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CALGARY, May 18, 2015 - Canada beat Cuba 3-0 (26-24, 25-19,
25-21) in front of 3500 of their hometown fans for the second
successive night to open its 2015 World League campaign on a
positive note.
On Saturday night, Canada won 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 26-24).
Gavin Schmitt again led scoring, this time with 19 points, while
Cuba's captain Rolando Cepeda Abreu was the top scorer for the
visitors with 14.
“There were some good things today; TJ (Sander) did a better job
– we started a bit slow and tentative in our setting at the
beginning,” said Canada’s coach Glenn Hoag. “But then we got
more relaxed, and our serving was also better today. …. We were
patient and played some good block defense.”
Said Canada’s Gordon Perrin: “It feels good - usually when we
get back (from our pro seasons), the first games are sometimes
played on the fly. It’s good to get two 3-0 wins, because that’s
not what usually happens in the first leg of World League –
usually you split because both teams are a little rusty, but we
escaped with two big wins and it’s starting to come together.
“We play them next week in Detroit and the stakes are even
higher because it’s for a berth at World Cup, which is the first
Olympic qualification,” said Perrin, who contributed 12 points
tonight.
The Cubans weren't as pleased with their effort: “Our team is
young and we don’t have that competitive fire yet to play and
win. As we go along, we’re going to get more experience,” said
Cuba’s captain Rolando Cepeda Abreu.
The teams will face each other again May 21 to 23 in Detroit in
the hopes of qualifying for the World Cup. Canada will continue
with home World League stops in Halifax and Summerside, PEI. |
