MONTERREY, Mexico, December 22, 2007.- Veteran Yumilka Ruiz was elected as the Most Valuable Player of the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifier won by Cuba on Saturday by defeating Canada in the match for the gold medal.

Ruiz, who was the best spiker of the competition, finished as the second top scorer of the six-team event. She was the only Cuban included in the All-Star Team.

Puerto Rican Sarai Alvarez was the best scorer and her team mate Debora Seilhamer won the awards as best defender and libero. Canadians Tasha Holness and Larissa Cundy made the ideal team as best blocker and setter respectively while Dominican Cosiri Rodriguez took the plaque as best receiver.  More Spanish

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 22, 2007.- Cuba will enter the Olympic Games for the eighth time after scoring one clear victory in straight sets over Canada (25-19, 25-9, 25-16) in the gold medal clash of the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifier.

Winners of the gold medal in Barcelona ’92, Atlanta ’96 and Sidney 2000, the Cubans took the bronze medal in Athens ’04. They also participated in Munich ’72, Montreal ’76 and Moscow ’80. Veteran Yumilka Ruiz had 17 points for Cuba and Kenia Carcaces and Nancy Carrillo each added 11 tallies.  More Spanish P2 form

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 22, 2007.- Puerto Rico resisted a come-from- behind surge of its rival and beat Dominican Republic in a sensational match for the bronze medal at the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifier. The scores were 25-22, 25-23, 23-25, 15-25, 22-20.

Puerto Rican Sarai Alvarez was the best scorer of the match with 30 points. Aury Cruz had 22 and Eva Cruz 10. Meanwhile, Dominicans Bethania de la Cruz and Sidarka Nunez had 26 and 20 points respectively,  More Spanish P2 form

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 22, 2007.- Call it raw talent or a team in the building process. That is the way scouts give their qualifications when projecting a team or a particular player.

Trinidad & Tobago exited the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifier without a victory or having won a single set, but they left quite an impression on the eyes of those judging athletic qualities and potential. More Spanish P2 form

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 21, 2007.- Canada scored a major surprise by blanking Dominican Republic and moving to a match for the gold medal and the Beijing Games’ berth against Cuba at the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifier. The scores were 27-25, 25-17, 25-19.

Tasha Holness and Stacey Gordon were the best Canadians with 14 and 13 points while Milagros Cabral had 12 for Dominican Republic.

“It is a great day for Canada’s volleyball because is the first victory over Dominican Republic in eight years,” said Naoki Miyashita, the coach of Canada. More Spanish P2 form

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 21, 2007.- Cuba advanced to the final match of the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifier with a  straight sets victory over Puerto Rico. The score was 25-23, 25-19, 25-12.

Yumilka Ruiz topped the Cuban offence with 15 points and Nancy Carrillo added 12. For Puerto Rico, Sarai Alvarez and Aury Cruz had 11 and 10 respectively.

“We committed many errors in the first set both in reception and serving,” said Antonio Perdomo, the Cuban coach. “But fortunately we improved our serve starting midway of the second set and it was really nasty. We have been playing better and better and we need to improve tomorrow in the final to attain our objective.”  More Spanish P2 form

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 21, 2007.- Xitlali Herrera belongs to the new breed of Mexican Volleyball players and the slender teenager is giving signs of a promising future in the sport.

Volleyball comes natural to Herrera as her mother Nilia played the sport and two uncles –Lucio and Imelda- were members of the National Team as is currently her brother Edgar. Xitlali, who participated in the Girl’s World Youth Championship this year, is emerging as one of the favourites to win the “Rising Star” award to be presented at the end of the Women’s Olympic Qualifier to the most outstanding player under 18 years-old. More Spanish

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 21, 2007.- Mexico finished in the fifth position of the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifier by defeating Trinidad & Tobago in straights sets by scores of 25-5, 25-23, 25-13.

Martha Revuelta was the best Mexican with 12 points, Bibi Candelas added 9, Carolina Carranzo scored 8 and Celida Cordova contributed 7, all with serves. More Spanish P2 form

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 20, 2007.- Puerto Rico will meet Cuba in the semi finals of the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifier following the victory in straight sets over Mexico by score of 25-19, 25-23, 25-22 on Thursday.

Eva Cruz and Aury Cruz had 15 and 12 points for Puerto Rico. Sarai Alvarez had 9 and Tatiana Encarnacion added 8. Bibi Candelas and Martha Revuelta had 15 and 12 respectively for Mexico. More Spanish P2 form

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 20, 2007.- Canada advanced to a semi final match against the Dominican Republic with an easy victory over Trinidad & Tobago in the first match of Thursday at the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifier Tournament. The North Americans won by score of 25-12, 25-13, 25-14.

