With a victory over the towering team of Trinidad and Tobago, the Women’s National Volleyball Team put Costa Rica in the quarter finals of the NORCECA Volleyball Confederation Olympic Qualification Tournament currently underway in Tijuana, Mexico. There was a clear height advantage for the Caribbean volleyball players of Trinidad on the court, but in the end the Ticas prevailed three sets to one, for a final score of 25-19, 25-22, 15-25, and 25-13.

It took more than an hour and a half for the Ticas to come away victorious and claim a spot in the quarter finals. Team captain Verania Willis scored 22 points, 12 of them thanks to her relentless attack on the net. Costa Rica dominated the game from the start, but then the Ticas got a little too confident on the third set. On the final set they found their rhythm and stepped up their game to a 12 point advantage. Angela Willis and Karen Cope scored 15 and 13 points respectively.

Speaking to NORCECA reporters, captain Verania Willis explained that they had to be careful against the players from Trinidad, since they fought on every point. It took patience and focus from the Ticas to win the final set. Coach Xavier Perales did not think that Costa Rica made any mistakes on the third set: “We lost the third set because of the qualities of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Our current Women’s National Volleyball Team is not very experienced. The Ticas are excited to advance to the quarter finals, where they will play against the team from Dominican Republic after their victory over Puerto Rico on Tuesday night. They will have to watch out for Bethania de la Cruz, a young player who has been scoring high on every game she has played, and who was not part of the starting lineup for the Dominicans.

Canada, the Dominican Republic and Mexico are also in the quarter finals. The team from Cuba, fresh from an easy victory against the Mexican team, is the favorite in this tournament and will be a strong presence in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

Source: NORCECA and Yahoo Deportes