Ponce, Puerto Rico Ready to Host the NORCECA Men’s Final Six

PONCE, Puerto Rico, October 1, 2025.- The city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, is preparing to host the NORCECA Men’s Final Six tournament, scheduled to take place from October 6 to 12 at the Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium.

The event will bring together the men’s national teams of Canada, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Suriname, the United States, and Puerto Rico.

This will be the fifth edition of this prestigious tournament, which awards world ranking points to teams not competing in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and serves as part of the qualification process for the 2026 NORCECA Men’s Pan American Cup and the 2026 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship.

At a press conference, the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (FPV) presented the tournament details, with the participation of the Honorable Mayor of Ponce, Marlese Sifre González, and FPV President, Dr. César Trabanco.

Mayor Sifre expressed her excitement: “We feel extremely pleased, proud, and happy that this tournament will be held in our city, a city that we are rebuilding with soul, life, and heart. I thank Dr. Trabanco for always putting Ponce first.”

Dr. Trabanco highlighted the significance of the tournament within the Olympic cycle:
“We started the year ranked 29th or 30th and today we are at 23. If we win the matches that count for the world ranking, we could finish at 22, which is key for the 2027 World Championship in Poland. The games against the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Suriname are the ones that add points. Although the United States and Canada do not affect the ranking, defeating them always has a special flavor.”

The United States enters the competition as two-time defending champion, having won the last two editions (2023 and 2024). The Americans also hold two bronze medals (2021, 2022). Mexico won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2021 and has earned two bronze medals (2023, 2024), while Cuba captured gold in 2022. Canada has finished as runner-up in every edition.

The competition format includes a preliminary round-robin phase, with the top four teams advancing to the crossover semifinals (2nd vs. 3rd and 1st vs. 4th) on October 11. The teams finishing fifth and sixth will play on the final day to determine their position, followed by the bronze and gold medal matches.

Round-Robin Schedule

October 6

4:00pm  Suriname vs Canada

6:00pm  United States vs Mexico

8:00pm  Puerto Rico vs Dominican Republic

October 7

4:00pm  United States vs Canada

6:00pm  Dominican Republic vs Suriname

8:00pm  Puerto Rico vs Mexico

October 8

4:00pm  United States vs Dominican Republic

6:00pm  Canada vs Mexico

8:00pm  Puerto Rico vs Suriname

October 9

4:00pm  Dominican Republic vs Mexico

6:00pm  United Satates vs Suriname

8:00pm  Puerto Rico vs Canada

October 10

4:00pm  Suriname vs Mexico

6:00pm  Canada vs Dominican Republic

8:00pm  Puerto Rico vs United Sates

Year by Year Medalists

YEARGOLDSILVERBRONZE
2021MEXCANUSA
2022CUBCANUSA
2023USACANMEX
2024USACANMEX

Lisa Casimie of Saint Lucia Earns ECVA Women’s Final 4 MVP Award

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, September 28, 2025.- Opposite player Lisa Casimie of Saint Lucia stood out as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) after her team won the Gold Medal of the 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4 Tournament that concluded in St. John’s, Antigua, on Sunday.

Casimie also received the awards for Best Opposite and Best Scorer. Saint Lucia also picked up other awards: Amalia Louis was honored as Best Spiker and Best Receiver, while Tenayestlgin Joseph earned the awards for Best Libero and Best Digger for her defensive action.

Host Antigua received the award for Second Best Blocker thanks to Alliyah Smith.

From Bermuda, Natalia Gazzard was recognized as Second Best Spiker, Amber Simmons as Best Blocker, Kaylee Trott as Best Setter, and Megan Hands as Best Server.

Saint Lucia Strikes Gold at the 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4!

ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, September 28, 2025 – In a thrilling showdown that showcased the best of Caribbean volleyball, Saint Lucia triumphed over Bermuda to clinch the gold medal at the 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4 held at the YMCA in St. John’s, Antigua.

The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, with Bermuda demonstrating fierce determination. However, Saint Lucia’s powerful performance ultimately led them to victory with a final score of 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-21). This remarkable win marks the fourth consecutive championship for Saint Lucia, solidifying their dominance in the tournament.

Head coach Kendell Charlery expressed his elation after the match, stating, “We are elated, happy; we did it again! That’s four times in a row. This team is representing themselves and their country. It’s a great feeling to do it again.”

Saint Lucia came out swinging, earning an impressive 55 points off attacks compared to Bermuda’s 39. While Bermuda excelled in blocking, registering 8 points to Saint Lucia’s 5, the latter led in service aces, 10-5, and committed fewer errors (28 to Bermuda’s 32).

The standout player of the final was opposite Lisa Casimie, who delivered an exceptional performance, scoring a remarkable 25 points. Megan Hands led Bermuda with 12 points, showcasing her skills in a commendable effort.

In the bronze medal match, the host nation, Antigua, secured victory over Grenada, adding to the excitement of the day.

Puerto Ricans Navas/Gonzalez paint themselves with gold in Punta Cana

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 28, 2025 – Puerto Rican duo María González/Allanis Navas defeated Americans Geena Urango/Mariah Whalen (USA1) in a thrilling three-set victory 2-1 (19-21, 21-17, 15-10) to win the gold medal at the ninth stop of the NORCECA Continental Beach Volleyball Tour, which concluded successfully at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

This is the seventh medal the Puerto Ricans have won on this year’s Tour, accumulating six gold medals and one bronze.

Podium Womens

To advance to the final, González/Navas defeated Marcela Araya/Eugenia Ramírez of Costa Rica 2-0 (24-22, 21-10) in the semifinals, while Urango/Whalen defeated Canadian pair Alison McKay/Darby Dunn (CAN1) 2-0 (21-15, 21-13) in the semifinals.

The bronze medal went to Canadians Alison McKay/Darby Dunn (CAN1), who easily defeated Marcela Araya/Eugenia Ramírez of Costa Rica 2-0 (21-12, 21-10) in straight sets.

In fifth place were Americans Katherine Reilly/Clara Stowel (USA2), who needed three sets to defeat Cubans Kailin Garrido/Maykelin Drik 2-1 (17-21, 23-21, 15-12).

All winners

In the seventh-place match, Dominicans Julibeth Payano/Azmabeth Infante (DOM1) defeated Socorro López/Norma Brenes of Nicaragua 2-0 (22-20, 21-12), while Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez (MEX1) took ninth place by defeating Canadians Kaylee Glagau/Abbey Thorup (CAN2) 2-1 (21-14, 11-21, 15-9).

Eleventh place went to Keiry Guzmán/Karla Tovar of El Salvador after defeating Angélica Torres/María Ramírez (MEX2) due to injury. Thirteenth place went to Dominicans Bethania Almanzar/Crismil Paniagua, who defeated Oriana Granadilla/Darlin Rodríguez of Venezuela 2-1 (21-23, 21-19, 15-10).

Vernecia and Verneeci Caines of the Virgin Islands finished in fifteenth place.

Other results of the day were: CUB Garrido/Drik vs. DOM1 Payano/Infante 2-0 (21-13, 21-12); USA2 vs. Reilly/Stowel vs. NCA López/Brenes 2-0 (21-13, 21-17).

Lolette Rodríguez: The MVP Who Led Nicaragua to the Women’s Final Four Title

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, September 28, 2025. – Nicaraguan setter Lolette Rodríguez was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Second Edition of the AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four Championship, held at the San Francisco de Dos Ríos Gymnasium, where her team claimed the regional title.

Rodríguez became the driving force for Nicaragua, leading with her offensive strength and experience in the most high-pressure moments. Her performance was key for the Nicaraguans to secure the championship ahead of Costa Rica and Honduras.

All awards

In addition to the MVP award, awards were presented to the tournament’s standout players.

Costa Rica took home key awards, including Best Server for María Alfaro, Best Receiver for María José Castro, Best Setter for Yuliana González, Best Opposite for Ana Victoria Rojas, Best Spiker for Tania Carazo and Lakisha Thompson as Second Best Blocker.

Honduras shined with Sasha Kawas as Second Best Spiker, Ana Marcellin as Best Blocker and Top Scorer, and Andrea Zúñiga as Best Libero. Nicaragua also celebrated Juny Aguilera, who was honored as Best Digger.

The final podium crowned Nicaragua as the new back-to-back Central American champion, reaffirming their regional dominance, with Costa Rica finishing as runner-up and Honduras taking third place.

ÁLBUM PREMIACIÓN

Nicaragua Crowned Back-to-Back AFECAVOL Final Four Champion with Lolette Rodríguez as MVP

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, September 28, 2025. – Nicaragua claimed the title of the Second Edition of the AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four Championship, held at the San Francisco de Dos Ríos Gymnasium, after winning its final match and waiting for the outcome of the last game of the day.

In the first match of the final day, Nicaragua swept El Salvador 3-0 (25-13, 25-20, 25-15). The Nicaraguans dominated with strong performances from Gilmary Smith (14 points) and Ericka Calero (13), along with the leadership of their setter, Lolette Rodríguez. El Salvador fought hard in the second set with contributions from Gabriela Funes (10 points) and Pamela Andrade, but their 19 unforced errors tipped the balance in Nicaragua’s favor.

Later, in a thrilling conclusion, Honduras defeated Costa Rica 3-2 (18-25, 26-24, 20-25, 28-26, 15-10), a result that ultimately handed the title to Nicaragua based on a superior set ratio. Costa Rica had controlled much of the match with the efforts of Tannia Carazo, Tatiana Sayles, and Victoria Rojas, but the Hondurans mounted a comeback led by Ana Gabriela Marcellin, the match’s top scorer with 31 points, and Sasha Kawas, who added 23.

Final Podium

The final podium was completed with Nicaragua as Champion, Costa Rica as Runner-up, and Honduras in third place, while El Salvador went winless.

The tournament’s standout performer was Lolette Rodríguez, who was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for her decisive contribution to Nicaragua’s championship.

Individual Awards

•             Most Valuable Player MVP: Lolette Rodríguez (NCA)

                •             Best Server: María Alfaro (CRC)

                •             Best Receiver: María José Castro (CRC)

                •             Best Setter: Yuliana González (CRC)

                •             First Spiker: Tania Carazo (CRC)

                •             Second Spiker: Sasha Kawas (HON)

                •             First Middle Blocker: Ana Marcellin (HON)

                •             Second Middle Blocker: Lakisha Thompson (CRC)

                •             Best Opposite: Ana Victoria Rojas (CRC)

                •             Best Digger: Juny Aguilera (NCA)

                •             Best Libero: Andrea Zúñiga (HON)

                •             Best Scorer: Ana Marcellin (HON)

Honduras Defeats Costa Rica and Hands Nicaragua the AFECAVOL Final Four Title

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, September 28, 2025.– Honduras defeated Costa Rica 3-2 (18-25, 26-24, 20-25, 28-26, 15-10) in a dramatic finish to the AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four Central American Championship, held at the San Francisco de Dos Ríos Gymnasium. The result allowed Nicaragua to be crowned back-to-back champions of the tournament.

Costa Rica started strong and took the first set 25-18 with contributions from Tannia Carazo and Tatiana Sayles, but Honduras responded in the second set, closing 26-24 to tie the match thanks to the power of Ana Gabriela Marcelin and Sasha Pamela Kawas. In the third set, the Costa Ricans regained control with a 25-20 win led by Krystel Vargas and Victoria Rojas, but the Hondurans refused to give up and forced the tiebreak with a dramatic 28-26 fourth set.

In the fifth set, Marcelin was once again decisive and, along with Kawas, guided Honduras to a 15-10 victory that left Costa Rica without championship hopes.

CRC vs HON

ÁLBUM HON vs CRC

Marcelin was the  top scorer of the match with 31 points, followed by Kawas with 23 and Rocío Duron with 13. For Costa Rica, Sayles and Rojas scored 23 points each, while Carazo added 22.

The statistics reflected how close the match was: Honduras led in attack points 75 to 73 and in service aces 7 to 5. Costa Rica was superior in blocking, 12 to 9, and committed fewer unforced errors, 15 to 20.

The result placed Costa Rica second with two wins and one loss, while Nicaragua, with a better set ratio, was crowned 2025 Final Four champion, confirming its regional dominance. Honduras finished third.

Marvin Ulloa, Honduras’ head coach: “It’s been many years since we beat Costa Rica at the senior level. The team has been growing; unfortunately, we had a bad start, but starting yesterday, we began to really play, and the players gave everything. They are happy. It was a beautiful spectacle; for those who love volleyball, having a packed gym with the crowd cheering for the home team is wonderful. This win is for my old man.”

Braulio Godínez, Costa Rica’s head coach: “Today was a match that maybe we thought Honduras wouldn’t be so strong in, but they went from less to more, and today they played very well. Honduras outperformed us in every aspect; they were more focused. Maybe after beating Nicaragua yesterday, the girls thought today might be a bit easier. We struggled to get into our rhythm; we played at their pace, and it took a lot to get back to our level. We could have won the fourth set—we had several set points—but we lacked the calm needed to close it. This tournament shows that the Central American Games will be very competitive, where small details will make the difference.”

Antigua and Barbuda Earns Bronze Medal at 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, September 28, 2025. – In a thrilling display of skill and determination, Antigua and Barbuda has made history by winning its first-ever medal at the 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4, clinching the bronze with a stunning victory over Grenada. The match, held on Sunday at the YMCA in St. John’s, saw Antigua dominate with a decisive 3-0 victory (25-11, 25-21, 25-14).

From the outset, Antigua showcased remarkable prowess, taking early control of the match and quickly establishing their dominance in the first set. Despite Grenada’s spirited comeback in the second set, Antigua maintained their composure and executed their game plan flawlessly, closing out the match in straight sets.

Antigua and Barbuda vs Granada

The Antiguan team’s offensive strategy was particularly effective, boasting a remarkable 31-16 advantage in attacks. Antigua also excelled in serving, racking up 13 service aces compared to Grenada’s 5. Both teams recorded three blocks, but it was Antigua’s disciplined play and tactical execution that made the difference.

Leading the charge for Antigua was opposite Jahzara Donovan, who scored an impressive 12 points. Outside hitter Faith Gibson and middle blocker Alliyah Smith each contributed critical 8 points, demonstrating the depth of talent on the team. Grenada’s top scorer, Xenia Collins, put forth a valiant effort with 9 points.

Team Captain Rosemarie Simon expressed her pride in the team’s achievement, stating, “We played our best and executed our game plan as we discussed. We are thrilled to have come out with a medal at this tournament. This victory is not just for us, but for all of Antigua and Barbuda!”

Nicaragua Defeats El Salvador in Straight Sets at AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, September 28, 2025.- Nicaragua convincingly defeated El Salvador 3-0 (25-13, 25-20, 25-15) at the San Francisco de Dos Ríos Gymnasium, at the Central American Women’s Final Four Championship.

In the first set, the Nicaraguans set the pace with strong serving and Gilmary Smith’s attacks, closing with a comfortable 25-13 win.

In the second set, El Salvador showed its best version with contributions from Gabriela Funes and Pamela Andrade, but setter Lolette Rodríguez’s pressure and Ericka Calero’s offensive finish made the difference, taking the set 25-20 and moving ahead 2-0.

Nicaragua block

The third set confirmed Nicaragua’s dominance. El Salvador’s 19 unforced errors made it easier to close the set 25-15 and complete the sweep.

ÁLBUM NCA vs ESA

The statistics reflected Nicaragua’s superiority, as they recorded 42 attack points, 4 blocks, and 8 aces, while committing 13 unforced errors.

Smith was the top scorer with 14 points, followed by Calero with 13 and Rodríguez with 7 points. For El Salvador, Funes scored 10 points, while Andrade and Ramírez added 6 each.

With this result, Nicaragua finished the tournament with two wins and one loss, while El Salvador ended winless. Nicaragua awaits the result between Costa Rica and Honduras to know their final standing.

Lolette Rodríguez, Nicaragua’s setter: “We have felt very good in this tournament. We knew it was going to be a very tough event, all the teams are preparing well, and we see this as preparation for the upcoming Central American Games. We’ll go back home, make adjustments, and try to be as well-prepared as possible.”

Marisol Sánchez, El Salvador’s setter: “We are very happy to have been able to participate in this Final Four. We have a very young team, with many girls still part of the U19 category, and the goal is to achieve better results for future national teams.”

James Drost and Troy Field Win Gold on NORCECA Punta Cana Tour

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 28, 2025 – Americans James Drost and Troy Field defeated Cuban duo Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes in a nail-biting three-set match 2-1 (19-21, 21-18, 15-10) to win the gold medal in the ninth leg of the NORCECA Continental Beach Volleyball Tour, which concluded this Sunday in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Drost/Field (USA) defeated Mexico’s Antonio Lares/Carlos Ayala 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) in the semifinals to advance to the final, while Cuba’s Gomez/Veranes defeated Nicaragua’s Ruben Mora/Dany Lopez 2-0 (21-16, 23-21) in the semifinals.

Mexico’s Lares/Ayala took the bronze medal, defeating Nicaragua’s Mora/Lopez 2-0 (21-16, 21-18).

Podium Mens

Venezuela’s Juliangel Vargas/Enyensser Delgado finished fifth, defeating Canada’s Rouzbeh Rahnavard/Dylan Devecseri 2-0 (21-17, 21-15).

In seventh place were Dominicans Hayerling de Jesús/Jorge Matos (DOM1), who defeated their counterparts Melvin de Jesús/Ramón de Jesús (DOM2) 2-0 (21-13, 21-16), while Justin Solano/Victorio González finished in ninth place, defeating Sean Tucker/Benjamin Barnett of Bermuda 2-0 (21-14, 21-18).

