Nikki Taylor notched a match-high 10 points as a young U.S. women’s national team defeated Trinidad & Tobago, 25-11, 25-13, 25-19, on Sunday to improve to 2-0 in the Pan American Cup being held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Stanford grad Carly Wopat added nine points with six kills on nine swings and a team-best three blocks. Cardinal grad Brittany Howard added a kill and a block.
Taylor, who started just the final set after being the double-sub opposite in the first two sets, scored eight of her points via kills on 11 errorless attacks to go with two blocks.
Setter Micha Hancock, who started the match after being a sub in Saturday’s opening round win over Peru, totaled six points with three aces, two kills and a block. She has 11 aces in the first two Pan American Cup matches.
Kelsie Payne, playing and starting just the final two sets, contributed six points at middle blocker, all on kills from nine attacks. Alex Holston added six points with five kills on seven attacks and a block.
Libero Justine Wong-Orantes was credited with a team-high eight digs to go with five excellent receptions on 11 chances. Courtney totaled a team-best nine excellent receptions on 14 chances and four digs, while Howard had six excellent receptions on seven errorless chances.
The U.S. converted 55.9 percent of their attacks with a .424 hitting efficiency. Hancock was credited with 11 running sets on 34 chances and double-sub setter Lauren Carlini added two running sets on 16 set attempts. The Team USA defense limited Trinidad & Tobago to a 28.1 kill percent and a negative .016 hitting efficiency (18-19-64).
The Americans out-blocked Trinidad & Tobago, 10-6, and held a slim 5-3 margin in aces. The U.S. managed a 33-18 advantage in kills and a 16-10 edge in digs.
With the FIVB World Grand Prix running concurrently with the Pan Am Cup, Team USA is using a roster of rising athletes.
Team USA continues action on Monday against Cuba. The U.S. has won the Pan American Cup three of the past four years and four total times since the inaugural event in 2002.
Girls junior national championship
Palo Alto junior Chelsea Fan competed with the Red Rock volleyball club in the 16 Open Division in the recently-concluded championships.
Red Rock finished 31st in the division, winning three of nine matches, and went 2-3 in three-set matches.
By Palo Alto Online Sports/USA volleyball
By Palo Alto Online Sports/USA volleyball
By Palo Alto Online Sports/USA volleyball