PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 17, 2025. – Punta Cana will host the NORCECA Qualifier Tournament for the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship, taking place from September 19 to 21, where the best pairs from the region will compete to secure their spot at the world event.
A total of twelve teams per gender will compete for the four available berths per gender that NORCECA will award for the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship, scheduled for November 14-23 in Adelaide, Australia.
According to competition regulations, the participating teams correspond to the top twelve positions in the NORCECA ranking as of December 31, 2024:
Women: United States, Canada, Guatemala, Nicaragua, U.S. Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, El Salvador, and Cayman Islands.
Men: United States, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad & Tobago.
If any country does not confirm its participation in the event, it will be replaced by the next team in the NORCECA ranking.
This event in Punta Cana represents the final opportunity for NORCECA countries to secure their participation on the biggest stage of international beach volleyball.
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 17, 2025. – The United States continued its winning streak at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, defeating defending champions Dominican Republic 3-1 (25-12, 21-25, 25-20, 25-13) on Wednesday night at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
USA improves to 3-0 and sits atop the standings, while the Dominican Republic falls to 1-2. The top four teams from the round-robin phase will advance to the semifinals. On Thursday, the USA will face Mexico, while the Dominican Republic will meet Canada in a crucial matchup.
The Americans started the match on fire, building a commanding 14-6 lead thanks to the offensive trio of Norah Sis, Kendall Kipp, and setter Ella Powell. Middle blocker Emily Thater anchored the defense with key blocks, while the USA capitalized on Dominican errors to comfortably take the opening set. Alondra Tapia and Madeline Guillén led the Dominican offense but were unable to close the gap.
Kendall Kipp-USA
The Caribbean squad responded in the second set, showcasing improved blocking from Florangel Terrero and taking a 19-15 lead behind the attacking power of Massiel Matos. Tapia blocked Claire Chaussee, and Guillén fired a decisive kill to put the Dominicans ahead 23-19, eventually sealing the set to even the match 1-1.
The third set was tightly contested up to16-all before the USA surged ahead with two Chaussee kills and a pair of Dominican errors. Khori Louis added to the offense, and Chaussee brought up match point at 24-17. Despite a late rally by the Dominicans with a kill and block from Geraldine González, Skylar Fields closed the set with a powerful kill for a 2-1 USA lead.
The Americans dominated the fourth set, opening an eight-point advantage (18-10) with contributions from Louis, Kipp, and Thater at the net. Maintaining control throughout, the USA closed the match in commanding fashion to stay undefeated.
Dominican Republic’s 33 unforced errors proved decisive in the outcome, compared to just 10 by the United States. The Americans also held a slight edge in attacks (48-46) and service points (5-4), while both teams were even with 10 points from blocks.
Kendall Kipp led the U.S. offense with 18 points, followed by Khori Louis with 16 and Claire Chaussee with 11. Madeline Guillén topped all scorers with 22 points for the Dominican Republic, supported by Massiel Matos with 13 and Alondra Tapia with 12.
After the match, Kendall Kipp praised her team’s resilience, saying, “Dominican Republic put up a really good fight and challenged us in a lot of ways. We struggled with a few things at times, but we made adjustments on the block – we started reacting better to where they were attacking and tightened up our defensive plays. Those little adjustments made the difference.”
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 17, 2025.– Nicaragua defeated El Salvador 3-1 (25-14, 25-18, 18-25, 25-18) to secure one of the two semifinal spots at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship, improving their record to 2-0 in Pool B play.
Nicaragua still has one match left against Costa Rica in the final day of pool play, a duel that will determine the first-place finisher in the group.
El Salvador, winless in two outings, will face Honduras on the last day of pool play to determine the remaining Pool B positions.
Fernando Lira NCA
It was not an easy match for the Salvadoran side, who took time to find their best rhythm.
Nicaragua outperformed El Salvador in attack points 49-44 and blocking 10-7, while both teams were tied in service points 2-2.
El Salvador’s efforts were caught up by unforced errors, committing 32 compared to Nicaragua’s 22.
Jesy Umaña led Nicaragua’s offense with 23 points, supported by Yader León with 14 points.
For El Salvador, Abner Cano was the top scorer with 20 points, followed by Andrés Reyes with 12.
After the win, Nicaraguan team captain Josué Blandón said: “We are happy with this result. Even though El Salvador was a tough team, we were able to get the victory a bit more comfortably. Our coach made the necessary changes when the match got complicated for us, and honestly, our bench did its job to secure the win.”
Meanwhile, El Salvador captain Andrés Reyes commented: “We knew the match against Nicaragua was very important, especially after losing our first one. At the beginning, we started off discouraged and with little focus, but when we managed to win the third set, the team’s spirit was lifted. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make things work, and we lost the last set because of some small mistakes we made.
September 17, 2025.- The United States knocked Cuba out of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in the Philippines. In the last Pool D match in Pasay City on Wednesday, the Americans beat the Caribbeans in four sets and left them third in the final pool standings on a 1-2 win-loss record.
Portugal, who finished pool runners-up with 2-1, will join undefeated USA in the eight finals. The squad from southwestern Europe will face Pool E winners, Bulgaria, for a spot in the quarterfinals, while USA will meet Slovenia on September 22 at 8PM (local time).
The Americans took the first two sets of the match, enough to secure the first place in the pool. With their backs against the wall, the Cubans started mounting a comeback. In set three, they were denied the first five of six consecutive set points, but on the sixth, they managed to close the set.
Cooper Robinson USA
A similar story unfolded in set four, but this time Cuba failed to hold on to the advantage they had at 23-19. They also failed to convert the set point they reached at 24-23 as USA dramatically turned the course of the set around to a 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 23-25, 27-25) victory, with outside hitter Cooper Robinson nailing the match winner.
Robinson emerged as the best scorer of the match with 14 points. He spiked 13 points at a 59% success rate and added a kill block to his tally. These were the two elements the Americans performed better than the Cubans – 61-45 in spike kills and 13-10 in kill blocks. Their outside Jordan Ewert (two blocks and a 71% success rate in attack) and opposite Gabriel Garcia (two aces, two blocks and a 62% success rate in attack) also reached the double digits with 12 points apiece.
“We knew that Cuba needed this game. We knew Cuba was going to come out firing on all cylinders. But we were also on the edge. It was a great game for us. All 14 guys came in the court and did their job. I think we still have a lot of learning, a lot of growing up to do, but for us to pull out this win the way we did was pretty impressive,” Gabi Garcia told VBTV. “Being ready at all moments here at this World Championship is going to be important for all of us.”
Before exiting the tournament with grace, Cuba did better than USA in serving by 6-3 in aces and in precision by 23-28 in unforced errors. Their middle blocker Javier Octavio Concepcion attacked at a 67% success rate and raised four kill blocks to finish with a total of 12 points and share the team’s leading scorer honors with opposite Jose Israel Masso, who put away two blocks and an ace. Star middle Robertlandy Simon registered a 70% success rate in spiking and also reached the double digits with 10 points, including three blocks.
September 17, 2025.- Türkiye defeated Canada in the last game of the pool stage at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in the Philippines and finished as the undefeated leader of the final Pool G standings.
This Wednesday in Quezon City, the Turks defeated Canada in straight sets, who also advanced to the Round of 16 as pool runners-up with a record of two victories and one loss.
Now the Canadians will face on September 20 at 8 PM (local time) in the Round of 16 Poland, a team they have faced twice, the first in the 2006 World Championship in the Pool Stage with a 0-3 loss, and the second in 2010, also with a 0-3 loss.
Block CAN
Türkiye achieved a convincing 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 27-25) victory over Canada, eighth in the world. With this result, the European team took away 16.59 ranking points from their rivals and moved three positions up to number 13, while Canada fell to ninth place.
Türkiye outperformed Canada in attack with 43-28 in successful spikes, which marked the big difference in this match. The European team also committed fewer unforced errors: 19 against 24 from the North Americans. Opposite Adis Lagumdzija led with 15 points, all in spikes, with a 71% success rate. Outside hitter Efe Mandiraci registered a 55% success rate in spikes and added one ace for a total of 12 points. He was the one who scored the winning point in the intense overtime of the third set.
Canada did not fall without a fight. In fact, they outperformed the Turks in serving with 8-3 in aces and matched them in net defense with seven kill blocks each. Opposite Sharone Vernon-Evans (three aces, two blocks), middle blocker Fynnian McCarthy (three aces, one block), and outside hitter and captain Nicholas Hoag (two aces, one block) were the top scorers of their team with eight points each.
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 16, 2025. – Mexico rallied after dropping the opening set to defeat Canada 3-1 (21-25, 25-11, 25-17, 25-20) and remain unbeaten at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
Mexico now stands at 2-0, while Canada falls to 0-2. On day three of the event, Mexico (2-0) will face Cuba (1-1) and Canada (0-2) will take on Puerto Rico (1-1).
Canada jumped to an early 10-4 lead in the first set behind Emma Boyd’s offense and Veronica Dickson’s tough serving. Despite Mexico’s efforts, including a late surge led by Sofía Maldonado and Uxue Guereca, Canada held firm and sealed the set with a kill from Isabella Noble.
Mexico responded with a commanding performance in the second set, racing to a 6-1 lead and never looking back. Arleth Márquez was dominant at the net, while Aime Topete contributed crucial points as Mexico evened the match in emphatic fashion.
Gabrielle Attieh-CAN
The third set saw a tight start, but Mexico surged ahead 11-6 by finding gaps in Canada’s defense. Middle blocker Karina Flores joined Maldonado and Topete to keep Mexico in control. Despite a late Canadian rally led by Maryn Boldon, Gabrielle Attieh, and Boyd, Mexico closed the set with strong plays from Topete and Michelle Lizárraga.
Canada once again took the lead early in the fourth set (10-6), with Noble, Attieh, and Sydney Grills powering the offense. Mexico fought back with Maldonado and Topete to tie the score at 10. Samantha Bricio came off the bench and delivered a crucial ace to give Mexico a two-point edge (20-18). Flores added a key attack, and two Canadian errors sealed the victory for the home team.
Mexico dominated in attacks (50-35) and aces (8-3), while Canada led in blocks (10-8). Mexico handed out 25 points on unforced errors compared to Canada’s 30.
Sofía Maldonado once again led Mexico with 15 points (11 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace), followed by Aime Topete with 13 (12 kills, 1 ace) and Uxue Guereca with 12. Canada was led by Emma Boyd and Maryn Boldon with 11 points each.
Emma Boyd , Canada’s team captain and leading scorer: “In the first set we answered well from yesterday focusing on our details and executing on our game plan and I think we did a really good job at that. We knew the crowd was going to be super loud and that was energizing tonight. It was really fun volleyball. The last set was tight up to the end and then a couple of unfortunate errors ended it. It was wonderful competition tonight”.
Sofía Maldonado, Mexico’s top scorer: “At the beginning, we didn’t follow the coach’s instructions that well. We recovered from losing the first set by being more organized and improving our communication. The second set was very solid; we were all on the same page. Now we face Cuba, we need to stay mentally strong, and we will prepare for that.”
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 16, 2025.– Panama earned an important victory against a tough Belize team, 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 27-25), in the stellar match of the day, which opened Pool A action at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship.
Panama capitalized on its advantage in blocking (9-3) and serving (8-1). Belize led in attack points (42-32) but could not find the balance to turn the final result around.
The key to Panama’s victory were the 28 points they scored off Belize’s unforced errors, compared to only 13 of their own.
For Panama, Víctor Araúz and Kendrieck Newby finished with 11 points each, supported by Víctor Pérez who contributed 10 points.
Belize’s main offensive weapon was Kaelen Ingram with 22 points, but he received little support, with Eleazar Mejía being the team’s second-best scorer with 9 points.
Following the win, Panama’s coach Horacio Angulo said: “We knew that Belize is a very strong team, we were aware of what they could bring to this match, so we tried to work on our serving and consistency from the our outside hitters. This is definitely the ‘group of death,’ so every win is crucial. We know Guatemala’s trajectory, and the teams in the other group have their own strengths as well. For us, it’s about taking it one match at a time to try to reach the final.”
Meanwhile, Belize’s coach Albert Humes commented: “It was a very tough match, the players gave their best effort, but we must recognize that Panama did a great job. Now we must try to do things better in our next match.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 16, 2025. – Puerto Rico earned its first victory at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six with a dominant 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-22) sweep over defending champions Dominican Republic on Tuesday night at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
With the win, Puerto Rico evened its record to 1-1, while Dominican Republic also stands at 1-1. The top four teams at the conclusion of round-robin play will advance to the crossover semifinals. Next, Puerto Rico will face Canada and the Dominican Republic goes against the United States.
Puerto Rico’s well-balanced offense, led by Diana Reyes, Valeria Vázquez, and Decelise Champion, powered them to a comfortable first-set win. Strong blocking and aggressive serving disrupted the Dominican system, keeping the reigning champions under pressure from the start.
In the second set, Puerto Rico jumped to a commanding 16-9 lead, fueled by Champion’s blocking presence and timely kills. Despite strong attacking from Florangel Terrero and Alondra Tapia, Puerto Rico held firm, with Alba Hernández’s block on Tapia and Reyes’ attack against Angélica Hinojosa closing out the set.
Annalee Champion-PUR
The third set remained tight until 5-all, when Puerto Rico pulled ahead with a combination of Santiago’s tip, a setter kill from Wilmarie Rivera, and a Dominican error to lead 8-5. Terrero’s blocking and a late surge from Madeline Guillén kept the Dominican squad close, but Vázquez and Paola Santiago pushed Puerto Rico to a 22-19 advantage. Vázquez sealed the win with a decisive kill against Samaret Caraballo’s block.
Puerto Rico led in every scoring category: attacks (36-33), blocks (9-6), and aces (4-1), while also capitalizing on 26 Dominican errors compared to just 14 of their own.
Valeria Vázquez and Decelise Champion topped Puerto Rico’s scoring with 11 points each, including four blocks from Champion. Diana Reyes added 10 points. Madeline Guillén was the only Dominican player in double figures, leading all scorers with 16 points.
Valeria Vázquez, Puerto Rico’s top scorer: “Against Mexico yesterday we didn’t have a good serve, and today that was the key to our victory. Everyone who stepped up to the service line focused on putting pressure on the Dominican Republic. Winning in three sets gives us greater confidence. Tomorrow we can’t let our guard down.”
Madeline Guillén, Dominican Republic’s top scorer: “The coach had to make changes to our lineup because we had poor reception. We tried to do our best to get a good result. We improved in some aspects, but it wasn’t enough. We need to train our serve and reception better for the upcoming matches.”
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 16, 2025. – Costa Rica delivered a convincing performance, earning their first victory against El Salvador 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-20) in Pool B action on the opening day of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Men’s Championship.
Costa Rica was consistent throughout the match, even though El Salvador stayed close on the scoreboard in all three sets but without seriously threatening their opponent.
The Costa Ricans relied on their superior blocking, leading 11-8, and were dominant from the service line 8-2, while also edging El Salvador in attacks 34-32. In points from unforced errors, El Salvador gave up 22 compared to Costa Rica’s 19.
Costa Rica celebrates
Offensively, four Costa Rican players reached double digits, led by Yulius Brown with 14 points, followed by Stanley Grant with 12, Ignacio Sánchez with 11, and Jeremy Vanega with 10.
For El Salvador, Gustavo Ortiz was the top scorer with 13 points, supported by Abner Cano with 12 and Andrés Reyes with 11.
Costa Rica’s head coach, César Salas, said after the win: “We are very pleased with the team’s performance. What we had planned before the match was executed to the letter, although there are a few minor things to correct. The team showed good blocking, very effective serving, and a solid attack – all our tools worked. Now we just have to keep growing in this tournament.”
Meanwhile, El Salvador’s head coach Andrea Genova stated: “We knew we were going up against the strongest team in the group. Despite that, we played well in our first match. We know the crossover matches are key to achieving a good result, so we must focus on the games against Nicaragua and Honduras.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 16, 2025. – The United States overcame a tough challenge from Cuba, earning a five-set victory 3-2 (25-20, 16-25, 25-18, 22-25, 15-10) to move to 2-0 at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, taking place at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
The match was a roller-coaster battle, featuring powerful swings and strong blocking from both squads, with momentum shifting throughout the contest.
In the opening set, two monster blocks from Laura Suárez and a strong start by Dayana Martínez gave Cuba early momentum. The score stayed tight until key blocks from Emily Thater and late Cuban errors allowed the U.S. to close out the set.
Cuba responded in the second set, overcoming a three-point deficit (10-13) thanks to Whitney James’ efforts, taking a 17-14 lead and eventually leveling the match 1-1 behind Suárez’s offensive production.
The U.S. regained control in the third set, building a four-point advantage (13-9) with attacks by Samantha Francis and dominating from the service line (3-0 in aces for the set). Despite strong kills from Lisania Grafort, Team USA stayed ahead to go up 2-1.
USA celebrates
Cuba fought back in the fourth, surging to a 20-14 lead behind Grafort’s blocking and strong serving from Lysbeysis Hernández. The U.S. cut the deficit to one point (22-23) with Madison Kubik and Claire Chaussee scoring, but two decisive plays from Suárez – a kill and a block on Fields – forced a fifth set.
Cuba started strong in the tie-break, leading 5-1 with Yalian De La Peña playing a key role. The U.S. fought back to tie the score at 8-all behind Francis and Kubik’s net defense. Ella Powell’s serving pushed the U.S. to an 11-9 lead, and with a kill from Fields and a Cuban error, USA sealed the victory.
USA held the advantage in blocking (13-7) and service points (8-6), while Cuba led in kills (59-56). Both teams committed 26 unforced errors.
Madison Kubik and Skylar Fields led the U.S. scoring with 20 points each. Samantha Francis and Emily Thater added 10 apiece, with Thater registering a match-high five blocks. For Cuba, Yalain De La Peña scored 15 points, all on kills, followed by Suárez with 11 and Grafort with 10.
Next up, the United States faces the Dominican Republic, while Cuba takes on host Mexico.
Madison Kubik, Top scorer of USA: “I’m so proud of our fight, it was a great team win and maybe we didn’t play our best volleyball, but to win was really good for us. Cuba played a great match, they got very emotional, very passionate and they took a lot of great swings, so we definitely got a great battle”.
Aidachi Agüero, Cuba’s Libero: “Today there was more fighting spirit, more aggressiveness. There were moments when we lacked organization, but the most important thing is that we fought and gave our best until the very last minute.”
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 16, 2025.– The Nicaraguan National Team came from behind to defeat Honduras in five sets (23-25, 22-25, 25-8, 25-12, 15-6), earning their first victory in Pool B action as the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship got underway.
Honduras started strong by taking the first two sets against a Nicaraguan squad that took time to find their best rhythm.
Nicaragua completed the comeback thanks to their superior attack, led by Yader León with 29 points, 27 on attacks and 2 from the service line.
Nicaragua celebra
Also contributing to Nicaragua’s offense were Jesy Umaña with 18 points and Josué Blandón with 16 points.
For Honduras, Jesús Montes was the only player to score in double digits, finishing with 14 points.
As a team, Nicaragua outperformed Honduras in attacks 69 to 33, and in service points 7-2. Honduras, however, had the advantage in blocks 9-3. Both teams were almost even in points from unforced errors, with Nicaragua conceding 32 and Honduras 31.
Following the victory, Nicaragua’s head coach Jorge Mena said: “The first two sets were very tough; the team made a lot of mistakes, and that hurt us. But we managed to make the necessary adjustments to turn things around and win the next three sets. We knew that losing this match would have greatly reduced our chances of advancing.”
Meanwhile, Honduras’ head coach Miguel Pagoaga explained: “We started very well, surprising everyone by winning the first two sets, but then the players struggled with reception. We have no choice but to work on improving those weaknesses for the next match. Reception errors and poor blocking positioning hurt us a lot.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 15, 2025. – Mexico thrilled the home crowd by opening the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six with a dramatic 3-2 (25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 20-25, 15-8) victory over Puerto Rico on Monday night at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
The highly competitive round-robin tournament brings together the region’s top six teams, with the best four advancing to the crossover semifinals.
Sofía Maldonado was Mexico’s driving force from the start, leading the offense to secure the first set. Paola Santiago and Decelise Champion responded for Puerto Rico, but Samantha Bricio’s strong serving and attack helped Mexico take control of the second set, building a 15-10 lead. Despite Puerto Rico’s late rally—sparked by Neira Ortiz’s stellar performance at the net and capitalizing on Mexico’s errors—the hosts closed it out to go up 2-0.
Sofia Maldonado-MEX
Puerto Rico refused to go quietly, storming back to take the next two sets. The visitors came from behind in the third, with Valeria Vázquez hammering down the set point. In the fourth, despite Mexico’s efforts to erase a five-point deficit, Puerto Rico maintained their pressure behind Vázquez, Diana Reyes, and Ortiz to force a deciding set.
In the tiebreaker, Mexico regained its composure and dominated, racing to a comfortable 15-8 finish. Maldonado and Bricio led the way as the home fans celebrated an emotional opening win.
Mexico outperformed Puerto Rico in attacks (57-49) and serves (7-3), while Puerto Rico led in blocking (14-11) and committed fewer errors (33-35).
Maldonado led all scorers with 25 points (21 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace), followed by Bricio with 19 (15 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces) and Melanie Parra with 15 (11 kills, 1 block, 3 aces). For Puerto Rico, Vázquez, Reyes, and Champion each scored 13 points, while Ortiz added 12, including a match-high six blocks.
Mexico (1-0) will face Canada (0-1) on day two of the tournament, while Puerto Rico (0-1) takes on the Dominican Republic (1-0).
Jocelyn Urías, Mexico’s Captain: “Games against Puerto Rico are always intense. I feel we won the fifth set because we were very hungry for it; it really hurt not being able to close the match in three sets. In the last set, we couldn’t allow the loss or let Puerto Rico gain momentum when we had been controlling the rhythm of the game, so we came in with a lot of energy.”
Shara Venegas, Puerto Rico’s Captain: “We are a very physically strong team, and we were ready to play more sets, and I think that’s why we were able to come back from being two sets down, plus the rivalry we always have with Mexico gives us the adrenaline to keep going. I love playing against Mexico. They were able to finish at the end, and we were missing a bit more offense and couldn’t close, unlike the fourth set where we managed to do it.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 15, 2025. – The United States delivered a blocking masterclass, outscoring Canada 14-1 at the net, to sweep their opening match of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six 3-0 (25-13, 25-11, 25-20) at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
The round-robin tournament features the top six teams in the region, with the four best-ranked advancing to crossover semifinals.
Team USA jumped to a quick 14-6 lead in the first set, with middle blocker Samantha Francis setting the tone by creating a wall at the net. The Americans built an even larger advantage in the second set, behind the offensive power of opposite Kendall Kipp and outside hitter Norah Sis.
Canada showed more resistance in the third set, led by Emma Boyd and Madyson Saris, keeping the score close until point 16. The U.S. pulled away despite Canada denying three match points before closing out the sweep.
USA and CAN battle the ball over the net
The United States dominated the North American clash, holding significant advantages in kills (39-21), blocks (14-1), and aces (6-4). Errors were nearly even (USA 17, Canada 16).
