Dominican Team to play friendly series in Puerto Rico

PONCE, Puerto Rico, January 5, 2017 – The National Team of Dominican Republic will play a friendly series against the Ponce Lionesses and one match against the Changas of Naranjito from January 12 to 16 at Salvador Dijols Pavilion in Ponce.

The Dominican team will be comprised by players currently training at home and the squad includes Gina Mambrú, Annerys Valdez, Niverka Marte, Yonkaira Peña, Cindy Rondón and Gaila González. 

Also, Camil Domínguez, Marifranchi Rodríguez, Erasma Moreno, Jeoselina Rodríguez, Yokaty Pérez, Vielka Peralta, Jineiry Martínez, Angélica Hinojosa, Larismer Martínez and Marian Fersola.

The team will be coached by Wagner Pacheco assisted by Wilson Sanchez and Cristian Cruz. Cesar Villalona is the therapist.

Players included in Ponce squad are setter Natalia Valentín, middle blockers Janeliss Torres and Dulce Tellez, liberos Nayka Benítez and Valeria Leon and reinforce players Taylor Simpson and Gina Mancuso. The southern team will be coached by Ramón “Monchito” Hernández.

The Dominican female program enjoyed a fruitful season last year winning the Pan American Cups at Senior and U23 levels and also the NORCECA U20 and U18 Continental Championships. They also won the FIVB World Grand Prix Group 2 and the AAU U20 Championship.

The series mark the first time the Dominican National Team plays in a friendly exchange against teams from the Puerto Rican Women’s Superior League. In 1997, the Mirador Club, mostly composed by players of the national team, faced each one of the teams of the league, winning all their matches.

“We are very pleased with this new experience and we thank our friends from the teams of Ponce and Naranjito for the invitation,” said Cristobal Marte Hoffiz, president of the Female Program of the Dominican Republic Federation.