El Salvador and Costa Rica to dispute top place at NORCECA Inter Zonal

MAL PAIS, Costa Rica, February 11, 2012 – El Salvador and hosts Costa Rica will battle for the first position of the NORCECA Women’s Inter Zonal Beach Volleyball Continental Cup on Sunday while Nicaragua and Guatemala, two other Central American countries, are set to play for the third and fourth places.

All four teams booked tickets to the final stage of NORCECA Confederation to be held in Nayarit, Mexico from June 19 to 23 where one ticket to the 2012 London Olympic Games will be up-for-grabs.

“It is source of pride to see that all four teams qualified to the final stage against the Central Zone are from Central America,” Marta Centeno de Sajche, President of Central American Association of Volleyball Federations said. “But we also have to congratulate the teams from the Caribbean that have shown an outstanding progress.”

El Salvador was the first country to make the finals when its second team of Nadia Soler and Laura Molina dispatched the siblings Kionna Gregorius and Cristal Gregorius of Curacao-B by score of 2-0 (21-9, 21-8) for a 3-0 lead in the series.

The top teams from both countries continued to play a meaningless match won by Curacao A (Samira Luis and Christine Anthony) over El Salvador A (Diana Romero/Marcela Avalos) 2-1 (17-21, 21-8, 15-6).

Earlier on Saturday, Soler/Molina defeated Luis/Anthony 2-0 (21-13, 21-19) while Morales/Avalos downed the Gregorius 2-0 (21-3, 21-7).

The experienced duo of Costa Rican Ingrid Morales and Natalia Alfaro won their two matches against Guatemala to help their country to a 3-1 victory.

Morales/Alfaro first defeated Rut Gomez and Stefany Bolaños of Guatemala-B 2-0 (21-11, 21-13) and then beat the Guatemala-A side of Susana Alvarado and Anna Lourdes Ramirez 2-0 (21-15, 21-14).

One key victory for Costa Rica was clinched by its second team of Ivette Alas and Marianela Alfaro who won over Gomez/Bolaños by score of 2-0 (21-15, 21-15). The only win by Guatemala was produced by Alvarado/Ramirez against Alas/Alvarado 2-0 (21-19, 21-15).

Nicaragua and Guatemala advanced through the losers’ bracket following 2-0 victories over Curacao and Cayman Islands respectively.

Saturday's results

Cayman Islands 2, Barbados 1

BAR-A d. CAY-B 2-0 (21-5, 21-2), CAY-A d. BAR-B 2-0 (21-14, 21-11), GS: CAY-A d. BAR-A (15-11)

Nicaragua 2, Trinidad and Tobago 0

NCA-B d. TRI-A 2-0 (21-17, 21-9), NCA-A d. TRI-B 2-0 (21-13, 21-5).

El Salvador 3, Curacao 1

ESA-B d. CUR-A 2-0 (21-13, 21-19), ESA-A d. CUR-B (21-3, 21-7), ESA-B d. CUR-B 2-0 (21-9, 21-8), CUR-A d. ESA-A 2-1 (17-21, 21-8, 15-6).

Costa Rica 3, Guatemala 1

CRC-A d. GUA-B 2-0 (21-11, 21-13), GUA-A d. CRC-B 2-0 (21-19, 21-15), CRC-B d. GUA-B 2-0 (21-15, 21-15), CRC-A d. GUA-A 2-0 (21-15, 21-14).

Nicaragua 2, Curacao 0

NCA-B d. CUR-A 2-0 (21-12, 21-10), NCA-A d. CUR-B 2-0 (21-8, 21-7).

Guatemala 2, Cayman Islands 0

GUA-B d. CAY-A 2-1 (20-22, 21-18, 15-13), GUA-A d. CAY-B 2-0 (21-5, 21-4).