Samantha Francis led the scoring for the USA with 12 points (7 kills, 5 blocks), followed by Kipp and Sis with 11 points each — Kipp with 6 blocks and Sis producing all 11 points on kills. Reagan Cooper contributed 10 points. Raya Surinx led Canada with 6 points.
Next, the United States (1-0) will face Cuba (0-1), while Canada (0-1) will take on host Mexico in their second match.
Kamerynn Miner, Team USA captain: “For us it was just about minimizing the nerves and making sure our communication was good with each other. Everything went really nice, it all comes to serves-pass and we did a great job in doing that. We’ve been doing so much work back home, blocking especially out of system and I think it looked great out there tonight, our pins were setting up great and our middles posing great, so it was a team effort”.
Emma Boyd, Team Canada captain: “The U.S. is a really strong competitor, they played a really clean game. There are some areas we need to work on for the rest of the tournament. It’s the first game and this doesn’t dictate what the rest of the tournament is going to look for us. You’re either winning or learning, so this is a learning experience for us. We’re excited to come back tomorrow and show up to play against Mexico”.
September 15, 2025.- The United States became the fourth national team guaranteed in the Round of 16 of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Monday, when they secured their second victory in the tournament’s Pool D at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, in Pasay City.
With six points earned and no sets dropped, the Americans are the first national team qualified in Pool D.
The Americans joined continental rivals Canada and European sides Bulgaria and Türkiye among the first teams qualified for the elimination rounds thanks to a 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-17) victory over Portugal in their second match in the tournament.
Gabriel Garcia USA
The USA’s second sweep in the tournament has them at the top of the Pool D standings with six points and, with that, they can no longer be caught by either Colombia, who have no points or wins, or Portugal, who could match the Americans’ six points and two wins in the third round, but would still be behind in the set ratio tie-breaker. With that, the Europeans will dispute the second spot in the Round of 16 with Cuba, which earlier on Monday defeated Colombia 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-20).
Gabriel Garcia and Jordan Ewert were the most important pieces in the American offense against the Portuguese, registering 12 points each – the opposite had eight kills, two blocks and two aces, while the outside hitter had 11 kills and one block. Outside hitter Ethan Champlin added another ten, with eight kills and two aces.
“We knew that Portugal had a good side-out game, they’re a crafty team with a lot of different shots, so we focused a lot on our blocking and defense today,” libero Erik Shoji analyzed. “Our transition game wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to get us the points we needed to win the match. We won the first two matches now and continue to improve every day, so that’s great.”
USA celebrates
On the Portuguese side, outside hitter Lourenço Martins was the most productive with 12 points (ten kills, one block, one ace). Opposite, José Pinto contributed nine, all in kills.
The ten-point gap in opponent errors (23 to 13) was, indeed, the biggest difference in favor of the Americans, who also outscored the Portuguese in kills (40 to 36) and blocks (eight to five) – each team fired four aces.
Pool D’s match schedule will be completed in Pasay City on Wednesday, with Portugal playing Colombia at 10:00 local time and NORCECA rivals the United States and Cuba meeting later, at 17:30.
September 15, 2025.- Things cleared up in Pool G of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in the Philippines and revealed the shocking truth that big pool favorites Japan will have to pack up at the end of the first stage of the competition. Canada and Türkiye will be the two teams from this pool to compete in the eighth finals.
Canada inflicted a second straight-set defeat on Japan in Quezon City on Monday. Earlier in the day, Türkiye also took their second victory by beating Libya.
Sharone Vernon-Evans CAN
With 10 kill blocks against two and 40 kills in attack against 33, Canada outplayed Japan on the way to a stunning 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-22) shutout. With this emphatic victory, the North Americans grabbed as many as 16.32 ranking points from Japan and moved a spot up the FIVB World Ranking, to number eight, just below the Asian team, which still kept its seventh position.
Opposite Sharone Vernon-Evans (Sho) led Canada with a match-high 14 points, including the block-out hit that closed the game and got the Canadian party started. He registered a 52% success rate in attack and put away one ace and one kill block towards the victory. Outside hitter and captain Nicholas Hoag also fired one ace, to which he added 12 spike kills at a 60% success rate to sign off with 13 points.
Nicholas Hoag CAN
“We are over the moon, for sure. Qualifying to the playoffs is a huge step. That was our goal, and we knew, coming into this match, we had a real opportunity to do that, so I am glad. The fight in the guys – you could just feel it from the start once we got here that we were on it and we just never let up. It’s amazing!” Sho told VBTV. “We will all be ready to go to fight Turkey for first place.”
Japan managed to outserve Canada by 7-3 in aces, with outside hitter Ran Takahashi and opposite Kento Miyaura each authoring two of those. They both reached double digits with a total of 11 and 10 points, respectively. The other three aces were delivered by star outside and captain Yuki Ishikawa.
The last two Pool G games, between Canada and Turkiye (2.00 PM Local Time) for first place in the pool, and between Japan and Libya for first win and third place, are set to be played on Wednesday, September 17.
September 15, 2025.- Cuba responded strongly to an unexpected first-round group stage defeat to Portugal and dominated Colombia on Monday to secure their first victory at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship and keep their hopes of advancing to the Round of 16 very much alive.
The Caribbeans opened the fourth day of matches in the Philippines with a duel against debutants Colombia and used their greater experience to handle the pressure in what was a do-or-die match for them, prevailing 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-20) at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The three points obtained with the sweep against the South Americans have placed Cuba alongside Portugal in the Pool D standings.
Cuba celebrates
Inserted into Cuba’s starting lineup after the loss to Portugal, outside hitter Osniel Melgarejo led his team against the Colombians with 14 points (12 kills, one block, one ace). Opposite José Masso tallied 12 (nine kills, two blocks, one ace) and outside hitter Marlon Yant contributed 11 (ten kills, one block).
“We want to stay humble and face every opponent as if they were the best team in the world,” middle blocker Javier Concepción reflected. “We saw what happened in our first match, and we’re focused on not getting too confident and preparing well for each game because every team here is dangerous. We needed to win today, and we just pushed hard and gave our best.”
Opposite Miguel Ángel Amaranto was the only Colombian player to reach double digits, leading all scorers with 18 points (16 kills, one block, one ace).
Cuba’s recipe for defeating Colombia and securing their first World Championship victory was outscoring their opponents both in kills (43 to 31) and blocks (seven to six). Each team landed three aces, and the number of errors was similar, with the Cubans giving away 23 points and the Colombians 22.
Cuba plays against the United States on September 17th at 5:30 PM (local time).
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 15, 2025.- With the presence of seven well-prepared squads and a new competition format, the battle for the title at the VII AFECAVOL Central American Men’s U23 Championship is shaping up to be a very exciting one as the event kicks off this September 16.
The teams from Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama have declared themselves ready for action after completing all documentation during the preliminary interviews held before the start of the matches.
Guatemala, Belize, and Panama are in Pool A, while Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras will battle in Pool B. After the group stage, the top finishers in each pool will advance to cross-over semifinals, while the remaining teams will compete for final ranking positions.
Belize’s head coach, Albert Humus, stated: “This event is very important for Belize, our goal is to win a medal and thereby improve our level in this category. We definitely ended up in the ‘group of death.”
Belize
Guatemala’s assistant coach, Luis Fernando Castañeda, said: “Our goal is always to try to perform well and fight for the championships in every competition. Our athletes have been competing internationally, which is very helpful because it allows us to arrive with plenty of match experience. We know that all the teams in this event are strong, and both groups that were formed are challenging.”
Guatemala
Honduras’ head coach, Miguel Pagoaga, added: “We trained for eight months, so our assessment of the team is very positive. We came to this competition with a young team, a U21 category group, but one that has prepared very well. We believe our pool is quite manageable with chances to advance, but it will all depend on the players’ effort on the court.”
Honduras
El Salvador’s head coach, Andrea Genova, mentioned: “For this competition, our expectation is to learn a lot from the tournament because we will be presenting a very young and renewed team. We were fortunate to end up in a group of four; we believe we can take advantage of the cross-over matches, but our goal is to deliver a good performance.”
El Salvador
Regarding the goals of the host team, Panama’s head coach, Horacio Angulo, stated: “As hosts, we seek to prepare well to try to reach the podium. We have a structured team with players from two categories who have done a good job in previous tournaments, so it is a group that knows each other well and includes players of good caliber. We will go game by game with this new format, and we hope things go well for us.”
Panama
Nicaragua’s head coach, Jorge Mena, explained: “Our expectation, as in every championship, is to aim for a medal. In our pool we face Costa Rica, Honduras, and El Salvador. We have a chance to advance but cannot underestimate our opponents. Our goal is to reach the next round and fight in the semifinals to reach the top.”
Nicaragua
Regarding Costa Rica’s participation, head coach César Salas stated: “Our main goal is to fight for the title. We want to work responsibly and come out strong with this group of players we brought. In our group, all the teams are tough, they are teams that work well. We will not underestimate any of them, we will play hard in each match and try to qualify for the next stage convincingly.”
ST. JOHNS Antigua & Barbuda, September 15, 2025. – The Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) is thrilled to announce the first edition of the highly anticipated 2025 ECVA Men’s and Women’s Final 4 Tournaments, taking place in the stunning twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. This event will showcase the region’s top four volleyball talents from ECVA member islands which continues to foster regional unity through sports.
The Tournament will be held over 2 weekends at the YMCA, in St John’s Antigua and will be played under the FIVB Official Rules of the Game at the time of the tournament. The Champion Team has the opportunity to represent the ECVA at the NORCECA Pan American Cup in 2026.
Host country Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Lucia and Grenada will compete in the Men’s Final 4 event running from September 19-21. For the Women’s Final 4 event, Bermuda, Grenada and Saint Lucia join Antigua and Barbuda, competing from September 26-28.
Speaking with Glenn Quinlan, ECVA President ahead of the tournament he indicated that this is the first year the Final 4 Tournament is being held and he is looking forward to a very exciting and competitive tournament which showcases the top 4 teams in the ECVA region.
Fans can look forward to a series of electrifying matches featuring intense rivalries and exceptional talents. Matches begin at 6:00p.m local time with 2 matches on opening day Friday and Saturday features 4 matches, 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. The tournament format is a round robin, where each team plays the other and on the final day, Sunday, will see the top 2 teams battle for the championship, vice champion as well as the 3rd and 4th place medal matches.
Each match will be crucial, as teams vie for the title of ECVA champion.
Beyond the volleyball action, attendees will have the chance to immerse themselves in the rich culture of Antigua and Barbuda, local cuisine and music, which will provide an excitement to the tournament.
The tournaments will be covered by ECVA Media Team, ensuring that fans both locally and internationally can follow the action. Live streaming options will be available for those unable to attend in person.
For more information, updates, and schedules visit our official website at ecvolleyball.comor follow ECVA on social media: Facebook @ECVA-Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association, Instagram @ecva.volleyball.
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 15, 2025. – The Dominican Republic opened the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six with a straight set 3-0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-21) victory over Cuba at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
The round-robin tournament features the top six teams in the region, with the four best-ranked squads advancing to crossover semifinals.
The Dominicans’ aggressive serving set the tone early, pressuring Cuba’s reception and cruising through the first set. The second set was a much tighter battle, but the Dominican Republic maintained composure in the key points to take a two-set lead. In the third, strong blocking allowed “Las Reinas del Caribe” to stay in control despite a late push from Cuba.
Alondra Tapia-DOM
The Dominican Republic dominated in kills (38-26), blocks (12-5), and aces (9-3), though they committed more unforced errors (26-16).
Opposite hitter Alondra Tapia led all scorers with 19 points (14 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces), followed by outside hitter Madeline Guillén with 15 points (10 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces). Dezirett Madan was Cuba’s top performer with 9 points.
Next up, the Dominican Republic will face Puerto Rico, while Cuba meets the United States in day two action.
Camila De la Rosa, Captain of the Dominican Republic: “We are a group that has known each other since the youth categories, our chemistry is good, but it had been a long time since we last played together. We had studied Cuba and tried to keep the match at our pace despite the ups and downs. In the end, we got the win.”
Laura Suárez, Middle Blocker of Cuba: “I don’t think it was a good start. We still have many matches left to keep moving forward, and I have faith in the team that we can improve our attitude and playing rhythm.”
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, September 14, 2025.- Alison McKay and Darby Dunn of Canada painted themselves with gold by winning the Gold Medal of the 8th stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Tour, held at the Flor Blanca beach stadium.
A high-class final was played on Sunday afternoon on Court 1 of the Flor Blanca Beach Stadium, with the victory in three sets 2-1 (21-19, 16-21, 15-8) for Canadians of Alison McKay and Darby Dunn, who defeated Kelly Belardi / Natalie Myszkowski of the United States.
This is the second medal of the season for Darby Dunn, she won the silver medal in Manzanillo alongside Mikayla Law-Heese.
McKay-Dunn reached the final thanks to their 2-0 (21-13, 21-9) victory in semifinals over Venezuelans Oriana Granadilla / Yonnielis Camacho, a match played in the morning.
All winners
Meanwhile, Americans Belardi-Myszkowski gave the surprise of the tournament by defeating in the semifinals the five-time champions, Puerto Ricans María González / Allanis Navas. The Americans came from behind to take the victory 15-21, 23-21, 17-15, in a thrilling match.
The Bronze medal match had no major complications for González-Navas of Puerto Rico, who defeated Venezuelans Oriana Granadilla / Yonnielis Camacho 2-0 (21-12, 21-15).
In placement matches, Dana Roskic / Katarina Pantovic took fifth place by defeating Natalia Girón / Paola Alvarado of Guatemala 2-0 (21-14, 21-14), while Mexicans Angélica Torres / María Jimena Ramírez defeated Katherine Quesada / Eugenia Ramírez of Costa Rica 2-0 (21-14, 21-14) for seventh place.
Nicaraguans Socorro López / Lolette Rodríguez finished nineth, who beat Dominicans Yari Cleto / Rosario Payano 2-0 (21-19, 21-15). The 11th place was decided between Sofía Vigil / Karla Tovar of El Salvador and Yulimar Alvarado / Danielle Resau of Nicaragua, with the Salvadorans winning 2-0 (21-16, 21-18).
13th place went to Honduras’ of Ruth Antonella Villegas / Shannia Rivera, who defeated El Salvador’s Michelle Guzmán / Donnina Argueta with a score of 2-1 (19-21, 21-19, 15-10). Mexicans Atenas Gutiérrez / Susana Torres, who withdrew from the tournament due to injury, finished last.
Final standings:
1. McKay/Dunn CAN 2. Belardi/Myszkowski USA 3. González/Navas PUR 4. Oriana/Yonnielis VEN 5. Roskic/Pantovic CAN 6. N. Girón/Alvarado GUA 7. Torres /Ramírez MEX 8. Quesada/Ramírez CRC 9. López/Lolette NCA 10. Cleto/Payano 11. Vigil/Tovar ESA 12. Alvarado/Resau NCA 13. Villegas/Rivera HON 14. Guzman/Donni ESA 15. Gutierrez/Torres MEX
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador. September 14, 2025.- Mexico’s number 1 pair, Sarabia/Osuna, conquered the Gold of the 8th stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Tour, held at the Flor Blanca beach stadium.
Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna defeated Canadians of Martin Licht and Luke de Greeff in the grand finale with scores of 21-15 and 21-13. In semifinals, the Mexican duo had beaten Julián Araya / Jhostin Varela of Costa Rica 2-0 (21-16, 21-18).
For the duo Sarabia/Osuna, it is their fourth medal this year. In Juan Dolio they won their first Gold medal of the year, and in Puerto Cortés and Tamaulipas they achieved Bronze.
Miguel Sarabia said: “I am very happy, after the injury that kept me away from the courts for a few days, coming back and winning the Gold gives me a lot of confidence to keep being competitive, it is a very good step in this year.”
“Now our focus is on the World Championship qualifier in Punta Cana. It is a process that Jorman and I have experienced, with successes and learnings, so we are aware and confident that we are going to do very well in the world qualifier,” he pointed out with a smile.
Mens awards
Canadians Martin Licht and Luke de Greeff came this year with the goal of improving on the bronze medal obtained last year here in El Salvador, which they greatly surpassed by reaching the final in 2025 and taking the silver medal of the tournament.
Before the final, the now runners-up (Martin Licht / Luke de Greeff) had defeated Rouzbeh Rahnavard / Dylan Devecseri 2-0 (21-14, 21-18) in the All-Canadian semifinal.
Meanwhile, Araya/Varela of Costa Rica surprised a competitive Canadian pair Rahnavard/Devecseri to take the bronze by defeating the North Americans 2-0 (21-17, 21-16). This is the second time Araya/Varela have achieved bronze, the previous was last month in Manzanillo, Mexico.
In the placement matches:
For 5th place, Americans Gage Basey and Thomas Hurst defeated the Venezuelans Juliangel Zaid / Enyenser Delgado 2-0 (21-19, 21-19).
For 7th place, Christopher Guardado / Yoel Guardado of El Salvador defeated Rubén Mora / Dany López of Nicaragua 2-0 (21-18, 21-19). The fight for 9th place went to Mexico’s Inés Antonio Vargas / Carlos Andrés Ayala over Dominicans Francisco De Jesús / Antonio de Jesús 2-0 (21-17, 25-23).
Costa Rica’s Daniel Dyner / Victorio Esteban González took 11th place due to injury withdrawal of the Honduran pair Irvin Reyes / Manuel Serrano. For 13th place, Puerto Rico’s Cristian Encarnación / Diego Rosich defeated Guatemala’s Miguel Izaguirre / Santiago Penagos 2-0 (21-17, 21-19). The fight for 15th place was won by Bermuda’s Kyle Hamilton / Sean Tucker, who defeated Guatemala’s Fredy Luna / Jean Carlos Oliva 2-0 (21-19, 21-17).
Final standings:
1. Sarabia/Osuna MEX 2. Licht/de Greeff CAN 3. Araya/Varela CRC 4. Rahnavard/Devecseri CAN 5. Basey/Hurst USA 6. Juliangel/Esyenser VEN 7. Guardado C./Guardado Y. ESA 8. Mora/Lopez NCA 9. Lares/Carlos Andres MEX 10. De Jesus/De Jesus DOM 11. Dyner/Esteban CRC 12. Reyes/Serrano HON 13. Encarnacion/Rosich PUR 14. Izaguirre/Penagos GUA 15. Hamilton/Tucker VER 16. Luna/Oliva GUA 17. Vargas/Ponce ESA
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, September 13, 2025. – The North Central Volleyball Association (NCVA) held its annual meeting this Saturday, September 13, in Guadalajara, Mexico, on the occasion of the NORCECA Women’s Final Six tournament.
The session was chaired by Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, President of NORCECA, and Mark Eckert, CEO of Volleyball Canada and President of the Central Zone, who welcomed the attendees and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening volleyball high-level competition in the region.
Among the participants were the presidents of the NCVA member National Federations: John Speraw, CEO of USA Volleyball; Jesús Perales Navarro, President of the Mexican Volleyball Federation; Osvaldo Martínez, President of the Cuban Volleyball Federation; Ramón A. García, President of the Dominican Volleyball Federation; Dr. César Trabanco, President of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (virtually); and Mark Eckert of Canada.
Also present were Prof. Ariel Sainz Rodríguez, First Vice President of NORCECA, and Ms. Arateide Cáceres, General Manager of NORCECA.
The meeting addressed strategic topics for the future of volleyball in the zone, including updates to the criteria for awarding world ranking points considering zonal and confederation events, the constitution and current status of the NCVA, positions on the NORCECA Board of Administration, approval of the event calendars from 2026 to 2028 — including the beach volleyball calendar, age-group competitions, and the rotating host calendar — as well as the presentation of principles for multi-year host allocation.
Additionally, relevant topics were discussed such as the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Program and preparations for the bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Championship, emphasizing the importance of the region having representation in world-class events.
The session concluded with a call to continue working in a coordinated manner to promote the growth of volleyball in all its disciplines and to strengthen ties among the national federations.
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 14, 2025.- Head Coaches from Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States spoke ahead of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six event running from September 15 to 21 in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Tournament ranking points for the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship, which is the Olympic Qualifier, in addition to world ranking points for the teams that do not compete in the Volleyball Nations League VNL.
Matthew Krueger, Canada’s Head Coach: “We’re excited to be back in Mexico, the tournaments have been great for us as a team and as a program. We’ve been very intentional with the things we’ve been working on from the last two competitions, we want to improve and see how we can get better. I’m looking forward to seeing how the last three weeks of practice will progress our team into this competition. We have players who are coming back from the U23 Pan Am Cup and the Senior Pan Am Cup, but some new athletes are here as well, which shows the depth of our program and excited to give them an opportunity”.
CAN
Luizomar De Moura, Cuba’s Head Coach: “It is a great pleasure to be here, in a high-level tournament. I hope that in this new process I am starting as head coach of the Cuban team, we can have a great competition. I wish good luck to all participants and hope that Cuba achieves success as well.”
CUB
Marcos Kwiek, Dominican Republic’s Head Coach: “We are coming with a very young group, a group with great potential, and we have high hopes that they will play at a good level because they have been working hard. I believe we can perform well.”
DOM
Nicola Negro, Mexico’s Head Coach: “This is the last competition of a rather long season, as always. We are coming from a very positive World Championship, and we want to continue building on our work — it’s one more step in our growth. This year marked the beginning of a new cycle, and we are progressing, so we hope to finish well.”
MEX
Juan Carlos Núñez, Puerto Rico’s Head Coach: “This is the last tournament of the year; it’s been a long summer with the same players, and we want to finish strong. It’s in our best interest to put on a good performance against the teams from which we can earn world ranking points. We want to finish in the best way possible and stay healthy. We are going to do our very best.”
PUR
Erik Sullivan, USA’s Head Coach: “Our team has more young players than players with a lot of experience with us. It’s an opportunity to give some people some experience and the opportunity to wear our jersey and compete for our country. In anything we compete we expect to win, that is our goal, but in the end, we’re excited to play a lot of matches in a short period of time which will help us to compete”.
San Salvador, El Salvador. September 13, 2025. – The two Canadian teams qualified for the semifinals of the 8th stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Tour, held at the Flor Blanca beach stadium, thus ensuring one spot in the tournament final, while Costa Rica and Mexico will play the other semifinal for the second spot.
In a vibrant duel between Central American countries, Costa Rica, with Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela, defeated the Guardado twins of El Salvador in two sets, with scores of 21-18 and 22-20.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s number one pair, Miguel Sarabia / Jorman Osuna, had to push themselves to the limit and recover after losing the first set, to finally defeat Venezuelans Juliangel Zaid and Enyenser Alfonso Delgado 2-1 (14-21, 21-17, 15-13).
The Canadian pairs earned their spots in the semifinals as follows: Canada 1, of Rouzbeh Rahnavard / Dylan Devecseri, defeated Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora / Dany López 2-1 (21-15, 25-27, 15-11). Canada 2, with Martin Licht / Luke de Greeff, also advanced after overcoming Americans Gage Basey / Thomas Hurst in three sets, 2-1 (16-21, 21-18, 15-8).
