Puerto Rico hosts NORCECA Final Qualifier to Nanjing

CAROLINA, Puerto Rico, April 8, 2014 – The NORCECA Final Qualification Beach Volleyball Tournament towards the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing will take place in Carolina, Puerto Rico on April 12-13 with two berths per gender up for grabs.

“The beach volleyball fans will have the chance to watch in action the stars of the future and to support our teams,” Nelson Perez Cruz, President of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation, said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Perez Cruz also expressed the gratitude of the Puerto Rican Federation to the Mayor of Carolina Jose Carlos Aponte for his support to bring the event to the city located in the northeast of the island.

“The support of the Mayor of Carolina is very important to bring this event here and some others we are going to have during the summer,” Perez Cruz added.

Twelve pairs per gender will compete in the preliminary pool play on Saturday with the top two from the four groups advancing to the single elimination draw on Sunday. The teams reaching the semifinals secure tickets to Nanjing.

The boys’ division features players representing Bahamas, Barbados, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, St Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The countries represented in the girls’ competition are Antigua, Canada, Cayman Islands, El Salvador, Grenada, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Boys' teams registered: Rajahl Moxey/Gage Smith (Bahamas), Andry Stapleton/Ahkeem Mayers (Barbados), Yahn Florent/Arden Elmes (Dominica), TBA (El Salvador), TBA (Honduras), Jesus Rodriguez/Luis Romero (Mexico), Denis Lopez/Luis López (Nicaragua),  Daniel Rivera/Sergio Figueroa (Puerto Rico), Andre Marquis/Alexander Augier (St. Lucia), Marlon Phillip/Kareem Thomas (Trinidad & Tobago), Louis Richard/Torey DeFalco (United States) and Carlos Rosa/Ajai Sweeney (U.S.Virgin Islands).

Girls' teams registered: Natasha Best/Jenna Greer (Antigua), Nicole NcNamara/Megan McNamara (Canada), Chanta Smith-Johnson/Ileann Powery (Cayman Islands), Alexandra Calderon/Roxana Avalos (El Salvador), Jomelar Billy/Cassie Paul (Grenada), Miriam Lobo/Sidney Moncada (Honduras), Stephanie Burnside/Diana Valdez (Mexico), Camila Romero/Katerine Montealto (Nicaragua), Adjanis Arosemena/Keisy Caballero (Panama), Lina Bernier/Valeria Cajigas (Puerto Rico) and Sigourney Kame/Gabriella Bouterse (Suriname).