U13-Volley Fest 2024 concludes in Suriname

PARAMARIBO, Suriname, March 17, 2024.- The first U13-Fest of the Surinamese Volleyball Association (Suvobo) has come to an end. Coordinator Eric Aikman looks back positively on the pilot. “It’s all about the kids. They enjoyed it and learned from it,” Aikman emphasizes. He admits that there is always room for improvement in terms of organization and that it was a good learning moment for everyone.

The first U13-Volley Fest was open to schools, clubs as well as private clubs. For the boys, Survos, Yelyco and Bazooka were the participating clubs and for the girls, Survos participated with several teams. The mixed teams were always a mix of the three clubs and players of Survos.

“Organizationally, we can or should do much better, but I think we have learned that from this”.

Annual character

“In the coming year, we are going to organize it again anyway and bigger,” says Suvobo chairman Lionel Blokland. Aikman hopes that more teams will participate. The Volley Fest ended on Saturday afternoon after four weekends in the Ismay van Wilgen Sports Hall.

Blokland liked it. “Some of the kids were ahead of the rest, but during the game everything seemed to be on one level. The parents really enjoyed it too,” Blokland continues. Aikman believes that introducing children to competitive sports at an early age can only have long- term benefits for their level. “In a few years, we will be able to participate in international tournaments with better teams.”

Learned from it

Aikman continues to insist that things can and must always be better. “Organizationally, we can or should do much better, but I think we learned that from this. It gets better.” Blokland points out that Suriname, especially as far as men are concerned, has risen considerably in position in the region and internationally.

“We notice from playing within South America that the reality check is there and the introduction to the sport is getting younger and younger, because you have to have follow- up in categories that are higher. We first prepared the framework for this group (VT-1 and possibly VT-2) and we need to make a good organization around it.”

The winners have all had medals and cups. The champions in the boys and girls received three vouchers from McDonalds and SRD 400.

Final Ranking

Boys: 1. Yelyco, 2. Survos, 3. Bazooka

Girls: overall winner: Survos; Mix: 1. Survos, 2. Yelyco, 3. Bazooka

Nuneviller Earns First League Honor For Supernovas

March 12, 2024.- For the first time in 2024, a player from the Omaha Supernovas has captured weekly accolades as Brooke Nuneviller has been selected as the Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week.

The opposite hitter recorded a season-high 20 kills on a season-best .313 hitting percentage in her team’s five-set victory over Orlando on Saturday. She also collected 18 digs to post her seventh straight double-double and eighth overall this year.

The Supernovas’ team captain also registered her fifth ace and fifth block of the inaugural campaign. Nuneviller finished with 22 points on the night to increase her overall total to 139 points in 34 sets in 2024.

Nuneviller played her best when it counted most, adding five kills on six swings for a .667 hitting percentage in the decisive fifth set as the Supernovas finished the match off with a 15-6 set victory.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues on Thursday, March 14 when Atlanta travels to Omaha for a battle of the two teams tied for first place in the league standings.

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com  

2024 Weekly Awards

Date                             Player                                                                      

March 12                     Brooke Nuneviller, Omaha Supernovas, OH

March 5                       Anna Lazareva, Atlanta Vibe, OPP

February 27               Reagan Cooper, Columbus Fury, OH

February 20               Emiliya Dimitrova, Grand Rapids Rise, OPP

February 13               Adora Anae, Orlando Valkyries, OH

February 6                 Leah Edmond, Atlanta Vibe, OH January 30                 Alli Linnehan, Atlanta Vibe, OH          

Lima or Asunción? The Americas Elect the Host City of the 2027 Pan American Games

Tomorrow, March 12, the city that will host the continental event in 2027 will be elected in a vote in which all the National Olympic Committees members of Panam Sports will participate.
 
A total of 40 countries will participate in the Extraordinary General Assembly, with a total of 52 votes. Panam Sports Channel will be the official and exclusive channel for this election.

Miami, March 11, 2024.- We are just a few hours away from announcing the host city of the next 2027 Pan American Games.
 
This Tuesday, at the Extraordinary General Assembly of Panam Sports that will be held virtually for all member countries, the election that will define the winning city will be carried out.
 
The Executive Board and representatives of the candidate cities of Lima and Asuncion will be in Miami. The rest of the participants, Presidents and Secretaries General of the National Olympic Committees, will connect by zoom.
 
Each of the candidate cities will have 40 minutes to make a presentation to the Assembly, and then time will be given for questions and answers from the member countries.
 
After the presentations from Lima and Asuncion, the vote will be held. There are 40 member countries with a total of 52 votes, as the Constitution provides that each country that has hosted the Pan American Games is entitled to two votes.
 
The election of the host city will be carried out by secret ballot. The winning candidate city will need a majority of votes cast by the NOC members of Panam Sports present at the General Assembly with the right to vote.
 
“We are very happy with the way that this process has turned out. There is a lot of expectation, as we have two great cities of our continent competing for the honor of hosting the 2027 Pan American Games. I am sure that whoever wins this Tuesday will give everything for the success of our Games”, said the Panam Sports President, Neven Ilic.
 
To ensure the transparency and success of the process, Panam Sports hired the services of renowned British company Lumi, an expert in virtual elections that has worked with the International Olympic Committee and International Federations.

It should be noted that the Extraordinary General Assembly in which the host city of the 2027 Pan American Games will be elected will be broadcast live and exclusively for the entire world through the Panam Sports Channel, starting at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern time).
 
The following is the detailed program of the Extraordinary General Assembly:
 
• Opening of the Extraordinary General Assembly. Remarks by Jimena Saldaña, Secretary General of Panam Sports and Roll Call
• Welcome remarks by President Neven Ilic
• Panam Sports Evaluation Commission Report
• Questions and answers
• City 1 – Presentation
• Questions and answers
• City 2 – Presentation
• Questions and answers
• Voting
• Remarks by President Neven Ilic and announcement of the voting’s results
• Remarks by the President of the National Olympic Committee of the elected city
• Closing remarks
• Closing of the Extraordinary General Assembly
 
Note: The order of presentation of the candidate cities will be determined through a draw that will be held today, March 11, 2024, at the Executive Board meeting

NORCECA Female International Referees Share their stories to Celebrate International Women’s Day

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, March 8, 2024.- To celebrate and recognize International Women’s Day 2024, the NORCECA Volleyball Confederation Refereeing  Commission hosted a virtual session “Sharing Our Story” to Inspire and Include NORCECA Female International Referees.

Guy Bradbury, president of the NORCECA Refereeing Commission, highlighted this was the second occasion that NORCECA female international referees had the opportunity to speak about their experiences refereeing at an international level, how they’ve been inspired in doing so and promoting inclusion in volleyball.

Julie Voeck of the United States, member of the NORCECA Refereeing Commission, was the moderator of the virtual session that was divided into two panels.

The first panel was taking a moment to listen to Suzanne Lowry, FIVB International Beach Volleyball Referee and USA National Referee, who spoke about officiating as First Referee for the outdoor match in Nebraska, United States with more than 94,000 spectators, an event in August that set a new world record for the most highly attended women’s sporting event in history. 

Suzanne shared her experience sharing how she prepared before the match, the atmosphere and her vivid feelings about the great responsibility and excitement taking part in this great historic event that exposed volleyball to the world, which inspired young girls that aspire to become athletes, coaches and referees. “This was life changing for my career, it gave a sense of awe, pride and inspiration”.

The second panel was a “Q&A” session with the new International Referee Candidates who participated in the Beach Volleyball and Volleyball International Referee Course that took place in January in Puerto Rico, who shared their journeys to becoming a NORCECA International Referee. Among them  Rebecca Johannes – PUR (beach), Rochelle Artwell – JAM (beach), Chantal Kasters – SUR (indoor), Breanna Spain – USA (indoor), Ana Marlenis Rodriguez – DOM (indoor) and Diana De la Mora – MEX (beach).

Guy explained that 55 Female International Referees are part of NORCECA and continues to grow, “NORCECA is the only Confederation in the world that is developing International Referee Courses and 54% of the participants during the International Referee Course held in January were female”.

In her closing words, Julie stated “we enjoyed this gathering to celebrate women, inspiring inclusion and their amazing journey full of meaningful moments, which have led us to become a family”.

While Guy thanked each and everyone for their commitment as referees in NORCECA, which have led them to take time from their families, work and friends “as a Confederation we send you our appreciation to help grow volleyball in NORCECA. Happy whistling”.

Atlanta’s Lazareva Collects Weekly Award

March 5, 2024.- For the third time this season, an Atlanta Vibe player has earned weekly recognition after Anna Lazareva was selected as Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week.

The opposite hitter led her team to a 2-1 week, including back-to-back sweeps as the Vibe moved  into a tie for first place in the league standings. In three matches overall, she tallied 56 points, 49 kills, 41 digs, six blocks and three aces.

She started off the week with a double-double of 15 kills and 20 digs in a loss to Omaha before recording 12 kills and nine digs in a win over Vegas. Lazareva then finished strong, posting 20 kills and 14 digs while hitting at a .326 clip in Atlanta’s victory over San Diego.

For the week, she notched averages of 6.2 points, 5.4 kills, 4.6 digs and 0.7 blocks. Players from the Vibe have now collected three of the six weekly honors presented so far in the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation season.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues on Saturday with three matches – Columbus at Grand Rapids (Noon ET), Vegas at Atlanta (7 p.m. ET) and Omaha at Orlando (7 p.m. ET).

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com   

2024 Weekly Awards

Date                             Player                                     

March 5                       Anna Lazareva, Atlanta, OPP

February 27               Reagan Cooper, Columbus, OH

February 20               Emiliya Dimitrova, Grand Rapids, OPP

February 13               Adora Anae, Orlando Valkyries, OH

February 6                  Leah Edmond, Atlanta Vibe, OH

January 30                 Alli Linnehan, Atlanta Vibe, OH     

Santurce, Naranjito, and Corozal win in Puerto Rico’s Women’s Superior League

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 3, 2024 – Santurce Cangrejeras (12-5) achieved a quick victory in three sets (25-19, 25-20, and 25-16) against Juncos Valencianas (9-9) at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey.

With the win, Santurce earned three points to stay at the top of the overall standings of the 204th Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) tournament with 37 points and distance themselves from the Manatí Atenienses (33).

Andrea Rangel was the only player with double digits for the Cangrejeras with 16 points, 14 on attacks, two on blocks, and six digs. Helena Havelkova contributed nine points, five on attacks, four on blocks, six digs, and 11 passes; Nancy Carrillo and Neira Ortiz with eight points each.

For Juncos, Elissa Alcántara scored 12 points, seven on attacks, one block, and four direct serves; Amethyst Harper with 11 points, eight on attacks, two on blocks, one ace, eight digs, and 11 passes; and Sh’ Diamond Holly with six points, four on attacks, and two blocks.

Pinkin defeat the Criollas

The two-time champion Pinkin of Corozal (11-7) dominated the Criollas of Caguas (8-10) in four sets to claim three points and move up to the third position in the overall standings with 29 points.

Corozal defeated Caguas 18-25, 25-23, 25-14, and 25-17 at the Pepín Cestero court in Bayamón.

After losing the first set, the champions managed to recover at home and in front of their fans to take the next three sets and win the match at home.

Corozal, which did not have Daly Santana tonight, had Emma Clothier as its top scorer with 18 points, 16 on attacks, and two on blocks; Yanlis Feliz with 13 points, 10 on attacks, two on blocks, one ace, 10 digs, and eight passes; Isabella Bergmark with 12 points, 10 on attacks, and two on blocks; 10 from Seliann Concepción, nine of them on attacks, one ace, eight digs, and 15 passes; and setter Julianna Askew with seven points, two on attacks, three on blocks, two direct serves, 13 digs, and 11 assists.

For Caguas, Nia Parker-Robinson with 14 points, all on attacks; Adeola Owokoniran contributed 13 points, 10 on attacks, two on blocks, one ace, five digs, and 17 passes; and Chareika Carrión and Janice Leao with nine points each.

Naranjito surprises Guaynabo

Changas de Naranjito (3-14) earned three points tonight by defeating the Guaynabo Mets (7-11) in four sets at the Gelito Ortega court.

The sets for the Naranjito were 25-18, 18-25, 28-26, and 25-23.

Adanna Rollins was the top scorer of the match and for Changas with 25 points, 21 on attacks, four on blocks, 13 digs, and 11 passes; Kiana Schmitt with 16 points, 13 on attacks, and three on blocks; Génesis Collazo with 14 points, 12 on attacks, two on blocks, and 20 digs; and Kayla Lund with 13 points, 11 on attacks, one block, one ace, 23 digs, and 17 passes.

For Guaynabo, Kyla Swanson with 16 points, 14 on attacks, and two on blocks; Karina Ocasio with 15 points in her return to the court with nine points on attacks, four blocks, two direct serves, and 12 digs; and Haley Bush with 15 points, 11 on attacks, four on blocks, six digs, and 18 passes.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

Rules of the Game Update Seminar for Referees in Panama

CHITRÉ, Panama, March 3, 2024. – The Panamanian Volleyball Federation, FEPAVOL, held a three-day Rules of the Game Update Seminar for Referees from March 1-3 in the city of Chitré, Herrera, Panama.

In a joint effort between FEPAVOL and the FIVB/NORCECA Regional Volleyball Development Center in Santo Domingo, 46 national referees attended a seminar of a total of 24 hours sessions under the direction of Professor José Luis Jiménez Lao, member of the NORCECA Referee Commission.  

Prof. Jiménez Lao provided technical assistance and explained that the seminar was divided into two theoretical sessions and one practical session, “many technical questions and concerns regarding the rules of the game were clarified, as well as administrative topics, in order to guide referees in the use of procedures during matches”.

Profesor Jose Luis Jimenez Lao during seminar

In addition, participants learned about the technical forms available on the FIVB, NORCECA, and AFECAVOL websites.

“Our goal with these training sessions is for all referees to apply the international standards clearly regulated by the FIVB and improve their performance”,  added Jiménez Lao.

Successful First Independence Volleyball Cup in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, February 27, 2024. – In one of its first competitive activities, the Dominican Volleyball Association in Puerto Rico held the first Independence Cup over the weekend.

The Independence Volleyball  Cup is part of the Dominican Republic Independence festivities during February. The Patriotic Day of the neighboring country is  on February 27.

The event featured a guest team from the Dominican Republic who were the ‘Primas’ de Villa Tapia, who emerged as champions after dominating in the final. The Garabito, Yeye Clinic and TOVC teams also participated.

 In the final, Villa Tapia defeated TOVC 25-23, 25-21.

 “It was a great event, very happy to be the first one organized by the Association. There was a great atmosphere with four teams, and on Sunday we had a visit from Dominican Republic’s Consul, Cesar Cedeño, who stayed the whole day,” said the president of the Dominican Volleyball Association in Puerto Rico, Rafael Paniagua.

 The other results of the Cup were: Las Primas  vs. Garabito (25-8, 25-7), TOVC vs. Yeye Clinic (25-22, 21-25, 17-15), Las Primas  vs. TOVC  (26-24, 22- 25, 25-23) and TOVC vs. Garabito (25-14, 22-25, 15-6).

The Dominican Volleyball Association in Puerto Rico was founded on July 8, 2022 and is member of the Dominican Volleyball Federation (FEDOVOLI).

The Executive Committee sworn in by Ramon Alexis García (President of FEDOVOLI) is made up, together with Paniagua, of Adalberto Bejarán, Executive Vice President; Yeddys Pérez, technical vice president; Atty. Carlos Beltrán Ríos, general secretary; Dr. Carlos Pérez, treasurer; Atty. Viviana Diaz Saviñón, recording secretary; Karina Rivera, logistics; Juan Garabito Matos, first member, Dr. Ángeles Alonso, second member and Atty. Carlos Beltrán, advisor.

Columbus’ Reagan Cooper Tabbed For Weekly Honors

February 27, 2024.- After leading her team to three straight victories for the first time this season, Columbus’ Reagan Cooper has been named Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week.

The outside hitter led the Fury in kills in all three matches, starting with a season-high 22 kills versus Omaha on Wednesday. She followed that effort with 15 and 21 kills in back-to-back wins over the Vegas Thrill. In the second match against the Thrill, she notched eight kills in the fourth set alone.

Cooper also recorded a season-best 15 digs in the home win over Vegas and tallied 33 overall in the three matches. She led the team in both points and kills for the week.

The native of Rowlett, Texas was the second-round pick for Columbus in the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation draft in December.

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com  

2024 Weekly Awards

Date                             Player                                     

February 27                Reagan Cooper, Columbus, OH

February 20                Emiliya Dimitrova, Grand Rapids, OPP

February 13                Adora Anae, Orlando Valkyries, OH

February 6                  Leah Edmond, Atlanta Vibe, OH

January 30                 Alli Linnehan, Atlanta Vibe, OH       

Manatí returned to the top of Women’s volleyball in Puerto Rico

MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, February 26, 2024 – The Manatí Atenienses (11-5) returned to the top of the standings in the 2024 Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) season, defeating Juncos Valencianas (7-8) tonight in four sets.

Manatí added three points tonight to accumulate 29, one more than the Santurce Cangrejeras (28) and jump to the first position.

Atenienses prevailed with scores of 25-13, 25-18, 24-26, and 25-14, in the match held at the Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu Coliseum in Manatí.

For Manatí, Taylor Borup with 21 points, 18 in attacks, two in blocks, one ace, eight digs, and 12 passes; Zoe Weatherington with 16 points, 13 points, two blocks, one ace, and 11 digs; and Karla Santos with 13 points, 10 in attacks, three blocks, 14 digs, and 11 passes.

For Juncos, Elissa Alcántara scored 18 points, 16 in attacks, and two in blocks; Kara McGhee with 14 points, 10 in attacks, and four in blocks; and eight points from Amethyst Harper.

Pinkins won the “Mountain Duel” for the third time

The two-time champion Pinkins from Corozal (9-6) won the “Mountain Duel” for the third time tonight against Changas (2-12), at the Gelito Ortega court in Naranjito.

All three matches between these two teams have gone to five sets. Only one remains to conclude the series of this duel.

The champions dominated their rivals 25-22, 21-25, 24-26, 25-23, and 16-14.

With the victory, Corozal (24 points) takes off in third place by two points from the Criollas (22).

Dominican reinforcement Yanlis Feliz was the top scorer for Corozal with 21 points, 18 in attacks, two in blocks, one ace, 18 digs, and 23 passes; Daly Santana helped with 19 points, 15 in attacks, two blocks, two direct services, 23 digs, and 24 passes; Emma Clothier contributed 17 points, 14 in attacks, and three in blocks; and Isabella Bergmark with 14 points, eight in attacks, and six in blocks.

For Naranjito, Adanna Rollins with 31 points, 26 in attacks, four in blocks, and one ace, 14 digs, and 20 passes; Génesis Collazo, who made her debut tonight in the Changas uniform, helped with 18 points, 14 in attacks, four in blocks, and 15 digs; Kiana Schmitt with 14 points, 12 in attacks, and two blocks; and Kayla Lund with 11 points, all in attacks, 13 digs, and 14 passes.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

Grand Rapids’ Dimitrova Selected For Weekly Accolade

February 20, 2024.- A stellar effort in the only Grand Rapids match of the week has led to league honors for Emiliya Dimitrova, who has been chosen as the latest Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week.

The opposite hitter turned in an impressive performance as the Rise regained first place in the league with a 3-2 home victory over the Atlanta Vibe. She recorded a match-high 26 kills while having only three attack errors on 58 swings for a season-best .397 hitting percentage.

The native of Shuman, Bulgaria added two blocks and an ace for a total of 29 points – tied for the second-most individual points in a league match. She also had 22 digs versus Atlanta to notch her third double-double of the year.

For the season, Dimitrova has 66 kills – with at least 12 in every match. She also boasts 57 total digs, with at least eight in each outing. The Rise return to action on Friday, March 1 when they travel to face Orlando at Addition Financial Arena.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues Wednesday when Columbus hosts Omaha in its first home match of the 2024 campaign.

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com 

2024 Weekly Awards

Date                             Player                                     

February 20                Emiliya Dimitrova, Grand Rapids, OPP

February 13                Adora Anae, Orlando Valkyries, OH

February 6                  Leah Edmond, Atlanta Vibe, OH

January 30                  Alli Linnehan, Atlanta Vibe, OH        

Fourth consecutive victory for Cangrejeras in Puerto Rico’s Women’s Superior League

JUNCOS, Puerto Rico, February 18, 2024.- Santurce Cangrejeras (9-3) closed out the week perfectly by securing their fourth consecutive victory in the regular series of the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF).

The capital’s team defeated Valencianas (6-5) in three sets (25-22, 25-22, and 25-18) at the Rafael G. Amalbert Coliseum in Juncos.

With this win, the Cangrejeras maintain their lead in the first position with 26 points.

The quartet of reinforcements for Cangrejeras led the team’s offense, with Turkish player Yeliz Basa leading with 14 points, 13 in attacks, one block, and nine digs; Czech player Helena Havelkova with 11 points, all in attacks, eight digs, and 15 passes; Cuban player Nancy Carrillo with 11 points, 10 in attacks, and one block; and American setter Carli Lloyd with six points, three in blocks, 12 digs, and 10 assists.

For Juncos, Keishlyann Sánchez was the only player scoring double digits with 11 points, seven in attacks, three in blocks, one ace, 13 digs, and four passes. Eissa Alcántara and Kara McGhee each had nine points.

Criollas climb to third place by defeating Pinkin

Caguas Criollas (6-5) defeated the two-time champions Pinkin de Corozal (6-6) in three sets to rise to the third position with 19 points, two more than the reigning champions.

Caguas secured the victory at home with scores of 25-21, 25-21, and 25-19 at the Roger Mendoza court.

The night belonged to Janice Leao, who was the only player scoring double digits with 10 points, five in attacks, five in blocks, and one ace. Adeola Owokoniran, Diana Reyes, and Chareika Carrión each scored seven points. American reinforcement Nia Parker had to leave the game in the second set after a fall when the scoreboard was 13-10 in favor of Corozal. Parker did not return to the court for the rest of the night.

For Corozal, Emma Clothier was the top scorer with 11 points, 10 in attacks, and one ace; Yanlis Feliz with 10 points, nine in attacks, one block, 11 digs, and 11 passes; and Isabela Bergmark with eight points, six in attacks, one block, one ace, and nine digs.

Another victory for the Mets as they climb to fifth place

Guaynabo Mets (5-8) rose to fifth place in the standings after defeating Atenienses (8-4) in four sets on Saturday, at the Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu Coliseum in Manatí.

The metropolitan victory ended 25-18, 25-23, 20-25, and 25-21.

Reinforcement Haley Bush was the top scorer for Guaynabo with 20 points, 19 in attacks, one block, 16 digs, and 16 passes; Naya Gross contributed with 16 points, 11 in attacks, and five in blocks. Stephanie Rivera added nine points, eight in attacks, one block, 12 digs, and 12 passes; and Kayla Swanson with eight points. Setter Savanna Vach made 21 assists, 21 digs, and two points.

For Manatí, captain Karla Santos was the top scorer with 18 points, 17 in attacks, one block, 28 digs, and 24 passes; Taylor Borup helped with 16 points, 15 in attacks, and one block; Zoe Weatherington with 13 points, 11 in attacks, one block, and one ace; and Claudia Dillon with nine points.

