LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Lauren Paolini had 12 points off the bench and the U.S. women’s national team defeated Japan 25-17, 26-24, 18-25, 25-20 on Friday night in the second match of the inaugural USA Volleyball Cup match.
Kristin Hildebrand added 11 points before 3,500 fans at Long Beach State. The United States, ranked No. 1 in the world by the sport’s international governing body, also beat Japan in the opener of the three-match series.
The victory extended Karch Kiraly’s record to 7-0 in his first season as the head coach of the U.S. team. Kiraly took over after the London Olympics, where the United States finished with the silver medal.
Japan, which won the bronze medal in London, was led by Mizuho Ishida with 18 points.
The final match is set for Saturday night in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
