The United States women’s volleyball team came out on top in their preliminary match against Puerto Rico at the 2016 Rio Olympics on Saturday. It was a closely-contested match and Puerto Rico didn’t exactly roll over and let the US dominate, but the match still ended in straight sets in favor of the US, 25-17, 25-22, 25-17.
USA vs. Puerto Rico, women’s volleyball results: United States earns straight-set win in preliminary match
The United States women’s volleyball team got their bid for gold started off on the right foot on Saturday, besting Puerto Rico in a preliminary match.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
In the second set, Puerto Rico put up their best showing with a 22 on the scoreboard, and pushed the set for 28 minutes, with the first set clocking in at 21 minutes and the third at 24 minutes. The US didn’t play a particularly consistent match and let Puerto Rico stay in it longer than they probably should have.
At this stage, the US has a long way to go before it can earn a medal, but Saturday’s victory was a great first start. They will next play on Monday afternoon against a Netherlands team that just scored a thrilling upset over China in their preliminary matchup on Saturday.
China was considered one of the top contenders for a gold medal in indoor volleyball, but the Netherlands team, ranked 11th in the world, pushed the match to five sets before winning that final set after a crucial challenge went in their favor at 13-12.
The United States men’s team will play its first game against Canada on Sunday.
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