XALAPA, Mexico, September 3, 2024.- Dominican Republic defeated Costa Rica 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-17) in the opening match of the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup at the Xalapa International Velodrome in Veracruz.
Dominican Republic finished with a huge lead in attack points, 45 to 22, holding a slight edge in blocks, 6 to 5, and in serves, 2 to 1. The Caribbean team conceded one more point on errors (23-22).
Dominican opposite hitter Alondra Tapia led all scorers with 17 points. Middle blocker Geraldine Gonzalez contributed 10 points to the Dominican victory.
Costa Rican opposite and team captain Ana Victoria Rojas scored 11 points, the only player on her team to reach double digits.
In the first set, the teams were tied at twelve points, but from then on, Ailyn Liberato and Alondra Tapia pushed the Dominican Republic to take the first set. The Dominican Republic dominated the second set, gaining a sizeable lead (14-6), with Florangel Terrero joining their offense, and then closing their first win in straight sets.
Aiylin Liberato, captain of the Dominican Republic: “We are a team with the motto: improvement; we are seeking to reach a good level of play, to prepare together as a team, and to reach the maximum of our potential. We trust our coaches and follow their instructions, which gives us all the confidence to achieve a good result. We adapted during the game; it was the first time we played together as a team. We have three Caribbean Queens, two Olympians, and there was a lot of disposition to come together and come out with the win.”
Ana Victoria Rojas, captain of Costa Rica: “We came in with the mindset to enjoy the game and for each of us to fulfill our role on the court. As the match progressed, the Dominican Republic got more comfortable, and we lost focus. There were moments during the sets when we regained our defensive and attacking mindset as we did in the first set. The experience of the Dominican Republic weighed heavily.”
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