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Puerto Rican Santana headed to Turkey next season

 

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 18, 2020 – The rumors mill has Daly Santana, the emerging outside hitter of the Puerto Rican National Women Team, playing in Turkish League next season following two years in Italy after one season in France.

 

Santana didn’t mention her new team during an interview for the Puerto Rican Olympic site PUR Connection hosted by journalists Natalia Meléndez and Julio “Gaby” Acevedo in Facebook but several sources, including Primera Hora newspaper, have her playing for Thys Istanbul in 2021.

 

The stellar attacker played for second year in a row for the Il Bisonte Firenze of the Italian Series A. The year before the 25-year-old of Dominican father and Puerto Rican mother helped Mulhose to win the title in the Pro A France League.

 

“It was a challenge to play in Italy for the last two seasons, and now a another challenge is coming in for which I will be preparing to represent Puerto Rico with dignity,” Santana said.

 

The native of Corozal left the door open for a future comeback to the Puerto Rican Superior League but announced that she would like to play with his hometown team as long as the tournament date does not coincide with that of foreign leagues.

 

During the interview, Santana revealed another dream: To play again at the Olympic Games.

 

After playing in Rio 2016, Santana and her Puerto Rican teammates saw their dreams vanished last January when they lost to host Dominican Republic in straight sets in the final and decisive match for the NORCECA Continental Tokyo 2020 Qualifier.

 

“My long-term goal is to have the opportunity to return to the Olympic Games and to have the honor of raising the name of Puerto Rico. We need to work hard and I know we can do it,” said Santana answering questions about the options of Puerto Rico to qualify to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

 

Santana who still is in Italy following the cancellation of the league due to the pandemic Covid-19. She said is in good health at her fiance’s home planning to fly to Puerto Rico on June 1.