NORCECA and Molten sign a four-year deal 

NORCECA Congress will be in Aruba next October 

Chicago to Host U.S. World League Matches

Glenn Quinlan is the first President of ECVA

A seventh match will be necessary in Puerto Rico

Executive Committee and Board of Administration to meet in Santo Domingo

Juncos is one victory away from the crown in Puerto Rico

Dominicans Suero-Almanzar in semifinals

Men of Puerto Rico were perfect on Day One in Guatemala

Second leg of NORCECA Circuit set to start 

Cabral MVP in Spain as she leads Icaro Alaro to the title 

PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain.- Dominican Milagros Cabral scored 20 points sending Icaro Alaro to a 3-1 victory over Bargas Atalia PSG in the match for the championship of the Silver Division in the Spaniard League.

Cabral, who had 17 positive attacks, was elected the Most Valuable Player and the 25-14, 23-25, 25-17, 25-21 triumph gave Icaro Alaro the promotion to the Spaniard Super League next season.

Venezuelan Desiree Glod and Spaniard Daniela Marin each had 14 points for the winners. More Spanish

Caguas won the first in Puerto Rican League Finals 

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, April 15, 2007.- Caguas won the first match of the Puerto Rican Women’s Superior League final series prevailing over Juncos in five sets by score of 25-19, 25-17, 22-25, 23-25, 15-7.

Caguas, who has won seven titles and has been runner-up in 10 times, enjoyed a 21 points performance from Katie Carter in route to the victory. Also Erin Moore contributed to the victory with a spectacular offense during the tie-breaker.

After winning the first two sets without major difficulties, Caguas had problems with the passing and Juncos capitalized those mistakes taking the next two and forcing the tie-breaker. More Spanish

Pairs of El Salvador reigned in Bahia Open

Americans men Stolfus and Wong won the gold  

Americans Stolfus-Wong are favorites in Boca Chica 

Women of USA, Costa Rica, Canada and Cuba move to semis in Boca Chica

Men of Costa Rica, Guatemala and Puerto Rico made successful starts in Boca Chica Beach 

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, April 6, 2007.- The men’s teams of Costa Rica, Guatemala and Puerto Rico II secured places in the second round of the Boca Chica  Beach Volleyball Tournament, the first leg of the 2007 NORCECA Circuit, an inaugural five-stop tour in both genders.

These pairs won both of their matches today before good crowds and excellent weather at Boca Chica beach, 20 miles to the east of the Dominican capital. The event is sponsored by Presidente Light beer and qualifies four teams to the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro next July.

The Opening Ceremony was attended by Mr. Felipe Payano, Minister of Sports of Dominican Republic, the Major of Boca Chica Mrs. Joselyn Pena and Mr. Cristobal Marte, president of NORCECA. Mr. Payano made the ceremonial first serve. More Spanish 

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, April 3, 2007.- Teams from eleven countries in both genders will participate in the first leg of the five-stop 2007 Norceca Beach Volleyball Circuit to be held on the sands of Boca Chica, outside of the Dominican capital next weekend. 

Canada, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago and United States of America have registered their representatives for the event sponsored by Presidente Light Beer.

During a press conference held at the NORCECA headquarters. More Spanish 

The Mexican Sports Confederation categorized Dr. Ruben Acosta Hernandez as an “Sport Icon” considering his many years of hard work and dedication to elevate volleyball to the position it stands now as the second most important sport in the world. 

In a two-page story published in the last issue of its magazine “Deporte Federado,” the institution points out the success achieved by volleyball since the inception of the World League in 1990, and emphasize on the attraction the sport had on TV viewers around the world during the last Olympic Games in Athens. 

The organization, presided by Mr. Alonso Perez Gonzalez, mentioned the expansion the International Volleyball Federation has reached during the 23 years of presidency by Dr. Acosta. More Spanish 

LAUSANNE, Switzerland,  March 21, 2007- The FIVB is pleased to announce that the venue for the 2007 World League Finals has been confirmed to Katowice, Poland  and at the request of Italy, Rome will host the 2008 World League Finals. 

Welcoming the news, FIVB President Dr. Rubén Acosta said that “Poland has long pursued the right to host the World League Final and show the world the energetic spectators who religiously follow their team all over the globe. We look forward to the full house anticipated by the organizers for the five days of the event.” More Spanish

HAVANA, Cuba, March 20, 2007.- Constructors and Mambises won the women and men crowns respectively in the IV Cuban National League which concluded at the Ciudad Deportiva Sports Palace.

Led by Yumilka Ruiz and Yenisey Gonzalez with the accurate settings of Yanelis Santos, Constructors defeated Farmers 25-23, 25-23, 27-25. The bronze medal was taken by Selection with a victory over Dominican Republic 3-1 (17-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-22).

Mambises, led by Raidel Poey and Ariel Gil, played with better control than Energetics in their victory 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 25-22.

The third place was for Farmers, the junior team in preparation for the World Championship, with a triumph over Selection 3-0 (25-22, 25-23 y 25-19). More Spanish

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California, March 20,  2007.-  With the number of beach volleyball players around the country growing, volleyball legend and three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Karch Kiraly announced plans for the U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball presented by Corona Extra, which will be played Sept. 21-23, 2007 in Huntington Beach, California.

