No adjustment period was needed for the United States to find its offensive rhythm.
UCLA setter Trent Taliaferro guided the offense to a .483 attack percentage as the United States swept Chile 25-15, 25-14, 25-15 in its pool-play opener at the U21 NORCECA Pan American Cup on Tuesday in Canada.
The United States committed two combined attack errors in the first two games and for the match had five errors – 14 fewer errors than Chile. In addition, the United States had a match-high .609 attack percentage in the first game and hit at least .375 in each of the final two games.
Hawai’i pin-hitter Kainoa Wade led all players with 10 kills and hit .692, including having a game-high five kills in the first game. Long Beach State pin-hitter Sebastiano Sani contributed six kills and zero errors on .545 attack percentage.
Sani also had a match-high four blocks against Chile.
Three U.S. players finished with multiple aces in the victory.
UC Irvine middle attacker Micah Goss had four consecutive aces as part of a 9-3 run to close out the second game. Taliaferro contributed three aces, while Sani had two aces.
Chile in the loss was limited to a .060 attack percentage and did not hit above zero after the first game.
Pin-hitter Felipe Emilio Rodriguez Cespedes led Chile with eight kills and was the only Chilean player to have more than two kills and hit more than .200.