Costa Rica celebrates
The men’s semifinals will open Sunday’s action, with Araya/Varela (CRC) facing Sarabia/Osuna (MEX) at 8:30 a.m. (local time). Then, the Canadian duel between Rahnavard/Devecseri and Licht/de Greeff will take place at 9:20 a.m. (local time).
Very competitive matches were played among the teams in Pool A. The first position was decided in the last round, where the duo of Julián Araya / Jhostin Varela took first place, tying in wins and losses (3-1) with Canada’s Martin Licht / Luke de Greeff, but with a better points ratio. 3rd place: Mexico’s Inés Vargas / Carlos Andrés Ayala 2-2 4th place: Cristian Encarnación / Diego Rosich (Puerto Rico) 2-2 5th place: Rafael Vargas / Fernando Ortiz (El Salvador) 0-4
Pool B was dominated Americans Gage Basey / Thomas Hurst (champions of the recently held Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay) with 4 victories. In second place were Christopher and Yoel Guardado of El Salvador, with only one loss against USA. 3rd place: Irvin Reyes / Manuel Serrano (Honduras) 4th place: José Miguel Izaguirre / Santiago Penagos (Guatemala)
Nicaraguans Rubén Mora / Dany López were the leaders in Pool C with 4 wins, relegating the Mexican pair Miguel Sarabia / Jorman Osuna to second place. 3rd place: Francisco De Jesús / Antonio De Jesús (Dominican Republic) 4th place: Fredy Ronaldo Luna / Robin Jean Carlos Oliva (Guatemala)
Venezuelans Juliangel Zaid / Enyenser Delgado finished first in Pool D, followed by Canada’s Rouzbeh Rahnavard / Dylan Devecseri. 3rd place: Daniel Dyner / Esteban González (Costa Rica) 4th place: Kyle Hamilton / Sean Tucker (Bermuda)
San Salvador, El Salvador. September 13, 2025. – Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Canada and the United States qualified for the semifinals of the 8th stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Tour, held at Flor Blanca Beach Stadium.
Venezuela’s Oriana Granadilla / Yonnielis Camacho advanced after mercilessly defeating Katherine Quesada / Eugenia Ramírez of Costa Rica with scores of 21-14 and 21-8. At the same time, the champions of the last five stops, María González / Allanis Navas of Puerto Rico, showed no mercy and defeated Natalia Girón / Paola Alvarado of Guatemala 2-0 (21-14, 21-7).
In the All-Canadian quarterfinal, Alison McKay / Darby Dunn, defeated Dana Roskic / Katarina Pantovic with scores of 21-18 and 21-15. In the last quarterfinal match, Americans Kelly Belardi / Natalie Myszkowski secured their ticket to the semifinals by winning 2-0 (21-14, 21-18) over Mexico’s Angélica Jazmín Torres / María Jimena Ramírez.
USA
The semifinal matches will be played between Venezuela and Canada at 10:10 a.m. (local time), and the United States against Puerto Rico at 11:00 a.m. (local time). The bronze medal match is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. and the final will be played at 3:10 p.m. (local time).
Earlier in pool-play, Pool A was very tight: all the teams finished tied in matches won, lost and points. The tiebreaker was decided by point ratio, leaving Katherine Quesada and Eugenia Ramírez of Costa Rica in first place. In second position was the Guatemalan pair of Natalia Girón and Paola Alvarado, while El Salvador’s Sofía Vigil and Karla Tovar finished third.
PUR
Pool B was dominated by María González and Allanis Navas of Puerto Rico, the only pair in the tournament that did not concede a single set in this phase. Venezuelans Oriana Granadilla and Yonnielis Camacho took second place with two victories and one loss. The third position went to Nicaragua, represented by Yulimar Alvarado and Danielle Resau; while Ruth Villegas and Shannia Rivera of Honduras ended in fourth place.
In Pool C, Americans Kelly Belardi and Natalie Myszkowski took the group with three victories and no losses. In second place were Canadians Alison McKay and Darby Dunn with two victories and one defeat. Dominicans Yari Cleto and Rosario Payano took third place, while in fourth, to the surprise of many, were Mexicans Atenas Gutiérrez and Susana Torres.
Pool D was led by Canadians Dana Roskic and Katarina Pantovic, who secured first place thanks to their three victories. In second place were Mexicans Angélica Torres and María Jimena Ramírez (2-1). The third position went to the Nicaraguans Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez (1-2), while in fourth place were Keiry Guzmán and Donnina Argueta of El Salvador, without victories.
September 13, 2025.- Portugal shocked Cuba with a victory in their debut at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship in the Philippines. In a Pool D match played in Pasay City on Saturday, the Europeans came back after losing the first set to celebrate their first World Championship win in nearly 23 years.
With 19 points from 22-year-old outside hitter Nuno Marques, Portugal (world ranking No. 29) defeated world No. 10 Cuba 3-1 (20-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-19).
Portugal was stronger at the net with 11-7 kill blocks and showed better accuracy, committing only 23 unforced errors compared to Cuba’s 31. Marques registered a 65% success rate in attack and sealed the match with a winning swing. He also added two aces and two kill blocks. Middle blocker Filip Cveticanin stood out with four blocks and a 71% attacking success rate, finishing with 14 points, while opposite José Pinto also scored 14, including three blocks.
Cuba matched Portugal in successful kills (48 each) and was better from the service line with 7 aces to 5. Outside hitter Marlon Yant also posted 19 points (two aces, two blocks), matching Marques as the game’s top scorer. Opposite José Massó contributed 12 points, while captain Miguel López added another 11.
Cuba faces Colombia on September 14 at 10:00 AM (hora local).
September 13, 2025.- Playing his first match with the Canadian national team since the Tokyo Olympics four years ago, opposite Sharone Vernon-Evans made a difference and helped the North Americans avoid what would have been a major upset, scoring 22 points to lead them to victory in their 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship debut.
Canada faced Libya, who returned to the World Championship after 45 years, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Pasay City, Philippines. The Canadians came back after unexpectedly dropping the first set and prevailed 3-1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-12, 29-27) in the Pool G opening match.
Despite the opening-set loss, Canada still secured all three points with their four-set victory, while the Libyans left empty-handed. Each team will play two more group-stage matches, and the top two will advance to the Round of 16.
Canada celebrates
A key figure for Canada between 2017 and 2021, the 27-year-old Vernon-Evans had transitioned to beach volleyball, appearing in some Beach Pro Tour events in 2023. In his return to international indoor volleyball, he picked up where he left off and finished as the match’s top scorer with 22 points (16 kills, three blocks, three aces).
Canadian captain and outside hitter Nicholas Hoag, also returning after missing the Nations League, shone with 20 points (15 kills, four aces, one block). Middle blockers Fynn McCarthy and Daenan Gyimah added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
“I think everyone was a little nervous in the first set,” Hoag admitted. “Libya plays very aggressively, and if they pass well, they’re hard to stop. I’m glad we got the win, but we need to play better if we want to beat Japan in the next match. They’re a great team, we can’t give them anything. We’ll also need to be very disciplined with our blocking.”
Serving was the big difference: Canada scored 15 aces against only 3 from Libya. The North Americans held a slight edge in kills (51 to 49) and blocks (12 to 9), while both teams gave away 23 points in errors.
Canada will face Japan on September 15 at 2:00 PM (local time).
September 13, 2025.- Back with the U.S. men’s national team after missing the Volleyball Nations League, captain Micah Christenson (Olympic medalist setter) guided the Americans to a solid victory in their first match of the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship on Saturday in the Philippines.
Led by their star setter, the Americans started their campaign in the tournament with a strong 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-14) triumph over Colombia at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, in Pasay City.
The victory gave the Americans their first three points in Pool D, while the Colombians left empty-handed in their historic World Championship debut. Each team will play two more group-stage matches, and the top two from each pool will advance to the Round of 16.
USA Celebrates
Ethan Champlin and Gabriel Garcia were key pieces in the offense run by the veteran 32-year-old setter. The outside hitter led the U.S. team with 17 points (12 kills, three aces, two blocks), while the opposite registered 12 (eight kills, four aces). Fellow outside hitter Jordan Ewert added 11 points (ten kills, one block).
“I think it was a good start,” Christenson said. “It was the first time for a lot of our guys in a World Championship match, and I think we didn’t have many ups and downs. Colombia had some good moments during the game, and we showed maturity in dealing with them.”
The Americans were superior in every aspect: they outscored Colombia in kills (40 to 31), blocks (6 to 4), and aces (8 to 3). They also made fewer errors (17 to 21) to secure their first tournament victory.
USA’s next match will be on September 15 against Portugal at 9:00 PM (local time).
San Salvador, El Salvador. September 12, 2025. – The Puerto Rican duo of María Claudia González and Allanis Navas started strong in their quest for a sixth consecutive title, on the first day of action of the 8th Stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour 2025, held at the Flor Blanca Beach Sports Stadium.
The tournament kicked off with a commanding win by gold medal favorites María González and Allanis Navas of Puerto Rico, who swept Nicaragua’s Yulimar Alvarado and Ella Danielle Resau 2-0 (21-8, 21-10). In their second match, the Puerto Rican duo kept up their dominant pace, defeating Honduras’ Ruth Villegas and Shannia Rivera in straight sets 2-0 (21-11, 21-10).
This first position of Pool B will be decided on Saturday, as Venezuela’s Oriana Granadilla / Yonnielis Camacho also finished the day with two victories: 2-0 (21-10, 21-10) over Villegas/Rivera of Honduras and 2-0 (21-14, 21-12) over Alvarado/Resau of Nicaragua.
Guatemala
Another match that marked the start of the tournament was the Central American classic, and it did not disappoint. Guatemala’s Natalia María Girón / Paola Alvarado defeated Katherine Quesada / Eugenia Ramírez of Costa Rica 2-1 (15-21, 21-17, 15-12). Later, in the other Pool A match, the Costa Ricans recovered from their initial loss and beat the local duo Daniela Vigil / Karla Tovar 2-0 (21-10, 21-19). The positions in this pool will be determined on Saturday at 9:20 AM (local time) with the match between El Salvador and Guatemala.
In Pool C, the Americans Kelly Belardi / Natalie Myszkowski dominated their two matches. First, they defeated Canadians Alison McKay / Darby Dunn 2-0 (21-11, 21-15), and over Dominicans Yari Cleto / Rosario Payano 2-0 (21-17, 21-14). The Americans still need to face Mexico’s Atenas Gutiérrez / Susana Torres), who were surprised by the Dominicans in their debut, losing 0-2 (19-21, 17-21).
In Pool D, Canadians Dana Roskic / Katarina Pantovic lead with two victories. In their first match, they defeated Torres/Ramírez of Mexico 2-1 (24-22, 18-21, 15-11) and then beat Guzmán/Donni of El Salvador 2-0 (21-10, 21-14). Canada will close the group stage facing Nicaraguans Socorro López / Lolette Rodríguez, who have one victory 2-0 (21-11, 21-11) over El Salvador and one loss against the Mexicans Angélica Torres / María Jimena Ramírez.
The tournament will continue Saturday starting at 9:20 AM (local time). In the afternoon, the quarterfinals will be played to define the semifinalists and the classification matches for positions.
San Salvador, El Salvador. September 12, 2025. – The pairs from Costa Rica, Julián Araya / Jhostin Varela, and Nicaragua, Rubén Mora / Dany López, started undefeated in the 8th stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held at the Flor Blanca Beach Sports Stadium.
The opening day was marked by very close duels and several surprises. Three group stage matches were decided in three sets, and even the ones finished in two sets were resolved with tight scores.
In the first matches of the day, Canada’s Martin Licht / Luke de Greeff defeated Rafael Alberto Vargas / Fernando Javier Ortiz of El Salvador 2-1 (14-21, 21-12, 15-9). At the same time, on court 2, Puerto Ricans Cristian Encarnación / Diego Rosich beat Mexico 2, of Inés Antonio Vargas / Carlos Andrés Ayala, 2-1 (21-19, 20-22, 15-13).
NCA
In Pool A, Araya/Varela from Costa Rica achieved two victories. The first, against Canada’s Licht/de Greeff 2-0 (21-12, 21-15), and then against Encarnación/Rosich of Puerto Rico, in what was perhaps the most exciting match of the day, with the Costa Ricans taking the win 26-24, 21-19. They still need to face El Salvador’s Vargas/Ortiz and Mexico’s Vargas/Ayala.
In Pool B, Gage Basey / Thomas Hurst of United States (champions of the recently held Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay) and El Salvador’s Christopher / Yoel Guardado also remain undefeated. This Saturday at 8:30 AM (local time), they will face each other, and the winner could secure the first place in their pool.
In Pool C, Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora / Dany López dominated with authority. First, they beat Guatemala’s Fredy Luna / Carlos Oliva 2-0 (21-12, 21-6) and then defeated Dominicans Hayerling Francisco De Jesús / Melvin Antonio De Jesús 2-1 (21-17, 22-24, 15-10). They still need to play against Mexico’s Miguel Sarabia / Jorman Osuna, who have only played one match, which they won 2-0 (21-10, 21-8) against Guatemala.
In Pool D, Venezuela’s duo Juliangel Zaid / Enyenser Alfonso Delgado imposed their dominance by defeating Costa Rica’s Daniel Dyner / Esteban González 2-0 (21-11, 23-21) and Bermuda’s Kyle Hamilton / Sean Tucker 2-0 (21-11, 21-16).
The tournament will continue this Saturday starting at 8:30 AM (local time), and in the afternoon the quarterfinal matches will take place, which will determine the semifinalists.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico, September 11, 2025. – Guadalajara, Jalisco, is set to welcome the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, scheduled for September 15–21 at the Unidad Deportiva López Mateos.
This will be the fifth edition of the prestigious tournament, which serves as part of the qualification pathway for both the 2026 NORCECA Women’s Pan American Cup and the 2026 NORCECA Women’s Continental Championship.
The Dominican Republic enters the competition as the defending champion, having captured the title three times (2021, 2022, 2024). The United States won the crown in 2023.
The competition format includes a round-robin preliminary phase, with the top four teams advancing to the crossover semifinals (2nd vs 3rd y 1st vs 4th) on September 20. The fifth- and sixth-place teams will meet on the final day to determine their final ranking, followed by the bronze and gold medal matches.
The six participating teams are host nation Mexico, Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the United States.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, September 11, 2025. – Everything is set for the start of the eighth stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, scheduled to take place September 12-14 at the Flor Blanca Beach Sports Stadium. Teams from twelve countries are officially registered, guaranteeing three days of high-level action for El Salvador’s fans.
The event will feature 15 women’s teams and 17 men’s teams, offering an exciting showcase of international talent.
In the women’s division, all eyes will be on Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas, who arrive motivated after capturing their fifth consecutive gold medal last week and will now pursue their sixth title of the season. Also standing out is Canadian Dana Roskic, who won silver in El Salvador in 2024 and now returns alongside Katarina Pantovic, aiming to match or improve on her previous performance.
In the men’s division, favorites include the Mexican duo of Jorman Osuna and Miguel Sarabia. Osuna recently claimed silver in Zapopan and gold in Manzanillo with José Cárdenas, while together with Sarabia he earned gold in Juan Dolio and bronze in Puerto Cortés. Local fans will have the chance to cheer for the Guardado twins, who are hoping to reach the podium for the first time on home soil.
Canada Men
Eduardo Paiz, event promoter, commented, “This is the third time we have the opportunity to organize this event, and we have witnessed its evolution since 2023, when we hosted the Tour for the first time. We take this opportunity to thank NORCECA for the trust they have placed in us.”
“Our greatest satisfaction is that each year more sponsors come on board and more teams join the competition, giving the Salvadoran public the chance to enjoy world-class beach volleyball,” he added.
The competition will begin with the men’s division at 8:30 AM (local time), followed by the women’s division at 9:20 AM (local time).
The pool distribution is as follows:
Women
Pool A: Vigil/TovarESA, N. Girón/Alvarado GUA y Quesada/Ramirez CRC
Pool B: Gonzalez/Navas PUR; Oriana/Yonnielis VEN, Villegas/Rivera HON y Alvarado/Resau NCA2
Pool C: Belardi/Myszkowski USA, Gutiérrez/Torres MEX, Cleto/Payano DOM y McKay/Dunn CAN2
Pool D: Roskic/Pantovic CAN, López/Lolette NCA, Guzmán/Donni ESA2 y Torres /Ramírez MEX2
Men
Pool A: R Vargas/Ponce ESA2, Encarnación/Rosich PUR, Araya/Varela CRC, Lares/Carlos Andrés MEX2 y Licht/de Greeff CAN2
Pool B: Basey/Hurst USA, Izaguirre/Penagos GUA, Reyes/Serrano HON y Guardado C./Guardado Y ESA
Pool C: Sarabia/Osuna MEX, Mora/López NCA, De Jesus/De Jesús DOM y Luna/Oliva GUA2
Pool D: Rahnavard/Devecseri CAN, Juliangel/Esyenser VEN, Hamilton/Tucker BER y D. Dyner/Gonzalez CRC2
Women’s Teams
Canada Alison Mckay/ Darby Dunn – (McKay/Dunn), Dana Roskic / Katarina Pantovic – (Roskic/Pantovic); Costa Rica Katherine Vanessa Quesada / Eugenia Ramirez – (Quesada/Ramirez); República Dominicana Yari Manuela Cleto / Rosario Julibeth Payano – (Cleto/Payano); El Salvador Keiry Michelle Guzmán / Donnina Fernanda Argueta – (Guzmán/Donni), Daniela Sofia Vigil / Karla Jamileth Tovar – (Vigil/Tovar); Guatemala Natalia María Giron / Paola Marie Alvarado Franco – (N. Girón/Alvarado); Honduras Ruth Antonella Villegas / Shannia Rivera – (Villegas/Rivera); Mexico Atenas Angelica Gutiérrez / Susana Torres García – (Gutiérrez/Torres), Angélica Jazmín Torres / María Jimena Ramírez – (Torres /Ramírez); Nicaragua Yulimar Franchely Alvarado / Ella Danielle Resau – (Alvarado/Resau), Socorro Margarita López / Lolette Eleonor Rodríguez – (López/Lolette); Puerto Rico María Claudia González / Allanis Navas – (González/Navas); Estados Unidos Kelly Belardi / Natalie Myszkowski – (Belardi/Myszkowski); VenezuelaOriana Francis Granadilla / Yonnielis Camacho – (Oriana/Yonnielis)
Men’s Teams
Bermuda Kyle Hamilton / Sean Tucker – (Hamilton/Tucker); Canada Martin Licht / Luke de Greeff – (Licht/de Greeff), Rouzbeh Rahnavard / Dylan Devecseri – (Rahnavard/Devecseri); Costa Rica Julián Araya / Jhostin Varela – (Araya/Varela), Daniel Dyner / Victorio Esteban Gonzalez – (D. Dyner/Gonzalez); República Dominicana Hayerling Francisco De Jesús / Melvin Antonio de Jesús – (De Jesus/De Jesús); El Salvador Christopher Guardado / Yoel Guardado Rivas – (Guardado C./Guardado Y.), Rafael Alberto Vargas / Fernando Javier Ortiz (R Vargas/Ponce); Guatemala José Miguel Izaguirre / Santiago Penagos – (Izaguirre/Penagos), Fredy Ronaldo Luna / Robin Jean Carlos Oliva – (Luna/Oliva); Honduras Irvin Armando Reyes / Manuel Alejandro Serrano – (Reyes/Serrano); Mexico Inés Antonio Vargas / Carlos Andrés Ayala – (Lares/Carlos Andrés), Miguel Sarabia / Jorman Osuna – (Sarabia/Osuna); Nicaragua Rubén Alejandro Mora / Dany Antonio López – (Mora/López); Puerto Rico Cristian Encarnación / Diego Rosich – (Encarnación/Rosich); Estados Unidos Gage Basey / Thomas Hurst – (Basey/Hurst); Venezuela Juliangel Zaid / Enyenser Alfonso Delgado – (Juliangel/Esyenser)
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 12, 2025.– The Seventh AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship will take place from September 16 to 20 at the La Basita Gymnasium in the province of Chiriquí, Panama, featuring a brand-new competition format that includes a preliminary group stage.
Until now, AFECAVOL tournaments in this category had been played in a round-robin format, where each team faced all other participants. With the introduction of the new group-stage system, the competition gains a new dynamic, making every match crucial for advancing to the final rounds.
All seven Central American countries will participate in the tournament, divided into two groups: Group A consists of five-time champion Guatemala, Belize, and Panama, while Group B includes Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Honduras.
At the conclusion of the group stage, the top two teams from each group will advance to the crossover semifinals (1A vs 2B and 1B vs 2A). The third-place team in Group B will qualify directly for the 5th/6th place match. Meanwhile, the third-place team in Group A will face the fourth-place team in Group B; the winner will play for fifth place, and the loser will finish in seventh place.
Guatemala enters as defending champion, having reclaimed the title in the previous edition, also held at La Basita Gymnasium in 2023, after losing it to Nicaragua in 2022. With five titles, Guatemala remains the most successful team since the tournament’s inception.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, September 10, 2025.– The eighth stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour will take place September 12-14 at the Sand Sports Stadium of the Flor Blanca Sports Complex in San Salvador.
This marks the third consecutive year that El Salvador hosts a stage of the prestigious continental circuit. For this edition, there is a preliminary registration of 15 women’s teams and 17 men’s teams, with the final list to be confirmed during the preliminary inquiry a day before competition begins, where pool composition will also be determined.
In the women’s field, Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas headline the entry list as winners of all five events they have played so far this season (Juan Dolio – Dominican Republic, Puerto Cortés – Honduras, Puerto Madero – Tamaulipas, Manzanillo – Colima, and Zapopan – Jalisco). Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, consistent podium finishers in the first six stops, will also compete, looking to return to the medal stand after finishing seventh last week in Zapopan.
On the men’s side, Mexico’s Jorman Osuna, silver medalist in Zapopan and gold medalist in Manzanillo with José Cárdenas, will be back with his regular partner Miguel Sarabia, with whom he captured gold in Juan Dolio and bronze in Puerto Cortés. Fellow Mexicans Ines Vargas and Carlos Ayala (Lares/Carlos Andrés) will also compete, boasting a gold medal in Puerto Cortés, bronze in Juan Dolio, and silver in Paramaribo.
Representing Nicaragua are Rubén Mora and Dany López, silver medalists in Varadero earlier this year, while Canada’s Martin Licht and Luke de Greef aim to repeat or improve on their bronze medal performance from last year at this same venue.
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, September 7, 2025. – Puerto Rico’s Maria Gonzalez and Allanis Navas claimed their fifth straight gold medal of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, rallying to defeat USA’s Michelle Shaffer and Rachael Kramer 2-1 (14-21, 21-18, 15-9) in a thrilling final in Zapopan, Jalisco.
Entering the tournament as the top favorites, Gonzalez and Navas once again lived up to expectations, extending their unbeaten streak and winning every stage they have competed in this season — Juan Dolio, Puerto Cortés, Tamaulipas, Manzanillo, and now Zapopan — securing a perfect five-for-five record on the tour.
