U.S. Girls' Youth Beat Mexico in 3 at Worlds

Becky Murdy
Assistant, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: becky.murdy@usav.org

FIVB Offical Stats * Photos

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 20, 2011) -The U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team (GYNT) defeated Mexico 26-24, 25-17, 25-20 on Saturday in the 9-12 classification semifinals at theFIVB Volleyball Girls’ Youth World Championship Turkey 2011.

The U.S., ranked second in the FIVB world rankings, will play Slovakiafor ninth-place at 3:30 p.m. local time (5:30 a.m. PT) on Sunday.

The U.S. rallied in the first set after losing a 15-11 lead over Mexico, using a 13-9 kill advantage for a 26-24 final score. Team USA held Mexico to just four kills in the second set and posted a 7-3 run establishing a 17-9 lead en route to a 25-17 victory. In the third set a 10-4 U.S. ran by the U.S. gave the Americans a six-point advantage at 16-10, good for the momentum and permanent lead with a final score of 25-20.

"Mexico is a very good team,” U.S. Girls’ Youth Team Head Coach Jim Stone said. “We have been together for a very short amount of time and our players are inexperienced with the international competitions. We showed that we can be good if we try hard.”

Team USA used a 42-26 kill advantage to stop Mexico in three sets Molly McCage (Allen, Texas), the U.S. captain, posted 13 points off of nine kills on 14 attacks, two blocks and two service aces. Amber Rolfzen (Papillion, Neb.) posted 12 points off of eight kills via 17 attacks, three blocks and one service ace. Paulina Prieto-Cerame (Miami, Fla.) had a dominating second set, aiding in her total nine kills and one service ace on the match. Jordan Burgess (Tampa, Fla.) connected on nine kills while Andie Malloy (Allen, Texas) charted six kills, a block and a service ace for eight points. Lauren Carlini (Aurora, Ill.) denied Mexico on three blocks in addition to a service ace, good for four points. Kadie Rolfzen (Papillion, Neb.) scored one point off of a kill.

Carlini provided the Americans with 45 assists on 78 set attempts and a team-high 12 digs. Libero Allison Palmer (Laguna Beach, Calif.) tallied seven digs and two excellent receptions. Burgess charted 11 excellent receptions on 40 attempts.

The U.S. led in almost every statistical category with the exception of a 15-15 excellent reception total for both teams. The U.S. edged Mexico with a 22.2 reception percent compared to Mexico’s 12.1 percent. The Americans held a 42-26 advantage in kills, converting 38.9 of their attacks for a .222 hitting efficiency in comparison to Mexico’s 25 percent with a .175 hitting efficiency. The U.S. controlled the net with a 9-4 block advantage and led in passing with 50 digs to Mexico’s 45. The U.S. dominated in the setting category with a 45-11 advantage as well as delivering six aces to Mexico’s four.

Stone started Burgess and Prieto-Cerame as the outside hitters, McCage and Amber Rolfzen as middle blockers, Carlini as the setter, Malloy at opposite and Palmer was the libero. Nicole Edelman (Boulder, Colo.) came off the bench to serve in the first set, Chloe Collins (Cypress, Texas) subbed in the first and third sets, while Kadie Rolfzen (Papillion, Neb.) saw playing time in the second and third sets.

In other semifinals matched played on Saturday, Germany defeated Japan 26-24, 25-14, 24-26, 25-21 and Brazil defeated Argentina 21-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-14, 15-10. Germany and Brazil will meet Sunday for fifth place and Japan will battle Argentina for seventh place. In classification for places 13-16 Thailand defeated Algeria 25-17, 25-8, 25-10, while Egypt outplayed Puerto Rico 25-16, 19-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-8.

For more information of the FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championship, click here.

The U.S. spread itself in the beginning of the first set with four kills coming from four different players; Burgess, Amber Rolfzen, Prieto-Cerame and McCage to bring the score to 5-3. The U.S. expanded its lead off of consecutive errors from Mexico at 7-4 followed by a possession change and a kill from Prieto-Cerame giving the U.S. a three-point advantage at 8-5. Mexico brought the game within one at 12-11, but three consecutive points for the U.S. off of a kill and service ace from Malloy and a Mexico error gave the U.S. a four-point lead at 15-11. Mexico delivered a 7-3 run to tie the set at 18-all where both teams alternated set-leads through 20-all. Mexico took its first advantage at 21-20 before posting two unforced errors, giving the U.S. the lead again at 22-21. The sixth lead change of the set went to Mexico, only to be answered by a kill from Burgess to tie the set for the sixth time at 23-all. Mexico answered earning the first set-point of the match, but that was short lived as Amber Rolfzen threw up a block, tying the match at 24-all and giving the U.S. the momentum it needed to close out the set. Malloy and Burgess charted back-to-back kills earning the U.S. the first set win with a score of 26-24.

The second set started neck-and-neck, but Team USA quickly found its rhythm, jumping to a five-point advantage at 10-5 with seven kills off the hands of five U.S. players. Burgess and McCage tallied the first kills of the set to side out followed by connections from Amber Rolfzen and back-to-back kills from Malloy to bring the match to 7-5. Prieto-Cerame posted three big swings for kills to give the U.S. an eight-point advantage at 14-6. U.S. receptions and solid blocks did not allow Mexico’s attacks from Alejandra Isiordia and Samantha Bricio get by, taking the score to 19-12. Three consecutive U.S. points came from Amber Rolfzen spikes at 22-13. Mexico battled with a 4-3 run, but never caught up to Team USA as it took the set 25-17 earned by the attack from Kadie Rolfzen.

The third set mirrored the second with points bouncing back and forth, matching at 5-all, 6-all and 7-all until the U.S. posted four unanswered points off a Burgess ace, followed by a kill from Prieto-Cerame and a block and kill from McCage at 11-7. Prieto-Cerame connected on a pair of sets for kills taking the score to 12-9 before the U.S. went on a 4-1 run capped by a block from Carlini at 16-10. Burgess connected on her seventh and eighth kills at 19-13 with a kill from Malloy taking the U.S. to the 20-point mark with a six-point advantage. Strong blocking for the U.S. kept Mexico under pressure forcing it to become more aggressive in the last few points to try and catch up to the Americans, but the efforts were not enough and the U.S. took the set after a strong serve from McCage that Mexico couldn’t handle. The third-set score ended at 25-20.  

Semifinal Rounds (Aug. 20) (Ankara, Turkey)
Times are in Pacific Time

Aug. 20 Turkey def. Serbia 25-14, 14-25, 25-17, 20-25, 16-14
Aug. 20 China def. Poland 25-21, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20

Classification Place 5-8
Aug. 20 Germany def. Japan 26-24, 25-14, 24-26, 25-21
Aug. 20 Brazil def. Argentina, 21-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-14, 15-10

Classification Places 9-12
Aug. 20 USA def. Mexico 26-24, 25-17, 25-20.
Aug. 20 Slovakia def. Italy 25-23, 26-24, 25-22

Classification Places 13-16
Aug. 20 Thailand def. Algeria 25-17, 25-8, 25-10
Aug. 20 Egypt def. Puerto Rico 25-16, 19-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-8

Tags: 2011 FIVB Girls' Youth World Championships, 2011 U.S. Girls' Youth National Team, Allison Palmer, Amber Rolfzen, Andie Malloy, Chloe Collins, FIVB Volleyball Girls' Youth World Championship Turkey 2011, James Stone, Janae Hall, Jordan Burgess, Kadie Rolfzen, Lauren Carlini, mobile, Molly McCage, Nicole Dalton, Nicole Edelman, Paulina Prieto-Cerame, U.S. Girls' Youth National Team