Teams are excited for the NORCECA Women’s Final Four to start

NOGALES, Sonora, June 16, 2022.- Costa Rica, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Mexico are excited for the start of the NORCECA Women’s Final Four after the preliminary inquiries for the event that runs from June 17-19 in Nogales, Sonora.

The NORCECA Final Four, is a round-robin qualification tournament where the first place will compete at the FIVB Final Challenger Cup that advances one team to the 2023 International Volleyball Nations League.

Canada won the NORCECA Final Four in 2019 and then went on to win the FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup held in Lima to progress to the VNL.

Matches will be streamed on Facebook Live Instituto Municipal del Deporte Nogales and Gobierno de la Ciudad de Nogales

Joel Olazabal, Head Coach of Cuba: “We want to evaluate the players we are bringing, some have been playing overseas and others training since February, depending on their performance here they can help us in the Final Six and the Pan American Cup for our NORCECA ranking to qualify for Central American Games. We aren’t aiming to win the berth to the World Final, because many players just finished their leagues and don’t have the training to be here”.

Pablo Acuña, Head Coach of Costa Rica: “We are excited to compete, our focus this year is the Central American Games at the end of the year in Guatemala. We are approaching this competition as three good preparation matches. We have prepared to give our best against Cuba, Puerto Rico and Mexico; our expectation is to compete with them well and continue our preparation for the end of the year”.

Rafael Petry, Head Coach of Mexico: “I see my girls motivated, well prepared and with their minds in reaching the objective of finishing first place in the event. All teams don’t have time for errors, because it’s a short competition and I consider my team capable of managing the pressure”.

Fernando Morales, Head Coach of Puerto Rico: “The team we’re here with is young but talented, mostly players that are playing in universities in the U.S. because our professional league in Puerto Rico is currently running (belated for Covid). We are eager to watch them compete at this level, it’s a short tournament which we’ll take out the best”.