Allanis Navas expressed her pride in her teammate: “María always kept her composure during the game. We always step onto the court as warriors, no matter the score and no matter the height of our opponents. We recently graduated and are training as much as possible, with the goal of achieving the victories that lie ahead. We’re going to keep working because the road is long.”
Female Podium
Regarding the achievement of winning five consecutive gold medals, María González said: “It’s incredible! In every match we go in as if anyone could beat us, and we step in as warriors, ready to fight for every point, and I think that has been the key to winning these five gold medals. We don’t go in thinking about it, but rather as if it’s a completely new game.”
For Shaffer and Kramer, the silver medal marks their first NORCECA podium finish as a team, and Shaffer’s debut at an international event. Kramer previously earned bronze last year in Puerto Cortés.
In the bronze medal match, Cuba’s Kailin Garrido and Maykelin Drik defeated Canada’s Akash Grewal and Katarina Pantovic 2-0 (21-16, 21-19). This is Kailin/Drik’s second bronze medal of the season, having also taken third place in Varadero.
Shaffer/Kramer advanced to the final after winning a tough three-set battle 2-1 (21-12, 17-21, 15-11) over Kailin/Drik in the semifinals, while Gonzalez/Navas stormed past Canada’s Grewal/Pantovic 2-0 (21-17, 21-13).
All winners
Canada’s Dunn/Law-Heese finished fifth after a straight-sets victory 2-0 (21-14, 21-14) against Nicaragua’s Lopez/Lolette.
Mexico’s Torres/Gutierrez secured seventh place with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-16) win over Venezuela’s Ramirez/Valeria.
Guatemala’s Alvarado/Guerra claimed ninth place after defeating Venezuela’s Oriana/Yonnielis in three sets 2-1 (21-19, 13-21, 15-10).
El Salvador’s Vigil/Tovar took eleventh place, beating Bennett/Valenciana of the U.S. Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-12, 21-15).
Mexico’s Cruz/Torres finished in thirteenth place with a 2-0 (21-11, 21-11) win over Costa Rica’s Quesada/Aguilar.
Classification Matches:
C 5/8: Lopez/Lolette NCA d Ramirez/Valeria VEN 2-1 (21-10, 19-21, 21-19); Dunn/Law-Heese CAN 2-1 (13-21, 21-14, 15-8).
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, September 7, 2025. – Evan Cory and Derek Bradford of the United States clinched the gold medal at the seventh stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, defeating home favorites José Cardenas and Jorman Osuna of Mexico 2-0 (21-17, 21-19) in a thrilling final at the Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénicas in Zapopan, Jalisco.
This victory marks Cory/Bradford’s first medal together as a team and Bradford’s first-ever NORCECA gold medal. Cory, a seasoned competitor, previously claimed two gold medals in Mexico in 2022 (La Paz and Aguascalientes), as well as a silver and a bronze in the Dominican Republic in 2024.
Speaking after the win, Cory said: “As professional athletes, we work so hard for this moment every time we play, and it doesn’t happen often. So, this is amazing and special. Doing it against a really strong Mexican team and in front of their home crowd was really fun.”
USA Gold
Bradford added: “It’s fantastic. This tournament was amazing. Mexico is a great host, the venue was set up perfectly, and the crowd was incredible.”
For Cardenas and Osuna, the silver medal is their first of the 2025 season after taking gold just last week in Manzanillo. Osuna also won a gold medal from Juan Dolio earlier this year, along with two bronzes from Puerto Cortés and Tamaulipas.
The bronze medal went to Cuba’s Damian Gomez and Eblis Verane, who prevailed over Canada’s Cameron Chadwick and Robert Kemp 2-0 (21-14, 23-21). This is Gomez/Veranes second bronze medal of the season, following their podium finish in Varadero.
In the semifinals USA’s Cory/Bradford beat Cuban Gomez/Veranes 2-0 (21-18, 21-14) and Mexico’s Cardenas/Osuna defeated Chadwick/Kemp (CAN) 2-0 (21-12, 21-13).
Mexico Silver
Venezuelans Jualiangel Zaid/Esynser Delgado won a three-set battle recovering from losing the first set over Ines Vargas/Carlos Andrés Ayala of Mexico 2-1 (21-23, 21-15, 15-11) to finish in fifth place.
In the battle for seventh place, between two Central American duos, Mora/Lopez of Nicaragua beat Guardado twins of El Salvador in three sets 2-1 (21-17, 20-22, 17-15).
Gannett/Rivest of Canada finished ninth place with a 2-0 victory (21-16, 21-13) against Izaguirre/Maldonado of Guatemala.
Butcher/Enile of Trinidad and Tobago took eleventh place with a know show of Puerto Rico’s Rivera/Rosich due to an injury.
Cuba Bronze
Venezuelan duo Harrison/Hernandez took position thirteen over Encarnacion/Pacheco of Puerto Rico 2-1 (15-21, 23-21, 15-13). Finally, D. Dyner/Varela of Costa Rica finished in position fifteen.
Classification Matches:
C 5/8: Lares/Carlos Andres MEX d Guardado C./Guardado Y. ESA 2-0 (21-13, 22-20); Esyenser/Juliangel VEN d Mora/Lopez NCA 2-0 (21-17, 25-23).
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, September 6, 2025 – The men’s semifinals are set in Zapopan, with Mexico’s José Cardenas/Jorman Osuna, Canada’s Cameron Chadwick/Robert Kemp, Cuba’s Damian Gomez/Eblis Verane, and USA’s Evan Cory/Derek Bradford advancing at the seventh stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour.
Sunday’s semifinals will see local favorites Cardenas/Osuna take on Chadwick/Kemp of Canada, while Cubans Gomez/Verane will clash with Americans Cory/Bradford for a place in the gold medal match.
Cardenas/Osuna delighted the home crowd with a straight-set quarterfinal win, defeating Venezuela’s Juliangel Zaid/Esynser Delgado 2-0 (23-21, 21-17). Chadwick/Kemp of Canada secured their semifinal berth with a convincing 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) victory over Nicaragua’s Ruben Mora/Dany Lopez.
In one of the most dramatic matches of the day, Cubans Gomez/Verane came from behind to stun Mexico’s Ines Vargas/Carlos Andrés Ayala 2-1 (20-22, 23-21, 15-6). Meanwhile, Cory/Bradford of the United States downed El Salvador’s twin brothers Christopher and Yoel Guardado 2-0 (21-14, 21-18) to remain perfect in the tournament.
Cardenas Osuna MEX
Earlier in the day, the final round of pool play set the stage for the quarterfinals. Mexico’s Lares/Carlos Andrés dominated Pool A with a commanding 2-0 (21-10, 21-4) win over Trinidad and Tobago’s Butcher/Enile. Chadwick/Kemp of Canada finished atop Pool B after edging Guatemala’s Izaguirre/Maldonado 2-0 (21-14, 24-22), followed by Cuba’s Gomez/Verane, who defeated Venezuela’s Harrison/Hernandez 2-0 (21-14, 21-18).
In Pool C, Esynser/Juliangel of Venezuela emerged first after a hard-fought 2-1 (20-22, 21-18, 15-10) victory over Puerto Rico’s Rivera/Rosich, who were forced to withdraw due to an injury. The Guardado twins earned their quarterfinal ticket with a thrilling 2-1 (25-23, 17-21, 15-12) win over Costa Rica’s D. Dyner/Varela.
Cory/Bradford of the USA topped Pool D undefeated, beating Puerto Rico’s Encarnacion/Pacheco 2-0 (22-20, 21-16). Mexico’s Cardenas/Osuna claimed second place in the pool after an exciting comeback win over Canada’s Gannett/Rivest 2-1 (15-21, 21-17, 15-13).
Placement Matches:
C 13/16: Encarnacion/Pacheco PUR (bye); Harrison/Hernandez VEN d D. Dyner/Varela CRC 2-1 (16-21, 21-17, 15-9).
C 9/12: Izaguirre/Maldonado GUA d Rivera/Rosich PUR (forfeit); Gannett/Rivest CAN d Butcher/Enile TTO 2-0 (21-10, 21-12).
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, September 6, 2025 .– Cuba’s Kailin Garrido and Maykelin Drik pulled off a major upset on Saturday, defeating Mexican home favorites Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez 2-0 (21-17, 21-17) in the quarterfinals to secure a spot in the women’s semifinals of the seventh stage of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour.
The win ended Torres and Gutiérrez’s streak of reaching the podium at every stage this season, marking the first time they will miss the top three.
On Sunday, Kailin/Drik will face USA’s Michelle Shaffer and Rachael Kramer in the semifinals, while Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas – the tournament favorites – will take on Canada’s Akash Grewal and Katarina Pantovic.
González and Navas, aiming for their fifth gold medal in as many appearances this season, advanced with a dominant 2-0 (21-6, 21-11) win over Nicaragua’s Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez.
Gonzalez/Navas PUR
Shaffer and Kramer fought through a thrilling three-set battle to overcome Canada’s Darby Dunn and Mikayla Law-Heese 2-1 (27-25, 19-21, 15-13) and book their place in the final four.
Meanwhile, Grewal and Pantovic reached their second consecutive semifinal with a commanding 2-0 (21-12, 21-13) victory over Venezuela’s Aidana Mejías and Valeria Moreno.
In pool play, Torres/Gutiérrez dominated Bennett/Valenciana of the U.S. Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-13, 21-9) to comfortably claim the top spot in Pool A. Meanwhile, González/Navas stayed perfect in Pool B, defeating El Salvador’s Vigil/Tovar 2-0 (21-13, 21-12).
Over in Pool C, Grewal/Pantovic powered past USA’s Shaffer/Kramer 2-0 (21-14, 21-15) to secure first place, and in Pool D, Dunn/Law-Heese clinched the group with a convincing 2-0 (21-10, 21-12) victory over Venezuela’s Ramírez/Valeria. Capping off the action, Guatemala’s Alvarado/Guerra fought hard to earn a 2-1 (21-18, 12-21, 15-11) win over Costa Rica’s Quesada/Aguilar to take third in the pool.
Placement Matches:
C 13/16: Quesada/Aguilar CRC (bye); Cruz/Torres MEX (bye).
C 9/12: Alvarado/Guerra GUA d Bennett/Valenciana ISV 2-0 (21-9, 21-14); Oriana/Yonnielis VEN d Vigil/Tovar ESA 2-0 (23-21, 21-13).
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, September 5, 2025.– Canadians Darby Dunn/Mikayla Law-Heese, Venezuela’s Aidana Mejías/Varlria Moreno and Americans Michelle Shaffer/Rachael Kramer each celebrated two victories on Friday’s opening day of the women’s competition at the seventh stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held in Zapopan, Jalisco.
Dunn and Law-Heese dominated Pool D, going undefeated with back-to-back wins. They opened with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-13) victory over Guatemala’s Paola Alvarado/Estefanie Bethancourt and followed with another straight-set triumph, 21-10, 21-13, against Costa Rica’s Katherine Quesada/Aliza Aguilar. Venezuela’s Aidana Mejías/Valeria Moreno also finished the day with a 2-0 record in Pool D, defeating Quesada/Aguilar 2-0 (21-19, 21-18) before rallying from a set down to beat Alvarado/Bethancourt 2-1 (19-21, 21-17, 15-10).
Dunn/Law-Heese and Ramirez/Valeria will clash on Saturday to decide Pool D top finisher.
ShafferKramer USA vs OrianaYonnielis VEN
In Pool C, USA’s Shaffer and Kramer earned their two wins, starting with a 2-0 (21-10, 21-16) victory over Mexico’s Naomi Cruz/Angélica Torres. They were then tested by Venezuela’s Oriana Granadillo/Yonnielis Camacho but prevailed in straight sets, 21-19, 24-22. Cruz/Torres managed to split their matches, edging Canada’s Akash Grewal/Katarina Pantovic 2-1 (12-21, 21-19, 15-9) earlier in the day. Grewal/Pantovic closed with a 2-0 (21-16, 21-12) win against Granadillo/Camacho.
Pools A and B featured three-team groups, with each pair playing one match and receiving a bye.
In Pool A, host duo Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez thrilled the home crowd with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-10) win over Nicaragua’s Socorro López/Lolette Rodríguez. The Nicaraguans had earlier defeated Melanie Valenciana/Amber Bennett of the U.S. Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-6, 21-13).
Tournament favorites, María González/Allanis Navas of Puerto Rico, endured a hard-fought Pool B opener, taking down Cuba’s Kailin Garrido/Maykelin Drik 2-0 (21-17, 21-19). Garrido/Drik had previously posted a 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) victory against El Salvador’s Karla Tovar/Daniela Vigil.
Pool play will conclude on Saturday, followed by the quarterfinals and classification matches.
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, September 5, 2025. – USA’s Evan Cory/Derek Bradford, Canada’s Cameron Chadwick/Robert Kemp, and Venezuela’s Juliangel Zaid/Esynser Delgado opened the seventh stage of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour with unbeaten records at the Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénicas in Zapopan, Jalisco.
Evan Cory and Derek Bradford of the United States dominated Pool D, winning both matches on opening day. After rallying from a first-set loss to defeat Canada’s Tynan Gannett/Guillaume Rivest 2-1 (18-21, 21-11, 16-14), they secured a straight-set victory 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) over Mexico’s José Cárdenas/Jorman Osuna. Earlier, Cárdenas/Osuna earned a convincing 2-0 (21-12, 21-12) win over Puerto Rico’s Cristian Encarnación/José Pacheco, who later fell in three sets 2-1 (21-17, 16-21, 15-9) to Gannett/Rivest.
KempChadwick CAN
In Pool B, Cameron Chadwick and Robert Kemp of Canada posted a perfect 2-0 mark. They opened with a commanding 2-0 (21-13, 21-17) win against Venezuela’s Harrison Rivero/José Hernández, then overcame a spirited effort from Cuba’s Damian Gómez/Eblis Verane to close 2-0 (21-17, 23-21). Gómez/Verane had earlier cruised past Guatemala’s José Izaguirre/Edgar Maldonado 2-0 (21-18, 21-9), but the Guatemalans bounced back later to edge Rivero/Hernández 2-0 (21-16, 21-19).
Venezuela’s Juliangel Zaid and Esynser Delgado stayed flawless in Pool C with two solid victories. They opened with a hard-fought 2-1 (21-17, 22-24, 15-10) triumph over El Salvador’s twin brothers Christopher and Yoel Guardado, then followed up with a convincing 2-0 (21-18, 21-12) win against Costa Rica’s Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela. Dyner/Varela had earlier dropped a close three-set match to Puerto Rico’s William Rivera/Diego Rosich 2-1 (19-21, 21-19, 15-10). The Guardado twins closed their day strong, defeating Rivera/Rosich 2-1 (18-21, 21-14, 15-12).
In Pool A, Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora and Dany López split results, first defeating Josiah Butcher/Stephen Enile of Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 (21-15, 21-10) before falling to Mexico’s Ines Vargas/Carlos Andrés Ayala 2-0 (21-8, 21-16).
Saturday’s schedule will feature the conclusion of pool play, followed by the quarterfinals and classification matches.
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, Mexico, September 4, 2025. – The excitement of the seventh stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour comes to Zapopan, Jalisco, this weekend at the iconic Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénicas, with teams from eleven countries officially registered to compete.
The tournament will feature 14 women’s teams and 15 men’s teams, promising three days of high-level beach volleyball competition.
In the women’s field, all eyes will be on Puerto Rico’s Maria Gonzalez and Allanis Navas, who have already captured four gold medals this season and are aiming for a fifth. Local favorites Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez will look to shine on home sand, while the United States’ Rachael Kramer, bronze medalist in Puerto Cortés last year, is set to be a strong contender.
Puerto Rico
On the men’s side, Mexican duo José Cárdenas and Jorman Osuna, fresh off their gold medal win in Manzanillo last week, will headline the competition. They will face tough challengers, including silver medalists Cameron Chadwick and Robert Kemp of Canada and bronze medalist Jhostin Varela of Costa Rica. Also in the mix are the United States’ Evan Cory, bronze and silver medalist in 2024, in two stages in Dominican Republic and in 2022 gold medalist in La Paz and Aguascalientes, partnered with Derek Bradford, bronze medalist in Suriname this year. As well as Nicaragua’s Ruben Mora and Dany López, medalists in numerous stages throughout the NORCECA Tour.
The event promises thrilling matches and a festive atmosphere as Zapopan hosts international athletes aiming to climb the NORCECA Tour rankings.
Pool distribution is as follows:
Women
Pool A: Torres/Gutiérrez MEX; Bennett/Valenciana ISV; Lopez/Lolette NCA
Pool B: Gonzalez/Navas PUR; Vigil/Tovar ESA; Kailin/Drik CUB
Pool C: Grewal/Pantovic CAN; Shaffer/Kramer USA; Cruz/Torres MEX; Oriana/Yonnielis VEN
Pool D: Alvarado/GuerraGUA; Quesada/Aguilar CRC; Ramirez/Valeria VEN; Dunn/Law-Heese CAN
Men
Pool A: Lares/Carlos Andres MEX; Mora/Lopez NCA; Butcher/Enile TTO
Pool B: Kemp/Chadwick CAN; Izaguirre/Maldonado GUA; Gomez/Veranes CUB; Harrison/Hernandez VEN
Pool C: D. Dyner/Varela CRC; Guardado C./Guardado Y. ESA; Esyenser/Juliangel VEN; Rivera/Rosich PUR
Pool D: Cory/BradfordUSA; Encarnacion/Pacheco PUR; Cardenas/Osuna MEX; Gannett/Rivest CAN
Women ‘s Teams
CANADA Akash Grewal/Katarina Pantovic (Grewal/Pantovic); Darby Dunn/Mikayla Law-Heese (Dunn/Law-Heese); COSTA RICA Katherine Quesada/Aliza Aguilar (Quesada/Aguilar); CUBA Kailin Garrido/Maykelin Drik (Kailin/Drik); EL SALVADOR Karla Tovar/Daniela Vigil (Tovar/Vigil); GUATEMALA Paola Alvarado/Estefanie Bethancourt (Alvarado/Guerra); MEXICO Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez (Torres/Gutiérrez); Naomi Cruz/Angélica Torres (Cruz/Torres); NICARAGUA Socorro López/Lolette Rodríguez (Lopez/Lolette); PUERTO RICO María González/Allanis Navas (González/Navas); USA Michelle Shaffer/Rachael Kramer (Shaffer/Kramer); U.S. Virgin Islands Melanie Valenciana/Amber Bennett (Valenciana/Bennett); VENEZUELA Oriana Granadillo/Yonnielis Camacho (Oriana/Yonnielis); Aidana Mejías/Valeria Moreno (Ramirez/Valeria).
Men’s Teams
CANADA Tynan Gannett/Guillaume Rivest (Gannett/Rivest); Cameron Chadwick/Robert Kemp (Chadwick/Kemp); COSTA RICA Daniel Dyner /Jhostin Varela (D.Dyner/Varela); CUBA Damian Gomez/Eblis Verane (Gomez/Veranes); EL SALVADOR Christopher Guardado/Yoel Guardado (Guardado C./Guardado Y.); GUATEMALA José Izaguirre/Andrés Maldonado; MEXICO José Cardenas/Jorman Osuna (Cardenas/Osuna); Ines Vargas/Carlos Andrés Ayala (Lares/Carlos Andrés); NICARAGUA Rubén Mora/Dany López; PUERTO RICO Cristian Encarnación/José Pacheco (Encarnación/Pacheco); William Rivera/Diego Rosich; TRINIDAD & TOBAGO Josiah Butcher/Stephen Enile (Butcher/Enile); USA Evan Cory/ Derek Bradford (Cory/Bradford); VENEZUELA Jualiangel Zaid/Esynser Delgado/ (Esynser/Juliangel); Harrison Rivero/José Hernández (Harrison/Hernández).
September 4, 2025.- The United States lost to the reigning European champions Türkiye, who dropped their first set at the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship 2025 on Thursday, but overcame a brave American team to advance for the first time in history to the tournament’s semifinals.
The Europeans came out on top in the fourth and last quarterfinal match of the event, which took place at the Huamark Indoor Stadium, in Bangkok, taking the Americans down with a 3-1 (25-14, 22-25, 25-14, 25-23) victory to continue their chase for their first World Championship medal.
Sarah Franklin USA
Star outside hitter Ebrar Karakurt delivered her best performance at the World Championship so far against the Americans, leading the Turkish side with 23 points (20 kills, three blocks). Opposite Melissa Vargas was also instrumental, tallying 21 points (18 kills, three aces), while team captain and middle blocker Eda Erdem added another 13, with a match-high seven blocks and six kills.
Sarah Franklin was the most productive American player on the court with 12 points (ten kills, one block, one ace), one more than fellow outside hitter Avery Skinner, middle blocker Dana Rettke and opposite Stephanie Samedy.
“I’m very proud of the team,” Rettke, a Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist, reacted. “When you look at where we were at the beginning of the season and where we are now, there’s been so much growth. We worked very hard over the summer to be in the best shape possible here, and we did a great job. It’s the first year in the quad and we have a new coaching staff and new players, so this is a great result.”
Türkiye’s strong game at the net paved the way for their victory as the Europeans largely outscored the Americans in both kills (58 to 41) and blocks (19 to 11). The USA had the most aces (six to three) and there was a similar number of errors made by both sides (Türkiye gave up 18 points and the United States, 17).
GUADALAJARA, Mexico, September 3, 2025. – The excitement of beach volleyball comes to Guadalajara for the first time with the seventh stop of the 2025 NORCECA Continental Tour, to be held September 5-7 at the Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénicas in Zapopan.
Mexico is hosting four Tour stops during the 2025 season, with Puerto Madero, Tamaulipas, and Manzanillo, Colima already completed. Guadalajara marks the third Mexican stop before their final leg in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche.
The 2025 NORCECA Tour is key for collecting points in both the continental and world rankings, and it is part of the qualification process for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, making it highly competitive and attractive for the participating national teams.
This stop has a pre-registration of 29 teams from 12 countries. The official confirmation will take place after the technical meeting, held one day before the competition kicks off.
Following the success in Manzanillo, the medalists from that stop return to the sand: on the women’s side, Puerto Rico’s María González and Allanis Navas remain unbeaten with four golds in as many appearances in 2025, along with Canada’s Darby Dunn and Mikayla Law-Heese, and Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who will look to capture the top spot in front of their home crowd.
On the men’s side, Mexico’s Jorman Osuna and José Cárdenas arrive as favorites after winning gold in Manzanillo. Also competing are Canada’s Robert Kemp and Cameron Chadwick, as well as Costa Rica’s Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela, silver and bronze medalists respectively.
Guadalajara is set for a weekend of top-level action, with the region’s best duos battling for crucial points ahead of the season finale and the road to Santo Domingo 2026.
September 1, 2025.- USA lived up to their status of match favorites against their North American neighbors Canada on Monday and swept the seventh 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship eighthfinal in Bangkok in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinal stage of the competition. USA’s opponent in the quarterfinals on Thursday is Türkiye, serving off at 20:30 local time.
A block-out kill by sub-in opposite Stephanie Samedy delivered USA’s winning point in their 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-21) victory over Canada.
