Puerto Rico survived in five sets against Mexico

 

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico, January 9, 2008.- Host team Puerto Rico survived an intense battle of five sets against Mexico and advanced to a semi final match with Canada in the NORCECA Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament. The score was 25-23, 30-28, 22-25, 19-25, 15-11.

 

Hector Soto led Puerto Rico with 24 points and Jose Rivera added 19. Enrique Escalante contributed 11 and Luis Rodriguez came off the bench to score 4 points in the tie-breaker. Ivan Contreras and Irving Bricio scored 27 and 20 respectively and Juan Garcia and Tomas Aguilera added 12 and 10.

 

Mexico dominated mostly in the first set but the host team tied-up and then went ahead (22-21), on consecutive service winners by Jose Rivera. Soto took care of things the rest of the way.

 

Jose Rivera led a come-from-behind offence in the second set. Mexico was ahead 8-6 and 16-10 at the stops. Rivera scored on seven kills after the second technical time-out.

 

Mexico was leading 8-7 and 16-15 in the close third set. At the end it was the young connection of Bricio and Meyer who provided the key points.

 

Mexico won the fourth set on the shoulders of Meyer. The Mexicans led 8-5 and 16-14 during the time-outs.

 

Luis Rodriguez blocked and attacked early in the tie-breaker and Soto sealed the triumph with a cannon shot.