Mexico wins pool B and advances to semifinals

LA PAZ, Baja California, June 8, 2022.- Mexico won pool B and advanced into semifinals after sweeping Chile 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-20) at the sixth edition of the Women’s U21 Pan American Cup in La Paz Arena of Baja California Sur.

Host Mexico finished the preliminary round with a 2-0 record and 10 points to move directly into the semifinals. Chile (0-1) will face Honduras (0-1) to decide pool B second place and who will be in the quarterfinals.

The event qualifies the top two NORCECA teams to the 2023 FIVB World Championship.

Mexico’s presence over the net overwhelmed their opponent with a huge 45-24 margin in attacks, they also held a comfortable 6-1 advantage in serves. Both teams scored 6 points on blocks and committed 18 unforced errors.

Three Mexican players scored double-figures led by outside hitter and team captain Aime Topete with 16 points on 13 kills and 3 aces; opposite hitter Katherine Ramirez contributed with 14 points on 11 kills, one block and two aces, and outside hitter Alexandra Goris registered 13 points on 12 kills and one ace. Chile had opposite hitter Petra Schwarzaman as leading scorer with 9 points.

Aime Topete, Captain of Mexico: “Our team effort and our training reflects on our performance, the month of concentration had this objective of finishing first in our group, and we reached it”.

Luis Alberto León, Head Coach of Mexico: “I saw my team much better than yesterday, obviously Chile was more challenging than Honduras; we are getting into rhythm. What might cause a decrease in our level of play is two rest days before semifinals and we will face a team with much more rhythm”.  

Eduardo Guillaume, Head Coach of Chile: “Mexico is more experienced than our team. My team needs more matches like this one after two years and a half without competing. I like my team very much, they all train hard, they are responsible, and they try to learn every day, but the situation overcame them. Tomorrow, we hope to win against Honduras to move forward in the tournament, finishing second in our group gives us one more match, exactly what we need to play more, therefore we came”.