Karen Cope is hardly a household name, due to her choice of sport: professional volleyball. But the San Jose-born 20-year-old is gaining a name in Sweden with her team, Angelhomls.

Although she only arrived in Sweden last December, her team has already offered to extend her contract for two more years. She returns to her native Costa Rica in May and must balance out the offer against her desire to start university. If she opts for the sport, then her first priority, she says, is to hire an agent.

One factor in her success is her jumping ability, giving her a reach of 3.15 meters, more than her taller teammates. She deveoped this skill here by playing six years with a team in the National Games for amateur sports, a team that finally won the championship in 2006.