2017 USA VOLLEYBALL CUP – WOMEN’S
- August 27th, 29th
- Anaheim, California
- Men’s Tournament
- Team USA Roster
- Brazil Roster
- Event Page
ANAHEIM – After falling to Team USA in straight sets two days ago, Brazil responded with a convincing four-set victory, 26-24, 25-18, 19-25, 25-15.
Brazil made an immediate statement in the opening frame, jumping to an 8-4 lead at the first technical timeout. Opposite Aiyana Whitney, making her first-ever start for Team USA, closed the score to 9-7 on her third kill of the match and USA grabbed the lead at 10-9 on a Rachael Adams block, but Brazil went into the second technical timeout up 16-13 on an Ana Beatriz Correa kill. A Jordan Larson ace tied the score at 21, but a back-row kill by Gabriela Guimaraes gave Brazil a 25-24 advantage and they went on to win the deuce set 26-24.
In the second, a setter dump by Brazil’s Roberta Ratzke gave her side the early 5-2 edge, but an ace by Kim Hill narrowed the lead to 9-8 and a block by Foluke Akinradewo knotted the score. Some timely hitting and blocking by Brazil’s Tandara Caixeta, who would lead all Brazilian scorers with 18 points, helped build her team’s lead to 15-9. From there, it was all Brazil and they won the second going away.
The third set saw many new faces on both sides, including Lauren Carlini, Annie Drews and Michelle Bartsch-Hackley for Team USA. The moves paid immediate dividends as the USA side jumped to an 8-2 lead that included back-to-back kills by Bartsch-Hackley. Brazil got as close as five points late in the set before Drews notched her 7th kill to make it 23-17 on the way to a 25-19 win.
Brazil answered right back in the fourth, returning all of their starters and building an early 10-6 lead that was never threatened, winning the set 25-15 and the match 3-1. Annie Drews led all USA scorers with 15 points in just two sets.
Next up for both sides: FIVB Grand Champions Cup.
Team USA starters: Carli Lloyd, Aiyana Whitney, Kim Hill, Jordan Larson, Rachael Adams, Foluke Akinradewo, Megan Courtney
Brazil starters: Tandara Caixeta, Gabi Guimaraes, Natalia Pereira, Ana Carolina de Silva, Ana Beatriz Correa, Roberta Ratzke, Gabriela Souza
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