USA is one step closer to Beijing
CAGUAS, Puerto Rico, January 10, 2008.- USA moved one step closer
to Beijing while advancing to the gold medal match in the NORCECA
Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament with a victory over Cuba in
straight sets by score of 25-22, 27-25, 25-18.
The Americans will play against the winner of the match
Canada-Puerto Rico later today.
Clayton Stanley and Riley Salmon each had 11 points and Sean
Rooney and Ryan Millar contributed 9 and 8 respectively. Raydel
Corrales and Roberlandy Simon had 12 and 10 respectively for Cuba
and Rolando Jurquin added 9.
“This was not the best of our matches and hopefully we have
reserved our best for the last day,” said Captain Thomas Hoff.
“Today we served good and controlled the ball better.”
“We played well for the first two sets but could not make the
plays at the end which USA did,” said Roberlandy Simon, the
Captain of Cuba. “In the third set, the Americans served, blocked
and defended better than us.”
The powerful serves of Clayton Stanley proved to be the difference
in the first set combined with several mistakes of Cuba’s
services.
Cuba missed two opportunities of taking the second set when
Corrales and Dominico failed while serving. The Americans won in
their first chance when Hoff’s block was followed by Rooney’s
killing.
Stanley converted the last two points of USA in the third set with
his third ace and closed with a laser shot from the right side.
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