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Volleyball - 04. June 2008.

U.S. Women defeat Mexico at Pan American Cup

Photos courtesy of NORCECA



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (updated June 3, 2008) –
The U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team blanked host Mexico 25-18, 25-22, 25-14 Monday evening during the Pan American Cup’s fourth day of pool play at Mexicali, Mexico.

Kristin Richards USA Volleyball

The U.S. (3-1), ranked fourth in the world by FIVB but using a young roster at the Pan American Cup, concludes pool play on Tuesday against Trinidad & Tobago at 4 p.m. Pacific Time. Team USA is currently in second place in Pool A, percentage points behind Dominican Republic which lost to Argentina in four sets. Argentina also is 3-1 and is in third place, percentage points behind the leaders. Argentina faces Costa Rica on the final day of pool play, while Dominican Republic plays host Mexico. With the victory over Mexico, the U.S. has clinched at least a spot in the quarterfinal round and possibly a bye depending on Tuesday’s action.

The tournament field of 12 teams is broken into two pools of six teams. Pool play consists of five matches in five days. The winner of each pool advances directly to the semifinal round on June 6. The second- and third-place finishers in each pool will have crossover quarterfinal matches on June 5 to determine semifinal opponents for the pool winners.

Team USA used a key 6-0 run to widen a 16-14 lead in the first set en route to winning 25-18. Mexico erased nearly all of a 15-7 deficit in the second set as it came to within 19-18, but the U.S. held on for a 25-22 victory. The Americans never trailed in the third set and pulled away from a 4-3 advantage with an 11-2 run in close the match at 25-14.

Team USA started Lindsey Hunter (Papillion, Neb.) at setter, Cynthia Barboza (Long Beach, Calif.) and Kristin Richards (Orem, Utah) at outside hitter, Tracy Stalls (Denver) and Lauren Paolini (Ann Arbor, Mich.) at middle blocker, Heather Hughes (Fallbrook, Calif.) at opposite and Stacy Sykora (Burleson, Texas) at libero. Barboza and Hughes started all three sets, while Alexis Crimes (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) started the second and third sets. Angie McGinnis (Fraser, Mich.) subbed in the first set and started the third set. Alix Klineman (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) came off the bench in the second set and started the third set. Juliann Faucette (San Diego) subbed into the match in the second and third sets, while Katie Olsovsky (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) entered as a reserve in the opening set.

Katie Olsovsky (#13) and Tracy Stalls (#7) put up a block against Mexico on June 2 at the Pan American Cup.

As part of the unofficial statistics, Richards led the U.S. with 12 points via 11 kills on 18 swings and a block. Stalls, Barboza and Klineman all contributed seven points in the victory. Klineman totaled her points with five kills on seven errorless swings to go with two blocks. Despite not playing the opening set, Crimes tallied a match-high four blocks to go with two kills for six points. McGinnis provided a block and ace, while Faucette rounded out the scoring with a kill on two attacks. Barboza handled 22 service reception with a 77 positive reception percent. Sykora was perfect on her seven receptions and held a 71 excellent percent mark.

Martha Revuelta paced Mexico with 13 points on 12 kills and a block. Migdalel Ruiz added seven kills and two blocks for nine points in the loss.

Team USA held an 11-7 advantage in blocks and both teams served three aces in the contest. The U.S. converted 44 percent of its swings into kills and had only 12 hitting miscues (seven blocked, five other errors) for a .286 attack efficiency.

Lindsey Hunter puts up a set attempt against Mexico on June 2 at the Pan American Cup

The Pan American Cup will yield four berths into the 2009 World Grand Prix. The top three teams from NORCECA and the top South American team will advance to next year’s annual FIVB tournament.

Brazil has assured itself a spot in the Pan American Cup semifinals after defeating Peru in straights sets tonight. Brazil is 4-0 in Group B.

The United States is ranked fourth in the FIVB world ranking. However, Team USA is using a young team at the Pan American Cup to evaluate individuals for potential Olympic roster spots in 2008, as well for future teams in the next quadrennial beyond the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Team USA used a 4-0 spurt with the score tied 6-all in the opening set to gain a 10-6 lead. Mexico bounced back to close to within one at 11-10 and eventually tied the set at 13-all. Richards and Hughes collected kills and Barboza capped 3-0 run with a block to lift the U.S. into a 16-13 lead at the second technical timeout. Stalls downed a kills, and following a double-switch to put McGinnis at the service line and Olsovsky on the front row, McGinnis sliced an ace for a point at 18-14. McGinnis maintained the serve until the U.S. led 21-14 as part of a 5-0 run. Team USA grabbed set point at 24-15 on a Stalls kill and two Mexico miscues. However, the host answered with three unanswered points before serving an error at 25-18.

Mexico led 4-3 early in the second set, but the U.S. caught fire as part of a 12-3 run that included four Barboza kills, three points for Richards (two kills and a block), an ace from Hughes and kills off attacks from Stalls and Crimes giving the Americans a 15-7 lead. Mexico inched to within five points at 16-11 with two blocks, then moved to within one point at 19-18. Klineman helped the U.S. regain composure with three quick points as part of a 4-1 spurt that gave the Americans a 24-20 lead. After Mexico saved set point twice, Hughes put down a kill at 25-22.

