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USA women are sure bet in NORCECA Pool O
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, May 13, 2014 – The United States
will host Guatemala, Honduras and Panama in the FIVB Women’s
World Championship NORCECA third-round Pool O qualification
tournament May 15-18 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in
Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Host United States, ranked second in the world by the FIVB and
No 1 in NORCECA received a bye directly into the third-round
qualification tournament based on their ranking.
One of the top teams in the world, American women are considered
a cinch to book their place among the 24 sides to compete later
in the year at the final stage of the competition in several
cities of Italy.
The USA side has won the last two editions of the annual Women’s
Pan American Cup and won also the last two biennial
championships of NORCECA.
The Americans have been continental champions seven times and
have won five of the last seven editions and reached the podium
in 21 of the 23 editions since the tournament began in 1969.
The NORCECA 11th ranked Panama captured Pool N with a
25-18, 25-20, 25-16 victory over Haiti in the finals last summer
to advance to the third round. The Panamanians had won Pool G in
2012 with a 25-18, 25-15, 25-11 victory over El Salvador.
Guatemala, No. 15 at the continental level, won its second-round
Pool L with a 25-20, 24-26, 25-18, 25-21 victory over Guadeloupe
in the finals at Guatemala City last June to advance to the
third round. In the first round, the Guatemalans lost a decisive
five-setter (25-15, 22-25, 25-17, 23-25, 15-11) against
Nicaragua in Pool H.
Honduras, ranked 19th in NORCECA, finished third in the
second-round Pool I last May in Trinidad & Tobago, but were the
highest ranked third-place team to move on to the next stage.
The Pool O winner earns a berth into the 24-team FIVB Women’s
World Championship that will be held Sept. 23 to Oct. 12 in six
Italian cities. The second-place team in Pool O, along with the
other four second place teams in third-round pools, will compete
in a final playoff June 2-9 at Trinidad & Tobago to determine
NORCECA’s sixth and final spot into the World Championship.
The Women’s World Championship, in its 17th edition,
is held every four years and is the premier event for the FIVB.
A total of 141 national federations, including 36 from NORCECA,
have taken part in the FIVB Women’s World Championship
qualification process.
FIVB World Championship NORCECA Women’s Qualification Tournament
Pool O Schedule (all times MT)
May 15
13:00 Panama v Honduras
15:00 USA v Guatemala
May 16
13:00 Honduras vs. Guatemala
15:00 USA v Panama
May 17
13:00 Panama v Guatemala
15:00 USA v Honduras
May 18
13:00: Third Place v Fourth Place
15:00 First Place v Second Place |
