Dominican Republic U18 Girls bright at AAU event

ORLANDO, Florida, June 24, 2015 – The Dominican Republic U18 Girls National Team started off on the right foot winning their first two matches in the international division of the 43rd Amateur Athletic Union Girls’ Junior National Volleyball Championships on Thursday.

Sparked by the impressive spikes of Madeline Guillén and Natalia Martinez and the precise setting of Yokaty Perez, the Dominican side scored straight-set victories over Slovenia and Mexico.

The team coached by Brazilian Wagner Pacheco debuted with a 2-0 (25-14, 25-19) victory over Slovenia and closed the first day with a 2-0 (25-18, 25-17) against Mexico.

The Dominicans, who presented terrific shape and excellent coordination, dominated both matches from start to finish. They put a good show of volleyball with accurate serves and tight defense at the net.

“Our team has been training hard for this competition which is also a good learning experience for the girls,” Pacheco said. “Our next two matches are against China and Brazil who are two big opponents.”

The U18 International Division consists of seven teams – Brazil, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Slovenia.

The Dominican team is composed by the following players:

Gabriela Hernández, Madeline Guillén, Gerleny Mercedes, Vielka Peralta, Pamela Jorge, Yemari Reyes, Natalia Martinez, Camila de la Rosa, Massiel Matos, Yokaty Perez, Julissa Navarro and Lisbeth Rosario. The team manager is Agripina Martinez and the assistant coaches are Cristian Cruz and Rubén Andisín.