Eleventh place went to José Izaguirre/Santiago Penagos of Guatemala, who defeated Jared Brown/Colem Sommer of the Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-10, 21-13). In 13th place was Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz of El Salvador, who defeated Joel Theodore/Stephen Enile of Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 (21-16, 18-21, 15-7).

In fifteenth place were Aiden Hazzard/Da’Qwan Fredericks of Anguilla.

Other results of the day were: CAN Rahvanard/Devecseri in DOM2 M. de Jesús/R. de Jesús 2-0 (21-16, 21-15); VEN Vargas/Delgado in DOM1 H. de Jesús/Matos 2-0 (21-17, 21-13).

Antigua Secures First Win at 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, September 27, 2025.- Antigua and Barbuda achieved a significant milestone today by securing their first victory at the 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4, sweeping Grenada 3-0 with set scores of 25-13, 25-20, 25-9. The match took place at the YMCA in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, on the second day of the tournament.

The Antiguan team demonstrated remarkable skill and cohesion from the outset, particularly in the first set where they established a commanding twelve-point lead. Although Grenada attempted to rally in the second set, reaching a score of 20, Antigua ultimately maintained their composure to clinch the set and the match.

Block

Antigua’s performance was characterized by dominance in several key areas. They outperformed Grenada with 11 service points compared to Grenada’s 6, executed 2 blocks to Grenada’s 1, and committed fewer errors (22 to 25). However, Grenada led in attack points with a margin of 37 to 13.

Jahzara Donovan stood out as Antigua’s top scorer, contributing 14 points, while Middle Blocker Nayota Peters followed closely with 11 points. This victory brings Antigua’s record to 1-2 in the tournament.

Antigua will conclude their tournament play on Sunday against Grenada, who remains winless. Meanwhile, Bermuda (3-0) is set to face Saint Lucia (2-1) in a crucial match that will determine eligibility qualifications for the 2026 Pan American Games.

Bermuda Triumphs in Thrilling Five-Set Showdown Against Saint Lucia

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, September 27, 2025.- In a nail-biting encounter that showcased the spirit and determination of both teams, Bermuda emerged victorious over Saint Lucia in a hard-fought match during the 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4. The final score of 3-2 (25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 25-27, 15-11) reflects the intense competition that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

Bermuda dominated the attack with a total of 51 points to Saint Lucia’s 42, while also edging in blocks (6-5). The standout performer for Bermuda was outside hitter Natalie Gazzard, who delivered 13 points, leading her team to this exhilarating victory.

Bermuda celebrates

Saint Lucia’s Lisa Casimine shone brightly for her team, contributing a remarkable 25 points. Despite the loss, her captain, Cindy Wilson, remained optimistic. “I find we played the game without much effort; we played a low-level game,” she stated. “Heading into the finals tomorrow, we are going back to the drawing board. We need to stick to the game plan and execute.”

As the excitement builds, Bermuda will now prepare to face Saint Lucia once more in a thrilling championship match for 1st place, while Antigua will battle Grenada for 3rd place. The medal matches are set to take place on Sunday, June 28, at the YMCA, St. John’s Antigua, promising an electric atmosphere as teams vie for glory.

Join us as we celebrate the passion and talent of these incredible athletes and witness the culmination of this exhilarating tournament

Costa Rica Defeats Nicaragua and Moves Closer to AFECAVOL Final Four Title

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, September 27, 2025.– In an exciting five-set battle, Costa Rica defeated defending champions Nicaragua (25-17, 20-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-5) and is now one step away from claiming the AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four Championship being held at the San Francisco de Dos Ríos Gymnasium.

The duel was a true clash of power. The Costa Ricans took a tight first set (25-23), but Nicaragua came back strong in the second and third, with identical scores (25-20), to take the lead. Costa Rica never gave up and, with the support of their home crowd, evened the match with a solid 25-19 in the fourth set. The fifth set showed the hosts at their best: focus, organized defense, and effective attacking to seal the victory with a convincing 15-5.

ÁLBUM CRC vs NCA

Individually, Tania Carazo shined as Costa Rica’s top scorer with 17 points, supported by Tatiana Sayles with 16 and Victoria Rojas with 15. The team totaled 52 attack points and 9 blocks.

Costa Rica Win

For Nicaragua, captain Ericka Calero led the offense with 15 points, followed by Josafat Díaz with 15 and María Belén Arcia with 14. The Nicaraguans tallied 7 blocks and 55 attack points but committed 35 unforced errors compared to Costa Rica’s 28.

With this win, Costa Rica remains unbeaten and sits atop the standings. Nicaragua, who also won their first match, now faces a challenge in defending their title.

The decisive day will be played tomorrow, with Costa Rica looking to clinch the title in front of their home fans against Honduras at 6:30 p.m., while Nicaragua will face El Salvador at 4:00 p.m.

Tatiana Sayles, Costa Rica’s Captain: “We just finished a very close match against Nicaragua; they are a very strong team. We knew this was going to be a very tough match, but we managed to get the win today. We know this Final Four is very important for us ahead of the Central American Games. We know they are not the same, but this helps us as preparation. Today the team focused on the game plan, and we are very happy about the victory. Now we must focus on tomorrow’s match against Honduras.”

Dalia Calero, Nicaragua’s Outside Hitter: “We knew it was a very tough match, and we clearly wanted to win it and keep the title. The tournament is not over yet, and I think we can give more of ourselves.”

Bermuda Triumphs Over Antigua and Barbuda at 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4 

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, September 27, 2025. – In an exciting matchup at the 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4, Bermuda showcased their strength by defeating Antigua and Barbuda 3-1 (25-23, 26-24, 20-25, 25-17). This marks Antigua’s second defeat in the tournament.

Bermuda started strong, dominating the first set, but Antigua made a commendable effort to tighten the competition, especially during the second set. The third set saw Antigua leading, demonstrating tenacity and skill. However, Bermuda’s young squad rallied to secure the victory.

Bermuda

Bermuda’s Head Coach, Rick Bevis, praised his team’s collective effort: “For me as the coach, the biggest takeaway was how much effort it was a team effort and a team win. You saw that I made a lot of substitutions and almost maxed out my substitutions in every set. That’s how we build our team; everybody contributes and has a job to do. It was really gratifying to see everybody make a strong effort as a team.”

Antigua’s captain, Rosemarie Simon, expressed her disappointment: “I am a little bit disappointed because I came here as the captain of this team to win the game. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy because technically, Bermuda is a strong team. They may not be power hitters, but their technique is pretty good in passing, setting, and placing the ball, where persons are not. We broke down defensively in this game, but we are looking forward to going forth and playing Grenada.”

Bermuda led in attack points (53-41) and blocking (6-4), while Antigua, on opponent errors, 34 points compared to Bermuda’s 23.

The tournament is being held at the YMCA in St. John’s and will continue until September 28.

Honduras Defeats El Salvador at AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, September 27, 2025. – Honduras earned their first victory in the AFECAVOL Women’s Central American Final Four Championship by defeating El Salvador 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 20-25, 26-24) in a thrilling duel at the San Francisco de Dos Ríos Gymnasium.

The start was favorable for the Catrachas, who, with an organized game, took control of the first set 25-19. In the second set, El Salvador tightened up and forced a close finish, but Honduras prevailed again 25-23.

El Salvador responded in the third set, extending the match with a 25-20 win. The final set was a nail-biter, with Honduras resisting the pressure and closing it 26-24 to secure the victory.

The statistics reflected Honduras’ superiority in attack with 57 points to 45 and in blocking with 10 to 5. El Salvador compensated with power from the service line, recording 10 aces compared to Honduras’ 3.

Honduras winner

ÁLBUM HON vs ESA

The standout player of the match was Gabriela Marcelin, unstoppable with 25 points (20 on attacks and 5 on blocks). She was supported by Sasha Pamela Kawas with 17 points and Rocío Durón with 8. For El Salvador, Blanca Colato stood out with 14 points, followed by Adriana Flores with 11.

With this victory, Honduras earns their first points in the standings and puts themselves back in contention to improve their position.

Tomorrow, they will finish their participation by facing Costa Rica at 6:30 p.m., while El Salvador will play against Nicaragua at 4:00 p.m.

The final day will be decisive, as Honduras seeks to overtake El Salvador in the standings and the matches will determine the Central American champion.

Tessa Flores, Captain of Honduras: “It was quite a tough match because we know El Salvador digs up everything. We stepped up our game in blocking and serving, we stayed focused, and we pulled it off. The last set was very close, but we trusted our attackers and our blocking, and that’s how we were able to take the match.”

Adriana Flores, Captain of El Salvador: “This match was very close, and the victory was going to go to the team that made fewer mistakes. In our case, we struggled to close in the moments when we needed to be decisive. That happened even though we managed our defense better, but unfortunately, the overall set of things we needed to do well at the end didn’t come together, but we fought hard.”

Saint Lucia Dominates Grenada in 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, September 27, 2025. – In an impressive display of skill and teamwork, Saint Lucia swept Grenada 3-0 (25-17, 25-10, 25-15) in their second match of the 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4 at the YMCA, St. John’s Antigua.

From the very beginning, Saint Lucia asserted control over the match, showcasing their dominance with a staggering 36-18 lead in attacks and a 2-1 advantage in blocks. Despite committing 25 errors, their performance far outpaced Grenada, which struggled to find its rhythm throughout the game with 21 errors.

Saint Lucia

Lisa Casimie emerged as the standout player for Saint Lucia, scoring an impressive 18 points. The team’s cohesion and strategic play were evident as they capitalized on Grenada’s challenges, which have unfortunately led to a winless record thus far in the tournament.

Cindy Wilson, Captain of Saint Lucia: “We stuck with, and executed our game plan effectively and maintained our focus throughout the match. It feels great to contribute to our team’s success, and we’re looking forward to facing Bermuda next.”

Jahmirah Beadle, Captain of Grenada: “We’ve been struggling to find our footing in this tournament. We need to regroup and focus on improving our performance as we prepare for our next match against Antigua and Barbuda.”

Looking ahead, Saint Lucia will face Bermuda in their next match, while Grenada seeks to turn their fortunes around against the host nation, Antigua and Barbuda.

Women’s teams from Puerto Rico, the United States, Canada, and Costa Rica advance to the semifinals in Punta Cana

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 27, 2025.- The women’s teams from Puerto Rico, the United States, Canada, and Costa Rica advanced this Saturday to the semifinals of the ninth leg of the NORCECA Continental Beach Volleyball Tour, which is being held on the sand courts at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas defeated the Cuban duo Kailin Garrido/Maykelin Drik 2-1 (21-18, 17-21, 15-13) in the Quarterfinals and will play in the Semifinals against Marcela Araya and Eugenia Ramírez of Costa Rica, who defeated Julibeth Payano/Azmabeth Infante (DOM1) 2-1 (21-17, 19-21, 15-8).

Geena Urango and Mariah Whalen (USA1) defeated their counterparts Katherine Reilly/Clara Stowel (USA2) 2-0 (21-19, 21-17) in the Quarterfinals and will face Canadians Alison McKay/Darby Dunn (CAN1) in the Semifinals, who defeated Socorro López/Norma Brenes (NCA) 2-0 (21-18, 21-13).

USA

In the qualifying matches for positions 9/12:

CAN2 Kaylee Glagau/Abbey Thorup of ESA Keiry Guzmán/Eugenia Ramírez 2-0 (21-1, 21-6)

MEX1 Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez of MEX2 Angélica Torres/Mariah Ramírez due to injury from the B team.

In the qualifying matches for positions 13/16:

DOM2 Bethania Almanzar/Crismil Paniagua of ISV Vernecia Caines/Verneeci Caines 2-0 (21-13, 21-9)

VEN Oriana Granadilla/Darlin Rodríguez-BYE

The competition begins on Sunday at 8:00 am (local time) with the semifinals and the position matches. The bronze medal match and final will be played in the afternoon.

Other results of the day were: DOM Payano/Infante d NCA López/Brenes 2-0 (24-22, 21-17); CAN1 McKay/Dunn d CRC Araya/Ramirez 2-0 (21-19, 21-12); MEX2 Angélica Torres/María Ramírez d ISV Vernecia Caines/Verneeci Caines 2-0 (21-2, 21-7); USA1 Urango/Whalen d MEX1 Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez 2-1 (21-14, 22-24, 15-10); CUB Kailin Garrido/Maykelin Drik d DOM2 Bethania Almanzar/Crismil Paniagua 2-0 (21-12, 21-16); PUR González/Navas d VEN Oriana Granadilla/Darlin Rodríguez 2-0 21-15, 21-18); USA2 Reilly/Stowel d CAN2 Kaylee Glagau/Abbey Thorup 2-1 (21-23, 21-17, 15-12).

Nicaragua, Cuba, United States, and Mexico Advance to Men’s Semifinals on NORCECA Tour

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 27, 2025 – The men’s teams of Nicaragua, Cuba, the United States, and Mexico advanced to the semifinals of the ninth stage of the NORCECA Continental Beach Volleyball Tour, being played at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana.

Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora and Dany López defeated Dominicans Melvin de Jesús/Ramón de Jesús (DOM2) 2-0 (22-20, 21-15) in the quarterfinals and will face the Cuban duo of Damián Gómez/Eblis Veranes in the semifinals, who defeated Canadians Rouzbeh Rahnavard/Dylan Devecseri 2-0 (21-14, 21-13).

Americans James Drost/Troy Field defeated Venezuela’s Juliangel Vargas and Enyenser Delgado 2-0 (21-12, 21-15) in the quarterfinals and will play in the semifinals against Mexicans Antonio Lares/Carlos Ayala, who defeated Hayerling de Jesús/Jorge Matos (DOM1) 2-0 (21-11, 21-15).

USA

In the 9th/12th place qualifying matches:

CRC Justin Solano/Victorio González d GUA José Izaguirre/Santiago Penagos 2-0 (21-18, 23-21)

BER Sean Tucker/Benjamin Barnett d ISV Jared Brown/Cole Sommer 2-0 (21-12, 23-21)

In the 13th/16th place qualifying matches:

ESA Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz d AGU Aiden Hazzard/Da’Qwan Fredericks 2-0 (21-7, 21-8)

TTO Joel Theodore/Stephen Enile -BYE

The competition begins on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. (local time) with the semifinals and the position matches, and the bronze medal match and final will be played in the afternoon.

Other results of the day were: NCA Mora/López d DOM1 De Jesús/Jorge 2-0 (21-18, 21-17); MEX Lares/Ayala d ESA Vargas/Ponce 2-0 (21-4, 21-11); DOM2 M. de Jesús/R. de Jesús d BER Sean Tucker/Benjamin Barnett 2-0 (21-13, 21-17); VEN Vargas/Delgado d CAN Rahnavard/Devecseri 2-1 (19-21, 21-19, 17-15); ISV Jared Brown/Cole Sommer d AGU Aiden Hazzard/Da´Qwan Fredericks 2-0 (21-14, 21-13); USA Drost/Field d CRC Solano/González 2-0 (21-5, 21-16); CUB Gómez/Veranes d TTO Theodore/Enile 2-0 (21-9, 21-12).

USA and Canada awarded 2027 FIVB Women’s World Championship

September 26, 2025 – USA Volleyball, Volleyball Canada, the FIVB and Volleyball World, today announced that the 2027 FIVB Women’s World Championship, the world’s premier women’s volleyball event, will be co-hosted by the United States and Canada, with the final rounds staged at Honda Center and OCVIBE in Anaheim, California, while four more host cities are to be awarded for the pool phase and round of 16.

This marks the first time the Women’s World Championship will take place on U.S. and Canadian soil. The joint bid reflects volleyball’s surging popularity across both countries at the youth, collegiate and professional levels and builds on the sport’s momentum heading into the LA28 Games, where men’s and women’s volleyball competitions will take place at Honda Center.

The tournament will feature the best teams from 32 different countries coming to the U.S. and Canada to battle for supremacy in the world of women’s volleyball. All 32 teams will be featured in four pool play sites, two in Canada and two in the U.S. Each of the four host cities will stage the first round of 16 in the knockout phase before the surviving eight teams will gather in Anaheim to play for the Championship.

“Volleyball Canada and its potential host cities are thrilled with the FIVB and Volleyball World’s confidence in this unique partnership that will see the 2027 Women’s World Championship hosted in Canada and the United States.

“The growth of volleyball and interest in women’s sports creates an ideal environment to bring this display of the highest level of our sport to North American fans for the first time ever. We’re very excited to build on our knowledge of hosting major events, such as Volleyball Nations League, and take the athlete and spectator experience to the next level!” Mark Eckert, President and CEO of Volleyball Canada 

FIVB President Fabio Azevedo, said: “Our goal has always been to put athletes and fans at the heart of everything we do and with both the USA and Canada being first-time hosts of our flagship competition, we hope to provide new experiences for the Global Volleyball Movement. It is even more special that the competition will serve as a qualification event for LA28, which at that point will be less than a year away! I am confident that both hosts will deliver an unforgettable celebration of our sport.” 

“The FIVB 2027 Women’s World Championship is an exceptional opportunity to partner with FIVB, Volleyball World, OCVIBE, and Volleyball Canada to showcase the very best of our sport,” said John Speraw, President and CEO of USA Volleyball. “This event goes beyond competition. It’s about inspiring future athletes, building momentum toward the Games, and celebrating women’s sports on a global stage. Fans can expect electric energy, a festival-like atmosphere, and a legacy that will take our love of the game to new heights.” 

