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Opposite Gabi Garcia put on a show against his former team.
Garcia finished with a match-high four aces and added 13 kills as the United States defeated Puerto Rico 25-21, 25-18, 29-31, 25-18 in its pool-play opener at the Pan American Cup on Sunday in the Dominican Republic.
The former BYU All-American led all players with a combined eight kills in the first two games. Garica also had an ace and a kill as part of a 8-4 run to open the final game.
Garcia played for the Puerto Rican youth, junior and senior national teams and helped Puerto Rico win the NORCECA Continental Championship in 2021. The FIVB in 2022 approved Garcia’s request to transfer from thePuerto Rican Volleyball Federation to USA Volleyball.
The United States had 12 aces in the victory – 11 more aces than Puerto Rico.
Along with Garcia, UCLA outside attacker Cooper Robinson had four aces and former Ball State setter Quinn Isaacson added two aces.
Issacson guided the U.S. offense to out-hit Puerto Rico .310 to .176, including the United States having a match-best .556 attack percentage in the final game.
Former UCLA outside attacker Ethan Champlin led all players with 16 kills on a .333 attack percentage.
Both of the U.S. starting middle attackers committed zero errors. Former Saint Francis middle attacker Michael Marshman contributed eight kills on a .571 attack percentage, and former Hawai’i middle attacker Patrick Gasman had five kills and hit .556.
Fairleigh Dickinson opposite Jamal Ellis Carballo in the loss led Puerto Rico with 15 kills on a .323 attack percnetage.