Team USA Hosts a Block Party: Defeats Guatemala in Straight Sets

Guatemala couldn't measure up to the net or to the Americans' talent.

The top of the net in ladies' volleyball is nearly seven and a half feet above the ground explaining the need for tall players. The US roster includes a player as tall as 6-foot-7 with eight others taller than 5-foot-10. Guatemala did not make the heights of their players available, but the simple eyeball test will confirm that their team is much shorter than the US team.

The US dominance above the net gave the Americans another easy victory in straight sets over 48th ranked Guatemala; 25-7, 25-12, and 25-7. Height was a major factor, but experience was too. The US team's average age is 26 while their Saturday night opponent's was 22 with 10 of their players born in the 1990s.

The US team dominated every statistic with Cynthia Barboza and Jane Collymore leading the team with nine points each. The Americans held a 34-16 advantage in kills, out-aced the Guatemalans 9-1, and used their Redwood Forest-like height to record 12 blocks. The diminutive Guatemalan team couldn't muster a single block.

Common sight: USA blocking a Guatemalan hit.

Basically, this match was a lot like Cyndi Lauper and Allison Iraheta's "Time After Time" duet on American Idol's finale. Lauper, more talented and experienced, outclassed the teenaged Iraheta in that performance. And Lauper is taller than Iraheta too.

The Americans have steamrolled their first two opponents and aim to keep it up against 26th ranked Mexico (0-2 in the tournament). The US is a perfect 19-0 against their south of the border rivals and should maintain their unbeaten streak in today's match at 8 p.m. in the BankUnited Center.