Cuba Wins Norceca Again!

Watch out world! Cuba is back!

Congratulations to Cuba for winning and defending their NORCECA Crown! Cuba and USA will represent NORCECA at the 2011 World Cup to be staged later this year in Japan wherein the Top 3 teams will win berths for the 2012 Olympics in London.

Leon fired 31 points to help his team win an epic 5 set match against Team USA who was lead by outside hitter Matt Anderson (18 pts). None of the matches were streamed online (boooooo!) but luckily USA Volleyball provided important moments of the match.

Read below:

“Cuba led 10-9 in the first set when two Stanley kills and a Cuba error put the U.S. ahead 12-10. Cuba scored to pull back to within one and the U.S. lead was still one at 13-12 when Anderson had a kill and a block to increase the lead to three.  The U.S. lead was two at 19-17 when Stanley had a kill and an ace to increase the lead to four. The U.S. lead was still four at 22-18 when Cuba scored five straight points on a kill, a block and three U.S. errors to lead 23-22. The U.S. Men tied the score on Cuba’s error before committing two straight errors of their own for the victory. Leon had seven points in the set for Cuba. Stanley had six for the United States.

The second set was tied at 12-12 in the second set when an Anderson block and Lotman ace put the U.S. up by two. The U.S. increased the lead to three at 19-16 on a Holt kill and block by Lee before Cuba scored three straight points to tie the score. Cuba took a two-point lead at 23-21, but the United States tied the score on Cuba’s error and a Hansen block. A Cuba kill gave it set point at 24-23, but it committed two straight errors to give the U.S. set point. Cuba used two straight kills to take a second set point at 26-25, but another Cuban error tied the score. Cuba took its third set point at 27-26, but Stanley fought off the loss with a kill. Finally, two straight Cuba kills won the set for the Caribbean team.  The U.S. out-blocked Cuba 3-1 in the set and scored 10 points off Cuban errors, but Cuba led 18-12 in successful attacks.

The third-set score was tied at 11-11 when the U.S. Men scored four straight points on a kill and ace by Lee, a Cuban error and a Millar attack. Cuba came back with three straight points from Henry Bell to pull to within one, but Anderson’s attack gave the U.S. a 16-14 lead at the second technical timeout (TTO). The U.S. reached set point first at 24-20, but Cuba came back with four straight points on two kills, a block and a U.S. error to tie the score. The U.S. took its fifth set point at 25-24 on Cuba’s error, but Leon tied it with a kill. An Anderson strike gave the U.S. its sixth set point and a Cuban error gave it the win.

The teams were tied at 9-9 in the fourth set when Cuba used two straight kills to go up by two. Cuba led 16-13 at the second TTO and still led by three at 17-14 when the U.S. Men tied the score on an Anderson kill and two blocks from Lee. A Leon strike gave Cuba the 18-17 lead, but the U.S. came back with six straight points including two aces from Stanley, a Jablonsky kill and a Lee block to lead 23-18. The U.S. took set point at 24-19 and quickly ended the set with the victory.

The momentum didn’t carry into the fifth set as Cuba took a 2-0 lead on a Leon kill and ace from Fernando Hernandez. The U.S. scored on Cuba’s error before another Leon kill put Cuba ahead 3-1. With Cuba leading 5-3, the U.S. tied the score on Anderson’s kill and a Millar block. However a U.S. error gave Cuba a one-point lead and it went on to score five more points on four kills, three from Leon, and a U.S. error to lead 11-5 and move on to the win.”

Being the most powerful hitter on the Cuban side, the young Leon scored 7 points in the fifth set! On the other hand, Hierrezuelo‘s presence on the team gave Cuba a tremendous lift at the tournament. His sets were missed at the 2011 World League. We’re glad he’s back and that whatever conflict he had with the team has been resolved. We now hope to see Leal and Simon at the World Cup.

On the other hand, we’re still waiting for Team USA to win a major international competition. Since winning the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics, USA has not won anything at all aside from some silver medals at continental tournaments. However, we’re still optimistic Coach Knipe can turn things around at the World Cup. Right coach? Also, Reid Priddy’s absence on the team was missed.

Anyways, below are the full match results:

Group A
Canada def. Mexico, 25-21, 23-25, 27-25, 25-22
Puerto Rico def. St. Lucia, 25-11, 25-17, 25-11
Canada def. St. Lucia, 25-18, 25-14, 25-13
Mexico vs. Puerto Rico, 27-25, 25-19, 25-17
Mexico def. St. Lucia, 25-16, 25-14, 25-22
Canada def. Puerto Rico, 25-17, 25-20, 25-17

Group B
USA def. Trinidad and Tobago, 25-15, 25-7, 25-12
Cuba def. Costa Rica, 25-16, 25-13, 25-15
Cuba def. Trinidad and Tobago, 25-14, 25-15, 25-13
USA def. Costa Rica vs. USA, 25-16, 25-12, 25-9
Trinidad and Tobago def. Costa Rica, 26-24, 25-17, 28-26
USA def. Cuba, 24-26, 25-23, 25-23, 25-17

Quarterfinals
Cuba def. Mexico, 25-10, 25-23, 25-14
Puerto Rico def. Trinidad & Tobago, 25-17, 25-15, 25-19

Classifications 5-8
Sept. 2: Trinidad & Tobago def. St. Lucia, 25-20, 25-21, 25-17
Sept. 2: Mexico def. Costa Rica, 23-25, 22-25, 25-12, 25-15, 15-11

Semifinals
Sept. 2: Cuba def. Canada, 23-25, 25-17, 24-26, 25-17, 15-9
USA def. Puerto Rico, 25-14, 25-16, 26-24

Final Classification 7-8
Costa Rica def. St. Lucia, 25-23, 25-10, 25-18

Final Classification 5-6
Mexico def. Trinidad & Tobago, 25-20, 25-12, 25-21

Bronze Medal: Canada def. Puerto Rico, 25-20, 25-23, 25-14
Gold Medal: Cuba def. USA, 25-23, 29-27, 25-27, 19-25, 15-8

2011 NORCECA Continental Championship Best Players:

Keibel Gutierrez (Cuba): Most Valuable Player, Best Libero, Best Receiver & Best Digger

Wilfredo Leon (Cuba): Best Spiker and Best Scorer

Fernando Hernandez (Cuba): Best Server

David Lee (USA): Best Blocker

Dustin Schneider (Canada): Best Setter.

Orlando Samuels (Cuba): Best Coach & Jim Coleman Awardee

Congratulations to all the winners and to all the teams who competed! Thank you for the exciting matches enjoyed by thousands of volleyball fans in Puerto Rico.

See ya next year!

(images: norceca.org)