The Golden Panthers’ volleyball star and three-time All-American, Yarimar Rosa, found herself in unfamiliar territory: on the bench.

In the second round of the 2009 VIII Pan-American Women’s Volleyball Cup match, Puerto Rico vs. Mexico, Rosa did not play until the score was 16-15 in favor of Puerto Rico.

This is something she is not used to at FIU, where Rosa has started all 92 of her matches played over the last three years.

She earned her team a point as soon as she entered the game, and Puerto Rico had no problem putting away Mexico in three sets (25-18, 25-15, 25-21).

Starting from the bench did not insult Rosa; it gave her more motivation to earn playing time.

“That’s even more challenging to me because I know I have to do my job to stay there [on the court] and not go back to the bench; I like it,” Rosa said in the post-game conference.

Coming off a record year in which she led the volleyball team to season-record 28 wins, Rosa is now representing her home country of Puerto Rico.

She finds herself on a team ranked 19th in the world.

When the time came for the national women’s volleyball team of Puerto Rico to fill the slots for their team for the Pan-American Cup, Rosa was selected for the second consecutive year.

Her team finished in fourth place in last year’s games. That is the best finish for Puerto Rico in the tournament’s history.

Rosa hopes she can be a difference and help lead her country to a better result.

Same Success, Different Team

For Rosa and Puerto Rico, their second round challenge was the Mexican national team.

Playing in front of an equally balanced crowd at the BankUnited Center, Rosa played the majority of the match, but came off the bench unlike previous matches for FIU.

Puerto Rico coach Humberto Rodriguez said Tatiana Encarnación, the player who started ahead of Rosa, was not performing at her full potential.

“For a moment, I got the impression that Tatiana was playing under her normal level. It seemed like an appropriate time to let Yarimar play, who had been training well; the switch worked out for us,” Puerto Rico coach Rodriguez said during the post-game press conference.

And work well it did, as once Rosa entered during the first set, Puerto Rico went on a 9-3 run to capture the first win and set in motion the second victory for the team in the 2009 tournament.

She earned 11 points for the match, which was a tie for the second best mark on the team.

Team captain Vilmarie Mojica assessed her team’s performance.

“We had a better game collectively,” Mojica said.

“We attacked well from the middle and the corners of the net. Little by little, we’re getting a better and more of an established team.”

Puerto Rico then defeated Peru 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-23) the next day. Both teams entered the match undefeated, and Puerto Rico improved to 3-0.

“Peru came out strong and battled back,” Puerto Rico captain Mojica told teamusa.org. “However, we prepared a lot for this match with a great scouting report.”

Rosa’s journey continues as Puerto Rico battles for their first Pan-Am Cup title at the BankUnited Center. The tournament winds down until its conclusion on July 4.

Love of the Game

For Rosa, the championship provides experience that many players do not receive over summer break.

After leading the Golden Panthers to the team’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in the program’s history, playing for the Puerto Rican national team is a way for the Sun Belt Conference Female Student-Athlete of the Year to keep her skills sharp.

“It gives me experience,” Rosa said. “I think that’s the main point. I like representing Puerto Rico.”

During the 2008 season, Rosa returned from the previous year’s tournament and led the nation in kills (658) and kills per set (5.21). Besides being named Sun Belt Player of the Year, she also was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American and All-South Region performer.

Playing a match a day versus some of the best players in the Americas has given Rosa the ability to gauge her performance among the best.

“The level [of competition] is higher here. That’s the main difference,” Rosa continued.

Playing for Puerto Rico has also brought Rosa back to Miami, if only for a few weeks.

“I’m playing here in front of my friends and my family; it’s great,” she said.