NORCECA stop at high altitude in Toluca

TOLUCA, Mexico, May 24, 2012 - The VI Norceca Beach Volleyball Circuit will continue with a new stop starting on Friday at the State of Mexico University Campus where a state of the art stadium has been installed for the three-day competition tournament.

After the arrival of the Control Committee, the Preliminary Inquiry and the Technical Meeting, a total of 17 countries are ready to step on the sand. The Men’s competition will have 19 couples, while the Women’s will have 12 couples on two courts open at no cost to the public.

Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic,  El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago, The United States of America, and the U.S. Virgin Islands,

Mexico is the country with the most players registered with total of six couples (three in each gender) while Canada and Puerto Rico presented three couples (two in Men’s and one in Women’s, each).

Some of the players exchanged their impressions about the stop in this city that host for the first time a NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit in a place that is more than 2,600 meters above the sea level.

 “We feel very excited. This is my first International tournament and we hope to have a good experience to learn from,” said Canada’s Jacqueline Tait who will play along with Victoria Cowley.

Meanwhile Simon Fecteau-Boutin, who plays along with Michael Platinga as part of the Canadian Men’s couple stated: “I feel excited to play here, we stopped due to an injury, but we are ready.”

For Trinidad & Tobago’s Elki Philip, this is also a brand new experience, even though she has played many times before in some other stops in Mexico like Baja California, Colima and Chiapas.“It is very cold here I’ve been in Tijuana, Manzanillo and recently in Chiapas. It is my first time but I am excited,” she said.

The Mexican duo of Bibiana Candelas and Mayra Garcia will try to focus on this tournament as part f its preparation for the Olympic Qualification Finals, that are scheduled in Mazatlan.

“We are glad to be here, this is the first time that Toluca hosts a Norceca circuit, we feel very motivated because we are just a few days away from the Olympic Qualifier and this will help us a lot to see what we can Improve”, said Candelas.

Matches start this Friday while an opening ceremony is scheduled at 4:00 PM local time with the presence of the State of Mexico Governor, Eruviel Avila who will declare the official inauguration of the competition at the main stage.

Finals of the tournament will be broadcast delayed in Mexico by TVC Networks. More information about broadcasting schedule of this tournament is available in http://www.tvcnetworks.mx/.

Men’s Teams: Benjamin Chow-Nicholas del Bianco (CAN-1), Simon Fecteau-Boutin-Michael Plantinga (CAN-2), Rooper Espinoza-Diego Alpizar (CRC), Karell Piña-Sergio Gonzalez (CUB), Luis David Adames-Germán Recio (DOM), Erick Garrido-Andy Alexis Leonardo (GUA), Adam Lafeuille-Greg Gilbert (GRE), Dellan Brown-Donovan Richards (JAM), Gerald Umaña-Dany Antonio López (NCA), Roberto Rodriguez-Erick Haddock (PUR-1), Pablo Guzmán-Orlando Irizarry (PUR-2), Lombardo Ontiveros-Juan Virgen (MEX-1), Juan Manuel Revuelta-Ricardo Galindo (MEX-2), Mario Alberto Gaytán- Alan Gabriel Martínez (MEX-3), Joseph Clercent-Julian Bissette LCA), Cassius Franklyn-Aziza Quashie (VIN), Fabien Whitfield-Daniel Williams (TRI), Marc Lomeli-Anthony Pippen (ISV), David Smith-Skylar DelSol (USA).

Women’s Teams: Jacqueline Tait- Victoria Cowley (CAN), Ion Canet- Nirian Sinal (CUB), Diana Peguero-Nairobi Agramonte (DOM), Marcela Avalos-Diana Romero (ESA), Stefanny Bolaños- Ana Lourdes Ramírez (GUA), Elia María Torrez-Swan Valeria Mendoza (NCA), Dariam Acevedo- Tatiana Encarnación (PUR), Brenda Allen- -Shancia Dyer (SKN), Elki Philip-Ayana Dyette (TRI), Mayra García-Bibiana Candelas (MEX), Martha Revuelta- Vanessa Virgen (MEX-2), Mayra Santacruz-Gloria Santiago (MEX-3).