Rainbow Warrior volleyball team members Kupono Fey and Jennings Franciskovic return to islands after a nearly three-week absence competing for the U.S. Junior Men's National Team in the World Championships, claiming 11^th place against some of the best teams in the U-21 age group.
 
The pair of juniors secured their placing after a thrilling five-set victory over Iran, 25-18, 25-18, 21-25, 12-25, 15-10 on Sept. 20.
 
Fey returned to the squad as a two-year selection while Franciskovic made his second tournament appearance representing the U.S. MJNT since competing alongside Fey earlier this summer at the 2015 U21 Pan American Cup.
 
The U.S. bounced back after a rocky start to the tournament, going 0-3 in the opening round of pool play, a bracket that consisted of overall winner Russia, silver medalists Argentina, and consolation bracket champion Poland.
 
Following the opening round of competition, the U.S. recovered for three-straight wins over Iran, Mexico, and Japan. The trio of victories solidified them as winners of Pool G and eligible to compete for 9^th-12^th placing in the tournament.
 
After suffering a four-set loss to France the following match, the U.S. pulled off a second victory over Iran to lock in an 11^th place finish.
 
Fey, a two-time selection to the squad, finished with eight points in the final bout with Iran (seven kills and one ace), while setter Franciskovic earned his first starting nod, notching three points.
 
On Sept. 11, the MJNT fell in its tournament opener to Argentina 25-21, 25-23, 21-25, 22-25, 15-10. The U.S. contingent fought back from 0-2 deficit to force a fifth set, however Argentina's offense proved too much to contain and would walk away with the win. Despite the loss, junior outside hitter Fey had a solid performance, posting 13 points overall, with 11 kills and two aces.
 
The following day, the MJNT faced Poland, a team recognized as one of the best junior teams in the world, falling in straight sets, 25-22, 25-19, 25-14.
Though the U.S. was seemingly outmatched in most categories, Fey continued his string of strong performances in the tournament, leading the team in hitting percentage, while posting five kills and a single block.
 
Rounding out pool play, Team USA fell in straight sets to powerhouse Russia, the No. 1 team in the U21 age group, 25-17, 25-17, 25-15.
The MJNT was unable to keep up with Russia's dominant offense, posting 22 kills and six blocks, to Russia's 36 kills, 14 blocks, and five aces. Though the team was stymied at the net, Fey turned in six kills for the match.
 
Team USA notched its first win of the tournament, defeating Iran in five sets, 25-19, 21-25, 25-22, 24-26, 16-14, on Sept. 15.
 
Throughout the back-and-forth match, Team USA recorded several tournament-highs, besting its performances in kills (55), blocks (12), and digs (64). Fey once again was a notable factor for the squad, posting six kills, including a decisive tying point in the nail-biter fifth set.
 
The MJNT recorded its second-straight win over host Mexico, 25-23, 25-17, 25-17, marking the team's first three-set sweep in a dominating performance. The U.S. outscored Mexico in kills (39), blocks (6), and aces (6) with Fey leading the way, throwing down a tournament-high 12 kills and an ace. Setter Franciskovic had also posted a tournament-high of two aces during the match.
 
Rounding out pool play in the consolation bracket, Team USA took down Japan, 25-23, 17-25, 25-20, 25-23 to go undefeated in the pool and advance as the No. 1 seed in a four-team bracket ultimately deciding 9-12^th place in the tournament.
 
The U.S. squad outmatched Japan in kills (55-48), blocks (11-9), and digs (62-59) en route to the 3-1 victory. Fey contributed to the winning efforts with a pair of kills during the match.
 
Both Fey and Franciskovic were pivotal members of the Rainbow Warrior volleyball team last year that saw the 'Bows sit atop the national standings for four weeks as well as earn a spot in the National Championship tournament for the first time since 2002.