United States Battles to Secure a 3-1 Win against Cuba

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 20, 2024. - United States (3-0) had to battle after losing the first set to secure a 3-1 (21-25, 25-12, 25-21, 25-10) victory against Cuba (1-2) to close out the third day of Pool B in the XXI Women's Pan American Volleyball Cup.

It was the first set that the United States dropped in three matches.

The Americans managed to overcome Cuba's game with their serving, earning 11 direct points, and strengthening their play on the sides through Kendall Kipp and Verónica Perry, as well as quick plays by the middle with Serena Gray and Tia Jimerson.

Verónica Perry led the United States with 15 points, followed by Serena Gray with 13 and Kendall Kipp with 11. For Cuba, Yalain de la Peña scored 16 points.

United States outperformed Cuba in attacks 53-39, in blocks 7-5, and in serving 11-4, with 20 unforced errors compared to Cuba's 25.

United States (3-0) will face Costa Rica (0-3) on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. local time, while Cuba (1-2) will play against Argentina (3-0) at 8:00 p.m. at the Inforum in Irapuato.

Verónica Perry, captain of United States: “It was a great match. Cuba is a tough team. It was a fun challenge for us to settle back into our good and stay strong as a team. Cuba is a team that obviously is very physical and very emotional, so they really pushed us in a lot of ways, and I think that we responded really well. We just had to press back and play our volleyball. We started the second set really strong and that just kept us going for the rest of the match. We learned a lot tonight and I think that having that pressure from another team is going to be good for us going forward in this tournament”.

Brad Rostratter, Head Coach of United States: “Every match is good for us, we need to keep playing because we’ve only been together for three weeks. Every opportunity to compete against great teams like Cuba is great for us. It was good for us to play some adversity; they forced us to step up, which is what we want to see. We had some difficulties in the first two sets with serves, trying to be a little bit too aggressive and they passed really well (especially #17 from Cuba). Serving on made a big difference”.

Leivis García, Head Coach of Cuba: “From the analysis and preparation at the hotel, we decided to focus on our own team’s objectives, to let the girls feel free on the court, to perform their individual specialties, and to get the most out of their abilities to address the elements of the game. It was interesting because the United States has a great level; the mistakes you make or the balls you hand over, they turn them into points. They have great effectiveness. We are happy with the girls”.