Drews Continues to Lead Team USA
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – In No. 2 Team USA’s second match of the USA Volleyball Cup against No. 4 Brazil, Annie Drews led the Americans with 15 points off the bench in the final two sets of the contest. The Elkhart, Indiana, native has now led a United States roster featuring four Olympians in back-to-back matches with 36 points in six sets of action.
After the American’s dropped the first two sets, Drews was given the nod on the right side and led USA to a 25-19 victory in the third. She provided the spark the United States needed coming out of the break, winning the first four points of the set with three kills and a block and later aced the Brazilians to give USA an 18-8 advantage. She also provided the dagger, throwing down a kill to claim the set 25-19. Altogether in the third and fourth set, Drews earned 12 kills on 21 attacks with just three errors to go along with three blocks and an ace.
Her last time out, Drews finished the contest with 16 kills on 38 swings, four blocks and an ace in USA’s sweep of Brazil that included a bonus fourth set. In the three official sets, she found the floor on 14 of her 26 attempts with just three errors to go along with three blocks and an ace.
Dress has settled in nicely on Team USA’s roster this summer, as she has stepped up for the Americans in each opportunity she’s been given by Karch Kiraly and company. After leading her pro team Caguas win the Puerto Rican Superliga, she began training with Team USA in May and was selected to the Pan American Cup roster.
Over the course of seven matches and two starts, Drews posted 54 kills and just 14 errors on 108 attempts for a .370 hitting percentage to fuel USA’s Pan Am Cup Championship. She proved to be one of USA’s top offensive options throughout the tournament as she posted the team’s highest hitting percentage and was tied for the second most kills.
USA then added Drews to the roster again for the FIVB World Grand Prix Final Six after leaving her off of the roster for the preliminary rounds. Drews provided the spark the Americans needed off the bench, despite the United State’s losing each of their Finals Round matches. She scored 10 points against Serbia and a team-best 16 points against Italy. She led all Americans, totaling 25 kills and 65 attempts to go along with seven digs and a block. Of USA’s top three point scorers, Drews was the only player to come off the bench as she appeared in six of a possible nine sets.
Next up, Team USA will compete in the six-team, round-robin FIVB World Grand Champions Cup Sept. 5-10 in Japan. The championship is the final event for the United States this year.
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