Falin Schaeffer and Tasha Holnes led Canada with 10 and 9 points respectively. Schaeffer included 6 blocks and Holness added 5. Krystle Esdelle led Trinidad & Tobago with 10 points and Darlene Ramdin added 8.

“Trinidad & Tobago continues to improve every year and is a team with good potential,” said Naoki Miyashita, the coach of Canada. “I am excited about the match of tomorrow against Dominican Republic and we will give our best effort.”More Spanish P2 form

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 19, 2007.- Cuba had to battle to defeat Puerto Rico 3-1 and win Pool A of the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifier. The score was 23-25, 25-15, 25-20, 27-25 and the Cubans out blocked the opponents 22-5.

Veteran Yumilka Ruiz led five Cuban players in double figures with 18 points. She was joined by Kenia Carcaces (16), Nancy Carrillo (15) and Yanelis Santos and Daimi Ramirez with 12 apiece. Puerto Rican Aury Cruz totalled 24 points while Ania Ruiz and Sarai Alvarez each contributed 11 tallies.

“For the last year and a half we have been close to beat the big teams of the area and still don’t learn how to do it,” More Spanish P2 form

MONTERREY, México, December 19, 2007.- Dominican Republic won Pool B of the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifier by blanking Mexico 25-20, 25-15, 25-18.

Bethania de la Cruz was the best in the balanced Dominican offence with 16 points. Milagros Cabral had 10, Sidarka Nunez added 8 and Cindy Rondon and Cosiri Rodriguez provided 7 points apiece. Bibi Candelas led Mexico with 8. “We have to improve our counter-attacks,” said Beato Miguel Cruz, the Dominican coach. More Spanish  P2 form

MONTERREY, México, December 18, 2007.- Nancy Carrillo, the most heralded Cuban player during the past year, is confident her side will be crowned here at the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifier where one spot for Beijing is being disputed by six teams.

“We have prepared very well in order to secure the ticket to Beijing, the pressure must end here in Monterrey,” said Cuban Nancy Carrillo, the most valuable player in almost every tournament in which she has taken part this year.

The Cubans are the top favourites to take home the only berth to the Summer Games being disputed in the Olympic Qualifier played in the Nuevo Leon Gymnasium,  More Spanish

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 18, 2007.- Dominican Republic defeated Trinidad & Tobago in straight sets by score of 25-9, 25-12, 25-15 in just 53 minutes in the second match of Tuesday of the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament.

Coach Beato Miguel Cruz used all his players and Bethania de la Cruz resulted in the best scorer with 10 tallies. Annerys Vargas, Cosiri Rodriguez and Prisilla Rivera each contributed 6 points. Krystle Esdelle led the Trinidadians with 8 points.  More Spanish P2 form

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 18, 2007.- Canada edged a resilient Puerto Rico in five sets to even its record at 1-1 in Pool A of the Norceca Women’s Qualification Tournament. The score was 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 18-25, 16-14.

Tasha Holness was the best Canadian with 18 points, including 8 blocks, while Stacey Gordon and Tammy Mahon added 17 and 14 respectively. Puerto Rican Sarai Alvarez led all the scorers with 27 points and siblings Aury and Eva Cruz added 16 and 11. More Spanish  P2 form

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 17, 2007.- Host Mexico blanked Trinidad & Tobago 25-12, 25-14, 25-15, in the nightcap of the inaugural day at the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament.

Martha Revuelta and Bibi Candelas led Mexico with 12 and 11 points respectively and Krystle Esdelle had 12 for Trinidad & Tobago.

“I am very happy because we maintained the rhythm during most of the match,” said Macario Gonzalez, the Mexican coach.  More Spanish P2 form

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 17, 2007.- Cuba defeated Canada 25-20, 25-23, 25-23 in the first match of the Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Rachel Sanchez led Cuba with 13 points, Yumilka Ruiz and Nancy Carrillo each added 12 and Rosir Calderon contributed 11 tallies. Tammy Mahon with 10 points led Canada while Tasha Holness and Shelley Chalmers had 6 apiece. More Spanish P2 form

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 17 2007.- The Norceca Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament starts on Monday here with favourite and third world-ranked Cuba meeting Canada (24) and host Mexico (25) entertaining Trinidad & Tobago (70).

Six teams –Dominican Republic (14) and Puerto Rico (19) are the other two- will be battling for one single spot in the next Beijing Olympic Games. More Spanish

MONTERREY, Mexico, December 11, 2007.- Six women’s teams from NORCECA will be battling for one Olympic berth in the Pre-Olympic Continental  Tournament to be held in this Mexican city on December 17-23.

According to the Olympic qualification process the champion of this competition will join USA as competitors in the Beijing event. The Americans qualified to the Summer Games as third place finisher in the World Cup.

Cuba, currently third placed in the FIVB World Rankings as November 16, emerges as strong favourite to win the six-team tournament where Dominican Republic (14), Puerto Rico (19), Canada (24), More Spanish