By Ximena Fagan
In one of the toughest and closest games of the first day the Santa Cruz Jaguars defeated the Cochabamba Cooperative School Bulldogs in a three-set marathon.
The Jaguars won the first set with what appeared in retrospect to be surprising ease, 25-9. then struggled in the second set, losing 25-17. They rallied to take the final set 15-10.
Jaguars got off to a good start in the first set. Both teams were putting in all their effort but the Jaguars somehow seemed to come out the winner of of the prolonged rallies. The crowd could not stop cheering.
The second set was much more of a tight game with both Jaguars and Bulldogs really putting in all their effort and energy, but the Jaguar game was no longer clicking the way it had in the first set. The Jaguars were behind by 8 points when they finally got their game back together, and the teams played evenly after that, but the Jaguars couldn't cut into the Bulldog lead.
The two teams were battling and the quality of play was even stronger and more powerful, with amazingly strong spikes and powerful serves by both teams. The second half finally ended 25-17 in favor of the Bulldogs.
The teams were now off to the third set, and a new star made her appearance on the Jaguar side. Tania Landivar, known mainly as a soccer star, came off the bench and shone. She put in her best effort and helped the team, along with Nabila Farah. Alheli Lopez, a Bulldog, cheered up her team and allowed them to concentrate. But a Jaguar surge meant that the game ended with a victory for the Jaguars, 15-10.
