CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 12, 2025.– The United States is one step closer to achieving a hat-trick at the Boys’ U19 Pan American Cup, advancing to their third consecutive gold medal match after a commanding 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-17) semifinal victory over Canada at the UAEM Gymnasium.
Having won the last two editions of the tournament, Puerto Rico and Guatemala, Team USA continued its dominant run by outperforming Canada in kills (37-28), blocks (6-5), and aces (4-1). The Americans also capitalized on 28 Canadian errors, while giving away 19 of their own.
USA celebrates
Corbin Batista led the U.S. scoring effort with 14 points, while Jarom Rowin was Canada’s top scorer with 11 points.
Speaking about the team’s performance, U.S. head coach Jonah Carson said, “The team we played today (Canada) put a lot of pressure on us, playing some really savvy volleyball and challenging us tactically. I’m really proud of our guys for the way they responded, staying involved in the process and playing for USA Volleyball.”
The United States now awaits the winner of the second semifinal between Mexico and Venezuela, with the chance to secure a third straight U19 Pan American Cup title.
CIUDAD MADERO, Tamaulipas, July 12, 2025.- The women’s semifinals are set at the fourth stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, currently taking place at Playa Miramar in Tamaulipas, Mexico. The qualified pairs are Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez (MEX1), Yeray Vidaurrazaga and María Ramírez (MEX2), Devin Corah and Alicia Thibodeau (CAN1), and María González with Allanis Navas (PUR).
Sunday’s matchups promise intense action, with an all-Mexican semifinal between Torres/Gutiérrez and Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez. The other semifinal will feature Canada’s Corah/Thibodeau against Puerto Rico’s González/Navas for a spot in the final.
TorresGutierrez (MEX1)
In the quarterfinals, Torres and Gutiérrez dominated Nicaragua’s Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez with a commanding 21-11, 21-12 win. Similarly, Vidaurrazaga and Ramírez advanced after defeating Cristina Almeida and Amber Bennett from the U.S. Virgin Islands (21-12, 21-6).
In an all-Canadian clash, Corah and Thibodeau overcame Emma Cudmore and Claire Simmonds 21-18, 21-13. Meanwhile, González and Navas of Puerto Rico cruised past Guatemala’s Danna Aguilar and Ana Sofía Arévalo with scores of 21-07 and 21-10.
Earlier in pool-play, home favorites Torres/Gutiérrez (MEX1) got off to a strong start, also defeating Aguilar and Arévalo (GUA) 21-11, 21-07 to top Pool A.
In Pool B, González/Navas (PUR) were dominant against López and Rodríguez (NCA), winning 21-12, 21-9. Over in Pool C, Corah/Thibodeau (CAN1) took control with a 21-15, 21-9 victory over Almeida/Bennett (ISV).
With the level of play seen so far, the semifinals are expected to deliver high-stakes, tightly contested battles. Mexico is guaranteed to compete for the gold medal, while Puerto Rico and Canada arrive with experience, consistency, and podium ambitions.
The semifinals, finals, and classification matches will be played this Sunday, July 13, starting at 10:00 a.m. at Playa Miramar.
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 12, 2025.- With an outstanding offensive performance, opposite hitter Joaquín Valjalo led Chile with 26 points in a 3-1 (25-21, 25-17, 21-25, 25-13) victory over Panama at the Boys’ U19 Pan American Cup, taking place at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium and concluding this Sunday.
Valjalo has been Chile’s standout player in all their matches, and with his 26-point performance – the highest in the tournament so far – he is emerging as one of the top scorers of the event. Chile also had contributions by Mateo Sanz with 15 points and Joaquín Cassanova with 13.
JOAQUIN VALJALO AND CASANOCA CELEBRATING
Chile moves on to the fifth-place match, where they will face Puerto Rico. Panama will compete for seventh place against Suriname.
After dropping the first two sets, Panama came back strongly in the third, using a more aggressive approach that allowed them to build a five-point lead (14-9) and extend the match. However, Chile regained control in the fourth to secure the win convincingly.
Chile dominated in attack with a 56-37 advantage and outperformed Panama in service aces, 9-7. Despite committing more unforced errors (26 to 24), Panama only managed a slight edge in blocks, 8-7.
For Panama, Wen Downer and Diego Sánchez led with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
Reflecting on the match, Valjalo commented, “We lost the third set because, in general, we came in with a low rhythm and little intensity after losing a very important match yesterday. In the end, we pulled off the win.”
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 12, 2025. – Puerto Rico advanced to the fifth-place match at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup after defeating Suriname in straight sets 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-16) on Saturday at the Gymnasium of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) in Cuernavaca.
