The U.S. women's national volleyball team dropped a 25-18, 25-22, 25-20 match to the Dominican Republic Friday evening in the Pan American Cup third-place match. The Americans finished fourth at the Pan American Cup for the second year in a row.

Nancy Metcalf (Hull, Iowa) led the Americans with 12 points, while Katie Wilkins (Lakeside, Calif.) added nine points. Jennifer Joines (Milpitas, Calif.) charted eight points in the loss. Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Tayyiba Haneef (Laguna Hills, Calif.) tacked on seven points each in the match. The U.S. squad was victimized by 13 service errors in the defeat.

The U.S. lost to Brazil 21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-10 last night in the semifinals to fall into the third-place match. Dominican Republic lost its semifinal match to Cuba by the scores of 25-23, 25-22, 14-25, 25-13.

The U.S. and Dominican Republic met in last year's Pan American Cup semifinal match on June 17 at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Dominicans won that meeting 25-17, 20-25, 25-18, 25-23 in front of 7,000 fans in its home country.

The U.S. is currently ranked fifth in the FIVB world rankings released on Oct. 1, 2005, while Dominican Republic is ranked 11th.

The U.S. and Dominican Republic split a pair of matches during the 2005 season. The Americans won its match on July 2 in five sets (23-25, 23-25, 25-14, 25-16, 15-6) during the World Grand Prix. The Dominicans earned its victory at the Pan American Cup on June 17.

The U.S., Brazil, Cuba and the Dominican Republic have qualified for the 2007 World Grand Prix through the Pan American Cup competition. The top three NORCECA teams and the top South American team at this year's Pan American Cup earned bids to next year’s 2007 World Grand Prix.

The U.S. finished second in Pool B of the tournament with a 4-1 record. Brazil finished in a three-way tie for first in Pool A, but won the tie-breaking procedure to earn the group's top seed. Both Brazil and Cuba advanced directly to the semifinals as the champions of Pool A and B, respectively.

The United States will host the 2007 Women's Pan American Cup at a site and date to be determined.

Pan American Cup Final Standings:
1. Brazil/Cuba winner in championship
2. Brazil/Cuba loser in championship
3. Dominican Republic
4. U.S.
5. Puerto Rico
6. Peru
7. Canada
8. Venezuela
9. Mexico
10. Argentina
11. Costa Rica
12. Barbados

For match statistics, please go to: www.usavolleyball.org/National/wstats.asp.

For additional information on the tournament, go to: www.norceca.org/endex.htm or http://www.norceca.org/V%20Panamerican%20Women´s%20Cup_2006.htm.

For more information about USA Volleyball, go to: www.usavolleyball.org

USA Women’s National Team Roster for Pan American Cup
3 – Tayyiba Haneef (OH, 6-7, Laguna Hills, Calif.)
5 – Sarah Drury (L, 5-5, Louisville, Ky.)
6 – Elisabeth Bachman (MB, 6-3, Lakeville, Minn.)
7 – Heather Bown (MB, 6-3, Yorba Linda, Calif.)
8 – Katie Wilkins (OH, 6-4, Lakeside, Calif.)
9 – Jennifer Joines (MB, 6-3, Milpitas, Calif.)
10 – Jane Collymore (OH, 6-0, Englewood, Colo.)
11 – Robyn Ah Mow-Santos (S, 5-9, Honolulu, Hawai’i)
12 – Nancy Metcalf (OPP, 6-1, Hull, Iowa)
14 – Candace Lee (L, 5-7, Eugene, Ore.)
16 – Sam Tortorello (S, 5-11, Shorewood, Ill.)
18 – Cassie Busse (OPP, 6-1, Prior Lake, Minn.)

USA Pool B Matches
June 29: def. Peru 25-18, 25-17, 25-20
June 30: def. Argentina 25-9, 25-14, 25-12
July 1: def. Barbados 25-8, 25-17, 25-11
July 2: lost to Cuba 27-25, 25-22, 20-25, 26-24
July 3: def. Venezuela 26-24, 25-20, 25-14

Pan Am Cup Pools
A: Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico
B: Argentina, Barbados, Cuba, Peru, USA, Venezuela

Final Pool Standings
Pool A
Brazil 4-1
Dominican Republic 4-1
Puerto Rico 4-1
Canada 2-3
Mexico 1-4
Costa Rica 0-5

Pool B
Cuba 5-0
United States 4-1
Peru 3-2
Venezuela 2-3
Argentina 1-4
Barbados 0-5

* Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.) hit .780 during pool play with 39 kills on 50 attacks without committing a single hitting error.

* Nancy Metcalf (Hull, Iowa) led the U.S. in points per set with a 3.93 average. She tallied 50 kills, six blocks, three aces and 59 total points. Metcalf reached double-figure points in four of the five matches. She tallied seven kills on nine errorless swings with one block in two sets against Argentina in her only match without at least 10 points.

* Katie Wilkins (Lakeside, Calif.) averaged 3.56 points per set the U.S. in the five pool play matches. She recorded 12 aces in 16 sets for a 0.75 ace average.

* Jennifer Joines (Milpitas, Calif.) hit .553 during pool play. She tallied 28 kills on 47 swings with just two hitting errors.

* Tayyiba Haneef (Laguna Hills, Calif.) was credited with 3.5 points per set in 14 sets during pool play action. As part of her point production, she averaged 0.64 aces per set.

* Katie Wilkins, Jennifer Joines and Candace Lee (Eugene, Ore.) were the only U.S. players to have played in all 16 sets of pool play for the Americans.