The Americans outplayed their opponents in net defense by 11-6 in kill blocks, and in offense by 42-38 in successful swings. They also capitalized on the 19 unforced errors Canada made, against the 12 committed on their side of the net. Outside hitters Avery Skinner and Sarah Franklin shared the top scorer honors of the match with 13 points apiece for the winners. The latter was also one of the best blockers of the match with three stuffs to her name. Opposite Madisen Skinner chipped in with another 12 points.
USA vs CAN
“We are feeling really good. We are trying to get to the gym every day and just work to be better and better, and that’s going to show in the game. It’s super exciting for us and we are continuing to push that,” Franklin. “All the older girls kind of took us all in and showed us the ropes. So, all of us younger girls, we are ready to learn, we are ready to do whatever needs to be done for us. We are all super excited to continue to compete. And having the USA jersey on is always an honor and it is what pushes us to do better and better.”
Serving was the only scoring element, in which Canada outperformed their rivals, by 4-3 in aces. Authoring one of those aces and putting away three kill blocks, 21-year-old opposite Anna Smrek emerged as the team’s leading scorer with a total of 12 points.
“I think this entire summer was a big part about learning and growing, and trying to just grow our skill set. A lot of us are new to this whole experience – VNL, World Championship. I think in terms of the long-term goals over the summer, to get to the round of 16 is great,” Smrek commented after the game. “Obviously, we fell short, but kudos to the USA – they fought hard – so, we will exit with our head held high. I think we started competing for it a little bit late, especially in sets, we let them get ahead of us and then we were playing catch-up. We had our chances against the USA in the VNL. We wanted it, but again, we did not start competing until later on. So, we just need to get at it from the jump, and I think it could be a really good match-up.”
COURLAND, Tobago. August 30, 2025. Barbados Destiny Layne and Janica Grant took the gold medal in the first CAZOVA Girls U18 Beach Volleyball Champion when they defeated the Aruba’s duo of Whitfield and Eduards 21-9, 21-11.
In the semifinals, Whitfield and Eduards eased past Cayman Islands’ Luna Ebanks and Krisi Smith, while Layne and Grant spanked USVI’s Denbow and Tutein 21-6, 21-5.
In the quarterfinal by Arubans Nayah Alisha Whitfield and Davy-Ann Eduards edged out TTO’s Sadie Torkar and Bianca Perkins in three tough sets, 17-21, 21-19, 5-15, while USVI’s Rzyra Denbow and Aryanna Tutein defeated St Kitts/Nevis’ Celina Alwani and Shaylee Pinney. 19-21, 21-13, 15-10. T&T girls’ team had to settle for the fifth spot after beating St Kitts and Nevis’ Celina Alwani and Shaylee Pinney in three sets, 21-19, 8-21 and 15-10.
This initiative forms part of CAZOVA’s ongoing development programme, designed to prepare the region’s young athletes for future Zonal and Continental competitions, as well as their progression toward World Championships and Olympic qualification tournaments.
This age group represents a crucial stage for the region’s emerging talent pool, with many athletes aspiring to be considered for the upcoming 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.
Courland, Tobago, August 30, 2025.- TTO’s Jeremiah Jankey and Michael Burkett spiked their way to the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-18 Beach Volleyball Tournament final with a hard-fought three-set win over Cayman Island’s Dylan Lynee and William Duty at the Courland Beach Sports Arena, in Courland, Black Rock, Tobago on Saturday.
The hometown pair of Jankey and Burkett prevailed 21-10, 18-21, 16-14 to the delight of the home spectators over Lynee and Duty in a clash of unbeaten teams.
Earlier on Jankey and Burkette won their semifinals over Martiniquan brothers Noah Choux and Elowan Choux 21-16, 21-12, while Cayman Islands’ Dylan Lynee and William Duty humbled Haitians Luckenly Joseph and Julien Philippe 21-13, 25-23.
Joseph/Phillippe secured the bronze medal thanks to their win over Noah Choux and Elowan Choux 21-18, 21-19.
When the quarter-finals served off in the morning session, Jankey and Burkette crushed the US Virgin Islands’ Makeo Frederick and Zayden Turner. 21-7, 21-8 while Noah Choux and Elowan Choux battled past Barbadians Joshua Ashby and Aaron Taylor. 21-19, 21-19; Lynee and Duty dumped Arubans Joshua Hoepelman and Victor Mitchell 23-21, 21-14, and Joseph and Philippe crushed the St Kitts and Nevis duo Troy Shiwamber and Vansh Aidasani 21-5, 21-12.
In the fifth to eighth semifinals, Ashby and Taylor defeated Frederick and Turner 21-18, 21-17, while Hoepelman and Mitchell beat Shiwamber and Aidasani 21-5, 21-13.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.– Venezuela’s captain, Willner Rivas, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup, held from August 26 to 31 at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
Willner Rivas was a key player in leading Venezuela to the Undefeated Championship of the Pan American Cup, after defeating Mexico in the gold medal match 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 20-25, 25-19).
The All-Star Team of the event was formed by Nolan Flexen of the United States as Best Spiker, and Pelegrín Vargas of Puerto Rico as Second Best Spiker.
Individual Awards
In the middle blocker position, Rafael Burgos of the Dominican Republic and Cole Duncanson of Canada were recognized as Best and Second Best Middle Blocker, respectively.
The award for Best Setter went to Mason Greves of Canada, while Best Opposite was given to Vicente Parraguirre of Chile, who was also the Best Scorer with 99 points in the tournament.
Best Libero was awarded to Rafael Almonte of the Dominican Republic, who also earned the honors for Best Digger.
Mexico’s Axel Téllez received the award for Best Server, and Erik Siksna of Canada was named Best Receiver.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.– Venezuela was crowned undefeated champion of the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup after defeating Mexico 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 20-25, 25-19) in the gold medal match that closed the event at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
This title marks Venezuela’s first-ever gold medal in the history of the Pan American Cup, adding to the bronze medal they earned in 2015.
Host nation Mexico claimed the silver medal, the second in its history, bringing their overall tally to four medals: one gold, one silver, and two bronze.
Venezuela wins Gold Medal
Venezuela finished undefeated with six victories, 15 sets won and only three lost. Mexico closed the tournament with a record of four wins and two losses, placing second.
Venezuela prevailed in attack (50-42) and blocking (10-8), while Mexico outperformed in service points (5-2). In errors, the Venezuelan side committed one fewer than the hosts (32-33).
Team captain Willner Rivas stood out as the top scorer of the match with 20 points. He was supported offensively by Emerson Rodríguez with 16, Jean Herrera with 12, and Eduardo Vásquez with 10. For Mexico, Axel Téllez led with 12 points, including a match-high 4 aces, followed by Yasutaka Sanay with 11 and Mauro Fuentes with 10.
Venezuela’s head coach, Argentine Rubén Wolochin, praised his team’s effort after the historic victory: “We are very happy. I think we played very well and it is the result of four months of training and hard work. I congratulate the boys, they deserve it. We are the only undefeated team in the tournament. Before coming we had the feeling that things could go this way, but we had to prove it on the court, and after five years without competing it is a huge accomplishment. I am very proud of them.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.- Canada swept Colombia 3-0 (27-25, 25-22, 25-14) to claim the bronze medal at the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The Canadian team, the defending champion, was aiming for a historic three-peat. Although they fell short of reaching the final, they closed the tournament in third place with a record of 4 wins and 1 loss. In the history of the event, Canada now holds 2 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze medals.
Colombia finished in fourth place with a record of three wins and three losses, marking the first time in the history of the tournament that they reached a medal match.
The first set was the tightest, tied at 17 points. Colombia gained the lead with a block by Andrés Piza, but Canada quickly responded. After leveling the score at 22, Jonas Van Huizen spikes pushed Canada ahead in a dramatic finish to take the set 27-25.
Mason Greves-CAN and Cory Schoenherr-CAN
In the second set, Canada pulled away 17-13 with strong plays from Cory Schoenherr and Erik Siksna. Piza and Miguel Martínez led the Colombian push late in the set, but a service error handed the North Americans the 25-22 win.
In the third set, powerful serves from Jordan Canham set the tone and paved the way for a wider lead. The blocking duo of Siksna and Matthew Duncanson sealed the sweep (25-14) and the bronze medal.
Canada outperformed in blocking (12-5), attacking (38-24), and serving (6-1). Colombia committed fewer errors (21 to Canada’s 31).
Jordan Canham led all scorers with 16 points (12 attacks, 1 block, 3 aces), followed by Erik Siksna with 13 (8 attacks, 4 blocks, 1 ace), and Jonas Van Huizen with 12 (11 attacks, 1 ace). For Colombia, Andrés Piza and Miguel “Amaranto” Martínez each contributed 8 points.
David Preston, Canada’s Coach: “We were prepared for this match. I am proud of the guys for the way they handled the disappointment form last night, adding to the fact it was a late night, we didn’t have much rest and there was a lot of reasons of not showing up today. We found a really good reason and finished well. Our block-defense was outstanding tonight, the whole tournament we struggled with our serving so we didn’t have enough chances to play block-defense, and today they figured it out”.
MANZANILLO, Colima, August 31, 2025.- Mexico’s José Cárdenas and Jorman Osuna were crowned champions of the sixth stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour at Playa Azul, Manzanillo, defeating Canada’s Robert Kemp and Cameron Chadwick 2-0 in the final with scores of 21-16 and 21-19.
Osuna arrived with strong credentials, having already claimed one gold medal and two bronze medals earlier this season alongside Miguel Sarabia, further strengthening Mexico’s dominance in this circuit.
The podium was completed by Costa Ricans Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela, who achieved a historic 2-0 (21-16, 21-16) victory over Americans Timothy Brewster and Ryan Ierna in the bronze medal match. For the Costa Rican pair, it was the first podium finish of their careers at a senior-level stop.
Mexico Gold Medal
The semifinals highlighted the high level of competition. Cárdenas/Osuna defeated Araya/Varela 2-0 (26-24, 21-19), while Kemp/Chadwick came from behind to overcome Brewster/Ierna 2-1 (13-21, 21-16, 15-10).
In placement matches, Mexicans Lares and Carlos Andrés secured fifth place after defeating Americans Lev Priima and Charles Siragusa 2-0 (24-22, 21-16). In an all-Puerto Rican clash, Cristian Encarnación and José Pacheco captured seventh place with a 2-1 (17-21, 21-15, 17-15) win over William Rivera and Diego Rosich.
With this result, Mexico confirmed its status as favorite with a pair already collecting medals, Canada repeated as protagonists after winning bronze in Paramaribo, and Costa Rica climbed onto the podium for the first time this season.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.- Chile defeated the United States in straight sets 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-18) to secure fifth place at the eighteenth Men’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
Chile closed its campaign with a strong record of five wins and only one loss, while the United States finished with three victories and three defeats.
Dusan Bonacic-Chile
The match was highly contested in the first two sets, decided by small details. In the opening set, the score was tied at 22 when Tomás Gago blocked Kyle Hobus to give Chile a 24-22 lead. A service error extended the set, but a reception error by the U.S. following another attack from Gago sealed the win. In the third set, Chile built a clear five-point lead (15-10) and maintained control until closing out the sweep.
Chile outperformed the United States in attacks (40-34) and service points (4-1). Both teams scored seven points from blocking, while Chile committed fewer errors (22-24).
Dusan Bonacic led Chile with 13 points, closely followed by Vicente Parraguirre with 12. For the United States, Daniel Wetter topped the scorers and was the only player in double digits with 14 points.
Chile’s head coach Daniel Nejamkin praised his team’s performance: “It was a very close match. The team showed character. Perhaps this is Chile’s best performance at a Pan American Cup, with six matches played and only one loss (in five sets). We leave with the best impression as we move toward the World Championship.”
MANZANILLO, Colima, August 31, 2025. Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas reaffirmed their status as favorites and captured their fourth gold medal of the season, claiming the championship at the sixth stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held at Playa Azul, Manzanillo, Colima.
The Puerto Rican duo, who had already defeated Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez in previous finals, once again showcased their superiority by prevailing in the gold medal match 2-1 over Canada’s Darby Dunn and Mikayla Law-Heese with scores 21-15, 18-21, 15-12.
The bronze medal went to local favorites Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who secured a spot on the podium before their home crowd with a straight-sets victory (21-15, 21-19) over Canada’s Akash Grewal and Katarina Pantovic
Puerto Rico Gold Medal
The semifinals were also intense: González and Navas edged Torres and Gutiérrez 2-1 (20-22, 21-19, 15-13), while Dunn and Law-Heese advanced with a 2-0 (21-11, 21-19) win over Grewal and Pantovic.
In placement matches, Mexico’s Naomi Cruz and Angélica Torres finished fifth after defeating Guatemala’s Natalia Girón and Estefanie Bethancourt 2-0 (21-15, 21-18). Meanwhile, Costa Ricans Katherine Quesada and Aliza Aguilar secured seventh place with a 2-0 (21-16, 21-16) win over USA’s Amarie Bremel and Arika Johnson, but later fell 2-0 (21-14, 21-14) against Cruz and Torres.
With this result, Puerto Rico consolidates its dominance in the women’s division, while Mexico celebrates a podium finish at home, closing an intense sixth stop of the continental circuit.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.- Cuba claimed seventh place at the eighteenth edition of the Men’s Pan American Cup after defeating Puerto Rico 3-1 (25-20, 19-25, 25-23, 25-21).
Cuba finished the tournament with a 3-3 record, while Puerto Rico ended with 2-4, placing seventh and eighth respectively.
It was a close match, with neither team able to dominate clearly. Cuba took the first set, while Puerto Rico controlled the second after point 10, relying on its blocking to even the score. In the third, despite the Puerto Ricans holding a two-point lead late in the set, Cuba closed it out by capitalizing on their opponent’s errors. In the fourth, the Cubans took definitive control to secure the victory.
Thiago Suárez-Cuba
Cuba led in attacks 52-41, while Puerto Rico dominated blocking 13-8. Both teams scored 2 service points and committed a similar number of errors: Cuba 33, Puerto Rico 32.
For Cuba, Yusniel González and Endriel Pedroso led the scoring with 14 points each, followed by Thiago Suárez with 11. On Puerto Rico’s side, opposite hitter Jamal Ellis topped all scorers with 16 points, Pedro Molina added 13, Ángel Rivera tallied 11 including a match-high 5 blocks, and Peligrín Vargas contributed 10.
Both head coaches acknowledged that their pre-tournament objectives were not achieved.
Cuba’s coach, Darienn Ferrer: “Cuba did not do well in this tournament, it was not the objective we were expecting. We came away with a victory over Puerto Rico for the best position we could rescue. We leave with more experience. We must improve in many aspects.”
Puerto Rico’s coach, Jamille Torres: “We have a lot to learn. This is a young team that is growing. This is a step forward, not the result we were looking for. We leave here with much to learn and much to contribute for the players.”
August 31, 2025.- The United States conquered its first medal in the history of the competition in this age category, after sweeping Czechia 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-18) in the bronze medal match.
Fourteen years after coming very close to the podium, the Americans set the pace with calm and control, steadily pulling away in each set to complete the sweep.
The victory was built on a balanced and complete performance, as the United States totaled 42 kills, four aces and eight blocks, while limiting their errors to only 13. Captain Sean Kelly led with 19 points (14 kills, three blocks and two aces), while Cole Hartke contributed 12.
Sean Kelly USA
Their solid defense contained the Czech attack, limiting captain Matej Pastrnak to 13 points and opposite Tomas Brichta to just six. With rallies consistently defined thanks to blocking and floor coverage, the Americans closed out the match and celebrated a long-awaited place on the podium.
Within the Dream Team, Sean Kelly of the United States was included, who was chosen as one of the Best Outside Hitters, after helping his team to achieve the historic bronze medal.
Cuba finishes seventh place
For seventh place, Cuba defeated host China 3-1 (25-20, 25-19, 20-25, 25-22), driven by the power of Daniel Martínez, who scored 26 points, and Carlos Javier Pereira Larea, who added 17. After conceding the third set to Wu Haoze and Li Hai, the Cubans regrouped in the fourth to close their tournament with a victory.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.– The Dominican Republic survived a five-set battle to defeat Suriname 3-2 (25-13, 25-15, 23-25, 24-26, 15-11) and secure ninth place at the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The Dominicans closed the tournament with a record of three wins and three losses, while Suriname finished with 1-4, settling for tenth place.
After dominating the first two sets with ease, the Dominican Republic endured Suriname’s push that forced a tight tie-break. Suriname took a two-point lead in the third set and, with great momentum, extended the match into a decisive fifth set, where the Dominicans finally prevailed thanks to their blocking and steadier performance.
The Dominican team made the difference at the net with a 19-8 blocking advantage, in addition to being more effective in attack (62-60), service (4-1), and committing fewer unforced errors (21-27).
Dominican Republic’s team captain Héctor Cruz was the top scorer of the match with 24 points (20 attacks, 3 blocks, and one ace). Ronny Molina added 20 points (19 attacks, one block), while Luther Molina contributed 15.
Four players of Suriname scored in double digits: Shemar Jameson with 19 points, Gianni Ritfeld with 13, Zefanio Breinburg with 12, and Keven Sporkslede with 11.
Dominican Republic’s head coach Alexander Gutiérrez said about the tournament: “This tournament was a gain for the boys who don’t have much experience and who must take responsibility. Consequently, that lack of experience causes complications against lower-level teams unnecessarily. We are going to keep working and pushing to be well prepared for the Central American Games.”
August 31, 2025.- Brazil recovered from a first-set upset to defeat the Dominican Republic on Sunday in the Round of 16 in Bangkok and become the sixth national team guaranteed in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship.
Dominated by the aggressive Dominicans in the first set, the reigning South American champions responded with a flawless performance in the second set and built from there to win the match and take the spot in the quarterfinals with a 3-1 (18-25, 25-12, 25-20, 25-12) victory over the Caribbean.
Opposite Gaila González delivered 15 points (13 kills, two blocks) in the last match of the Dominicans in Thailand. The Martínez sisters Jineiry and Brayelín contributed nine and eight points, respectively.
Gaila Gonzalez DOM Attack
“Brazil played very well tonight,” Gaila reflected. “We had a great start, but then they managed to put more pressure on us with their serving and the match changed. They deserved to win. We struggled with our passing in some moments, and that’s an area we need to work on for the next tournaments.”
Brazil’s dominance from the service line (six aces to one) was one of the factors that led them to victory, as the South Americans also outscored the Dominicans in kills (46 to 40) and blocks (14 to eight), besides making fewer errors (20 to 27).
The World Championship Round of 16 will be completed on Monday, with the United States and Canada meeting at 17:00 local time (10:00 GMT) and Türkiye and Slovenia battling at 20:30 (13:30 GMT).
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 21, 2025.- Guatemala concluded the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup with a 3-0 (25-10, 25-16, 25-17) victory over Antigua and Barbuda at the Domo de la Feria in León.
Guatemala finished in 11th place of the competition with a 1-5 record, while Antigua and Barbuda ended the tournament winless.
The Central American squad celebrated the victory by dominating in attacks 43-22, in blocks 8-5, and committing fewer errors (15-23). Both teams scored one direct service ace.
Andy Leonardo led all scorers with 15 points (13 attacks, one block, one ace), while Yeferson Zavala added 13 points (12 attacks, one block) for Guatemala.
On the other side, Adrian Constant stood out for Antigua and Barbuda with 9 points, all from attacks.
Guatemala’s coach, Reider Lucas, said: “We finished with a victory, a result that came after things didn’t go well for us yesterday. The previous match was a bad experience: things didn’t work out, we couldn’t use our captain due to injury in the last two matches, and the attitude wasn’t good. This was a very good competition for Guatemala, a high-level event, and progress has been made.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 30, 2025.- Mexico advanced to the final of the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup after defeating Canada 3-1 (25-21, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22) at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The host team will play for the gold medal this Sunday against Venezuela, while Canada will face Colombia for the bronze.
The home crowd enjoyed a thrilling start in the opening set, as Mexico jumped ahead 20-12 thanks to the offense of Alexis Garay and Franky Hernández. Canada responded with a spectacular comeback led by Erik Siksna and Cole Duncanson, closing the gap to 23-21, but a blocking error and a stuff block from Axel Téllez sealed the set for the hosts.
Mexico wins
The second set remained tight up to 17 points, when two Canadian errors opened the door for Mexico. In the final stretch, Cory Schoenherr extended the suspense, but a kill from Oziel Aguirre secured the 2-0 lead.
Canada controlled the third set with a comfortable 16-10 advantage and, despite a late push from Mexico, Jordan Canham led his side to force a fourth set.
In the decisive set, Mexico rallied from a three-point deficit with Yasutaka Sanay coming off the bench and the contribution of Brandon López. Two late errors from the home team made it dramatic, but captain Mauro Fuentes clinched the victory with a powerful hit off the block of Jonas Van Huizen.
Although Canada led the stats in attacks (48-40), blocks (8-7), and service points (5-4), their high number of errors (46 to Mexico’s 30) proved costly.
For Mexico, Axel Manuel Téllez and Yasutaka Sanay led with 9 points apiece. Three Canadians finished in double digits: Erik Siksna (21), Jordan Canham (11), and Jonas Van Huizen (10).
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 30, 2025.– Venezuela secured a spot in the gold medal match of the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup after edging Colombia in a thrilling five-set semifinal 3-2 (25-22, 28-26, 19-25, 15-25, 15-12) at the Domo de la Feria in León.
The Venezuelan team will battle for the gold medal against the winner of the other semifinal between defending champion Canada and Mexico, while Colombia will play for bronze against the loser of that clash.
The semifinal was a true battle, with a tight start, fast play, and plenty of highlights. In the opening set, Venezuela pulled ahead 23-20 with a key block from captain Willner Rivas, and after a dramatic finish, a Colombian net touch error sealed the 1-0 lead for Venezuela.
Venezuela wins
In the second set, Colombia staged a spectacular comeback from 19-24 to level at 24, saving seven set points along the way. Still, an attack from Rivas and a block by Moisés Vásquez against Andrés Piza gave Venezuela a commanding 2-0 advantage.
Colombia answered strongly in the third and fourth sets with lineup adjustments. Miguel Ramírez “Amaranto,” backed by Juan Castañeda and Daniel Aponza, took control offensively to close out 25-19 and 25-15, forcing a decisive fifth set.
In the tie-break, Venezuela surged ahead 10-6 thanks to the serving of Ronald Fayola and the attacking of Vásquez, with Rivas leading the charge. Colombia tried to rally with Amaranto and Marlon Mendoza, but a reception error after Fayola’s attack sealed Venezuela’s victory and celebration of their ticket to the final.
Venezuela benefited from 36 Colombian errors against 31 of their own and held the edge in service points (5-3), while Colombia led in attacks (60-57) and blocks (11-9).
Willner Rivas led Venezuela with 16 points, followed by Emerson Rodríguez with 15 and Moisés Vásquez with 11. For Colombia, Miguel Ramírez “Amaranto” and Juan Castañeda tallied 17 points each, Daniel Aponza added 13, and Marlon Mendoza, who came off the bench from the third set onward, chipped in 10.
