Puerto Rico, Brazil, Mexico and USA top pools in Vallarta

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico, October 18, 2011 – Teams of Puerto Rico, Brazil, Mexico and United States won their respective pools in the women’s beach volleyball tournament of the XVI Pan American Games finishing the preliminary round with 3-0 records.

Puerto Ricans Yarleen Santiago and Yamileska Yantin, who are playing together for the first time, won a three-set battle over Argentina’s Ana María Gallay and Virginia Zonta 2-1 (21-18, 18-21, 15-11) to finish first in Pool G, while world champions Juliana Silva and Larissa Franca won Pool F after their 2-0 (21-16, 21-13) victory over Cuba’s Niriam Sinal and Osnamayis Sinal.

Mexico’s Bibiana Candelas and Mayra García scored a 2-0 (21-15, 21-10) win over Uruguay’s Lucia Guigou and Fabiana Gomez to top Pool E. Finally, Emily Day and Heather Hughes of United States finished atop of Pool H following their 2-0 (21-19, 21-14) triumph over Colombia’s Andrea and Patricia Galindo.

Tuesday’s Women results:

Pool E: Morales-Alfaro (CRC) d. Hernández-Rodríguez (NCA) 2-0 (21-14, 21-15); García-Candelas (MEX) d. Guigou-Gómez (URU) 2-0 (21-15, 21-10).

Pool F: Silva- Franca (BRA) d. Sinal-Sinal (CUB) 2-0 (21-16, 21-13); Vilela-Chila (ECU) d. Dyette-Phillip (TRI) 2-1 (21-16, 21-23, 15-6).

Pool G: Santiago-Yantin (PUR) d. Gallay-Zonta (ARG) 2-1 (21-18, 18-21, 15-11); Bansley-Maloney (CAN) d. Romero-Ávalos (ESA) 2-0 (21-10, 21-8).

Pool H: Day-Hughes (USA) d. Galindo- Galindo (COL) 2-0 (21-19, 21-14); Orellana-Ramírez (GUA) d. Rivas- Pazlivek (CHI) 2-0 (21-17, 21-8).