Guaynabo now sits in fifth place with 16 points, and Juncos dropped to sixth with 15 points.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

In five sets, the victory of Cangrejeras against champions Pinkin

BAYAMÓN, Puerto Rico. February 16, 2024. – Cangrejeras de Santurce (8-3) and the two-time champions Pinkin de Corozal (6-5) starred in a five-set battle at the Pepín Cestero court in Bayamón, where the visitors took the win and defended the top position in the overall standings of the 2024 Puerto Rican Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF).

Corozal was leading 8-6 when the fifth set change of sides came; apparently, this change favored Santurce greatly. Cangrejeras managed a six-point rally to turn the score in their favor, 12-8; a definitive advantage that led them to win the set, 15-10, and the match.

Santurce prevailed with 25-17, 20-25, 25-23, 24-26, and 15-10.

With the two points, Santurce remains at the top of the standings with 23 points, as Manatí (22 points) – although victorious – also earned two points for winning in five sets against Naranjito.

Santurce’s Czech reinforcement, Helena Havelkova, stood out on the court with 31 points, 23 in attacks, six in blocks, two direct services, 13 digs, and 20 passes; Turkish player Yeliz Basa contributed with 15 points, all in attacks, and 11 digs; and Cuban player Nancy Carrillo added 14 points, 13 in attacks, and one block.

For Corozal, Dominican player Yanlis Feliz scored 21 points, 18 in attacks, three in blocks, 18 digs, and 25 passes; Emma Clothier with 16 points, all in attacks; and Isabella Bergmark with 14, nine in attacks, and five in blocks.

Pinkin earned one point with this defeat in five sets, and they remain alone in third place with 17 points and a 6-5 record.

Manatí wins the duel in Naranjito in five sets

Atenienses de Manatí (8-3) defeated Changas at the Gelito Ortega court in a thrilling five-set match that ended 23-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-11, and 15-8.

Karla Santos was the top scorer for Atenienses with 22 points, 21 in attacks, one ace, 19 digs, and 18 passes; Zoe Weatherington with 20 points, 15 in attacks, four in blocks, one ace, and 11 digs; Claudia Dillon with 11 points, seven in attacks, one block, and three direct serves; and 10 for Taylor Borup with nine in attacks, one block, 13 digs, and 10 passes. Setter Nicole Drewnick made 21 assists, 12 digs, and six points, four in attacks, and two direct services.

For Naranjito, Adana Rollins scored 16 points, 13 in attacks, three in blocks, 12 digs, and 13 passes; Kayla Lund with 14 points, all in attacks, 12 digs, and six passes; and Andrea Serra with 14 points, 12 in attacks, one block, one ace, 14 digs, and 15 passes.

Guaynabo ends Juncos undefeated streak at home

The Mets de Guaynabo (4-8) secured their fourth victory of the season by defeating Valencianas (6-4) in four sets, thus ending their undefeated streak at home at the Rafael G. Amalbert Coliseum in Juncos.

After losing the first set, 23-25, the Mets recovered and reacted to take the next three sets, 25-24, 25-23, and 25-21.

With the victory, Guaynabo collected three crucial points for a total of 13, two less than Juncos (15), who occupies the fifth position.

Stephanie Rivera was the top scorer for the Mets with 20 points, 17 in attacks, two blocks, one ace, 15 digs, and 11 passes; Norian Ceballos helped with 13 points, 12 in attacks, one block, and 16 digs; Legna Hernández with 10 points, seven in attacks, one block, two direct serves, 20 digs, and six passes; Kayla Swanson and Naya Gross with nine points each.

For Juncos, Kara McGhee with 11 points, 10 in attacks, and one ace; Sh’Diamond Holly and Keishlyann Sánchez with 10 points each; and nine from Elissa Alcántara.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

Cangrejeras reached first position in Puerto Rico’s Women’s Superior League

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, February 14, 2024.- Santurce Cangrejeras (7-3) reached the top of the overall ranking of the 2024 Puerto Rican Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) last night, defeating Criollas de Caguas (5-5) in five sets at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey.

Santurce prevailed with 25-19, 16-25, 19-25, 25-15, and 15-10, earning two valuable points (21) that propelled them from second place to the first position, over Atenienses de Manatí (7-3, 20 points).

Caguas, on the other hand, despite obtaining one point and tying with 16 points just like the champions Pinkin de Corozal, drops to fourth place with one more defeat and one less victory. Corozal is at 6-4, and Caguas at 5-5.

In last night’s match, Turkish player Yeliz Basa scored 31 points, 29 in attacks, one block, one ace, and 15 digs for Cangrejeras. Neira Ortiz contributed with 12 points, eight in blocks; and Czech player Helena Havelkova with 12 points, 11 in attacks, one block, eight digs, and 22 passes.

The Pinkin stop the Mets’ streak

The two-time champions Pinkin de Corozal (6-4) stopped the Mets de Guaynabo (3-8) after defeating them in three sets, to end the locals’ two-game winning streak.

Corozal team earned three important points defeating their opponents 25-22, 25-22, and 25-21 at the Mario “Quijjote” Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo.

With this victory, Corozal rises to third place with 16 points.

Dominican reinforcement Yanlis Feliz was the top scorer for the champions with 15 points, 13 in attacks, two blocks, 12 digs, and nine passes; Saraí Álvarez and American player Emma Clothier with 12 points each; and 11 points from Isabella Bergmark.

For Guaynabo, Kayla Swanson scored 15 points, 11 in attacks, two in blocks, and two service aces; Naya Gross with 13 points, 10 in attacks, and three in blocks; and Stephanie Rivera with 10 points, nine in attacks, and one ace.

The Mets were coming off two consecutive victories after defeating the Atenienses de Manatí last Saturday in four sets 25-23, 25-22, 27-29, and 25-21.

Quick victory for Juncos in Naranjito

Juncos Valencianas (6-3) defeated Naranjito Changas (1-9) with scores of 25-20, 25-21, and 25-22 in less than 90 minutes.

Reinforcement Kara McGhee was the top scorer of the match and for Juncos with 17 points, eight in attacks, seven in blocks, and two service aces; Elissa Alcántara contributed with 14 points, 10 in attacks, and four in direct serves; and Keishlyann Sánchez and Amethyst Harper with eight points each.

For Naranjito, Kayla Lund scored 13 points, 11 in attacks, and two blocks; and Adana Rollins with 10 points.

For more information visit  Fedpurvoli.com

Orlando’s Anae Tabbed For League Weekly Honor

February 13, 2024.- Two strong performances by the Orlando Valkyries’ Adora Anae have earned her the latest Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week honor.

The outside hitter helped her team to a 1-1 week, as she led both teams in points in each outing while starting every set. Against the Vegas Thrill, she recorded 18 points (13 kills, two blocks, three aces) as Orlando notched its first victory of the season. Anae also had 12 digs in the match.

The native of Laie, Hawaii followed that effort by leading both teams in points, kills and aces by tallying 30 points versus Atlanta. A total of 26 came from her kills (26), aces (3) and blocks (1) while she added 14 digs to that performance. The Valkyries dropped a close 3-2 decision to the Vibe.

For the season, Anae has posted totals of 69 points, 57 kills, 45 digs and five blocks. The Valkyries return to action on Friday when they host Columbus at Addition Financial Arena.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues over this coming weekend with five matches slated over three days (Thursday, Friday and Sunday).

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com 

VNL to Expand to 18 Teams in 2025

No relegation in 2024 and no more core and challenger teams as of next year

The Volleyball Nations League will expand to 18 teams per gender as of 2025 and the participants will no longer be divided into core and challenger teams.

No team will be relegated at the end of the VNL 2024 season, while the winners of the 2024 Volleyball Challenger Cup and the highest-placed teams in the FIVB Men’s and Women’s Volleyball World Ranking not yet qualified will join the VNL 2025 action.

For more information visit Volleyball Nations League

As of the 2025 edition, the core and challenger team statuses will be abolished and the bottom-placed team in the competition’s final standings in each gender will be relegated, to be replaced by the respective highest-ranked team in the world for the following VNL season.

With the expanded number of participating teams, there will be a new structure of the Preliminary Phase schedule. What will remain the same as now is that each participating team will play 12 matches spread across three competition weeks. However, there will be three pools per week played at three different venues with six teams each. The number of competition days will be reduced from six to five per week.

The players will also benefit from an additional week of rest. There will be no VNL competition for either gender during the week after the second competition week in the men’s tournament.

In this new format, a total of 216 matches will take place during the Preliminary Phase, which brings the total number of games per season to 232, including the quarterfinals, the semifinals and the medal matches in both genders. There will be no change in the format of the Final Rounds.

Only the 2028 edition will feature a yet-to-be-determined condensed format to align with the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

These changes, involving an extended VNL footprint around the world, a more streamlined competition schedule, additional recovery and preparation time for the teams, and greater commercial potential, are expected to enhance the VNL experience for athletes, fans, host cities and all other stakeholders alike. The aim is to ensure the VNL remains a world-class spectacle through continued improvements to the fan experience both on TV and in person.

Guaynabo repeats victory against Caguas and wins in five sets

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico, February 11, 2024 – The Guaynabo Mets (2-7) achieved their second victory of the 2024 Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) season, once again against Criollas de Caguas (5-4) in five intense sets played at the Roger Mendoza Court in Valle de Turabo.

Guaynabo fell in the first two sets 20-25 and 17-25 against Caguas but recovered to come from behind and win the next three with 27-25, 25-21, and 15-6.

In the fifth set, the Mets started 7-0 and at the side change dominated, 8-1. From there on, Guaynabo did not look back until closing the set and the match in their favor.

This is the Mets’ first victory under the direction of José Mieles, and they come out of the basement with seven points for sixth place with a record of 2-7.

Guaynabo, who did not have Karina Ocasio, who was injured in the match against Santurce, and had the reinforcement player Haley Bush as their top scorer with 26 points, 23 in attacks, three in blocks, nine digs, and 15 passes; Naya Gross contributed 20 points, 19 in attacks, and one block; and Norian Ceballos with 18 points, all in attacks, and 15 digs. Stephanie Rivera helped in the victory with nine points, 29 digs, and 29 passes.

For Caguas, Treyaunna Rush scored 18 points, 16 in attacks, and two blocks; Nia Parker-Robinson with 14 points, 13 in attacks, one ace, 20 digs, and five passes; Janice Leao with 12 points, eight in attacks, and four in blocks; and Diana Reyes with 10 points, five in attacks, three blocks, and one ace.

Corozal won the second “Mountain Duel”

Two-time champions Pinkin of Corozal (5-4) and the Changas of Naranjito (1-8) played five sets again in the second edition of this year’s “Mountain Duel” and they took the victory once more.

Corozal won with 22-25, 25-29, 25-28, 18-25, and 15-9, in Daly Santana’s debut.

Naranjito was leading the fifth set, 7-4, when Corozal coach Freddy Vázquez, called a timeout. Upon return, four consecutive errors by Changas gave Pinkin the advantage, 8-7, for the side change. Saraí Álvarez scored point nine, 9-7. Naranjito immediately called a timeout, but the motivation of the champions was already sky-high and they made their presence felt on the court, especially Daly Santana, who scored three of Corozal’s last five points, including the direct serve for the victory.

For Corozal, Dominican reinforcement Yanlis Feliz scored 17 points, 16 in attacks, one block, 14 digs, and 16 passes; Isabella Bergmark added 17 more, 10 in attacks, and seven in blocks; Emma Clothier with 15 points, 10 in attacks, and five in blocks; and Daly Santana with 12 points, 10 in attacks, one block, one ace, 11 digs, and 16 passes.

For Naranjito, American reinforcement Adana Rollins achieved 21 points, 18 in attacks, three in blocks, 13 digs, and 14 passes; Kayla Lund with 19 points, 17 in attacks, two blocks, 12 digs, and 19 passes; and Kiana Schmitt with 14 points, 11 in attacks, and three direct serves.

Before the match between Corozal and Naranjito at the Pepín Cestero Court in Bayamón, a posthumous tribute was paid to the former Pinkin player and National Team member, Pilar Vázquez, who passed away on Saturday.

Additionally, the Secretary General of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (FPV), Gerardo Negrón, presented a plaque to Saraí Álvarez of Corozal for reaching and surpassing the milestone of 5,000 points in the LVSF.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com 

Athenians refuse to leave the top of Women’s Superior Volleyball League

MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, February 10, 2024.- The Athenians of Manatí (7-2) obtained three points after defeating the two-time champions Pinkin of Corozal (4-4) in four sets, to remain as leaders of the overall ranking of the 2024 Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF).

Athenians took the victory with scores of 26-24, 25-20, 22-25, and 25-21, in the match held at the Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu Coliseum in Manatí.

With the triumph, Manatí added three points for a total of 20, one more point than Santurce Cangrejeras (6-3), who also won in three sets against Guaynabo, to remain in second place.

For the Athenians, captain Karla Santos was the top scorer with 22 points, 20 in attacks, one block, one ace, 25 digs, and 20 passes; Taylor Borup helped with 18 points, 17 in attacks, and one block; Zoe Weatherington with 13 points, 10 in attacks, three blocks, and 13 digs; and Claudia Dillon with 11, nine points in attacks, and two blocks.

For Corozal, Dominican reinforcement Yanlis Feliz with 21 points, 19 in attacks, two blocks, 25 digs, and 35 passes; Emma Clothier with 16 points, 12 in attacks, two blocks, and two direct serves; Isabella Bergmark contributed 13 points, seven in attacks, and six in blocks.

Cangrejeras in three against the Mets

Santurce (6-3) defeated the Mets (1-7) in three sets: 25-12, 25-13, and 25-21, at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey.

Santurce’s Turkish reinforcement, Yeliz Basa, scored 20 points, 18 in attacks, one block, and one ace; Czech Helena Havelkova made 13 points, nine in attacks, three blocks, one ace, 11 digs, and 15 passes; and Cuban Nancy Carrillo helped with seven points, all in attacks. Neira Ortiz did not play.

For Guaynabo, reinforcement Haley Bush with 12 points, 11 in attacks, one block, five digs, and 10 passes; and Naya Gross with nine points, six in attacks, and three in blocks.

Criollas rise to third place

Criollas de Caguas (5-3) achieved an important victory in the minimum of sets (3-0) against Changas (1-7), to add three points and rise to third place in the overall ranking with 14 points.

The Criollas sextet prevailed 25-20, 25-23, and 26-24, against Changas at Gelito Ortega court in Naranjito.

Nia Parker-Robinson was the only player with double digits for the Criollas with 16 points, 12 in attacks, one block, three direct serves, seven digs, and eight passes. Chareika Carrión and Treyaunna Rush contributed eight points each. Caguas made 11 blocking points and eight direct serves in the match.

For Naranjito, American reinforcement Adana Rollins was also the only player with double digits with 13 points, 12 in attacks, and one ace; Alejandra Argüello made seven points; and Anneclaire Ter Brugge and Kiana Schmitt with six points each.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

Jamaica to host 2024 CAZOVA U19 Boys and Girls Championships

KINGSTON, Jamaica, February 9, 2024.- Jamaica has been named as the hosts of the 2024 Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) U19 Boys and Girls Championships. The highly anticipated tournament is scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 5, 2024, and will unfold at the prestigious G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport in Spanish Town, St Catherine.

The confirmation of Jamaica as the host country and the specified dates came through a letter from CAZOVA President Mushtaque Mohammed, as revealed by the Jamaica Volleyball Association (JAVA) in a press release on Thursday.

“It was a very simple choice,” said Mushtaque Mohammed. “Jamaica is one of the national federations who sent in a bid to host, and the bid was very much completed in terms of meeting all the requirements”.

“They have met the requirements in terms of having a facility, they have provided a schedule and a timeline for all the activities that would take place and that particular venue, GC Foster, has a history of hosting previous Caribbean volleyball events”, he added.

Jacqueline Cowan, president of the Jamaica Volleyball Association (JAVA), said that Jamaica’s bid being accepted by CAZOVA is a significant decision for the association as it provides a massive opportunity for the development of volleyball in Jamaica.

Cowan explained that JAVA will be hoping that this year’s tournament will be the perfect platform for the under-19 teams to make that next step in their careers.

“It is significant for us because we’re always trying to ensure that people are aware of our sport,” she explained. “Bringing it to Jamaica will give the public the opportunity to come to GC Foster and see the development that is taking place with our youngsters and will also see how we can transition the U19 team to the next age-group competition, so we’re quite pleased to be able to host it.”

This marks a significant milestone for Jamaica as it marks the first international volleyball event to be hosted since the onset of the global pandemic.

Jamaica has a rich history of hosting successful volleyball events, having previously organized the CAZOVA U18 Girls and U19 Boys Championships in 2019 at the G.C. Foster College. The Senior Women’s CAZOVA Championship took place in 2017 at the National Indoor Sports Centre, while the CAZOVA U19 Boys Championship in 2015, held at G.C. Foster saw Jamaica emerging as champions, securing the nation’s first-ever international volleyball title at any level.

The Caribbean Island has also been a host for high-profile beach volleyball events, including the Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualification in 2015 and 2016, as well as the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tournaments in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Edmond’s strong performance earns Weekly accolades

COLUMBUS, Ohio / FRISCO, Texas, February 6, 2024. – A second week of League action results in a second weekly award for the Atlanta Vibe as Leah Edmond has been tabbed as the latest Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week.

The outside hitter helped the Vibe to a sweep of the San Diego Mojo in the Atlanta home opener, as her team improved to 3-0 on the season. She tallied 16 kills in only three sets (5.3 per set), hitting at a .407 clip.

A native of Lexington, Ky., she was dominant in the match, recording 20 points (aces + kills + blocks) while adding season-highs with two aces and two blocks.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues in week three as the Vegas Thrill play their first match of the season at Omaha on Wednesday, followed by Grand Rapids at Atlanta on Friday and Vegas at Orlando on Saturday. Fans can purchase tickets now via links on the schedule of the official Pro Volleyball Federation website.

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com 

Changas Win and climbed out of the basement

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, February 5, 2024. – The first victory for Changas de Naranjito (1-6) in the 2024 Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) season came on Sunday, as they defeated Mets at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo.

With this win, Naranjito earned three points, climbing out of the basement, and securing the sixth position with six points and a record of 1-6. Meanwhile, Guaynabo dropped to the bottom with five points and a record of 1-6.

Changas secured the victory with 25-20, 25-29, 14-25, and 25-21.

American reinforcement Kayla Lund was Chagas top scorer with 18 points, including 17 in attacks, one ace, and 20 digs. Adana Rollins and Andrea Serra contributed 16 points each, while Kiana Schmitt added 10 points.

For Guaynabo, Karina Ocasio scored 18 points, on 15 attacks, one block, and two direct serves; Haley Bush contributed 17 points, with 15 in attacks, two blocks, 10 digs, and 13 passes; and Naya Gross scored nine points.

Atenienses don’t give away first place

Atenienses de Manatí maintained top position of the LVSF standings with an impressive comeback, securing a victory in five sets against Cangrejeras de Santurce.

Manatí lost the first two sets but guided by 33 points from Zoe Weatherington, 22 from Karla Santos, and 17 from the new reinforcement, Taylor Borup, they managed to recover and win the next three sets, clinching the triumph to stay at the top of the tournament.

Atenienses won with 33-35, 20-25, 25-15, 27-25, and 15-5 in the match held at the Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu Coliseum in Manatí.

Atenienses hold a 6-2 record and 17 points in the first position, while Santurce dropped to second place with 5-3 record and 16 points.

With a 6-0 rally, the Atenienses took the lead 8-2 in the fifth set. Later, they extended their advantage to 10-3, prompting Santurce to call their second timeout. Weatherington delivered the final blow for her 33rd point, closing the set and securing the victory at 15-5.

Weatherington excelled with 33 points, including 29 in attacks, two in blocks, two direct serves, and 12 digs. Captain Karla Santos contributed 22 points, with 16 in attacks, five in blocks, one ace, 28 digs, and 20 passes. Borup made her debut in Manatí’s uniform with 17 points, including 16 in attacks, one block, nine digs, and 13 passes. Claudia Dillon added 14 points, with 13 in attacks and one block.

Turkish reinforcement Yeliz Basa once again was the only player with double digits for Santurce, scoring 27 points, all in attacks. Czech players Helena Havelkova and Neira Ortiz each acored nine points.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com 

Cangrejeras tie with Atenienses in the first place

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, February 4, 2024.- Cangrejeras of Santurce tied for the first position in the overall standings of the 2024 Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) of Puerto Rico, with Atenienses of Manatí after defeating Valencianas of Juncos in three sets.

Santurce and Manatí both have a 5-2 record and 15 points. They are set to face off on Sunday, to determine the top spot.

Cangrejeras secured a significant victory with consecutive set wins, finishing 25-15, 25-16, and 25-17 at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey.

With this result, Juncos dropped to the third position with 5-3 record and no additional points.

Turkish reinforcement Yeliz Basa was the standout player of the match, contributing 21 points for Cangrejeras, including 19 in attacks, one block, and one ace. American setter Carli Lloyd added eight points, three in attacks, five in blocks, along with 10 digs and nine assists. Czech player Helena Havelkova and Kanisha Jiménez each scored seven points.

Santurce excelled with 14 points in blocks, crucial in stopping Valencianas’ offensive efforts.

Keishlyann Sánchez scored nine points for Juncos, Amethyst Harper added eight points, and Elissa Alcántara contributed six.

Pinkin beat Criollas in five sets 

The two-time champions Pinkin of Corozal (4-3, 11 points) triumphed in thrilling five-sets against Criollas of Caguas (4-3, 11 points) at the Roger Mendoza court. Corozal secured the victory with 25-22, 15-25, 25-23, 19-25, and 15-9.

Dominican reinforcement Yanlis Feliz led Pinkin with 20 points, including 16 in attacks, three blocks, one ace, 14 digs, and 13 passes. American player Emma Clothier contributed 16 points, with 11 in attacks, four in blocks, and one ace. Saraí Álvarez and reinforcement Isabella Bergmark each scored 12 points.

For Caguas, Nia Parker scored 24 points, with 19 in attacks, four in blocks, and one ace. Treyaunna Rush added 11 points, including eight in attacks and three blocks. Janice Leao and Chareika Carrión contributed 10 points each. Corozal and Caguas both scored 15 points in blocks during the match.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

Pinkin earn their third consecutive victory in the Puerto Rican Women’s Superior Volleyball League

BAYAMÓN, Puerto Rico, January 31, 2024. – The two-time champions Pinkin de Corozal (3-2) secured their third straight win of the 2024 season in the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF), defeating the Mets de Guaynabo (1-4) last night at the José “Pepín” Cestero court in Bayamón.

Corozal prevailed with sets 25-13, 25-18, 14-25, and 25-17.

Dominican reinforcement Yanlis Feliz continues to contribute on the court for the Corozal team, assisting last night with 21 points, including 18 in attacks, two in blocks, one ace, 22 digs, and 19 passes. Americans Emma Clothier and Isabella Bergmark each scored 13 points, while Saraí Álvarez from Mayagüez contributed 11 points, all in attacks.

For Guaynabo, Karina Ocasio scored 23 points, including 22 in attacks and one block; Naya Gross with 15 points, 13 in attacks and two blocks; and seven from Haley Bush.

Naranjito falls short again

The Changas de Naranjito (0-5) lost their fifth game of the 2024 season, the third consecutively in three sets, this time against Valencianas de Juncos (4-2).

Valencianas, at the Rafael G. Amalbert Coliseum in Juncos, secured the victory 25-17, 20-25, 25-15, 15-25, and 15-6.