After the match, Venezuelan captain Willner Rivas said: “We expected a tough match. Colombia is a very strong opponent, and every time we face each other it’s great volleyball. We never gave up, even when we were down in the fourth set. We achieved the victory because we came into the fifth set with a lot of energy and determination; we went out there to win.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 30, 2025.– The United States defeated Puerto Rico 3-1 (28-26, 23-25, 25-18, 25-13) and will compete for fifth place at the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The Americans will face Chile for fifth place, while Puerto Rico will meet Cuba for seventh.
The opening set was tightly contested. The U.S. came back from a three-point deficit to tie at 18, and after several exchanges, closed it 28-26 with a Nolan Flexen attack followed by a Michael Wright serve. Puerto Rico responded in the second, surging ahead 14-7 with the firepower of Jamal Ellis and Pelegrin Vargas. Despite U.S. pressure, a service error handed Puerto Rico the set 25-23.
USA wins
Momentum shifted back to the U.S. in the third, opening with a 7-1 lead thanks to Flexen’s effective serving. Kyle Hobus led the attack to secure the set 25-18. In the fourth, the teams were tied at 21 when a spike from Andrew Deardorff and two Puerto Rican errors pushed the U.S. to match point. A service error by Kevin Rodríguez sealed the 25-13 victory.
The U.S. led in blocks (10-4), service points (4-2), and committed fewer errors (24-37). Puerto Rico held the edge in attacks (52-20).
Kyle Hobus was the top scorer for the U.S. with 16 points, supported by Flexen with 14, Matthew Gentry with 12 including a match-high six blocks, and Cameron Thorne with 10. For Puerto Rico, Ellis scored 17 points and Vargas added 13.
Andrew Deardorff and Mathew Gentry, both starters in their first international match with the U.S. national team, said:
Deardorff: “We worked well as a team and improving in each play. We worked out of every obstacle to win the game”.
Gentry: “Defensively I thought we were sound, we trusted each other to make the right moves and there was a lot of adjustment considering that we hadn’t played yet. There’s a lot for us to improve on”.
MANZANILLO, Colima, August 30, 2025.-The sands of Playa Azul came alive once again as the men’s event defined its semifinalists. Mexico’s José Cárdenas and Jorman Osuna, the U.S. pair Timothy Brewster and Ryan Ierna, Costa Rica’s Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela, and Canada’s Robert Kemp and Cameron Chadwick advanced to the penultimate stage of the tournament.
Sunday’s semifinals will see Mexico’s Cárdenas/Osuna face the American duo Brewster/Ierna, while the other bracket features Costa Rica’s Araya/Varela against Canada’s Kemp/Chadwick.
In the all-Mexican quarterfinal clash, Cárdenas/Osuna prevailed 2–1 (14-21, 21-17, 15-9) over Lares/Carlos Andrés. Meanwhile, in the all-American contest, Brewster/Ierna battled past Priima/Siragusa with a thrilling 2–1 (21-16, 17-21, 15-12) win
USA
Araya/Varela advanced convincingly, defeating Puerto Rico’s Pacheco/Encarnación 2–0 (21-13, 22-20), becoming the only Central American representatives in the semifinals. Finally, Canada’s Kemp/Chadwick came from behind to overcome Puerto Rico’s Rosich/Rivera 2–1 (14-21, 21-18, 15-10), ensuring Canadian presence in the penultimate round.
Earlier in the day, the group stage clarified the picture. In Pool A, Lares/Carlos Andrés defeated Trinidad & Tobago’s Butcher/Enile 2–0 (21-5, 21-10). In Pool B, Brewster/Ierna topped El Salvador’s Mejía/Vargas 2–0 (21-14, 21-14).
In Pool D, Araya/Varela delivered a dramatic finish by edging Rosich/Rivera 2–1 (21-19, 25-27, 15-10), while Canada’s Gannett/Rivest beat Guatemala’s Izaguirre/Penagos 2–0 (21-7, 21-9).
With these results, the men’s bracket enters its decisive stretch. Mexico, the United States, Costa Rica, and Canada remain in contention, all chasing the coveted ticket to Sunday’s grand finale at Playa Azul, Manzanillo.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 30, 2025. Chile defeated Cuba in straight sets 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-20) in a classification match for positions 5 to 8 at the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
Chile will play for fifth place against the winner between Puerto Rico and the United States, while Cuba will face the loser for seventh place.
Chile-Dusan Bonacic
The Chilean squad dominated the first set by capitalizing on Cuba’s errors. The second set was more balanced, with both teams trading points until 18-all, when a block from Dusan Bonacic and the attacks of Vicente Parraguirre gave Chile the edge. In the third, Chile’s dynamic offense allowed them to build a comfortable lead and secure the win.
Chile led in attacks 41-35 and service aces 3-0, committing 18 unforced errors. Cuba outperformed in blocks 8-4 but totaled 27 errors.
Vicente Parraguirre topped the Chilean scoring with 14 points, followed by Noe Aravena with 10. For Cuba, Endriel Pedroso, Lázaro Portes, and Carlos Charles each contributed 9 points.
After the match, Noe Aravena highlighted the team’s performance: “We knew how to stay calm, knowing that Cuba is a very strong team physically and jumps very high. We were able to take advantage of opportunities, had a good outside attacking performance, and kept our composure in reception. I think all of that gave us comfort to play, and we really enjoyed ourselves on the court, playing more freely.”
MANZANILLO, Colima, August 30, 2025. All eyes were on the favorites, and this Saturday they confirmed their status. Canada’s two pairs, Darby Dunn and Mikayla Law-Heese, and Akash Grewal and Katarina Pantovic, along with Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, and Puerto Rico’s María González and Allanis Navas, advanced to the women’s semifinals of the tournament.
Sunday’s semifinals will feature an all-Canadian showdown between Dunn/Law-Heese and Grewal/Pantovic, while the other matchup brings a NORCECA classic as Mexico’s Torres/Gutiérrez face Puerto Rico’s González/Navas.
In the quarterfinals, Canada’s Darby Dunn and Mikayla Law-Heese came from behind to defeat Guatemala’s Natalia Girón and Estefanie Bethancourt 2–1 (17-21, 21-9, 15-6), who fought hard until the end. Meanwhile, Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez swept the United States’ Amarie Bremel and Arika Johnson 2–0 (21-9, 21-9).
DunnLaw-Heese (CAN)
Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas showed their strength by eliminating Costa Rica’s Katherine Quesada and Aliza Aguilar with a convincing 2–0 (21-14, 21-9). To close out the day, Canada’s Akash Grewal and Katarina Pantovic defeated Mexico’s Naomi Cruz and Angélica Torres 2–0 (22-20, 21-13), sealing a full Canadian presence in the semifinals.
Earlier, the group stage also featured intense battles that shaped the path forward. In Pool A, Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez topped Costa Rica’s Katherine Quesada and Aliza Aguilar 2–0 (21-18, 21-6).
In Pool B, Guatemala’s Natalia Girón and Estefanie Bethancourt surprised with a 2–1 (21-13, 20-22, 15-12) win over the USA’s Amarie Bremel and Arika Johnson. And in Pool C, Puerto Rico’s María González and Allanis Navas prevailed in a thriller, defeating Canada’s Darby Dunn and Mikayla Law-Heese 2–1 (14-21, 21-14, 15-13).
With these results, the women’s tournament enters its decisive stage. Two Canadian duos, along with the power of Mexico and Puerto Rico, keep the race alive toward the grand final to be played at Playa Azul, Manzanillo, Mexico.
RESULTS
QUARTERFINALS
Dunn/Law-Heese (CAN2) 2-1 N. Girón/Guerra (GUA) (17-21, 21-9, 15-6)
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 30, 2025.- Suriname captured its first win at the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup, defeating Guatemala 3-1 (25-21, 29-27, 17-25, 27-25) at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
With this victory, Suriname advanced to the 9th/10th place match against the Dominican Republic, marking its best historical performance in the competition. Guatemala, meanwhile, will face Antigua and Barbuda for 11th/12th place.
The Surinamese side displayed character in crucial moments, particularly in the second and fourth sets, where they denied Guatemala multiple set points thanks to the leadership of captain Keven Sporkslede, who switched from his usual libero position —where he had played throughout the tournament— to outside hitter.
Keven Sporkslede-Suriname
Blocking proved decisive for Suriname, outscoring Guatemala by a wide margin (13-5). Although Guatemala held the edge in attacking (60-50) and serving (5-1), they committed more errors (34-28), which ultimately tipped the balance.
Sporkslede was the match’s top scorer with 18 points (14 attacks, 4 blocks), supported by Zefanio Breinburg with 13 (11 attacks, 2 blocks) and Anfernee Lee A Leong with 10.
For Guatemala, Andy Leonardo led with 17 points, followed by Gerardo González with 13, while Yeferson Zavala and Jason Hernández each contributed 11. Team captain Carlos López, a key player, was unable to compete due to an injury sustained in the previous match.
Keven Sporkslede said about the win: “The team effort was a lot better. We defended more and the reception was better so we could do the side out easier today. We made the libero change which worked out well. This is already the highest place we have finished in a Pan American Cup, so we are very satisfied”.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 30, 2025.- Dominican Republic cruised past Antigua and Barbuda 3-0 (25-17, 25-9, 25-10) at the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The Dominicans will play for ninth place against the winner of the match between Guatemala and Suriname, while Antigua and Barbuda will compete for eleventh place against the loser.
The Dominican squad faced no trouble in securing the win, dominating in attacks (38-20) and service points (5-0). Antigua and Barbuda held the edge in blocking (5-3), but the Dominicans capitalized on 23 opponent errors compared to their 10.
Dominican team captain Héctor Alexis Cruz led all scorers with 11 points, while Ronny Molina and Rafael Brugos added 10 points each in the triumph.
Adrian Constant topped Antigua and Barbuda’s offense with 10 points.
August 30, 2025.- The United States will play for the bronze medal at the Men’s U21 World Championship against Czechia, after falling in the semifinals to a determined Iranian team.
Playing in Jiangmen, China, the Americans were unable to stop Iran’s momentum and lost 0-3 (21-25, 20-25, 20-25). On Sunday the 30th, they will face Czechia at 5 PM (local time) for third place.
USA
The U.S. squad is eager to avenge the bitter memories from 2023, when Czechia defeated them twice at the U21 World Championship in Manama, Bahrain. Back then, the Americans fell 1-3 in the first round and suffered another loss in the second round, this time 0-3.
Iran dominated the match across all stats — in attacks (41-35), blocks (10-7), and serves (2-1), and also capitalized on 22 unforced errors by the Americans.
Opposite Cole Hartke was the top scorer for the United States with 13 points (10 kills and 3 blocks).
Other NORCECA Teams in Placement Matches:
Canada defeated Brazil 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 26-28, 25-20, 18-16) to secure 17th place in the tournament. Owen Harris (19 points), Dawson Pratt (16), Zachary Yewchuk (15), and Daniil Hershtynovich (14) powered the Canadian victory.
Puerto Rico fell to Colombia 1-3 (22-25, 17-25, 25-23, 23-25) to finish 22nd. Despite opposite Ramón Andrés Rosado’s 24 points in attack, it was not enough for the Boricua side.
Match Schedule August 31 (local time):
7th/8th place: Cuba vs. China – 2 PM
Bronze Medal Match: United States vs. Czechia – 5 PM
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 29, 2025.- Mexico claimed its place in the semifinals of the 18th Men’s Pan American Cup after defeating the United States 3-1 (25-21, 18-25, 25-20, 25-23) in the quarterfinals at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The Mexican squad will face defending champion Canada in the semifinals, while Venezuela and Colombia will battle in the other bracket. The United States, meanwhile, will play in the classification round for positions 5 to 8, starting against Puerto Rico.
The first set was tight up to an 11-point tie, when Mexico took control thanks to American errors and the attack of Alexis Garay. With Axel Téllez and Garay leading the offense, the home team maintained the edge. Franky Hernández, first from the service line and then with a back-row attack, pushed the score to 24-20. Ryan Barnett saved one set point, but Oziel Aguirre sealed the set for Mexico.
MEX VS USA
In the second set, the United States dominated from start to finish with a powerful attack led by Isaiah Preuitt, Nolan Flexen, and Parker Van Buren, leaving Mexico unable to catch up.
Parity returned in the third set until the 10-10 mark, when Mexico managed to pull ahead and hold the lead. Hernández’s serve proved decisive, complicating the U.S. reception and putting the hosts up 22-19. Daniel Wetter closed the gap with a kill, but Hernández struck again, and two U.S. errors handed the set to Mexico.
The fourth set saw the United States fighting to even the score, but Mexico held on to a slim advantage after taking a 15-13 lead. Although Kyle Hobus, Cameron Thorne, and Flexen tried to force a fifth set with consecutive points, it wasn’t enough. Aguirre, from the wing, sealed Mexico’s victory with the match-winning point.
Oziel Aguirre led all scorers with 17 points, followed by Hernández with 15 and Garay with 13. For the United States, Flexen tallied 16 points and Barnett added 11.
Franky Hernández explained Mexico’s strategy: “The United States is a high-level team with tall players. Our coach instructed us to play long defense and secure blocks, with a triple cross defense to stop their most effective player (Flexen). We are already in the semifinals, and we are going to fight to reach the final.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 29, 2025. – Colombia survived a dramatic five-set battle to defeat Chile 3-2 (25-21, 25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 15-12) and secure its place in the semifinals of the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup, being held at the Domo de la Feria in León.
Colombia built a two-set lead, but Chile fought back strongly to tie the match and force a decisive fifth set. In the semifinals, the Colombians await their opponent, either Venezuela or Canada, while Chile will play for positions five through eight.
The opening set was intense, with both teams exchanging points. Tied at 10, Colombia pulled ahead with the push of Andrés Piza and Chilean errors, before Leandro Mejía’s blocking stopped Dusan Bonacic from scoring comfortably to close the set.
The second set was equally tight, tied at 21 when Piza powered through the Chilean block, followed by Juan Felipe Castañeda who stopped Vicente Mardones. Mejía was once again crucial to bring Colombia to set point, and Ronald Jiménez denied Vicente Parraguirre to give Colombia a 2-0 lead.
Samuel Jaramillo-Colombia
Chile responded in the third set with Bonacic and Ibarra applying pressure from the start. Although Colombia cut the deficit, Chile held on and sealed the set 25-22 after an Ibarra attack and an Amaranto error.
The fourth set was just as close, reaching 23-23. Bonacic took advantage of a deflection off Colombia’s reception, followed by a block from Gabriel Araya and a Colombian mistake that leveled the match 2-2.
In the tiebreak, Colombia came out strong and built a 6-0 lead, but Chile refused to give in and rallied to within 13-9. It was Daniel Aponza who finally sealed the win with an attack for the 15-12 finish.
The statistics reflected the tightness of the match: Colombia led in attacks 65-64 and in blocks 8-7, while Chile held the edge in service points 3-1. Errors were also close, with Chile committing 36 and Colombia 31.
Leandro Mejía led Colombia with 16 points, followed by Juan Castañeda with 15 and Andrés Piza with 12. For Chile, captain Dusan Bonacic topped all scorers with 22 points, all on attacks, with Vicente Parraguirre adding 20 and Vicente Ibarra 15.
After the victory, Andrés Piza highlighted the value of the duel: “Chile is a very structured team, very disciplined, and we knew it was going to be a tough, long match. They showed that they never give up and it’s always difficult to play against them. It was an important South American battle and I’m happy we won it; I’ll enjoy this with my teammates,” he said.
MANZANILLO, Colima, August 29, 2025. — The opening men’s day of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour kicked off with great intensity in Manzanillo, where Puerto Ricans William Rivera and Diego Rosich and Costa Ricans Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela recorded two victories each, while Americans Timothy Brewster and Ryan Ierna needed three sets to edge out Mexico’s José Cárdenas and Jorman Osuna.
In Pool D, Rivera/Rosich confirmed their status as favorites after defeating Canada’s Tynan Gannett and Guillaume Rivest (21-19, 21-19) and Guatemala’s José Izaguirre and Santiago Penagos (21-18, 21-19). Araya/Varela also shined in this group with two clear wins: first against Izaguirre/Penagos (21-12, 21-15) and later over Gannett/Rivest (21-12, 21-12).
In Pool B, Cárdenas/Osuna opened strong against El Salvador’s Carlos Mejía and Gabriel Vargas (21-18, 21-13) but fell in a high-pressure duel against Americans Brewster/Ierna, who closed with a tight 2-1 victory (21-18, 19-21, 15-12).
Brewster/Lerna (USA1) VS Cárdenas/Osuna (MEX1)
The biggest surprise came in Pool A, where Mexicans Lares and Carlos Andrés Ayala defeated the U.S. duo Lev Priima and Charles Siragusa in straight sets (21-15, 22-20), after the Americans had earlier swept Trinidad & Tobago (21-7, 21-12).
In Pool C, Canadians Robert Kemp and Cameron Chadwick showed consistency by defeating Puerto Ricans Cristian Encarnación and José Pacheco (21-18, 21-15), after the Puerto Ricans had opened with a win against Guatemala’s Luis García and Andrés Maldonado (21-14, 21-19).
With these results, the day confirmed the favorites but also left room for surprises, with Mexico and Costa Rica raising the excitement heading into the next stage this Saturday.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 29, 2025. – Puerto Rico secured its place in the battle for positions 5 to 8 of the Senior Men’s Pan American Cup after defeating the Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-19) on Friday at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The Puerto Ricans will continue fighting for fifth place in the tournament, while the Dominican Republic will compete between 9th and 12th.
Puerto Rico took control of the first set from point seven, with Jamal Ellis and Pelegrin Vargas leading the offense. In the second set, the lead grew to six points (13-7), thanks to contributions from Ellis and Pedro Molina, along with consecutive errors by the Dominican side. Although Ronny Molina responded with kills, Puerto Rico held on firmly to the advantage.
Puerto Rico
In the third set, the Dominicans rallied after trailing 13-16, cutting the gap to 15-16 with attacks from Rafael Burgos, Bryan Turbides, and Luther Rosario. However, Puerto Rico regained control with Vargas and Ellis, pulling ahead 23-17. After a long rally, Ellis put his team at match point, and Omar Hoyos sealed the victory with a spike that deflected off the Dominican defense.
Puerto Rico dominated in attack (43-30) and service (6-1), while the Dominican Republic held a slight edge in blocking (6-5). Errors were nearly even, 20 for Puerto Rico and 21 for the Dominicans.
Ellis led Puerto Rico with 18 points (14 attacks, 4 blocks), followed by Vargas with 13 (11 attacks, 2 aces). For the Dominican Republic, Luther Rosario scored 11 points (8 attacks, 3 blocks).
Puerto Rico’s middle blocker Angle Rivera said about the match: “We had a good level of play in the first and third sets; I feel we dropped it a little in the second. We go out to play hard no matter what position we are playing for or who our opponent is; we always give our best to represent our country.”
Dominican Republic libero Eliander Jiménez commented: “We had a good opponent in front of us, but I think the defeat was due to a problem of confidence in ourselves.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 29, 2025.- Cuba defeated Guatemala 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-23) in a classification match for positions 7 to 10 at the Senior Men’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
With the victory, Cuba moves on to compete for positions 5 to 8, while Guatemala will play in the bracket for places 9 to 12.
The match was closely contested, with both teams staying within reach on the scoreboard. In the first set, Guatemala saved three set points (19-24) with the offense and blocking of Andy Leonardo, before an error and a kill by Carlos Yoandrys Charles sealed the set for Cuba.
Jerry Duran-Cuba
In the second frame, Guatemala held a three-point lead (14-11) behind the blocking of Andy Leonardo and Gerardo González, but Cuba responded through the attacks of Thiago Suárez and Yusniel González, combined with errors from the Central American squad.
The third set remained tied until 13 points apiece, when Cuba gained a slight edge with the contribution of Endriel Pedroso. Guatemala caught up again at 19-all, but in another tight finish, the Cubans closed the match.
Cuba led in attacks 46-32 and in aces 4-2, while both sides were even in blocking with 6 apiece. Guatemala committed fewer errors (19 to Cuba’s 27).
Carlos Yoandrys Charles led Cuba’s offense with 19 points, followed by Thiago Suárez with 13 and Endriel Pedroso with 12. For Guatemala, Andy Leonardo was the top scorer with 18 points.
Cuban outside hitter Yusniel González said: “We didn’t play with the usual intensity because we came here with an objective and things didn’t work out as expected, so it’s hard to keep the spirit high. Still, we continue defending Cuba’s honor and will face every match with responsibility to achieve the best possible position.”
Guatemala’s libero Josué González stated: “We gave our best and I’m sad about the result. The opponent was very tough and knew how to close the sets. We managed to keep the score close all the time. We will keep working.”
MANZANILLO, Colima, August 29, 2025.– Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas confirmed why they are the top favorites at the sixth stop of the NORCECA Tour by debuting with a victory in Manzanillo, Colima.
The Caribbean duo, who already have three gold medals this season, defeated Mexico’s Naomi Cruz and Angélica Torres 2–0 (21-15, 21-9). Meanwhile, locals Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, champions of the last stop in Paramaribo, Suriname, defended the home sand by topping El Salvador’s Karla Tovar and Keiry Guzmán 2–0 (21-10, 21-11).
In Pool A, Costa Rica also celebrated as Katherine Quesada and Aliza Aguilar secured a 2–0 win over Tovar and Guzmán (21-11, 21-18) to get their campaign off to a strong start.
Torres Gutiérrez MEX
Pool B had a Canadian touch thanks to Akash Grewal and Katarina Pantovic, who came out victorious in back-to-back matches. First, they edged Guatemala’s Natalia Girón and Estefanie Bethancourt in three sets (21-14, 19-21, 15-12) and later closed the day with a 2–0 win against Americans Amarie Bremel and Arika Johnson (21-17, 22-20).
In Pool C, their compatriots Darby Dunn and Mikayla Law-Heese defeated Cruz and Torres 2–0 (21-12, 30-27), before González and Navas sealed their winning debut against the same Mexican pair.
With these results, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, and Costa Rica stood out as the main protagonists of the opening day, starting the group phase on the right foot. The competition will continue tomorrow, Saturday, in Manzanillo with decisive matches on the road to qualification.
August 29, 2025.- In a thrilling five-set match, the United States defeated France and advanced to the semifinals of the U21 World Championship being held in Jiangmen, China. Cuba, the other NORCECA semifinalist, was not as fortunate and ended up losing to Italy in four sets.
The Americans came back twice from being down in sets against the French, turning the score around to win 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-23, 15-12).
The match was very even, with a slight edge for the North Americans in blocks (14-9) and serves (5-4). Both teams executed 59 successful attacks and committed 30 unforced errors.
Guillermo Martinez CUB
Outside hitter and U.S. captain Sean Kelly was the top attacker with 21 points, 20 of them coming from the net. Cole Hartke was key from the service line, delivering 3 aces and finishing the match with 19 points. Crist, Jordan, and Foley combined for a total of 10 blocks.
The United States will play the semifinal on August 30 at 5 PM (local time) against Iran. The other semifinal will feature Italy against Czechia, three hours after the Americans’ match.