The U.S. jumped to a 3-0 lead in the third set, but Mexico climbed back in at 4-3. However, the Americans utilized an 11-2 run to take a commanding 15-5 lead as Klineman scored two kills, Crimes, McGinnis and Stalls each put up a block and Hughes canned an ace in the spurt. After a Mexico kills stopped the bleeding, the U.S. erupted for another five unanswered points with a kill and block from Klineman and a block from Crimes to put the score at 20-6. Mexico put together a modest 6-2 run to cut the deficit to 10 points at 22-12, but the U.S. traded points with the host the rest of the way with Faucette earning the final point at 25-14 on a kill.

For the U.S. Women’s National Team Press Kit for the 2008 Pan American Cup, visit http://www.usavolleyball.org/media/national/08PanAmCupPressKit.pdf.

U.S. Women’s National Team Roster for Pan American Cup
# - Name (Position, Height, Hometown, College)
3 – Cynthia Barboza (OH, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Stanford University)
4 – Alix Klineman (OH, 6-4, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Stanford University)
5 – Stacy Sykora (L, 5-10, Burleson, Texas, Texas A&M University)
7 – Tracy Stalls (MB, 6-4, Denver, Colo., University of Nebraska)
9 – Lauren Paolini (MB, 6-4, Ann Arbor, Mich., University of Texas)
10 – Alexis Crimes (MB, 6-3, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Long Beach State University)
12 – Heather Hughes (OPP, 6-2, Fallbrook, Calif., Loyola Marymount University)
13 – Katie Olsovsky (OPP, 6-3, Hermosa Beach, Calif., University of Southern California)
16 – Lindsey Hunter (S, 5-10, Papillion, Neb., University of Missouri)
17 – Angie McGinnis (S, 5-11, Fraser, Mich., University of Florida)
18 – Kristin Richards (OH, 6-1, Orem, Utah, Stanford University)
19 – Juliann Faucette (OH, 6-2, San Diego, Calif., University of Texas)

Head Coach: “Jenny” Lang Ping (not traveling)




Pan American Cup Head Coach: Tom Hogan
Pan American Cup Assistant Coaches: Gen Kawakita, Denise Corlett

Pan American Cup Schedule at Tijuana Mexicali, Mexico

Pool A at Mexicali, Mexico (all times listed as Pacific Time)
5/30: Argentina def. Trinidad & Tobago, 25-13, 25-17, 25-16
5/30: Dominican Republic def. USA, 20-25, 25-18, 25-27, 25-23, 15-8
5/30: Mexico def. Costa Rica, 25-19, 21-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-10
5/31: USA def. Costa Rica, 25-20, 25-10, 27-25
5/31: Dominican Republic def. Trinidad & Tobago, 25-12, 25-17, 25-17
5/31: Argentina def. Mexico, 25-16, 25-18, 25-16
6/1: Dominican Republic def. Costa Rica, 25-15, 25-17, 25-19
6/1: United States def. Argentina, 25-16, 25-18, 30-28
6/1: Mexico def. Trinidad & Tobago, 25-23, 25-14, 20-25, 25-14
6/2: Costa Rica def. Trinidad & Tobago, 25-21, 25-15, 25-21
6/2: Argentina def. Dominican Republic, 15-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-22
6/2: USA def. Mexico, 25-18, 25-22, 25-14
6/3: USA vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 4 p.m.
6/3: Argentina vs. Costa Rica, 6 p.m.
6/3: Dominican Republic vs. Mexico, 8 p.m.

Pool A Standings
Dominican Republic 3-1
USA 3-1
Argentina 3-1
Mexico 2-2
Costa Rica 1-3
Trinidad & Tobago 0-4

Pool B at Tijuana, Mexico (all times listed as Pacific Time)
5/30: Brazil def. Venezuela, 25-11, 25-21, 25-19
5/30: Puerto Rico def. Peru, 25-20, 25-17, 25-21
5/30: Canada def. Cuba, 20-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-12, 17-15
5/31: Peru def. Venezuela, 22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 20-25, 15-11
5/31: Puerto Rico def. Cuba, 20-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-16
5/31: Brazil def. Canada, 25-14, 23-25, 25-13, 25-13
6/1: Canada def. Venezuela, 25-20, 25-21, 25-22
6/1: Brazil def. Puerto Rico, 25-20, 25-14, 25-14
6/1: Peru def. Cuba, 26-24, 25-14, 25-16
6/2: Venezuela def. Cuba, 25-23, 25-20, 25-23
6/2: Canada def. Puerto Rico, 25-16, 25-19, 22-25, 25-20
6/2: Brazil def. Peru, 25-11, 25-20, 25-22
6/3: Puerto Rico vs. Venezuela, 4 p.m.
6/3: Peru vs. Canada, 6 p.m.
6/3: Cuba vs. Brazil, 8 p.m.

Pool B Standings
Brazil 4-0
Canada 3-1
Puerto Rico 2-2
Peru 2-2
Venezuela 1-3
Cuba 0-4

Classification Rounds at Mexicali, Mexico
6/5: Quarterfinals or Classification 5-8 Mexicali, Mexico
6/6: Semifinals or Classification 5-8 Mexicali, Mexico
6/7: Championship or Classification 3-4, 7-8 or 5-6 Mexicali, Mexico

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