Puerto Rico takes the classification match with 3-1 victory – Volleyball News
Puerto Rico women’s volleyball team exhibited a stellar performance in a classification match of the 2012 XI Women’s Pan American Cup on Thursday, July 19.
Under the command of Head Coach David Aleman, the Puerto Rican ladies crushed Peruvian counterparts in a four-set affair. The match took place at the Gimnasio UACJ in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and ended with the following result, 3-1(24-26, 25-15, 25-18, 25-21).
Success in the crucial match not only enabled Puerto Rico to book a slot in the final showdown of the classification round, but also awarded the team with a ticket to the upcoming edition of the FIVB World Grand Prix.
Peruvian squad showed quality in serves and took a nice start in the match. Puerto Ricans hit back and remained hand-in-hand with the competitors. The score shifted up with small gaps, while the audience enjoyed the game of hit ‘n’ run. Finally, Peru got
a better opportunity to close the first set at 26-24.
Following the loss of opening stanza, Puerto Ricans threw everything in attack and took over the charge of the game. The team captured three sets in a row and sent Peru to 1-3 loss.
Puerto Rico’s victory was mainly credited to top spiker Yarimar Rosa, who tallied 20 points. She was followed by Amanda Vazquez and Jetzabel del Valle with 15 points apiece. Moreover, not to forget the valiant effort by Stephanie Enright who contributed
13 points in Puerto Rico’s score.
On the other hand, Peru was supported by 13 points from Brenda Daniela Uribe, while Clarivet Yllescas and Carla Rueda added 12 points each.
“Peru has a young team but with a good future. We made a lot of mistakes in the first set but tried to adjust them in the next ones. We worked hard and now we are happy for qualifying to the Grand Prix and will be ready to face Argentina,” Jetzabel del Valle
stated.
For coach Edwin Jimenez, “Puerto Rico showed a great effort in the front and backcourt. We had some losses with players like Patricia Soto, who stayed in Lima; Karla Ortiz, who was hospitalized (when competition began) and now Angela Leyva. It is not an
excuse, but I don’t wish any of that to any team”
Peruvian captain Elena Keldibekova praised the excellent volleyball by the Puerto Ricans. She admitted that her team had a low performance that caused the damage.
Next up, Puerto Rico will take on Argentina in the final match of the Classification Round on Friday. Likewise, Peru is scheduled to meet Canada in the next match on Friday. Check back for updates and news about the XI Women’s Pan American Cup.
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