Trinidad and Tobago overcome resilient Mexico

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico, July 12, 2012 – Trinidad & Tobago won a hard fought match against hosts Mexico to close the actions of Day One in the XI Women’s Volleyball Pan American Cup on Thursday night. The score was 27-25, 25-20, 17-25, 25-19.

The Trinidadians held a 15-7 advantage in blocks and also had a 5-3 margin in the aces category.

Kelly-Ann Billingy and Krystele Esdelle and topped the winners with 17 and 16 points respectively while Channon Thompson and Sinead Jack each added 10. Mexico’s Alejandra Isiordia had a match-high 27 points and Olivia Meza charted 16.

“My team came together tonight ready to battle,” Trinidadian Krystle Esdelle said. “Mexico are a team that always come to play hard but today we executed as planned.”

“It is a long competition and it is only the first match,” Mexico’s Karla Sainz said. “We hope to play better in our next matches.”

“Mexico defends very well and we make many errors but today we played more consistent and the players kept the focus with the exception of the third set,”, Trinidad and Tobago’s coach Francisco Cruz said.

“Trinidad & Tobago showed their power and the high blocking,” Mexico’s coach Etanislao Vachino said. “They are one of the tallest team and we couldn’t place our serves the way we wanted.”