The Americans counted on 18 points from their star opposite to beat their rivals and secure their third sweep in the VNL 2023
Published 01:53, 11 Jun 2023
The veteran Anderson is finding his best form after dealing with an ankle injury
The United States will enter the final day of the opening week of the Volleyball Nations League 2023 as one of just three undefeated national teams after the Americans overcame NORCECA rivals and hosts Canada on Saturday, in Ottawa.
The Americans endured the pressure of playing in a packed TD Place, with almost every fan supporting the Canadians, and secured their third 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-20) victory in the VNL 2023 to remain with a perfect campaign in Pool 1.
A Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, 36-year-old opposite Matt Anderson was a key player in the American victory. He was a reliable scoring option for the team during the entire match and improved from the seven points he had scored against Italy on Wednesday to 18 against the Canadians, tallying 14 kills, one ace and three blocks.
“Anytime we get to play against Canada, and especially in front of their home crowd, it’s a good experience for us to take moving forward,” Anderson commented. “We’re for sure going to meet them again in other tournaments this season. I’m coming from a pretty bad ankle sprain last week, so it’s been a little hard to get back and get my rhythm going, but it’s just a matter of time before we’re all clicking again. We have a very experienced roster, so it’s just about working hard.”
Fellow Olympic medallist Aaron Russell also had a productive night against the Canadians, trailing only Anderson in points with 17. The 30-year-old outside hitter had 16 kills and one ace during the match.
Russell also played a big role in the American victory
On the Canadian side, opposite Arthur Szwarc was the leading scorer, with 13 points (12 kills, one block). He had one more than outside hitter Stephen Maar, who registered eight kills, one ace and three blocks.
The Americans benefited from their offensive efficiency (46 kills to Canada’s 36) to create the separation they needed to win the match – they also led in aces by five to one. Canada got one more point from opponent errors (19 to 18) while each side registered six blocks.
**Volleyball Nations League 2023: full schedule and results**
In the first match of the day in Ottawa, reigning world champions Italy ended their campaign in the Canadian capital with their second victory, overcoming European rivals Germany 3-1 (25-23, 25-18, 25-27, 25-19). Outside hitter Tommaso Rinaldi and opposite Yuri Romanò were the most effective Italian players in the match with 18 and 17 points respectively, but Germany had the top scorer of the encounter in opposite Linus Weber, who produced 19 points.
The day was also marked by the first victory of rookies Cuba in the VNL. After three straight losses, the Caribbean upset Brazil, beating the South Americans in five sets (25-16, 22-25, 27-29, 25-22, 20-18). Opposite Jesús Herrera starred in the Cuban triumph, contributing 30 points to the result. Cuban outside hitter Marlon Yant added 19, with Brazil counting on 23 points from opposite Abouba Dramé and 20 from outside hitter Ricardo Lucarelli.
Three more matches will conclude Pool 1 play on Sunday. Argentina and the Netherlands will battle in the first encounter, at 11:00 local time (15:00 UTC), the United States and Brazil will meet in the second, at 14:30 local time (18:30 UTC) and Canada and Germany will play each other in the third and last one, at 18:00 local time (22:00 UTC).
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