Elissa Alcántara was the best offensive player for Juncos with 16 points, including 15 in attacks and one block; Amethyst Harper with 12 points, nine in attacks, two blocks, one ace, 10 digs, and 11 passes; Kaycee Ryan O’Dell with 11 points, nine in attacks, and two blocks; Sh’Diamond Holly and Keishlyann Sánchez with 10 points each, and Sabelle Rose Morgan with nine points.

For Changas, Adanna Rollins stood out with 22 points, 21 in attacks and one block; Kayla Lund with 13 points; Andrea Serra with 11 points; and Alejandra Argüello with nine points, five of them in blocks.

Caguas recovers and wins in five sets at the Clemente

Nia Parker Robinson made her debut last night in the Criollas uniform (4-2) and led the offense of the Caguas team to a five-set victory over Cangrejeras de Santurce (3-2).

The set scores concluded 25-22, 30-32, 22-25, 25-19, and 15-11 in favor of Criollas.

Parker Robinson, who arrived in Puerto Rico on Sunday night, shone in her first appearance with Criollas and contributed 24 points, including 21 in attacks, two blocks, one ace, 11 digs, and 8 passes.

Also, the Turkish reinforcement Treyaunna Rush added 22 points, 20 in attacks, two in blocks, and 16 digs; Janice Leao with 14 points, six in attacks, six blocks, and two direct serves; Chareika Carrión with 14 points, all in attacks, six digs, and 18 passes; and Diana Reyes with 10 points, four in blocks.

Turkish reinforcement Yeliz Basa was the top performer for Cangrejeras with 25 points, including 23 in attacks, two blocks, and 12 digs; Czech Helena Havelkova with 16 points, 12 in attacks, one block, three direct serves, nine digs, and 14 passes; Cuban Nancy Carrillo with 10 points, eight in attacks and two blocks; American Carly Lloyd with nine points, four in attacks, four in blocks, one ace, and 27 assists; and Neira Ortiz with eight points, seven in attacks and one block.

Women’s volleyball action rests on Wednesday, January 31.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

Linnehan Earns First Pro Volleyball Federation Weekly Honor

COLUMBUS, Ohio / FRISCO, Texas – The Atlanta Vibe have started the season with two wins and have now earned the first award in league history as Alli Linnehan has been recognized as the first Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week.

The outside hitter started every set of both five-set matches for the Vibe, posting 2.0 kills per set in the victories over Omaha and Orlando. She led the team with 23 digs in the team’s win over the Valkyries, the most of any Atlanta outside hitter this past week.

Linnehan also tallied two blocks at Omaha and three at Orlando, also the highest mark of any Vibe player over the two-match span. In those two matches overall, she finished with 39 digs, 20 kills and two assists while recording a total of 26 points.

The native of Floyds Nobs, Ind. also scored the first point in the history of Pro Volleyball Federation with a kill on Omaha’s home floor in a match where she went on finish with 13 kills overall.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues in week two as Atlanta opens it home slate by hosting the San Diego Mojo on Thursday, February 1, followed by San Diego then traveling to Omaha on Saturday, February 3.

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com 

Nearly 25K turn out for First Week of Action

COLUMBUS, Ohio / FRISCO, Texas – The first three matches are in the books and the fans have turned out in droves during the first week of competition for Pro Volleyball Federation. In three matches, nearly 25,000 fans attended the action for the premier women’s volleyball league in North America.

The week started with a record crowd of 11,624 filling the CHI Health Center for the inaugural league match. The crowd was treated to a thrilling five-set victory as the Atlanta Vibe registered the first road win in Pro Volleyball Federation history with a 3-2 tally over he Supernovas.

Action continued on Thursday with the League’s first sellout crowd as 7,805 fans watched from Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids. The home fans left happy as the Grand Rapids Rise recorded a 3-0 sweep over the Columbus Fury.

The final match of the week saw another five-set nail-bitter with Atlanta posting its second road victory in the young season with a 3-2 win over the Orlando Valkyries. The teams played in front of 5,284 fans at Addition Financial Arena.

Overall, the attendance for the week totaled 24,713 – an average of 8,238 fans through three contests. The numbers include a record for a women’s professional volleyball match in the United States and a sellout crowd.

Play continues in week two as Atlanta opens it home slate with the San Diego Mojo on Thursday, February 1, followed by San Diego then traveling to Omaha on Saturday, February 3.

For more information, visit  ProVolleyball.com

First Pro Volleyball Federation Match Sets Attendance Record

OMAHA, Nebraska, January 2024 – The first match has been played and the first record has been broken as 11,624 fans filled the CHI Center in Omaha for the first match in Pro Volleyball Federation history on Wednesday January 24. The attendance mark from the contest between the Atlanta Vibe and Omaha Supernovas sets a record for a women’s professional volleyball match in the United States.

“What a fantastic turnout by volleyball fans for our first match,” boasted Jen Spicher, CEO of Pro Volleyball Federation. “Every past, current and future volleyball player throughout the country should be proud to see this support for a sport we all love so much.”

The previous high attendance for a women’s professional volleyball match in the United States was 10,213 fans at an Olympic qualifier on January 9, 2016. The contest, held at Pinnacle Arena in Lincoln, Neb. was a 3-0 U.S. Women’s National Team victory over the Dominican Republic. It concluded the NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament and earned the USA a berth in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

“This historic moment is all about the players and our amazing fans who are making this dream a reality,” said Omaha Supernovas co-owner Danny White. “It’s an honor to host the inaugural match and allow Nebraskans to set the bar high.”

Omaha co-owner Chris Erickson added, “It is an honor to provide these athletes an opportunity to showcase their talents at the world-class level, here in Nebraska and throughout the United States. Tonight’s attendance of our League’s inaugural match proves that the time for professional volleyball in America is now.”

The day was one of many highlights for volleyball – led by two of the highest-profile women leaders in the state. The First Lady of Nebraska, Suzanne Pillen, read a proclamation declaring today “Professional Volleyball Day” in Nebraska. In addition, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert presented the Supernovas’ owners a Key to the City.

“Playing in the first match in Pro Volleyball Federation history is a testament to the work both of our organizations have done to build a platform that allows our top-level athletes to shine,” said Colleen Craig, owner of the Atlanta Vibe. “The volleyball community really showed out here for this monumental moment in volleyball history and we feel so grateful to be a part of it.”

ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION Pro Volleyball Federation is REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation begins play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America. For more information, visit  ProVolleyball.com

Amazing National Volleyball Opening in Trinidad & Tobago

Saturday, January 20, 2024.- The Trinidad and Tobago Volleyball Federation opened the Volleyball National Championship with the U15 Girls Championship at the hall of the Aranguez North Secondary School in Aranguez.

This inaugural division proved to be a success as Eight (8) teams served off for the U15 crown. Glamorgan Volleyball entered three (3) teams,  Southern United Volleyball Academy two (2) teams, with Karasu Volleyball Club, JMVP, and West Side Stars each feeling a team of athletes born after January 1st, 2009, with a total of 118 athletes competing.

The Caribbean will host the first U15 Championship this year and as part of the 2026 U17 World Championship qualification process. In Trinidad & Tobago, the Head Coach selection process for developmental teams is very simple. The winning Club has the opportunity to nominate a duly qualified Head Coach for the U15 National Team to represent Trinidad and Tobago.

Results of Day 1

Group A – Glamorgan 1, Southern United 2, Karasu and Glamorgan 3.

GLA 1 vs GLA 3 – 21/3, 21/4

SUV 2 vs KAR – 15/21, 21/12, 14/16

GLA 1 vs SUV 2 – 21/8, 21/9

KAR vs GLA 3 – 21/15, 12/21, 16/14

SUV 2 vs GLA 3 – 21/18, 21/20

GLA 1 vs KAR – 21/4, 21/13

Group B – West Side Stars, Southern United 1, JMVP and Glamorgan 2.

WSS vs GLA 2 – 21/18, 21/2

SUV 1 vs JMV – 19/21, 19/21

WSS vs SUV 1 – 21/11, 21/12

JMV vs GLA 2 – 21/14, 21/19

SUV1 vs GLA 2 – 12/21, 16/21

WSS vs JMV – 21/6, 21/11

The Playoffs will continue Sunday 21st January 2024 at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sporting Arena in Tacarigua from 9:00 am.

#13 KAR vs GLA 2 – Quarter Finals

#14 JMV vs SUV 2 – Quarter Finals

#15 WSS vs Winner of #13 – Semi-Finals

#16 GLA 1 vs Winner of #14 – Semi-Finals

#17 GLA 3 vs SUV 1 – 7th place

#18 Loser of #13 vs Loser of #14 – 5th place

#19 Loser of #15 vs Loser of #16 – 3rd place

#20 Winner of #15 vs Winner of #16 – Finals

Starting Monday 22nd January 2024 will be the National Secondary Schools Championship U14, U16, and Open Boys and Girls.

The remaining categories for this Volleyball Season will be:

U15 Boys

U19 Boys and Girls

Super League A & B Division

Corporate League

Development Festival

Premier League

Exciting Duels Set As The VNL 2024 Match Schedule Is Released

The top teams on the planet will battle in the last major event before the Paris Olympics from May 14 to June 30.

The 16 women’s and men’s national teams that will compete in the Volleyball Nations League 2024 are now aware of when and against which opponent their campaigns in the sixth edition of the tournament will start as the event’s match schedule has been unveiled.

The VNL 2024 will go from May 14 to June 30, with 104 matches in each gender taking place across nine different countries in what is going to be the last major international tournament before the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Watch the VNL 2024 live and on demand on VBTV.

The first match of the VNL 2024 will reunite the women’s teams of Bulgaria and the Netherlands, which will meet in Antalya, Türkiye, on May 14, at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT). The next day in the Turkish city will be filled with remarkable matches too, with France playing their first-ever VNL match against Germany, at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT), three hours before reigning champions Türkiye and MVP Melissa Vargas start their title defense against Asian powerhouse Japan.

Tokyo Olympic silver medallists Brazil will also be at home in the opening week of the VNL 2024, with the likes of Gabriela ‘Gabi’ Guimaraes and Thaisa Menezes hosting seven national teams at the iconic Maracanãzinho, in Rio de Janeiro, and will have a pair of tough matches, facing Olympic champions the United States on May 17, at 21:00 local time (00:00 GTM), and reigning world champions Serbia two days later, at 10:00 local time (13:00 GMT).

The second week of action for the women will be held in Macau, China, and Arlington, the United States. The Asian city will be the stage for the highly-anticipated continental duel between Thailand and China, which is scheduled for June 1, at 19:30 local time (11:30 GMT), while fans at the American city will be gifted with the encounter involving USA and Türkiye, on June 2, at 15:00 local time (20:00 GMT).

United States in action at the 2023 VNL

The end of the Preliminary Phase for the women will be in Asia, with Japan and Hong Kong, China, hosting the matches. Still looking to qualify for the Paris Olympics, Italy and new head coach Julio Velasco will be in Japan and will have a critical match against Tijana Boskovic-led Serbia on June 16. In Hong Kong, the most-anticipated duel will feature Türkiye and Brazil, on the same day, at 17:00 local time (9:00 GMT).

Volleyball Nations League 2024 – Match Schedule

France to feature on the men’s opening match

Olympic champions France will be on the court for the opening match of the VNL 2024 for the men, as Earvin Ngapeth and his teammates will face Bulgaria in an all-European duel held in Antalya on May 21, at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT). Three hours later, hosts Türkiye will start their first VNL campaign against Canada. Antalya will also see the debut of defending champions Poland, who will be on the court for the first time on May 22, at 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT), against the United States.

In the first week, the men will also be playing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where captain Bruno Rezende and his compatriots will play Italy in a rematch of last year’s Volleyball Olympic Qualifying Tournament encounter that qualified the South Americans for the Paris Games – the match will be held on May 26, at 10:00 local time (13:00 GMT).

Japan and the Canadian city of Ottawa will welcome the second week of action for the men. Led by captain Yuki Ishikawa, the Asians, who last year won their first-ever VNL medal, taking bronze, will play on the first day of matches, June 4, meeting continental rivals Iran, at 19:20 local time (10:20 GMT). In Canada, one of the most exciting matches should be the one between France and Italy, set to take place on June 5, at 20:00 local time (00:00 June 6, GMT).

Ottowa host of the 2023 VNL

After enormous success in 2023, the Philippines will host a pool again this year and one of the matches scheduled to be held in Manila is the one between Japan and the United States, on June 23, at 19:00 local time (11:00 GMT). The Slovenian capital Ljubljana will also be a host city in 2024 and will be the stage of the match involving the home team and Italy on June 22, at 20:30 local time (18:30 GMT).

The VNL 2024 will also play a major role in determining the last national teams that will qualify for the Paris Olympics. The result of each match of the tournament’s Preliminary Phase will impact the FIVB Volleyball World Rankings, which will determine the teams to occupy the last five spots in this year’s Games.

Get your VNL merchandise now by clicking here

Sync the VNL 2024 with your calendar here

2024 In Focus: Stakes Higher Than Ever At This Year’s VNL With Olympic Qualification On The Line

The race is on for the remaining Olympic spots which will be decided after the Preliminary Phase of the tournament.

The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) will once again get the national team volleyball season underway in 2024. In its sixth edition, the event will start earlier than usual, with the women’s competition beginning on 14 May and the men’s tournament on 21 May.

Additionally, with five Olympic Games Paris 2024 tickets per gender still up for grabs, the VNL Preliminary Phase will serve as the final opportunity for teams to accumulate vital FIVB World Ranking points. It is set to be a hotly contested competition, as teams strive not only to secure their spot in the Olympics but also to pursue success in the VNL and build momentum before the Games.

The VNL will feature 16 women’s and 16 men’s elite national teams competing in the Preliminary Phase for one of seven available spots in the VNL Finals, which will be hosted in Łódź, Poland for the men’s finals. The host of the VNL Women’s Finals will be announced at a later stage.

In each gender, the Preliminary Phase will consist of six eight-team pools spread across three competition weeks at six different venues. Each team will play a total of 12 games, accruing wins and points towards the overall standings, contributing towards advancement to the Finals. Each Final Round will consist of quarterfinals, semifinals and medal matches.

Women’s VNL 2024

Paris 2024 Olympic hosts France earned the right to participate in the women’s VNL 2024 for the first time, after their triumph at the VCC 2023. They will join another four challenger teams – Bulgaria, Canada, the Dominican Republic and 2023 bronze medalists Poland – as well as the 11 core teams – three-time champions and reigning Olympic champions the USA, 2022 winners Italy, 2023 winners Türkiye, 2023 runners-up China, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Serbia and Thailand – in the 2024 edition of the competition.

Women’s 2024 VNL Pool Overview

Champions Türkiye will start the defense of their title in front of the home fans in Antalya. The other pool of the first competition week, from 14 to 19 May, will be hosted by Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Then, Macau in China and Arlington, Texas in the USA will set the stage for the pools of the second competition week from 28 May to 2 June. Finally, Hong Kong in China and a Japanese venue that will be announced at a later stage will welcome the deciding third competition week battles from 11 to 16 June.

The Finals will be played from 20 to 23 June.

Men’s VNL 2024

Türkiye will make their men’s VNL debut after winning the VCC in 2023.

VNL 2021 winners Brazil, 2022 winners and reigning Olympic champions France, 2023 medalists Poland, the USA and Japan, as well as Argentina, Germany, Iran, Italy and Serbia, are the core teams who are set to fight for the spots in the 2024 Finals.

Men’s 2024 VNL Pool Overview

The men’s competition will serve off on 21 May, also in Antalya and Rio de Janeiro. The first competition week will last through 26 May. The VNL will then travel to the Canadian capital Ottawa and a Japanese city to be announced at a later stage for the second competition week from 4 to 9 June. The fans in the capitals of Slovenia and the Philippines – Ljubljana and Manila, respectively – will enjoy the opportunity to witness the third competition week matches live.

The VNL Men’s Finals will begin on 27 June in Łódź, Poland. The medal matches will be played on 30 June. Besides the Polish, will compete in the VNL 2024 Finals the seven best national teams in the Preliminary Phase. The VNL Finals will be held in a single elimination format, starting with the quarterfinals and ending with the medal matches.

2024 In Focus: Excitement Builds For Olympic Games Paris 2024

Seven teams per gender have already secured their spots at Paris 2024, while team rosters are also set to expand to 13 with addition of non-competing athlete.

The women’s and men’s volleyball tournaments at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 are set to be a key highlight of the year ahead. The 16th Olympic volleyball competition will get underway from 27 July to 11 August at the South Paris Arena, situated within Paris Expo, with the world’s best on the hunt for gold.

Having made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 1964, volleyball will grace the Olympic stage for the 16th time and for its first-ever appearance at a Games held in the French capital. The South Paris Arena, nestled in the heart of the city, will provide the stage for a fierce competition between 12 women’s and 12 men’s teams, all with one objective in mind – Olympic glory.

The FIVB has also confirmed that, for the first time in the history of the Olympic volleyball competition, each team participating in the Games will be entitled to include one non-competing (AP) athlete to replace an athlete for medical reasons. As such, team rosters will increase from 12 to 13 athletes.

The decision follows extensive consultation between the FIVB and IOC with a view to increase roster sizes closer to those of the FIVB’s main events to allow teams greater flexibility and team depth. AP athletes are non-competing athletes accredited by the IOC and serve as a last-minute replacement if an athlete is unable to compete due to injury or illness. The replaced athlete shall not be allowed to compete for the remainder of the competition.

While the 13th athlete will be able to attend matches and train with the team, they will not be accommodated in the Olympic Village unless additional support is granted by the respective National Olympic Committee. More information on the AP athlete procedure will be provided in a to-be-released updated version of the Competition Regulations of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 volleyball tournament.

The Drawing of Lots (DoL) process for Paris 2024 has also been confirmed. The twelve qualified teams will be ranked according to their position in the World Ranking on 17 June 2024 for the women’s teams and 24 June 2024 for the men’s teams.

As the host team, France is seeded 1st and will be placed in the top position of Pool A. The two top ranked teams seeded 2nd and 3rd will be placed at the top of Pools B and C respectively. The remaining nine teams will be distributed across three bowls of three teams each based on their position in the World Ranking and drawn for their seed line by line applying the serpentine system.

The competition format for the Olympic volleyball tournament has also been confirmed

The competition format for the Olympic volleyball tournament has also been confirmed

Hosts France, who have automatically qualified for both tournaments, will be looking to ride the wave of home support to victory. The men’s national team, led by Tokyo 2020 Most Valuable Player Earvin Ngapeth (pictured in the main photo), will also have the opportunity to defend its first-ever Olympic volleyball title from the most recent edition of the Games.

Another six teams per gender have already secured their spots at the Games through the FIVB Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifiers held in 2023. On the women’s side, the Dominican Republic, Türkiye, United States, Serbia, Brazil and Poland earned the right to compete at Paris 2023. 

Teams already qualified for the women’s Olympic volleyball competition

Teams already qualified for the women’s Olympic volleyball competition

The men’s national teams of Germany, the USA, Poland, Brazil, Japan and Canada have also booked their tickets to the Games. 

Teams already qualified for the men’s Olympic volleyball competition

Teams already qualified for the men’s Olympic volleyball competition

The final Olympic line-up will be officially completed with another five teams per gender, based on the FIVB Volleyball World Ranking after the end of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2024 Preliminary Phase, with priority given to countries from continents that do not yet have teams qualified for the Games to guarantee the principle of universality.

For the teams that just missed out on an Olympic ticket at last year’s tournament, it is still all to play for with the Women’s VNL Preliminary Phase set to get underway on 14 May while the Men’s on 21 May.

The Paris 2024 Volleyball Qualification System and Competition Regulations can be found in more detail in both English and French here.

Dibanhi Barrera is the MVP of NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 26, 2023.- Mexican libero Dibanhi Barrera received the highest honors after being named the Most Valuable Player MVP of the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ Under-17 Continental Championship at Gymnasium Jorge Galeano in Tegucigalpa Honduras.

Dibanhi Barrera was awarded also as the Best Libero, Best Defense and Best Receiver of the event, after Mexico triumphed as the First-Ever NORCECA U17 Champion.

Along with Dibanhi, Mexico’s team captain Aitana Rettke was recognized as the Best Second Spiker, Yliana Zuñiga the Best Opposite and Gabriela Garza the Best Server.

Puerto Rican Sara Lozano received the distinction as Best Spiker.

The Best Blocker and Best Second Blocker went to Dominican Caroline Rodriguez and Keyling Olivas of Nicaragua respectively.

The Best Setter was awarded to Megan Hunter of Canada and the Best Scorer of the event was Salet Castillo of Cuba.

Best Players

Mexico First-Ever NORCECA U17 Champion with a five-set comeback against Puerto Rico

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 26, 2023. – Mexico is the First-ever NORCECA Girls’ U17  Sub-Champion in a comeback five-set victory 3-2 (23-25, 23-25, 27-25, 25-21, 15-5) against Puerto Rico at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Mexico finishes the event with a 5-1 record, and Puerto Rico with 4-1, both qualifying for the 2024 FIVB World Championship. The third World Championship ticket went to Canada, who won the bronze medal match against the Dominican Republic.

Mexico outperformed Puerto Rico with a 67-57 advantage in attacks, 15-9 in blocks, and 8-2 in aces. Mexico scored 23 points on Puerto Rico’s unforced errors but gave away 33.

Mexican opposite hitter Yliana Zúñiga, led all scorers with 28 points, on 24 kills and 4 blocks. Team captain Aitana Tanguma contributed 24 points, on 13 kills, a match-high of 7 blocks and 4 aces. While outside hitter Kenia Martínez added 16 kill points.

Puerto Rico’s captain, Kalia Alvarado, led her team with 26 points on 25 kills and one ace. Outside hitter Sara Lozano contributed 24 points on 21 kills and 3 blocks, and Diangelie González tallied 13 points.

Mexico, Puerto Rico y Canadá

Mexico made a formidable recovery from a two-set deficit after both teams traded the lead during the first four sets. Puerto Rico bounced back from a six-point deficit (8-14) in the second set with blocks from Natashja Soto and Victoria Camacho, accompanied by Kalia Alvarado’s kills. Mexico took the lead with Yliana Zúñiga and Brenda Esquivel offense, but after a series of errors, Puerto Rico closed the set. Mexico forced a fourth set and then the tie-break with an ace and a kill  from team captain Aitana Tanguma, respectively. Mexico dominated the fifth set, jumping to an 8-0 lead with their powerful attacks and precise blocks.

Mexico’s captain, Aitana Rettke Tanguma, said, “We never thought we were going to lose. We had a clear goal of winning the gold medal, and we weren’t going to give up. I changed my position to middle, to fight with all my heart to take home the gold medal. I asked the coach to use me as a middle blocker to contribute to my team because I’ve only been playing as outside hitter for five months”.

Mexico’s coach, Ignacio Sánchez, expressed, “We played well throughout the entire match. We couldn’t close in the first sets because we were making a lot of mistakes with our middles, so we decided to take a risk and switch Aitana’s position, and we had revolutionary results for the team. We came in with a mindset to win the gold medal. The match was highly contested. This is a great group of girls who worked well together with the coaching staff”.

Canada Takes NORCECA U17 Bronze and Last Ticket to FIVB Worlds defeating Dominican Republic

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 26, 2023. – Canada won the bronze medal and the last ticket to the 2024 FIVB World Championship over the Dominican Republic 3-1 (28-30, 28-26, 25-23, 28-26) in the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Canada finishes the tournament 4-1 and qualifies for the 2024 FIVB World Championship as one of the three finalists. Dominican Republic finishes 3-3.

