The Women’s National Volleyball Team knows where it stands, knows the urgency of the moment and understands the way to reach its goal.

This week they began training at the spacious and warm courts of the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus, which is also where the men’s national team practices.

"There is a call-up of 21 players. It’s always good to have players in quantity," head coach Juan Carlos Núñez told El Nuevo Día.

“Seeing veterans who have always said yes to Puerto Rico and new players who are committed, creates a healthy and positive environment,”, Núñez added.

A summer of five competitions begins to take shape led by the Norceca Pre-Olympic Tournament in August, a competition that represents, early in the cycle, the best chance to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

One of the veterans is Olympic libero Shara Venegas, who joined the team after participating in the Major League Volleyball in the United States.

Venegas immediately made clear the sense of urgency.

"This is a very important year, a Pre-Olympic year. It is the most important year of the cycle," said Venegas.

The urgency is due to the fact that the Pre-Olympic will be played early in the qualifying process.

For Rio 2016, the national team qualified that same summer.

For Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, Puerto Rico tried to get the ticket in Pre-Olympics one year before the Games.

In addition, the other qualification routes look more complicated: obtaining one of the three best places in the 2027 World Cup or qualifying through the world ranking, where Puerto Rico currently occupies the 23rd position.

Before thinking about the Pre-Olympic, the National Team must secure its place in the qualifying tournament by finishing among the top four teams at the Norceca Championship in Santo Domingo in August.

Núñez avoided analyzing whether the fact of playing the Pre-Olympic Games so early in the cycle benefits or harms Puerto Rico against other candidate teams such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba and Canada.

He preferred to focus on the absence of the United States, which has already qualified automatically for Los Angeles 2028 by hosting the Games.

"Without forgetting that we are in the difficult zone, with the Dominican Republic and Canada, who are 11th and 12th in the world... when we can try the most is this year when the United States is not in the picture. That puts the Dominican Republic and Canada as the favorites, but the gaps between those teams and us are short," Nunez analyzed.

The Pre-Olympic will also be played in Santo Domingo, after a short break following the Norceca Championship. Puerto Rico needs to reach the semifinals of the continental tournament to secure a spot in the Olympic qualifier.

The National Team will arrive at the Norceca Championship with two and a half months of preparation and after playing two events: the Norceca Final Four, to be held in Ponce starting on June 3, and the Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026, starting on August 1.

Núñez hopes to have 14 players who are healthy, motivated and convinced of their possibilities for the Olympic dream.

“We’ve already been to one Olympics, but it’s still a dream to be able to compete in those short tournaments where we can take on the underdog role," he said.

“We have to arrive with our best healthy version, with Paola (Santiago), who began to jump, with Marcelle (Baez) with the medical clearance in July. And that with those who are already here, nothing happens in the months we are going to train and play in the Central American Games,” continued Núñez.

Among the 20 players, the national team has well-known members such as ushers Wilmarie Rivera and Jennifer Nogueras, center backs Diana Reyes, Ana Sofía Jusino and Alba Aponte, opposite Dariana Hollingsworth, and corners Valeria Vázquez, Ivania Ortiz and Sofía Victoriá.

Also noteworthy is the integration of attacker Nayeli González, who is a new face in the group.

“She plays for Iowa State. Trabanco (César, federation president) had already had communication with her and this was the moment to invite her and see what she can bring to the program,” said Núñez in relation to González.

The Selection has also invited setter Natalia Valentín and opposite Brittany Abercrombie. Valentín has said she hopes to be around in the summer.

Also participating in the practices are center Adriana Rodríguez, liberos Okiana Valle and Yaleimid Correa, and attackers Leandra Mangual and Nataly García.

The team has also given a space to middle blocker Neira Ortiz, following the recent death of her father, former National Team basketball player José “Piculín” Ortiz.

Outside hitter Vázquez returned to the National Team after an outstanding 2025 World Cup, in which she scored double figures in all three first round matches. She recently played in Italy’s Serie A2.

The young opposite Decelise Champion, who also shone at the 2025 World Cup, has not yet been integrated due to commitments in Italy.

“She should arrives on the 28″, Núñez specified.

In general terms, Venegas observes a fearless group.

“I love that they are not afraid of anything. There’s veteran experience with a lot of youth. This is a team that has the material to qualify. I see that there is no fear. We are going there to beat the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Canada," said Venegas.

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This content was translated from Spanish to English using artificial intelligence and was reviewed by an editor before being published.