Puerto Rican National team travel to Italy for WCH

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, September 20, 2014 - The National women’s team of Puerto Rico traveled to Italy on Saturday to participate at the FIVB World Championship.

“This is one of the groups with the best enthusiasm and chemistry I’ve ever seen. We know that as in every world championship there is a very tough competition, but the girls are very well concentrated and we everybody make this trip with a goal to Italy,” said team manager Elliot Matías Sosa.

The Puerto Rican team will begin their participation on Tuesday at the Bari Palaflorium. The roster is composed by setters Vilmarie Mojica and Natalia Valentin.

Outside hitters Yarimar Rosa, Aury Cruz and Stephanie Enright were also called up for the National Team, as well as middle blockers Alexandra Oquendo, Sheila Ocasio and Lynda Morales.

The opposites are Karina Ocasio and Vanessa Vélez, while the players assigned to play as liberos are Shara Venegas and Deborah Seilhamer.

The delegation is also composed by José Mieles (head coach), Anthony Meléndez, Eduardo ‘Cocolo’ Galarza (assistants), Gamalier Santiago (statistitian), Víctor ‘Yun’ Correa (physical therapist), César Trabanco (doctor), Elliot Matías (team manager) and José Ayala (team journalist).

Puerto Rico team members are expected to arrive on Sunday to Bari, after a trip that includes stops a transfer in New York and another one in Rome.

Their first practice at the Palaflorium is scheduled on Sunday afternoon after their arrival, while their first match in Pool D will be played on Tuesday September 23 against China at 10:30 local time (4:30 Puerto Rican time).

After this match they will play against Cuba on Wednesday  24, Azerbaijan on Thursdat 25, Japan on Saturday 27 and Belgium on Sunday 28.

The best four teams of Pool D will advance to second round at the World Championship and will cross against the best four classified of Pool A (Italy, Germany, Dominican Republic, Croatia, Argentina and Tunisia).

Second round will be played in Bari and Trieste. The best three teams of second round will advance to third round, and after this phase the semifinalist teams will be defined.

The finals are expected to play in Milano on October 11 and 12.