The Puerto Rican team will face the winner of the match between Panama and Chile on Sunday, the final day of the tournament.
Despite some ups and downs, Puerto Rico managed to stop Suriname’s comeback attempt in the second set, staying on course to secure a straight-set victory.
Adrian Carrillo PUR
The Boricuas led in attacks (42-32) and blocks (13-6). Both teams scored two aces, while Puerto Rico committed fewer unforced errors (16 compared to Suriname’s 18).
Outside hitter Gustavo Álvarez led all scorers with 16 points (14 attacks, one block, one ace), followed by team captain Jean Paul González with 14 points (10 attacks, 4 blocks). Middle blocker Fernando Castello also contributed 10 points, standing out with a match-high 6 blocks.
For Suriname, Gianni Ritfeld led the offense with 14 points (11 attacks, 2 blocks, one ace), and Javier Nasibdar added 10 points.
Puerto Rican libero Ignacio Cruz shared his thoughts after the win: “There were ups and downs in all three sets, but I think Suriname made some good adjustments in the second set, especially on defense. In the end, we came out with the win, and tomorrow we’ll give it everything we’ve got to finish strong.”
The U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup concludes Sunday with the final placement matches.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 11, 2025: Host Trinidad and Tobago won for the second time in straight sets 3-0), beating Guadeloupe 25-16, 25-13, 25-20 to secure a spot in the gold medal match of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
For T&T, the trio of Williams, Michael Burkett, and Jahreef Miguel were once again the main contributors with a number of powerful spikes that left proved too much for Guadeloupe while on the defensive end, T&T was also very efficient to keep their opponents at bay/
Speaking after his team’s win, Trinidad and Tobago coach Sean Morrison said, “For us it was a good as we took it point by point, stayed consistent and came out with the win.
‘We had a few errors in the first match, and we came out tonight and we limited those errors, so we just have to stay focus and take it game by game.”
Williams added, “We came here to win this tournament as our focus is to get the win and bring home the gold medal and get to the NORCECA level.
Guadeloupe captain, “Noa Pignol added, “We did not have a good start to the match, but in the third set we played much better, and we need to play like that for our next match.”
Gayetann Broussillon, Coach of Martinique, “We have to play much better that how we are playing at present.”
On Saturday’s final day of round-robin matches, Guadeloupe and Martinique clash from 1 pm while Trinidad and Tobago faces Suriname in the final pool match from 8 pm.
At the end of both the round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medal on Sunday, July 13 final day of competition at 6 pm, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal, also on the final day at 12 noon.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 11, 2025: Martinique secured the first spot available in the final of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Women’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) after they swept host Trinidad and Tobago (3-0) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
Coming off a win against defending champions Suriname in four sets on Thursday night, all eyes were on the very business-like Martinique line-up, and they did not disappoint as led by captain Maelyss Melinard-Chanteur they humbled Trinidad and Tobago 25-20, 25-13, 25-14 for a 2-0 record and nine points at the top of the four-team table.
Deon Hutchinson, Coach of the Trinidad and Tobago said, “Service was receiving was a huge issue for us tonight as well as Martinique was serving tough.”
“But, at the end of the day we have to dig deep to win our next match against Suriname to have a chance to play Martinique again in the final.”
“I’ am confident that my team can grow from this and once we are able to cope well with our service receive game, we will play a better game.
Hutchinson also noted that team captain L’fe Roberts who sustained an injury at the start of the second set is in good health and will be available for his team’s must-win match against Guadeloupe.
Roberts added, “I feel as though we need to have a little more grit and positive energy flowing to fight back.”
Looking ahead to the match against Suriname with the winner set to join Martinique in Sunday’s final, Roberts said she hopes to lead from the front and bring the positive energy to her team.”
Melinard-Chanteur said her team was really focus and ready for the match against Trinidad and Tobago and she was very happy with the win.
Martinique Coach Eddy Erialc said he was happy with the win but felt his team could do better in general.’
“We got the win, but our game was not consistent as we did well in the first two sets and then in the third set our game dropped.”
On Saturday’s final day of round-robin matches, Curacao tackles Martinique at 3 pm, while Trinidad and Tobago closes out against Suriname from 6 pm.
At the end of both the round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medal on Sunday, July 13 final day of competition at 4 pm, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal, also on the final day from two hours earlier.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 11, 2025: Suriname made it two wins from as many matches to reach the gold medal match when they battled past Martinique in four sets in the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
Following their first night triumph over Guadeloupe in a similar four sets, Suriname powered to a 25-27, 25-22, 25-7, 25-12 victory over Martinique for a 2-0 win-loss record and eight points, to seal a spot in the gold medal match on Sunday.
