MATCH INFO

Lima, Peru, July 22, 2011 - Dominican Republic won the first match in Lima on the opening day of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Junior World Championship Peru 2011. In Pool D, the 2009 runner-ups of the most recent edition defeated Japan 25-14, 25-20, 20-25, 25-22 in 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Dominican Republic’s Marianne Fersola was the match top scorer with 19 points while Elizabeth Martinez added 18 points. Saori Kaneko led Japan’s scoring with 15 points as four different players reached double-figure scoring.

In the second day, Dominican Republic will play against Russia and Japan will play against China.

In the first set, Dominican Republic opened quickly over Japan. The set started with 8-3 for the victors, with a great job in the attack and pressure in serve. Japan closed to 9-7 with Yamakami’s attack, but Dominican Republic responded with more pressure from the serve. At that point, Dominican Republic started to take more advantage with the great contribution of Fersola (five points in the set) for the final 25-14 at the 22 minutes.

The second set was better because Japan improved their statistics. Dominican Republic reached the first advantage with an 8-6 score, but the Asia squad went close to the 13-12 when the coach Wagner had to ask the first timeout. However, Fersola (seven points in the set) was again the leader and Dominican Republic started to run away to the 15-8 lead with Fersola’s block. The NORCECA team defined the game with the maximum blocking (six points in the set) to 25-20 at the 25 minutes.

Also blocking, Dominican Republic reached the first technical time out in the third set with an 8-6 lead thanks to the blocking game of the setter Reyes. Japan started to show its usual defense and it could hang in the game in the equal score of 13, and played point by point until one error left the Japanese girls in the 16-14 score in the second technical time out. The captain Horikawa led her team in the attack to keep the difference.

In the fourth set, Japan had many chances to score and fought to make the game longer to the time break, but the Dominican Republic trailed only 8-6 at the first technical time out. The growth of the best Dominican attacker, Martinez (18 points), was the key to succeed. But Japan reached the top at the second time for 16-14. In that point, Fersola, Martinez and Peña appeared to define the game with blockers and a lot of pressure from the serve.