This was Canada’s second time defeating Dominican Republic in the event, also in three sets in pool-play.

Canada outscored the Dominican Republic with a 53 to 46 advantage in attacking points and 10 to 7 in points from serves. The Dominicans led in blocks 13-11 and made fewer unforced errors, 35 to 39.

Natalie Wahlgren CAN

Middle blocker Ella Hope led Canada as the top scorer of the match with 26 points on 17 kills, 4 blocks, and 5 aces. Dara Obeid, also middle blocker, contributed 17 points on 13 kills and 4 blocks. Outside hitter Alexia Corneo collected 11 points on 9 kills and two aces.

For the Dominican Republic, the leading scorer was outside hitter Virelys Rivera with 16 points on  13 kills, 2 blocks, and oneace. Opposite hitter Isabella Cerda and team captain Estel Santos added 16 and 14 points, respectively.

The match was a party of points with teams trading the lead. All three sets had a dramatic finish. Canada bounced back from the loss in the first set, using short touches that unsettled the Dominican Republic and then using targeted serving. Canada recovered from a three-point deficit (21-24) when the Dominican Republic was one point away from forcing a tie-break, with Dasia Smith serving and kills.

After the victory, Canada’s coach Amy Wilson said, “We knew the Dominican Republic was going to come out real tough and we knew that we have to stay patient through the roller coaster. We had played the Dominican Republic before, so we stuck to our game plan with a few little tweaks and it worked for us”.

Costa Rica beats Cuba with five-set comeback  for Fifth place at NORCECA U17

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 26, 2023. – Costa Rica defeated Cuba coming from a two-set deficit 3-2 (15-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-20, 15-11) for the fifth place in the first NORCECA Girls’ Under-17 Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

This time, it was Costa Rica who recovered from a two-set deficit; in the preliminary round, the same happened, but the Caribbeans took the win. Both teams conclude the tournament with two wins and four losses.

Costa Rica led in service points (8-7) and scored 43 points from Cuba’s errors against 31. Cuba dominated in attacks (51-46) and blocks (11-4).

Nicole Leiva CRC

Costa Rica’s outside hitter Michelle Arias led with 15 points (14 kills, one ace). She was joined by Dayna Barrantes with 13 points (9 killss, 3 blocks, one ace) and Lilliam Vargas with 10 points (8 attacks, 2 aces).

Cuban outside hitter Salet Castillo Valdes was the top scorer of the match with 19 points (16 kills, one block, one ace). Middle blocker Lizt López contributed 17 points (13 kills, 4 blocks), and team captain Yesica Brito added 14 points (12 kills, 2 blocks).

Thanks to Cuba’s errors, combined with the effective attacks of Michelle Arias and Dayna Barrantes, Costa Rica comfortably won the third set and took control of the game from there onwards. In the fourth set, the score was tied numerous times, but Costa Rica forced the tie-break with an ace from Lilliam Vargas. Costa Rica started the fifth set with a powerful serve from team captain Nadia Granados, taking a 5-0 lead, and then scoring all over the place to reach a 9-1 advantage. Costa Rica grew stronger while Cuba appeared erratic. Costa Rica sealed the victory after losing a match point from Cuba’s captain, Yesica Brito.

Nadia Granados, captain of Costa Rica said, “Our attitude was really good, we recovered our confidence coming from losing two sets. It was a nice rematch”.

Docquier Umaña, Head coach of Costa Rica said “We had a worthy tournament, the girls battled hard, and they deserve all the merit. We are going back to Costa Rica with motivation to keep working”.

Nicaragua sweeps Honduras for Seventh place

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 26, 2023. – Nicaragua defeated Honduras in straight sets 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-20), finishing in seventh place in the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ Under-17  Championship in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Nicaragua concluded the event with two wins and four losses. This was the second occasion that Nicaragua defeated Honduras in the tournament. Honduras closed with a 0-5 record.

Nicaragua secured victory over Honduras with advantages of 38-15 in attacks, 5-3 in blocks, and 8-5 in aces. Both teams committed 24 unforced errors.

Brisa Bermudez NCA

Setter Brisa Bermudez and middle blocker Karen Bird from Nicaragua each scored 9 points. Middle blocker Keyling Olivas contributed 8 points.

For Honduras, opposite hitter Nicole Velasquez and outside hitter Ruth Villegas scored 6 points each.

 Claudia Noguera, Head coach of Nicaragua, commented, “Both teams gave their all. My girls knew how to obey and maintain concentration throughout the game. It was a good experience to face teams of a higher level; it was a great learning opportunity, and now they know they have to continue their preparation”.

Honduras’ coach, Marcos Sugiyama, expressed, “Our idea was to see how our process was going, at what level we were. We must work on many things. Today, I think we didn’t enjoy the game, and there was a lack of concentration, perhaps due to the results. It’s good that we can continue the process because we are just starting, and I’m glad the players could see the level of competition”.

Puerto Rico to face Mexico for NORCECA U17 Gold and Qualifies to World Championship

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 25, 2023. – Puerto Rico defeated Dominican Republic 3-1 (25-22, 25-19, 18-25, 29-27) in semifinals to face Mexico for the gold medal at  the NORCECA Girls’ Under-17  Championship in Tegucigalpa and qualified to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Puerto Rico, along with Mexico, earned two of the three slots for the World Championship. In the pool-play, Puerto Rico defeated Mexico in straight sets.

Dominican Republic will face Canada on Sunday for the bronze medal and for the last spot in the World Championship. Canada defeated the Dominican Republic in four sets in the first phase of the event.

Despite Dominican Republic finishing with advantages in attacks (51-49), blocks (11-9), and direct aces (9-4), Puerto Rico won the semifinal capitalizing on 35 errors compared to 22 of their own.

Sara Lozano PUR

Puerto Rico’s outside hitter Sara Lozano was the top scorer of the match with 21 kill points. Team captain Kalia Alvarado contributed 15 points on  14 attacks and one block. Outside hitter Diangelie González added 14 points on 9 attacks, 2 blocks, and 3 aces.

Dominican opposite hitter Isabella Cerda led her team with 16 points, including 10 kills and a match-high of 5 aces. Estel Santos and Caroline Rodriguez contributed 14 and 12 points respectively.

Despite the Dominican Republic dominating with blocks from Mondesi and Rodriguez, Puerto Rico recovered from a three-point deficit (13-16) to take the first set with a kill point from Lozano.

Puerto Rico led with a four-point advantage (14-10) in the second set, which they maintained with the offensive efforts of Sara Lozano and Diangelie González and benefiting  from consecutive errors by the Dominican Republic.

In the third set, led by Isabella Cerda and taking advantage of Puerto Rico’s errors, Dominicans held   a seven-point lead (16-9). Cerda closed the set 25-18 with an ace.

In the fourth set, with three consecutive service points from Isabella Cerda and two kills from Cristal Mercedes, the Dominican Republic reached set point (24-19), but Puerto Rico snatched the victory in a dramatic finish at 29-27.

Juan Carlos Nuñez, the coach of Puerto Rico, said, “These games between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are filled with a lot of emotion due to the history we bring. I am proud of these girls for accepting the challenge; they have followed the game plan for the 5 and a half weeks we’ve been together. Puerto Rico managed to pressure the service in those final points to come from behind, to close with the victory, they (Dominican Republic) are a strong group but lack ball control”.

Wilson Sánchez, coach of the Dominican Republic said, “It was a match filled with many emotions because of the rivalry between our countries. Unfortunately, we couldn’t use our starting setter because she wasn’t feeling well, and the team was mentally blocked. We fought; we had an advantage in the first set that we lost, as well as in the fourth with 24-20. The players couldn’t handle the nerves to close it. Tomorrow, we’ll fight for the last ticket to the World Championship”.

Mexico Qualifies for Worlds and NORCECA U17 Gold Medal Match

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 25, 2023. – Mexico qualified to the 2024 FIVB World Championship and the gold medal match of the NORCECA Girls’ Under-17 Continental Championship defeating Canada 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 25-16) on Saturday in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Mexico earned one of the three tickets to the 2024 World Championship and will compete for gold against Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic. Canada will vie for the bronze medal against the loser and the last ticket to the World Championship.

Mexico prevailed with a 50-41 advantage in kills and 7-4 aces. Canada outperformed Mexico in blocks 9-5. Mexico conceded 30 points on unforced errors, while Canada had 35.

Mexican opposite hitter, Yliana Zuñiga, led all scorers with 21 points on 19 kills, one block, and one ace. Team captain Aitana Tanguma and middle blocker Kiara Ramirez contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Natalie Wahlgren CAN

For Canada, outside hitters Natalie Wahlgren and Alexia Corneo scored 12 and 11 points, respectively. Middle blocker Dara Obeid added 10 points.

Mexico recovered from a four-point deficit (0-4) at the start of the first set, later they went on trading points with Canada and closed with a comfortable five-point lead.

Mexico won the second set dramatically with an attack from Brenda Esquivel after losing four set points due to a service error, two powerful attacks, and a block from Canada.

Canada took a four-point lead in the third set (11-7) and won with a kill from Natalie Wahlgren, despite losing two set points due to a service error and an ace from Mexico.

Mexico started the fourth set with a six-point lead (13-7), and with the offense led by Zúñiga, along with Esquivel and Tanguma, maintained the advantage until the end, winning the match with a service error from Canada.

Ignacio Sánchez, Head coach of Mexico expressed “We reached the goal to qualify to Worlds, we still have the gold medal in mind. I think losing to Puerto Rico in pool-play taught us a lot. Today Mexico did a good job in defense, we were more decisive in other matches, but today we played with intelligence, knowing that Canada is very disciplined and they don’t give away points easily”.  

Megan Hunter, captain of Canada said “Even though we didn’t end up winning, we’re going to keep up pulling the pedal because we still got a chance to qualify for the World Championship. Tomorrow we’re going to play as hard as we can. I think our confidence wasn’t there today and we can always improve communication”.

Cuba will face Costa Rica for fifth place at NORCECA U17

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 25, 2023.- Cuba will face Costa Rica for fifth place in the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship after defeating Honduras in straight sets 25-16, 25-8 and 25-7 on Saturday in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

In pool-play, Cuba beat Costa Rica in dramatic five-sets after recovering from a two-set deficit, setting the stage for a rematch for the “Ticas”. Honduras will play against Nicaragua for seventh place, having already lost to Nicaragua in three sets in the preliminary round.

Cuba dominated Honduras with an overwhelming advantage in attacks (37-10) and aces (20-2), also leading in blocks (4-1). Honduras committed fewer unforced errors (14-18).

Salet Castillo CUB

The top scorer of the game was Cuban Salet Castillo Valdes with 19 points on 10 kills, 3 blocks and impressive 6 aces. Middle blocker Lizt López also contributed to the win with 13 points, and team captain Yesica Brito with 11 points.

Honduras surprised Cuba at the start of the first set, reaching 13 points even, Cuba quickly recovered and dominated the match entirely.

 “We gained momentum after being down in the first set, and in the end, we won as planned. We were dominant. We already faced Costa Rica, and what happened once won’t happen twice; we are going for the victory” said setter Naomis Rosabal.

Costa Rica beats Nicaragua to play for fifth place

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 25, 2023.- Costa Rica beat Nicaragua 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-22) at the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ Under-17 Championship on Saturday at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

On Sunday, Costa Rica Nicaragua will play for fifth place against the winner between Honduras and Cuba; Costa Rica Nicaragua goes against the loser for seventh place.

Costa Rica’s tough serves were key in prevailing against Nicaragua, with an 11-3 advantage; they also led in kills 42-33 and scored on 19 opponent errors. Nicaragua held a 5-3 margin in blocks and benefited from 23 Costa Rican errors.

Nathalia Zavaleta CRC

Opposite hitter Lilliam Vargas topped Costa Rica with 14 points on 12 kills and 2 aces. Outside hitter Michelle Arias contributed with 11 kill points and Nicole Leiva chipped in with 9 points.

Middle blocker Keyling Olivas led Nicaragua with 9 points on 6 kills and 3 blocks. Middle blocker Karen Bird and setter Franchesca Viera added 8 points each.

Costa Rica came from behind in the first set (10-14) and the second (6-11). Costa Rica started the third with an overwhelming ten-point advantage (13-3), but Nicaragua never gave up, scoring six points in a row while down 8-17, to level the scores at 20. Costa Rica finally won 25-22.

Costa Rica’s captain, Nadia Granados, said, “We were behind in the first two sets because of our attitude. When we started to lift our spirits, things improved, and so did the score. In the last set, we were concerned about the big lead we had, and they were able to catch up, but fortunately, we recovered to secure the victory. Tomorrow, we need to be more consistent in our game and not settle down”.

“We showed that we can fight. Unfortunately, we didn’t rise until the end of the game, and we should have done it from the first two sets. We got discouraged very quickly, and we couldn’t achieve the victory we desired so much” said the captain of Nicaragua, Lucía Columna.

Mexico makes it to NORCECA U17 Semifinals beating Cuba

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 24, 2023.- Mexico made to the semifinals of the NORCECA Girls’ Under-17 Championship after beating Cuba 3-0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-19) on Friday at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Mexico will face Canada in Friday’s first semifinal for a chance to reach the gold medal match and qualify for the 2024 FIVB World Championship. In the other semifinal, Dominican Republic plays Puerto Rico.

Also on Friday, Cuba will play in the classification match for positions 5 to 8 against Honduras; and Nicaragua goes up against Costa Rica.

Mexico outperformed Cuba in every skill of the game, attack (45-22), block (6-3), and service (11-3). Cuba committed fewer unforced errors (13-18).

Aitana Rettke MEX

The top scorer of the match was Mexico’s captain, Aitana Tanguma, with 19 points on 15 kills, two blocks, and two aces. Also contributing to Mexico’s victory were middle blocker Brenda Esquivel and outside hitter Kenia Martínez, with 11 points each.

Salet Castillo once again led Cuba with 11 points.

Mexico faced little resistance from Cuba, securing the first set with a comfortable lead. In the second set, Cuba jumped to a six-point lead (7-1), but Mexico managed to recover with their service and capitalize on Cuba’s errors to tie the score at 14 points. Tanguma and Martínez’s attacks then helped Mexico stay ahead. In the third set, setter Gabriela Garza’s serves were crucial in closing the win.

Setter, Gabriela Garza, about coming behind in the second set said, “Attitude was everything; the desire to win motivated us to fight harder”. About the victory, she added, “Mexico did everything right, defense, serves, blocks, spikes, reception. Tomorrow, we hope for a good match against Canada”.

Yesica Brito, captain of Cuba, said, “It’s a very tough defeat. The team lacked focus due to the pressure of what the match meant. Mexico is a very strong team; I congratulate them”.

Dominican Republic advances to NORCECA U17 Semifinals

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 24, 2023. Republic advanced into the semifinals of the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-14) victory over Nicaragua in Friday’s quarterfinals at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Dominican Republic with 3 wins and one loss will face Puerto Rico in Saturday’s semifinals, aiming to reach the title match and win one of the three berths to qualify to the 2024 FIVB World Championship. Nicaragua (1-3) will play for positions 5 to 8.

Dominican Republic led 38-22 in kills and 9-3 in blocks, while Nicaragua led  4-1 in serves. Both teams committed a similar number of errors, Dominican Republic with 23 and Nicaragua with 27.

Opposite hitter Rayni Mondesi scored 14 points on 10 attacks, 3 blocks, and one ace for the Dominican Republic. Team captain, Estel Santos, added 10 points on 9 attacks and one block.

Rayni Mondesi DOM

Franchesca Viera led Nicaragua with 7 points.

After trading points in the beginning of the first set, Dominicans benefited from Nicaragua’s errors to jump to a comfortable six-point lead (14-8) and then taking control with assertive kills. In the second set teams were tied up to point 18, finally Dominican Republic took a two-point advantage with blocking defense to remain on top. With opposite Rayni Mondesi offense, Dominicans led the third set from the start to finish.

Rayni Mondesi from the Dominican Republic said, “Nicaragua gave us a good battle at the beginning, with good reception and communication. We advanced thanks to our powerful attack and improved our communication on the court, encouraging each other the entire time”.

“We maintained pressure at the beginning of the game because we had a lot of energy and fought for a victory, unfortunately, it didn’t happen. The Dominican Republic was more tactical in the third set, attacking against our block and scoring through the spaces we left uncovered over the net” said Francesca Viera from Nicaragua.

Canada defeats Dominican Republic and wins a direct ticket to Semifinals

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 23, 2023.- Canada defeated Dominican Republic 3-1 (25-16, 25-19, 19-25, 25-21) and secured a direct ticket to the semifinals of the NORCECA Girls’ U17  Continental Championship in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Canada claimed the top spot in Pool A undefeated (3-0) to advance to Saturday’s semifinals. The Dominican Republic, finishing in second place (2-1), will play in the quarterfinals on Friday.

The top three finishers in the event will qualify for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Canada led in attacking points 44-39, while the Dominicans controlled blocking points 9-8 and service points 15-14. Canada scored on 28 errors from the Dominican Republic and conceded 18.

Natalie Wahlgren CAN

Outside hitter Natalie Wahlgren led Canada with 15 points, accompanied by middle blockers Ella Hope and Dara Obeid, each contributing 13 points.

Estel Santos was the top scorer for the Dominican Republic with 17 points, and Ana Encarnación added 12, including 9 aces.

“As a team we really stepped up, especially when we were in a little bit of trouble in serve-receive and we were able to keep it together. There was a little bit of confidence in the third set. Now we have a rest day to get ready for the semifinals” said Natalie Wahlgren, Canada’s top scorer.

Dominican Estel Santos said, “We improved the serve and reception in the third set, and there was greater unity. Tomorrow, we need to practice blocking and assistance to face the next game; I think that’s what we lack. Personally, I feel that I attacked well”.

Puerto Rico moves into Semifinals undefeated

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 23, 2023. – Puerto Rico advanced undefeated to semifinals after beating Honduras 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-15) in the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ U17  Championship on Thursday at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Puerto Rico won Pool A and earned a direct ticket to Saturday’s semifinals. Mexico (2-1) and Nicaragua (1-2) will compete in the quarterfinals on Friday against the Dominican Republic and Cuba, respectively.

Honduras, fourth place in Pool A, will play for positions 5 to 8.

The top three places in the event qualify for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Puerto Rico finished with a 40-13 advantage in attacks and 11-3 in service points. Honduras controlled the blocking category 4-2. Puerto Rico capitalized on 22 points from Honduras’ errors and committed 18.

Kalia Alvarado PUR

Outside hitters Sara Lozano and Kalia Alvarado led Puerto Rico’s offense with 11 points each. Setter Natashja Soto scored a match-high of 5 aces.

Middle blocker Lila Madrid was Honduras’ top attacker with 7 points.

Carla Mercado, libero of Puerto Rico said, “We kept our composure, controlled the ball well, and were able to manage the game. We worked more through the middle, and the reserve players did a great job, preparing us for what’s coming in the tournament. We took the opportunity to practice things to be ready for the semifinal”.

Lila Madrid, the best attacker of Honduras, expressed, “It was a very tough game; Puerto Rico is a well-prepared team. My team gave everything and did their best on the court. I feel our defense was very good; we blocked, attacked, and celebrated every point with all our hearts”.

Mexico improves 2-1 defeating Nicaragua and waits for final position in Pool A

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 23, 2023 .- Mexico defeated Nicaragua 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-13), improving their record to 2-1 and awaiting their final position in Pool A of the first NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Mexico (2-1) and Nicaragua (1-2) will have to wait for the result between Puerto Rico (2-0) and Honduras (0-2) to determine their final position. The first place of the pool advances directly to the semifinals, while the second and third will play in Friday’s quarterfinals.

The NORCECA U17 Championship grants three slots to the FIVB World Championship to be held in 2024.

Mexico comfortably outperformed Nicaragua with a 42 to 19 advantage in attacks and a 12 to 1 lead in service points. Nicaragua led in blocks 6 to 4. Both teams committed 17 unforced errors.

Aitana Rettke MEX block

Mexico’s top scorers were opposite Yliana Zuñiga with 17 points on 11 kills  and a match-high of 6 aces, outside hitter Aitana Tanguma with 11 points on 8 kills, 2 blocks, and one ace, and middle blocker Brenda Esquivel with 9 points.

Keyling Olivas once again led Nicaragua with 7 points.

Mexico’s middle blocker Brenda Esquivel said, “Our attack was decisive, I am very satisfied with how well we did. The team needs to improve communication because we lose many balls due to our lack of communication”.

Denixa Zeledon, Nicaragua’s libero, said, “We needed to receive better; that made it difficult to score points from attacks. We will wait for the result of the next game, but I believe we will advance to the quarterfinals. We will fight every game”.

Cuba advances to quarterfinals with comeback win in five sets over Costa Rica

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 23, 2023. – Cuba advanced to the quarterfinals with a comeback win in five sets 3-2 (14-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-20, 18-16) over Costa Rica on Thursday at the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Cuba secured a dramatic victory, recovering from a two-set deficit to finish third place in Pool B with a 1-2 record. Costa Rica, with a 0-3 record, will compete for positions five to eight.

The NORCECA U17 Continental Championship grants three spots to the FIVB U17 World Championship in 2024.

Salet Castillo CUB

Outside hitter Salet Castillo scored an impressive 38 points (34 kills, 2 blocks, one ace) leading  Cuba’s victory. Middle blocker Lizt Lopez contributed 14 points on 9 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 aces. Team captain Yesica Brito added 12 points on 8 kills, one block, and three aces.

Costa Rica’s top scorer was Nicole Leiva with 17 points on 12 kills, one block, and four aces. Opposite hitter Lilliam Vargas scored 14 points on 11 kills and 3 aces, while outside hitter Dayna Barrantes contributed 13 points on 9 kills, three blocks, and one ace.

Cuba outperformed Costa Rica in attacks 56-50. Costa Rica had the advantage in serves 14-10 and gave away fewer points from errors (29-37). Both teams scored 7 points from blocks.

Salet Castillo from Cuba said, “We supported each other, encouraged ourselves because we knew we could do more. Even though we were losing two sets, we saw that we had the possibility of beating Costa Rica. We attacked harder to advance and compete for a medal”.

Dayna Barrantes from Costa Rica stated, “We came in with a hundred percent attitude and showed that we can play well. We lost focus and lacked confidence. It was a great game; we fought despite one of our players getting injured during warm-up (middle blocker Amanda Campos)”.

Mexico powers past Honduras in first victory at NORCECA U17

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 22, 2023. – Mexico powered past Honduras 3-0 (25-9, 25-10, 25-6) in their first victory at the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship being held at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

With a 1-1 record in Pool A, Mexico will face Nicaragua, who also holds a 1-1 record, on Thursday, while Honduras, with a 0-2 record, will go up against undefeated Puerto Rico.

The NORCECA U17 championship qualifies three teams for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Yliana Zuniga – Cyntia Palomo MEX

Mexico dominated with a significant 38-7 lead in attacks and 14-2 in blocks. Honduras outperformed Mexico 3-0 in blocks. Mexico gave away 13 points on unforced errors, while Honduras totaled 23.

Mexico used its entire lineup, with opposite hitter Yliana Zúñiga as the top scorer of the match with 10 points. Middle blocker Brenda Esquivel contributed 8 points.

Dibanhi Barrera, libero of Mexico said, “We felt very confident on the court. There was a lot of communication among us. With yesterday’s defeat, we came in more united today, we did things well, and felt good. I think we worked the attack very well, we performed well in that aspect”.

