Former Gator McGinnis and USA Defeat Aury Cruz and Puerto Rico
Saturday, August 1, 2009 | Volleyball
United States captain and former Gator Angie McGinnis (Fraser, Mich.) earned the starting nod at setter and helped her team reel off a thrilling 3-2 (21-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-14, 15-13) victory against Puerto Rico on Saturday in an FIVB World Grand Prix pool play match at Maracanazihno Gym in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
With the victory, the U.S. Women overcame Friday's sweep by Germany and improved to 1-1 in Pool A. Puerto Rico falls to 0-2. Team USA will play host Brazil at 10 a.m. local time on Sunday.
“It was an amazing match,” McGinnis said. “For a young team like ours, it is pretty important playing matches like these as this is the best way to improve.”
Former Gator All-American Aury Cruz (Levittown, Puerto Rico) led Puerto Rico with 21 points on 17 kills, two blocks and two aces.
The United States' Nicole Fawcett (Zanesfield, Ohio) led all scorers with 27 points on a match-high 24 kills and three blocks. Kristin Richards (Orem, Utah) added 14 points on 12 kills and two blocks. Jordan Larson (Hooper, Neb.) contributed seven points on five kills, one block and one ace.
Puerto Rico out-killed the U.S. Women 58-53, out-blocked them 14-12 and had five aces to the United States' four. But Team USA took full advantage of Puerto Rico's 37 team errors while committing only 23.
In the fifth-set tiebreaker, the U.S. Women trailed 8-6 at the crossover and Puerto Rico increased its lead to 10-7. But Team USA reeled off the next six points, including a kill and a block by Larson and a kill and a block by Fawcett, to take a 13-10 lead. Puerto Rico rallied to make it 13-12, but the United States held it off, scoring the final two points of the match on a Fawcett block and a Richards kill off the block.
Among other U.S. scorers, Courtney Thompson (Kent, Wash.) scored five points on two blocks and a match-high three aces. Foluke Akinradewo (Plantation, Fla.) had four points on two kills and two blocks while Cynthia Barboza (Long Beach, Calif.) scored four points on four kills. Alexis Crimes (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) tallied three points on three kills. McGinnis scored three points on one kill and two blocks. Christa Harmotto (Aliquippa, Pa.) added two points on two kills.
Libero Nicole Davis (Stockton, Calif.) recorded 25 digs and eight faults on 39 attempts. She was also credited with eight excellent receptions and one fault in 26 attempts.
McGinnis, who started at setter, was credited with four running sets and no faults on 30 attempts. Thompson, who started every set after the first, was credited with 18 running sets and three faults on 95 attempts.
The official Web site of the FIVB Grand Prix is http://www.fivb.org/EN/volleyball/competitions/WorldGrandPrix/2009/?Tourn=WGP2009
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