7 blocks for Jorge Alayo in Cuba’s upset over USA’s Miles Partain, Andy Benesh
The demise of Andy Benesh and Miles Partain of their first match of the Paris Olympic Video games could be summed up in two phrases: Jorge Alayo.
The 23-year-old Cuban blocker, making his Olympic debut alongside 21-year-old defender Noslen Diaz, completed the 21-18, 21-18 upset with seven blocks — 5 greater than Benesh and three greater than what is taken into account the world-class customary in a two-set match.
“Alayo is a good participant,” Benesh mentioned. “Everybody right here is a good participant. They’re a bodily group and I believed they performed nicely at the moment. He blocked very well.”
Certainly, if not for Alayo’s block coming alive halfway by means of the opening set in a stadium arrange by the Eiffel Tower, USA Volleyball followers may very nicely be celebrating a vastly totally different outcome. Up 16-11 within the first, Benesh and Partain, who have been 2-0 in opposition to Cuba main as much as Paris, had taken management of the match with a 4-1 run that noticed Cuba hit three balls out and Benesh accumulate one in every of his two blocks.
Then got here Alayo.
Again-to-back blocks preceded an ace, a Partain error, a transition swing from Diaz, one other error, and one other transition putaway from Diaz.
In a blink, a once-commanding lead was now flipped right into a 16-19 deficit.
The Individuals would solely lead for a single level in the course of the the rest of the match. After they drew shut within the second, whittling a three-point deficit to only one at 14-15, it was, once more, Alayo who snuffed the momentum. An Alayo side-out led to a block and one other transition kill for Diaz, stretching the lead again to 4. Benesh and Partain wouldn’t draw nearer than two once more.
“Their serving was actually good,” Benesh mentioned. “I feel that was the principle difference-maker. They have been capable of get us out of system and it’s tough to facet out in opposition to this degree of group if you’re out of system.”
Benesh and Partain can have two full days of relaxation earlier than their subsequent match, in opposition to Morocco’s Mohamed Abicha and Zouheir Elgraoui on Tuesday. It’s a pleasant draw, one that nearly assures Benesh and Partain will break pool, which makes the loss to Cuba disappointing, sure, however removed from defeating.
“It’s a mixture of being actually completely satisfied to be right here and dissatisfied concerning the first recreation,” Partain mentioned. “We’ve performed many tournaments with the identical format so we’re going to maneuver onto the subsequent match and we’re wanting ahead to that.”
Sweden’s David Ahman, Jonatan Hellvig ship in opposition to Australia
Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, the heavy favorites to win gold in Paris, regarded the half on Saturday afternoon, delivering a easy, 21-14, 21-19 win over Australia’s Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher. It’s Sweden’s eighteenth straight win and second straight sweep over the Australians of their solely two conferences.
Later Saturday
The Olympics debut of Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss, who play all three of their pool-play matches at 10 p.m. native time.
Xue-X.Y. Xia (China) vs. Mariafe-Clancy (Australia)
George-Andre (Brazil) vs. Abicha-Elgraoui (Morocco)
Nuss-Kloth (USA) vs. Bukovec-Bansley (Canada)
Cottafava/Nicolai (Italy) vs. Cherif-Ahmed (Qatar)
Sunday’s schedule
One other USA group makes its debut, Tokyo Olympian Kelly Cheng and former USC associate Sara Hughes, who’s in her first Video games. They play Barbora Hermannovaand Marie-Sara Stochlova of Czechia at 10 p.m. native time.
Additionally in motion are the defending gold-medalists, Christian Sorum and Anders Mol of Norway, who gained in 2021 in Tokyo:
9 a.m. — Gottardi-Menegatti (Italy) vs. Liliana-Paula (Spain)
10 a.m. — van de Velde-Immers (Netherlands) vs. Ranghieri-Carambula (Italy)
11 a.m. — Carol-Barbara (Brazil) vs. Akikho-Ishii (Japan)
Midday — Muller-Tillmann (Germany) vs. Vieira-Chamerau (France)
3 p.m. — Stam-Schoon (Netherlands) vs. Paulikiene-Raupelyte (Lithuania)
4 p.m. — Ana Patricia-Duda (Brazil) vs. Marwa-Elghobashy (Egypt)
5 p.m. –Perusic-Schweiner (Czech Republic) vs. Schacter-Dearing (Canada)
8 p.m. — Evandro-Arthur (Brazil) vs. Horl-Horst (Austria)
9 p.m. — Mol-Sorum (Norway) vs. M. Grimalt-E. Grimalt (Chile)
10 p.m. — Cheng-Hughes (USA) vs. Hermannova-Stochlova (Czechia)
