2018 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League
- Gimnasio del Campus de la Universidad Tecnologica Nacional; Santa Fe, Argentina
- June 12-14, 2018
- Time Zone: UCT – 3; ET + 1
- FIVB World Rankings: No. 2 USA, No. 3 Serbia, No. 10 South Korea, No. 11 Argentina
- Preview
- Schedule/Results
| Date | Time | Score | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total | Report | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jun | 17:40 | Serbia  |
3–1 |  United States |
30–28 | 23–25 | 25–20 | 25–18 | 103–91 | ||
| 12 Jun | 20:40 | Argentina  |
3–0 |  South Korea |
25–18 | 26–24 | 25–21 | 76–63 | |||
| 13 Jun | 17:40 | South Korea |
0–3 | United States |
13–25 | 23–25 | 19–25 | 55–75 | |||
| 13 Jun | 20:40 | Argentina |
0–3 | Serbia |
27–29 | 13–25 | 16–25 | 56–79 | |||
| 14 Jun | 17:40 | South Korea |
0–3 | Serbia |
17–25 | 20–25 | 11–25 | 48–75 | |||
| 14 Jun | 20:40 | Argentina |
0–3 | United States |
15–25 | 14–25 | 15–25 | 44–75 |
United States def. Argentina
- United States defeated Argentina 25-15, 25-14
- United States moved to 13-2 (40 points); Argentina moved to 1-13 (3 points)
The United States wrapped up the Volleyball Nations League round-robin action atop the standings table, clinching the top spot with an all-around team effort in a sweep of last place Argentina.
The Americans dominated the host Argentines in every way, nearly doubling their tally in kills (44-23), blocks (13-3) and aces (7-3). The USA was the more error prone with 15 miscues to Argentina’s 11.
Annie Drews (13), Michelle Bartsch-Hackley (13) and Tori Dixon (11) led the way for Team USA, while Kim Hill and Rachael Adams joined the young group of players in the starting lineup, registering 10 points apiece. The only starters not to score in double digits were Carli Lloyd (1), who started the match at setter, before exiting in favor of Micha Hancock, who posted four points in two sets of relief work.
Bartsch-Hackley paced the team with 12 kills and an ace. Drews chalked up a team-best four blocks to go with eight putaways and an ace. Hill also chipped in eight kills, while adding two stuffs. Adams was next with seven putaways and two blocks, while Dixon rounded out the group with six kills, three stuffs and a team-best two aces. Hancock chipped in two aces. Even substitute Kelly Murphy got in on the game, scoring on two kills in a Set 1 appear.
Anahi Tosi was the top scorer for Argentina with seven points on six kills and an ace. Seven other players scored for the Argentine, including Antonela Fortuna (5), Paula Nizetich (4), Julieta Lazcano (4) and Agnes Tosi (4). Agnes Tosi put up a team-best two blocks, while also adding one of the team’s three blocks alongside Anahi Tosi and Elina Rodriguez. Fortuna chipped in five kills, while Lazcano added four.
“We wanted to end this long tournament with a good match and we are ready to push on now,” Bartsch- Hackley said. “We are excited to go home and restart.”
Drews set the tone with the first putaway, an 87-kph swing, and also wrapped up the first set with a stuff of Nizetech. The Americans outdid Argentina 20-9 in kills in the stanza.
The USA rode Bartsch-Hackley’s arm to a 15-9 lead in Set 2 en route to a 25-14 win.
In Set 3, the USA built a 22-11 lead, and had up to 10 match-point tries after an Argentine service error. Dixon put the final nail in the sweep.
With the loss, Argentina becomes the first team to lost 14 matches at a major tournament.
In one bit of celebration for Argentina, Agostina Soria’s sister was proposed to on the court before the match and accepted.
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