User:Osplace/Karen Cope

Karen Xiomara Cope Charles (born November 6, 1985 in El Limón) is a female beach volleyball and volleyball player from Costa Rica who played the 2006 and 2010 FIVB indoor World Championships and the 2015 World Championships and the 2016 Summer Olympics in beach volleyball.

Personal and early life
Cope is is 173 cm tall 55 kg, born as Karen Xiomara Cope Charles on June 11, 1985 in Limón, Limón Province, Costa Rica. She is the daugther of Stwart Cope a former basketball player, and Brenda Charles Clark, now-deceased, who is former sports educator and national record holder in track and field. She have an older sister named Karen and a little brother named Carlton.

As a Afro-Costa Rican, she expressed along with boxer Hanna Gabriel pride for her roots, backing and celebrating the Day of the Black Person and Afro-Costa Rican Culture.

2006
Kope played the Pan-AmericanCup, reaching the eleventh place and the seveth place during the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games, where most of the Costa Rican athletes had to cover their own expenses, including the entire volleyball team.

After playing the TV Azteca Women's Stars tournament, she made the selection for the 2006 FIVB World Championship, appointed for jumping ability and considered one of the team's top players. The Costa Rica national team, then ranked No.33, lost 0-3 in their World Championships debut to Korea in spite of Cope's team resistance, and many defensive mistakes. 0-3 to Japan to worsen 0-2 in the pool A ranking and finally, her national team won their first ever set, but losing 1-3 to Poland, even when Cope was a highlight because of her jumping abilities and spike, while losing their third match. They beat Kenya in a 3-2 comeback, the first ever win for her national team in the World Championships, they thanked the audience support while their captain admitted their better concentration through the match as one of the key roles for the win. After the lost to Chinese Taipei 0-3 they were eliminated in the first round of the championship, finally ranking tied-17th.

While playing World Championship, she signed with the Swedish club EVS Engelholm Voleyball Sallskap, with plans to play professional volleyball and study. She got that through the Costa Rica National team advisor, Canadian Lorne Sawula, who sent a video to Sweden. She played the 2006/2007 CEV Top Teams Cup, and helped her team to reach the continental cup semifinals and the local league second place.

2007
When she finished her season with the Swedish team, she returned to Costa Rica to play with the local University of Costa Rica. She also announced her singing with the Swiss club Kanti Schaffhausen.

She then played the Pan-American Cup where her team played without any preparation games. Her team lost the seventh place match game against Peru, besides Cope's 14 points. And later went to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to play the volleyball tournament of the Pan American Games. Besides being the top or second best scorer for her team, they lost 0-3 to the Dominican Republic and 2-3 to Mexico, ending her participation in eighth place.

2008
Cope played the 2007-08 CEV Challenge Cup season with her swiss team and lost to Romanian Dinamo Romprest Bucurest in the third round.

During the 2008–09 CEV Cup With Kanti Schaffhausen, they defeated the Croatian OTP Banka Pula 3-0 and 3-0 in the 1/16 round and later to the Portuguese Clube Desportivo Ribeirense 2-3 and 3-0. Before falling to the German Rote Raben Vilsbiburg in the quarterfinals in January 2009.

2009
Kanti Schaffhausen was unable to achieve their first championship beign defeated by Volley Köniz, after Kope suffered a season ending injury that wher club could not overcome, winning anyway the Swiss cup. When she returned from Switzerland, she was called to the national team who was schedule to play the 2010 FIVB World Championship NORCECA qualification tournament with lack of warm up games. The only warn up was the Pan-American Cup were her team ranked eight after only andvancing to the 5-8 position round after the pool play, and losing to Argentina and Canada. After the Pan American Cup, her national team traveled to Orlando, Florida to play the 2010 FIVB World Championship NORCECA qualification tournament.

