American Women clinch success at Main-Draw of 2011 Quebec Open Jeep - Volleyball
The double-elimination Main-Draw stage of the 2011 SWATCH FIVB Quebec Open Tournament kicked off yesterday, Thursday, July 21. A total of 32 women’s teams showed up for the Main-Draw and the grid included four American duos, who came up with a plan and grabbed
huge success in their respective matches.
The following four pairings representing the USA at Thursday’s Main-Draw:
Jennifer Kessy – April Ross Birttany Hochevar – Lisa Rutledge Lauren Fendrick – Brooke Hanson Angie Akers - Nicole Branagh
Kessy/ Ross
Dynamic duo of top-seeded Jennifer Kessy and April Ross were challenged by 32nd-seeded home duo of Victoria Cowley and Alexandra Mingay from Canada. The local pair was excited to be playing in the match but it turned out to be a bitter experience
for them as they dropped the match in humiliating fashion. The wonderful combination of attack and defence by the American top seeds totally flabbergasted their opponents and they waved the white flag in just 29 minutes. Kessy/ Ross settled for match victory
by sending 21-4 and 21-12 on board.
The second match featured another American team competing against Kessy and Ross. The 17th-seeded Brittany Hochevar and Lisa Rutledge stunned Kessy/ Ross in the next match. They played well and stole the show ar 2-0 (21-18, 21-19). However, Kessy/
Ross have an important match in the consolation round on Friday. They are need to win this match, in order to move forward. They are set to take on Georgian Cristine Santanna and Andrezza Marins das Chagas.
Hochevar/ Rutledge
Earlier in the day, Brittany Hochevar and Lisa Rutledge won over the Japanese team of Satoko Urata and Takemi Nishibori. The 17th-seeded Japanese had a good spike and block strategy, which actually enabled them to make a good start in the game.
Urata worked out good serves, while Nishibori offered solid defence to their American competitors. They took away the first set from the U.S. pair with a five-point margin.
The Japanese duo couldn’t keep up the momentum in the second set and Hochevar/ Rutledge came back strong and tried to cover the deficit. They played fast and used their tactics to level the game score at the end of second set. In the tie-breaker third set,
a close fight was staged between the two teams. Eventually the U.S. side got a perfect kill to put an end to the third set and claimed match victory.
Hochevar and Rutledge are now lined-up to meet Brazilian Taiana Lima/ Vivian Cunha in Friday’s match.
Fendrick/ Hanson
Fourth ranked, Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Hanson had similar results to compatriots Kessy and Ross. They captured the first match against the 29th-seeded Jamie Lynn Broder and Ashley Voth of Canada in 31 minutes. The American team posted 21-15,
21-12 and finished the match in two straight sets. In the next fixture, Dutch pairing of Roos Van der Hoeven and Jantine Van der Vlist proved to be too good for the U.S. team. 13th-seeded Dutch players started out well and secured the opening set.
Fendrick/ Hanson made a come-back in the second set and tied the score but their opponents broke the dead-lock in the third set. The Dutch side won the 15-point golden set and edged out the Americans. Fendrick/ Hanson are now settled for the consolation match
against Eva Hamzaoui and Laura Longuet of France on Friday.
Akers/ Branagh
Angie Akers and Nicole Branagh, who were ranked sixth, finished the day without any loss. They defeated the Greek ladies in the first match and continued with success in the next match against the Austrian team.
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