USA is one step closer to Beijing

 

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico, January 10, 2008.- USA moved one step closer to Beijing while advancing to the gold medal match in the NORCECA Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament with a victory over Cuba in straight sets by score of 25-22, 27-25, 25-18.

 

The Americans will play against the winner of the match Canada-Puerto Rico later today.

 

Clayton Stanley and Riley Salmon each had 11 points and Sean Rooney and Ryan Millar contributed 9 and 8 respectively. Raydel Corrales and Roberlandy Simon had 12 and 10 respectively for Cuba and Rolando Jurquin added 9.

 

“This was not the best of our matches and hopefully we have reserved our best for the last day,” said Captain Thomas Hoff. “Today we served good and controlled the ball better.”

 

“We played well for the first two sets but could not make the plays at the end which USA did,” said Roberlandy Simon, the Captain of Cuba. “In the third set, the Americans served, blocked and defended better than us.”

 

The powerful serves of Clayton Stanley proved to be the difference in the first set combined with several mistakes of Cuba’s services.

 

Cuba missed two opportunities of taking the second set when Corrales and Dominico failed while serving. The Americans won in their first chance when Hoff’s block was followed by Rooney’s killing.

 

Stanley converted the last two points of USA in the third set with his third ace and closed with a laser shot from the right side.