Puerto Rico and Canada join the semi final round at NORCECA U-20 

MONTERREY, Mexico, August 3, 2006.- Teams of Puerto Rico and Canada completed the list of semi finalists at the NORCECA Women’s U-20 Continental Tournament, where the top two teams will qualify for the 2007 Junior World Championship.

Following a dramatic five-set triumph over Cuba 22-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-11, 15-9, the Puerto Ricans will face Dominican Republic in the first semi final match on Friday while Canada will play USA after its four-set win against host Mexico by score of 23-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-22.

The Puerto Rican’s serves and their overall defense was the key for the victory in the fourth set and the tie-breaker.

“My respect to the Cuban team which played a great match,” said Luis Garcia, the Puerto Rican coach. “But my players never let their rhythm to get down and we kept the strength of our serves and the good defense to prevail.”

“Our team looked better than in the first round and played hard. But Puerto Rico kept the intensity and at the end the team who committed lesser errors was the winner,” said Cuban coach Ana Ivis Garcia.

The better blocking sent Canada to the victory over a Mexican team that looked tired during the last two sets of the match.

“Mexico battled hard, but the strategy we practiced came out good,” said Melissa Sanford, the Canadian coach. “Now we have to start preparing the tactics for USA tomorrow.”

“I think the intensity of our last two matches (against Cuba and Dominican Republic) was too much load for us,” said Mexican coach Ricardo Ponce. “We tried our best but could not make the adjustments.”

In the match for the seventh position, Costa Rica defeated Trinidad & Tobago 25-22, 22-25, 25-20, 25-16.