Clasificacion al mundial Costa Rica contaba con ella http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/WorldChampionships/2010/Men/Rounds/viewPressRelease.asp?No=22330

https://www.larepublica.net/app/cms/www/index.php?id_menu=54&pagenum=1 https://www.larepublica.net/app/mobileview_new/view_mobile.php?pk_articulo=28275&from=movil y clasifican ganando a TRI http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/WorldChampionships/2010/Men/Rounds/viewPressRelease.asp?No=22418

septiembre NORceca championship ya clasficiadas al mundial http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=22595&Language=en#.VYDlq_l_Oko http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=22621&Language=en#.VYDkKPl_Oko

ganan el 7mo lugar del norceca http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/WorldLeague/2009/viewPressRelease.asp?No=22637

She then moved to Austria, after signing with SVS Post Schwechat. She was recovering from a tendinopathy. 2009/2010 GM Capital Challenge Cup Women http://www.cev.lu/Competition-Area/CompetitionTeamDetails.aspx?TeamID=83&ID=7 Team do not passed the first round. losing to Azerrail Baku.

She got a season-ending shoulder injury, and lost the rest of the season.

2010
win the gold medal at the Central American cup http://www.birriapanama.com/2010/12/06/costa-rica-se-lleva-la-copa-centroamericana/

quarterfinals win over Guatemala http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=1064442&s=otros-deportes/centroamericanos2010&type=story

pierden de PUR la semifinal http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/WorldGrandPrix/2010/viewPressRelease.asp?No=24993

win the bronze medal at the Volleyball at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/WorldGrandPrix/2010/viewPressRelease.asp?No=25007

toma tiempo para bailar en los juegos, contra DOM http://wvw.aldia.cr/ad_ee/2010/julio/19/ovacion2451619.html

after the games, she and Paola Ramirez lost their jobs in call centers http://www.nacion.com/deportes/otros-deportes/Escaso-apoyo-condena-deporte-mediocridad_0_1138486195.html ella renuncio http://wvw.aldia.cr/ad_ee/2010/julio/22/ovacion2455658.html

se van de gira a taiwan http://wvw.aldia.cr/ad_ee/2010/octubre/20/ovacion2561106.html

con la meta de ganarle a argelia http://wvw.aldia.cr/ad_ee/2010/octubre/10/ovacion2550656.html

se lesiona antes del mundial http://wvw.aldia.cr/ad_ee/2010/octubre/22/ovacion2563506.html

de la rodilla, en la gira por Taiwan, pero se recupera http://wvw.aldia.cr/ad_ee/2010/octubre/27/ovacion2568814.html

2010 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship

pierden de serbia, ella pudo jugar http://wvw.aldia.cr/ad_ee/2010/octubre/30/ovacion2572443.html CRC beat algeria http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/WorldChampionships/2010/Women/viewMatchInfo.asp?Category=2&MatchNo=13&No=26696 http://www.fivb.org/en/volleyball/Competitions/WorldChampionships/2010/Women/viewPressRelease.asp?No=26699 She said that was a hard match and ... http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=1162985 pierden de polonia http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/WorldChampionships/Women/2006/Press/viewPressInfo.asp?Category=2&MatchNo=26&No=11841 http://wvw.aldia.cr/ad_ee/2010/noviembre/01/ovacion2574027.html pierden de peru y la clasificacion a la siguiente ronda http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/WorldChampionships/2010/Women/viewPressRelease.asp?No=26807 costa rican league championship with UCR http://www.ucr.ac.cr/noticias/2010/10/14/voleibol-femenino-da-un-nuevo-cetro-a-la-ucr.html

2011
Convocada a la copa panam http://wvw.aldia.cr/ad_ee/2011/julio/01/deportes2829145.html

copa panamericana lugar 11 http://www.fivb.org/en/volleyball/competitions/WorldGrandPrix/2013/viewPressRelease.asp?No=36057&Language=en https://www.norceca.net/July%207-2011_Costa%20Rica%20ends%20in%2011th%20at%20U-18%20Pan%20Am%20Cup.htm

juega en chile con el Boston college y gana el titulo Super 4 http://www.fevochi.cl/?p=8418 http://www.biobiochile.cl/2011/08/16/voleibol-u-catolica-y-boston-college-se-titulan-campeones-en-la-liga-nacional.shtml

incian la semis ganando http://www.fevochi.cl/?p=8712 they surprinsingly lost the semifinals to Universidad Catolica http://www.ahoranoticias.cl/deportes/uc-se-instala-en-la-final-de-la-liga-chilena-femenina-de-voleibol.html

gana best spiker http://www.cooperativa.cl/noticias/deportes/voleibol/torneos-nacionales/u-catolica-y-linares-festejaron-en-finales-de-la-liga-chilena-de-voleibol/2011-09-04/