“Hosting the final phase of the 2027 FIVB Women’s World Championship at Honda Center at OCVIBE reflects our ongoing commitment to elevating volleyball and creating meaningful experiences for our local community,” said Bill Foltz, CEO of OC Sports & Entertainment, which is developing OCVIBE. “We’re proud to play a part with USA Volleyball and Volleyball World to not only showcase the best in women’s sports but also deliver lasting benefits to Anaheim and the region.” 

The event will offer unparalleled opportunities for broadcast, sponsorship and fan engagement, ensuring the sport reaches more North American households and inspires more young athletes than ever before.

Further details about host cities, ticketing and event programming will be announced at a later date.

Saint Lucia Triumphs Over Antigua and Barbuda in ECVA Women’s Final 4

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, September 27, 2025. – In a thrilling opening match of the 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4 tournament, Saint Lucia emerged victorious with a hard-fought 3-2 win against the host country, Antigua and Barbuda. The match, held at the YMCA, ended with set scores of 25-16, 25-17, 19-25, 18-25, and 15-7.

Despite a strong start from Saint Lucia, who took the first two sets, Antigua and Barbuda showcased remarkable resilience by rallying back to win the third and fourth sets. The Antiguan team improved their defensive reads and offensive execution, demonstrating their determination to compete on home soil. However, Saint Lucia regrouped effectively in the decisive fifth set, executing a strategic game plan that secured their victory.

Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia led in key statistics, including attacks (51-33) and blocks (6-4), while also committing fewer unforced errors—31 compared to Antigua’s 50. The standout performer for Saint Lucia was opposite Lisa Casimine, who scored 19 points with 14 kills, 2 blocks, and 3 aces. Outside hitter Lucy Chenoa also made significant contributions, adding 16 points to the team’s total.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Middle Blocker, Nyota Peters, led her team with 12 points, while Opposite Jahzara Donavan added 11 points to the effort.

Reflecting on the match, Saint Lucia Team Captain Cindy Wilson stated, “The game plan was executed as expected; we only faltered in the third set when Antigua and Barbuda managed to break our reception line and gained a lead. In the fifth set, we made the necessary adjustments, which gave the team the stability to move forward.”

The 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4 tournament continues, with Saint Lucia looking to build on this momentum in their upcoming matches.

Bermuda Triumphs Over Grenada in 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4 Opener

ST JOHN, Antigua and Barbuda, September 26, 2025.- Bermuda delivered a strong performance in the opening match of the 2025 ECVA Women’s Final 4, defeating Grenada 3-0 (20-14, 25-10, 25-15) at the YMCA in St. John’s. The tournament runs from September 26 to 28 and features the top female teams in the Eastern Caribbean.

In a thrilling contest, Bermuda showcased their dominance, particularly in attack points, where they outscored Grenada 73 to 53. Despite Grenada’s efforts, including a notable performance in blocking with a 16-12 advantage, they struggled to maintain pressure throughout the match.

Bermuda defense

Amber Simmons, Bermuda’s standout middle blocker, was instrumental in the victory, scoring a match-high 14 points, which included 7 kills and 5 blocks. Teammate Megan Hands contributed significantly as well, adding 11 points to the scoreboard.

Grenada’s outside hitter, Xenia Collins, led her team with 3 points, but it was not enough to change the outcome of the match.

Looking ahead, Bermuda will face Antigua in their next match, while Grenada will go up against Saint Lucia.

Team captain Bermuda, Sharri Weldon and coach Rick Bevis both expressed the excitement on this first win at the tournament. Sharri: “This win sets the tone for the rest of the tournament” while coach Rick said, “We will keep focusing on what the team does well and work on our side of the net”.

Team captain Grenada, Jahmirah Beadle: “I felt that we played ok but could have done better. We have been playing very good in Grenada ahead of this tournament and our strategy ahead of our other games is to work on our passes”.

Costa Rica Opens with Victory over El Salvador in the Final Four

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, September 26, 2025.- Costa Rica got off to a strong start in the AFECAVOL Women’s Central American Final Four Championship, defeating El Salvador 3-0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-20) at the San Francisco de Dos Ríos Gymnasium.

The home team controlled the first set with a comfortable margin (25-15). In the second, Costa Rica’s offense kept setting the pace to extend the lead with a clear 25-13. In the third, El Salvador improved and forced a tighter finish, but Costa Rica stayed composed to close the win 25-20.

The stats reflected Costa Rica’s dominance, with 44 points on attacks compared to El Salvador’s 27, along with a 7-2 advantage in blocks and 6-0 in aces. El Salvador only capitalized on 18 points from Costa Rica’s errors, not enough to offset the home team’s offense.

ÁLBUM CRC vs ESA

Individually, middle blocker Mariela Rojas led with 14 points, 11 from attacks and 3 from blocks. Also standing out were outside hitter Tania Carazo with 12 points, opposite Lakisha Thompson with 12, and outside hitter Tatiana Sayles with 11. For El Salvador, middle blocker Evelyn Ramírez led with 12 points, followed by outside hitter Gabriela Funes with 7.

On the second day, Saturday 27, Costa Rica will face Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m., while El Salvador will look to bounce back against Honduras at 4:00 p.m.

Braulio Godínez, Costa Rica’s coach: “The first match is to break the ice. We managed the first and second sets more solidly. The middle part of the match was more challenging. Some changes were made in the third set to give some players minutes, and that complicated things a bit; it was more even. El Salvador played a bit more freely, but I think we always kept control of the match, and this helps us for tomorrow’s game.”

Dennisse Rogel, El Salvador’s assistant coach: “In this match against Costa Rica, we had the lead in the last set, but we missed a couple of plays to close it out. We are developing as the tournament progresses, and we are watching how our players perform.”

Nicaragua opens Final Four with commanding win over Honduras

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, September 26, 2025.- Nicaragua started their campaign at the AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four Central American Championship with a convincing 3-0 victory over Honduras (25-18, 25-18, 25-10) at the San Francisco de Dos Ríos Sports Complex in San José, Costa Rica.

Nicaragua took control midway through the first set and closed strong to claim it 25-18. In the second, they raced to a 5-1 lead and never looked back, holding off Honduras late in the set to secure another 25-18 win.

The defending champions dominated the third set, powering to a 25-10 finish that sealed the straight-sets victory. Despite Honduras’ strong defensive efforts that forced several long rallies, Nicaragua maintained their offensive rhythm to stay in control.

Nicaragua celebrates

ÁLBUM NCA vs HON

Statistically, Nicaragua held the edge in attacks (42-30) and serves (5-2), while the teams tied in blocks (4-4). Additionally, Honduras committed 24 errors, which were well capitalized on by Nicaragua, who committed only 10.

Outside hitter Dayana Arcia led Nicaragua with 12 points, all from attacks. She was followed by Dania Calero with 11 points (eight kills, one block, two aces) and Josafat Diaz, who also reached double figures with 10 points.

For Honduras, opposite Rocío Durón and middle blocker Ana Gabriela Marcelin were the top scorers with 10 points each.

On Saturday, September 27, Honduras will face El Salvador at 4:00 p.m., while Nicaragua will take on hosts Costa Rica at 6:30 p.m.

Nicaragua’s head coach René Quintana said: “The team really managed to dominate the game. We were able to take away Honduras’ initiative, and that gave us the victory.”

Honduras coach Marvin Ulloa commented: “It was a difficult match; we did not expect it to go this way. What we worked on did not come through, and our game plan didn’t work—maybe because the foreign players joined us at the last minute. But the tournament continues, and we hope to do better tomorrow.”

Women’s duos from six countries undefeated in Punta Cana

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 26, 2025 – The teams from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico won their respective matches on the first day of competition at the ninth stop of the NORCECA Continental Beach Volleyball Tour, at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana.

In Group A, Dominicans Julibeth Payano/Azmabeth Infante defeated Keiry Guzmán/Karla Tovar (ESA) 2-0 (21-6, 21-7) and earned a BYE, while Socorro López/Norma Brenes (NCA) defeated Guzmán/Tovar 2-0 (21-16, 21-12) and also earned a BYE.

In Group B, two pairs remained undefeated: Marcela Araya/Eugenia Ramírez (CRC), who defeated Vernecia Caines/Verneeci Caines (ISV) 2-0 (21-7, 21-11) and Angélica Torres/María Ramírez (MEX2) 2-0 (21-17, 21-17), while Alison McKay/Darby Dunn (CAN1) defeated Torres/Ramírez (MEX2) 2-0 (21-13, 21-11) and Vernecia and Verneeci Caines (ISV) 2-0 (21-8, 21-10).

Canada

In Group C, Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez (MEX1) defeated Cubans Kailín Garrido/Maykelin Drik 2-0 (21-19, 21-18) and Bethania Almanzar/Crismil Paniagua (DOM2) 2-0 (21-11, 21-13).

In Group D, María González/Allanis Navas (PUR) defeated Katherine Reilly/Clara Stowel (USA2) 2-0 (21-17, 21-16) and Kaylee Glagau/Abbey Thorup (CAN2) 2-0 (21-15, 21-10).

The tournament continues this Saturday with the regular round, the quarterfinals, and the losers’ round.

Other results of the day were: USA1 Urango/Whalen d DOM2 Almánzar/Paniagua 2-0 (21-15, 21-19); CUB Garrido/Drik d USA1 Urango/Whalen 2-0 (21-19, 21-18); CAN2 Glagau/Thorup d VEN Oriana Granadilla/Darlin Rodríguez 2-0 (21-16, 21-10); USA2 Reilly/Stowel d VEN Granadilla/Rodríguez 2-0 (21-7, 21-10).

Six men’s teams undefeated on Punta Cana Continental Tour

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 26, 2025 – The teams from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Mexico, Venezuela, Canada, and Cuba finished undefeated the first day of  competition of the ninth leg of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Tour undefeated, held at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

In Group A, the pairing of Hayerling De Jesús and Jorge Matos (DOM1) defeated José Izaguirre/Santiago Penagos (GUA) 2-0 (23-21, 21-13) with a bye. In the same group, Nicaraguans Rubén Mora and Dany López defeated Izaguirre/Penagos (GUA) 2-0 (21-13, 21-17) and also earned a bye.

Mexicans Antonio Lares and Carlos Ayala defeated in group B yhe pair of Melvin De Jesús/Ramón De Jesús (DOM2) 2-0 (21-17, 22-20) and Sean Tucker/Benjamin Barnett (BER) 2-0 (21-12, 21-11).

Mexico

In Group C, Venezuelans Juliangel Vargas/Enyenser Delgado defeated Jared Brown/Cole Sommer (ISV) 2-0 (21-5, 21-7) and Aiden Hazzard/Da’Qwan Fredericks (AGU) 2-0 (21-8, 21-9), while Canadians Rouzbeh Rahnavard/Dylan Devecseri also won against Hazzard/Fredericks (AGU) 2-0 (21-9, 21-13) and Brown/Sommer (ISV) 2-0 (21-5, 21-5).

Cubans Damián Gómez/Eblis Veranes, in group D, defeated the American duo James Drost/Troy Field (USA) 2-0 (21-15, 23-21) and Justin Solano/Victorio González (CRC) 2-0 (21-15, 21-10).

The competition continues this Saturday with the continuation of the preliminary round, the quarterfinals, and the losers’ bracket.Other results of the day were: BER Tucker/Barnett d ESA Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz 2-0 (21-18, 21-12); DOM2 M. De Jesús/R. De Jesús d ESA Vargas/Ortiz 2-0 (21-13, 21-6); CRC Solano/González d TTO Joel Theodore/Stephen Enile 2-0 (21-12, 21-12); USA Drost/Field d TTO Theodore/Enile 2-0 (21-7, 21-11).

Teams from 15 Countries to See Action in Punta Cana

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 25, 2025.– A total of 15 countries will see action in the ninth stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Tour, which kicks off this Friday on the sand courts set up at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Fifteen pairs per gender confirmed their participation in the event during the preliminary meeting held on Thursday.

Pool play begins this Friday at 8:00 a.m. (local time). On Saturday, pool play will continue, followed by the quarterfinals and the losers’ bracket. On Sunday morning, the semifinals will be played, followed by placement matches, with the bronze medal match and the Final taking place in the afternoon.

MEN’S TEAMS

VEN (Juliangel/Esyenser) – Juliangel Zaid/Enyenser Delgado; MEX (Lares/Carlos Andrés) – Inés Antonio Vargas/Carlos Andres Ayala; NCA (Mora/López) – Ruben Mora/Dany López; CUB (Gomez/Veranes) – Damian Gomez/Eblis Veranes; USA (Drost/Field) – James Avery Drost/Troy Field ; TTO (Theodore/Enile) – Joel Issac Theodore/Stephen Enile; GUA (Izaguirre/Penagos) – José Miguel Izaguirre/Santiago Penagos; CAN (Rahnavard/Devecseri) – Rouzbeh Rahnavard/Dylan Devecseri; BER (Tucker/Barnett) – Sean Tucker/Benjamin Barnett; CRC (Solano/Esteban) – Justin Solano/Esteban González; DOM (De Jesús/De Jesus) – Melvin Antonio de Jesús/Ramon Francisco De Jesus; DOM (De Jesús/Jorge) – Hayerling Francisco De Jesús/Yasser Antonio Jorge; ESA (R Vargas/Ponce) – Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz; ISV (Brown/Sommer) – Jared Brown/Cole Sommer; AGU (Hazzard/Fredericks) – Aiden Hazzard/Da’Qwan Fredericks

WOMEN’S TEAMS

CAN (Glagau/Thorup) – Kaylee Glagau/Abbey Thorup; CAN (McKay/Dunn) – Alison Mckay/Darby Dunn ; CRC (Araya/Ramírez) – Marcela Araya/Eugenia Ramírez; CUB (Kailin/Drik) – Kailin Garrido/Maykelin Drik ; DOM (Almánzar/Paniagua) – Bethania Almanzar/Crismil Paniagua; DOM (Payano/Infante) – Julibeth Payano/Azmabeth Infante; ESA (Guzmán/Tovar) – Michelle Guzman/Karla Tovar; GUA (Alvarado/Guerra) – Paola Alvarado/Estefanie Bethancourth; ISV (Vernecia/Verneeci) – Vernecia Caines/Verneeci Caines; MEX (Torres /Ramírez) – Angélica Torres/Maria Jimena Ramírez; MEX (Torres/Gutiérrez) – Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez; NCA (López/N. Brenes) – Socorro López/Norma Brenes; PUR (González/Navas) – Maria Gonzalez/Allanis Navas; USA (Reilly/Stowell) – Katherine Reilly-Clara Stowell; USA (Urango/Whalen) – Geena Urango/Mariah Whalen; VEN (Oriana/Rodríguez) – Oriana Granadilla/Verónica Rodríguez

St. Clair Hodge Selected for FIVB’s “Beyond the Sport” Global Athlete Program

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts and Nevis. September 23, 2025. St. Kitts and Nevis’ own St. Clair Hodge has been selected as a member of the inaugural cohort of the FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) Volleyball Athletes’ Commission’s “Beyond the Sport” Program.

The prestigious initiative, which runs from October 6–10 in Lausanne, Switzerland, is designed to support volleyball and beach volleyball players as they transition from elite competition into the next stage of their professional journey.

The week-long seminar targets athletes who are nearing retirement or are recently retired, offering them practical tools, expert insights, and networking opportunities to build meaningful and lasting careers beyond the court.

Hodge, who is also representing the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA), describes the program as a rare and invaluable opportunity. “It’s an opportunity for retiring and retired volleyball players, whether beach or indoor, to network, upskill, and learn new things. This opportunity is incredible because it’s a selection from a global set of volleyball players. The process involved an application, a shortlist, and then an interview before the final participants were chosen.’ He explained

Ahead of the program, participants have already received preparatory coursework focusing on personal branding, reputation, daily routines, and career accomplishments. Hodge believes the early exercises highlight the program’s commitment to helping athletes understand their strengths and position themselves for success.
Beyond personal development, Hodge is eager to leverage the experience for the benefit of sport in St. Kitts and Nevis and the rest of the ECVA.

“This is a perfect opportunity to advance my understanding of global operations, make international connections, and see how things are done on the global stage. The goal is to bring back ideas that can be applied not only in volleyball, but across different sporting disciplines in our Federation.” Hodge outlined.

In addition to his selection, Hodge continues to play an influential role in the advancement of local and regional sport. He currently serves as Chairman of the St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee (SKNOC) Athletes’ Commission and sits on the executive of the St. Kitts and Nevis Amateur Volleyball Association (SKAVA).

His involvement in the “Beyond the Sport” Program is an invaluable opportunity that places him among a pioneering group of global volleyball leaders preparing to shape life after playing.

Bulgaria mount heroic comeback to beat USA and push through to the semis

September 25, 2025. Bulgaria are back among the best four of an FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship for the first time since 2006. In front of well over 10 thousand fans on the stands in Pasay City on Thursday, they mounted a sensational comeback from two sets down in their quarterfinal against the United States to pick up the last semifinal vacancy at Philippines 2025. Bulgaria will take on Czechia in one of the two semifinal matches set to take place on Saturday, September 27.

American opposite’s Gabriel Garcia’s powerful serving made the big difference in the first set. It gave them a substantial advantage early into the set. Bulgaria leveled the play, but never quite leveled the score as USA stepped in front. The Europeans took a small lead in set two, but practically refused to break further way with the overwhelming number of mistakes they made from the serving line. USA took advantage and, with middle blocker Merrick McHenry on fire, opened a wide gap. It was McHenry that put the final touch with a monster block to get the US lead in the match doubled.

