CBU's Kristopher Johnson Concludes First Run with United States at Pan Ams

It was not enough for Kristopher Johnson to simply be named to the United State men's volleyball roster heading into the Pan American Games. The California Baptist University alumnus was determined to make an impact in his international debut. Johnson became a fixture in the U.S. lineup and started in every single set of the tournament in Toronto, Canada. The 2014 CBU graduate was one of two non-NCAA Division I products on the roster, and proceeded to put up impressive numbers. "It was a surprise I played and started as much as I did," Johnson said. "Coach would tell me the day before or day of if I was going to start. I was trying to go in there without expectations, and just taking everything as it came, so it was definitely a bit of a surprise." Through five matches, the 6-foot-11 middle blocker attacked at a .529 percentage and compiled 27 kills, eight blocks and four digs. The United States took sixth place, with Argentina taking gold, Brazil silver and Canada bronze. It was a lot of exposure for Johnson and the sport of indoor volleyball in general, as ESPN broadcast all of the U.S. matches through WatchESPN. Johnson, who plays professionally with Leka Volley Club in Finland, had a number of impressive matches in Canada. He opened the tournament with six kills on seven swings and two blocks against Puerto Rico in a four-set match on July 17th. Against Canada on July 21st, Johnson produced a personal-best nine kills in the tournament, along with a block, dig and ace. The United States concluded the tournament in a four-set loss to Cuba on July 24th, with Johnson logging a tournament-high three blocks in the match. "This was the highest competition level I've ever played," Johnson said. "At the Pan Ams, everyone sent their No. 1 teams except for us and Brazil. It was great to play against those guys." While the Pan Ams have ended, Johnson's international playing career is just at the beginning. The United States will make cuts in August for upcoming competitions, including the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2015 FIVB World Cup taking place in Japan in September, after four friendly matches with Brazil at the end of August. "I think I will be playing in one of those four matches, so this experience has helped me out tremendously in preparation for that," Johnson said. "Everyone here is playing at an elite level, and I am just proud to be here representing CBU."