212734.html

No juega el norceca por la muerte de su madre, justo antes de empezar http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/Junior/men/2009/viewPressRelease.asp?No=32015

She defined her mother as her main supporter. She felt depressed and even thought about retiring. She found support in her family and boyfriend and started the idea of changing to beach volleyball. http://www.nacion.com/deportes/otros-deportes/Karen-Cope-retira-murio-Rio_0_1577242318.html

2012
Cope signed with the Puerto Rican club Valencianas de Juncos as the first Costarican to play in the Puerto Rican League. Besides the support she gave for the team along the season,   she was released on 27 February 2012 when her team was in eigth place to make room for the American Blair Brown. She then returned to Costa Rica to play with San José Bio Gel winning her second Costarican championship, the Opening Tournament. She then traveled to Mexico to play the NORCECA Olympic qualification and her team reached the quarterfinals, but only mananged to claim the sixth place, not qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

In July she played the Pan-American Cup and after losing to Canada in the 5-8 qualification round, her team only ranked in the ninth place. But she later found herself with an unknown injury that kept her out of the court. But in december, she played the Costarican Closing tournament with San José Bio Gel, leading the team to their second straight championship being awarded Most Valuable player. She dedicated that triumph to her deceased mother and confessed that she was planning to share her time either to play indoor volleyball abroad with an atractive contract or a new career in beach volleyball and study veterinary medicine.

http://www.nacion.com/deportes/otros-deportes/misiles-Cope-dieron-San-Jose_0_1288471377.html http://www.nacion.com/etiqueta/santa_barbara/

2013
In 2013, she made the transition to beach volleyball, partnering Marianela Alfaro. She confessed that she felt thar her time as an indoor player finished and before retiring she wanted to try at the beach. She wanted to challenge the best Costarican duo composed of Ingrid Morales and Nathalia Alfaro

February Central American Games, one of the 567 atletes http://www.aldia.cr/otros-deportes/Juegos_Centroamericanos-medallas-record_0_88191213.html

She played the Pan American Cup http://www.elguardian.cr/es/Deportes/Voleibol_Femenino_a_Copa_Panamericana/ http://deporcuba.com/2013/06/12/cuba-sum-el-segundo-triunfo-al-superar-a-costa-rica/

pierden la oportunidad de quarterfinals http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=39561&Language=en#.VYDmpfl_Oko

Playing at home, she won with her national team the indoor volleyball gold medal during the Central American Games when they beat 3-1 to

Guatemala; she was also awarded tournament's Best Spiker.

after parterners separated due to the lack of blocking http://www.teletica.com/deportes/21106-Reinas-del-voleibol-de-playa-se-separan.note.aspx

transition http://www.jefes.com.mx/2013/09/circuito-voleibol-de-playa-de-la-norceca/

starting the route to Rio 2016, first time with Alfaro http://www.aldia.cr/otros-deportes/Natalia_Alfaro-Karen_Cope_0_207579277.html

jugo en costar rica quedo en 4to

2014
Ingrid se retira http://www.aldia.cr/mas-deportes/Ingrid_Morales-voleibol_0_292770741.html

mayo campona nacional http://www.aldia.cr/voleibol/Balto-Ferreteria-Brenes-coronan-voleibol_0_356364369.html

Silver in Guatemala http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=45419&Language=en#.VX9kS_l_Oko

porque le pico una avispa a alfaro http://www.aldia.cr/voleibol/Voleibol_de_playa-Natalia_Alfaro-Karen_Cope-Ferreteria_Brenes_Lanco_0_349165104.html

lost the bronze medal in Guatemala NORCECA Tour http://avp.com/news/hunkusdicello-win-the-title-at-antigua-guatemala/

and finished the tour in 3rd place http://www.nacion.com/deportes/otros-deportes/Ticas-quieren-despedir-presea_0_1454454625.html

campeona centroamericana http://www.aldia.cr/voleibol/Karen_Cope-Natalia_Alfaro-Voleibol_de_Playa-Centroamericano_de_Voleibol_de_Playa_0_394760533.html

went to veracruz after finishing in 3rd place in the 2014 NORCECA Tour http://www.aldia.cr/voleibol/Tour_Norceca-Voleibol_de_playa-Natalia_Alfaro_y_Karen_Cope_0_466753353.html

they won the pool e of the tournament in the preliminary round, http://www.afecavol.org/afecavol/noticias/2014/11/karen-cope-y-natalia-alfaro-ganan-grupo-e-en-veracruz.aspx

nonetheless, they lost 0-2 from the Cubans Leila Martínez y Lianma Flores http://voleibolmexico.com/noticias-nacionales/van-por-el-oro-centroamericano

and the bronze medal at the Beach volleyball at the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games http://www.afecavol.org/afecavol/noticias/2014/12/karen-cope-y-natalia-alfaro-quedan-cuartas-en-veracruz.aspx http://info.veracruz2014.mx/info/eng/bv/engbv_beach_volleyball_results_women_w400_1_02.htm

