The Lionesses of Volleyball Discover Alicante City Hall's Secrets Ahead of the Golden League

The Spanish national volleyball team, known as the Lionesses of Volleyball, has arrived in Alicante to begin preparations for two crucial European Golden League matches this weekend. The Pedro Ferrándiz Pavilion will host a triangular tournament from Friday to Sunday, featuring the Spanish team, Sweden, and Croatia.

A delegation from the team, including players Ana Escamilla, María Segura, Patricia Llabrés, Raquel Lázaro, Carla Jiménez, and Zoi Mavrommatis, explored the inner workings of Alicante City Hall on Tuesday, guided by the exceptional host, Sports Councillor Toni Gallego. The event was also attended by Felipe Pascual, President of the Spanish Volleyball Federation; Arturo Ruiz, President of the Valencian Community Volleyball Federation; and Luis Cervera, Director of Sports for the Valencian Government.

Before visiting Alicante City Hall, the Lionesses of Volleyball were greeted by the Mayor of San Vicente del Raspeig, Pachi Pascual, and the Sports Councillor, as the team is staying at the Villa Universitaria hotel.

The Lionesses will kick off against Croatia on Friday at 19:00, in a key match to build confidence, earn points, and reinforce all the work done in previous months. Pascual Saurín's team will conclude their participation in Alicante with an exciting clash against Sweden on Sunday at 18:00. The Swedish team arrives with their star player Isabelle Haak in top form. The opposite hitter was the MVP of the Champions League with Imoco Volley Conegliano and is one of the world's most promising players. Additionally, she will be especially motivated and obliged to qualify Sweden for the European Golden League final four, as the Scandinavian country is the host.

Apart from Spain's two matches, the other two teams, Croatia and Sweden, will face off on Saturday (18:00) at the Pedro Ferrándiz, where the Spanish team will attend (from the warm-up to the end of the first quarter) to sign autographs for fans.

The Lionesses of Volleyball debuted last weekend in the European Golden League with a victory against Montenegro and a defeat against the strong Ukraine. After the matches in Alicante, the Spanish team will conclude the group stage in Velenje (Slovenia) against Greece and Slovenia. The European Golden League final four will take place on June 28 and 29.

Pascual Saurín's team arrives in Alicante with numerous stars, including players like María Schlegel, Patricia Llabrés, Raquel Lázaro, María Segura, and Ana Escamilla. All of them are franchise players in various European teams and are counting down the days to compete again in Alicante, where they experienced unique sensations in 2022, as a record attendance was set for a Lionesses match on home soil. Around 4,500 spectators were thrilled by the victory against Denmark three years ago, and there are high hopes for this new visit, although Gandia's Paola Martínez Vela will miss out due to injury.