Sanctioned by USA Volleyball and produced by The Elevation Group, the tournament is expected to draw more than 250 volleyball teams and approximately 1,000 beach volleyball players in the first year.  Tournament play will take place in up to 15 different divisions, including draws for men, women and co-ed two-person, four-person and six-person teams.  In addition there are plans for two divisions of masters’ categories for both men and women with one division for those players 37 and older and a second one for those 45 and older. More Spanish

HAVANA, Cuba, March 19, 2007.- The duos of Tamara Larrea-Imada Estevez and Francisco Alvarez-Lian Sem were crowned as the monarchs of women and men respectively during the Beach Volleyball Cuban National Championship. The event took place on the sands of Rancho Luna of the Cienfuegos Province. Tamara and Imada of Havana defeated Dalixia Fernandez-Kirenia Reina of Guantanamo in two sets. The bronze medal went to Ion Canet-Kirenia Ballar who beat Yarianna Machado-Nirian Sinal. More Spanish

HAVANA, Cuba, March 17, 2007.- The Cuban Men’s Training Team traveled to Quito,Ecuador where they will establish a training base at high altitude prior to their important compromises this year. Most of the players were part of the last year team whose main challenges are to battle for a medal at the Pan American Games of Rio de Janeiro in July and to qualify to the World Cup in the NORCECA tournament in September.

The World Cup will grant the first three tickets to the Beijing Olympic Games of 2008. The players on the trip are setters Yoandri Díaz and Raidel Hierrezuelo, middle blockers Roberlandy Simón, Odelvis Dominico, Ariel Gil and Pavel Pimienta, who is on the squad since the mid-90s.The group of attackers is formed by Yasser Portuondo, Michael Sánchez, Raidel Poey, Raidel Corrales, as well as Oriol Camejo, Rolando Jurquín, Pedro Iznaga and Miguel Angel Dalmau. More Spanish

MUNSTER, Germany, March 15, 2007.- Dominican Annerys Vargas and American Nancy Metcalf played key roles in the triumph of the Spaniard team Grupo 2002 Murcia at the Women’s Top Teams Cup 2006-07.

Grupo 2002 Murcia, considered by the experts as the strongest European club in women’s volleyball, defeated CSKA Moscow in straight sets 25-20, 25-16, 25-21 in the match for the gold medal.

Vargas booked the last three points of the third set to seal the first international victory for the Spaniard team. More Spanish

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 15, 2007.- Héctor "Picky" Soto, the stellar attacker of the Puerto Rican Men’s Volleyball National Team, was honoured as the 2006 Men Athlete of the Year, by ASES Awards of the Puerto Rico Sport Museum.

Also Mr. Carlos Beltrán, President of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation, was the recipient for the second consecutive year of the Executive of the Year plaque.

After excellent seasons last year with the Tiscali Cagliari club of the Italian League and the San Juan Beach Boys of the Puerto Rican Superior League, joined the National Team to comply with the international commitments. More Spanish

HAVANA, Cuba, March 14, 2007.- The Farmers, a team formed by the men juniors, surprised the Mambises in a five-set victory (26-28, 25-20, 27-25, 15-25, 15-13) during the resuming of the big final of the Cuban Volleyball National League.

Ismael Fernandez with 19 points and Yadier Sanchez and Yoandry Leal with 16 and 14 points respectively, led the juniors who are preparing to participate in the 2007 FIVB World Championship. Rolando Jurquin, with 21 point, More Spanish

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 14, 2007.-  Evelyn Carreras, the stellar libero of the Dominican Republic National Team and playing here for the Bayamon Cowgirls, only needs 36 more defenses to reach the 2,000 mark for her career in the Puerto Rican Women’s Superior League.

Carreras made her debut in the league during the 1997 season with the now defunct franchise Girls of San Juan.

When Carreras arrives to the 2,000 milestone, she will be the seventh player in the history of the league that started in 1995 to become a member of the exclusive club, informed Luis Vega, the statistician of the league.

More Spanish

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, March 8, 2007.- If the third time is when it counts, this was the most successful year for the annual international volleyball clinics for physical education school teachers given by members of the coaches and technical commission of NORCECA. “We can appreciate the progress obtained by the physical education teachers that have been taking part for three years now,” said Cuban Eugenio George Laffita. More Spanish

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 7, 2007.- Venezuelan Graciela Marquez and Dominicans Bethania de la Cruz and Cindy Rondon are the leaders of the scoring categories in the 2007 Puerto Rican Women’s Superior League.

The veteran Marquez is tops in scoring and serve, while de la Cruz and Rondon, playing in their first season here, lead in attack and blocking respectively.

Marquez, with 329 points in 59 sets, has an average of 5.58 points per set, followed by de la Cruz 5.25 (294 in 56) and American Kim Glass with 4.66. More Spanish

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 6, 2007.- The Foreigners beat the Natives in the annual All-Star Game of the Puerto Rican Women’s Superior League held at Carmen Zoraida Figueroa Court in the city Corozal, located in the center of the island.

 The score was 25-14, 15-25, 25-19, 26-24 and it was the first time in five years that the Natives won a set against their stronger opponents. The All-Star Game has a six year history and only in the first year the team of Native Stars won the classic. More Spanish

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, March 5, 2007.- Twelve renowned volleyball and beach volleyball coaches shared their knowledge and experiences during the Third International Clinic for Physical Education Teachers of Scholar level held last Saturday. The beneficiaries of the event were more than 160 teachers in the one-day long clinic organized by the FIVB Regional Development Center in the Dominican Republic with the support of the NORCECA Confederation. More Spanish