Dominican Republic was the most improved team at the Grand Prix 

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, September 11, 2006.- The Dominican Republic was the most improved team at this year’s FIVB World Grand Prix, catapulting themselves from eleventh to the eighth position in the premier annual women event.

The Dominicans started the preliminary round with impressive victories over USA and Poland during the Bydgoszcz leg and stretched champions Brazil and Japan –two teams in the Final Six- to close battle in five sets at Macau and Okayama respectively.

With their two victories of this year, under new coach Miguel Beato Cruz, they equalled the total obtained in the two previous years and their twelve sets won tied up the amount of their participation in 2004 and 2005.

Annerys Vargas was the second best blocker during the preliminary round and she was also the best scorer and spiker of the Dominican Republic side.

USA, the other NORCECA team besides fourth ranked Cuba, finished in the seventh position, advancing one step from the eighth of last year.

Veteran Heather Bown was the most outstanding player of USA Team excelling both in spiking and blocking.