Puerto Rico remains unbeaten after a straight set win against Nicaragua

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 22, 2023. – Puerto Rico defeated Nicaragua 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-17) to remain undefeated in the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

The event, taking place from November 21 to 26, grants three berths for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Puerto Rico maintains an undefeated 2-0 record in Pool A and will finish the preliminary round on Thursday against the hosts Honduras. Nicaragua holds a 1-1 record and will face Mexico to advance to the next round.

After a strong start in the first set, Nicaragua surprised Puerto Rico with effective blocks, jumping to a four-point advantage (13-9) in the second set. Puerto Rico regrouped, took better control of the game, and closed it in three straight sets.

Puerto Rico celebrates

Puerto Rico dominated every skill of the game, kills (40-22), blocks (9-7), and aces (10-6); in addition to committing one less error (15-16) than Nicaragua.

Puerto Rico’s top scorers were Sara Lozano with 18 points on 17 kills and point from serves, Diangelie González with 10 points on 5 kills, 4 blocks, and one ace, and Kaila Alvarado with 9 points from attacks.

Keyling Olivas and Francehsca Viera, each with 9 points, were the top scorers for Nicaragua.

Sara Lozano from Puerto Rico said, “In the second set when Nicaragua took the lead, we had to communicate better to regain our game rhythm. I believe our unity has been crucial to staying undefeated. We will give our all to win tomorrow and finish with a strong attack”.

Keyling Olivas from Nicaragua mentioned, “We needed to be more effective in reception to maintain the advantage we had in the second set. We got a bit discouraged. We hope to advance to the next round”.

Dominican Republic dominates Cuba with Serves at NORCECA Sub-17

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 22, 2023. – Dominican Republic defeated Cuba 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 25-15), dominating with a 15-6 advantage in serves and maintaining their undefeated record at the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship being held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

With the victory, Dominican Republic has a 2-0 record in Pool B and will face Canada (2-0) on Thursday to advance directly to Saturday’s semifinals. Cuba (0-2) will go against Costa Rica (0-2) for the third place in pool and a spot in the quarterfinals.

The tournament qualifies the top three teams for the FIVB World Championship in 2024.

In addition to dominating in serves, Dominican Republic outperformed Cuba 39 to 25 in attacks and 6-5 in blocks. Cuba limited their errors to 17, while the Dominicans committed 21.

Caroline Rodriguez and Virelys Rivera de DOM block

Three Dominican players scored double digits, outside hitter Virelys Rivera leading with 16 points (12 attacks, 4 aces), opposite Rayni Mondesi with 13 points (9 attacks, one block, 3 aces), and team captain Estel Santos with 12 points (10 attacks and 2 aces).

Cuban outside hitter Salet Castillo Valdes was the only player with double digits, scoring 14 points on 12 kills, one block, and ace.

Dominican team captain, Estel Santos, said, 2The first set was very close; I think we were too confident. We were able to press with the serve, as we did in the previous game; that’s what has kept us going, along with our friendship and good spirit”.

Cuba’s top scorer, Salet Castillo, said, “Our reception failed us a lot. I think we put too much pressure on ourselves because this is our first international competition. The attack went well, and I think we could have won the match”.

Canada undefeated at NORCECA U17 with Win over Costa Rica

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 22, 2023. – Canada triumphed 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 21-25, 25-16) over Costa Rica to remain undefeated in the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

This is the first Continental Championship in the category and grants three slots to the FIVB World Championship to be held in 2024.

Canada holds a 2-0 record in Pool B and will face the Dominican Republic on Thursday in the last day of the pool-play. Costa Rica has two losses and will conclude Pool B against Cuba.

Costa Rica pressed in the first set, forcing Canada to lose seven set points (24-12) before securing the victory at 25-19. Costa Rica won the third set, taking the lead 19-16 and forcing a fourth set that Canada ultimately won.

Canadá

Canada comfortably outperformed Costa Rica 60-33 in attacks and 7-5 in blocks. Costa Rica finished with an 8-6 margin in service points. Canada benefited from Costa Rica’s 32 errors and committed 23 of their own.

Middle blocker Ella Hope contributed 19 points to Canada’s victory, with 13 kills, 3 blocks, and 3 aces. Outside hitters Natalie Wahlgren and Beatrice Pengelly contributed with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Middle blocker Amanda Campos and outside hitter Nicole Leiva, with 11 points each, were the top scorers for Costa Rica.

Ella Hope, leading scorer of Canada expressed “Both teams fought really well and we came together as a team, communicating better. In the third set, it was a good game, it was back and forth, both teams were fighting really hard”.  

Amanda Campos, top scorer of Costa Rica said “We fought every point. We counterattacked Canada in the third set with a good attitude, despite being taller than us. We didn’t get the result, but we never gave up”.

Nicaragua sweeps Honduras on day one at NORCECA Girls’ U17

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 21, 2023. – Nicaragua defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-17, 25-7, 25-14) on the first day of the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship that began on Tuesday at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

The event, taking place from November 22 to 26, qualifies the top three teams for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

On the second day of competition in Pool A, Nicaragua (1-0) will face Puerto Rico (1-0), and Honduras (0-1) will play against Mexico (0-1).

Ana Rodriguez NCA

From the second set onward, Nicaragua had no major difficulty in defeating Honduras, with a 29-13 superiority in attacks and 13-2 in aces.  Both teams scored 5 points on blocks. Nicaragua scored 28 points from Honduras’ unforced errors and committed 18.

Nicaragua’s middle blocker Karen Bird led all scorers with 12 points (6 kills, 3 blocks, 3 aces), followed by Franchesca Viera with 10 points (5 kills, one block, 4 aces).

For Honduras, middle blocker Lila Madrid topped with 6 points.

Lucía Columna, captain of Nicaragua, said, “We knew how to adapt well and avoided making many mistakes. The spirit was what I liked the most about my team.

“I think our attitude failed us; we came in strong in the first set, but then we faded. We hope to have more spirit tomorrow and hold our heads high to represent our country” said the captain of Honduras, Camila Figueroa.

Canada opens NORCECA Girls’ U17 with a tie-break win against Cuba

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 21, 2023.- Canada defeated Cuba in a tie-break 3-2 (26-28, 25-18, 16-25, 25-11, 15-9) to open their campaign in Pool B at the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship in Tegucigalpa, Honduras at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.

This is the first edition of the event that runs from November 21 to 26 and grants three slots to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

In Pool B action on day two, Canada (1-0) will face Costa Rica (0-1) and Cuba (0-1) plays against Dominican Republic (1-0).

It was a roller coaster performance for both teams, where Canada started leading all five sets. Canada forced the fifth set capitalizing on their effective serves.

Canada led in every skill of the game, kills (50-35), blocks (8-5) and aces (19-13). Cuba scored on 28 Canadian errors and gave away 30.

Beatrice Pengelly CAN block

Outside hitter Beatrice Pengelly was Canada’s top scorer with 21 points on 15 kills, one block and a match-high of 5 aces. Outside hitter Natalie Wahlgren added 12 points on 8 kills, one block and three aces, joined by opposite Dasia Smith with 11 points on 5 kills, two blocks and four aces.

On Cuba’s side, outside hitter Salet Castillo scored 21 points on 15 kills, two blocks and four aces, and team captain Yesica Brito contributed 12 points on 8 kills and four aces.

“This match was amazing even though we came out not strong on serves. We came out strong in the end and the fifth set was so live; we were so hype and it was a great win. Our communication can be better” said Beatrice Pengelly.

Yesica Brito, captain of Cuba indicated “Honestly, I think the nerves contributed to performing with ups and downs, because it’s the first time we travel outside to represent Cuba. Tomorrow we will recover with our attacks which are our best weapon”.

Dominican Republic gets NORCECA Girls’ U17 underway beating Costa Rica

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 21, 2023.- Dominican Republic beat Costa Rica 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-18) to get the first edition of the Girls’ U17 NORCECA Continental Championship underway on Tuesday at Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

The event that runs from November 21 to 26 will qualify the top three finishers to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

On Wednesday, the Dominican Republic will play Cuba and Costa Rica goes up against Canada.

Costa Rica took an early three-point lead in the first two sets, leveling the scores to 20 points in the first and 17 in the second. Dominican Republic managed to stabilize their rhythm of play until the third set where they jumped quickly to a six-point lead (10-4) to grab their first Pool B victory.

Dominicans 11 to 4 advantage in serves were too much for Costa Rica. Dominican Republic also held advantage in blocks 7-4 and committed fewer unforced errors (25-28). Both teams leveled in 29 points from attacks.

Dominican Republic celebrates

Dominican outside hitter Virelys Rivera led her team with 13 points on 9 kills, a match-high of 5 blocks and 4 aces. Opposite hitter Rayni Mondesi followed with 11 points on 7 kills and 4 aces.

Middle blocker Amanda Campos led Costa Rica with 13 points on 8 kills, 2 blocks and 3 aces. Outside hitter Dayna Barrantes and opposite Lilliam Vargas added 7 points each.

Estel Santos, captain of Dominican Republic said “Our serves were weak in the first and second sets, that’s why the scores were too close. We started to push with serves in the third and we improved our receiving. We are glad to open with a win”.

Nadia Granados, captain of Costa Rica said “I think attitude marked the difference from the third set to the first two. We had more energy in the first and second sets, and we turned it off in the third. We fought strong against a good opponent. We will correct some tactical aspects for our next match”.

Puerto Rico downs Mexico in straight sets to start NORCECA Girls’ U17

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 21, 2023. – Puerto Rico defeated Mexico in straight sets 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-19) to start the first NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

The top three teams in the tournament will earn a spot to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Puerto Rico (1-0) will face Nicaragua on Wednesday, while Mexico (0-1) will play against the host team, Honduras.

Puerto Rico earned its first victory in Group A coming from behind (11-15) in the first set and dominating Mexico in the next two, despite Mexico’s efforts to extend the match.

Puerto Rico finished with a lead of 44 to 38 in attacking points, 7 to 4 in blocking points, and 5 to 2 in points from serves. Both teams committed 20 unforced errors.

Puerto Rico celebrates

The top scorer of the match was Puerto Rican Diangelie González with 21 points on 18 attacks, one block, and two aces. Outside hitter Sara Lozano ended with a record of 14 points on 13 attacks and one ace. Team Captain Kalia Alvarado contributed 11 points on 10 attacks and one ace.

Mexico’s captain, Aitana Tanguma, scored 15 points on 14 attacks and one ace, accompanied by middle blocker Brenda Esquivel with 11 points on 10 attacks and one block.

“We recovered from being behind in the first set by improving concentration, communication, and passing. We also gained confidence. It feels great to represent the country and secure a first victory”, said Puerto Rico’s captain, Kalia Alvarado.

“I know we have the team to have won the match. Confidence failed us a bit; confidence in the teammate beside us. We will bounce back because we have the goal of winning the gold medal”, said Mexico’s captain, Aitana Tanguma.

Three World Championship Tickets Up for Grabs at NORCECA Girls’ U17 in Honduras

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 20, 2023.- Eight national teams will battle in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, at the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ Under 17 Continental Championship to earn three tickets to the inaugural FIVB Age-Group World Championship to be held in 2024.

The head coaches had the chance to give their first statements on the eve of the competition.

Amy Wilson, Head Coach of Canada: “Our team prepared by coming together and practicing, we also did some sessions on zoom for team bonding as we are spread out from across the country.  What I expect from this event is some self-growth, self-improvement within our athletes as well as our coaching staff, to continue to work hard and to get to the play-offs”.

Nicolás Docquier, Head Coach of Costa Rica: “We have prepared very well, the girls have been in competition in our local tournaments and that gives us an advantage. We haven’t had many days together, nevertheless, the athletes are committed to the team, it’s a new experience for them and for me as head coach. We are excited, happy and we will give our all on the court”.

Rogelio Goytizolo, Head Coach of Cuba: “It’s really good that we are going to inaugurate a competition that had never been held before in the area. We are seeking an improvement in the performance of the women’s team in Cuba, and it is very important to do it from the bases, creating a higher level of competitiveness. We hope to gain the best results from the competition. We are here to book a ticket to the World Championship; the girls are coming with high hopes to accomplish it”.

Wilson Sánchez, Head Coach of Dominican Republic: “Being the first edition of this age-group event and considering that the players are younger, there will be a lot of pressure among them, but we hope to have a nice tournament regardless of that. Since there are no preparation matches, we will solve any difficulties that arise along the way. In this age-group, players want to show their abilities, so it will be a very nice tournament, and we are asking them to enjoy it, doing their best. The goal as a country, given the level of the Dominican Republic has shown, is to reach the finals”.

Marcos Sugiyama, Head Coach of Honduras: “The team has been training hard for the past month and a half, and we are making changes so that the athletes stop thinking like they do in school training, to that of training in a national team; it has been positive to change the story we are building. The goal is to battle every day, play well every day, and be close to those national teams that win championships, the journey is long, but we are ready to battle”.

Ignacio Sánchez, Head Coach of Mexico: “We are coming well, we have worked hard. We have selected players from all across the country, doing scouting during our national festivals. We think the team is strong enough to compete for a berth for Worlds and a medal”.

Claudia Noguera, Head Coach of Nicaragua: “Like everyone in this tournament, the team is new, but we have four players who have competed in Central American events, in addition to their growth they have undergone in our national Under-19 league, and that brings a bit of experience. All of them are enthusiastic to represent the country in a first event of this age-group, which is important for the development of young athletes in Central American and NORCECA”.

Juan Carlos Nuñez, Head Coach of Puerto Rico: “This is a valuable opportunity to be here at this tournament, it’s the first time we call this age-group in Puerto Rico. It is a valuable opportunity to be in a tournament like this; its is the first call in Puerto Rico for this age-group. We are bringing talented girls, but due to the timing of the tournament, there were difficulties in gathering them and training for such an event. The athletes come from playing in the school tournament in Puerto Rico and have been active individually. As a team, we were together for a month, but not every day. I always set high goals, so we will aim to be in the top three positions”.

Maximiliano Aponte of Puerto Rico MVP of NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 12, 2023.- Maximiliano Aponte, outside hitter for Puerto Rico, was selected the Most Valuable Player “MVP” of the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship that concluded on Sunday at Manuel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Aponte was handed the award during the closing ceremony after Puerto Rico was crowned champion. Aponte was also awarded as the Second Best Spiker.

Also from team Puerto Rico, Fernando Castello was selected the Best Blocker, Erick Vazquez the Best Opposite, outside hitter Adrian Carrillo the Best Receiver and Ignacio Cruz the Best Libero and Best Digger. 

Emi Diaz of Mexico received the awards for Best Spiker, Best Server and Best Scorer. His teammate middle blocker was granted the Second Best Blocker award.

The Best Setter was Cuban Yothuel Vergara.

Individual awards

Puerto Rico Wins NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 12, 2023.- Puerto Rico defeated Mexico 3-1 (25-23, 24-26, 25-16, 25-20) to win the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship on Sunday at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico.

Puerto Rico finished the event with a 5-0 record and Mexico with 5-1. Both teams, along with Cuba,  qualified to the 2024 FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship, as the three top finishers of the NORCECA U17 Championship.  

Puerto Rico’s 14-7 advantage in blocks were crucial in winning the gold medal match, as well as their 30 points on Mexico’s errors. Both teams leveled in 51 kill points. Mexico held a 7-4 margin in aces and scored on 20 opponent errors.

Opposite hitter Erick Vazquez of Puerto Rico scored a match-high of 25 points on 23 kills and two blocks. Middle blocker Fernando Castello contributed to the win with 15 points on match-high of 9 stuff blocks and 6 kills. Outside hitter Adrian Carrillo added 11 points.

Puerto Rico Campeon

Outside hitter Emi Diaz led Mexico with 21 points on 17 kills, 5 blocks and a match-high of 4 aces. Opposite hitter Ricardo Gonzalez contributed 18 points on 17 kills and one ace.

Puerto Rico dominated the first set mainly with their tough kills, but Mexico managed to tie at 23 points with González’s attack and Villalobos’ block. However, Puerto Rico closed the set with an ace from Aponte. Mexico leveled the match winning the second after losing a set point to Castello’s block. Puerto Rico controlled the third set, establishing a significant lead from the beginning (11-6), against an erratic opponent, and sealed the victory in the fourth set led by Vazquez and Castello, this last one secured the gold medal point with a stuff block”.

Gustavo Alvarez, captain of Puerto Rico said “It’s really exciting to win in front of the fans, a gym at its full capacity and it’s an honor to win the tournament, I really liked the tournament. I believe our serves and defense were very effective to take the win”.

Cuba takes NORCECA U17 Bronze and final berth to Worlds

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 12, 2023.- Cuba took the final berth for the 2024 FIVB World Championship winning the bronze medal 3-0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-22) over Costa Rica at the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship on Sunday at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Cuba finished the tournament with 3-2 record and qualified to the first edition of the Under-17 Boys’ FIVB World Championship as one of the top three finishers. Costa Rica ends 3-3.

Cuba outperformed Costa Rica 45 to 27 in attacking points, 6 to 2 in points from blocks and 6-0 in aces. Cuba scored on 18 opponent errors and handed out 13.

Yosdani Medina led Cuba scoring 16 points on 13 kills, one block and two aces. Middle blocker Julio Acosta added 10 points and team captain Byron Herrera tallied 9.

Julian Soto CRC

On Costa Rica’s side, middle blocker Julian Soto De Franco led with 13 points, while opposite Ignacio Morales and middle blocker Derek Farley registered 6 points each.

The most contested set was the third, when Costa Rica trailed from a three-point deficit (19-22) on effective serves and Cuban errors for a close finish.

Byron Herrera Cuba’s captain said “Costa Rica played good volleyball and so did we. We achieved our goal of qualifying to Worlds and we also wanted the gold medal, but it didn’t happen; it will be next time”.

Costa Rica’s captain Gabriel Córdoba said “We gave our best during the tournament, we never were an easy opponent, this is a historic fourth place for Costa Rica. We need to collect more experience to win a medal in the future”.

Honduras ends eighth place over Suriname

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 12, 2023. – Honduras closed the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship in eighth place over Suriname 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-23, 25-22) on Saturday at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Honduras finished with a 1-4 record for position eight and Suriname 1-5 for position nine. In the preliminary round, Honduras had lost to Suriname in five sets.

Honduras was better in attacks (41-38) and in aces (7-3), while Suriname led in blocks (9-6). Honduras committed one error less than Suriname (40-41).

Honduras

Honduras’ team captain Saul Coca, was the top scorer of the match with 20 points on 17 attacks and 3 blocks, followed by the outside hitter Esdras Ramírez with 13 points.

Three players from Suriname scored double digits, led once again by opposite Javier Nasibdar with 14 points, and outside hitters Issaiah Olijfveld and Mathew Lie Ten with 13 and 11 points respectively.

After losing the first set, Suriname quickly took a 17-9 lead to tie the match, winning the second set, but Honduras wasn’t surprised and managed to win the next two sets with advantages from the start.

Saul Coca, captain of Honduras, commented on the previous match against Suriname, “We were able to learn from our mistakes, we noticed that Suriname’s high balls ended in touches, so we adjusted to defend better. We are happy to take the victory”.

Roberto Benschop, captain of Suriname said “It was a fun tournament, a great learning experience for me and my team. The match could have gone better, I think compared to the previous one, we had too many mistakes”.

Mexico beat Cuba to play for  NORCECA Boys’ U17 Title

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 11, 2023.- Mexico beat Cuba 3-1 (22-25, 28-26, 27-25, 25-20) to play for the title of the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Mexico will face Puerto Rico in the gold medal match; both qualified to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.  Cuba goes against Costa Rica for bronze and the last berth for Worlds according to FIVB regulations.

Mexico prevailed on points from serves 11-3 and scoring 31 points on Cuba’s errors. Cuba held advantages in kills 52-48 and a slight 13-12 margin in blocks. Mexico gave away 28 points on unforced errors.

Opposite hitter Ricardo Gonzalez of Mexico scored a match-high of 22 points on 20 kills, one block and one ace. Outside hitters Emi Yanixan Diaz and Oskar Gonzalez contributed 17 and 15 points respectively. Diaz on 15 kills and two aces, and Gonzalez on 10 kills, two blocks and two aces.

Daniel Fajardo MEX

Cuba’s top scorers were middle blocker Julio Acosta with 17 points on 11 kills, 5 blocks and one ace, captain Byron Herrera with 16 points on 13 kills and 3 blocks, and outside hitter Andy Marrero with 14 points.

Despite Mexico’s efforts trailing on four points (16-21), Cuba won the first set benefiting from Mexico’s errors, in addition to Marrero and Acosta attacks.

México won the second and third sets in a dramatic fashion. Closing set two on a kill by Emi Diaz and an ace by Tomás Villalobos; and the third set, after losing two set points, was sealed with a powerful attack from Oskar Gonzalez.

The teams tied at 12 in the fourth, but from there on, Mexico remained on top, closing on a service error from Cuba.

Mexico’s coach, Denis Omar Rivera, said about the victory, “It was a nail-biting game. Mexico adjusted, pressured Cuba with the serves, and played with heart, which was the team’s defining characteristic. The support from the fans was spectacular; it gave us goosebumps. We are very grateful for that”.

Cuba’s coach, Mario Izquierdo, expressed, “It was all about tactical errors; the team made a lot of mistakes in the tactical approach we had planned to face Mexico. Mexico knew how to exploit our weaknesses and secured the victory. Now we have to fight for the bronze and the berth for the  World Championship because there are only three slots available”.

Puerto Rico reaches NORCECA Boys’ U17 Final beating Costa Rica

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 11, 2023.- Puerto Rico beat Costa Rica 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-19) in semifinals to reach the gold medal match of the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship in Gymnasium Miguel Hidalgo of Poza Rica, Mexico.

Puerto Rico will face the winner between Mexico and Cuba for the gold medal, while Costa Rica goes against the loser for the bronze medal.

Four players led Puerto Rico with double digits, outside hitter Maximiliano Aponte (15), middle blockers  Fernando Castello (11) and Jorge Suarez (11), and opposite hitter Erick Vazquez (10).

Derek Farley led Costa Rica with 10 points, Ignacio Morales added 9 points.

Fernando Castello PUR

Puerto Rico was superior to Costa Rica in every skill of the game, kills (43-31), blocks (7-4) and aces (6-4). Costa Rica committed one less error than Puerto Rico (19-20).

The first set had a quicker pace. Puerto Rico closed the second set after missing five set points (25-14). Costa Rica in the third set rallied from seven points (10-22) with good defense and opponent errors.

Puerto Rico’s libero, Ignacio Cruz, said after the victory, “We had a faster game at the beginning. Our attitude declined, and that affected our rhythm. We were always putting pressure on Costa Rica, even though they recovered at some point. I think for tomorrow, we need to improve our passing and blocking; I believe we can win the gold medal”.

José Gutiérrez, libero of Costa Rica, said, “We had many ups and downs because we faced a tough opponent; at times, we did very well. I think we had too many errors in defense and reception. We are still going to fight for the bronze”.

Guatemala fifth place in five-setter comeback against Dominican Republic

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 11, 2023.- Guatemala with a five-set comeback 3-2 (23-25, 14-25, 27-25, 25-21, 15-9) victory of Dominican Republic finished fifth place at the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship on Saturday at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Guatemala finished the event with 3-2 record and Dominican Republic with 1-3 for positions five and six respectively.

