Opening-day win for Grace Mar Lopez and Puerto Rico after sweeping past Kenya.
Semis-bound.
Puerto Rico put away a pesky Kenya in the third set, sealing a 25-20, 25-19, 27-25 win to open the festivities in the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup on Thursday, July 4.
The opening-day win meant the world no. the 15 squad is the first to the semifinal round and awaits the winner of the Belgium-Sweden clash set for tomorrow.
Grace Mar Lopez and Diana Reyes combined for 29 points to pace Puerto Rico, who took advantage of Kenya's 23 total unforced errors for a straight-set win.
Pamella Owino on the other hand, led the Kenyans with 22 points, including 21 attacks and one block while Veronica Adhiambo added nine markers.
Kenya took their first lead of the match in the third set at 8-7 after Pamella scored on a backrow attack and went on to hold a 12-8 advantage.
But Puerto Rico clawed back tied things up at 16-16 as the match went the distance before Stephanie Rivera scored the last three points en route to a decisve win.
Earlier, the Puerto Ricans managed to put up enough of a decent showing in the second set for a commanding 2-0 set lead as Lopez and main setter Wilmarie Rivera combined for eight points alone in that set.
After a tight start in the opening set, Puerto Rico uncorked a 7-0 run to break a 6-6 deadlock and held an early 13-6 lead after capitalizing on early Kenya's unforced errors.
Pamella and the Kenyans responded with a 5-0 counter, trimming the Puerto Ricans lead to three at 20-17, but the 2023 Pan American silver medalists secured the opening set off a Reyes off-the-block hit.