XALAPA, Mexico, September 3, 2024.- Peru started off the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup with a 3-1 (25-17, 21-25, 25-16, 25-15) victory over Nicaragua at the Xalapa International Velodrome in Veracruz, Mexico.
In their first match in Pool B, despite dropping a set, Peru outperformed in attacks (50-38), blocks (6-5), and serves (9-4). Peru scored 31 points from opponent errors and gave away 26.
On Wednesday, Peru will play against Suriname, and Nicaragua will face Mexico.
Three players scored in double digits for the South American team; Fabiana Hurtado with 15 points (10 attacks, one block, and a match-high of 4 aces), Xina Cortez with 14 points (all from kills), and Jeissy Chia with 11 points (6 attacks, 3 blocks, 2 aces).
Brittany Forbes led Nicaragua with 15 points (12 attacks, 2 blocks, one ace).
Nicaragua surprised Peru in the second set, jumping to a comfortable four-point lead (11-7) and tying the match at one set apiece, thanks to the offense of Brittany Forbes and María José Rivera. Peru came back with determination in the third set, surpassing Nicaragua 13-9 in attacks, with Xina Cortez leading the way. In the fourth set, Fabiana Hurtado was joined by Katherine Pauro to secure the win.
Fabiana Tavara, captain of Peru: “We lost the second set because we got anxious and stressed when things weren’t going our way. I made some poor decisions, which caused the team to be unsure of what to do. Our defense also became disorganized, and as a result, our reception suffered. We needed time to calm down, we communicated and improved a lot. Starting with a win motivates us and gives us confidence to keep going, especially after bad results in other championships”.
María Marcela Roa, captain of Nicaragua: “We showed that we have potential by winning the second set. The key was that we enjoyed ourselves. I think we got nervous because for some of us, it’s our first time in a Pan American Cup. In the following sets, we felt pressured. We need to improve our communication, teamwork, and go back to enjoying the game”.
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