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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 16, 2019) – The U.S. Women’s National Team remained undefeated in the FIVB World Cup after defeating Argentina 25-21, 25-18, 18-25, 25-11 on Monday in Hamamatsu, Japan.

Team USA improves to 3-0 in the 12-team round robin World Cup. After an off day, the Americans challenge Netherlands on Wednesday at 1 a.m. ET in Hamamatsu before their first off day of the tournament that has 11 matches in 16 days. The FIVB World Cup matches will be streamed live on FloVolleyball.tv.

The U.S. scored the first three points of the match and jumped its lead to 15-7 on a 5-0 run before holding on for a 25-21 first-set victory. After trailing 6-3 in the second set, Team USA used a 6-1 run to go up 9-7 and the Americans never trailed the rest of the set for a 25-18 victory. Argentina used a 9-1 run to take a 22-15 lead in the third and pushed to a 25-18 victory. The U.S. broke a 4-all tie in the fourth set with a 17-5 run taking a 21-9 lead en route to a 25-11 victory.

Opposite Karsta Lowe (Rancho Santa Fe, California) sparked Team USA with 20 kills on 44 attacks, one block and one ace for 22 points. Outside hitter Michelle Bartsch-Hackley (Champaign, Illinois) charted 13 kills on 34 swings, four blocks and two aces for 19 points. Middle Tori Dixon (Burnsville, Minnesota) contributed seven kills on 12 swings, a match-high five blocks and an ace for 13 points.

Outside hitter Kim Hill (Portland, Oregon) totaled 10 points, all on kills off 25 attacks. Middle Hannah Tapp (Stewartville, Minnesota) provided seven kills on 13 attacks and an ace for eight points. Setter Lauren Carlini (Aurora, Illinois) rounded out the scoring with three blocks and two aces for five points.

Karsta Lowe scored 22 points in leading the U.S. Women’s National Team past Argentina in four sets to remain undefeated…

Posted by USA Volleyball on Monday, September 16, 2019

Hill said the team regrouped from the third-set loss by wiping the slate clean to begin the fourth set.

“We just knew in the fourth set that we were starting 0-0 and we knew that we were stronger than we played before,” Hill said. “We just decided to take it one at a time and push, keep consistent serve pressure and that changed it for us.”

American libero Justine Wong-Orantes (Cypress, California) was unofficially credited with a 56 positive reception percent on 18 chances and 11 digs. Hill was error-free on 28 receptions with a 50 positive reception percent and nine digs. Bartsch-Hackley was 54 percent positive on 24 receptions with seven digs. Carlini had 12 digs from her setter position, and Lowe had six digs as the opposite.

Carlini set Team USA to a 45 kill percent and .338 hitting efficiency (59-15-130). The American defense held Argentina to a 37 kill percent and .200 hitting efficiency (50-23-135).

Team USA held a 13-6 block advantage and 5-2 margin in aces. The American offense managed a 59-50 edge in kills.

The U.S. showcased its team depth as it used a completed different starting six plus libero in today’s match versus the first two matches of the World Cup.

“It was fun today,” Hill said. “I think we showed that USA has a deep bench. We are 14 players strong.”

The U.S. started Bartsch-Hackley and Hill at outside hitter, Dixon and Tapp at middle, Lowe at opposite, Carlini at setter and Wong-Orantes at libero.

Hill said the team is not looking too far in advance, but rather taking the long World Cup in shorter battles.

“We are just taking it one match at a time and be our best,” Hill said. “We have to bring it again in two days (against Netherlands).”

Team USA is the only country to have medaled in each of the last four World Cups. The Americans won silver in 2011 and bronze in 2003, 2007 and 2015. The 2015 World Cup podium finishes replicated the 2016 Olympic Games results – China winning the event with Serbia claiming silver and USA bronze.

The U.S. started the opening set with a 3-0 lead including two Lowe kills. The U.S. broke a string of side-outs as Bartsch-Hackley slammed a kill and Argentina committed an error at 10-6. Bartsch-Hackley hammered consecutive kills, Lowe followed with two kills and Argentina hit long to extend the U.S. lead to 15-7. Argentina stopped the 5-0 run with three consecutive points to close to 15-10. Lowe halted the run with a kill and Carlini blocked down an overpass to raise the Team USA lead to 17-10. Argentina went on a 4-0 run to close the deficit to 18-15, then moved to within two at 19-17. The Americans increased their lead to 21-17 on a Dixon kill and Argentina attack error.

Argentina scored three unanswered points to go up 5-2 in the second set. Hill and Bartsch-Hackley scored kills to close the deficit to 6-5, then the U.S. went in front 9-7 with Tapp scoring a kill and service winner around a Lowe kill and Bartsch-Hackley block. Team USA raised its margin to 12-8 with kills from Dixon and Lowe and Dixon put up a block. Argentina charged back to close to 12-11. Bartsch-Hackley scored a kill and ace around a Hill kill to push the American lead to 15-11, but Argentina came back with straight points to close to 15-13. Hill scored two kills around a Dixon ace to increase the U.S. lead to 18-13. Team USA expanded the lead to 23-16 with a Tapp kill and Dixon block around an Argentina error. Bartsch-Hackley hammered the final point at 25-18.

Argentina scored three consecutive points to stake a 5-3 advantage in the third set. Hill, Lowe and Bartsch-Hackley responded with kills to give the U.S. a 6-5 lead. Team USA went into the technical timeout leading 8-6 after a Carlini block. Argentina leveled the set at 11-all, then went on an 9-1 run to take a 22-15 advantage. Argentina finished the set with a 25-18 victory.

The U.S. broke a 4-all tie in the fourth set with four unanswered points including blocks from Bartsch-Hackley and Carlini around a Lowe ace and Tapp kill for an 8-4 advantage. Hill slammed a kill and Dixon put up a block after an Argentina service error to increase Team USA’s lead to 12-6. The Americans stretched the margin to 15-7 with consecutive Argentina errors and a Lowe kill. Dixon put up a block and was followed by kills from Bartsch-Hackley and Lowe to give the Americans a double-digit lead at 18-8. Team USA extended the lead to 21-9 with Bartsch-Hackley scoring a kill and block around a Hill kill. The U.S. scored the final four points of the set with a Lowe kill, Bartsch-Hackley block, Tapp kill and Argentna error for a 25-11 victory.