BUL vs USA

Bulgaria finally found their rhythm in set three. With middle Iliya Petkov’s solid contribution both in offense and from the serving line, they were unstoppable on the way to taking the set by a wide margin. Things heated up as the fourth set offered an even battle throughout. In the money time, however, the Bulgarians remained more focused to edge forward and win the set on a kill block by opposite Asparuh Asparuhov.

Bulgaria’s first four points in the tie-breaker were personally delivered by 21-year-old outside hitter Aleksandar Nikolov. The next two came from the hands of his younger brother, 18-year-old setter Simeon Nikolov. In fact, Aleks produced as many as eight points on the way to a 12-9 Bulgarian lead. 22-year-old sub-in outside Georgi Tatarov killed the next two to bring Bulgaria to a quadruple match point. The first three opportunities to close the game were denied, but on the fourth, Iliya Petkov hammered the match winner for 3-2 (21-25, 19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-13).

Merrick McHenry USA

The Bulgarians did slightly better than the Americans on all scoring counts – 61-57 in attack kills, 7-5 in serving aces and 7-6 in kill blocks. Aleks Nikolov was above all with a match-high 29 points, including two aces and a block. Asparuhov contributed another 12, including two blocks, while Petkov aced twice and registered a 73% success rate in offense to finish with 10 points.

USA made fewer unforced errors than Bulgaria, 30 against 34. Outside hitters Ethan Champlin and Jordan Ewert were their leading scorers with 17 and 15 points, respectively. McHenry registered an impressive 83% success rate in attack. He put away an ace and a kill block to finish with 12 points.

“In the moment, it’s not great, but when you look at the big picture, we came into this tournament ready to learn a lot, and I think we did. It’s served its purpose for us. This experience is wonderful for a lot of us, including myself,” USA’s star setter and captain Micah Christenson commented. “Obviously, it stinks. I hurt for these guys who put in so much. They are such incredible people – not only volleyball players, but teammates and people. But that’s how sports goes sometimes. So, we are going to learn from it, but we are proud of the battle. We are excelling in an accelerated rate and I am really proud of us.”

Countries ready to face the II AFECAVOL Women’s FINAL FOUR

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, September 25, 2025.- The four participating countries of the II AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four are already ready and this Thursday successfully went through the preliminary interview.

Costa Rica was the first national team to go through the preliminary inquiry, followed by Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

For this September 25, the teams also had scheduled the court recognition at the San Francisco de Dos Ríos Gymnasium, where starting this Friday the 26th until next Sunday the 28th they will compete for the title.

Teams also had their first official training session at the San Francisco de Dos Ríos Gymnasium, where they will compete for the title starting this Friday 26th and until next Sunday 28th.

Nicaragua arrives determined to defend the crown in an all-against-all format with two matches per day.

Álbum de fotos de la Entrevista preliminar

Just like in the men’s tournament, the Women’s Final Four will award points for the FIVB world ranking, which raises even more the importance of each match.

The coaches commented

Costa Rica

José Miguel Briceño, assistant coach Costa Rica: “We are happy to play at home, we want to make a good presentation so that the fans leave happy and hopefully fight for first place.”

Honduras

Marvin Ulloa, coach Honduras: “We bring a team between young and some players with experience, and we hope to remain on the medal podium, as in the previous events.”

Nicaragua

René Quintana, coach Nicaragua: “We know that the championship is very tough but the expectation is to achieve the title again.”

El Salvador

Denisse Rogel, assistant coach El Salvador: “Our expectations for this tournament are a worthy representation of our country, to have the best of success and performance, and to achieve first place like the rest of the teams. For this competition we bring a team with experienced players and also with new players that we hope to develop throughout the tournament.”

Nicaragua Ready to Defend Its Title at the AFECAVOL Women’s Final Four

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, September 23, 2025. – Nicaragua is determined to defend its crown at the second edition of the AFECAVOL Women’s Central American Final Four Championship, set to take place September 26–28 at the Polideportivo Gymnasium in San Francisco de Dos Ríos, San José, Costa Rica.

The reigning champions will once again face the same rivals as the inaugural edition: Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Honduras, in an exciting round-robin format.

As in the men’s tournament, the Women’s Final Four will award valuable points toward the FIVB World Ranking, further raising the stakes for every match.

The delegations will arrive in Costa Rica on September 24; the preliminary inquiry will be held on the 25th, and the competition will kick off on the 26th with two matches per day through the 28th, when the champion will be crowned.

AFECAVOL II FINAL FOUR FEMENINO

Competition Schedule

September 26

4:00pm Honduras vs Nicaragua

7:00pm Costa Rica vs El Salvador

September 27

4:00pm Honduras vs El Salvador

6:30pm Costa Rica vs Nicaragua

September 28

4:00pm Nicaragua vs El Salvador

6:30pm Costa Rica vs Honduras

YEAR BY YEAR STANDINGS WOMEN’S SENIOR FINAL FOUR
YEARHOSTEDITION2°
2024HONINCACRCHONESA

2025 ECVA Men’s Final 4 Award Winners

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, September 22, 2025.- Antigua and Barbuda won gold and Cairon Davis stood out at MVP in St John’s, Antigua, as the 2025 ECVA Men’s Final 4 Tournament concluded.

Yashid Auguiste won two awards – Best Libero and  Best Digger for his defensive action with the Antiguan team.

Antigua also picked four additional awards Cairon Davis (2nd Best Spiker), Collin Thomas (Best Setter), Dwight Bonnie (2nd Best Blocker and Best Server).

Dominica’s Yahn Florent won two awards, Best Opposite and Best Scorer; while his teammate  Larian Tulloch won Best Receiver.  

From Saint Lucia, Clercent Joseph received the recognition for 1st Best Spiker and Tevin St. Jean  for 1st Best Blocker.

Garcia scores seven aces and leads the United States to the quarterfinals

September 22, 2025.- Gabriel Garcia was on fire as he spearheaded the United States into the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in the Philippines.

In Monday’s eighthfinal match in Pasay City, the Americans came back from a set down to beat Slovenia in four. USA will take on Bulgaria in one of the two quarterfinal matches set to take place on Thursday, September 25.

On Thursday, they will meet Bulgaria in a duel for a spot in the semis

In the first set, Slovenia broke away with an 11-6 lead after six points in a row and managed to stay ahead and close the set by a six-point margin. In set two, USA fought back to open a wide lead. In the epilog, Slovenia denied three set points before outside hitter Jordan Ewert squeezed the ball between the block and the net to convert the fourth.

USA celebrates

Riding the momentum and mostly outblocking the opponents, the Americans stayed well in control of the third set and it was Ewert again who delivered the set winner, this time with a pipe shot. USA continued dominating in set four until opposite Gabriel Garcia fired a blistering ace to end the game at 3-1 (19-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-20).

Garcia showed some magnificent serving throughout the match and authored seven of the team’s 12 aces, the element that made the biggest difference towards the outcome of the game, as Slovenia produced only two direct serving points. USA also outperformed their opponents in net defense by 10-7 in kill blocks, with Garcia taking credit for four, and in attack by 53-49 in spike kills, with Garcia delivering 15 towards a match-high 26 points. Outside hitter Ethan Champlin chipped in with three aces and a kill block towards a 15-point tally, while Ewert finished with 13 points, all in swings.

“How can you not be pleased? We are staying alive, going to the next round. I think that’s kind of the heartbeat of this team, just find a way to win! It didn’t always look pretty tonight, but we got it done when it counted, and there is a ton of credit to the guys for staying mature, staying focused in those big moments,” USA’s star setter and captain Micah Christenson told VBTV. “They are playing lights out! It’s awesome just to be in the moment. We’ve got no expectations of getting to a certain place. We are just taking it day by day, so we are going to go and enjoy this tonight, and then, prepare for our next round.”

Slovenia showed better precision in their game than USA, committing fewer unforced errors. They made 19 of those, while the Americans gifted them 26 “free” points. Opposite Toncek Stern was Slovenia’s leading scorer with 18 points. 20-year-old outside Nik Mujanovic hammered the team’s two aces to finish with a total of 13 points. Star middle blocker Jan Kozamernik raised four kill blocks and reached the double digits in scoring with a total of 10 points.

ANTIGUA strikes 2025 ECVA Men’s Final 4 GOLD

ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, September 22, 2025.- Antigua and Barbuda swept Saint Lucia to claim gold at the 2025 Men’s Final Four Tournament at YMCA in St. John’s, Antigua on Sunday evening.

Despite the determination of Saint Lucia, the powerful Antigua squad won the final 3-0 (23-25, 19-25, 15-25) and qualifies to the NORCECA 2026 Pan American Cup.

Head coach of Antigua, Carl Williams, said: “It’s well deserving, the guys would have worked hard for the past five, six months and going to Mexico prepared them for this tournament and its only fair to them to come execute infront of their home crowd”.

Antigua came out swinging and earned 38 points off attack, compared with 36 from Saint Lucia. Antigua also had more blocking points (33-32) and also led in aces 7-1. Saint Lucia made fewer errors (17-22).

Top scorer of the match was outside hitter Cairon Davis with 17pts. Clercent Joseph led Saint Lucia with 13 points.

Dominica Earns Bronze Medal at 2025 ECVA Men’s Final 4

ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, September 21, 2025. – Dominica captured the Bronze Medal in the ECVA Men’s Final 4 tournament, defeating Grenada in straight sets 3-0 (25-19, 28-26, 26-24) at the YMCA, St. John’s Antigua and Barbuda.

Dominica came out strong, taking early control of the match by dominating the first set. Grenada responded with intensity, especially in the second set, but Dominica remained focused and closed the match in three sets to secure the bronze medal.

A dominant attacking performance gave Dominica the edge, with a 40-34 advantage in kills. Dominica recorded eight blocks, and both teams tied in service aces (4-4). In errors, the count was Dominica committing 27 and Grenada 24.

Yahn Florent led the scores with 13 points for Dominica followed by the Middle Blocker Nester James contributing 12. Grenada’s top scorer was Darron Oxford with 15 points.

Dominica’s head coach Ithoma James reflected on the significance of the moment: “I am satisfied because at least we are going home with something”. ‘I am still disappointed because of our losses, and we could have won the silver or at least get into the finals”. The Bronze Medal is something and I am happy that the guys came back after two losses”. “They were a little down and they picked themselves up”. “ I am proud of them, they came up to fight and show that they deserve something”.

Grenada’s assistant coach, Javin Noel was disappointed that the team lost all four matches. “I feel disappointed for the team and coaching staff`”. ‘We struggled to execute our game plan, however, we came out to dig deep”. “We came out tonight and put everything on the line and I believe this was one of our better matches, however, Dominica got the better of us at the end of the game”.

Reagan Cooper Named MVP at 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 21, 2025. – USA outside hitter Reagan Cooper was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six that ran from September 16-21 in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

Cooper was a consistent offensive force for the American squad. Cooper’s performance was pivotal in guiding the United States to their second-ever gold medal at the event, following their first title in 2023.

Individual Awards

Dominican Republic’s Madeline Guillén stood out as the tournament’s Best Spiker and Best Scorer. Whitney James of Cuba earned the honor of Second Best Spiker for her attacking efficiency throughout the competition.

Defensive strength was highlighted by Neira Ortiz of Puerto Rico, who claimed Best Blocker, while Samantha Francis of the United States was named Second Best Blocker. The Americans also celebrated Ella Powell, who earned Best Setter honors.

Mexico’s star outside hitter Sofía Maldonado was recognized as Best Opposite and Best Server. The Dominican Republic’s Yaneirys Rodríguez dominated the backcourt awards, taking both Best Libero and Best Digger.

Rounding out the awards, USA’s Norah Sis was named Best Receiver, showcasing her consistency in serve reception and transition play.

USA Crowned Undefeated Champion at 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 21, 2025. – The United States captured the gold medal at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, defeating Mexico 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-19) on Sunday at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos to finish the tournament as the undefeated champion.

The U.S. closed the event with a perfect 7-0 record, while Mexico finished 5-2 – their only two losses coming against the Americans. This marks the United States’ second gold medal in the history of the event, having first won in 2023, to go along with two silver medals (2022, 2024).

For Mexico, it was their second silver medal (the first in 2021) after earning bronze last year. Mexico also made significant progress in the world ranking, starting the event in 29th place and finishing at 19th, gaining valuable points.

MEXICO-SILVER

The opening set was tightly contested. Mexico came from behind to tie the score at 9 and briefly led after a Jocelyn Urias block on Kamerynn Miner. The teams were leveled again at 14, 16, and 18 before the United States pulled away. Skylar Fields delivered a key kill against the block of Melanie Parra, followed by Samantha Francis blocking Sofía Maldonado to make it 20-18. Kendall Kipp reached set point with a block on Parra, and Norah Sis sealed it with a serve that resulted in a reception error from Parra.

The U.S. came out firing in the second set, with Reagan Cooper and Khori Louis leading the offense to a comfortable 20-12 lead. Despite efforts from Maldonado’s kills and Urias’ blocks, Mexico could not close the gap, and three late errors gave the Americans a 2-0 advantage.

Mexico kept the score close early in the third set, trailing 15-12 behind the offensive efforts of Maldonado and Parra. However, the U.S. pulled away with strong swings from Louis, Fields, and Sis to reach 20-14. Kendall Kipp’s block on Karina Flores brought up match point (24-18). Parra briefly denied the win with a kill, but Louis sealed the gold medal with a powerful cross-court spike.

REAGAN COOPER USA

The United States led in every statistical category: attacks (40-30), blocks (7-6), and aces (6-3). The Americans committed 16 errors compared to Mexico’s 21.

Outside hitter Reagan Cooper led the U.S. with 16 points, followed by Khori Louis with 11. Sofía Maldonado led Mexico with 12 points, while Melanie Parra contributed 10 and Jocelyn Urias posted a match-high five blocks.

Erik Sullivan, Head Coach of the United States said: “I’m very happy with how we played. I thought today was one of our most consistent and even matches. We put a lot of pressure on a very good Mexico team. A lot of plays went our way; I really liked the way we performed”.

Mexico’s Head Coach, Nicola Negro, said: “We faced a very strong United States and my team struggled. We are happy with the silver medal. Overall, it was a very good tournament for us – we only lost to the United States. We reached 19th place in the world ranking (two months ago we were 29th), and that is a huge result, the outcome of the work our team has put in. The girls showed dedication and performed well. We are growing technically and tactically, and now we need to work on developing our mentality to reach a higher level.”

Dominican Republic Outlasts Puerto Rico in Epic Five-Set Battle to Claim Final Six Bronze

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 21, 2025. – The Dominican Republic captured its first-ever bronze medal at the NORCECA Women’s Final Six, outlasting Puerto Rico in an epic five-set clash 3-2 (25-22, 20-25, 19-25, 25-23, 15-13) on Sunday at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.

This result adds to the Dominican Republic’s impressive Final Six history, which already includes three gold medals (2021, 2022, 2024) and a silver in 2023. The Dominicans closed the tournament with a 3-4 record, while Puerto Rico finished 2-5.

Puerto Rico had swept the Dominican Republic in the preliminary round, but the rematch proved to be a battle of wills.

Madeline Guillen-DOM

The Dominicans stormed to a 5-0 lead in the opening set behind the offensive firepower of Massiel Matos and Alondra Tapia, taking advantage of Puerto Rico’s early errors. Puerto Rico responded with solid blocking from Neira Ortiz and Decelise Champion and sharp hitting from Paola Santiago to level the score at 12-12. From there, the teams traded points until Matos delivered a key kill and Geraldine González stuffed Santiago at the net to secure the first set.

Puerto Rico controlled the second set from start to finish, with Valeria Vázquez and Ortiz effectively shutting down Matos and Tapia at the net. Champion and Santiago maintained the offensive pressure, and Champion’s final kill sealed the set, tying the match at one apiece.

The third set saw Puerto Rico jump to a 5-1 lead, with Alba Hernández joining the scoring and Champion continuing her strong offensive run. The Dominicans clawed back to even the score at 14-all, but Puerto Rico regained control with Ortiz’s blocking and Vázquez’s attacks to take a 2-1 match lead.

Dominican Republic wins Final 3-4

Puerto Rico built a 12-8 advantage in the fourth set, with Ortiz and Hernández scoring two key blocks over Matos and Guillen. Champion and Santiago kept the pressure high, but the Dominicans refused to back down. Samaret Caraballo delivered a crucial block on Ortiz to tie the set at 23-23, followed by a big kill from Florangel Terrero and another from González to force a decisive fifth set.

In the tiebreak, the Dominican Republic earned match point at 14-12 with a kill from Guillen that rebounded off Ortiz’s block. Ortiz denied the first match point with a block on Matos, but González finished the job with a clever tip in the middle, clinching the bronze medal for the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic held a slight edge in attacks (63-61), while Puerto Rico led in blocks (15-12) and aces (6-3). Both teams committed 26 errors.

Madeline Guillén led the Dominican Republic with 24 points, followed by Alondra Tapia with 17 and Massiel Matos with 13. Decelise Champion of Puerto Rico topped all scorers with 25 points, while Valeria Vázquez added 17, Paola Santiago 16, and Neira Ortiz contributed 14 points, including a match-high nine blocks.

Marcos Kwiek, Head Coach of the Dominican Republic, said after the victory: “It was a good match. The players need to get used to this level of play and pressure. It’s good for their growth. It’s good that they go through these situations so they can grow as players and understand that nothing comes easy.”

Marie-Alex Belanger and Lea Monkhouse win Gold in Punta Cana

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 21, 2025.- Canadians Marie-Alex Belanger and Lea Monkhouse defeated Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas 2-1 (14-21, 21-17, 16-14) to win gold in the NORCECA 2025 World Beach Championships Qualifying Tournament, which concluded this Sunday at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Belanger and Monkhouse defeated Dominicans Yari Cleto and Julibeth Payano 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) in their semifinal match, while González and Navas advanced to the final due to an injury of the Mexican duo of Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez.

