Volleyball Selection: A challenging year

In 2016, the senior volleyball selection didn't perform at its best. Losing the spot for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games against Argentina was perhaps one of the biggest regrets.

A generational change

When Brazilian Mauro Marasciulo arrived in January 2015 to coach the national team and replace Natalia Málaga, he encountered a high wall named "generational change". The age and category gap among the players was wide and the group couldn't consolidate itself as a team.

New coach: Natalia Málaga?

Diana Gonzales, the current president of the Peruvian Volleyball Federation, talked to DT El Comercio and announced that Mauro Marasciulo will not continue leading the senior selection. Will Natalia Málaga have a chance to coach the national team again?

Considering Natalia Málaga

Some months ago, Natalia Málaga spoke with DT El Comercio and didn't discard the possibility of returning to coach the senior selection.

Natalia will always be a reference in Peruvian volleyball. At some point, we did talk to her (to propose coaching the senior selection), but she had to finish the process with the U15 team that she took charge of last year.

New coach announcement

The new coach of the Peruvian selection will be announced next week. There are many proposals, including a Croatian, an Argentine, an Italian, and others. We also received two more calls last weekend. We have about five alternatives.

What we're looking for is someone who knows the team, who knows the reality of Peru, and who is an active coach. The championships they have won will weigh heavily. We also need them to set aside their nationality and become one more Peruvian.

Why the decision not to renew with coach Marasciulo?

His contract lasted until December. The new board, which took office in January, has started working and we have decided to evaluate other profiles, other options for coach. It is a bit complicated not to get results, but we must take into account that he had a couple of very difficult years. We had a change in the senior category with girls like Ángela Leyva, Maguilaura Frías, Coraima Goméz, among others.

The schedule for the Peruvian senior volleyball selection is almost ready. The Pan American Cup will be the first challenge starting on June 15 in our country. The following month, the Group 2 preliminary round of the World Grand Prix will take place in Chiclayo.