Captain - Kervin Pinerua
Kervin Pinerua was part of the Venezuela team that finished equal-19th at the 2010 World Championship in Italy, and he helped them to improve to a 17th place finish at the 2014 edition. Most recently he was the top scorer in a Venezuela side that won one of their six games at the 2015 World League.
He also played with Venezuela at the 2012 Olympic Qualification Tournament in Tokyo, Japan. At continental level, he played with the Venezuela team at the 2011 South American Championship, where they finished third. He also played with the national team at the 2011 Pan American Games, where they finished eighth. He won a silver medal at the 2013 Bolivarian Games. The outside hitter won several individual awards at junior continental competitions, including being named Most Valuable Player at the 2011 Junior Pan American Cup in Panama, and Best Spiker at the 2010 South American Junior Championship in Chile.
Pinerua started playing volleyball when his mother, who played volleyball when she was younger, encouraged him to try the sport as an alternative to baseball and athletics.
Star Player - Hector Jesus Mata
Despite being just 22 years old, Hector Jesus Mata already has four years of international volleyball experience. In 2011 he played in the Pan American Games, where Venezuela finished eighth and 18-year-old Mata was named Best Libero. In the same year he won a bronze medal at the South American Championship.
After his breakthrough 2011 season, he played at the 2012 World Olympic Qualification Tournament, before switching back to age group competition at the 2013 World Junior Championship in Brazil. Venezuela finished sixth in Brazil, where Mata had the fourth-best reception efficiency among liberos, and the seventh most digs in the tournament. After being selected in Venezuela’s World Championship side that finished 17th in 2014, he made his World League debut in 2015 as the team won only one of their six matches.
He has played club volleyball with Deportivo Anzoategui in Venezuela's National Volleyball League, and was named Best Libero for season 2013/14. In 2010 and 2011 he was named Athlete of the Year for the city of Guanipa in Venezuela.
