Puerto Rico qualifies for the semis of NORECEA Continental Championship – Volleyball News
Puerto Rico Boys U 19 team defeated Nicaragua in the quarterfinal match of NORCECA Continental Championship on Thursday and booked a slot in the semis.
The boys around Head Coach Carlos Rodriguez exhibited a wonderful performance and claimed 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-14) win over rivals. Centro de Alto Rendimiento sports hall in Tijuana, Mexico hosted the match in the presence of 200 spectators. It was the
second win for Puerto Rico in the campaign. Therefore, Puerto Rico paved its way to the semi-final match slated for Friday.
The duo of Juan Ruiz Goyco and Jose Pagan played a vital role in Puerto Rico’s victory. They added 17 and 10 points, respectively. For Nicaragua, Yuriel Duarte put up effort and contributed team-high 5 points.
Opening frame of the match lasted for 20 minutes. Puerto Rico had a good start in the match and kept the opponents in chase. Goyco of Puerto Rico gathered all the attention of spectators due to his skillful game. He made good use of his hands and did not
miss a single chance to contribute points to Puerto Rico’s score. Nicaragua played defensively, but seemed helpless in front of the Puerto Rican attackers. The first set ended with a difference of 10 points as Nicaragua claimed only 15 points.
Following the loss of opening set, Nicaragua put up a good effort to cover the deficit. Team Coach Hernández regrouped the players and gave them a whole of instructions. Puerto Ricans faced a bit of trouble, but managed to maintain their dominance in the
match. The consistency in attack enabled Puerto Rico to take away second set with four points, while Nicaragua shifted to 0-2 in the match.
Third set also came successful for Puerto Rico as the opponents could not advance from 14 points. Puerto Rico achieved match point as the game entered the 69th minute. Hence, the match result was out in straight sets.
Carlos Rodriguez seemed satisfied with his team’s performance. He said: “We increased our level from minus to more. We also held a practice working tactically with our block and service.”
Nicaragua’s coach Osman Hernández disclosed his thoughts in the following manner. He stated: “We expected more effort from the boys, they didn’t play like they did it in Honduras, because here there were people who watch them there.”
Next up, Puerto Rico will take on Mexico in the second semi-final match on Friday. On the other hand, Nicaragua will face French Saint Martin in the classification round.
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