Reports From USA Volleyball & Bill Kauffman
 

The U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team defeated host Mexico 25-14, 25-16, 25-15 Tuesday evening on the final day of pool competition at the IX Women’s Pan American Cup being held in Tijuana and Rosarita, Mexico.  Wilson grad Cynthia Barboza starred in the third set with three kills and a block.

Team USA finished Pool B in first place with a perfect 5-0 record to earn a berth directly into the semifinals on June 25. Cuba captured Pool A with a 4-0 record and has secured a semifinal berth. With South American teams Peru and Argentina facing each other in one quarterfinal match on June 24 and the winner advancing to the semifinals, the U.S. has guaranteed itself as one of the top three finishing teams from NORCECA to gain a berth into the 2011 FIVB World Grand Prix. The other quarterfinal match will have Dominican Republic facing Puerto Rico.

Mexico led 6-4 early in the opening set, but the U.S. answered with a 14-4 run to grab an 18-10 advantage and cruised to the 25-14 set victory. In the second set, the Americans scored three unanswered points to break a 5-all tie and used a 4-0 scoring run to assume an 18-11 advantage in taking the second set 25-16. Team USA rattled off the first five points of the third set, then used a 4-0 scoring run to break free from an 8-6 advantage to cruise to a 25-15 victory.

“We are ready to practice tomorrow and the day after tomorrow,” U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) said in reference to receiving consecutive days off from competition by winning the pool. “Now we have to focus in the next phase of the competition.”

The Pan American Cup is a qualifying event into the 2011 FIVB World Grand Prix. The top three teams from NORCECA during the Pan American Cup earn berths into the 2011 FIVB World Grand Prix, while the top side from South America also earns a berth.

Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.), who missed the previous two matches of the tournament to attend and ultimately accept as co-recipient of the Honda-Broderick Cup award for the top collegiate female athlete for 2009-2010, led Team USA with 10 kills on 23 attacks and two aces for 12 points. Nancy Metcalf (Hull, Iowa) chipped in eight kills on 16 attacks and a team-high three blocks for 11 points. Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.) contributed nine points via five kills on 11 swings, two blocks and two aces. Foluke Akinradewo (Plantation, Fla.) carded five kills on eight attacks to go with two blocks and an ace for eight points. Jordan Larson (Hooper, Neb.) tacked on all six of her points on kills from 15 attacks. Barboza contributed all four of her points in playing just the third set with three kills and a block. Ogonna Nnamani (Bloomington, Ill.) was a reserve in all three sets, but still put up four kills during the match. Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) rounded out the U.S. scoring with two blocks and a kill for three points.

“We are happy with the victory and it was good to win 3-0,” said Metcalf, who is serving as the team captain during the tournament. “We have to work to continue to improve and make our team better.”

Metcalf led the U.S. defense with seven digs to go with eight excellent service receptions on 13 attempts, while Stacy Sykora (Burleson, Texas) added three digs and a team-high nine excellent service receptions on 16 attempts. Glass piled up 23 running sets on 56 total attempts as the U.S. converted 45.7 percent of its kill attempts with a .337 hitting efficiency (42-11-92) with her running the offense.

McCutcheon started Glass at setter, Metcalf at opposite, Akinradewo and Bown at middle blocker, and Larson and Hodge at outside hitter. Sykora was the designated libero for the match. Barboza started the third set in place of Larson. Nnamani and Courtney Thompson (Kent, Wash.) were part of double-switches in all three sets.

Team USA out-blocked Mexico 10-1 and held a 5-0 service ace advantage during the match. Further, the U.S. managed a 42-25 advantage in kills for the match. The Americans also enjoyed a slim 18-13 margin in team digs, but Mexico had 27 excellent service receptions during the match to USA’s 24. The U.S. held Mexico to a 25.8 kill percent and .124 hitting efficiency (25-13-97).

Andrea Rangel paced Mexico in the loss with 11 points, while Samantha Bricio added 10 points. Mexico was using its women’s junior national team in preparation for the upcoming NORCECA Women’s Junior Continental Championship that will be held July 6-11 in Tijuana, Mexico.

“It was the best match for us in the competition” Mexican Claudia Rodriguez said. “To play against a team of USA’s caliber is of great help for our young players.”