The bronze medal went to Dominicans Cleto/Payano due to an injury of the Mexican team Torres/Gutiérrez.

Male and Female

Canada, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico were the countries that earned an spot in the World Championships, which will be held in Adelaide, Australia, from November 14 to 23.

In fifth place were Cubans Maykelin Drik/Kailin Garrido, who defeated Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez of Nicaragua 2-0 (21-16, 21-13).

Seventh place went to the Virgin Islands duo T’ara Austin/Taylor Buckner, who defeated Costa Rica’s Aliza Aguilar/Laura Molina 2-1 (9-21, 21-16, 15-10), while ninth place went to Donnina Argueta and Keiry Guzmán of El Salvador, who defeated Cayman Islands duo Deajra Tulloch/Amanda Robinson 2-0 (21-18, 21-12).

Other results of the day included: CUB Drik/Kailin d ISV Austin/Buckner 2-0 (21-12, 21-17); NCA López/Lolette d CRC Aguilar/Molina 2-1 (21-11, 18-21, 15-9).

Partain/Benesh take gold in Punta Cana Qualifier

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 21, 2025.- The United States duo of Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh defeated Puerto Ricans Cristian Encarnación and Diego Rosich in straight sets 2-0 (21-13, 21-17) to win the gold medal in the NORCECA 2025 Beach World Championship Qualifying Tournament played on the sand courts installed on Los Corales beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

The bronze medal went to Canadians Samuel Schachter and Jonathan Pickett, who defeated Rubén Mora and Dany López of Nicaragua 2-0 (21-11, 21-19).

PUR 2nd place

The United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Nicaragua were the countries that qualified for the 2025 Beach World Championship, to be held from November 14 to 23 in Adelaide, Australia.

Fifth place went to Cubans Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes, who defeated twins Yoel and Christopher Guardado of El Salvador 2-1 (21-12, 27-29, 15-7).

The Dominican pair Hayerling De Jesús/Melvin De Jesús finished seventh due to an injury to the Mexican team of Miguel Sarabia/Jorman Osuna, while Costa Ricans Daniel Dyner and Jhostin Varela finished ninth due to an injury to the Guatemalan pair Edgar Maldonado/Luis García.

Bryce Mayer and Tyler Penberthy of the Virgin Islands took eleventh place.

Other results of the day were: ESA Y. Guardado/C. Guardado d DOM H. De Jesús/M. De Jesús 2-0 (21-8, 21-14); CUB Gómez/Veranes d MEX Sarabia/Osuna 2-1 (18-21, 21-0, 15-0).

Canada Sweeps Cuba for Fifth Place at NORCECA Women’s Final Six

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 21, 2025. – Canada claimed fifth place at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six with a commanding 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-21) sweep over Cuba on Sunday at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.

Canada closed the tournament with a 2-4 record, while Cuba finished 1-5. The Canadians defeated Cuba twice in the event, also prevailing in a thrilling five-set battle during the preliminary round.

Despite Cuba’s impressive blocking trio of Brenda Nold, Laura Suárez, and Dayana Martínez, Canada controlled the first set behind Sydney Grills’ strong performance from the service line and in attack, with consistent support from Maryn Boldon.

Maryn Boldon CAN

The second set was closely contested, tied at 18 points apiece before Cuba surged ahead 20-18 thanks to the efforts of Dezirett Madan, Yensy Kindelán, and Evilania Martínez. Canada responded with a steady rally, capitalizing on opponent errors. Boldon capped off a long rally with a powerful swing and followed up with a key block on Suárez to regain the lead. Veronica Dickson then sealed the set with a block and a decisive kill.

In the third set, Canada jumped out to an 18-13 lead with a serving run from Isabella Noble that disrupted Cuba’s system. Whitney James led Cuba’s late offensive push, but Canada held firm and secured the match on a reception error following a serve from Dickson.

Canada dominated in blocks (10-6) and serves (6-3) while taking advantage of 19 Cuban errors compared to their own 9. Cuba had a slight edge in attacks (41-40).

Maryn Boldon led all scorers with 14 points for Canada, while Veronica Dickson and Sydney Grills contributed 10 points each. Whitney James topped Cuba with 12 points, followed by Evilania Martínez with 10.

Canada’s Head Coach, Mathew Krueger said to be proud of his team “It’s unbelievable to have beaten Cuba twice, they are an unbelievable team, and it was a very good battle. I am proud of our team, all what we worked during the whole summer came in tuition today. The team deserves this one”.

Dezirett Madan, captain of Cuba, said: “We were very desperate, we put too much pressure on ourselves to do things right and give our best. I think that’s not good; you don’t get what you want that way, and desperation led us to make too many mistakes. This is another experience, and we will keep preparing to come back next year with a better version of each of us and give it our all.”

Mexico Defeats Puerto Rico in Five Sets to Reach The Final Six Gold Medal Match

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 20, 2025. – Mexico delivered a thrilling five-set victory over Puerto Rico, 3-2 (18-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-20, 15-12), to advance to the gold medal match of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, held at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara

With this victory, Mexico secures its second-ever appearance in the gold medal match, having previously earned silver in 2021. After falling to Cuba in the 2023 bronze medal match, Mexico rebounded in 2024 to claim bronze over Puerto Rico. This year, they will meet undefeated USA for the gold medal, while Puerto Rico will face the Dominican Republic for bronze. Puerto Rico’s best finish remains their bronze medal from 2022.

The match lived up to its billing as a classic rivalry showdown, echoing their five-set preliminary round battle earlier in the tournament.

Puerto Rico opened strong, never trailing in the first set, powered by Decelise Champion and Valeria Vázquez, and capitalizing on Mexico’s errors and a dominant blocking performance from Neira Ortiz.

Mexico struck back in the second set, overcoming an early deficit to tie at 19 before pulling away behind a 15-6 attacking advantage. Sofía Maldonado led the charge offensively, while Jocelyn Urías’ key block shifted momentum.

Mexico blocks PUR

Puerto Rico regained control in the third, jumping to a 20-14 lead behind Ortiz’s defense at the net. Despite two late blocks from Urías, Puerto Rico held on to take a 2-1 match lead.

The fourth set was tightly contested, tied at 17 before Mexico’s dynamic duo of Maldonado and Melanie Parra powered the home side to force a tie-break. A massive block from Ortiz temporarily put Puerto Rico ahead, but Mexico responded with back-to-back points – a Maldonado kill followed by a Parra service winner – to seal the set.

In the decisive fifth set, Mexico jumped ahead 3-0 with Maldonado scoring all three points, but Puerto Rico stormed back to lead 9-7 with contributions from Paola Santiago, Champion, and Ortiz. Urías’ crucial block against Dariana Hollingsworth secured Mexico’s win.

Mexico led in attacks (60-48) and service points (8-5) but committed 33 errors to Puerto Rico’s 22. Puerto Rico had the edge in blocking (17-12).

Maldonado delivered a spectacular 26 points, supported by Melanie Parra’s 22. For Puerto Rico, Decelise Champion scored 21 points, followed closely by Neira Ortiz with 19 including an impressive 12 blocking points and Valeria Vazquez added 12 points.

Aimé Topete of Mexico said after defeating Puerto Rico: “We have all the emotions. From the first set to the fifth, it was very demanding. We had ups and downs, but we are celebrating a great victory. Our statistician has prepared everything for the next match, and it will be our responsibility to execute.”

José Pablo Pérez of Guatemala Named MVP of AFECAVOL U23 Championship

CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 20, 2025.– José Pablo Pérez of Guatemala was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship after leading his team to the title.

Pérez guided Guatemala to their sixth championship in this category, finishing as the top scorer with 22 points in the final against Nicaragua.

José Pablo became a nightmare for the opposing block with 20 attack points, supported by Jerry Durán, who was named Second Best Spiker, while Adolfo Rivas took home the award for Best Setter of the tournament.

Costa Rica, who claimed third place, earned four individual awards: Stanley Grant as First Best Spiker and Top Scorer, Jeremy Vanega as First Best Blocker, and Yulius Brown as Best Server.

Osmar Peralta of Nicaragua was recognized as Best Receiver, Best Digger, and Best Libero, while Kaelen Ingram of Belize was named Best Opposite and Lucas Espíndola of El Salvador received the Second Best Blocker award.

All winners

ÁLBUM PREMIACIÓN

Individual Awards

Most Valuable Player José Pablo Pérez         GUA

1st Best Spiker             Stanley Grant             CRC

2nd Best Spiker           Jerry Durán                 GUA

Best Receiver             Osmar Peralta            NCA

Best Digger                  Osmar Peralta            NCA

Best  Libero                 Osmar Peralta            NCA

Best Scorer                  Stanley Grant              CRC

Best Service               Yulius Brown               CRC

Best Setter                   Adolfo Rivas                GUA

Best Opposite             Kaelen Ingram            BIZ

1st Best Blocker          Jeremy Vanega           CRC

2nd Best Blocker         Lucas Espíndola          ESA

Saint Lucia and Antigua set to battle for Top Position in ECVA Men’s Final Four Tournament

ST JOHN’S, Antigua: September 20, 2025: In a thrilling match at the ECVA Men’s Final Four Tournament, Saint Lucia emerged victorious over Antigua and Barbuda with a decisive score of 3-0, solidifying their status as a top contender. The match, played at the YMCA, concluded with set scores of 25-15, 25-23, and 25-19, showcasing the skill and determination of both teams.

Top Performers were Tevin St. Jean (Saint Lucia) – 13 points, Cairon Davis (Antigua) – 13 points and Erwin Mathurine (Antigua) – 13 points

With this victory, both Saint Lucia and Antigua are now poised to battle for the top position in the tournament. The teams will face each other again in a highly anticipated rematch, at the YMCA on Sunday September 21 at 8:30PM where the stakes will be higher. Fans can expect an intense and competitive atmosphere as both teams strive for supremacy.


As the tournament progresses, the excitement builds for this upcoming showdown. Supporters are encouraged to attend and cheer on their teams as they compete for glory in this prestigious event.

For further updates and information, please follow our official social media pages and visit the ECVA website ecvolleyball.com

Guatemala Claims Sixth Title at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship

CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 20, 2025.– After an uncertain start, Guatemala rose to the occasion to defeat Nicaragua 3-1 (29-31, 25-17, 25-18, 25-15) in the battle for the title of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship.

For the Guatemalan team, it was their sixth triumph in seven editions, making them the most successful nation in this category, while Nicaragua earned their second silver medal.

Nicaragua struck first by taking a hard-fought opening set 31-29, but far from letting their guard down, Guatemala stepped up in the next three sets to seal the victory and the championship.

Jose Perez GUA

ÁLBUM GUA VS NICARAGUA

Guatemala was superior in blocking points 12-7, attacks 67-50, service points 3-2, and conceded 23 points on unforced errors compared to Nicaragua’s 22.

José Pérez shone on offense, scoring 22 points to lead Guatemala’s attack, with Jerry Durán adding 17 and Jeferson Zavala contributing 15. For Nicaragua, Yader León and Jesy Umaña finished the match with 16 points each.

At the end of the match, Guatemala’s coach Lucas Raider said: “For us, it was a tournament with many ups and downs; we improved along the way, we were able to win the matches that mattered, and we got the result we wanted.”

Regarding the runner-up finish, Nicaragua’s coach Jorge Mena commented: “We did the work to reach this second place, which surely no one expected us to achieve, especially considering the countries that were present at this event. The team was very worn out after the semifinal against Panama, and that affected us a lot.”

Dominica Triumphs Over Grenada in ECVA Men’s Final 4

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – September 20, 2025: In an exhilarating encounter on day two of the ECVA Men’s Final 4, Dominica  secured a decisive victory against Grenada , winning in straight sets with scores of 25-20, 25-20, and 25-19. This victory propels Dominica into the finals of the tournament, setting the stage for an exciting battle for the bronze medal against Grenada.

This marks Dominica’s first win in the tournament, showcasing their resilience and determination after a series of competitive matches characterized by exceptional teamwork and skill.

Yahn Florent led the charge for Dominica, delivering a stellar performance with an impressive 20 points, demonstrating his prowess on the court. Despite a commendable effort from Grenada’s Oba Clarke, who contributed 8 points, the team was unable to overcome a well-coordinated Dominica side.

After the match, Dominica’s coach, Ithoma James, expressed his mixed emotions: “I am happy that the guys won this evening but disappointed with the previous losses. I just hope the team can carry the momentum into tomorrow and secure another victory. We need to execute our game plan and focus on improving our passing.”

Grenada’s Head Coach, Nasseir Peer, acknowledged the strength of the Dominica team and that they are a powerhouse in the ECVA. We did our homework and look forward to playing against them tomorrow.

The match showcased high levels of athleticism and strategy, with Dominica demonstrating their strength and teamwork throughout the game.

Looking ahead, the next matchup will feature Antigua and Barbuda taking on Saint Lucia, promising more thrilling volleyball action.

For further updates and information, follow us on our social media platforms and ecvolleyball.com

United States Gold Medal Bound at the NORCECA Women’s Final Six

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 20, 2025. – The United States booked its ticket to the gold medal match of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six after defeating the Dominican Republic 3-1 (25-20, 16-25, 25-18, 25-22) in the semifinals at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.

This marks the fourth consecutive appearance for Team USA in the gold medal match, having earned silver in 2022, gold in 2023, and silver again in 2024. In the inaugural edition in 2021, the Americans claimed the bronze medal.

For the Dominican Republic, this is their first time competing for bronze since the event’s inception. The three-time champions had always contested the gold medal match until now.

The two teams had already met in the preliminary round, where USA also prevailed in four sets.

Kamerynn Miner-USA

Statistically, the Americans held a narrow edge in blocks (11-10) and service points (4-3). The Dominican Republic outscored the USA in attacks (54-48) but committed more unforced errors (28-18), which proved costly.

Reagan Cooper led the U.S. offense with 14 points, all on kills. Samantha Francis followed with 13 points, including six kills, six blocks, and one ace. Khori Louis and Skylar Fields chipped in with 10 points apiece.

Four Dominican players reached double digits: Massiel Matos led all scorers with 17 points, followed by Madeline Guillén with 15, Alondra Tapia with 13, and Geraldine González with 11.

USA team captain Kamerynn Miner praised her team’s performance, saying: “We really just had to get into our rhythm offensively, and defensively we made some really good adjustments, especially blocking our pins, which made it easier for us to get great touches. It was an all-around team effort tonight and I am very proud of our team. I am super excited to have the opportunity to compete for a medal — we’ve been training for this and I’m happy to implement it. Hopefully, we can get into our rhythm a little bit faster.”

Dominican Republic, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico secure their ticket to the World Cup

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 20, 2025.- The women’s teams from the Dominican Republic, Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico advanced this Saturday to the Semifinals of the NORCECA 2025 Beach Volleyball World Cup Qualifying Tournament being held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, securing this way their ticket to the World Cup, which will take place from November 14 to 23 in Adelaide, Australia.

CAN

Dominicans Yari Cleto and Julibeth Payano defeated Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez of Nicaragua 2-0 (21-13, 21-11) in their Quarterfinal match. They will face Marie-Alex Belanger and Lea Monkhouse of Canada in the Semifinals. They advanced after defeating Aliza Aguilar and Laura Molina of Costa Rica 2-0 (21-10, 21-8).

DOM

María González and Allanis Navas advanced to the semifinals by defeating T’ara Austin/Taylor Buckner of the Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-13, 21-10). They will now play against Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who defeated Cubans Maykelin Drik and Kailin Garrido 2-0 (22-20, 22-20) in the quarterfinals.

The tournament continues this Sunday at 9:00 a.m. (local time) with the semifinals and positional matches. The bronze medal match and the Grand Final will be played in the afternoon.

PUR

Other results of the day were: CAN Belanger/Monkhouse vs. MEX Torres/Gutiérrez 2-0 (21-18, 21-16); NCA López/Lolette vs. CRC Aguilar/Molina 2-0 (21-12, 23-21); ISV Austin/Buckner d DOM Cleto/Payano 2-0 (21-16, 21-19); ESA Donnina Argueta/Keiry Guzmán d CAY Deajra Tulloch/Amanda Robinson 2-0 (21-14, 21-10).

United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Nicaragua advance to Semifinals in Punta Cana

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 20, 2025 – The pairs of USA Miles Partain/Andrew Benesh, CAN Samuel Schachter/Jonathan Pickett, PUR Cristian Encarnación/Diego Rosich, and NCA Rubén Mora/Dany López advanced to the Semifinals of the NORCECA 2025 Beach World Championship Qualifiers, which is being successfully held on the sand courts located at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

By advancing to the Semifinals, the four pairs secured their participation in the 2025 Beach World Championships, which will take place from November 14 to 23 in Adelaide, Australia.

CAN

Americans Partain and Benesh defeated twins Yoel and Christopher Guardado of El Salvador 2-0 (21-6, 21-14) in the Quarterfinals and will face Canadian duo Schachter and Pickett in the Semifinals, who defeated Dominicans Hayerling De Jesús and Melvin De Jesús 2-1 (21-14, 20-22, 15-9).

USA

Puerto Rico’s Encarnación and Rosich defeated Mexicans Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna 2-1 (21-19, 20-22, 16-14) in the Quarterfinals. They will now play Mora and López of Nicaragua in the Semifinals, who defeated Cuban duo Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes 2-1 (19-21, 21-17, 15-10).

