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Nova Southeastern to Host NORCECA Women's U20

 

   

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado - April 26, 2016 – USA Volleyball has selected Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as host for the 2016 NORCECA Women’s U-20 Continental Championship July 26-31. All matches will take place at the on-campus Don Taft University Center.

 

Earlier this year NORCECA (North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation) awarded the United States hosting rights to the event, which is contested biennially in every even-numbered year.

 

The tournament winner will qualify for the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Women’s U20 World Championship with dates and site to be announced later this year.

 

“USA Volleyball is excited to host this great event and bring it to Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,” said Lizzy Briones, USA Volleyball coordinator of High Performance and the staff liaison to the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team. “We look forward to this event where our athletes have the opportunity to qualify for their age-group FIVB World Championship next year.”

 

A maximum of teams are invited to participate in this year’s NORCECA Women’s U-20 Continental Championship. The qualified teams are the United States as host, the top five teams from the NORCECA Women’s U20 Continental ranking and the three zonal champions from AFECAVOL, ECVA and CAZOVA Women’s U20 Regional Championships.

 

Based on the 2016 qualified field, the countries scheduled to compete are: United States (host), Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, French St. Martin (ECVA champion), Guatemala (AFECAVOL vice-champion), Haiti (CAZOVA champion), Mexico and Puerto Rico.

 

While the U.S. team has not been selected based on on-going tryouts across the country, the USA Volleyball High Performance Department can pull from players who won the silver medal at the 2015 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U18 World Championship. In the first year of a two-year cycle, these players are moving up to the U20 age group for players born in 1998 or 1999.

 

Team USA won the most recent NORCECA Women’s U20 Continental Championship, beating Cuba in straight sets in the championship match in Guatemala. Rhamat Alhasan, now a star at the University of Florida, was named the most valuable player and Best Blocker of the tournament while current University of Washington star Courtney Schwan was named Best Outside Hitter.

 

The U.S. Women’s Junior National Team has won the event six out of the nine editions, including five of the last six tournaments.

 

The tournament schedule will be announced at a later date, as well as how to purchase match tickets.