USA Team players pose with their medals and trophy during the award ceremony of the NORCECA Women's Junior Championship on Saturday night in Tijuana

USA Team players pose with their medals and trophy during the award ceremony of the NORCECA Women's Junior Championship on Saturday night in Tijuana

Tijuana, Mexico, July 10, 2010 - USA kept alive its successful winning streak at the NORCECA Women’s Junior Volleyball Championship by winning a fourth consecutive gold medal following a straight sets victory (25-22, 25-20, 25-20) over the Dominican Republic on Saturday night in Mexico, Tijuana.

Both teams had secured berths in next year’s FIVB World Championship due to take place in Peru.

American Jane Croson, the best attacker of the tournament, was elected as the Most Valuable Player.

Cuba captured the bronze medal and the last ticket available to the World Championships by sweeping Mexico 25-20, 25-19, 25-21.

“We are very happy about winning against a great team like the Dominican Republic,” USA Coach Robert Browning said. “We didn’t play perfect but you can’t do that against that kind of opponent. But the girls kept the calm and played consistently during the whole week.”

Brazilian coach of the Dominican Republic Wagner Pacheco stated: “It was a superb tournament and USA didn’t lose a single set. It was a good match but we failed some key points at the end of the sets. I am a little bit sad but also satisfied because we achieved the goal of winning a medal and reaching the World Championshipa.”

About winning the bronze medal, Cuban Yusnieska Robles said: “After losing last night against the Dominican Republic, we were determined to win the remaining ticket to the World Championship.”

USA v Dominican Republic

United States defeated the Dominican Republic in consecutive sets (25-22, 25-20, 25-20) to win its fourth gold medal in a row and fifth overall. The Dominicans have been runners-up on each of the last four editions. Kelly Reeves, the only American in double figures, was the match’s top scorer with 15 points. Jane Croson and Stephanie Holthus added eight and seven points respectively. Dominicans Ana Yorkira Binet, Marianne Fersola and Candida Arias recorded 14, 12 and 10 points.

Cuba v Mexico

Cuba downed Mexico in straight sets (25-20, 25-19, 25-21) to claim the bronze medal and the remaining ticket to next year’s FIVB Junior World Championship. Cuba’s captain Yusnieska Robles recorded 23 points, including two blocks and two aces, while Rosana Giel, Jennifer Alvarez and Sulian Matienzo registered 15, 14 and 9 points respectively. Samantha Bricio was the only Mexican with double digits with 13 points.

Puerto Rico v Canada

Puerto Rico claimed fifth place by defeating Canada in straight sets (25-18, 26-24, 25-19) in the first match on Saturday. Puerto Rican Diana Reyes led the winners with 15 points, Genesis Collazo and Daly Santana each compiled 11 tallies and Keyla Rodriguez contributed nine points. Canadians Lisa Barclay and Meaghan Robertson registered 12 and 10 respectively.

Final positions: 1. USA, 2. Dominican Republic, 3. Cuba, 4. Mexico, 5. Puerto Rico, 6. Canada, 7. Costa Rica, 8. El Salvador, 9. Trinidad & Tobago, 10. Guadeloupe.

Individual awards:

Best Scorer: Ana Yorkira Binet (DOM)

Best Attacker: Jane Croson (USA)

Best Blocker: Haleigh Hampton (USA)

Best Server: Marisha Herbert (TRI)

Best Digger: Brenda Castillo (DOM)

Best Receiver: Brenda Castillo (DOM)

Best Libero: Brenda Castillo (DOM)

Best Setter: Gabriela Reyes (DOM)

MVP: Jane Croson (USA)

Brasil conquista o tricampeonato no Mundial Infanto Juvenil Feminino

Dominicans plan to go one better in Peru

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, February 21, 2011 – Wagner Pacheco has been putting his Dominican Republic team through their paces as they start looking ahead to the 2011 FIVB Women's Junior Volleyball World Championship in Peru in July.

Brazilian coach Pacheco has been working with the team five days a week, with the focus on both conditioning and on-court training. The Dominican team will be bidding to improve on the silver medal they won in Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico at the last edition in 2009.

Key players Marianne Fersola and Brenda Castillo, the latter of whom was a member of the Dominican Republic squad that finished 17th at last year's FIVB Women's World Championship in Japan, will join up with the squad once they have finished the season with their clubs. Castillo plays for Club Las Criollas de Caguas in the Puerto Rican league while Fersola is with Club Murcia 2005 in the Spanish league.

While training will continue, the Dominican team will get on-court experience at the Women's Junior Pan American Cup in Lima, Peru in June, before returning to the same country for the World Championship from July 22-31.

http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=27747&La

Brazil can win women's junior crown – Luizomar

Brazil can win women's junior crown – Luizomar

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, February 21, 2011 – Brazil's women's junior coach, Luizomar de Moura, said that winning the 2011 FIVB Women’s Junior World Championship was well within the abilities of his team.

Brazil will be searching for their seventh title in the tournament's history at this year's event in Peru from July 22-31. The South Americans finished third at the last tournament, but Luizomar is confident they can do much better this time around.

"We are hoping to have a year of many victories," he said. "This generation can win all the major titles in the youth categories. The basis of this team won the FIVB Girl's Youth World Championship two years ago and also won the South American games, so the title of women's junior champions would be the crowning achievement for this group."

Brazil picked up the Women's Junior World Championship in 1987, 1989, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 and are the competition's most successful team. http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=27757&La

Peru to welcome future stars of women's game

Peru to welcome future stars of women's game

Lausanne, Switzerland, February 16, 2011 – Eleven teams out of the 16 due to participate in the FIVB Women's Junior World Championship in July have already been determined and in this update, FIVB.org reviews who has qualified and who still has that task ahead of them.

Many countries are already beginning to prepare for the 15th edition of the tournament, which will take place in Lima and Trujillo in Peru from July 22-31. Peru have been hosts once before – in 1989 – of an event established in 1977 alongside its men's equivalent.

The last Women's Junior World Championship took place in Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico in 2009 with Germany seeing off the Dominican Republic in straight sets in the final to seal not only their first gold medal at the event, but also their first podium finish. Brazil completed the honours with victory over Bulgaria for bronze.

However, the defending champions are yet to reach the 2011 tournament as CEV qualification begins in May with five vacancies open to the 18 competing countries split across four pools. The only side from Europe to have guaranteed their place in Peru are 2010 CEV Women's Junior Championship winners Italy, who did not participate in the 2009 edition and finished fifth in 2007.

The Dominican Republic will be looking to go one better than their silver medal in 2009 as one of NORCECA's three representatives together with Cuba, who finished ninth in 2009, and USA, who ended the last tournament in a disappointing 12th place.

Japan and Korea both return to the world stage this year, joining China from Asia who finished tenth in 2009. The Chinese will be eager to rediscover their former authority in an event where they have finished on the podium nine times, including a gold-medal triumph in 1995. Meanwhile, Japan – who failed to qualify in 2009 – will look to improve on the bronze medal they won in 2007. Korea, who won the first two editions of the Women’s Junior World Championship, return for the first time since 2005.

Egypt and Tunisia, both absent from the 2009 competition, return to the biennial contest as Africa' representatives. The last time Egypt took part, in 2007, they finished 12th while this is only Tunisia's second championship appearance after ranking 13th in 1995.

Last but certainly not least, the six-time winners of the Women's Junior World Championship, Brazil, will be desperate to win back the title they let slip in 2009 as they and Peru represent South America. Brazil still managed a podium finish on their last outing but will want to return to the top step while Peru are back in the competition for the first time since 1995.

 http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=27725&La