Army wins bronze at Pentagon sitting volleyball tourney

By J.D. Leipold and Gary SheftickNovember 23, 2015

Army wins bronze at Pentagon sitting volleyball tourney
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Nov. 20, 2015) -- The Army battled back to win bronze at the Pentagon's sitting volleyball tournament Thursday after an undefeated Air Force squad swept gold and Marine Corps veterans settled for silver.

In morning round-robin play of the 5th Annual Warrior Care Month Joint Services Sitting Volleyball Tournament, the Army had a bye in the first round. Then the Army beat Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, in round two and the Marine Corps in the third round, before losing to the Air Force in round four.

Army was ranked No. 2 going into the semifinals to face the Marines. The black and gold team won the first game 25-19, but dropped the second 19-25 and lost the third 15-11.

In the bronze-medal match, Army faced SOCOM, which had lost to the Air Force in the semifinals. Army dropped the first game to SOCOM, 25-20. But the Soldiers came back from behind to win the second game.

Almost everyone in the Pentagon Athletic Center gathered to watch the hard-fought final game to determine who would take home the bronze. Army was down 12-13 when Nicholas Titman blocked a SOCOM serve to tie the score. Then Sean Hook pushed a spike from the net to take Army to 14-13, and a final ace served by Army's Blake Johnson wrapped it up.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley congratulated Army team members on their bronze-medal victory and gave them each coins.

"We are so proud of you," Defense Secretary Ash Carter told all the sitting volleyball athletes.

"To those who are wounded warriors, we have a special reverence and a special debt and a special respect," he said, "and it grows even greater when we see the sports proficiency you're able to show."

Communication and spirit were the strong points of the Army team, said Army Staff Sgt. Ashley Anderson from the Warrior Transition Battalion on Fort Riley, Kansas.

"Our team is really close," she said. "Personally, I've never played with a team that's as close as this one."

"I love playing adaptive sports," she said. "It makes me feel back to normal."

Another member of the Army team, medically-retired Sgt. Stefan LeRoy, related how he came to take up the game of sitting volleyball. He was injured in Afghanistan helping carry his wounded buddy on a stretcher to the medevac helicopter. His buddy had been injured by an improvised explosive device, or IED, and while carrying the stretcher, LeRoy was injured by an IED that took his legs.

Even before he received prosthetic legs, LeRoy became active to pull through the dark days by trying out wheelchair basketball, but admits he's not near as good shooting from a chair as he was from a standing position.

"I think Warrior Care Month is a great thing to show people how sports and the Warrior Training Command has been helping us continue our recovery… these events really showcase what we're all capable of doing in adaptive sports," the 24-year-old said. "We have great sportsmanship, comradery and great spirit, because while the injuries may be a different, we still know the struggles and mindset of each other."

Related Links:

Army News Service

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley

Army.mil: Human Interest News

STAND-TO!: Warrior Care Month: Show Your Strength through Recovery

STAND-TO!: Warrior Care Month: Reconditioning

STAND-TO!: Warrior Care Month: Reintegration

Warrior Transition Command