Caribbean men from Cuba overcome Russian rivals – Volleyball news
Cuban men’s national volleyball team held off Russia for 3-1 (26-24, 21-25, 25-22, 25-17) victory on Sunday, while playing in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Caribbean team added fifth win to its tally and maintained its dominance in Pool A of the 2012 FIVB World League. On the other hand, Russia ended the second leg of the tournament with a loss and shifted to an overall record of 3-3.
Captain of Cuba’s team Wilfredo Leon topped all the scorers with match-high 25 points, Likewise, the duo of Rolando Cepeda and Yenry Bell did amazingly well for Cuba. They added 19 and 16 points, respectively.
The Russian skipper Maxim Mikhaylov put up a valiant effort for his team and notched up team-high 20 points. However, it proved to be a failing effort for him as Russia dropped the decision.
Opening stanza of the match was a ball of fury, where both teams threw speed bombs across the net. A crowd of 1,700 was in attendance that thoroughly enjoyed the cracking action of volleyball. The energetic play of Cuba and Russia continued for almost 24
minutes in the first set. Eventually, Caribbean side made a difference and secured the opening frame (26-24).
Russia came out firing in the second set and started the hard hitting. Russians took full advantage of their better height and produced unstoppable shots. Cuban men fought bravely but lost set-2 with a deficit of four points, 21-25.
The action continued in the third set, which progressed with incredibly close intervals. After many ups and downs, Cuba settled down for third-set win at 25-22.
With two sets in hand, Cuba was in better position to put pressure on the rivals in fourth set. Russia suffered the loss (17-25) in the final set and dropped the match decision 1-3.
“The boys entered the court with a lot of hunger and desire and never let it down. Today, we dominated in all aspects of the game and while Leon improved during the match, Cepeda was consistent. It was a team victory,” said Cuban Coach Orlando Samuels after
the match.
The winning skipper Wilfredo Leon stated, “We knew it was going to be a tough match but we were prepared for the challenge from the beginning. Our jump serves, even though risky, gave us great results because they couldn’t put their game on.”
Russia will play host to the Pool A in third week, which will create a good opportunity for home team to improve its record. City of Kaliningrad will provide the backdrop for the matches. Let’s wait and see if Russia profits from home advantage in the third-week
matches. Check back for more updates and news.
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