The tournament continues this Sunday at 9:00 a.m. (local time) with the semifinals and position matches, and the bronze medal match and Grand Final will be played in the afternoon.

NCA

Other results of the day were: DOM H. De Jesús/M. De Jesús d CRC Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela 2-0 (21-14, 21-16); USA Partain/Benesh d NCA Mora/López 2-0 (21-16, 21-18); PUR Encarnación/Rosich d GUA Edgar Maldonado/Luis García 2-0 (21-11, 21-19); MEX Sarabia/Osuna d ISV Bryce Mayers/Tyler Penberthy 2-0 (21-12, 21-11); CAN Schachter/Pickett d ISV Bryce Mayers/Tyler Penverthy 2-0 (21-15, 21-13); MEX Sarabia/Osuna d ESA Y. Guardado/C. Guardado 2-0 21-12, 21-19).

Costa Rica Tops Panama for Bronze at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship

CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 20, 2025 – The Costa Rica National Team climbed to third place at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship after defeating Panama 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 29-27).

Panama was slow to get going and tried to extend the match, especially in the third set, but Costa Rica shut the door thanks to its powerful attack.

For Costa Rica, five players scored in double digits, with the top three being Stanley Grant with 24, Ignacio Sánchez with 17, and Yulius Brown with 13.

Stanley Grant CRC

For Panama, Víctor Araúz finished with 15 points and Víctor Pérez added 11.

ÁLBUM CRC VS PAN

Costa Rica was highly effective on attack, scoring 58 points compared to Panama’s 33. Panama narrowly led in blocking (7-4) and service points (5-4), but they committed 19 unforced errors compared to Costa Rica’s 13.

After the match, Costa Rica’s coach César Salas said: “Thank God we reached the podium, even though our goal was to make it to the final. We didn’t achieve that, but we are not sad, overall, the team had a great tournament. This is a very young group that will undoubtedly continue to grow.”

Panama’s coach Horacio Angulo added: “We have to be honest; the team didn’t have the necessary preparation. Still, people were able to see what these guys are capable of. To compete for medals with this new format, proper preparation is needed. You can have a team with very talented players, but that means nothing without preparation.”

Antigua and Barbuda Triumphs Over Dominica in ECVA Men’s Final Four Tournament

ST. JOHNS, Antigua – September 20, 2025: In an exhilarating Day 2 matchup of the Men’s Final Four Tournament, Antigua and Barbuda emerged victorious against Dominica with a score of 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-22). The match, held at the YMCA, showcased intense competition and highlighted the exceptional skills of both teams.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Adrian Constant was a standout performer, dominating the court with 18 points through powerful spikes and effective serves, leading his team to victory. Cairon Davis and Immanuel Donovan also made significant contributions with key defensive plays and teamwork that proved crucial throughout the match.

On the other side, Team Dominica’s Yahn Florent led his team with an impressive 22 points, exhibiting remarkable skills in both offense and defense. Sidney John and James Nester displayed resilience, demonstrating strong teamwork and strategic play.

The match began with a fiercely contested first set that ultimately ended in favor of Dominica. However, Antigua quickly rebounded in the second set, showcasing strategic adjustments that propelled them to victory in the subsequent sets. The final set saw Antigua maintain their momentum, securing the win with a score of 25-22.

As the tournament progresses, Dominica is set to face Grenada in their next match, aiming to bounce back and keep their hopes alive in the competition.

For live match updates and more information, follow us at ecvolleyball.com.

Upcoming Matches – Saturday, September 20

– 6:00 PM – Grenada vs. Dominica
– 8:30 PM- Saint Lucia vs. Antigua and Barbuda

Saint Lucia triumphs Over Grenada in a thrilling match at YMCA, Saint John’s

ST JOHN’S – Antigua: September 20, 2025 – In an exhilarating showdown at the YMCA Hall, the Saint Lucia volleyball team emerged victorious against Grenada with a commanding score of 3-1. The match drew an enthusiastic crowd of spectators who witnessed a display of skill and determination from both teams.

The match began at 9:00 a.m. and lasted a total of 1 hour and 43 minutes. Saint Lucia secured their victory with set scores of 25-22, 21-25, 25-16, and 25-17, showcasing exceptional teamwork and strategy throughout the match.

Top Scorer for Saint Lucia, Tevin St Jean, with a remarkable total of 22 points and an outstanding Performance by Joseph Clercent contributed significantly with 19 points, including crucial attacks that shifted momentum in favor of Saint Lucia.

Grenada’s best performer, Darron Oxford led his team with 19 points, demonstrating resilience despite the loss.

Speaking with Darron Oxford, captain of the Grenada team after their second loss of the tournament, he said “ I feel disappointed but there are positives to be taken from this game we just need to stay focus”.

As the tournament progresses, both teams will take valuable lessons from this match, setting the stage for more exciting volleyball action.

Follow us on ecvolleyball.com for LIVE matches and updates.


Upcoming Matches – Saturday September 20

11:00 AM – Dominica vs Antigua and Barbuda
6:00 PM – Grenada vs Dominica
8:30 PM – Saint Lucia vs Antigua and Barbuda

Belize Takes Fifth Place at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship

CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 20, 2025. – Belize did what was necessary to overcome El Salvador 3-1 (25-18, 14-25, 25-20, 25-23) in the battle that awarded the winner fifth place at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship.

Belize closed the competition with an overall record of 3-1 in wins and losses after competing in the demanding Pool A and the classification matches. Meanwhile, El Salvador finished in sixth place with a 1-3 overall record.

ÁLBUM FOTOS BIZ VS ESA

Eliazar Mejía spearheaded Belize’s attack with 19 points, supported by Kaelen Ingram with 18 and Daniel Musa with 11 points.

Eliazar Mejia BIZ

For El Salvador, Abner Cano led the offense with 23 points, while teammate Andrés Reyes added 12 points.

El Salvador had its best moment in the second set but was unable to maintain the pace against a Belizean side that held the advantage in attack points 48-44 and blocks 7-5, though El Salvador was more effective from the service line with a 7-5 edge in service points.

Both teams were nearly even in points from unforced errors, with Belize giving up 30 and El Salvador 29.

After the match, Belize’s coach Albert Humes stated: “Overall, I’d give the team a B grade. I think we could have had a better tournament, but we slipped in our first match against Panama. Maybe in a round-robin format we could have achieved a better position since we only lost once in the tournament and still finished fifth.”

Meanwhile, El Salvador’s coach Andrea Genova said: “We knew we were going to have a very tough tournament. Despite everything, we fought hard in every match. This experience is very valuable for our young players who are preparing for next year’s U19 tournament.”

Canada falls to Poland in Round of 16

September 20, 2025- Poland secured its place in the quarterfinals at the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025 in the Philippines. This Saturday in the city of Pasay, the finalists of the last three editions overcame Canada’s resistance in a four-set Round of 16 match. The number one team in the FIVB World Ranking will face Turkiye in one of the two quarterfinal matches scheduled for Wednesday, September 24.

Poland remained well in control of the scoreboard for most of the four sets, taking advantage of the abundant errors on the Canadian side, on the way to a convincing 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-18, 25-14) victory. Only in the decisive moment of the second set, the North Americans managed to break through the Polish domination and win the set.

Canada block

Canada gave Poland 35 points in unforced errors, while their opponents committed only 16 of those. The European side also dominated in serving with 5-2 in aces, and in net defense with 10-7 in blocks.

Canada outperformed Poland in the number of successful attacks, 52 against 48. Their opposite Sharone Vernon-Evans (Sho) was the top scorer of the match. He attacked with a 57% success rate and got two blocks and one ace to finish with the highest score of the match, 23 points. Outside hitter Jackson Young, who closed the second set for Canada with a huge block, also scored 11 points in offense and finished with a total of 12.

Jackson Young CAN

“Obviously we are not so happy to have lost, of course, but I think there were good things in the game. Of course, they are a great team, but we know this is the benchmark where we want to be, so we have to just keep building. We definitely grew as a team throughout the tournament. With me coming later in the summer and Nick (Nicholas Hoag) coming back, I think it took time to gel, but I think we did a good job and we are taking a step in the right direction,” Sho commented after the match.

“It feels good. I definitely feel like I belong, and the guys did a good job helping me come back and welcoming me. I just wanted to try to bring what I was doing in Japan and try to help the team be the best we can.” he concluded.

Antigua and Barbuda Secure Home Victory Against Grenada

ST. JOHN, Antigua, September 29, 2025.- In the second match of the day, Antigua and Barbuda thrilled their home crowd with a 3–1 win over Grenada (19–25, 25–17, 25–18, 25–19). Despite dropping the first set, the home team rallied with dominant play across the remaining frames.

Darron Oxford of Grenada led the scores with 17 points, while Cairon Davis of Antigua and Barbuda followed closely with 16.

“It was disappointing to lose,” said Grenada captain Darron Oxford. “Our mistakes were a little too much. We need to capitalize on our opponents’ game and tighten up moving forward.

“We started shaky and the guys were nervous,” said Antigua and Barbuda captain Collin Thomas. “But as the game went on, we picked up momentum. The bench was amazing—rallying behind us. It was a strong showing for our first game.”

ECVA MEN’S FINAL FOUR

Upcoming Matches – Saturday, September 20

• 9:00 AM – Saint Lucia vs Grenada
• 11:00 AM – Dominica vs Antigua and Barbuda
• 6:00 PM – Grenada vs Dominica
• 8:30 PM – Saint Lucia vs Antigua and Barbuda

Saint Lucia Triumphs Over Dominica in ECVA Men’s Final 4 Opener

ST. JOHN, Antigua, September 29, 2025.- The 2025 ECVA Men’s Final 4 Tournament launched with electrifying action at the YMCA in St. John’s, Antigua, as Saint Lucia edged Dominica in a five-set thriller, followed by a commanding win from host nation Antigua and Barbuda over Grenada.

Saint Lucia opened the tournament with a dramatic 3–2 victory over Dominica (17–25, 25–17, 25–21, 25–19, 16–14). The match featured intense momentum swings, and a fierce comeback attempt by Dominica, ultimately falling short in the final set.

Dominica’s captain Yhan Florent led all scorers with 26 points, while Tevin St. Jean paced Saint Lucia with 20.

“It was a tightly contested game, but we came out super strong,” said Saint Lucia captain Clercent Joseph. “Starting off this tournament with a win sets the standard for the rest of the weekend. I believe we have a good chance of winning.”

“We started off with a great first set,” said Dominica captain Yhan Florent. “There were ups and downs, but we will come back stronger.”

ECVA MEN’S FINAL FOUR

Upcoming Matches – Saturday, September 20

• 9:00 AM – Saint Lucia vs Grenada
• 11:00 AM – Dominica vs Antigua and Barbuda
• 6:00 PM – Grenada vs Dominica
• 8:30 PM – Saint Lucia vs Antigua and Barbuda

Mexico Bounces Back to Beat Dominican Republic in Four Sets

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 19, 2025. – Mexico bounced back to defeat the Dominican Republic 3-1 (21-25, 26-24, 26-24, 25-23) in the final match of the preliminary round at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

With the win, Mexico closed the preliminary phase in second place with a 4-1 record and will face Puerto Rico (third place) in the semifinals. The Dominican Republic, finishing fourth, will face the United States.

The Dominican Republic’s powerful attacking, led by Madeline Guillen, Florangel Terrero, and Alondra Tapia, set the tone early, jumping to a 17-13 lead and taking the opening set 25-21.

The Caribbeans once again led the way in the second set, ahead 16-12, before Mexico rallied. Sofía Maldonado scored two key kills, Aime Topete added a strong swing, and Dominican errors allowed the home team to even the score at 16. Mexico reached set point 24-23 thanks to Melanie Parra’s offense, but the Dominican Republic extended the set with a block from Terrero. A crucial service error from Tapia and a block by Arleth Márquez on Terrero sealed the set for Mexico, tying the match.

Mexico wins

In the third set, Mexico held a 24-18 advantage thanks to Topete and Samantha Bricio, but the Dominican Republic fought back with kills from Angélica Hinojosa, Guillen’s attacks, and Samaret Caraballo’s strong serving, closing the gap to just two points. Bricio finally ended the set with a powerful spike off Hinojosa’s block, putting Mexico ahead 2-1.

Mexico kept their composure in the fourth set, building a 20-15 lead. Márquez’s block on Hinojosa gave the hosts a 23-19 edge, but Natalia Martínez’s back-to-back kills kept the Dominican Republic close. Mexico reached match point on a Dominican attack error and secured the victory on a Dominican service error.

Mexico led in attacks (52-47), while the Dominican Republic had the edge in serves (5-4). Both teams scored seven points on blocks. Mexico committed 37 errors compared to the Dominican Republic’s 35.

Aime Topete led Mexico’s scoring with 14 points, followed by Samantha Bricio with 10. Madeline Guillen topped all scorers with 19 points for the Dominican Republic, and Geraldine González added 11 points.

Samantha Bricio of Mexico commented on the game: “Our team has enough talent to make changes in the lineup. Today, three players from the younger categories came in as substitutes and did an amazing job. I think this is the first match where all three of them played with us at the same time. They performed without fear, did their job, as if we had always played together. It worked for us. Now we face Puerto Rico in the semifinals; we need to recover energy and try to do our best. I think in the end it will come down to who wants to win more.”

Marcos Kwiek, Coach of the Dominican Republic, stated: “It was a good match. Both teams had difficulties. We were already qualified for the semifinals with Cuba’s loss, so it was good for other players to get on the court, test some rotations; it was interesting. Tomorrow is what really matters.”

Nicaragua Secures the Other Ticket to the Final of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship

CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 19, 2025. – In a dramatic, nail-biting finish, Nicaragua claimed the second ticket to the final of the VII AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship, prevailing over Panama in a thrilling five-set battle 3-2 (25-19, 19-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-12).

Nicaragua will aim for its second title in the category and will face Guatemala in a fourth consecutive final, after previously clashing in the 2018, 2022, and 2023 editions. In those duels, Nicaragua knocked Guatemala out in the 2022 edition.

ÁLBUM NCA VS PAN

Against Panama, Nicaragua kept its composure and played with patience in the most critical moments, facing a Panamanian squad that never backed down and had strong support from the fans present at La Basita Gymnasium in Chiriquí.

Nicaragua celebrates

The difference in points between both teams was slight. Panama led in attacks 70-68, but Nicaragua stepped up its blocking, scoring 11 points to Panama’s 7, while both teams scored one point from service.

Panama was hurt by 27 unforced errors, compared to 24 from Nicaragua.

On offense for Nicaragua, Yader León led with 23 points, followed closely by Jesy Umaña, also with 23. For Panama, Víctor Pérez and Víctor Arauz each scored 22 points.

After the match, Nicaragua’s top scorer Yader León said: “It was a very tough match. The guys started blocking at the most important moments, and that was key to getting the win. We took the first set, then fell behind because of our own mistakes, but we knew how to fix those situations. Honestly, the key to victory was our blocking in the last set.”

Meanwhile, Panama’s captain and top scorer Víctor Pérez said: “It was a very hard-fought match. Nicaragua is not an easy team, and against us, everything went their way. All we can do now is keep fighting, we want to take third place here at home to our country.”

Guatemala to Defend Its Crown in the Final of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship

CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 19, 2025.– Guatemala’s National Team secured its place in the final of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship after prevailing over Costa Rica in a fierce battle, winning 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-18, 25-20).

For Guatemala, the defending champion, this will be their sixth final in the category, during which they have already collected five titles, the most recent in the 2023 edition.

Despite the score, it was not an easy match for Guatemala, who stayed calmer in the moments of pressure and pushed harder in their quest for the final ticket.

Jose Perez GUA

Costa Rica conceded 33 points from unforced errors compared to Guatemala’s 16, a factor that ultimately made the difference in the match result.

ÁLBUM DE FOTOS GUA VS CRC

Both teams were evenly matched, with Costa Rica slightly ahead in attack points (59-58) and service aces (5-0), while tied in blocking points (6-6).

Guatemala found its main attacking figures in José Pérez and Yeferson Zavala, who each scored 15 points, while Jerry Durán contributed 14.

For Costa Rica, Staley Grant was the top scorer with 33 points, followed by Ignacio Morales with 18 and Yulius Brown with 10.

After the match, Guatemala’s top scorer José Pérez said: “In our previous match against Belize, we got a little overconfident, but against Costa Rica that didn’t happen. This time, we entrusted ourselves to God and He gave us the victory because we were able to work as a team and play with grit. Costa Rica is a very strong team, but the key to winning was staying united and never letting our attitude drop.”

Staley Grant, Costa Rica’s leading scorer, added: “Guatemala was a very strong opponent. I feel that we could have given more, but unfortunately, we made too many mistakes. That made the difference because Guatemala played with very few errors.”

USA Tops the Preliminary Round Undefeated at Women’s Final Six

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 19, 2025. – The United States completed the preliminary round of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six undefeated after sweeping Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-13) on Friday night at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.

USA finished pool play with a perfect 5-0 record, while Puerto Rico closed with a 2-3 mark. Both teams secured spots in Saturday’s semifinals, awaiting their opponents based on final standings.

Puerto Rico started strong, building a 17-14 lead in the opening set with Decelise Champion driving the offense. The Americans responded with a Kendall Kipp kill and an Emily Thater block on Champion to tie the score at 17. From there, USA pulled away with key points from Skylar Fields and a crucial block by Samantha Francis to close the set.

Puerto Rico again took an early 9-4 lead in the second set, paced by Paola Santiago, but the United States quickly recovered. Claire Chaussee and Thater powered the offense, while both teams stayed close in blocking and serving. USA’s consistency at the net allowed them to take control late and earn the two-set advantage.

