B.J. Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org

Mexico Defeats Trinidad & Tobago for Seventh Place at NORCECA Championship

ANAHEIM, Calif. – A young and undermanned Mexican National Volleyball Team closed out its time at the 2007 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 27-25) victory over Trinidad & Tobago good for seventh place on Friday at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena.

Mexico finishes the tournament with a 2-4 record. Trinidad & Tobago finishes 0-6.

Edgar Herrera led Mexico with 13 points on nine kills, three blocks and one ace. Tomas Aguilera added 12 points on a match-high eight blocks and four kills. Francisco Enriquez scored nine points on nine kills and team captain Mario Becerra scored eight points on eight kills.

“I was very happy to win after such a tough tournament and a difficult final set today,” said Becerra through an interpreter. Mexico only brought 10 players to the tournament due to visa issues, some as young as 15. “I’m especially happy that some of my younger teammates could gain valuable international experience.”

Trinidad & Tobago’s Nolan Tash led all scorers with 15 points 15 kills. Kevin Nimrod added 14 points nine kills, four blocks and one ace. Christian Francois contributed six points on five kills and one ace.

Mexico out-blocked Trinidad & Tobago 12-9 and converted 50 percent of its attack attempts as opposed to 42 percent for Trinidad & Tobago.

“Some of their offensive strategies gave us trouble,” Mexico Head Coach Jorge Azair said through an interpreter of Trinidad & Tobago. “And their overall game strategy was good.”

Mexico led the first set 8-6 at the first technical timeout thanks to three kills from Becerra and two by Aguilera. The Mexicans also led at the second technical timeout, 16-15. The score was tied at 18-18 when Mexico scored two straight points on a Petris kill and Herrera’s block of Tash. Trinidad could not catch up again and Mexico went on to win 25-22.

Mexico took another 8-6 lead at the first technical timeout of the second set. Trinidad & Tobago cut the lead to one at 7-8 on Tash’s kill, but Mexico responded with a 4-0 run to take a 12-7 lead. That was extended to 16-9 at the second technical timeout and Trinidad & Tobago never recovered.

The third set was the most competitive as Trinidad & Tobago led 8-7 at the first technical timeout. It eventually extended the lead to 13-11, but Mexico scored two straight points on kills from Enriquez and Herrera to tie the score. Mexico reached the second technical timeout first at 16-15, and later extended its lead to 19-16. It maintained the lead until it reached set point at 24-22. However a quick kill from Tash and a block by Russell Pena, who had just entered the match, tied the score at 24-24. Trinidad & Tobago took a 25-24 lead on a Tash kill, but Mexico scored the next three points on Jorge Barajas’ kill, a Trinidad & Tobago attack error and a block by Aguilera.
 
The statistics for this match and all NORCECA Men’s Championship matches are available for download at www.usavolleyball.org/National/NORCECA07_stats.asp. 

Tickets for the 2007 NORCECA Men's Continental Championship are available via Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com/search?tm_link=tm_header_search&keyword=NORCECA) or call 714-740-2000. For group sales, go to www.aegtickets.com or call 877-AEG-TICKETS. Tickets are also available at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena box office.
 
USA Volleyball web site for the NORCECA Men's Continental Championship can be found at www.usavolleyball.org/National/NORCECA07.asp. The tournament central page contains all the latest news, results and photos for the tournament.
 

2007 NORCECA Men's Continental Championship Schedule (All times PDT)
 
Final Pool A Standings
United States 3-0
Puerto Rico 2-1
Mexico 1-2
Barbados 0-3
 
Group A: Barbados, Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States
Sept. 16: Puerto Rico def. Barbados 25-16, 15-17, 25-16
Sept. 16: United States def. Mexico 25-11, 25-15, 25-20
Sept. 17: Puerto Rico def. Mexico 25-15, 25-18, 25-20
Sept. 17: United States def. Barbados 25-13, 25-13, 25-4
Sept. 18: Mexico def. Barbados 25-14, 25-18, 18-25, 25-22
Sept. 18: USA def. Puerto Rico 25-19, 27-25, 25-18
 
Final Pool B Standings
Cuba 3-0
Canada 2-1
Dominican Republic 1-2
Trinidad & Tobago 0-3
 
Group B: Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Trinidad & Tobago
Sept. 16: Cuba def. Trinidad & Tobago 25-13, 25-16, 25-19
Sept. 16: Canada def. Dominican Republic 25-21, 25-23, 25-20
Sept. 17: Canada def. Trinidad & Tobago 25-14, 25-14, 25-10
Sept. 17: Cuba def. Dominican Republic 25-13, 25-17, 25-17
Sept. 18: Dominican Republic def. Trinidad & Tobago 25-15, 25-20, 25-16
Sept. 18: Cuba def. Canada 25-22, 22-25, 25-23, 25-18
 
Quarterfinals
Sept. 19 (Match 13): Puerto Rico (2A) def. Dominican Republic (3B) 25-18, 25-19, 25-15
Sept. 19 (Match 14): Canada (2B) def. Mexico (3A) 25-19, 25-17, 25-21
 
Classification Round 5
Sept. 20 (Match 15): Dominican Republic (3B) def. Trinidad & Tobago (4B) 21-25, 25-14, 25-21, 25-19
Sept. 20 (Match 16): Barbados (4A) def. Mexico (3A) 25-23, 22-25, 19-25, 25-18, 17-15
 
Semifinals
Sept. 20 (Match 18): Puerto Rico (2A) def. Cuba (1B) 26-24, 11-25, 22-25, 26-24, 15-11
Sept. 20 (Match 17): USA (1A) def. Canada (2B) 32-30, 19-25, 25-19, 26-24
 
Classification 7/8
Sept. 21 (Match 19): Mexico (3A) def. Trinidad & Tobago (4B) 25-22, 25-16, 27-25
 
Classification 5/6
Sept. 21 (Match 20): Dominican Republic (3B) vs. Barbados (4A), 2:30 p.m.
 
Finals
Sept. 21 (Match 21): Cuba (1B) vs. Canada (2B), 5:30 p.m. (third place)
Sept. 21 (Match 22): USA (1A) vs. Puerto Rico (2A), 8 p.m. (championship)