PONCE, PUERTO RICO — Cuba and Surinam could not attend this XX Pan American Women’s Volleyball Cup being hosted in Puerto Rico. Both teams will be missed, especially Cuba that could not make it due to State Department immigration impediments and Surinam who could not attend due to flight cancelations in Surinam.
“My great illusion was to see Cuba play in Puerto Rico after so many years. It is sad that we cannot count on Cuba, and neither on Suriname”, declared the president of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (FPV), Dr. César H. Trabanco. “I totally reject that politics continues to affect sports worldwide. It is unfortunate that politics continues to do this to sports, ”he declared. Latino Sports totally supports Dr. Trabanco as we have always promoted the fact that sports, music and the arts should be excluded from politics.
However, the excitement of the remaining 10 teams will make it all the worthwhile for all volleyball fans to come down to the southern town of Ponce, Puerto Rico and raise the temperature as the intensity of these games can do.
Yesterday’s recap between Puerto Rico and Mexico The article first appeared in Puerto Rico’s Primera Hora daily. It was translated and edited for you, our loyal readers.
The Puerto Rico National Volleyball Team suffered yesterday, Tuesday, a painful defeat in four sets against Mexico in the third day of the XX Women’s Volleyball Pan American Cup, a tournament that is taking place at the Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium in Ponce.
Puerto Rico won the first set, but from then on, the match went to Mexico. The scores ended 22-25, 25-21, 25-22, and 25-19.
The Mexicans made themselves feel at home and made all the adjustments to prevent Puerto Rico from having a chance to win.
Puerto Rico closed, 17-16, in the fourth set looking for a fifth set, but Mexico immediately took off again to end the match and silence the stands.
“Mexico played very well. Nothing came out of us. We tried everything. We used almost the entire squad and we had no results. All the credit to Mexico, which prepared very well and things turned out for them. The players from Mexico were well organized. When Mexico took advantage we didn’t follow the game plan. We hadn’t had bad results with our young team. These are phases of the replacement that have to go through, and that help us learn and grow,” Puerto Rican coach Fernando Morales said after the match.
This is the first victory for Mexico (1-1) in the tournament after their loss against Argentina in three sets. Puerto Rico (2-1) suffered its first setback.
The Mexican opposite Karen Paola Rivera was the best scorer of the game with 24 points, 23 in kills and a block; Jocelyn Urias with 16 points, 16 in attacks; and María Fernanda Rodríguez with 15 points, 10 attacks, one block and four direct services.
For Puerto Rico, Alondra Vázquez was the best scorer with 15 points, 13 in attacks, a block and a direct service; Paola Santiago got 15 points, 11 in attacks, three in blocks and an ace; and Dariana Hollinsgworth contributed 13 points; 9 in attacks, three in blocks and an ace.
The Boricuas rest from game action today. They return to the field tomorrow Thursday for a match against the Dominican Republic.
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