Costa Rica pulled off a major upset at the NORCECA Women’s Continental Cup as they defeated favourite Cuba 3-2 moving closer to the single ticket on hand to the Olympic beach volleyball tournament in Rio de Janeiro.

The duo of Karen Cope and Nathalia Alfaro beat Lianma Flores and Leila Martinez 15-9 in a “golden set” to break a 2-2 tie in the country versus country semifinal series on Saturday.

Costa Rica will battle hosts Mexico on Sunday for the single berth for their nation to the Rio Games. The teams placed second and third will have one final chance at the at the FIVB World Continental Cup competition in Sochi Russia from July 4-10.

Cope and Alfaro began their busy day prevailing 2-1 (21-12, 18-21, 15-13) in a 54-minute battle against Yanisleidis Sanchez and Lidiannis Echeverria before losing to Flores and Martines 2-0 (21-16, 21-11).

Flores and Martinez scored a second victory over Marcela Araya and Valeria Valenciano 2-0 (21-17, 21-6), but the young Costa Ricans recovered to tie the series with a convincing 2-0 (21-16, 21-15) over Sanchez/Echeverría.

Mexico had a smoother path to the Finals by winning 3-0 their series against Guatemala.

Claudia Rios and Gloria Santoyo won 2-0 (21-18, 21-16) over Natalia Girón and Estefanie Bethancourt and Diana Estrada and Zaira Orellana defeated sisters Maria José Orellana and María Andrea Orellana 2-0 (21-15, 21-17).

Rios/Santoyo capped the day with a 2-1 (21-13, 16-21, 15-5) over Orellana/Orellana.

Cuba came back to win 3-0 over Nicaragua and will play Guatemala, winners 3-0 over Trinidad & Tobago, in the dispute for the important third place.

Press release by the Federation Internationale de Volleyball – Guaymas, Mexico, June 26, 2016