Guatemala recovered from a two-set deficit to control Dominican Republic 49-46 in kills and 10-5 in blocks. Dominican Republic held a significant 13-3 advantage in aces. Guatemala ended with one unforced error less than Dominican Republic (41-42).

Luis Mendizabal, Guatemala’s team captain, led his team with 19 points on 16 kills and 3 aces. Also contributing to the win, outside hitter Juan Carlos Menendez and middle blocker José Quintana added 12 points each.

Daniel Fernandez DOM

Dominican outside hitter Malik Britton was the leading attacker in the match with 25 points on 22 kills, two blocks and one ace, accompanied by middle blocker Marvin Rodriguez with 17 points and team captain Allen Baldera with 14 points.

Dominican Republic snatched the first set from Guatemala recovering from a seven-point deficit (4-11). Britton and Rodriguez took charge of Dominican Republic’s offensive in winning a comfortable second set. Guatemala forced another set, winning a contested third set. The Central Americans kept on strong with Mendizabal and Asencio up to the tie-break win.

Edvin López, head coach of Guatemala said, “We neutralized their most powerful player (Britton). The athletes were able to analyze the game after losing the first two sets and applied themselves well. There were players we had to motivate to keep them from losing concentration”.

Victor Bermudez, head coach of Dominican Republic, said, “I think our physical condition took a toll on us. We started very well, but we couldn’t keep the pace. They (Guatemala) were more consistent, and that’s why they took the victory”.

Nicaragua finish seventh at NORCECA Boys’ U17

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 11, 2023.- Nicaragua defeated Suriname 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-12) to finish seventh place at the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship on Saturday at Gymnasium Miguel Hidalgo in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Nicaragua ends the event with 1-3 record and seventh place. Suriname will face Honduras on Sunday for positions 8-9.

Nicaragua’s huge 41-12 advantage in attacks was to thank for in its straight set victory over Suriname. Nicaragua also led 9-2 in aces, while Suriname held a slight 3-2 advantage in blocks. Both teams committed 23 unforced errors.

Suriname

Outside hitter Bradley Cordon from Nicaragua led all scorers with 21 points, on 19 kills and two aces. Joshuan Rivas and Ismael Martinez added 9 and 8 points respectively.

Javier Nasibdar topped Suriname with 9 points.

Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua said, “Developing this age-group is very beneficial, and it was a nice tournament. Unfortunately, we were in a tough group. We fought hard, and each match was a learning experience for the boys. We were confident in winning this match based on what we had observed from Suriname. We hope to work more with this new generation and age-group, getting fully involved in Central America for the upcoming tournaments”.

Mexico Wins Pool A undefeated; Costa Rica takes second place

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 10, 2023.- Mexico defeated Guatemala 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-21) to win Pool A undefeated and Costa Rica finished second in the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship on Friday at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

On Saturday, Mexico faces Cuba in semifinals and Costa Rica (3-1) goes up against Puerto Rico. Guatemala (2-2) will play for fifth place against Dominican Republic.

Mexico held a 43-25 advantage in kills and a 7-3 margin in aces. Both teams were leveled to 7 points in blocks. Guatemala committed fewer unforced errors 18 to 23.

Outside hitter Emi Yanixan Diaz led Mexico with 19 points on 17 kills and two aces, joined by opposite hitter Ricardo Rivera with 12 points on 9 kills, one block and two aces.

Guatemala’s top scorer was outside hitter Jose Asencio with 10 points.

Ricardo Gonzalez GUA

Mexico comfortably took the first set and then closed a tight second set after losing two set points. Guatemala capitalized on Mexico’s errors and with good defense jumped to a seven-point lead (11-4) in the third set, however gained momentum leveling the score to 12 with strong kills and sealed the win.

Manuel Delgado, setter of Mexico, said, “We recovered from being seven points down in the second set because we couldn’t score on kills; our passing failed. I feel that today we played relaxed because yesterday we secured a spot in the World Championship. Guatemala pressured us; I think they were the toughest team we faced. In the end, we got the result. We need to improve our attitude for the semifinal and start strong”.

Guatemala’s top scorer, José Asencio, said, “We made a great effort against a great opponent. I believe we could have done more; we failed in reception. Tomorrow, we want to win fifth place”.

Costa Rica beats Suriname and waits for final position in Pool A

POZA RICA, M3xico, November 10, 2023.- Costa Rica beat Suriname 3-0 (25-7, 25-10, 25-10) and waits to determine its final position in Pool A at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship being held at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Costa Rica with 3-1 record in Pool A will wait for the result between Mexico and Guatemala to see if they advance to semifinals.

Suriname (1-3) finished fourth in Pool A to face Nicaragua on Saturday for seventh place; the loser will play for positions 8 to 9 against Honduras on Sunday.

Costa Rica outperformed Suriname in kills (47-11), in blocks (6-0) and aces (5-2), committing 14 errors against 17.

Julian David Soto de Franco CRC

Costa Rica’s middle blocker Julian Soto topped all scorers with 16 points on 15 kills and one block. Jean Carlo Vega and Derek Faley added 11 points each.

Costa Rica was dominant over Suriname, maintaining a sizable lead throughout the entire match.

Julian Soto, Costa Rica’s top scorer, said, “We came with a plan to play with quick balls and open the sides and today we executed it well, achieving a good result. We’ll wait to see what position we end up in. Thankfully, things have gone well”.

 Isaiah Olijfveld from Suriname expressed, “We didn’t block, the defense fell apart”.

Guatemala wins against Suriname to keep hopes alive to move forward

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 10, 2023.- Guatemala won 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-12) against Suriname to keep its hopes alive to move into the NORCECA Boys’ U17 semifinals at Poza Rica, Mexico and qualify to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Guatemala stands 2-1 in Pool A and will finish pool-play against Mexico (3-0), while Suriname (1-2) goes against Costa Rica (2-1). There is still one spot for semifinals and a slot for the FIVB 2024 World Championship up for grabs.

Guatemala prevailed over Suriname with a 37-18 advantage in kills and a 6-4 margin in blocks. Suriname held a 9-6 advantage in aces. Guatemala scored on 25 opponent unforced errors and committed 17 of their own.

Luis Mendizabal GUA

Opposite hitter and team captain Luis Mendizabal scored a match-high of 17 points on 14 kills, one block and four aces. Outside hitter Juan Menendez chipped in 10 points on 8 kills and two aces.

Suriname’s leading attacker was opposite hitter Javier Nasibdar with 9 points, followed by outside hitter Roberto Benschop with 8 points.

Guatemala started off strong with an 8-0 lead in the first set. Guatemala won a roller coaster second set pressured by a more settled Suriname, but finally took the win in straight sets.

Guatemala’s coach, Edvin López, said, “We are very happy; we came in with a positive mindset to achieve the 3-0 victory, and we succeeded. The boys rested well and recovered for today. We hope to have a good match against Mexico tonight and fight for qualification. Today, we improved in reception, which was a factor against Costa Rica. The team is progressing, and we will give our all against Mexico”.

Carlos Orta Fellove, Suriname’s coach, expressed, “Guatemala is a team with more experience than Suriname, better man-to-man, dominating more technical elements. We did everything possible to try to win and preserve the players’ strength because we have another match tonight, so I made several changes. In my opinion, we played well”.

Costa Rica improves record 2-1 defeating Honduras

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 10, 2023. – Costa Rica defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-13, 25-9, 25-10), improving their record to 2-1 in the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship taking place at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Costa Rica (2-1) in Pool A, will face Suriname tonight, aiming to reach the semifinals and winning the last slot to the FIVB 2024 World Championship.

Honduras finished fifth place in Pool A and will play for positions eight and nine on Sunday.

Costa Rica had control throughout the entire match, finishing with a sizable 35-15 lead in kills, 7-1 in blocks, and 4-2 aces. Costa Rica scored 29 points from Honduras’ errors and handed out 14.

Derek Farley CRC

Two middle blocker led Costa Rica, Derek Farley with 16 points (15 attacks, one ace) and Julian Soto with 14 points (11 attacks, 3 blocks). Opposite hitter Ignacio Morales contributed 9 points.

From Honduras, outside hitter Esdras Ramírez ended with 6 points.

Derek Farley from Costa Rica said, “At first, it was challenging for us because we didn’t know the opponent. We were able to settle in and secure a comfortable victory. Costa Rica’s determination was evident today, as well as in previous matches; that defines us as a country”.

“Yesterday’s match was thrilling, emotional, and exhausting; we thought we could win it. Costa Rica has an advanced level, and my boys are still processing yesterday’s loss. We are still in competition, and we will give our all. The team is learning to be resilient, and I am proud of how they are embracing the process”, said Honduras coach Alejandro Castillo.

Mexico sweeps Costa Rica to secure a spot in Semis and Worlds

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 9, 2023. – Mexico swept Costa Rica 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-15), securing their spot in semifinals of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship and qualifying for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Mexico with a perfect 3-0 record in Pool A, secured their spot in Saturday’s semifinals and one of the four berths to the World Championship next year.

Mexico ends the preliminary round against Guatemala in Friday’s second session matches. Costa Rica with 1-1 record will play in Friday’s first session against Honduras (0-3) and Suriname (1-1) in the second session.

Mexico’s powerful 47 to 25 lead in attacks, was the key to dominating Costa Rica; they were also better in points from serves 5-3. Both teams scored 7 blocking points and committed 16 unforced errors.

Mexico celebrates

Mexican Emi Yanixan Díaz led all scorers with 21 points on 18 kills, one block, and two aces. Opposite hitter Ricardo González contributed to the win with 13 points, and outside hitter Sebastián Melesio added 10 points.

Costa Rica’s leading scorer was central player Ángel Monge with 8 points. Costa Rica suffered the loss of middle blocker Deniz Vargas in the first set.

Mexico’s coach, Denis Omar Rivera, said, “We’ve already achieved the goal of qualifying for the World Championship. Now, we need to focus on what’s ahead, finish the tournament well, and aim for a medal. We studied the opponent well statistically, worked on it in the morning, and were able to control Costa Rica, which is a good team. Our attack was decisive”.

Felipe Jenkins, Costa Rica’s coach, stated, “Mexico is a good team. However, when we were gaining momentum, we lost a crucial piece in the team (Deniz Vargas), one of our best players who contributes to both defense and offense. Things didn’t go our way. It’s a great experience, and the players are gaining valuable experience. Tomorrow, we have the opportunity to keep fighting, and the chance to qualify for the World Championship is still on the table”.

Puerto Rico wins five-set thriller to Cuba, both move into Semifinals

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 9, 2023. – Puerto Rico won a five-set thriller 3-2 (20-25, 26-24, 25-17, 22-25, 18-16) against Cuba for the top spot in Pool B at the NORCECA U17 Men’s Continental Championship in Poza Rica, Mexico. Both teams advanced to the semifinals.

Puerto Rico won Pool B undefeated  with a 3-0 record, while Cuba took second place with a 2-1 record. Both teams advanced to Saturday’s semifinals and also qualified for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

In the match statistics, Puerto Rico led in kills 61-57 and service points 12-2, while Cuba had an advantage in blocks 11-7. Puerto Rico scored 31 points on Cuban errors and gave away 37 points.

Outside hitter Adrian Carrillo led Puerto Rico with 17 points on 11 kills, one block, and a match-high of 5 aces. Opposite hitter Erick Vazquez and middle blocker Jorge Suarez also contributed with 16 points each.

Andy Marrero CUB Jose Andres Soriano PUR

The leading scorer of the match was Cuban Yosdani Medina with 21 points on 19 kills and two blocks. He was joined by captain Byron Herrera with 12 points and outside hitter Andy Marrero with 11 attack points.

Puerto Rico recovered from losing the first set, evening the score after winning the second set with a six-point consecutive rally and recovering from a eight-point deficit (9-17).

Before celebrating the victory in the tie-break, Puerto Rico lost two match points (14-12) to Cuba’s block but in the end won in a dramatic finish 18-16 with a block by Erick Vazquez.

Puerto Rico’s coach, Carlos De Sevilla, commented on the historic win over Cuba, saying, “This is history. Cuba is a volleyball powerhouse in all categories. We are proud and happy for our program and the work we are doing. The boys had great motivation to win, without taking away credit from Cuba, who made us sweat until the end. We gave a great game to the people of Poza Rica, who deserve it”.

Cuba’s coach, Mario Izquierdo, said, “We had many ups and downs during the match. The boys knew how to recover and put up a fight. We let our guard down in receiving-passing-attacking when we almost had secured the second set; it’s natural in this age group, due to emotions. They have to experience and learn from it. The goal of qualifying for the World Championship was achieved, but we are going for the gold medal”.

Dominican Republic dominates Nicaragua in first Win

POZA RICA, México, November 9, 2023.- Dominican Republic dominated Nicaragua 3-1 (29-27, 16-25, 25-21, 25-21) in its first win at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship being held at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Dominican Republic (1-2) finished third place in Pool B and will play for the fifth and sixth place of the event on Saturday. Nicaragua (0-3), fourth in the pool, will compete for the seventh place on Saturday, and the loser will have an additional game on Sunday for positions eight and nine.

Jael Rivas HON

Dominican Malik Britton was unstoppable, scoring 31 points (29 kills, one block, one ace), a tournament-high so far. Team captain Allen Baldera contributed 14 points (11 kills, one block, two aces), and middle blocker Marvin Rodríguez added 13 points (8 kills, 4 blocks, one ace).

Nicaragua’s middle blocker Ismael Martínez scored 23 points (22 kills, one block), and outside hitters Bradley Cordon and Joshuan Rivas contributed 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Dominican Republic held advantages in attacks (55-45) and blocks (10-5), while Nicaragua led in aces (7-5). Dominican Republic committed more unforced errors than Nicaragua (37-25).

Before Dominican Republic won the first set, Nicaragua lost two set points and then outperformed the Dominican team in the second set. Dominican Republic recovered from a three-point deficit (16-19) to win the third set and from a six-point deficit (8-14) to win the fourth set.

Michael Ramírez, setter of Dominican Republic, said, “We started the game to slow, into Nicaragua’s rhythm. The coach made the necessary changes for us to recover. We all worked together to achieve the victory”.

Ismael Martínez, Nicaragua’s top scorer, said, “It was a tough match, and we didn’t do a good job throughout the game. This has been our best match so far because we are more in sync. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the victory”.

Suriname edges Honduras in first Win at NORCECA U17

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 9, 2023. – Suriname edged past Honduras 3-2 (25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 15-9) in their first victory at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Suriname holds a record of one win and one loss; on Friday morning, they will face Guatemala (1-1), and in the evening, they will play against Costa Rica. Honduras, with a record of 0-3, will compete against Costa Rica in the morning in their last pool-play match.

Suriname led in service points 11-9, while Honduras had the advantage in attacks 48-40 and blocks 9-7. Suriname scored 52 points from Honduras’ errors and gave away 37.

Three players of Suriname scored double digits, led by opposite hitter Javier Nasibdar (15), followed by outside hitter Mathew Lie Ten (14), and team captain Roberto Benschop (13).

Isaiah Olifveld SUR

Saul Coca, captain of Honduras, was the top scorer of the match with 28 points, on 23 kills and a match-high of 5 aces.

Suriname won the first set after overcoming three set points (24-19). In the second set, the Caribbean team rallied from behind (12-17), had a tight finish tied at 22, and maintained the lead on the scoreboard. The roles switched in the third set as Honduras came from behind (6-12) to force a fourth set, closing it with a spectacular block from middle blocker Max Rubio.

Honduras forced a tie-break by winning the fourth set, leading from point 11. Despite Honduras’ efforts to recover from a two-set deficit, it was not enough to secure the victory.

“We made a lot of mistakes, we got a bit lazy, and Honduras took advantage. Our attacks and serves were better than Honduras. We must improve our passing for our next matches” said Suriname’s top scorer Javier Nasibdar.

Mexico takes down Honduras in second Win 

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 8, 2023.- Mexico won its second match of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship with a 3-0 (25-14, 25-8, 25-14) victory over Honduras on Wednesday at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Mexico stands 2-0 in Pool A while Honduras is 0-2. The first and second placed teams of each pool advance to semifinals. The tournament offers four slots for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

On Thursday, Mexico (2-0) will face Costa Rica (1-0) and Honduras (0-2) goes against Suriname (0-1).

Mexico’s strength in attacks was too much for Honduras to handle. The home team held a 41-9 advantage in kills, a slight 4-3 margin in blocks and 8-1 in aces. Both teams committed a similar number of unforced errors, Mexico 23, and Honduras 22.

Ricardo Gonzalez MEX

Mexican opposite hitter Ricardo Gonzalez led with a match-high of 20 points on 17 kills, one block and two aces. Outside hitter Emi Diaz added 17 points on 13 kills, one block and three aces.

Daniel Fajardo, the captain of Mexico, said, “In our second victory, we feel very happy. We have a clear understanding of what we are doing and where we are heading. Today was a good match, just like yesterday. We know that tomorrow will be a great match against Costa Rica. We watched them today, and with the support of the fans, we hope to secure the win”.

Angel Ellner, libero of Honduras, expressed, “It’s our first international tournament for the team. We are proud to be participating in the tournament. We lack experience, but little by little, we are improving, and tomorrow we will give our all”.

Costa Rica wins roller-coaster against Guatemala in five sets

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 8, 2023. Costa Rica won a roller-coaster battle 3-2 (23-25, 25-7, 23-25, 25-19, 15-8) against Guatemala at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship taking place at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

This was Costa Rica’s first match, while Guatemala has a 1-1 record in Pool A. The first and second-place teams in the pool advance to the semifinals and qualify for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

On Thursday, Costa Rica will face the host Mexico, and Guatemala (1-1) has a rest day.

Costa Rica celebrate

Costa Rica’s service (15-6) was a key skill for their victory over Guatemala. Costa Rica also had an advantage in attacks (59-43) and made fewer unforced errors (28-30). Both teams scored 7 points from blocks.

Costa Rica had three players with double digits, led by the middle blocker Julian Soto with 19 points, on 14 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 aces. Outside hitter Deniz Vargas scored 18 points on 15 kills and 3 aces, while opposite hitter Ignacio Morales added 12 points.

Guatemala was led by their captain Luis Mendizabal, the top scorer of the match with 23 points, on  19 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 aces.

Gabriel Córdoba, captain of Costa Rica, said, “We had very consistent preparation, training for seven months, every weekend, and I believe our physical condition was a decisive factor in today’s victory. Tomorrow, we face Mexico, and we’ll give it our all”.

Guatemala’s setter, Juan David Zúñiga, said, “I think our reception failed and there was also an excess of confidence. Tomorrow, we will study and rest to face Mexico on Friday”.

Cuba beats Dominican Republic to set up battle against Puerto Rico

POZA RICA, México, November 8, 2023.- Cuba beat Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-17) to set up battle against Puerto Rico for first place in Pool B at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship that runs from November 7 to 12 at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Cuba and Puerto Rico, both undefeated at 2-0, have already secured their spots in semifinals and two of the four tickets to the 2024 FIVB World Championship. Dominican Republic, with 0-2 record, will face Nicaragua (0-2) for the third place in the group.

Cuba’s blocking (11-3) stopped Dominican Republic’s intentions, who started the second and third sets with a four-point advantage. Cuba also finished with a 35-29 advantage in attack points and a 9-5 lead in service points. Cuba scored 20 points on Dominican errors while giving away 15.

Iverson Manuel Toledano CUB

Yosdani Medina was Cuba’s leading scorer with 16 points, on 9 kills, 2 blocks, and a match-high of 5 service points. Middle blocker Iverson Toledano and team captain Byron Herrera contributed 10 points each to Cuba’s victory.

For Dominican Republic, Malik Britton scored 13 kill points, the only player with double digits.

Yosdani Medina of Cuba said, “It was a match of ups and downs; there was a lack of focus. We managed to elevate our game by working as a team, which is our best quality; we are very united. We’re already in the semifinals and want to advance to the gold medal match”.

“During the start of the sets, we had more concentration and motivation, but our team’s morale dropped towards the end, and we lost. We have all the qualities to play better”, said Dominican Malik Britton”.

Puerto Rico undefeated at NORCECA Boys’ U17 after Win over Nicaragua

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 8, 2023. – Puerto Rico remains undefeated in the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship after a 3-0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-13) victory over Nicaragua at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Puerto Rico has a 2-0 record in Pool B and will face Cuba on Thursday to conclude the preliminary round. Nicaragua, with a 0-2 record, will finish the pool-play against Dominican Republic. The first and second-placed teams in each group advance directly to the semifinals and qualify for the 2024 FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship.

Puerto Rico’s coach, Carlos De Sevilla, used all his players to finish with advantages of 46-20 in kills, 11-3 in blocks, and 10-2 points from serves, while limiting their errors to 8 points compared to Nicaragua’s 14.

Maximiliano Aponte PUR

Maximiliano Aponte from Puerto Rico was the only player with double digits, scoring 20 points from 14 kills, one block, and a match-high of 5 aces. Adrian Carrillo and Fernando Castello, who only played two sets each, contributed 9 and 8 points respectively.

Bradley Cordón was Nicaragua’s leading scorer with 8 points.

Maximiliano Aponte from Puerto Rico spoke about tomorrow’s match against Cuba, “There’s always something to improve; we need to communicate better and be more effective in blocking. Cuba is a strong team, and we hope to fight until the end. I’m proud of my team, for my country”.

Bradley Cordón from Nicaragua said, “Honestly, today we lacked communication; the team played unfocused and made too many mistakes”.

Mexico powers past Suriname at NORCECA Boys’ U17

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 7, 2023. – Mexico was dominant against Suriname 3-0 (25-10, 25-8, 25-9) in the inaugural edition of the NORCECA U-17 Boys’ Continental Championship, that started on Tuesday at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico.

The tournament grants four slots for the FIVB Boys’ U-17 World Championship to be held next year.  

Mexico had no trouble jumping to a significant lead in all three sets. Their powerful attacks (39-9), unstoppable serves (10-0), and effective blocking (8-0) prevented Suriname from executing their game plan. Mexico committed 18 unforced errors, while Suriname ended with 23.

Silva MEX attacks

Mexican outside hitter Emi Diaz was its leading scorer with 16 points on 10 successful attacks and 6 aces. Opposite hitter Ricardo Gonzalez contributed 11 points from 10 successful attacks and one block.

On day two of competition, Mexico (1-0) goes up against Honduras (0-1) and Suriname (0-1) will have the day off.

Daniel Fajardo, captain of Mexico said “It’s an impressive victory, the people who came to support us are incredible. We were nervous at the beginning, but we managed to control the match, dominate in every set, and the result came through. We were able to execute everything we’ve worked on. Emi Yanixan did really well.”.

Roberto Benschop, captain of Surinam said “It’s not that bad. This is our first international tournament and the first time some of the players have played for Suriname. Facing the home crowd wasn’t easy. We weren’t afraid”.

Guatemala tops Honduras in straight sets at NORCECA Boys’ U17

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 7, 2023.- Guatemala topped Honduras in straight sets 25-20, 25-18, 25-12 in opening day at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship in Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium of Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico.

Guatemala and Honduras compete in Pool A, the top two teams of each pool will move directly into semifinals and qualify to the FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship to be held in 2024.

Guatemala slowly gained more control over Honduras after the first set, to finish with advantages in kills (34-20), blocks (7-4) and aces (8-6). Guatemala scored 26 points on Honduras’ errors and handed out 20.

Angel David Ellener HON

The top scorers on both teams, outside hitter Juan Menendez of Guatemala and team captain Saul Coca of Honduras, scored 13 points each. Menendez had 8 kills, 2 blocks and 3 aces, while Coca scored 12 kills and one ace.

