Russia, Cuba, USA, China, Peru and Japan seal victories in World Cup opener

Tokyo and Matsumoto, Japan, August 22, 2015 – Russia, Cuba, USA, China, Peru and Japan did not feel the first day jitters as they won their respective matches in the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Cup opener on Saturday.

In Tokyo, Russia attacked on sharp angles, which destabilised the defence of the Dominican Republic and produced a 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-18) win to open the matches in Site A. Nataliya Obmochaeva’s power from the attack line became a constant problem for the Dominican defenders as she unleashed 24 points to drive the Russians into gaining a positive start in the tournament.

Cuba tolerated their poor condition in the match to take a 3-1 (27-25, 25-23, 12-25, 25-22) win over Kenya. The Cubans, who struggled with an up-and-down tempo in their game, were able to endure the strong and spirited performance of Kenya. Mercy Moim of Kenya topscored with 26 points, while Regla Gracia of Cuba came in close second with 25 markers.

Japan did not disappoint the full-packed crowd at Yoyogi National Stadium with a convincing 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-12) win over Argentina to close the day’s matches. Japanese captain Saori Kimura, Miyu Nagaoka and Sarina Koga spearheaded Japan’s victory with an outstanding performance on both offensive and defensive ends.

Meanwhile, in Matsumoto, reigning world champions USA opened the matches in Site B with a 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-15) win over Korea. The USA trio – Karsta Lowe, Kimberly Hill and Foluke Akinradewo – combined for a total of 32 points to outscore the Korean attackers led by Kim Hee-Jin and Kim Yeon-Koung. The United States unleashed powerful swings from the service line, including four points from top scorer Foluke Akinradewo.

China recovered in their first set fumble to overcome Serbia 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 25-15, 25-19). Zhu Ting had a prolific scoring performance for China, while Brankica Mihajlovic charted 21 points on a losing effort.

Peru overpowered Algeria 3-0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-16). Karla Ortiz and Katherinne Olemar led the Peruvian players in scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Melissa Kasri was the lone double-digit scorer for Algeria with 12 points.

In the opening ceremony, FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° graced the entertainment-filled short programme and expressed his excitement for the competition.

“The World Cup promises world-class sports action and serves as a qualification to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games,” FIVB President Graça said. “I am sure that the competition will bring the sport to a whole new level.

“Volleyball is about family and entertainment, and I cannot wait to experience this celebration with you all.”

The FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Cup will be played in various cities such as Tokyo, Matsumoto, Sendai, Okayama, Nagoya and Komaki in three rounds from August 22 to September 6.

26 – Mercy Moim of Kenya v Cuba on August 22

26 – Mercy Moim of Kenya v Cuba on August 22

25 – Regla Gracia of Cuba v Kenya on August 22

24 – Zhu Ting of China v Serbia on August 22

24 – Nataliya Obmochaeva of Russia v Dominican Republic on August 22

5 – Zhang Changning of China v Serbia on August 22

4 – Saori Kimura of Japan v Argentina on August 22

4 – Everlyn Makuto of Kenya v Cuba on August 22

4 - Foluke Akinradewo of USA v Korea on August 22

10 - USA v Korea on August 22

6 – Zhu Ting of China v Serbia on August 22

5 – Nataliya Obmochaeva of Russia v Dominican Republic on August 22

14 – China v Serbia on August 22

27-25 Cuba v Kenya (1st set) on August 22

127 - Cuba d Kenya 3-1 (27-25, 25-23, 12-25, 25-22) on August 22