2015
She won the Central American Beach Volleyball from the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Cup, beating Guatemalans Maria Jose Orellana and Maria Andrea Orellana. In march they were announced as one of the 48 teams that were going to compete in the World Championship, as the first ever Costarican representatives in the World Championship. With this joy, they won in April the Costa Rican Beach Volleyball national championship for the second time. She then played the Cayman Islands stop from the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, finishing in the fifth place.

In June, she played the Ocean City stop of the National Beach Volleyball League in the United States, with the Costa Rica Olympic Committee backup, winning the bronze medal and using this tournament to improve the blocking and the service efectiveness. Playing in Puerto Cortés, Honduras, Cope and Alfaro claimed the Central American Championship.

Playing in the 2015 Beach Volleyball World Championships, in their first match, they lost 0-2 to the German representatives, 0-2 to the Slovakians, and finally 1-2 to the Poland team. After her participation, Cope defined playing with the score and improve the closing as the key points for their next competitions and also thanked the support and motivation from Costa Rica during the World Championship.

She then traveled to Toronto, Canada to play the 2015 Pan American Games, beating the Chileans 2-1, before an easy 30 minutes win 2-0 to the Nicaraguans, and finished the pool play with a 1-2 lost to the Brazilian team. They defeated 2-0 to the Mexicans in the elimination round but lost 0-2 in the quarterfinals round to the Canadians, and 0-2 the Colombian Galindo sisters and ending their Pan American Games participation in the eigth place when they lost 0-2 to Uruguay.

In october she won the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour silver medal in Saint Lucia when she lost 0-3 to the Americans Irene Hester and Caitlin Ledoux the gold medal match.

2016
The Costarican Institute for Sports and Recreation granted Kope a C$1,500,000 (Costa Rican Colones)—approximately US$2,830 in March 2016— annual scholarship.

Togegther with Marcela Araya and Valeria Valenciano the duo of Alfaro and Cope qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics by winning the NORCECA Continental Cup, first time ever in beach volleyball for their home country. The knowledge of each other and a solid friendship was the foundation to achieve the Olympic berth, she also defined that moment as the result of teamwork and achieving the highest point in her sport career. The team was one of 10 Costa Rica representatives to the games. They lost their first match 0-2 to Australia,, 0-2 to Netherlands in the second match.

Clubs

 * 🇸🇪 Engelholm VS (2006-2007)
 * Universidad de Costa Rica (2007)
 * Kanti Schaffhausen (2007-2009)
 * 🇦🇹 SVS Post Schwechat (2009-2010)
 * Universidad de Costa Rica (2010)
 * Boston College (2011)
 * Valencianas de Juncos (2012)
 * San José Bio Gel (2012)

Individulas

 * ''2011 Chilean League "Best Spiker"
 * 2012 Costa Rican League "Most Valuable Player"

Clubs

 * 2006-07 Swedish League - Gorm silver cup.jpg Runner-Up, with Engelholm VS
 * 2007-08 Swiss League - Gorm silver cup.jpg Runner-Up, with Kanti Schaffhausen
 * 2008 Swiss Supercup - Simple cup icon.svg Champion, with Kanti Schaffhausen
 * 2008-09 Swiss League - Gorm silver cup.jpg Runner-Up, with Kanti Schaffhausen
 * 2008-09 Swiss Cup - Simple cup icon.svg Champion, with Kanti Schaffhausen
 * 2010 Costa Rican League - Simple cup icon.svg Champion, with Universidad de Costa Rica
 * 2011 Chilean League Super-4 - Simple cup icon.svg Champion, with Boston College
 * 2012 Costa Rican League - Simple cup icon.svg Champion, with San José Bio Gel