Puerto Rico downs Peru to claim bronze medal

CAÑETE, Peru, June 25. 2017 – Puerto Rico claimed the bronze medal of the XVI Women’s Volleyball Pan American Cup with a 3-1 (25-22, 13-25, 27-25, 25-15) victory over hosts Peru at Lolo Fernández Coliseum in Cañete on Sunday.

Daly Santana once again led Puerto Rico with 23 points but she received assistance from three other players who also scored in double digits. Shirley Ferrer and Ana Jusino each registered 14 points and Pilar Marie Victoria chipped in with 10 points in the victory.

Prolific scorer Angela Leyva ha a match-high 24 points for Peru while veteran Jessenia Uceda added 12 in the losing effort.

It is the third bronze medal for Puerto Rico in the history of the Pan American Cup. They won a silver medal last year in Santo Domingo and finished third in 2009 and 2014. Peru’s only medal was a silver in 2010.

Daly Santana (top scorer of Puerto Rico): “It was a very tough match. Peru is a team with a lot of power who plays very well. For us the competition was very important because we are very young players and helped us to adjust better. To win the bronze medal is an important result that motivates us to continue working and improving.”

Mirtha Uribe (Captain of Peru): “I feel very sad because the team went down and we couldn’t approach the game the correct way. Our coach insisted in keeping the concentration, but the last of focus and so many ups and downs didn’t allow us to play the way we should. Puerto Rico started to attack from every angle and to play a lot against our blocking which gave them calm to score in their favor.”

Javier Gaspar, coach of Puerto Rico: “I think that today we committed many errors. In the second set Peru took us out of the court and in the third, despite winning it, we made too many mistakes. That’s something we need to fix out. In the fourth set our confidence was bigger and Peru had their energy down so we took advantage of that. Now we go back home to prepare for the Grand Prix, and the first weekend we will play here with a new team including outside hitters Karina Ocasio and Stephanie Enright, but we are not in a position to say it will be an easy game.”

Luizomar de Moura, Coach of Peru: “This week has been important since we disputed the pass to the semifinals of the Pan American Cup and had a chance to win the bronze medal, something we could not do it. Even though the team made an effort, we let many opportunities to escape that prevented us from achieving it. In this growing process we need to mature in order to face the ups and downs we have had during the match.”