USA defeated Tunisia, Puerto Rico lost to Argentina

 

OKAYAMA, Japan, November 25, 2007 - NORCECA champions United States bounced back from losing the first set to beat African vice champions Tunisia at Momotaro Arena in Okayama on Sunday.

 

Led by some impressive play from man of the match Gabriel Gardner, Team USA weathered an early Tunisian storm to prevail 22-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-17 and improve to 4-2 in the men's World Cup, while the North Africans dropped to 1-5.

 

Gardner had 20 points, Reid Priddy added 17 and Ryan Miller and Riley Salmon had 11 points apiece.

 

In Fukuoka Argentina came back from two sets down to beat Puerto Rico 3-2 in the first match of the day at Marine Messe Fukuoka on Sunday.

 

Puerto Rico looked comfortable after winning the first two sets in style, but the South Americans regrouped to come back and take it on their first match point in the tiebreak.

 The victory, by 19-25, 22-25, 25-16, 25-21, 15-13, improved Argentina's win-loss record to 4-2, while dropping Puerto Rico to 3-3.

 

Guillermo Garcia and Gaston Gianni led Argentina with 26 and 21 points respectively and Marcos Milinkovic added 18. Puerto Rican Hector Soto had 26 and Victor Rivera and Jose Rivera contributed 16 and 14.

 

In other matches, Russia improved to 6-0 record with a 25-21, 25-13, 25-15 victory over Spain, Brazil is now 5-1 after defeating Australia 25-19, 25-19, 25-21, Bulgaria (4-2) beat South Korea 25-20, 25-20, 25-19 and Japan bested Egypt 25-17, 19-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-9.