USA winners

In the third set, the United States dominated from start to finish, jumping ahead 21-9 behind a strong blocking performance from four different players, and sealing the sweep with a convincing finish.

USA led in attacks (40-36), blocks (12-5), and aces (4-3), while committing fewer errors (12 to Puerto Rico’s 19).

Samantha Francis and Claire Chaussee led the American scoring with 12 points each, followed by Skylar Fields with 10. For Puerto Rico, Paola Santiago scored 13 points and Decelise Champion added 11.

Claire Chaussee said about their execution: “We had the game plan of serving at their outsides and we stuck to it. In the past we were serving just anywhere on the court, and today we were really focused on directing our serves and getting them out of system. Our block did a lot better job of getting in front of them or head on or on their left shoulder, wherever it needed to be. Our passing was consistent the entire match and that helped us, it got our middles going”.

Juan Carlos Nuñez, head coach of Puerto Rico, reflected on the preliminary round: “We had very good matches, but we were inconsistent. Today against the United States, we were able to play offensively in the first two sets. We need to go toe-to-toe offensively with every opponent. We must get ready for tomorrow, as we are already in the semifinals.”

Cuban, United States, and Canadian men’s teams undefeated in Punta Cana

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 19, 2025 – The Cuban, Canadian, and United States men’s teams won both matches on the opening day of the NORCECA 2025 World Beach Championship Qualifiers, being played on the sand courts at Los Corales Beach on the coast of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

In Group A, Cubans Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes defeated Costa Rica’s Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) and Dominicans Hayerling De Jesús/Melvin De Jesús 2-0 (21-16, 21-14).

CAN Schachter in reception

Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh of the United States defeated Puerto Ricans Cristian Encarnación and Diego Rosich in identical sets in Pool B, 2-0 (21-16, 21-16), and in their second match, Edgar Maldonado and Luis García (GUA) 2-0 (21-7, 21-11).

In Pool C, Canadians Samuel Schachter and Jhonathan Pickett defeated Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna of Mexico 2-0 (21-12, 21-8) and twins Joel and Christopher Guardado of El Salvador 2-0 (21-13, 21-17).

The tournament is contesting four spots per gender for the 2025 Beach World Championships, which will be held in Adelaide, Australia, from November 14 to 23.

In other results of the day: Ruben Mora/Dany Lopez (NCA) d Maldonado/Garcia (GUA) 2-0 (21-8, 21-8); Cristian Encarnacion/Diego Rosich (PUR) d Mora/Lopez (NCA) 2-0 (21-16, 21-13); J. Guardado/Ch. Guardado (ESA) d Bryce Mayer/Tyler Penberthy 2-0 (21-17, 21-16).

Four women’s teams start undefeated in Punta Cana

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 19, 2025 – The women’s teams from the Dominican Republic, the Virgin Islands, Canada, and Cuba started undefeated at the NORCECA 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championship Qualifying Tournament held at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

In Pool C, Dominicans Yari Cleto and Julibeth Payano easily defeated Deajra Tulloch and Amanda Robinson of the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-7, 21-10), and the duo of Donnina Argueta and Keiry Guzmán of El Salvador by the same score of 2-0 (21-7, 21-10). In the same group, T’ara Austin/Taylor Buckner (ISV) defeated Argueta/Guzmán (ESA) 2-0 (21-9, 21-7) and Tulloch/Robinson (CAY) 2-0 (21-9, 21-9).

DOM

In Group A, Canadians Marie-Alex Belanger/Lea Monkhouse battled to defeat Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas 2-0 (23-21, 21-19), while their other match was a BYE.

In Group B, Cubans Maikelin Dirk and Kailin Garrido defeated Aliza Aguilar and Laura Molina of Costa Rica 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) and Nicaraguans Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez 2-0 (21-14, 21-15).

This Qualifier awards four spots per gender to the Beach Volleyball World Championship, which will be held in Adelaide, Australia, from November 14 to 23.

Other results of the day: González/Navas (PUR) and Susana Torres/Atenas Gutierrez (MEX) 2-0 (21-19, 21-18).

Canada Earns First Win with a Reverse Sweep Over Cuba at Women’s Final Six

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 19, 2025 .– Canada pulled off an impressive reverse sweep to capture their first victory at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, defeating Cuba 3-2 (14-25, 14-25, 27-25, 25-19, 15-11) on Friday night at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.

Both Canada and Cuba concluded the preliminary round with a 1-4 record and will face each other once again on Sunday in the match for fifth place.

Cuba dominated the opening two sets with a powerful net presence, led by Yailin De La Peña, Laura Suárez, and Whitney James. Strong blocking and aggressive serving helped the Cubans control the pace, taking the first set with a 6-0 block advantage and repeating their dominance early in the second with Dayana Martínez contributing back-to-back blocks. Canada responded with spirited attacks from Lauren Attieh and Sydney Grills, but Cuba remained steady, closing the set with an ace from Lisania Grafort.

The third set saw a major shift as Canada jumped to an early 7-3 lead behind Emma Boyd’s kills and blocks, with Grills adding pressure from the service line. Canada surged ahead 17-8 before Cuba fought back to tie the set at 23 and even reached match point with a De La Peña ace. Boyd delivered a clutch kill to level the score, and Canada capitalized on a Cuban error to extend the match.

Canada vs Cuba

Canada kept their momentum in the fourth, rallying from a three-point deficit to tie at 14-all. A late surge, highlighted by an Attieh kill and a Grills block over Evilania Martínez, gave Canada set point. Grills blocked Yanisleidis Sánchez to force a tie-break.

The decisive fifth set was closely contested until 5-5, when Canada pulled away for good. Attieh and Isabella Noble anchored the block, while Boyd sealed the win with a final kill.

Canada benefited from 34 Cuban errors (while committing 24) despite Cuba leading in attacks (57-45), blocks (13-10), and aces (11-6).

Canadian star Emma Boyd topped all scorers with 19 points (14 kills, 3 blocks, 2 aces). Sydney Grills added 14 points to the win (10 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces). Cuba’s Whitney James led her team with 16 points (11 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces), while Yailin De La Peña contributed 14 (10 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces). Dayana Martínez and Claudia Tarín chipped in 13 points each, and Laura Suárez added 12.

Emma Boyd, captain of Canada said about the win: “We came back from losing the first two sets focusing on taking care on our standards on our side of the net. Didn’t focus on Cuba was doing because we knew that if we improved and cleaned up our execution, things would probably start to go our way. All the subs brought different energy to the court, and it was a beautiful win”.

Belize Defeats Honduras and Will Play for Fifth Place at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship

CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 19, 2025. – The Belizean squad handled Honduras with little trouble, winning 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-15) to advance to the fifth-place match against El Salvador, on the final day of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship.

The loss left Honduras in seventh place in the event, without a single victory to their name after the group stage and classification round.

ÁLBUM BIZ VS HON

Belize had no issues dominating the match against Honduras, leading in attack points 40-30, blocks 9-6, and aces 4-2. They also committed fewer unforced errors with 19, compared to Honduras’ 22.

Belize celebrates

On offense for Belize, Kaelen Ingram led all scorers with 21 points, followed by Eleazar Mejía with 14.

For Honduras, Jesús Montes worked the hardest with 17 points, the only player on his team to reach double digits.

Regarding the victory, Eleazar Mejía, one of Belize’s top scorers, said: “We feel good with this victory, although we really regret not being able to qualify for the semifinals and play for a medal. We will face El Salvador in our next match. For us, this is a very important game, and we will give everything to take that fifth place.”

Meanwhile, Jesús Montes, Honduras’ leading scorer, stated: “We had many good moments, and others where our spirits dropped, but in the end we all tried to give our best for our team and our nation. It must be said that there is plenty of talent in Honduras; we just need to work more with it.”

Belize heads into the battle for fifth place with a 2-1 win-loss record, while El Salvador, who awaited their opponent after finishing third in Pool B, enters with a 1-2 record.

United States Secures their Spot in the Women’s Final Six Semifinals

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 18, 2025. – The United States defeated Mexico 3-1 (25-15, 25-15, 20-25, 25-20) to secure its place in the semifinals of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, taking place in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

With a perfect 4-0 record, the Americans have already clinched a spot in Saturday’s semifinals, with one preliminary match still to play, which they will close against Puerto Rico (2-2). Mexico, with a 3-1 record, remains in strong position and will face Dominican Republic (2-2) in its final match of the round.

The United States jumped to a big lead in the first set (10-3) behind a powerful offense led by Madison Kubik, Reagan Cooper, and Skyler Fields. Cooper and Claire Chaussee were key from the service line, putting pressure on Mexico’s reception. Although Mexico scored through Sofía Maldonado and Melanie Parra, the U.S. kept control to take the set.

In the second set, Mexico showed a better rhythm, but the U.S. maintained control, taking the set by the same score as the first with Kendall Kipp and Khori Louis leading the offense.

Mexico had its best performance in the third set, taking the lead for the first time in the match (7-3) and holding it until the U.S. tied at 12-12. The set saw several lead changes, with Melanie Parra as the key offensive figure, combining powerful attacks and a tough serve to make it 21-17. With support from Uxue Guereca, Mexico forced a fourth set.

Madison Kubik-USA

In the fourth, the U.S. regained control, leading 16-11 and extending the gap to 18-11 with Kipp and Cooper at the helm. Mexico fought to stay close with Maldonado and Parra, but a Fields with a swing that Uxue Guereca could not handle, followed by another from Samantha Francis, sealed the victory for the Americans.

The U.S. held the advantage in attacks (54-46), blocks (7-4), and aces (7-6), while committing fewer errors (19-27).

Four U.S. players finished with double-digit scoring: Madison Kubik (14), Reagan Cooper (13), Khori Louis (12), and Kendall Kipp (11). Mexico’s Melanie Parra led all scorers with 18 points, followed by Sofía Maldonado with 14.

Erik Sullivan, Head Coach of the United States said after the win: “I’m very happy with the way we played. I thought Mexico maybe didn’t have their best stuff for the first two sets, but they showed us how they compete in sets three and four. I’m very proud of how our girls hung in there, I felt like we were kind of losing momentum a little bit, but we did a good job in making some adjustments and pushing back a little bit. It’s a nice growing moment for us”.

Nicola Negro, Mexico’s Head Coach, said about the match: “The United States came out with great aggressiveness in the first two sets, their serving and attacking killed us. It’s a good lesson for us because we must understand that if we want to grow, we must earn respect; we can’t think that playing is something easy. I hope we learn from the lesson that the United States gave us today.”

Paula Weishoff, Olympic Legend, Inspires Team USA at the NORCECA Final Six

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 18, 2025. – At the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, legendary player and International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee Paula Weishoff is making her mark off the court, serving as assistant coach for Team USA. The three-time Olympian — silver medalist in Los Angeles 1984 and bronze medalist in Barcelona 1992 — spoke about her transition from player to coach, her vision of today’s game, and what it means to once again represent her country, this time in a technical role.

Weishoff, considered one of the most complete players in volleyball history, enjoyed a prolific professional career in Italy, Brazil, and Japan, earning multiple Most Valuable Player honors. After retiring as a player, she found in coaching a new way to give back to the sport that has given her so much.

“I never thought I would get into coaching. But destiny led me there. Lisa Love, coach at USC, gave me the opportunity to coach in college, study the game, and discover my passion for coaching,” she explained.

For Weishoff, the shift from playing to coaching required a deep learning process:

“Not all great players become great coaches. You have to learn how to transfer your knowledge and help players understand what’s happening on the court when you can’t be out there yourself. I had great mentors and studied the game in depth. That has helped me tremendously in my coaching role.”

After working with several USA Volleyball development programs and coaching various age groups, Weishoff returned to the national team for the quad leading up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Since then, she had dedicated herself exclusively to coaching at the collegiate level — until this recent return to the national team staff.

“I needed a break after 2012. I was doing double duty — USA practices in the morning and my college team in the evening. Now I’m back with renewed energy. I’m here to support Erik Sullivan’s staff, help wherever I’m needed, and contribute with the experience I’ve gained.”

Regarding her work with the new generation of players, Paula is optimistic:

“This generation is exceptional. They’re very receptive to feedback and understand their roles, whether they are on the court or not. They’re engaged and striving to get better, which makes our job so much easier.”

Weishoff also shared advice for young players with dreams of reaching the highest level:

“Every player is different. Some you need to push, others you need to explain why, and many are very visual and need to see video. The most important thing is helping them understand the purpose of what they are doing.”

Finally, Paula expressed her joy at being back on the international stage:

“I love volleyball. I’m happy to be here and to have this opportunity. Volleyball has been so good to me, and I feel blessed to give something back to the sport.”

Team USA is determined to remain a top contender in the region, and this tournament in Guadalajara marks a key step in their preparation for the next Olympic cycle. With leaders like Paula Weishoff on the staff, the legacy of U.S. volleyball continues to inspire new generations.

Belize Defeats Guatemala and Sets the Stage for the Semifinals of the VII Central American U23 Championship

CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 18, 2025.- Belize pulled off a surprising victory over Guatemala 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-20) to close Pool A of the VII AFECAVOL Central American U23 Championship, a result that determined the semifinal matchups.

All three teams in Pool A finished with a 1-1 win-loss record, but the semifinal spots went to Panama, who topped the pool with six points, followed by Guatemala (5) in second place and Belize (4) in third.

ÁLBUM BIZ VS GUA

In the semifinal round, Guatemala will face Costa Rica while Panama will take on Nicaragua.

Richardson and Usher BIZ

Belize will meet Honduras in the classification round; the loser of that match will finish in seventh place, while the winner will advance to the fifth-place match against El Salvador, who is waiting for an opponent after finishing third in Pool B.

Against Guatemala, Belize played inspired volleyball, using their powerful blocking to neutralize their opponent.

Belize dominated in blocking points 14-2, attacks 55-46, and serves 7-3, although they gave away more points on unforced errors 31-20.

Kaelen Ingram led Belize’s offense with 25 points, followed by Eleazar Mejía with 23. For Guatemala, Jerry Durán topped the scoresheet with 12 points, supported by José Pérez with 10.

After the match, Belize’s captain Kaelen Ingram said: “We played like a family. We went into the match against Guatemala knowing that if we wanted to win, we had to help each other out. For our next match, we will give our best. The team knows that in every match we must go out and fight.”

Meanwhile, Guatemala’s captain Josué González commented: “All our matches against Belize are always tough. The truth is we didn’t play our game and that hurt us. We tried to fight back after falling behind, but we couldn’t get the result we wanted.”

Dominican Republic Earns Important Victory Over Canada at the Final Six

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 18, 2025. – Dominican Republic secured a valuable 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-20, 25-22) victory over Canada on day four of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

With this result, the Dominicans improve their record to 2-2, the same as Puerto Rico, while Canada remains winless (0-4). Dominican Republic will close the preliminary round facing Mexico and Canada playing Cuba.

Madeline Guillen’s offense was key for Dominican Republic to recover from a difficult start, overcoming a five-point deficit in the first set. Florangel Terrero contributed with blocking and attacking to secure the set win.

Canada tied the match in the second set thanks to their solid work at the net with Grace Calnan, Emma Boyd, Raya Surinx, and Isabella Noble, successfully slowing down the Caribbean offense and capitalizing on Dominican reception errors.

Sydney Grills-CAN

In the third set, the Dominicans took the lead after an 8-all tie and stayed in control despite strong plays from Surinx and Boyd. The balanced attack and blocking on both sides were ultimately decided by Canada’s unforced errors.

The fourth set was also closely contested, with Canada coming back from 18-23 to 22-23, led by Sydney Grills, but Terrero and Tapia sealed the Dominican victory with powerful attacks.

The Caribbean team led in attacks (57-40), while Canada held a slight edge in blocks (9-8). Both teams scored 5 aces, but Dominican Republic gave away more points on errors (33-26).

Madeline Guillen was the top scorer of the match with 29 points. Florangel Terrero followed with 10 points for the Dominicans. For Canada, Raya Surinx and Maryn Boldon scored 14 each, while Emma Boyd added 11.

Dominican Republic’s captain, Camila De La Rosa, commented on her team’s performance: “It was a very balanced match; it wasn’t an easy match. We lost focus and gave away a set by making too many mistakes; we struggled in reception and serving. We are one step away from the semifinals.”

Mathew Krueger, Head Coach of Canada said “I’m very proud of team today. We’ve been talking about what it’s going to take for us to get to the next level and about the decision making when we attack, I believe we implemented that perfectly – we saw when we needed to tip. I’m very proud of the girls and how they’re battling throughout this tournament”.

21 teams will see action in the Beach Volleyball World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Punta Cana

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 18, 2025. – A total of 21 teams from 12 different countries will compete in the NORCECA 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championship Qualifying Tournament, which will take place from September 19 to 21 on the sand courts located on Punta Cana Beach, Dominican Republic.

Twelve men’s and 10 women’s teams will compete for one of the four gender spots awarded for the Beach Volleyball World Championship, to be held from November 14 to 23 in Adelaide, Australia.

All teams will give their all in the preliminary round, which begins on Friday at 9:00 AM, seeking to advance from the group stage to the elimination round.

On the first day of competition, 20 preliminary round group matches will be played: 12 for the men’s team and 8 for the women’s team. The preliminary round will conclude on Saturday, along with the quarterfinals and losers’ bracket. Sunday will be a spectacular day with the semifinals, positional matches, and the grand final to crown the champions.

