Costa Rica has been a major power in the Central America region the past few years thanks to the hard work of its National Federation which embraced a long term project in 1999 after winning the AFECAVOL tournaments in all three categories (Youth, Junior and Adults) in both genders.

Following the criteria that you have to learn how to walk before running, the Costa Rican Women Team is starting to make a more often international presence and thus facing more and more stronger competition in regional events.

Now it is time to take part in the Pan American Cup as one of the ten squads that will battle in Mexicali and Tijuana, Mexico, on June 18-26,  for four tickets to the 2005 World Grand Prix.

They will go to Mexico without major pretensions other than seek for the much needed experience for their young side.

A short team in the past, Costa Rica is emphasizing on recruiting taller talents like the Mills sisters (Angela and Verania) and Merla Schmidt, who tested the tough competition of the region playing against USA, Cuba and Canada during the NORCECA Championship last September in the Dominican Republic.

The strong resistance they offered against USA and Cuba in that event revealed the progress of the Costa Rican side and showed that in the future they won’t be an also ran team.

The members of the Costa Rica Team are: Angela Willis, Verania Willis, Irene Fonseca, Johana Moore, Silvia Marin, Viera Chacon, Onicka Pinnock, Karen Cope, Catalina Fernandez, Ericka Riggionne, Merla Schmidt, Evelyn Hernández, Alejandra Pereira, Paola Ramírez, Verónica Blanco, Dionisia Thompson, Marianela Alfaro and Mariela Quesada.