Italy hands USA women first Volley Masters loss
by Paul Soriano USA Volleyball Manager, Media Relations & Publications
Simona Rinieri scored a match-high 23 points and Francesca Piccinini added 18 as Italy handed the USA women's national volleyball team a 3-1 loss at the Volley Masters Thursday night in Montreux, Switzerland.
Rinieri had 19 kills, three blocks and one service ace and Piccinini posted 16 kills and two blocks in the 22-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-23 victory as Italy improved to 2-0 in Pool B and clinched first place in its pool.
Nancy Metcalf scored a team-high 17 points and Keba Phipps added 15 as Team USA, which has a rest day on Friday, finished pool play with a 2-1 mark.
Despite the loss, the Americans can still advance to Saturday's semifinals depending on the result of Friday's final Pool B match between Japan and Italy. It Italy wins, Team USA will earn the No. 2 spot in the standings and play the No. 1 team from Pool A.
If Japan wins, it will have to win by a 3-0 score to tie the United States in set ratio (7 sets won, 5 sets lost, 1.4) and then hope that its game scores can give it the advantage in point ratio (Team USA currently holds the edge, 1.052-0.922).
Metcalf (Hull, Iowa) had 15 kills, one block and one ace against Italy, while Phipps (Las Vegas, Nev.) had 14 kills and one block.
Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.) scored nine points on five kills and a match-high-tying four blocks and Wiz Bachman (Lakeville, Minn.) tallied eight points on six kills and one block as Team USA dropped to 4-4 overall on the season.
Danielle Scott (Baton Rouge, La.) added seven points while Tara Cross-Battle (Houston, Texas) and Cynthia Barboza (Long Beach, Calif.) each scored four points.
In other action, China remained undefeated with a Pool-A sweep of Cuba, while Japan survived a five-set match over Poland.
Montreux Volley Masters Standings
Pool A China (2-0) Russia (1-1) Cuba (1-1) Germany (0-2)
Pool B USA (2-1) Italy (2-0) Japan (1-1) Poland (0-3)
For more information, go to the USA Volleyball web site.
Simona Rinieri scored a match-high 23 points and Francesca Piccinini added 18 as Italy handed the USA women's national volleyball team a 3-1 loss at the Volley Masters Thursday night in Montreux, Switzerland.
Rinieri had 19 kills, three blocks and one service ace and Piccinini posted 16 kills and two blocks in the 22-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-23 victory as Italy improved to 2-0 in Pool B and clinched first place in its pool.
Nancy Metcalf scored a team-high 17 points and Keba Phipps added 15 as Team USA, which has a rest day on Friday, finished pool play with a 2-1 mark.
Despite the loss, the Americans can still advance to Saturday's semifinals depending on the result of Friday's final Pool B match between Japan and Italy. It Italy wins, Team USA will earn the No. 2 spot in the standings and play the No. 1 team from Pool A.
If Japan wins, it will have to win by a 3-0 score to tie the United States in set ratio (7 sets won, 5 sets lost, 1.4) and then hope that its game scores can give it the advantage in point ratio (Team USA currently holds the edge, 1.052-0.922).
Metcalf (Hull, Iowa) had 15 kills, one block and one ace against Italy, while Phipps (Las Vegas, Nev.) had 14 kills and one block.
Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.) scored nine points on five kills and a match-high-tying four blocks and Wiz Bachman (Lakeville, Minn.) tallied eight points on six kills and one block as Team USA dropped to 4-4 overall on the season.
Danielle Scott (Baton Rouge, La.) added seven points while Tara Cross-Battle (Houston, Texas) and Cynthia Barboza (Long Beach, Calif.) each scored four points.
In other action, China remained undefeated with a Pool-A sweep of Cuba, while Japan survived a five-set match over Poland.
Montreux Volley Masters Standings
Pool A China (2-0) Russia (1-1) Cuba (1-1) Germany (0-2)
Pool B USA (2-1) Italy (2-0) Japan (1-1) Poland (0-3)
For more information, go to the USA Volleyball web site.
Use the feedback form below to submit your comments.
Use the form below to email this article to your friends.
- USA Volleyball announces 75th Anniversary Beach All-Era Teams (Part 2)
- USA Volleyball announces Women's (1978-2002) 75th Anniversary All-Era Team
- USA Volleyball announces 75th Anniversary All-Era Coaches
- U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team named best in women's sports for 2001
- Minello/Pires take women's Goodwill Games gold, Fontana/Youngs bronze
- USA women's sitting volleyball team win Paralympic bronze medal!
- USA women's sitting volleyball team reaches Paralympic medal round
- USA women's sitting volleyball team wins another five-set thriller
- USA women's sitting volleyball team loses to China
- USA women's sitting volleyball team wins first Paralympic match
- Two-time Olympian and Hall of Famer Patti Lucas-Bright passes away
- USA teams post Fifth & Ninth at FIVB U-18 World Championships
- USA teams 3-0 at FIVB under-18 world championships
- All USA final at FIVB beach volleyball tournament in France
- Brazilians face American trio in FIVB women's semi-finals
- It's Europe vs. the Americas in women's FIVB French tournament
- Dumont & Martin earn Canada's f irst women's "Final Four" spot
- Three USA women's beach volleyball teams unbeaten in Norway
- USA Women's "Lucky" Numbers - 1, 2, 3 & 15
- Testing Times