Cuba had to battle hard to beat Puerto Rico

 

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 19, 2007.- Cuba had to battle to defeat Puerto Rico 3-1 and win Pool A of the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifier. The score was 23-25, 25-15, 25-20, 27-25 and the Cubans out blocked the opponents 22-5.

 

Veteran Yumilka Ruiz led five Cuban players in double figures with 18 points. She was joined by Kenia Carcaces (16), Nancy Carrillo (15) and Yanelis Santos and Daimi Ramirez with 12 apiece. Puerto Rican Aury Cruz totalled 24 points while Ania Ruiz and Sarai Alvarez each contributed 11 tallies.

 

“For the last year and a half we have been close to beat the big teams of the area and still don’t learn how to do it,” said Juan Carlos Nunez, the Puerto Rican coach. “Today we lacked another hot hand to accompany Aury Cruz. At the end the Cuban blocking was over Cruz.”

 

“I am pleased with the game we played today compared to the one against Canada but we still need to play better to win the tournament,” said Antonio Perdomo, the Cuban coach. “I think Puerto Rico has improved and they are not far from the big teams.”

 

In a close first set from start to finish, Puerto Rico won 25-23 thanks to the combined attack of Alvarez and Cruz. With the score 24-23, Carrillo attacked and the Puerto Rican’s return landed on the left line of the Cuban’s court.

 

Puerto Rico could not keep the same consistency in the second set dominated by Cuba 25-15 relying on its high blocking.

 

In the third set with the score tied at 9-all, Cuba sparked a 4-0 rally led by two blocks by Carrillo and never looked back winning 25-20 with 7 blocks for the set.

 

Cuba came back from a five-point deficit in the fourth set (11-16) behind the attacks of  Carcaces and Carrillo and won it 27-25 with a consecutive  kills by Ramirez and Carrillo.