Cuban-born Carlos Orta, coach of the Suriname team said he was pleased with his team as they played better than their opening win over Guadeloupe.
“Martinique is a taller team and the jump higher, but I am really pleased with my boys. Now we have one more match against Trinidad and Tobago, which I believe is going to be tough for us
Faiq Lobo, Captain of Suriname added, “In the first part of the game we did not find our momentum, but we then settled down and made good connections and finished the game well.
Brice Harley-Dessources, Coach of Martinique said, ‘We had a very good start and played two good sets, but then the fitness of my team was not there.’
Martinique captain Lohann Dessources, “We have to do better in our next match. The federation and our national league made a big effort to help our team get to this competition and we cannot go back home without a big team effort and a win.”
On Saturday’s final day of round-robin matches, Guadeloupe and Martinique clash from 1 pm while Trinidad and Tobago faces Suriname in the final pool match from 8 pm.
At the end of both the round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medal on Sunday, July 13 final day of competition at 6 pm, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal, also on the final day at 12 noon.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 11, 2025.– Belize got off to a strong start at the Second AFECAVOL Senior Men’s Final Four, defeating El Salvador 3-1 (25-22, 21-25, 25-22, 25-19) in the closing match of the opening day.
Belize displayed great dominance at the net, outscoring El Salvador 14-12 in blocks. They were also more effective on offense, with a 54-46 advantage in attack points, and added six aces, while El Salvador failed to score any from the service line.
Although El Salvador showed improved play in the second set, Belize maintained control throughout the match, even after conceding 30 unforced errors compared to El Salvador’s 22.
Karym Coleman BIZ
Karym Coleman led Belize with 27 points, including 23 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 aces. Francis Hauze contributed 16 points.
On El Salvador’s side, Ricardo Navarro was the top scorer with 16 points, followed by Eduardo Bolaños with 12 and Diego Guidos with 11.
Belize will face a tough challenge in their second match against Guatemala, while El Salvador will go up against Nicaragua, with both teams looking for their first win.
“We’re really happy to have earned this win. In the first Final Four we played, we couldn’t win our opening match, so starting this new edition with a victory is fantastic for us. We hope to carry the same momentum into our second match,” said Albert Humes, head coach of Belize, after the match.
Regarding the loss, El Salvador’s coach Andrea Genova said, “This was an up-and-down match for us. We have a couple of injured players who weren’t available at the start. They came in briefly, but they’re not ready to play a full match. Not having a stable lineup cost us, especially in those moments where we struggled to score.”
July 11, 2025 – The Dominican Republic secured their fifth victory of the 2025 Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) season on Friday with a straight-sets win over Thailand. Meanwhile, Canada was unable to match China’s strength and lost in four sets.
Dominican Republic Defeats Thailand
The Dominican Republic earned their first win in three matches played in Arlington, climbing from 13th to 10th place in the standings. However, with five wins and 13 points, they are now out of contention for the Finals, as they cannot catch up to the United States, currently in eighth place with six victories and 17 points.
The Caribbean team claimed a dominant 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-23) win over Thailand at the College Park Center. The Dominicans led in attacks (49-39), blocks (11-3), and aces (5-3).
Captain and outside hitter Brayelin Martínez was the top scorer of the match with 17 points (13 kills and 4 blocks). Her younger sister, middle blocker Jineiry Martínez, and opposite hitter Gaila González each contributed 15 points.
“We have the World Championship coming up soon and we’re trying to prepare,” said Gaila. “We want to improve in every match to arrive in top shape. There are new players this season and we’re really enjoying it.”
Reigning Asian champions Thailand remain in danger of relegation in the 2025 VNL after suffering their third straight loss during the third week of the preliminary round in Arlington.
Brayelin Martinez DOM
Canada Falls to China in Four Sets
Team Canada was unable to recapture the form they showed in the first week of the tournament. In this final week of action, they dropped their second consecutive match, this time against China, who came out on top 3-1 (25-22, 25-15, 22-25, 25-23).
Canada outperformed China in blocking (8-4), but China led in attacking points (59-51) and service aces (7-3). China also benefited from fewer unforced errors, 27 compared to Canada’s 23.
Abagayle Guezen and Anna Smrek both scored 14 points for Canada, with Guezen tallying 12 kills and Smrek adding 4 blocks. Emily Maglio contributed 12 points (11 from attacks), and Andrea Mitrovic chipped in with 11 points.
The loss leaves Canada in 16th place out of 18 teams, with a 2-8 win-loss record, still fighting to avoid relegation.
