Verona, Italy, September 24, 2014 – USA beat Kazakhstan in straight sets (25-20, 25-15, 25-22) in their second match at the FIVB Women’s World Championship at PalaOlimpia on Wednesday.
Key points:
•It is the third time USA beat Kazakhstan, adding to a 3-2 victory in 2006 and a 3-0 victory in 2010
•Kazakhstan have now lost all their five World Championship matches against NORECA teams. Apart from the USA, they also lost to Puerto Rico in 2006 and Cuba in 2010.
USA’s Kelly Murphy, whose boyfriend and Olympic champion Christian Taylor followed the match in the crowd, was the top scorer with 13 points. Inna Matveyeva was the best contributor on the Kazakhstan’s side with 11 points.
The first set started with a long rally, closed in the end by USA team. The Americans arrived at the first technical time out leading 5-8 and they maintained the advantage on the Kazakhstan squad for the following plays.
USA reached first even the second technical time out at 13-16. Kazakhstan tried to close the gap but in vain because USA team managed keep the advantage conquered in the initial part of the set. Kazakhstan's coach, Oleksandr Gutor, called a time out at 17-23, choice repaid by two blocks points. The set was anyway won by the Americans 20-25.
The second set began in similar fashion to the first, with USA scoring early before a mini Kazakhstan revival that saw the Asian side trail 8-6 at the first technical time-out. Coach Gutor called his first time out when they were 12-6 behind, but it did little for his side as they were 16-8 behind soon after. As with yesterday's match, Kazakhstan were easier to break down and USA took it 25-15. USA's middle blocker, Rachael Adams, ended with a 100% attack rate.
The third set started more balanced, with a focused Kazakhstan in advantage for the first time in the match at 8-7, but they were immediately reached and passed by the opponents. Kazakhstan lacked in certainty and concentration and Alisha Glass, USA's setter, could serve all her spikers without problems.
Tatyana Mudritskaya, Kazakhstan's opposite, seemed to be the only one able to cause problems to the USA, keeping her squad close to the opponents and tieing the score at 20-20. USA scored two aces with Glass and Jordan Larson-Burbach and Sana Anarkulova served in the net to give USA the set 22-25.
USA, who beat Mexico in four sets on Tuesday, will try to keep up their winning performance when facing the Netherlands, while Kazakhstan, who have now lost two matches in Pool C, will next take on Russia on Thursday.