Argentina defeats Chile 3-0 in South American clash

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 19, 2024.- Argentina came from behind in the first set to defeat Chile 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-08) in Pool B of the XXI Women's Pan American Volleyball Cup.

Chile dominated the start of the first set with a lead of up to 4 points, but Argentina fought back as the set was coming to an end at 18-20, tying at 23 and winning the set with an effective block by Candelaria Herrera, in addition to a service error by their opponents.

In the second and third sets, Argentina didn’t allow Chile to find their rhythm. With strong serving and solid blocking, Argentina limited their opponents' actions, finishing with a 42-24 advantage in attacks, 10-1 in blocks, and 3-2 in aces. Argentina capitalized on 20  opponent errors, committing 17 on their side.

Elina Rodríguez and Candelaria Herrera each scored 11 points, while Bianca Cugno added 10 points in Argentina 's victory. Beatriz Novoa contributed 9 points for Chile.

Argentina will play against Puerto Rico on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. local time, while Chile will face Costa Rica at 2:00 p.m.

Candelaria Herrera, standout player for Argentina: “Chile played very well; they knew how to pressure us at the beginning, but we reacted in time. They know how to play; they have a game with many variations, but we managed to work well with our blocking/defense, and that’s how we secured the victory. The best part of today was the team’s reaction. We were down by a lot, they had a good lead, and we knew how to turn it around. Now we’re going all out; every game is a final because that gives us more ranking points”.

Facundo Morando, Coach of Argentina: “We started very uncomfortably, making too many errors, but the important thing to highlight is the team's character; they held on and when it needed to break through at the end, it did. We relied heavily on serving/blocking, which is what we aim for, and I think we made the breakthrough. We played very well in the last two sets. In a long tournament like this, winning quickly and giving the players rest is very positive”.