Robyn Ah Mow-Santos (Honolulu, Hawai'i), starting setter for the U.S. women's national volleyball team, was named the Pan American Cup Best Setter following conclusion of the event on July 7. Read on for the details.

According to the final bulletin with the official tournament statistics, Ah Mow-Santos turned in 117 running sets and 451 still sets with just two faults in 570 total attempts. The U.S. hit .337 as a team for the tournament with 361 kills on 823 attempts, which included court time for back-up setter Sam Tortorello (Shorewood, Ill.) in six sets with three set starts.

The U.S. finished fourth in the event for the second consecutive year. The Americans placed second in Pool B with a 4-1 record. The U.S. rallied from a 0-2 set deficit to defeat Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals. Team USA lost to Brazil in four sets in the semifinals, then dropped a three-set match to Dominican Republic in the third-place match.

Brazil's Mari Steinbrecher was selected as most valuable player, while teammates Fabiana Claudino and Arlene Xavier were tabbed as best blocker and best libero, respectively. Puerto Rico’s Aurea Cruz won the recognition as best scorer and server. Puerto Rico’s Yarleen Santiago was elected as the best defender. Canadian Stacey Gordon earned the best receiver distinction. Brazilian Jose Roberto Guimaraes was named the best coach of the tournament.

Nancy Metcalf (Hull, Iowa) ranked fifth in scoring for the tournament with 108 points, 17 points behind Aurea Cruz's tournament-leading 125 points. Katie Wilkins (Lakeside, Calif.) scored 99 points to rank sixth in the tournament.

Metcalf finished sixth in the best spikers category with a .425 hitting percentage. Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.) ranked fifth in blocking with 0.61 blocks per set. Wilkins averaged 0.46 service aces per set to ranked fourth in the tournament. Candace Lee (Eugene, Ore.) finished eighth in digs average with 3.00 per set. She also ranked third in the best libero category with a 54.52 percent success rate, along with a 59.44 percent efficiency rating to rank fifth in the best receivers category.

Brazil won the tournament with a four-set victory over Cuba in the championship match.

The Pan American Cup was a qualifier for the 2007 World Grand Prix. The top three NORCECA teams and the top finishing South American squad were guaranteed berths for next year’s World Grand Prix. The U.S. qualified after it defeated Puerto in the semifinals. Brazil, Cuba and Dominican Republic also qualified for the World Grand Prix.

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

The U.S. will train in Colorado Springs during July and early August before starting competition at the 2006 World Grand Prix. The Americans open the World Grand Prix on Aug. 16 versus Dominican Republic, Aug. 17 against Poland and Aug. 18 versus Italy at Bydgoszcz, Poland. The U.S. and Dominican Republic played each other at the Pan American Cup on July 7 in the third-place match. The U.S., playing primarily with its national training team, hosted Poland in Chicago earlier this year on May 26. The U.S. has not competed against Italy since June 10 at the Montreux Volley Masters event as the Americans lost in three sets with a split squad.

The U.S. travels to Macau, China, the second weekend of the World Grand Prix to face China on Aug. 25, Brazil on Aug. 26 and Dominican Republic on Aug. 27. Team USA travels to Bangkok, Thailand, the third weekend of World Grand Prix preliminary play to face host Thailand on Sept. 1, Brazil on Sept. 2 and Russia on Sept. 3. The World Grand Prix finals will be held at Reggio Calabria, Italy, Sept. 4-10.

Pan American Cup Final Standings:
1. Brazil
2. Cuba
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 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

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 def. Cuba 25-14, 21-25, 25-22, 25-11 (championship)