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.