Also contributing to Guatemala’s victory were José Asencio and Luis Mendizabal added 12 and 11 points respectively.

On Wednesday Guatemala will face Costa Rica and Honduras plays against host Mexico.

Guatemala’s captain, Luis Mendizábal, said, “It’s important to start the tournament with a 3-0 victory, it was pretty good for the first game, but we need to be more consistent for the upcoming matches. I’m proud of my team. We need to improve our serving, which was our biggest weakness today”.

Saul Coca, captain of Honduras stated, “I expected more from us; we were nervous and couldn’t control it, leading to many errors. Unfortunately, the game slipped away from us. We’re going after the victory in the next match”.

Cuba control Nicaragua with Serves at NORCECA Boys’ U17

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 7, 2023.- Cuba used a 15-3 serve advantage to defeat Nicaragua 3-0 (25-6, 25-18, 25-13) in their opening match at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

The first edition of the continental championship qualifies four NORCECA teams to the 2024 FIVB age-group championship.

Besides points from serves, Cuba also led Nicaragua 32-15 in kills and 9-3 in blocks. Cuba committed 16 unforced errors and Nicaragua 19.

Setter Yosdani Medina scored 16 points for Cuba, on 9 kills, 2 blocks and a match-high of 5 aces. Outside hitters Andy Marrero and Samuel Rodriguez added 9 and 7 points respectively.

Yothuel Vergara CUB

Nicaragua’s opposite hitter Axel López scored 8 points, joined by middle blocker Ismael Martínez with 5 points.

Cuba’s (1-0) next match in Pool B is against Dominican Republic (0-1) and Nicaragua (0-1) faces Puerto Rico (1-0).

Regarding the victory, Cuba’s captain, Byron Herrera, said, “It was a very intense start for the team; it’s our first match representing our country, and we are very satisfied with the win. The attitude we had in the game was the team’s best skill. We need to stay strong throughout the championship and make fewer errors”.

Nicaragua’s captain, Axel Arbizu, said, “We started off weak because we were aware of Cuba’s strength and height, while we lack height. But in the second set, we managed to calm our nerves, and in the third, we adapted better. We need to improve our communication and understanding on the court”.

Puerto Rico gets Boys’ U17 NORCECA started defeating Dominican Republic

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 7, 2023.- Puerto Rico opened the first edition of the Boys’ U17 Championship defeating the Dominican Republic 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-12, 25-16) at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium.

The tournament will run from November 7 to 12 and will qualify four teams for the FIVB 2024 U17 Men’s World Championship.

Puerto Rico recovered from a slow start after losing the first set, earning their first victory in Group B with a 55-33 advantage in attacks, a sizable 11-5 margin in blocks, and 9-2 in points from serves. Dominican Republic scored 34 points from Puerto Rico’s errors and gave away 21.

Vazquez PUR attacks

Outside hitter Maximiliano Aponte led Puerto Rico with 16 points, on 14 attack points and two direct service points. Additionally, opposite hitter Erick Vazquez, contributed 14 points, on 10 attack points, one block, and 3 direct service points, followed by outside hitter Adrián Carrillo, with 13 points, on 10 attack points and 3 direct service points.

Dominican Malik Britton led all scorers with 21 points, on 18 attack points, two blocks, and one direct service point.

On Wednesday, Puerto Rica meets with Nicaragua and Dominican Republic with Cuba.

Gustavo Alvarez, captain of Puerto Rico, expressed, “In the first set, our problem was anxiety, emotions took control a bit. In the following sets, we found our rhythm, and we performed much better”.

Allen Baldera, captain Dominican Republic, said, “In the first set, we had a very good reception, which helped us with our attacks. After the first set, our reception failed a bit, and we ran out of options”.

Nine Teams Face a New Challenge at Boys’ U17 NORCECA

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 6, 2023. – Nine teams are ready to take on a new challenge in the first edition of the Boys’ U17 Volleyball NORCECA Continental Championship from November 7 to 12 at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

The continental tournament will grant the top four teams a ticket to the 2024 FIVB World Championship, marking the debut of this new category on a global level.

Coaches have given their first statements ahead of the competition.

Dom Preliminary Inquiry

Felipe Jenkins, Head Coach of Costa Rica: “We have been working for seven months because the event was originally scheduled for May. We have a valuable group of parents who supported us throughout the year to conduct training camps every 15 days across the country because we have players from different parts of Costa Rica. Our national tournament served each player as practice. We come very well prepared. All the teams here aim to qualify for the World Championship”.

Mari Izquierdo, Head Coach of Cuba: “We bring a 2008 generation with a lot of technical talent and height. These are young players from various provinces that we have been tracking for some time, and they have demonstrated their competitive quality. We hope to qualify for the World Championship, especially when it is the first opportunity to evaluate players for 2030. There is talent, hard work, and a strong desire to reach the goal”.

Victor Bermudez, Head Coach of the Dominican Republic: “We have a lot of faith that the team will have a good result; we will give our best and play good volleyball. This is a new category, and we want the young players to enjoy it without pressure, gaining experience. We’ve had the opportunity to train, and the conditions are optimal for the competition.”

Obed López, Head Coach of Guatemala: “We come excited to compete in this new category. We bring a lot of energy and a positive attitude to perform well while representing Guatemala. The first goal is to qualify for the World Championship, and the second would be to win a medal”.

Alejandro Castillo, Head Coach of Honduras: “The team comes with enthusiasm, passionate about this tournament. We trained for four months, and the team is in good shape. We dream of competing for a fourth place in the tournament”.

Denis Omar Rivera, Head Coach of Mexico: “The team is made up of players who are in high school, and many of them haven’t even competed at a national level, let alone at international level. We are happy and excited about the tournament. Our number one goal is to qualify for the world championship, and we are prepared to accomplish the result”.

Jorge Mena, Head Coach of Nicaragua: “It’s a new challenge, the first time an event in this category. There were difficulties in passport procedures, which is why several players couldn’t make it here. Nicaragua will give their best as always. In addition to our coaching roles, we also serve as mentors in the age category, providing a learning experience for the players in all aspects. We have the advantage that the athletes play in our first division league, which has contributed to their development”.

Carlos Sevilla, Head Coach of Puerto Rico: “Like in all NORCECA tournaments, strong teams are coming, and even though we haven’t been training for long, this is a group of players who typically play in their clubs, some together and others against each other, so they are quite unified despite the short preparation time. Our goal is to finish among the top two teams in Pool B and then make a big effort to reach the final”.

Furgil Ong-A-Fat, Assistant Coach of Suriname: “We’ve prepared for the tournament for several months, and we came to have a good competition, we’re going to give it our best shot. Most of the players are 14-15 years old and a few of them have already competed internationally in our CAZOVA event”.

Inaugural Boys’ Volleyball U17 NORCECA Championship to take place in Poza Rica, Mexico

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 5, 2023.- The Inaugural Boys’ Volleyball U17 NORCECA Championship will take place in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico from November 7-12, with nine teams competing to qualify to the first ever U17 World Championship.

The U17 NORCECA Championship comes in compliance to the qualification process towards the inaugural edition of the FIVB U17 World Championship to be held in 2024,  announced in March.

The event grants four berths to the 2024 FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship.

The nine teams competing have been divided in two pools, in Pool A: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Suriname; Pool B: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Puerto Rico.

Preliminary poo-play will qualify the first and second places directly to the semifinals, while third and fourth placed teams will compete in the quarterfinal round.

The preliminary inquiry will take place on November 6, the competition starts on November 7 at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium.

Preliminary round schedule

Tuesday November 7

14:00     Puerto Rico vs Dominican Republic

16:00     Cuba vs Nicaragua

18:00     Guatemala vs Honduras

20:00     Mexico vs Suriname

Wednesday November 8

14:00     Nicaragua vs Puerto Rico

16:00     Dominican Republic vs Cuba

18:00     Costa Rica vs Guatemala

20:00     Honduras vs Mexico

Thursday November 9

14:00     Dominican Republic vs Nicaragua

16:00     Puerto Rico vs Cuba

18:00     Suriname vs Honduras

20:00     Mexico vs Costa Rica

Friday November 10

10:00     Costa Rica vs Honduras

12:00     Suriname vs Guatemala

18:00     Suriname vs Costa Rica

20:00     Guatemala vs Mexico

Enrique Honorato awarded the Most Valuable Player at Santiago 2023

SANTIAGO, Chile, November  4, 2023.-   Enrique Honorato was awarded the Most Valuable Player award of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th Pan American Games Santiago 2023 after leading Brazil to the gold medal in the Arena Parque O’Higgins.

Brazil claimed their fifth gold in the history of the Pan American. The last time Brazil won the Pan Am Games title was twelve years ago in Guadalajara 2011.

Joining Honorato during the awarding ceremony were his teammates Darlan Ferreira as Best Opposite and Best Server, Matheus Silva the Best Setter of the tournament and Maique Nascimento the Best Receiver.

From Argentina, Mauro Zelayeta was awarded the Second Best Spiker and Gustavo Maciel the Second Best Blocker.

Bronze medalist, Leandro Mejía of Colombia, was handed the award for Best Blocker.

Cuban Miguel López was recognized as the Best Spiker and Best Scorer. And Dominican Enger Mieses was named the Best Libero and Best Digger.

The best players

Brazil claims Santiago 2023 Gold Medal defeating Argentina

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 4, 2023.- Brazil claimed the Pan American Games gold medal defeating Argentina 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-22) in the final of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th edition of the Games Santiago 2023 that concluded on Saturday at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.

This is Brazil’s fifth gold in the history of the Pan Am Games and the first silver medal for Argentina. The last time Brazil won the Pan Am Games title was twelve years ago in Guadalajara 2011.

Brazil outperformed Argentina 40-31 in kills, 6-5 in blocks, and 7-1 in service points. Brazil committed one less error than Argentina (21-22).

Brazil’s top scorer was the middle blocker Judson with 13 points on 10 kills, 2 blocks, and one ace. Opposite hitter Darlan added 12 points on 10 kills and 2 aces, while Adriano contributed 9 points on kills.

Argentina defense

Argentina’s captain, Facundo Conte, led his team with 13 points, on 10 kills and 3 blocks, joined by opposite player Bruno Lima with 11 kill points.

Brazil won the first set coming from behind (16-19) in a tight finish. In the second set, Brazil quickly surged to a 5-0 lead, with effective attacks and capitalizing on Argentina’s errors. Brazil once again prevailed in the third set, sealing the victory in consecutive sets.

Giuliano Ribas, the coach of Brazil, spoke after the victory, “The guys were spectacular from the first day they showed up back in Brazil. They understood the proposal despite the limited time. They were fully aware that they would have to give their best in this short training period we had. This championship is for them to launch into a deeper and longer-term evaluation so that we can shape the future of Brazilian volleyball with these talented youngsters. They understood it, took on the responsibility, and gave their all. There was no lack of commitment; they came together, and the coaching staff as well. We had little time, but we did quality work here in Santiago”.

Argentina’s coach, Martin López, indicated “It’s very difficult to make an assessment at this moment. It would have been fantastic if we had played as we did in the first set. We knew we didn’t have control of the match; we are a young team, young in every way. The amount of training, the mix of players, three of them continuing to write the history of volleyball in  Argentina’s national team and others who are just starting to write it now. We must value this. In fact, I am happy; we cannot maintain this last image, but we can with our performance in the first set and throughout the tournament. Here we faced challenges, we fought, and that is the most important thing”.

Historic Bronze Medal for Colombia, first ever at Pan American Games

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 4, 2023. – Colombia made history winning their first-ever medal in the history of the Pan American Games, after defeating Cuba 3-1 (32-31, 15-25, 29-27, 25-17) for the bronze medal at Santiago 2023 in the Arena Parque O’Higgins.

Both teams finished the Santiago Games with a record of three games won and three lost. Colombia had lost to Cuba previously in pool-play in straight sets .

Colombia’s blocking made a difference, dominating Cuba 16-9, and leading in attacks 56-54. Cuba led in aces 7-2 and scored 29 points from Colombia’s errors compared to 27.

Colombia’s offense was led by their middle blockers; team captain Leandro Mejía with 19 points on  13 attacks and a match-high of 6 stuffed blocks, and Daniel Aponza with 17 points on 12 attacks and 5 blocks. Outside hitter Andrés Piza added 12 points.

Cuban team captain Miguel Angel López was its leading scorer with 19 points (16 attacks, 3 aces). Miguel Gutiérrez added 18 points (14 attacks, 3 blocks, one ace), and Alejandro González contributed 12 points (9 attacks, one block, 2 aces).

Miguel Gutierrez, CUB, attacks.

An exciting first set won by Colombia marked the start of the bronze medal match, with both teams missing set points. In the second set, Cuba’s offense and serves outperformed Colombia, and benefited from eleven Colombian errors.

In the third set, Colombia made a comeback from a four-point deficit (17-21), leveling the score to  21 and eventually securing a dramatic 29-27 victory. With solid blocking, Colombia dominated Cuba in the fourth set.

Colombia’s coach, Jorge Schmidt, expressed, “The first word I want to say is merit. We worked for this, we aimed for this, and it’s not arrogance on my part, those who know me well are aware of that. It’s a result of dedication. We deserve this outcome. We faced some setbacks in this game, but this is all part of a team that wants to establish itself on the global stage”.

On the other hand, Cuba’s coach, Jesus Angel López, stated “The team was put together in a hurry, it wasn’t possible to have some players here at the Pan American Games. We have the feeling that we could have won a medal in this tournament despite the team’s flaws in terms of the roster. But for many players, this was their first Pan American Games, so a fourth-place finish is a good result. We certainly have a bitter taste for not winning the medal and returning home without it”.

Dominican Republic beats Mexico for fifth place at Pan Am Games

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 4, 2023.- Dominican Republic beat Mexico 3-1 (31-33, 25-22, 25-18, 25-22) for fifth place at the Men’s Volleyball tournament of the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.

Since 2013 of not competing at the Pan American Games, when they hosted the event, Dominican Republic concluded with 2 wins and 3 losses, for position five. Mexico ended with 1-4 record and position six.

Dominican Republic recovered from falling in a dramatic first set, to prevail over Mexico with a 6-2 margin in aces and scoring 37 points on opponent errors. Mexico had a slim 61-60 advantage in kills, 5-3 in blocks and scored on 27 Dominican errors.

Jorge Hernandez, MEX, defense

Dominican outside hitter Alexis Cruz scored on a match-high of 25 points, all on kills. Opposite Wilfrido Hernández contributed 18 points (16 kills, 2 aces) for the win, followed by outside hitter Henry López with 10 points on 6 kills and 4 aces.

Opposite Luis Hernandez led Mexico with 20 points on 19 kills and one ace, while outside hitter Mauro Fuentes produced 14 points on 13 kills and one block.

Dominican Republic’s coach, Alexander Gutiérrez, spoke after the victory, “The first thing I have to say is that it’s been 40 years since the Dominican Republic took part in the Pan American Games through qualification. We did play in 2013 in Santo Domingo because we were the host. Within our goals, we knew we could be among the top five, and we are confirming that aspiration we had. This is a group with future, and we need to be calm and have patience because it’s a young group that continues to strive. The fact that we were able to play on par with Argentina shows that we are on the right path, and I hope that in the future, the men’s Dominican Republic volleyball team  will be talked about”.

Jorge Azair, coach of Mexico said, “We had many ups and downs, starting half through the season with the withdrawal of our setters. At the last moment, I called up a fourth setter, a young player who did very well, and I congratulate him. In the end, we had some injured players, Axel Rodríguez and Josué López, but I am at ease with the team’s work. They developed well and fought until the end”.

Chile finish seventh at Santiago 2023 Pan Am Games

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 4, 2023 – Chile defeated Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-18) for seventh place at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.

Chile finished the tournament with a 3-3 record, while Puerto Rico with 1-5.

Chile’s blocking was the most effective skill, with a 13-3 advantage over Puerto Rico. Chile also led in attacks 41-38. Chile scored 21 points from Puerto Rico’s errors and gave away 14.

In the Chilean victory, opposite Tomás Parraguirre and captain Dusan Bonacic each scored 12 points. Outside hitter Vicente Parraguirre added 11.

Jamal Ellis, PUR, spikes

Opposite Jamal Ellis was Puerto Rico’s top scorer with 10 points, followed by middle blocker  Jonathan Rodríguez with 9 points.

Tomás Parraguirre addressed the crowd “I sincerely thank you for always supporting us, whether we played at night or early in the morning; you were there. It was amazing, we had never received so much affection. Thank you very much”.

Puerto Rico’s middle blocker Jonathan Rodríguez said “All the players who made up the team came from abroad, from their leagues in Europe, from their universities in the United States, and others playing in our league with a heavy workload. Our preparation together was limited. We need to prepare better, have greater awareness of what happens on and off the court to perform better. Chile did a tremendous job today in front of their fans, and they didn’t want to end with a defeat in front of them. It was a well-deserved victory”.

Brazil wins in semis to Colombia and will face Argentina for Santiago 2023 Title

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 3, 2023 – Brazil won in the semifinals against Colombia 3-0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-15) and will face Argentina on Saturday for the title in the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th Pan American Games Santiago 2023 at the Parque O’Higgins Arena.

Brazil hadn’t reached a final since Toronto 2015 when they lost to Argentina, who is now seeking its third consecutive title. This is the eleventh time that Brazil has reached the gold medal match in the history of the Pan American Games, having won four titles (Sao Paulo 1963, Caracas 1983, Río de Janeiro 2007, Guadalajara 2011).

Colombia will face Cuba in the bronze medal match, the first time in the history of the Pan American Games they will compete for a medal.

This was the second time in the tournament that Brazil defeated Colombia, they faced in pool-play in the opening match of men’s volleyball at Santiago 2023.

Roosvuelt Ramos, COL, defense

Despite a strong performance by Colombia in the first set, Brazil managed to win with a 43-31 advantage in attacks and 4-0 in serves. Both teams scored 4 blocks. Brazil committed 22 unforced errors, while Colombia had a total of 24.

Two players from Brazil reached double digits, with opposite Darlan scoring 18 points and middle blocker Judson adding 10 points.

Colombia’s opposite, Gustavo Larrahondo, led with 13 points and outside hitter Andrés Piza contributed 9 points.

Brazil’s libero, Maique Nascimento, said, “We have the South American Championship stuck in our throats, and it’s going to be a rematch. This game is a classic, and this court will be on fire! I hope we can present our best game, regardless of the result; the team will focus on this achievement, and this victory will surely be ours. We are working hard, and we will go after Argentina to secure this gold. This is Brazil, and God willing, everything will be fine!”

Colombia’s libero, Roosvuelt Ramos, commented, “My team is a young team with not much experience, but a lot of enthusiasm to be in the Pan American Games. We knew it would be a tough match, we tried, but we couldn’t beat Brazil. Tomorrow is another day, against Cuba, for the bronze medal, and heads up, we will reach the Pan American podium!”

Argentina to defend Pan American Games Title at the Santiago 2023 Games

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 3, 2023.- Argentina beat Cuba 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-18)  in semifinals to defend their Pan American title in the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th Pan American Games Santiago 2023 at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.

Argentina will seek its third consecutive gold medal, their fourth gold overall (Mar del Plata 1995, Toronto 2015, Lima 2019). Argentina has won every time it has reached the title match at the Pan American Games. Argentina also has four bronze medals.

The defending champion, Argentina, will face the winner of the other semifinal between Brazil and Colombia in the Santiago 2023 title match on Saturday, while Cuba will vie for its fourth bronze medal in the history of the Games against the loser.

Miguel Lopez, CUB, spikes

After recovering from losing the first set, Argentina outscored Cuba 50 to 47 in attacking points, 13 to 7 in blocking points, and 3 to 2 in points from serves. Additionally, they scored 30 points from Cuban errors and handed out 27.

Argentina’s opposite Bruno Lima was the top attacker of the match with 24 points on 19 kills and 5 blocks. Contributing to the victory were captain Facundo Conte with 16 points, on 14 kills and 2 blocks, and middle blocker Gustavo Maciel with 10 points, including a match-high of 6 blocks, 3 attacks, and one ace.

Cuba’s captain, Miguel Angel López, led his team with 20 points, on 18 kills and two aces, joined  by opposite Alejandro González with 18 kill points and middle blocker José Israel Masso with 12 points, on 8 kills and 4 blocks.

Argentina’s middle blocker Gustavo Maciel said, “We knew it would be tough because historically Cuba is a very strong team. We had to rotate the serve as fast as we could, in this case López’s serve, and we did it very well, and that’s what we had to aim for… and the victory came. We’re in the final!”

Cuban libero Yonder García, said “The beginning of the match was very good for us, but in the second set, things didn’t go as we expected, and the opponent surpassed us. We didn’t get the victory as we wanted to, but we’re going for the bronze medal. When we face Argentina and Brazil, the show is on!”

Mexico downs Puerto Rico in five sets to face Dominican Republic for fifth place

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 3, 2023.- Mexico defeated Puerto Rico in five sets 3-2 (25-21, 22-25, 25-21, 28-30, 16-14) in the classification match to face the Dominican Republic for the fifth place of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at Santiago 2023.

On Saturday, Mexico and the Dominican Republic will play for fifth place of the tournament, while Puerto Rico and host Chile will compete for seventh place.

Mexico outperformed Puerto Rico in attacks (68-59), blocks (10-7), and serves (5-2), but gave away more points on errors than Puerto Rico (43-33).

Outside hitter Mauro Fuentes led Mexico’s offense with 24 points, alongside opposite Luis David Hernandez with 23 points and outside hitter Jorge Hernandez with 14 points.

For Puerto Rico, team captain Pelegrin Vargas was their top scorer with 21 points. Opposite Jamal Ellis and outside hitter contributed 18 and 11 points, respectively.

Jamal Elis, PUR, attacks

Puerto Rico forced the tie-break in a dramatic fourth set, leading by three points (23-20), which Mexico extended to a 30-28.

In the tie-break, Puerto Rico lost the match point to Mauro Fuentes, who carried Mexico from a three-point deficit (11-14) with four consecutive kill points and Miguel Garcia closed it with a block.

Mauro Isaac Fuentes, Mexico’s top scorer, said about the dramatic finish “I think it was a moment of high adrenaline, and all my teammates were willing to do what we had to do, it wasn’t just me. We combined the four actions, offensive, defensive, blocking, where all my teammates were involved. I believe it was a good team effort, and this is what I would like to leave for everyone”.

Puerto Rico’s captain, Pelegrin Vargas, said, “In sports, there are moments of agony and moments of happiness. It could have been us, but today Mexico won a tight tie-break. I think we must use this to learn, to improve for the future. These are things that happen in sports, and that’s why everyone competes and always gives their best, and we certainly did the same. We go with our heads held high, but I am sad about the result”.

Dominican Republic beat Chile in Tie-Break to play for fifth place at Santiago 2023

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 3, 2023.- Dominican Republic beat Chile in Tie-Break 3-2 (22-25, 25-19, 21-25, 26-24, 16-14) and on Saturday they’ll play for fifth place at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.

On the last day of competition, Dominican Republic will play the winner between Mexico and Puerto Rico for fifth place; Chile goes up against the loser for seventh place.

It was a closely contested rematch for the Dominican Republic, who lost to Chile in four sets during pool-play.

Dominican Republic held one point in kills (74-73). Chile led in serves (5-0) and committed less errors (22-29). Both were leveled in 7 blocks.