Cuba, meanwhile, fought hard but lost 1-3 (18-25, 25-22, 18-25, 21-25) against Italy, who never let their guard down. The Cubans outperformed the Italians in blocks (10-9), but the Europeans were stronger in attacks (55-38) and serves (8-4).
Opposite Guillermo Martínez was Cuba’s main weapon in attack, scoring 24 points (19 attacks, 2 blocks, and 3 aces), but it was not enough to secure the victory.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 28, 2025. – Chile defeated Mexico in a thrilling five-set battle 3-2 (20-25, 25-16, 19-25, 25-23, 16-14) to claim first place in Pool C at the Men’s Senior Pan American Cup, being held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
With a perfect 3-0 record, Chile secured the top spot in the pool, while Mexico (2-1) finished second. In the quarterfinals, Chile will face Colombia and Mexico will take on the United States.
Mexico started strong with Franky Hernández leading the offense, supported by Alexis Garay and Mauro Fuentes to take the opening set. Chile responded in the second with a comfortable lead, powered by Vicente Parraguirre and contributions from Vicente Ibarra, tying the match.
The third set was a tense exchange with long rallies that kept the crowd engaged. Mexico pulled ahead with Garay’s attack and a solid block from Hernández against Parraguirre, closing the set with authority.
Dusan Bonacic-Chile
Chile forced the tie-break after a tightly contested fourth set, sealed by a Mexican error and a decisive spike from captain Dusan Bonacic. In the deciding set, the South Americans took an 8-3 lead, but Mexico fought back with Oziel Aguirre closing the gap to 12-10 and later tying at 13. Finally, a block by Vicente Ibarra gave Chile the extended win.
Chile held the edge in blocking (13-10) and serving (3-1), while Mexico led in attacking (58-55). Both teams committed 34 unforced errors.
Vicente Parraguirre led all scorers with 21 points. Also contributing to the win, Vicente Ibarra added 15, while Bonacic and Vicente Valenzuela contributed 11 each, and Tomás Gago chipped in 10. For Mexico, Alexis Garay led with 19 points, Hernández added 16, and Axel Téllez scored 12.
Chile’s head coach, Daniel Nejamkin, said: “It was a very beautiful match. I think it has been the best game of the tournament so far. Both teams played with great intensity and the will to win. We are very happy to have won.”
Mexico’s libero, Said Bravo, commented after the loss: “Chile is a strong team and matches against them are always difficult. I feel that in the end we made too many errors that cost us the match. The tournament continues, we must keep working, push harder, and take this loss as a lesson.”
MANZANILLO, Colima, August 28, 2025- The Mexican Pacific coast is set to welcome the continent’s top pairs with the sixth stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, taking place August 29–31 in Manzanillo.
Following the preliminary inquiry, it was confirmed that the competition will feature 23 teams: 9 in the women’s division and 14 in the men’s division, representing a total of eight countries.
In the women’s field, Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas stand out, with three gold medals this season in the same number of appearances—all against the local duo of Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who arrive as champions of the most recent stop in Paramaribo, Suriname.
Joining the local pairs Jorman Osuna/José Cárdenas and Inés Vargas/Carlos Andrés Ayala in the men’s division are Puerto Ricans William Rivera and Diego Rosich, winners in Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas. Also competing are Timothy Brewster/Ryan Ierna of the United States, silver medalists earlier this year in Juan Dolio.
With this stage, Mexico reaffirms its role as a strategic host in the international circuit, adding up to four venues this year: Ciudad Madero, Manzanillo, Guadalajara, and Ciudad del Carmen.
Entrevista preliminar PUR female
POOL DISTRIBUTION
WOMEN
Pool A: MEX1: Torres/Gutiérrez; ESA: Tovar/Guzmán; CRC: Quesada/Aguilar;
Pool B: CAN1: Grewal/Pantovic; USA: Bremel/Johnson; GUA: Aguilar/Monney;
Pool C: MEX2: Cruz/ Torres; CAN2: Dunn/Law-Heese; PUR: González/Navas
MEN
Pool A: MEX1: Cárdenas/Osuna; USA2: Priima/Siragusa; TTO: Butcher/Enile;
Pool B: MEX2: Vargas/Ayala; USA1: Brewster/Ierna; ESA: Mejía/Vargas;
Pool C: CAN2: Kemp/Chadwick; GUA1: Maldonado/García; PUR2: Encarnación/Pacheco
Pool D: CAN: Gannett/Rivest; CRC: Araya/Varela; GUA2: Izaguirre/Penagos; PUR1: Rivera/Rosich
TEAMS
WOMEN: CANADA: Akash Grewal/Katarina Pantovic; Darby Dunn/Mikayla Law-Heese; COSTA RICA: Katherine Quesada/Aliza Aguliar; EL SALVADOR: Karla Tovar/Keiry Guzmán; GUATEMALA: Danna Aguilar/Naomi Monney; MEXICO Naomi Cruz/Angélica Torres; Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez; PUERTO RICO: María González/Allanis Navas; UNITED STATES: Amarie Bremel/Arika Johnson;
MEN: CANADA: Tynan Gannett/Guillaume Rivest; Robet Kemp/Cameron Chadwick; COSTA RICA Julián Araya/Jhostin Varela; EL SALVADOR: Carlos Mejía/Gabriel Vargas; GUATEMALA: Andrés Maldonado/Luis García; Josè Izaguirre/santiago Penagos; MEXICO: José Cardenas/Jorman Osuna; Ines Vargas/Carlos Ayala; PUERTO RICO: William Rivera/ Diego Rosich; Cristian Encarnación /José Pacheco; TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Josiah Butcher/Stephen Enile; UNITED STATES: Timothy Brewster/Ryan Ierna; Lev Priima/Charles Siragusa;
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 28, 2025. – The United States advanced to the quarterfinals of the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup after defeating Cuba 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 26-24, 25-17) at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The U.S. team closed the preliminary round with a 2-1 record to secure second place in Pool A and a spot in the next phase. Cuba, with a 1-2 record, finished third and will play for classification.
The United States came out strong in the opening set, jumping to a 5-0 lead and then 10-5, powered by the offense of Nolan Flexen, Kyle Hobus, and Daniel Wetter.
In the second set, Cuba responded with the efforts of Víctor Andreu and Carlos Charles. After a 20-point tie, U.S. errors gave the Caribbean team the advantage to even the match.
The third set was the most tightly contested, with both teams battling point by point. With the score tied at 19, the United States pulled ahead 23-19 thanks to a Cuban error and two blocks by Wetter against Yusniel González. Cuba fought back with attacks from Andreu, a serve from Thiago Suárez, and Endriel Pedroso’s offense to tie at 24. However, a block by Isaiah Preuitt against Pedroso and a Cuban error returned the advantage to the U.S., who took a 2-1 lead.
Nolan Flexen-USA
In the fourth set, the United States dominated from the start, opening a six-point lead (14-8) and maintaining control until the end. Ryan Barnett applied service pressure in the final stretch, and an attack from Parker Van Buren, followed by two Cuban errors, sealed the victory.
The United States held the advantage in attacks (43-39), blocks (11-6), and aces (9-4). Cuba committed one fewer error (36-37).
Nolan Flexen led all scorers with 18 points (16 attacks, 2 aces), followed by Ryan Barnett with 11 (6 attacks, 2 blocks, 3 aces). For Cuba, Víctor Andreu tallied 13 points (11 attacks, 2 blocks), while Yusniel González added 12 (10 attacks, 2 blocks).
Parker Van Buren spoke about what USA did to overcome Cuba: “We kept them on their feet with a lot of service pressure, I think that was the main thing. Our passers did a great job of fighting off their service pressure and our servers, particularly Ryan Barnett, did a fantastic job getting them out of system and acing them, and putting very fast balls on them. Maybe Cuba was a little uneasy coming off from a loss, while we came off of a win”.
Ryan Barnett said about the pressure he put on Cuba in the final stretch of the game “I just focused on hitting my serves in. It was great. Going into this game was playing our version of volleyball, the USA volleyball way. We will continue focused on ourselves in the next round”.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 28, 2025.– Canada swept Colombia 3-0 (28-26, 25-23, 25-23) in an intense battle that decided the top spot in Pool B of the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The defending champions closed pool play undefeated with a 3-0 record, awaiting confirmation whether they advance directly to the semifinals or will compete in the quarterfinals. Colombia finished second in the pool with a 2-1 record and moves on to the quarterfinal round.
The opening set was tightly contested, tied at 23 points. A Colombian service error gave Canada set point, but a Canadian error from the service line tied it again. Erik Siksna once more put Canada ahead, though Juan Castañeda answered with a kill for Colombia. Andrés Piza followed with an attack to earn Colombia a set point, but Jordan Canham delivered two consecutive points to seal the set for the Canadians.
In the second set, Colombia held a 23-20 advantage, but Canada responded with Cole Duncanson’s offense, including an ace, and leveled the score thanks to a Colombian service error. Two mistakes by Miguel Martínez handed the set to Canada, who went up 2-0 in the match.
Mason Greves-Canada-celebrates
The third set, much like the previous ones, was decided in the closing moments. Colombia led 23-20, but Canada rallied once again with a kill and an ace from Duncanson, plus two Colombian errors, to clinch the victory.
Canada had the edge in kills (44-37) and committed fewer unforced errors (23-26). Colombia led in blocks (6-4) and aces (6-4).
Jonas Van Huizen topped all scorers with 15 points, all on kills. Jordan Canham added 11 points and Erik Siksna chipped in 10.
For Colombia, Miguel Martínez “Amaranto” led with 13 points, followed by Juan Castañeda with 12 (including a match-high 4 aces) and Andrés Piza with 10.
Mason Greves, setter of Canada, said after the win: “It was a very tight match, and it came down to the serve-pass game. The guys have been working so hard this week to keep the ball on our side and give us a chance, I think their job was amazing. We’ve been training for the past two months together, and it feels like a finished product here in Mexico”.
Miguel Martínez “Amaranto” said about the match: “It was a very tight game. The set closings cost us. Step by step we are improving for Colombia. Now we are going to focus on the next round, we are already in the quarterfinals.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 28, 2025.– Puerto Rico wrapped up the preliminary round of the Senior Men’s Pan American Cup with a 3-1 (25-21, 21-25, 25-20, 25-17) victory over Guatemala, in the final day of pool play at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
With a 1-2 record, Puerto Rico secured third place in Pool B, while Guatemala finished fourth with a 0-3 record. Both teams will move on to classification matches, awaiting their opponents once pool play concludes.
Puerto Rico controlled the first set, although Guatemala managed to save two set points with a service error and an attack from Gerardo González, until Omar Hoyos closed the set with a kill. Guatemala responded in the second set, driven by middle blocker Jason Hernández and outside hitter Andy Leonardo, who kept the Central Americans ahead to level the match 1-1.
In the third set, after a 17-point tie, Puerto Rico took control with the performances of Jamal Ellis and captain Pedro Molina. The Puerto Ricans maintained the pressure and raised their level of play in the fourth set to secure the win.
Omar Hoyos-PUR
Puerto Rico outperformed Guatemala in the main scoring categories: attacks (55-48), blocks (10-6), and service points (4-0). Errors were almost even, with Puerto Rico committing 29 to Guatemala’s 27.
Opposite hitter Jamal Ellis led all scorers with 19 points (13 kills, 5 blocks, one ace). Captain Pedro Molina also contributed 17 points (14 kills, one block, 2 aces), along with Omar Hoyos who added 13 (11 kills, one block, one ace).
For Guatemala, captain Carlos López led with 16 points, all on kills. Andy Leonardo and Jason Hernández chipped in 10 points each.
Jamal Ellis said about the match: “Puerto Rico has a lot of potential on the bench, and today there was an opportunity to make changes in the lineup, everyone knows how to do their job. We lost a set because of a lack of focus, sometimes we let emotions control us. We couldn’t find our rhythm until the third set, and the finish was good, but we’ve shown that we have a higher level of play.”
Guatemalan setter Adolfo Rivas said: “We tried to fight, but we dropped our intensity in the third set. I think the good attitude we showed in the first two sets was fundamental, but then we turned it off. We need to maintain that attitude for the upcoming matches.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 28, 2025.- The Dominican Republic earned its first win at the Senior Men’s Pan American Cup by defeating Suriname 3-0 (25-16, 25-14, 25-20) in the final day of pool play at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The Dominican Republic closed Pool C in third place with a 1-2 record, while Suriname finished fourth at 0-3. Both teams await the completion of all preliminary matches to learn their opponents in the classification round.
The Dominican side controlled the match with advantages in attacks (40-33), blocks (12-3), and service points (3-1), while committing fewer errors than Suriname (13-20). The third set was the most contested, with stronger resistance from the Surinamese squad.
Alexander ortiz-Dominican Republic
Luis Reinoso led all scorers with 15 points on 10 kills, 2 blocks, and 3 aces. Héctor Cruz added 13 points, all on kills, and Ronny Molina contributed 10, also all from attacks.
For Suriname, Shemar Jameson stood out with 13 points, all on kills.
Dominican Republic outside hitter Ronny Molina said after the match: “It usually happens to us that we get too confident against teams that don’t put us under much pressure, and that’s why the last set was tighter. We were able to finish the group stage with a win, and we hope to stay focused in the upcoming matches and win them all.”
Leonel Mahabali, setter of Suriname, spoke about the match: “The closing set was a hard-fought set, but we are still not happy with our performance. We are getting better each time, but we need to fight harder”.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 28, 2025.– Venezuela closed the group stage with its third consecutive straight-set victory, defeating Antigua and Barbuda 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-8) to secure first place in Pool A of the Men’s Senior Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
With a perfect 3-0 record and without dropping a single set, Venezuela claimed the group lead and now awaits the outcome of the remaining matches to see if it advances directly to the semifinals. Antigua and Barbuda (0-3) will play in the classification round for placement matches.
The South American squad rotated its lineup, with the reserve players sealing the victory with a dominant third set (25-8), the largest margin recorded so far in the tournament.
Venezuela attacks
Statistics showed Venezuela’s superiority in attacks (42-18), as well as in blocks (7-5) and service points (6-0). Venezuela conceded 16 points from errors, compared to 20 from Antigua and Barbuda.
Three Venezuelan players finished in double digits: Jesús Gómez (15), Iván Fernández (14), and José González (19). For Antigua and Barbuda, Cairon Davis once again led his team with 9 points.
Venezuela’s setter for this match, Kevin Delgado, said: “We came from two victories against the United States and Cuba, and we wanted to finish the group stage in the best way possible. We closed strong and move on to the next round as group leaders.”
Antigua and Barbuda team captain, Erwin Mathurin said about the preliminary round: “We didn’t intend to win a game because most of the teams here are superior. One thing we can take out from the first round is that we can compete and fight. This was the only game that we had a set under 10 points and that for us is a win, it’s positive that Antigua volleyball is on a rise”.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 27, 2025. – Mexico defeated the Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-19) to earn their second straight-set victory at the Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup, being held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The top spot in Pool C will be decided on Thursday in the clash between Mexico and Chile, both undefeated so far in the tournament. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic will close the preliminary round against Suriname, with both teams still seeking their first win.
Mexico took the lead in the opening set with powerful attack from Franky Hernández and a solid block by Axel Téllez against Dominican captain Héctor Cruz, securing the early advantage.
Mexico-Franku Milantony
In the second set, the home team doubled their rivals in points (10-5) thanks to consecutive attacks from Alexis Garay, supported by Mauro Fuentes, effectively containing the efforts of Luis Reinoso and Luther Rosario.
The Dominican Republic came out strong in the third set, going up 6-3 behind solid blocking from Rafael Burgos and Cruz. However, Mexico turned the score around and, with an effective performance from Téllez, extended the gap to four points (20-16). With Garay leading the offense and Téllez dominant at the net, the hosts sealed the win after a Dominican error.
Mexico’s superiority in attack (47-29) was crucial to the victory. The home side also held the edge in serving (4-0) and had a slight advantage in blocking (5-4). The Dominican Republic committed fewer unforced errors (19 to Mexico’s 25).
Alexis Garay led Mexico with 14 points, all from attacks. Téllez contributed 11 (6 attacks, 2 blocks, 3 aces), while Hernández added 10. For the Caribbean team, captain Héctor Cruz was the only player in double digits with 10 points.
After the victory, Alexis Garay said: “We were able to analyze the Dominican Republic in our stats session and focused on the details our coach pointed out – like adjusting our blocking to the lines. Tomorrow, we finish againstChile; they are a great team, we know each other well, and we expect a great match.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 27, 2025. – Colombia defeated Puerto Rico 3-1 (18-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-20) to remain unbeaten at the Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup, taking place at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
Colombia and Canada both hold perfect records (2-0) and will face each other on Thursday to decide the top spot in Pool B. Puerto Rico, meanwhile, will play against Guatemala, with both teams still searching for their first win.
Puerto Rico controlled the first set comfortably. At set point (24-14), Colombia responded with three kills from Ronald Jiménez and a block by Juan Castañeda against Jamal Ellis, before Ángel Rivera sealed the set with a powerful spike, 25-18.
Colombia answered back in the second set, taking a five-point lead (10-5), with Castañeda, Andrés Piza, and Jiménez effective on offense, and Leandro Mejía contributing at the net with blocks. Puerto Rico pushed back and denied three set points, but Piza leveled the match with a decisive attack.
Colombia vs Puerto Rico
In the third set, Colombia maintained a three-point lead throughout. Mejía’s blocking was key down the stretch, while Puerto Rican errors allowed Colombia to close the set in their favor.
The fourth set followed a similar pattern, with Puerto Rico committing 11 errors and Colombian middle blocker Daniel Aponza dominating at the net to secure the win.
Colombia held the edge in all aspects of the game: 52-49 in kills, 10-5 in blocks, and 5-4 in service aces. Errors were nearly even, with Colombia committing 23 and Puerto Rico 26.
Five Colombian players scored in double figures: Ronald Jiménez, Leandro Mejía, and Juan Castañeda with 13 points each, and Daniel Aponza with 10. Puerto Rico’s Pelegrin Vargas was the top scorer of the match with 15 points, followed by Pedro Molina and Jamal Ellis with 14 apiece.
Colombian libero Roosvuelt Ramos said: “It’s not easy to be in a high-level tournament with so little preparation, and beating Puerto Rico is a big step because they have a Professional League, unlike us. We had great focus and strong determination to go out and win. We gave everything, we took risks, because if you don’t take risks, you don’t win.”
Puerto Rican setter Kevin Rodríguez commented on his team’s loss: “I think Colombia improved their serve, they adjusted, and we couldn’t execute ours. They stayed calm, while we got a little desperate because we knew this was a very important match. You learn from this loss, and there will always be another opportunity.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 27, 2025. – Venezuela earned a solid 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-21) victory over Cuba at the Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup, being held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
Venezuela remains perfect in Pool A with a 2-0 record, while Cuba drops to 1-1. In the final day of pool play, Venezuela will face Antigua and Barbuda (0-2) and Cuba will go up against the United States (1-1).
Cuba started strong in the opening set, taking a 4-0 lead with the attack of Alejandro González. However, Venezuela responded steadily, led by Willner Rivas and Emerson Rodríguez, building a comfortable advantage. Although Cuba tried to rally, closing the gap to 21-23, consecutive errors cost them the set.
Venezuela wins
The second set was completely dominated by Venezuela, with a huge lead and consistent pressure from the service line through Ronald Fayola, Jean Herrera, and Emerson.
In the third set, the score was tied at 15 points before Venezuela pulled away with the offense of Rivas and Emerson, along with José Carrasco’s blocking at the net. Two consecutive kills from Emerson sealed the Venezuelan victory.
Venezuela capitalized on 32 Cuban errors and was superior from the service line (9-2). Cuba held a slight edge in attacking (31-30) and blocking (5-4).
Emerson Rodríguez led all scorers with 15 points (12 kills, 3 aces). For Cuba, Alejandro González contributed 13 points (12 kills, 1 block).
After the match, Emerson Rodríguez said: “Thanks to God the work we have been doing for a long time finally paid off. Also, we weren’t at a good level due to the lack of international competition, but we came back strong in this tournament. We showed more attitude than Cuba and a greater desire to win.”
MANZANILLO, Colima, August 27, 2025. – Manzanillo is ready to welcome the Sixth Stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, scheduled for August 29-31 at the renowned Playa Azul, located next to Plaza Punto Bahía.
The event will feature the best beach volleyball duos from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, offering fans a vibrant seaside atmosphere combined with high-level competition.
11 women’s teams and 15 men’s teams from the United States, Canada, Guatemala, Venezuela, Trinidad & Tobago, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and host Mexico are registered to compete.
The official team entries will be confirmed during the general technical meeting, held one day prior to the start of the competition.
Speaking about the local teams, Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez stand out, winners of the gold medal at the previous stop in Paramaribo, Suriname, and with four silver medals this season. Jorman Osuna, who will team up with José Cardenas; this year Osuna has won a gold medal and a bronze alongside Miguel Sarabia. The pair Lares/Carlos Andrés have one gold medal and one silver.
The stunning backdrop of the Mexican Pacific, Manzanillo, promises an international sporting spectacle of high level of play.
COURLAND, Tobago, August 27, 2025.- The Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-18 Beach Volleyball Camp and Tournament officially began in Courland, Tobago, bringing together over 50 athletes and coaches from eight participating nations: Aruba, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Haiti, Martinique, St. Kitts and Nevis, United States Virgin Islands, and host nation Trinidad and Tobago.
This initiative forms part of CAZOVA’s ongoing development programme, designed to prepare the region’s young athletes for future Zonal and Continental competitions, as well as their progression toward World Championships and Olympic qualification tournaments.
CAZOVA U18 Beach Volleyball Seminar
The Secretary of Sports from the Tobago House of Assembly addressed the opening, encouraging the athletes—referred to as “future Olympians”—and pledged continued support for hosting such international events in Tobago.
Annette Knott, Secretary General of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee, expressed her satisfaction with supporting the Olympic Solidarity funding request for this project. She highlighted that the event ties directly into the legacy of the Commonwealth Youth Games, which provided Tobago with a world-class beach volleyball facility to foster youth development.
The camp is being conducted under the guidance of Brazilian instructor Paulao Roberto Moreira da Costa, who will lead a two-day seminar for coaches and athletes before competition play begins. The final two days will feature the tournament, providing athletes the opportunity to showcase their skills on the sand.
This age group represents a crucial stage for the region’s emerging talent pool, with many athletes aspiring to be considered for the upcoming Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 27, 2025. – Canada had to work hard to overcome Guatemala 3-1 (26-24, 25-19, 26-28, 25-19) and remain unbeaten at the 18th Men’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The defending champion now holds a 2-0 record in Pool B and will close the preliminary round on Thursday against Colombia. Guatemala, still seeking its first win, will face Puerto Rico in its next match.
The match turned out to be tougher than expected for the Canadians. In the first set, Guatemala surprised by staying ahead until reaching set point (24-23), with Andy Leonardo and Gerardo González leading the offense. However, Erik Siksna tied the score with a spike and then scored on a block to give Canada the advantage, eventually taking the set 26-24.
