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San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 21, 2016 – Puerto Rico women’s team
seems to be at the right time and in the right place as they
intend to capture the last ticket to the volleyball tournament
of the next Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
After subduing their main competitors for the ticket to Brazil
with a 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-18) victory over Colombia on
Saturday, the home team only need to pass one more hurdle
represented by the team of Kenya on Sunday.
“They are a dangerous team with some good jumpers and we need to
establish our best defensive game against them,” said Juan
Carlos Nunez on Saturday after the win against the
representative of South America in the Women’s World Olympic
Qualification Tournament. “Our services carried us and we were
able to neutralize (Madeleine) Montano which was part of our
strategy.”
Stephanie Enright and Karina Ocasio registered 17 and 15 points,
respectively, to send the Puerto Rican to the edge of the
Olympic Games. Colombia’s Amanda Coneo and Montano finished with
13 and 10.
Puerto Rico needs to win two sets on Sunday against Kenya to
punch the ticket to Rio de Janeiro, but the Kenyans are thinking
totally different.
The coach David Lungaho sounded optimistic after the 3-1 (25-14,
23-25, 25-14, 25-16) triumph over Algeria to put their record at
1-1.
“It is a very important win after losing in day one and now we
are looking forward to win over Puerto Rico,” Lungaho said. “I
know it will be tough but is not impossible.”
Mercy Moim, the captain of Kenya, promised a well focused team
against Puerto Rico as they intend to be in the Olympic Games
for the first time since 2000.
Bracksides Khadambi led the victory against Algeria with 23
points that included five blocks and four aces. Algeria’s
Yasmine Abderrahim, who only is 17, had a tournament-high 30
points in the loss. |