Emger Mieses, DOM, defense

Dominican Wilfrido Hernández with 27 points led all scorers. Alexis Cruz finished with 21 points, while team captain Henry Tapia added 19 tallies all on kills.

Opposite Tomás Parraguirre led Chile’s attackers with 21 points, followed by sibling Vicente and team captain Dusan Bonacic with 20 points each.

The tie-break was leveled from point 10 until the final point. Chile was the first to reach match point on a serve error from Dominican Republic and then they lost a serve point as well. Henry Tapia with a kill reached match point once again and Alexis Cruz on a stuff block stopped captain Bonacic for the win.

Wilfrido Hernández, the top scorer of Dominican Republic, commented, “First, I want to thank God and congratulate the Chilean team. They are a strong opponent who always plays until the last ball. Today, the team that was in better physical condition won. We focused on making fewer mistakes than they did, and in the end, things went better for us than for them”.

Daniel Nejamkin, Chile’s coach, said after the loss, “Clearly, this was not the goal we were aiming for. We couldn’t make our dream come true of reaching the medal zone. Today, we lost in the tie-break, in a very closely contested match”.

Cuba needed five sets to beat Puerto Rico and advance to Semifinals

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 2, 2023 – Cuba needed five sets, 3-2 (25-16, 25-21, 13-25, 22-25, 15-11), to overcome Puerto Rico and advance to the semifinals of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.

Cuba will face defending champions Argentina in Friday’s semifinals, while Puerto Rico will compete in classification matches for positions five to eight, starting against Mexico.

Cuba outperformed Puerto Rico in every element of the game, including attacks (62-52), blocks (14-9), and serves (9-5). Puerto Rico scored 32 points from Cuba’s errors while limiting their own errors to 15 points.

Cuban Miguel Angel López led all scorers with 28 points (23 kills, one block, 4 aces). Also contributing to Cuba’s victory was opposite hitter Miguel Gutiérrez, who added 18 points (17 kills, one ace), and Alejandro González, with 15 points (12 kills, 3 blocks).

Ismael Alomar, PUR, serves

For Puerto Rico, team captain Pelegrín Vargas and opposite hitter Jamal Ellis led with 16 points each. Vargas contributed 13 points on kills, one block, and 2 aces, while Ellis all on kills. Outside hitter Kevin López added 11 points, on 8 kills, one block, and two aces.

Puerto Rico came from a two-set deficit, winning the third set with Vargas, Ellis, and López, jumping to a seven-point lead, and dominated Cuba without difficulty. In the fourth set, they tied at six points, but Puerto Rico quickly took a 15-9 lead and reached a sizable lead (21-16) to force a tie-break.

With a quicker game, the fifth set was tied at 9, despite Puerto Rico’s precision in blocking, Cuba closed with strength.

Miguel Gutiérrez of Cuba said, “We played a great match and made it to the semifinals. After winning two sets, we lacked concentration, but we were able to adjust and win”.

Jonathan Rodríguez of Puerto Rico stated, “We know that Cuba is a strong opponent, a team with a lot of height and strength. We have our own advantages in terms of reception and passing. They clearly dominated us with their power, serving, and blocking. I’m proud of my team and what we’ve accomplished and to move forward”.

Colombia advances to Semifinals with Win over Chile

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 2, 2023. – Colombia advanced to the semifinals of the Men’s Volleyball Tournament at the Pan American Games with a 3-1 victory (25-20, 21-25, 25-19, 25-23) over host Chile, on Thursday at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.

Colombia will await the result of the other semifinal between Cuba and Puerto Rico to determine their opponent in the Friday semifinal (Argentina or Brazil). Chile will play classification matches for positions five through eight.

Colombia’s blocking (13-6) and serves (7-3) were key skills for their victory, they also finished with a slight advantage in kills (58-57). Chile benefited from 21 Colombian errors but committed 18 of their own.

Opposite hitter Gustavo Larrahondo and middle blocker Daniel Aponza each closed with 17 points for Colombia. Larrahondo on 10 attacks and a match-high of 4 points on blocking and on aces, while Aponza scored on 14 kills and 3 blocks. Outside hitter Andrés Piza added 14 points on 7 attacks, 4 blocks, and 3 service points.

Vicente Parraguire, CHI, attacks

Chilean Vicente Parraguirre scored 19 points on 18 attacks and one ace. He was joined by team captain Dusan Bonacic with 18 points on 17 attacks and one ace, and middle blocker Tomás Gago with 14 points on 11 attacks and 3 blocks.

Colombia, with the support of Andrés Piza’s blocking and attacks along with Daniel Aponza and Gustavo Larrahondo, dominated Chile in the first set, which seamed pressured by committing unforced errors, despite the offensive efforts of Vicente Parraguirre and Dusan Bonacic.

Despite Colombia’s efforts to recover from a four-point deficit (11-15) in the second set, Chile leveled the match with Tomás Parraguirre and Matías Jadue’s serves.

Colombia’s blocking upset Chile’s intentions in the third set, and they celebrated victory after winning a battling fourth set, thanks to their offense from Larrahondo and Daniel Medina, who came off the bench in the third set.

Daniel Aponza of Colombia said, “Honestly, I feel very happy because that was our goal from the beginning of the year. We prepared for this moment, to be in the semifinals and compete for a medal. The match was always very close; Chile has always been a formidable opponent, we’ve been playing against them for a while, and we know each other well. We put on a great show and were able to win this match!”

Chile’s middle blocker, Tomas Gago, said after the defeat, “It hurts, it hurts a lot! Trying not to think too much about the repercussions of the loss, we always said that our goal was a medal, and we couldn’t achieve it. We need to question ourselves. For what remains, we will eat well, rest, and be physically fit, but the emotional aspect will be difficult to overcome”.

Argentina tops Pool B and reaches Santiago 2023 Semifinals

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 1, 2023 – Argentina claimed the top spot in Pool B after defeating Chile 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-21) on Tuesday in front of a packed Arena Parque O’Higgins. Argentina earned a direct ticket to the semifinals of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at Santiago 2023.

Defending champion Argentina advanced to Friday’s semifinals with an undefeated 3-0 record. Chile, second-place team in Pool B, will face Colombia in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Argentina led Chile with a 41-37 advantage in attacks and a 7-2 margin in blocks. Both teams leveled with 2 aces. Argentina benefited from 25 errors by Chile while committing 15.

Opposite hitter Bruno Lima and captain Facundo Conte scored double digits for Argentina, with 18 and 10 points, respectively. Outside hitter Mauro Zelayeta added 8 points.

Vicente Parraguirre, with 17 points, once again was Chile’s top scorer. Middle blocker Tomás Gago contributed 7 points.

Gabriel Araya, CHI, attacks

With the offensive contributions of Lima and Conte, Argentina comfortably took the first set. The second set was a different story, with Vicente Parraguirre’s efforts preventing Argentina from advancing comfortably. They were tied at 10 points, but Argentina resolved the set with precise blocking and capitalizing on Chile’s errors.

The third set was the most contested, with Chile making a comeback on consecutive points from Tomás Gago, resulting in the score being tied on several occasions. Argentina managed to close in straight sets, benefiting from Chile’s errors and attacking efforts from Lima and Zelayeta.

Bruno Lima from Argentina said, “We played a good match where everything worked well. Today, we found our best game. We are here to defend the title, and we hope to continue showing our best volleyball in the semifinal”.

Middle blocker Tomas Gago of Chile commented, “It’s a shame that we didn’t find our game. We come from two exciting victories. We need to figure out what happened with the team, analyze where we went wrong, and gather the motivation so that tomorrow we can secure a spot in the semifinals”.

Daniel Nejamkin, coach of Chile congratulated Argentina, “They played very well, showed their class, and have players who are Olympic medalists. We were beaten by a team that played better. We need to analyze the situation. I spoke briefly with the players, and we all agreed that we need to turn the page and focus on tomorrow’s match, which will determine who qualifies to the medal zone”.

Puerto Rico’s victory against Dominican Republic puts them in Quarterfinals

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 1, 2023. – Puerto Rico’s 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 25-19, 25-20) victory over Dominican Republic puts them in the quarterfinals of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games, taking place at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.

Puerto Rico finished third place in Pool B and will face Cuba, who finished second in Pool A, in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The Dominican Republic will compete for positions five to eight in the event.

The winners came from behind in all sets, to end the match in control of attacking points 60-48 and service 5-4. Dominican Republic outperformed Puerto Rico 11-5 in blocks. Puerto Rico committed 24 errors, while Dominicans had 23.

Hector Cruz, DOM, spikes

Opposite Jamal Ellis led Puerto Rico with 20 points, including 19 kill points and one ace, accompanied by captain Pelegrin Vargas with 14 points, on 12 kills and two aces. Middle blocker Jonathan Rodríguez recorded 11 points, on 9 kills and two blocks.

Dominican Alexis Cruz led all scorers with 22 points, on 16 attacking points, a match-high of 4 blocking points, and two aces. Captain Henry Tapia added 20 points, on 17 kills, 2 blocks, and one ace. Outside hitter Wilfrido Hernández contributed 10 attacking points.

Puerto Rico’s setter Kevin López spoke after the victory, saying, “What a beautiful atmosphere! We had to adjust because we started 5 or 6 points behind and didn’t recover quickly. We talked about it during the timeout, and things started to flow slowly. We closed the gap on the scoreboard, and that’s how we took the sets. From there, we knew what each one had to do, and the job was completed with joy”.

Francisco Arredondo, Dominican Republic’s setter, commented, “It was a very tough match for us because Puerto Rico has always been our rival, and they are a team that constantly challenges us. The match became complicated for us when we failed in receiving-passing, a simple skill, and it affected our attack percentage, which was not positive, not high, less than 50%. The other team did a better job; that’s how the game goes, one team wins, and the other team loses”.

Brazil wins Five-Set thriller over Cuba for a direct berth to Semifinals

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 1, 2023. – Brazil won a five-set thriller 3-2 (25-23, 25-16, 18-25, 25-27, 18-16) against Cuba, locking a direct berth in the semifinals of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

With three victories, Brazil claimed the top spot in Pool A and a direct ticket to Friday’s semifinals.  Cuba, with 2-1 record, will compete in quarterfinals on Thursday.

Brazil scored 37 points from Cuba’s errors while conceding 30. Cuba held a slight edge in every skill  of the game, attacks (60-59), blocks (11-10), and service points (6-5).

Brazilian opposite hitter Darlan led all scorers with 29 points (27 attacks, one block, one ace). Also contributing to the victory were outside hitter Honorato with 13 points (8 attacks, two blocks, three aces), as well as middle blocker Judson and the outside hitter Adriano, each with 12 points.

Adriano Fernandes, BRA, attacks

Miguel Angel López led Cuba with 23 points (19 attacks, two blocks, two aces). Alejandro González added 18 points (16 attacks, 2 blocks), and José Masso contributed 15 points (10 attacks, 4 blocks, one ace).

Despite an impressive comeback from two sets down, Cuba couldn’t close the tie-break after losing two match points while committing two defense errors on Darlan’s kills.

Cuba managed to slow down Brazil in the third set, playing at a slower pace and imposing their rhythm of play, forcing the fourth set.

In a heart-pounding fourth set, with ups and downs on both sides, Cuba extended the match to a fifth set.

Otávio, captain of Brazil, expressed, “It was a great match. The team managed to lead 2-0, but then we lost our rhythm, and as a result, Cuba grew. Without a doubt, what made the difference was our spirit. The team had a lot of desire in the end, confidence, and we need to carry that into the next matches as well”.

Cuban captain Miguel Angel López said, “I think we lacked decision at a crucial moment; we lost concentration in the tie-break and also a bit of clarity in what was left. I believethat this is what defined the game for them, but the tournament is not over yet”.

Colombia defeats Mexico to move into quarterfinals at Santiago 2023

SANTIAGO, Chile, November 1, 2023. – Colombia defeated Mexico 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-19) on Tuesday in their last match of pool-play to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Pan American Games being held at the Parque O’Higgins Arena.

Colombia, with a 1-2 record, finished third in Pool A and will face the winner between Argentina and Chile in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Mexico with 0-3 record, will play for positions five to eight.

The South Americans outscored Mexico 46 to 39 in attacking points and 9 to 6 in blocking points. Both teams scored three points from serves and committed 17 unforced errors.

Daniel Aponza, COL, spikes

Colombia’s team captain Gustavo Larrahondo led all scorers with 24 points, including 21 kills,  one block, and two aces. Outside hitter Andrés Piza added 10 attack points for the victory.

Opposite Luis Hernández scored 13 points for Mexico, with 12 attack points and one service point. Middle blocker Axel Tellez contributed 10 points, including 7 attack points and 3 blocks.

Colombian captain Gustavo Larrahondo said, “This victory gives the team and the coaching staff confidence as we enter the quarterfinals. It will boost our self-assurance. We know that the course can change, but the victory motivates us to give our best, 100% committed to doing better than today. We will analyze what we did wrong and what we did right to improve tomorrow”.

Mexico’s middle blocker Axel Telez commented, “Both teams wanted to win because this match determined who would advance to the next round, and what we really saw was that Colombia was hungrier. Colombia played better, was a better team, and fought well. This is the reality as it is, and now we await the next opponent”.

Argentina beats Dominican Republic to remain undefeated at Santiago 2023

SANTIAGO, Chile, August 31, 2023. – Argentina defeated Dominican Republic 3-1 (20-25, 30-28, 25-17, 25-20) to remain undefeated and advance into the next round in the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th Pan American Games Santiago 2023 taking place at the Parque O’Higgins Arena.

Defending champs Argentina, came back from losing the first set to maintain a 2-0 undefeated in Pool B. They will end pool-play on Wednesday against the host team Chile. Dominican Republic, with a 0-2 record, finishes with Puerto Rico.

Argentina held advantage in attacks (59-47) and blocks (7-3). Dominican Republic held advantage in service points (7-5). Argentina scored 29 points from Dominican errors but gave up 33.

Argentina’s outside hitter Mauro Zelayeta led with 19 points, all on attacks. Team captain, Facundo Conte, contributed 17 points, including 11 attacks, 3 blocks, and 3 aces. Opposite hitter Bruno Lima  added 12 points from attacks.

Mauro Zelayeta, ARG, attacks

Dominican Héctor Cruz scored 17 points, on 16 kills and one ace. In his debut at Santiago 2023, team captain Henry Tapia contributed 16 points, including 15 kills and one ace. Outside hitter Wilfrido Hernández, also added 16 points, on 14 kills and 2 aces.

In the first set, Dominican Republic, led by Wilfrido Hernández and captain Henry Tapia, earned a significant seven-point lead (11-4) that Argentina’s offense couldn’t overcome.

Mauro Zelayeta was crucial in Argentina’s comeback from a 4-point deficit (11-15) in a battling  second set. Numerous failed serves on both sides extended the set, with Argentina eventually winning on a kill point from Facundo Conte for the 30-28 victory.

In the third set, Argentina quickly jumped to a seven-point lead (10-3), putting the Dominican Republic off balance to comfortably win and persevere in the fourth set.

Argentina’s leading scorer Mauro Zelayeta said “We started the first set badly, under our game level, a bit unfocused in the beginning, but we adjusted the problem we had, fixed things. Then we learned how to move forward, win, and play fluidly”.

Henry Tapia, Dominican captain added “I think the first and second sets were a good game, then we fainted in some skills, failed in receiving and attacks and weren’t able to take the win”.

Chile bounces back from first set loss to Puerto Rico in second victory at Santiago 2023

SANTIAGO, Chile, October 31, 2023 – Chile bounced back after losing the first set to Puerto Rico 3-1 (26-28, 25-18, 25-21, 25-23) in their second victory in the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th edition of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, taking place from October 30 to November 4 at the Arena Parque O’Higgins Arena.

Chile and Argentina, both with a 2-0 record, will determine first place in Pool B on Wednesday. Both teams are guaranteed to advance to the next round, but the pool winner will move directly to Friday’s semifinals. Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, both with 0-2 records, will face each other to stay alive in the tournament.

Chile led in attacking points (57-50) and service points (3-2). Both teams scored 9 points on blocks. The home team scored 32 points on Puerto Rico’s errors and gave away 29.

Ismael Alomar, PUR, attacks

Outside hitter Vicente Parraguirre once again led Chile with a match-high of 28 points (25 kills, 2 blocks, one serve). Captain Dusan Bonacic contributed 16 points (13 kills, 2 blocks, one serve), and outside hitter Matías Jadue added 9 points.

Opposite hitter Jamal Ellis led Puerto Rico with 18 points (15 kills, 3 blocks), followed by team  captain Pelegrin Vargas with 16 points (14 kills, 2 blocks), and outside hitter Omar Hoyos contributed 9 points.

Puerto Rico closed a dramatic first set after losing two set points. Chile recovered taking control of set two from the start, with a comfortable five-point lead (16-11) that later extended to seven. In the third set, teams were tied on several occasions, but Chile prevailed, pushed by Vicente Parraguirre, along with team captain Bonacic and Puerto Rico’s errors. Bonacic’s powerful serves prevented Puerto Rico from performing comfortably in the fourth, but the Chileans lost five match points (25-18) before securing the victory.

Vicente Parraguirre, Chile’s top scorer, said, “Playing at home gives us that extra energy to seek victory in these tougher matches. We’ve had two very challenging games that gave us a hard time at some crucial moments, but we came through; I’ll stick with that. Obviously, we have things to improve and work on, but we achieved our initial goal, which was to finish the group stage with Argentina”.

Jamal Ellis, Puerto Rico’s top scorer, said, “In my opinion, what made things harder for us was the lack of consistency in our passing at the beginning; in the sets, you could see it drop. Additionally, if we had maintained our morale, which dropped from what we showed in the first set, it would have been different. But overall, it was a solid game; it was just a minor detail that can be addressed and improved”.

Brazil beats Mexico to improve 2-0 at Santiago 2023 Pan Am Games

SANTIAGO, Chile, October 31, 2023. – Brazil defeated Mexico 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-20), improving their record 2-0 in Pool A of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.

Brazil remains undefeated 2-0, is guaranteed to move into the next round and will play their final Pool A match on Wednesday against Cuba, who is also undefeated. The winner of the pool will advance directly to Friday’s semifinals. Mexico, with two losses, will compete for a spot in the quarterfinals against Colombia.

This was the second straight-set victory for Brazil, who had control of the game with the offense of opposite hitter Darlan and middle blocker Judson Nunes, the top scorers with 18 and 11 points, respectively.

Axel Tellez, MEX, attacks

Mexico, despite their defensive efforts, especially in the second set, and effective kills in the third set, suffered their second loss. Outside hitter Mauro Fuentes led Mexico with 9 points.

Brazil ended with a total of 38 attack points against Mexico’s 20. They also had advantages of 6-3 in blocks and 8-2 in direct service points. Both teams committed 23 unforced errors.

Darlan of Brazil, after the win said “We came with a very strong playing proposal, very consistent. In the third set, we fell short; we were very proactive in the first and second sets, but reactive in the third. We need to be patient. Now, we must analyze the errors we made and study tomorrow’s opponent. We take it one day at a time, and there’s no time for regrets, it’s all part of the process”.

Mexico’s top scorer, Mauro Fuentes, said, “I think the difference between yesterday’s match and todays was the quality of their service. They served very well and we weren’t able to respond and that was the skill which gave us a hard time”.

Two Wins for Cuba at Santiago 2023 after defeating Colombia

SANTIAGO, Chile, October 31, 2023 – Cuba defeated Colombia 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-23) in their second victory in the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, held at the Parque O’Higgins Arena.

Cuba secured their spot in the next round with 2-0 record in Pool A and will face Brazil (10:30am) on Wednesday in their last pool-play match. Colombia is 0-2 and faces Mexico (1:30pm).

It wasn’t easy for Cuba; in the first set they were carried by the offensive efforts of Alejandro Gonzalez and Miguel Angel López. However, in the second set, Colombia managed to push harder after recovering from a 5-point deficit (12-17) with Leandro Mejía’s serves and Gustavo Larrahondo and Andrés Piza offense, in addition to Cuba’s errors. The third set was tied at 21 points, with visible improvements in blocking from Colombia, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Cuba’s strength in attacks.

José Masso, CUB, attacks

Cuba outperformed Colombia in attacks 36-25 and in service points 7-5. However, Colombia made fewer errors, 24-30. Both teams scored 8 points on blocks.

Cuban captain, Miguel Angel López, led all scorers with 20 points, on 13 kills, 3 blocks, and a match-high of 4 aces. Opposite Alejandro González contributed 16 points, also on 13 kills, one block and 2 aces.

For Colombia, the opposite Gustavo Larrahondo led with 12 points, on 10 kills, one block, and one  service. Followed by outside hitter Andrés Piza, who had 9 points.

Cuban opposite Alejandro Gonzalez, stated, “The team’s performance was very good. I arrived last night to join the team, but I felt very comfortable with the setter, and I was able to do my job well. We did everything we needed to do and won the match. I’m very happy and satisfied!”

Andrés Piza of Colombia said, “I think we fell a bit short. Colombia has much more to offer than what we showed. We want a medal in these Pan American Games, where the team has grown. Maybe we’re not disappointed, but rather frustrated because we know we can play at a higher level. It’s important to keep growing and training more to secure these sets in the future.”

Strong first win for Chile at Santiago 2023 Pan Am Games

SANTIAGO, Chile, October 30, 2023.- Host Chile got the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games off to a strong start with a 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-22, 25-21) victory over Dominican Republic on Monday at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.

On day two of competition in Pool B, Chile (1-0) will face Puerto Rico (0-1), and the Dominican Republic (0-1) will go up against Argentina (1-0).

Chile didn’t disappoint its fans in their first victory in Pool B, which started with a strongly  contested first set that was tied at 14 points, and Chile managed to pull through on opponent  errors and the offensive efforts of Vicente Parraguirre and Dusan Bonacic, which ultimately disrupted the Dominicans, led by Luther Rosario and Héctor Cruz.

Despite losing the second set, when the Dominican Republic made a comeback with consecutive points from Héctor Cruz, and supported by Rafael Burgos and Wilfrido Hernández, Chile managed to win the third set, maintaining a strong offense, and holding the lead from the beginning. Finally, Chile closed the victory in the fourth set.

Tomas Gago, CHI, defense

Chile led in attacks 52-46 and in service points 5-2, benefiting from 31 opponent errors against 26. The Dominican Republic dominated in blocks 14-8.

Chile’s outside hitter, Vicente Parraguirre, led all scorers with 29 points on 22 attacks, 4 blocks, and 3 aces. Chile’s captain, Dusan Bonacic, scored 14 points, all on attacks.

Héctor Cruz led the Dominican Republic with 22 points on 20 kills and two blocks. Wilfrido Hernández added 11 points on kills and Henry López contributed 10.

“Playing in an arena like this, with so many people who even after the match keep cheering, it fills my soul! It makes me love my country and our flag even more. We are very grateful for this packed arena; it was a dream come true”, said Chile’s captain, Dusan Bonacic. About the match, he commented, “It was very tough; the first set was challenging for us with good counterattacks, and we put pressure with serves. In the second set, after point 20, the Dominican Republic put a lot of pressure on us with their serve and counterattacks. But the second and third sets were really point by point; it was really beautiful to play, and we gave it our all to win. Now, it’s late, and we have to rest because Puerto Rico is up next”.

Dominican top scorer, Héctor Alexis Cruz, commented, “The match was very closely contested. We did a good job, there was little that we didn’t adjust well. We’re moving forward because it was only the first game, and we can continue to make adjustments”.

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