Team USA’s comeback

BANGKOK, Thailand — Former UC Irvine All-American setter Brian Thornton provided a spark in the fifth game to help the U.S. men’s volleyball team rally for a 25-22, 34-32, 22-25, 17-25, 15-13 victory over Poland Sunday in pool play at the World University Games.

Poland, which entered the match 3-0 in Pool C, the same record posted by the Americans, seized a 5-0 lead in the fifth game. Poland was ahead, 9-3, when Thornton, who has been coming off the bench for Team USA, entered the contest.

Thornton immediately connected on a quick-set kill to former Anteaters teammate David Smith. Thornton then served six straight points as the Americans forged a 10-9 lead. Team USA scored five of the next nine points to close out the victory.

“Brian Thornton had one of the better saves in volleyball,” Team USA Coach Alan Knipe said in a statement. “He came in and served five or six straight points and got [Poland] in a lot of trouble. It was a situation where it was just a different look than what they had been seeing.”

Thornton saw action as a substitute in all five games.

Smith, a starter who has had an outstanding tournament thus far, finished with 11 points on seven kills. He added three blocks and one ace serve.

Former UCI standout Jayson Jablonsky, yet another former All-American representing the Anteaters on the national team, saw action in four games.

“With Smith and Jablonsky, I’ve been playing with those guys for four years now, so there’s no thought process involved,” Thornton said. “We just know each other so well, everything just clicks. With this whole team, coming from behind tonight says a lot. It shows how we hate to lose and don’t want to lose. It just shows a lot of heart.”

Thornton, Smith and Jablonsky helped UCI reach the Final Four the last two seasons, including the program’s first NCAA championship in May.

The U.S. men can complete a perfect five-match procession through Pool C with a victory today against Chinese Taipei.

— From staff reports