“I agree with Claudia about this being the best match for us,” Mexico Head Coach Jose Bernal said. “I liked the attitude and a lot of positive things from our girls.”

Earlier today in Pool B, Peru finished the group in second place with a 4-1 record after defeating Costa Rica (0-5) 25-7, 25-7, 25-9. Puerto Rico finished third with a 3-2 record in pool play with a 25-18, 25-19, 25-18 victory over Trinidad & Tobago (2-3). Both Peru and Puerto Rico will compete in the quarterfinal round on June 24, while Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago fall into the classification round matches.

In Pool A, Cuba finished the group with a 4-0 record following its 23-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-22 victory over third-place Argentina (2-2). Dominican Republic concluded pool play in second place with a 3-1 record after its 23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-14 victory over Canada (0-4). Brazil (1-3) was idle on the final day of pool competition. Cuba advances directly to the semifinals on June 25, while Dominican Republic and Argentina advance to the quarterfinals on June 24.

Mexico scored the first two points of the opening set. Consecutive Mexico errors tied the set at 4-all, but it bounced back with the next two points to regain a 6-4 advantage. Bown and Metcalf scored back-to-back kills to knot the score at 6-all, then Akinradewo pounded a kill on the slide to give the U.S. a 7-6 lead. Glass took an overpass and directed for a kill to yield an American 8-6 margin at the first technical timeout. Mexico hit wide and long on consecutive attacks to produce the fifth and sixth straight points for the U.S. at 10-6. Mexico collected back-to-back points to close to 10-8. Larson nailed a kill and Akinradewo and Metcalf put up consecutive blocks to stretch the lead to 13-8. Larson launched a back-row kill after a Mexico service error to increase the American advantage to 16-10 at the second technical timeout. Out of the break, Bown added to the run with a block and Mexico followed with an error at 18-10. Team USA extended its advantage to 20-11 with a Metcalf kill and Mexico error leading to the host team’s second timeout of the set. Out of the break, Hodge hit a cross-court winner to increase the lead to 21-11. Hodge slammed a kill followed by a Bown block to put the score at 23-12. Mexico notched consecutive points to slice the deficit to 23-14, but Larson found open space for a kill and Mexico sent an attack long to end the set at 25-14. Bown turned in four points in the opening set as the American defense provided four blocks. Mexico committed eight other errors in the set.

The U.S. scored three consecutive points to take an 8-5 advantage into the second set’s first technical timeout after Glass put down a kill on the second touch, Bown served an ace and Mexico could not receive cleanly Bown’s following serve. Mexico sliced the deficit to one at 9-8. After a Mexico service error, Akinradewo stuffed a Mexico attack at 11-8. Team USA extended its advantage to four points at 13-9 with a Metcalf kill after a Mexico error. The U.S. went into the second technical timeout up 16-11 after a Larson kill and Hodge ace. Mexico attacked long out of the break and Nnamani slammed a kill to stretch the U.S. lead to 18-11. Larson hammered a kill and Metcalf claimed a block at 21-13. Hodge gave the Americans set point at 24-16 with a kill, and Mexico followed immediately with an attack that sailed wide at 25-16. Middle blockers Akinradewo and Bown had four points apiece in the second set to combine for eight points out of the middle.

Team USA gained a 5-0 lead to start the third set with three kills from Hodge, a Metcalf spike and Bown block. Mexico scored back-to-back points to cut the deficit to 5-2. Mexico continued its charge by cutting the gap to two points at 7-5. Barboza and Metcalf scored kills followed by a Mexico error and Barboza block to push the USA lead to 12-6. The U.S. went into the second technical timeout leading 16-9 after a Hodge and Barboza hammered kills. Mexico scored three consecutive points out of the break to whittle the deficit to 16-12. Nnamani answered with consecutive kills of their own and Hodge followed with an ace forcing Mexico to call timeout down 19-12. Barboza and Hodge took care of consecutive attacks for kills to send the score to 22-14. Akinradewo hammered a quick attack for a kill and Mexico followed with an attack error to yield match points at 24-15. Hodge ended the match with a kill at 25-15, her eighth point of the set.