Ponce, Puerto Rico – May 19, 2024 – Springfield College head men's volleyball coach Charlie Sullivan led the United States Boys U19 National Team the gold medal at the 2024 NORCECA Continental Championship on Sunday night.

The four-set win over Cuba victory gives the U.S. squad a berth in the 2025 FIVB World Championship as the team finished the championship 5-0 with a 15-1 record in sets.

The only Division III men's volleyball coach to ever be the U19 national team head coach, Sullivan's squad was dominant in pool play as it opened with a 25-23, 25-15, 25-23 sweep of Canada on Tuesday before using some tough serving to down Suriname, 25-13, 25-11, 25-16 the following day.  Fueled by 16 team blocks, Team USA closed out pool play with a 25-22, 25-17, 25-18 triumph over Cuba.

In the semifinals on Saturday, the United States made key plays in the biggest moments to edge Canada in straight sets, 25-23, 26-24, 29-27, to set up a championship showdown with Cuba.  On Sunday night, Team USA opened up the match with a pair of 25-19 wins before dropping its first set of the tournament in a 25-20 setback in the third.  However, the team responded with a 25-18 victory in the fourth to clinch the gold medal.

In addition to Sullivan, two other Springfield College alumni are involved in the team's success, as Evan Metzger '22 was the Performance Analyst and Sean Byron '93 G'98 was the Team Lead.

Previously, Sullivan led the US Boys U19 National Team to a fourth-place finish at the 2023 FIVB World Championships, which was the highest-finish ever for a U.S. Boys Team and previously becoming the first U.S. team to win the Pan American Cup in 2022.  Additionally, Sullivan spent time with the U.S. Men's National Team as a consultant coach during the 2015 FIVB World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, and served as the head coach for the United States men's volleyball team at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.  Additionally, in the Summer of 2014, Sullivan guided the U.S. Men's Pan American Team to the silver medal of the IX Men's Pan American Cup in Mexico.

Sullivan concluded his 26th season as head coach of the Springfield College men's volleyball team, and has established a pedigree of championship success which includes his overall record of 518-201 for a .720 winning percentage.  As a program, Springfield has captured 11 Division III national championships, including winning five NCAA Division III Championships in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018. 

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