Pan American Cup Schedule
June 29
USA def. Peru 25-18-25-17, 25-20
Cuba def. Argentina 25-19, 25-12, 25-16
Brazil def. Dominican Republic 25-21, 24-26, 25-15, 25-19
Puerto Rico def. Mexico 18-25, 25-14, 25-18, 25-19
Venezuela def. Barbados 25-10, 25-20, 25-7
Canada def. Costa Rica 25-15, 25-20, 25-6

June 30
Peru def. Venezuela 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 25-21
Brazil def. Mexico 25-8, 25-12, 25-19
USA vs. Argentina 25-9, 25-14, 25-12
Puerto Rico def. Canada 23-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-25
Cuba def. Barbados 25-7, 25-22, 25-9
Dominican Republic def. Costa Rica 25-12, 25-11, 25-19

July 1
Peru def. Argentina 25-20, 25-18, 29-31, 25-21
Cuba def. Venezuela 25-16, 25-17, 25-21
Dominican Republic def. Canada 26-24, 18-25, 25-13, 25-22
Puerto Rico def. Brazil 19-25, 25-20, 25-22, 18-25, 15-13
USA def. Barbados 25-8, 25-17, 25-11
Mexico def. Costa Rica 22-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-16

July 2
Venezuela def. Argentina 22-25, 25-21, 25-15, 23-25, 15-10
Brazil def. Canada 25-22, 25-21, 25-12
Puerto Rico def. Costa Rica 25-14, 25-20, 25-11
Cuba def. USA 27-25, 25-22, 20-25, 26-24
Peru def. Barbados 25-18, 25-17, 25-21
Dominican Republic def. Mexico 25-17, 25-16, 27-25

July 3
Canada def. Mexico 25-14, 25-19, 25-16
USA def. Venezuela 26-24, 25-20, 25-14
Cuba def. Peru 25-15, 25-20, 25-19
Dominican Republic def. Puerto Rico 25-19, 29-27, 25-20
Argentina def. Barbados 25-13, 25-6, 25-19
Brazil def. Costa Rica 25-13, 25-13, 25-16

July 5 – Consolations
Costa Rica def. Barbados 25-19, 25-16, 25-15 (11th/12th-place match)
Mexico def. Argentina 25-18, 23-25, 25-21, 25-14 (9th/10th-place match)

July 5 - Quarterfinals
Dominican Republic def. Peru 25-21, 25-18, 25-13
U.S. def. Puerto Rico 23-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 15-8

July 6 – Consolation Bracket
Canada def. Venezuela 25-17, 25-21, 21-25, 20-25, 19-17 (7th/8th-place match)
Puerto Rico def. Peru 25-14, 25-22, 25-22 (5th/6th-place match)

July 6 - Semifinals
Brazil def. U.S. 21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-10
Cuba def. Dominican Republic 25-23, 25-22, 14-25, 25-13

July 7 – Consolation Bracket
Dominican Republic def. U.S. 25-18, 25-22, 25-20 (3rd/4th-place match)

July 7
Brazil vs. Cuba, 8 p.m. ET

* The Pan American Cup is a qualifier for the 2007 World Grand Prix. The top three teams from NORCECA and the best ranked team from South America advance to next year’s premier women’s event on the FIVB calendar. The U.S., Brazil, Cuba and the Dominican Republic earned the tournament’s four qualifying spots into the 2007 World Grand Prix.

* During pool play action, 20 of 30 matches were settled in three sets. Only two matches were determined in the full five sets (Puerto Rico over Brazil, Venezuela over Argentina).

* A third of this year’s Pan American Cup matches have been played in front of at least 1,000 fans. The Puerto Rico versus Dominican Republic match on July 3 attracted a pool-play-high 4,500 fans. The top crowd to watch a U.S. pool play match was 3,000 as Cuba faced the Americans on July 2.

* The V Pan American Cup quarterfinal teams nearly mirrored the 2005 Pan American Cup quarterfinal teams. Five of the six countries advanced to either the quarterfinals or directly into the semifinals in comparing the years. Last year, Cuba and Dominican Republic won pool play to reach the semifinals. The U.S., Brazil and Puerto Rico all reached the quarterfinal round last year and are still alive for the championship in 2006. Canada reached the 2005 quarterfinals, while Peru replaced in the quarterfinal round in 2006. Peru did not compete in last year’s event.

* Cuba captured last year’s Pan American Cup championship with a 25-16, 25-17, 25-19 win over Dominican Republic. Brazil defeated the U.S. in the third-place match. Puerto Rico finished fifth last year, while Canada placed sixth.

* Eight of the 12 teams competing in the Fifth Pan American Cup are qualified for the next World Championships in Japan. "That says a lot about the high level of this competition where 12 squads are beginning the battle to qualify for the 2007 World Grand Prix, but also shaping up their teams for the Worlds in Japan," said Mr. Cristobal Marte, president of NORCECA during his welcome words to the participants of the General Technical Meeting prior to the event. "What we are having in Puerto Rico is like a preview of the Teams from the Americas in route to the World Championships. So, all the people in love with our sport have the chance to watch the action here before it takes place in Japan next November."

* Host Puerto Rico, already qualified for the World Championships, is seeking qualification into the 2007 World Grand Prix. The Puerto Rican captain is Aury Cruz, who earned three AVCA All-American awards while playing at the University of Florida.

* Brazil is the ranked second in the world, according to the latest rankings released Oct. 1. Cuba is ranked fourth in the world rankings, while the USA is ranked fifth.