In the second frame, Canada showed more control, building a five-point lead (17-12) and maintaining it thanks to the effectiveness of Siksna and Jonas Van Huizen, securing the set 25-19.
Canada vs Guatemala battleing the ball.
Guatemala bounced back in the third set, taking a 20-17 lead with Leonardo at the front. The Central Americans forced a fourth set after edging Canada 28-26, with José Samayoa also contributing to the effort.
Canada closed the match in the fourth (25-19), capitalizing on its opponent’s errors and spreading the offense among Kristjanson, Canham, Van Huizen, and Duncanson.
Statistically, Canada outperformed Guatemala in attacks (54-35), blocks (10-3), and service points (7-3), though committed more errors (49-31).
Canadian Liam Kristjanson led all scorers with 17 points (10 kills, 2 blocks, and a match-high 5 aces). He was supported by Cole Duncanson with 13 points (10 kills, 3 blocks), Erik Siksna with 12 (8 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace), and Jonas Van Huizen with 11, all on attacks.
For Guatemala, Andy Leonardo stood out with 16 points (13 kills, 1 block, 2 aces), while team captain Carlos López added 10 points, all on attacks.
Liam Kristjanson said about the match: “It was an exciting match. We created a lot of stress for ourselves. We give credit to Guatemala, they have some great players, and we knew they were going to battle hard. I was happy that our team was able to deal with the adversity they showed us. We’re happy to come out with the win and with some lessons in what we can improve. We’re 2-0 and that’s a good place to be and carry that record against Colombia”.
After the match, Andy Leonardo said: “We have great unity, we’re a group that has worked together for many years and that shows on the court. What we lack is more international experience to face stronger opponents. We are doing an excellent job; we’ve trained hard and given our best effort. We performed well today and yesterday too. We’ll keep moving forward because the competition continues. I support all my teammates; I’m one of the most experienced players here.”
August 27, 2025.- The United States maintained their unbeaten streak with a straight-set victory over Bulgaria this Wednesday in the Round of 16, being one of the teams that remain undefeated and that advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s U21 World Championship 2025 in Jiangmen.
Iran, Czechia and Italy also advanced with flawless records, while France, Cuba, Poland and China joined them to complete the lineup of the top eight.
The Americans kept their momentum going with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-20) win, leaving Bulgaria trailing from the start. Sean Kelly led the attack with 13 points, Jackson Cryst contributed 11, and setter Tread Rosenthal added four blocks as part of a dominant defensive performance.
Cuba celebrates
Each set followed a similar pattern, with USA taking early leads and never relinquishing control. Their 34 kills and 11 team blocks reflected the balance across the entire rotation.
Cuba had to fight harder, overcoming Egypt in extended sets before closing 3-0 (30-28, 27-25, 25-17). Opposite Daniel Martínez finished with 28 points, while Félix Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández added 10. Captain Hamza Awad (Elsafy) scored 20 for Egypt, but did not have enough support to force a fourth set.
On August 29, the United States will play for a spot in the Semifinals against France at 11 AM (local time), while Cuba will face Italy at 8 PM (local time).
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 27, 2025. – The Chilean National Team kept its perfect record at the 18th Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup, defeating Suriname in straight sets 3-0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-14) at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
Chile now holds a 2-0 undefeated record in Pool C, while Suriname is still searching for its first win (0-2).
The pool stage will conclude on Thursday with Chile facing Mexico and Suriname taking on the Dominican Republic. Afterward, the two best pool winners will move directly into the semifinals.
Chile celebrates
Chile’s attacking power and serving were key factors in the victory. The South Americans dominated in kills (41-23), service aces (9-0), and blocks (8-2). Both teams handed out 17 points apiece through unforced errors.
Vicente Parraguirre, Chile’s opposite, topped all scorers with 13 points (10 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace). Followed by Noe Aravena with 12 points (10 kills, 1 block, 1 ace) and Tomás Gago with 10 (6 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces).
For Suriname, Shemar Jameson led the way with 6 points.
Vicente Parraguirre on the victory said: “Today against Suriname we came in strong to keep our undefeated record. They are a developing team, and we were able to maintain our intensity from start to finish. Since the beginning of the tournament, our goal has been to win our pool. Yesterday against the Dominican Republic it was a very tight match, and it was important to start with a victory. Tomorrow, we close against Mexico, and I hope we keep the same intensity in our game.”
Shemar Jameson said “We can play better because we have a lot of potential, but the level of competition here is higher for us. We are trying every match to improve”.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 26, 2025.- The United States earned its first victory in Pool A of the Men’s Pan American Cup after beating Antigua and Barbuda 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-17) at Domo de la Feria in Guanajuato, León.
The U.S. with 1-1 record will close pool-play against Cuba, while Antigua and Barbuda (0-2) will face Venezuela.
The top place in the pool will have to wait until the results are complete to learn if they advance directly to semifinals or they will go through the quarterfinals alongside the second place in each pool.
Nolan Flexen-USA
USA sealed the win with advantage in every skill: attacks (43-20), blocks (5-2) and service aces (8-1). They committed a similar number of errors, the United States with 19 and Antigua and Barbuda with 17.
Kaleb Jenness of USA was the only player with double digits, with 14 points, as the U.S. used all its players.
Kaleb Jenness said after the win: “It was a really good comeback after yesterday’s loss. We had a lot of talking going on and we really wanted to play a good solid match, and I thought we did that. I am very proud of our team and our coaches. Tomorrow we played Cuba, we’re going to do the same things we played today, keep that high-level of volleyball, keep our communication going, just be really good at first contact – our passing and our receiving – the little stuff be really good”.
Cairon Davis of Antigua and Barbuda expressed: “Today we started off a little bit slow but overall, it was good. We started to pick up during the match, it’s still working progress. We were more confident today and more organized”.
August 27, 2025.- With an impressive 33 points from opposite Sofia Maldonado, Mexico outlasted Colombia in a five-set battle in the last game for both teams at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship in Thailand.
On Wednesday, the Mexicans scored their first Pool F win in Chiang Mai to finish third in the pool standings and leave their South American opponents bottom of the table winless.
Colombia managed to fight their way back from a set down twice during their last game in Thailand, but in the end, Mexico celebrated a 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 25-23, 18-25, 15-12) victory to leave the tournament on a high note.
Mexico celebrates
Sofia Maldonado hit 31 points in attack at a 53% success rate, including the match winner, and put up three kill blocks to emerge as the best scorer of the game. 22-year-old outside hitter Melanie Parra contributed another 18 points, including one ace and four kill blocks. Overall, the Mexican team piled up an impressive number of 17 kill blocks in the game, against seven from Colombia, and that made the biggest difference in the match. As many as nine of those stuffs were authored by middle blocker and captain Jocelyn Urias, who finished with a total of 11 points.
“It feels amazing! We started really well in our first games, but we couldn’t really get that win, because China and the Dominican Republic are very good teams, but we knew we had to come strong in this game, because it was going to be a big fight, and we are glad that we took the win,” Urias told.
“We had to keep very calm as we had to keep fighting for every point. Maybe we were motivated, and we knew we had to come here with a lot of energy.”
Colombia made a lot fewer unforced errors than Mexico (19-29) and also outperformed the opponents in serving by 7-2 in aces but stopped just short of finding their way to their first ever World Championship victory and stayed winless across the eight matches played at this and at the previous editions.
August 27, 2025.- Canada lost to undefeated Türkiye today at the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
The pool E winners beat Canada 3-0 (25-21, 27-25, 25-13), leading by 49-35 in attack points and 10-5 in blocks. Canada had a slight edge on ace serves (3-2) and errors were even at 16. Opposite Melissa Vargas led the way for the winning side with 16 points.
Middle blocker Nyadholi Thokbuom led scoring with 12 points (8 kills, 2 blocks & 2 aces) for Canada. The Canadian team was playing without opposite Anna Smrek, who is under observation after a hit to the head during the previous match with Spain.
CAN vs TUR
“I think today we played two very good sets and a very bad third,” said Giovanni Guidetti, Canada’s head coach and a former Türkiye head coach. Canada did hold the lead for much of the second set, missing out on two set points to the more experienced Turkish squad.
“Türkiye is a very strong opponent, and we have to accept the result. Now one day of rest and then we focus on USA, another very strong opponent. What I’m asking of the team before the match against the United States is to play like Canada – that means we will never give up!”
Canada finished second in the pool with a 2-1 record and both Canada and Türkiye move to the round of 16. Canada meets its North American neighbors and Pool D winners USA on September 1 in Bangkok, while Türkiye plays Slovenia.
August 27, 2025.- Dominican Republic finished second in Pool F after falling to China in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship this Wednesday. China closed their pool phase campaign undefeated.
Playing in Chiang Mai, the Chinese (who had dropped sets to Mexico and Colombia in their previous matches) showed solidity to dominate the “Queens of the Caribbean” and secure a 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-17) triumph in their last Pool F match.
Brayelin Martinez DOM
With the victory, China reached nine points and confirmed the top spot in the Pool F standings, which set them up against France, second place in Pool C, in the Round of 16. Second with six points, the Dominican Republic will face Brazil, first in their pool. Both matches will be played on Sunday in Bangkok.
Wu Mengjie was China’s top scorer with 16 points (15 kills, one block), one more than her fellow outside hitter Zhuang Yushan, who registered 12 kills, two blocks and one ace. Middle blocker Wang Yuanyuan also reached double digits, with ten points (five kills and five blocks). On the Dominican side, captain and outside hitter Brayelin Martínez was the most productive with 15 points (13 kills, one block and one ace).
Reducing their errors to only ten, compared to the Dominicans’ 17, was one of the most positive aspects for the Chinese, who also outscored their opponents in kills (44-34) and blocks (13-6). The Caribbean had the advantage in serves, leading the ace battle 3-1.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 26, 2025. – Host team Mexico got off to a strong start in the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup, defeating Suriname 3-0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-17) at the Domo de la Feria in León.
Mexico (1-0) will face the Dominican Republic (0-1) in its next Pool C match, while Suriname (0-1) will meet Chile (1-0).
The opening set was evenly matched, tied at 7 points, until Mexico pulled ahead with Brandon López leading the offense and two consecutive aces from Isaías Aguirre to make it 12-8. Despite efforts from Shemar Jameson and Anferney Schmeltz to close the gap, a spike from Franky Hernández off the Surinamese block sealed the set for Mexico.
From there, the hosts controlled the match from start to finish, cruising through the next two sets.
Mexico celebrates
Mexico outperformed Suriname in attack (39-25), blocking (5-1), and service points (4-1), while also committing fewer unforced errors (22-27).
With a rotated lineup, Mexico’s top scorers were Mauro Fuentes, Ridl Garay, and Franky Hernández, each with 8 points. On Suriname’s side, Zefanio Breinburg stood out as the leading scorer with 16 points.
After the victory, Mexican captain Mauro Fuentes said: “We had a solid attack, we were consistent in reception, and with good passes we were able to attack comfortably. Suriname had a better presentation than in previous occasions, I think they’re on the right path. We need to improve our aggressiveness and consistency from the service line.”
Suriname’s captain Keven Sporkslede commented: “This is not the level of play in our area; we come from the CAZOVA zone. It wasn’t bad for the first match. We had good moments, but higher-level teams can sustain momentum for longer. We hope to stay consistent to put up a better fight and will try to improve for the next match.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 26, 2025.– Cuba opened the Men’s Senior Pan American Volleyball Cup with a strong performance, defeating Antigua and Barbuda 3-0 (25-19, 25-10, 25-12) on the first day of Pool A action at the Domo de la Feria in León.
The match was quick paced, with the Cubans showing absolute dominance in all aspects of the game, sealing the victory in just 49 minutes.
Cuba controlled the fundamentals in attack (41-15), blocking (6-2), and serving (11-2). Antigua and Barbuda committed fewer errors than Cuba (17 to 27) but could not counter the power of their opponents.
Cuba
To close the match, the Cubans needed four match points, after a service error and two consecutive reception mistakes following powerful attacks from Cairon Davis briefly extended the finish.
Cuba’s top scorers were Víctor Andreu and Endriel Pedroso with 11 points each, while Davis led Antigua and Barbuda with 6 points.
Cuba (1-0) will face Venezuela (1-0) in their next match, while Antigua and Barbuda (0-1) will meet the United States (0-1).
Cuban captain Víctor Andreu said: “We came from a long trip, arriving just last night, so starting with a match that didn’t demand much from us was good, because we are still uncoordinated and making many mistakes. We don’t underestimate any opponent; the ending was exciting for both teams. This match worked as a good practice for us ahead of tougher challenges, like Venezuela and the United States.”
Erwin Mathurin, captain of Antigua and Barbuda said: “For us, coming from a small island in such a big tournament is absolutely incredible. Maybe we anticipated a little bit more from ourselves in this match, but we enjoyed it. We hope to do better going into the other games”.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 26, 2025.– Defending champion Canada opened with a victory in the Senior Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup, defeating Puerto Rico in a hard-fought match 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 22-25, 25-20) at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
On the second day of action in Pool B, Canada (1-0) will face Guatemala (0-1), while Puerto Rico (0-1) will go up against Colombia (1-0).
From the start, Canada set the tone with an effective offense and the blocking of opposite hitter Jordan Canham, who led his team both offensively and defensively. Puerto Rico, led by captain Pedro Molina, battled with intensity and stayed in the fight, but could not contain Canada’s rhythm.
In the second set, the offensive duo of Erik Siksna and Cory Schoenherr extended the lead for the North Americans, while Puerto Rico responded with a powerful spike from Omar Hoyos, before a service error handed the set to Canada.
Puerto Rico and Canada battleing the ball.
Puerto Rico came back in the third, supported by the serving of Klistan Lawrence and the attacking power of Hoyos and Molina, jumping to a six-point lead (15-9). Despite a Canadian rally, the Puerto Ricans forced a fourth set thanks to Molina’s decisive play.
In the fourth, Canada regained control with a strong 4-0 start, highlighted by two consecutive blocks from Cole Duncanson. With sharp attacks and the effective contribution of Kaden Schmidt, Canada secured the win, sealed by Canham.
Canada was superior in attacks (50-37) and blocks (12-3), while Puerto Rico led in service aces (4-2). In errors, Canada committed 40 to Puerto Rico’s 33.
Jordan Canham led all scorers with 19 points (15 attacks, 4 blocks), followed by Cole Duncanson with 12 (9 attacks, 3 blocks). For Puerto Rico, captain Pedro Molina led his side with 13 points (11 attacks, 2 aces).
Canadian team captain Darian Picklyk said: “We knew Puerto Rico had that fight in them and they came out strong in the third set. As for us, we are coming together after every point with a couple of new guys at the international scene, so we just had to stay composed. We focused on our side, our receive and serve, and our blocking”.
After the match, Molina said: “Our team is quite similar to the one that won the Final Four recently here in Mexico. Canada is a tremendous team. We have to keep working; we made too many errors. It was a good match for both teams.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 26, 2025.- Venezuela opened its campaign with a straight-set victory 3-0 (25-21, 28-26, 31-29) over the United States in the first match of Pool A at the Men’s Senior Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
In their next outing, Venezuela will face Cuba, while the United States will take on Antigua and Barbuda.
The South American squad was boosted by the offense of Moisés Vásquez, Emerson Rodríguez, and captain Willner Rivas, who helped secure control of the opening set despite the efforts of Kyle Hobus and Nolan Flexen on the U.S. side.
The second set was tighter, with multiple ties and narrow leads. The U.S. moved ahead 14-12 thanks to Venezuelan errors and a block by Daniel Wetter, but Venezuela regained the edge with attacks from Jean Herrera and eventually closed the set on an Emerson Rodríguez spike.
Willner Rivas Venezuela
In the third set, the United States built an 18-15 advantage with points from Flexen and Hobus, but Venezuela fought back to tie at 23 and, after saving five set points, sealed the win with back-to-back serves from Rodríguez.
Statistically, the match was balanced; Venezuela held the edge in attacks (43-40) and serves (5-2), while the U.S. was superior in blocking (8-7). Venezuela also committed fewer unforced errors (26-29).
Captain Willner Rivas led Venezuela with 17 points, including two aces. Opposite hitter Emerson Rodríguez added 14 points with three aces, and middle blocker Moisés Vásquez contributed 10. For the U.S., Nolan Flexen topped with 15 points, followed by Kyle Hobus with 13 and Daniel Wetter with 10.
Willner Rivas said about his team’s victory: “The United States is a great opponent; they have a good team. We had the opportunity to arrive a week before the competition and play four preparation matches against Mexico, which helped us a lot, and the result was seen today. We stayed focused to come back and turn the game around in the third set.”
Team captain Kyle Hobus of the United States said: “The match could have been better for us in a lot of areas. Venezuela played really well, served really strong and we did not, that was the difference”.
August 26, 2025.- Three-time world champions Cuba ended their participation in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship on a positive note on Tuesday, when they defeated rookies Slovakia in their last match in Phuket.
Cubans and Slovakians entered the court in Thailand already without chances of making it to the elimination rounds, but both sides wanted to pick up their first victory in the tournament before heading back home and the Caribbean were the ones to do it, prevailing 3-1 (27-25, 25-21, 22-25, 26-24) in an exciting match.
With the victory, the Cubans collected their first three points in the tournament and finished the Preliminary Phase in third place in Pool B. Slovakia didn’t get any points in their first-ever World Championship appearance and were fourth.
Evilania Martinez CUB
Cuban outside hitter Evilania Martinez led her team’s offense with 20 points (19 kills, one block). Middle blockers Laura Suárez (17) and Dayana Martínez (11), opposite Dezirett Madan (14) and outside hitter Whitney James (13) all got to double digits in scoring as well in the last Cuban match in the tournament.
“We entered the court today with a lot of confidence in the work we’ve been making and the process we’re going through and determined to get the win,” Suárez analyzed. “I thought the team had a different attitude today, and I’m happy that it led us to taking the win.”
Slovakia had the match’s leading scorer, as outside hitter Zuzana Šepeľová registered 25 points, with 22 kills, two blocks and one ace. Fellow outside hitters Karolína Fričová, with 15, and Simona Jelínková, with 12, also had good performances in the team’s last match in Thailand.
Cuba built their tight victory at the net, where they outscored Slovakia in both kills (63 to 58) and blocks (12 to 11). The Europeans fired the most aces (six to five) and each team gave away 25 points in errors.
August 26, 2025. The Puerto Rican National Team finished their FIVB Women’s Volleyball Championship campaign falling to Brazil, number two in the world ranking, who prevailed clearly 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-18).
The Puerto Ricans, who had previously fallen against France and Greece, faced one of the big favorites for the title and could not stop the South American strength in offense and blocking. Brazil dominated widely in all fundamentals: 38-24 in kills, 17-5 in blocks and 3-0 in serves, in addition to committing fewer errors (11-17).
Puerto Rico
In the Boricua offense, the outside hitters were the most outstanding. Valeria Vázquez finished with 11 points, all in kills, while Paola Santiago contributed 10, also in direct attacks.
Opposite Decelise Champion highlighted the experience gained in the tournament:
“It was very exciting to be here. It was fun but also very challenging. We have learned to connect better as a team and to play more united. We will arrive at the next tournaments with better chemistry and more organization.”
With this defeat, Puerto Rico says goodbye to the tournament without victories, but with valuable competitive lessons looking ahead to their international future.
Brazil, for their part, advanced undefeated as leader of Pool C with three consecutive triumphs and will face in the Round of 16 the second place of Pool F, which will be defined between China and the Dominican Republic.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 26, 2025.- Chile opened the Senior Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup with a 3-1 victory (25-19, 23-25, 25-17, 25-23) over the Dominican Republic in the first match of Pool C, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The Chilean team showed a strong start, taking an early 11-5 lead with attacks from different positions and forcing Dominican errors, closing the first set with an ace by Vicente Valenzuela.
The Dominican Republic reacted in the second set with a tighter game and longer rallies. With blocks from Rafael Burgos and Héctor Cruz, the Caribbean side took a 17-12 advantage. Chile responded through captain Dusan Bonacic and contributions from Vicente Parraguirre and Valenzuela, but Cruz led the Dominican offense and a kill by Luis Reinoso sealed the set to even the match 1-1.
The third set was even in the early stages until Chile pulled ahead 15-11 with a block by Tomás Gago, effective attacks from Bonacic, and Dominican errors. From there, the South Americans extended their lead to take control of the match.
Sebastian Albornoz -Chile and Molina-Dom
In the fourth set, Chile led by as many as six points, but the Dominican Republic staged a dramatic comeback, saving a match point with a block by Burgos against Bonacic (22-24). In the end, Vicente Parraguirre scored the decisive point to secure the Chilean victory.
Statistics favored Chile in attacks (55-53) and service (3-1), while the Dominican Republic led in blocking (8-7). Chile also benefited from 33 Dominican errors, committing 23 of their own.
Vicente Parraguirre topped Chile’s scoring with 19 points, followed by captain Dusan Bonacic with 15 and Vicente Valenzuela with 14. For the Caribbean team, captain Héctor Cruz was the leading scorer of the match with 29 points, supported by Ronny Molina with 16.
In their next Pool C matches, Chile will face Suriname, while the Dominican Republic will meet Mexico.
Chilean captain Dusan Bonacic said after the win: “I’m happy to start the Pan American Cup with a very important victory for us because the Dominican Republic has always been a tough opponent. I’m satisfied with our team’s performance because this victory opens up the championship a bit for us. It was a close finish, with some differences of opinion, but with humility and respect we fought every point.”
Dominican captain Héctor Cruz said: “It was an exciting finish, but we lost focus on blocking. We will keep working hard; this was only the first match, and we still have opportunities.”
Their victory also qualified Slovenia, which are set to play in the elimination rounds in their first appearance in the tournament
The United States passed their first test at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship with flying colors on Tuesday, when they ended pool play as the top team in Pool D following a victory over Czechia in Nakhon Ratchasima.
Set to move to Bangkok, where the elimination rounds will be played, the Americans produced a strong comeback in the first set and built from it in their farewell match in the city to take Czechia down 3-0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-15) and continue undefeated in the tournament.
Avery Skinner USA
The three points earned against the Czechs confirmed the Americans as the top team in Pool D ahead of the start of the elimination rounds, as they reached nine points in the standings. The result also qualified rookies Slovenia, which defeated Argentina 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-21) earlier on Tuesday and got to four points, but still depended on a Czech defeat to advance.
Americans and Slovenians will meet teams coming from Pool E in the Round of 16 on Monday, in Bangkok. Türkiye and Canada are already confirmed to advance from the pool and their encounter on Wednesday, at 16:00 local time (9:00 GMT), will determine the matchups – the winners will play Slovenia and the losers will face the USA.
Olympic medalist Avery Skinner led the Americans against the Czechs, producing a team-high 15 points with 13 kills, one block and one ace. Fellow outside hitter Sarah Franklin added 12 (all in kills), while middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu tallied ten (seven kills, two blocks, one ace).
“We’re happy to have qualified, our pool was difficult to get out and I’m really proud that we did it with three wins,” Skinner reacted. “The Czechs started very well and we just weathered the storm. We knew they were a good team and just stuck to our game plan. We need to keep that mentality because every match is important and every opponent will give their best against us.”
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