Men’s Teams: DOM Hayerling De Jesús/Melvin De Jesús; USA Miles Partain/Andrew Benesh; CAN Samuel Schachter/Jonathan Pickett; ISV Bryce Mayer/Tyler Penberthy; NCA Rubén Mora/Dany López; CRC Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela; CUB Damián Gómez/Eblis Veranes; GUA Edgar Maldonado/Luis García; ESA Yoel Guardado/Christopher Guardado; MEX Miguel Sarabia/Jorman Osuna; PUR Crisstian Encarnación/Diego Rosich.

Women’s Teams: CAN Marie-Alex Belanger/Lea Monkhouse; NCA Socorro López/Lolette Rodríguez; DOM Yari Cleto/Julibeth Payano; ISV T’ara Austin/Taylor Buckner; CRC Aliza Aguilar/Laura Molina; MEX Susana Torres/Atenas Gutierrez; PUR María González/Allanis Navas; CUB Maykelin Drik/Kailin Garrido; Fernanda Argueta/Keiry Guzmán; CAY Deajra Tulloch/Amanda Robinson.

Costa Rica Takes First Place in Pool B at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship

CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 18, 2025. – Costa Rica finished with a perfect 3-0 record and claimed the top spot in Pool B after defeating Nicaragua in a hard-fought duel 3-1 (25-17, 15-25, 25-20, 26-24), in the final day of pool play at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Men’s Championship.

Nicaragua finished in second place with a 2-1 win-loss record, and like Costa Rica, now awaits the definition of the final standings in Pool A to determine the semifinal matchups.

ÁLBUM CRC VS NCA

Costa Rica faced its toughest test of the tournament against Nicaragua, after comfortable 3-0 victories over Honduras and El Salvador.

The Costa Rican squad imposed its superior blocking, scoring 13 points collectively against Nicaragua’s 7, and also led in attacking points 55-53.

Stanley Grant CRC

Both teams were tied in service points 2-2 and were nearly even in points given away by unforced errors, with 22 for Costa Rica and 23 for Nicaragua.

Stanley Grant was Costa Rica’s main offensive weapon with 23 points, while Ignacio Sánchez finished with 12 and Yulius Brown contributed 11 points.

For Nicaragua, Yader León scored 15 points, Josué Blandón had 14, and Jesy Umaña added 13.

After the match, Costa Rica’s coach César Salas commented: “It was a very intense match; we were facing a very strong opponent. During the match we stopped making some of the adjustments we had discussed, especially in blocking, and it complicated things for us quite a bit. But in the end, our serve helped us a lot, and in the last set we were able to execute better in blocking.”

Meanwhile, Nicaragua’s coach Jorge Mena said after the match: “We wanted to win to take first place in the group, but it wasn’t meant to be. The boys lost focus at certain moments in the match, especially in the fourth set when we couldn’t score a key point. We must recognize that Costa Rica has great reach, and we couldn’t block at the right moments.”

Cuba Takes Down Puerto Rico for First Win at Women’s Final Six

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 18, 2025. – Cuba earned its first victory at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, defeating Puerto Rico 3-1 (18-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-22) on Thursday night at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.

Cuba now stands at 1-3, while Puerto Rico drops to 2-2. In their final matches of the preliminary round, Cuba will face Canada, and Puerto Rico will take on the United States. The top four teams from the round-robin advance to Saturday’s semifinals.

Puerto Rico opened the match strong, pulling away from an 8-8 tie to lead 14-8 behind consecutive kills from Decelise Champion, key blocks on Evilania Martínez, and offensive contributions from Alba Hernández and Paola Santiago. Cuban opposite hitter Yalain De la Peña kept her team close with powerful attacks, but Puerto Rico held firm to take the opening set.

Set two was a rollercoaster battle. Puerto Rico held a three-point edge (13-10) with a block from Hernández on Laura Suárez and a strong push from Paola Vázquez. Cuba evened the score at 15 with solid offense from Dayana Martínez and De la Peña. The turning point came late when Cuba capitalized on Puerto Rican errors and Martínez sealed the set with a huge block over Diana Reyes, evening the match 1-1.

Cuba and Puerto Rico

Cuba carried the momentum into set three, racing to a 10-5 lead with strong blocking from Martínez and back-to-back kills from Whitney James and De la Peña. Puerto Rico’s errors mounted, allowing Cuba to pull away and take a commanding 2-1 lead.

In the fourth set, Cuba jumped to an 11-6 lead before Puerto Rico fought back to tie at 11 thanks to three straight points from Champion (two kills and a block) and a block from Santiago on Lisania Graforth. The teams traded points down the stretch until Cuba closed out the match, taking advantage of two reception errors by Santiago and an attack error by Paulina Pérez.

Cuba dominated in attacks 58-40, while Puerto Rico led in blocks 13-7. Both teams finished with six aces and similar error counts, Cuba with 25 and Puerto Rico with 22.

Yailin De la Peña led all scorers with 24 points, followed by Dayana Martínez and Whitney James with 12 points apiece, and Claudia Tarín added 11 points. Decelise Champion led Puerto Rico with 14 points, while Alba Hernández contributed 11 points.

Luizomar De Moura, Head Coach of Cuba, said about the victory: “Today was a great win. The girls are gradually understanding the new work philosophy, and this victory is very good to solidify what we are communicating to them every day.”

Wilmarie Rivera, Setter of Puerto Rico, commented on the loss: “I believe we need to be more consistent with our game, manage the highs and lows a little better, and be able to close sets when we are ahead. We must continue adjusting our game plan, be a bit more disciplined, and improve what we need to improve.”

El Salvador Earns First Victory at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship

Chiriquí, Panama, September 18, 2025.– The El Salvador National Team defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-15) to claim its first victory at the VII AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship, closing the group stage of the event.

El Salvador finished with a 1-2 win-loss record, placing third in Pool B, a position that guarantees them a chance to fight for fifth place on the final day of the tournament.

ÁLBUM ESA VS HON

Meanwhile, Honduras ended in fourth place with no wins and must wait for the third-place finisher from Pool A to know their next opponent, in a match that will determine seventh place and the other contender for the fifth-place match.

Lorenzo Sanchez ESA

El Salvador controlled the match from start to finish, outscoring Honduras in attacks 36-28, blocks 9-4, and serves 4-2, while committing fewer unforced errors (15 compared to Honduras’ 26).

On offense, Abner Cano was the top scorer for El Salvador with 21 points, while teammate Andrés Reyes added 12.

For Honduras, Jesús Montes carried the scoring load with 20 points, the only player on his team to reach double digits.

Following the victory, El Salvador’s head coach Andrea Genova stated: “Against Honduras, the team was motivated to show what they are capable of. The guys displayed a different attitude and their true value against a rival more at our level, which allowed them to play with more calm and reach a better level, different from what they show against teams that put more pressure on them. In that sense, the players need to mature more and learn to handle pressure.”

For his part, Honduras’ head coach Miguel Pagoaga said after the match: “The taste of defeat is horrible. The boys collapsed in this match. We were not able to implement what we had really trained. The inconsistency hurt us a lot, and we could not execute as we wanted.”

NORCECA Joins World Beach Clean-Up Day in Punta Cana

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 18, 2025. – The NORCECA Volleyball Confederation and its Beach Volleyball Department join the World Beach Clean-Up Day in support of the Ministry of Environment of the Dominican Republic.

In commemoration of this global initiative, all participating teams of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball World Championship Qualification Tournament are invited to take part in a beach clean-up event to be held on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at Playa del Cortesito.

This activity highlights NORCECA’s commitment to environmental sustainability and community engagement, reinforcing the responsibility to protect and preserve the natural spaces where beach volleyball thrives.

In coordination with the Organizing Committee of the NORCECA World Championship Qualifier Beach Volleyball Tournament, athletes will participate in this important event.

NORCECA thanks all participating athletes, coaches, and delegations for their collaboration in this meaningful initiative.

International Level 2 Volleyball Coaches Course Opens in Santo Domingo

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, September 18, 2025. – The NORCECA/FIVB Regional Volleyball Development Center officially opened an International Level 2 Volleyball Coaches Course, with the participation of 42 coaches from Argentina, Belize, Colombia, Peru, Puerto Rico, Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, Chile, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic.

The opening ceremony was attended by prominent sports authorities, including Kelvin Cruz, Minister of Sports; Garibaldi Bautista, President of the Dominican Olympic Committee; and Dr. Bernardo Mesa, Technical Director of Centro Caribe Sports. Representing the Dominican Volleyball Federation (FEDOVOLI) were Lic. Amós Anglade, First Executive Vice President; Lic. Wellington Valenzuela, Technical Vice President; and Lic. Ángel Rivas, President of the National District Volleyball Association.

Also, present were the FIVB-designated instructors: Luis Muchaga of Spain, who is serving as the course director, joined by Cuco Pacheco of Puerto Rico and Alexander Gutiérrez of Venezuela.

In his remarks, Minister of Sports Kelvin Cruz praised the Development Center for its essential role in training technical personnel involved in volleyball competitions and encouraged participants to make the most of this learning opportunity to further strengthen volleyball in their countries.

On behalf of FEDOVOLI, Amós Anglade welcomed all participants and wished them success throughout the course.

Instructor Luis Muchaga, representing the FIVB, commended the organization of the event and emphasized that the Santo Domingo Development Center continues to be the most active among all FIVB centers worldwide.

The course is supported by the NORCECA Confederation, presided over by Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, and is organized under the leadership of Professor Nelson José Ramírez, Director of the Development Center. The five-day course will conclude on Sunday, September 21.

Mexico Keeps Perfect Record with Dominant Win over Cuba at Women’s Final Six

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 17, 2025. – Host nation Mexico kept their undefeated record intact with a commanding 3-0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-22) victory over Cuba at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.

Mexico will face the United States on Thursday in a clash of undefeated teams (3-0). Cuba will go up against Canada as both teams look for their first victory. The top four teams at the end of pool play advance to the crossover semifinals.

Mexico came from behind to take control of the opening set, jumping ahead 11-9 thanks to three consecutive blocks by Jocelyn Urias on Evilania Martínez. Offensively, Sofia Maldonado and Samantha Bricio led the charge, while Cuba’s Whitney James put up a strong effort but could not slow Mexico’s momentum.

The home team cruised through the second set with dominant play. Melanie Parra added firepower with powerful spikes to build an 18-7 lead. Karina Flores’ strong defense and blocking neutralized Dezirett Madan and Martínez as Mexico closed the set convincingly.

Mexico celebrates

Cuba fought hard to stay alive, taking a 12-9 lead behind James and Laura Suárez. Yalain de la Peña extended Cuba’s advantage to 14-10. Mexico responded with composure, rallying from a six-point deficit (14-20) behind Urias’ blocking and service aces, combined with key kills from Flores and late Cuban errors. Bricio sealed the sweep with a powerful kill followed by an attack error from Cuba.

Mexico outperformed Cuba in every skill category, leading in attacks (31-28), blocks (12-4), and aces (7-2). Mexico committed 18 errors compared to Cuba’s 25.

Sofia Maldonado once again led Mexico’s offense and was the only player to reach double digits, finishing with 17 points. Karina Flores added 9 points, including a match-high 5 blocks. Whitney James led Cuba with 9 points.

Mexico’s captain Jocelyn Urías spoke about the comeback in the third set: “I stayed calm, I knew what I had to do on the court and that I needed to stay focused. We were very solid. It feels great to come from behind and win. As a team, we made a mental shift.”

Cuba’s top scorer Whitney James said: “In the third set we focused on minimizing errors and tried to extend the match. Mexico stayed technically sound, they did a good job with their serving and took advantage of our struggles.”

Guatemala Crosses Paths with Panama in the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship

CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 17, 2025.– Defending champion Guatemala overcame a rough start to defeat Panama 3-1 (20-25, 25-13, 25-23, 25-20), earning their first victory in the highly competitive Pool A of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship.

Guatemala did not play on the tournament’s opening day but now adds an important win ahead of their match against Belize to close the group stage.

Panama, meanwhile, holds a record of one win and one loss, with one foot already in the semifinals, but must wait for the result of the match between Guatemala and Belize to determine the standings of Pool A.

ALBUM DE FOTOS GUA VS PAN

For Guatemala, José Pérez led the offense with 21 points, while Yeferson Zavala and Jerry Durán each contributed 16 points.

GUA vs PAN

Wen Downer spearheaded Panama’s attack with 14 points, followed by Víctor Pérez with 13 and Víctor Araúz with 12.

The difference in the match was Guatemala’s offense, which collectively scored 60 points compared to Panama’s 45. Both teams were even in blocking points with 9-9. Guatemala had a slight edge in service points 3-2, but committed more unforced errors, 25 to Panama’s 23.

After the match, Guatemala’s team captain Jerry Durán said: “We struggled a bit at the start, losing the first set, but we managed to keep our rhythm and take the victory. We will play fewer matches in Group A, but the teams are very strong, so we have to give everything in every game to get the win.”

Panama’s captain Víctor Pérez commented: “We had a very close match. Guatemala is a team that knows how to play well; they move the ball very well. We didn’t achieve the goal we wanted, but we still have to keep fighting to make Panama proud.”

Puerto Rico Earns Second Win at NORCECA Women’s Final Six

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 17, 2025. – Puerto Rico swept Canada 3-0 (25-14, 25-12, 25-19) to capture their second victory at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

Puerto Rico improved its record to 2-1, while Canada remains winless at 0-3. The top four teams will advance to the crossover semifinals. On day three of the tournament, Puerto Rico will face Cuba and Canada will take on the Dominican Republic.

Puerto Rico was dominant from start to finish. In the first set, they built an 18-9 lead with key blocks from Alba Hernández. Decelise Champion, Valeria Vázquez, and Paola Santiago were also instrumental in giving the Caribbean side a strong start.

In the second set, Puerto Rico kept their momentum, with Diana Reyes and Dariana Hollingsworth joining the offense. On Canada’s side, Emma Boyd responded with a couple of powerful swings.

Puerto Rico celebrates

Canada fought hard in the third set, taking an 11-9 lead with Gabrielle Attieh and Grace Calnan joining Boyd to stop Puerto Rico’s offense. Willmarie Rivera and Champion blocked Maryn Boldon to even the score at 12. Canada regained a two-point lead (17-15) with Raya Surinx on the attack, but Puerto Rico responded once again, tying the set at 17. The closing points went Puerto Rico’s way: Adriana Rodríguez blocked Boyd, Hollingsworth added a kill and another block over Boyd, and Rodríguez sealed the sweep with a final attack.

Puerto Rico’s blocking advantage (13-3) proved decisive, along with 24 Canadian errors compared to just 9 of their own. Puerto Rico also led in attacks (34-30) and edged Canada in service points (4-3).

Decelise Champion led Puerto Rico with 12 points, while Emma Boyd scored 10 for Canada – the only two players reaching double figures.

Decelise Champion said about the win: “We were really determined in the first two sets; we had a good rhythm of play. I believe in the third set our rhythm was lower because we were a bit too confident, but we bounced back to get the win. Today we did well in defense, we scored on good attacks and our blocks did good”.

Attieh Gabrielle, outside hitter of Canada said about leading the third set: “In the third set we were very determined to finish the game giving our all and our heart, no matter what the score was. In that set we saw the true versions of ourselves. We’re hoping that next time we can begin like that from the beginning, because we showed a lot of good things; we just need to be consistent. Our blocking definitely put Puerto Rico out of system”.

World Championship Qualifier Tournament to Be Held in Punta Cana

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.

USA Continues Winning Streak at Women’s Final Six

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.”

Nicaragua Secures Semifinal Spot at the AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship

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.

ÁLBUM NCA VS ESA

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.

USA knock Cuba out of Men’s Volleyball World Championship

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.

Canada loses against Türkiye and advance as pool runners-up

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.

Mexico Remains Undefeated with a Four-Set Win against Canada

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.”

Panama Passes First Test with Honors at AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship

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.

Panama celebrates

ÁLBUM PAN VS BIZ

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.”

Puerto Rico Earns First Win at Women’s Final Six

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.”

Comfortable Victory for Costa Rica in Their Debut at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Men’s Championship

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.

ÁLBUM CRC VS ESA       

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.”

USA Beats Cuba in Five Sets to Move 2-0 at NORCECA Women’s Final Six

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.”

Nicaragua Rallies to Earn First Victory at AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship

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.

ALBUM FLICKR NCA vs HON

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.”

Mexico Starts Final Six with Dramatic Five-Set Win over Puerto Rico

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.”

USA Dominates Canada with Blocking Power in their NORCECA Women’s Final Six Opening

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”.

USA move on to Round of 16 after sweeping Portugal

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.

Canada advance at Men’s Volleyball World Championship – Japan out of contention!

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.

Cuba earns first victory and stays alive at the Men’s Volleyball World Championship

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).

Teams Ready for Battle at the VII Central American Men’s U23 Championship

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.

ÁLBUM ENTREVISTAS PRELIMINRES

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.”

Costa Rica

ECVA Men’s and Women’s Final 4 Tournament 2025

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.com or follow ECVA on social media: Facebook @ECVA-Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association, Instagram @ecva.volleyball.

Dominican Republic Defeats Cuba in Straight Sets in NORCECA Women’s Final Six Opener

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.”

McKay-Dunn of Canada Shine with Gold in El Salvador

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

Mexico’s Sarabia/Osuna conquer the Gold in El Salvador

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

North Central Volleyball Association Holds Annual Meeting

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.

Coaches Speak Ahead of the NORCECA Women’s Finals Six

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”.

USA

Canada secures a team in the final; Costa Rica and Mexico for the other ticket

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).

Men’s Results

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)

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