Abagayle Guezen CAN
Saturday, July 12 Schedule
The Dominican Republic has a rest day. At 7:30 p.m. (local time), the United States will face Canada.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 11, 2025.- Guatemala came from behind to snatch a 3-2 victory (21-25, 24-26, 25-22, 25-19, 15-12) over Nicaragua in the opening match of the Second AFECAVOL Men’s Senior Final Four.
Nicaragua took an early lead by winning the first two sets but couldn’t sustain their momentum against a Guatemalan team that steadily improved and walked away with an important win.
Guatemala led in attacking points 63-58, was more effective in blocking 12-10, and outperformed in serving 5-3, although they conceded 33 points from unforced errors compared to Nicaragua’s 30.
Guatemala
Carlos López led Guatemala’s offense with 26 points, supported by Andy Leonardo who contributed 23 points.
For Nicaragua, Axel Gutiérrez was the top scorer with 25 points, while Jonny Zeledón and Denis García each added 17 points.
On the second day of action, Saturday, July 12, Nicaragua will face El Salvador, while Guatemala takes on Belize.
“We knew it was going to be a tough match. Nicaragua has managed to put together a group of players with a good level of play. This match could have gone either way. Despite being down 0-2, our guys knew how to grow and turn the match around,” said Guatemala’s head coach Reider Lucas after the game.
Meanwhile, Nicaragua’s head coach Jorge Mena commented, “We had a 2-0 advantage in the match and were even leading in the third set, but we didn’t know how to capitalize on it. After that, the team collapsed, and we couldn’t keep up the spirit.”
July 11, 2025. – Reigning champions United States will face Poland, while Türkiye will take on Bulgaria in the semifinals of the 2025 FIVB Girls’ U19 World Championship, set for this Saturday at the Gradski Vrt Hall in Osijek, Croatia.
USA Secures Semifinal Spot
Italy suffered their first loss of the tournament, falling to the defending champions United States in a thrilling five-set battle, 3-2 (29-31, 25-23, 25-21, 28-30, 15-8), living up to expectations with a high-level performance. Despite committing more unforced errors (29 to Italy’s 25), the Americans outperformed their European rivals in attack (70-65) and service (8-4), while both teams were tied in blocks with 17 each.
Eighteen-year-old outside hitter Macaria Spears led the U.S. offense with 24 points (21 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace). Fellow outside hitter Suliane Davis (15 attacks, 2 blocks, 2 aces) and middle blocker Jordan Taylor (12 attacks, 7 blocks) each contributed 19 points. Opposite hitter Henley Anderson also reached double digits with 17 points (12 attacks, 2 blocks, 3 aces).
“We knew it was going to be a tough match because Italy is a great team, but we had trained for this moment. We knew how to fight when it mattered,” said Spears. “Every team will come at us hard because we’re the defending champions, and we’re prepared for that.”
Mexico celebrates
Mexico Pulls Off Comeback Win Over Belgium
Mexico came from two sets down to celebrate a hard-fought 3-2 (21-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-10) victory over Belgium, securing a matchup with host Croatia in the 9th-place playoffs this Saturday.
Naomi Alejandra Cruz and opposite Aylin Andrea Ravell led Mexico with 18 points each. Angélica Jazmín Torres added 15 points, and Aitana Rettke chipped in with 14. On the Belgian side, top scorer Mila Vlahovic finished with a match-high 22 points.
Mexico held the edge in attacks (61-56) and blocks (9-5), while Belgium had the advantage in aces (9-8).
Sofia Zabjek CAN – Alanis Maldonado and Daniella Gonzalez PUR
Canada Tops Puerto Rico
Canada secured a tight 3-1 (25-21, 15-25, 25-23, 25-14) win over Puerto Rico in a match to determine placement for the 17th-place playoff.
Canadian outside hitters Emerson Matthews and Sofia Zabjek led the scoring with 16 points apiece. For Puerto Rico, opposite Pamela Zoe Agosto Serrano scored 13 points.
Egypt Outlasts Dominican Republic
Egypt earned the right to face Peru for 21st place on Saturday after rallying past the Dominican Republic 3-1 (20-25, 25-10, 25-23, 25-15).
The Dominican side will face Tunisia in the match for 23rd place in the final standings.
Dominican opposite Rayni Merab Mondesí, just 15 years old, was the match’s top scorer with 19 points.
Schedule Saturday July 12
Semifinals: Türkiye vs Bulgaria and USA vs Poland 21:15 (Local time)
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 11, 2025.- Canada secured a spot in the semifinals of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup after defeating Chile in four sets (25-17, 25-20, 22-25, 25-19) at the Gymnasium of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) in Cuernavaca.
Canada moves on to face the United States in the semifinals. In the other semifinal, Mexico will take on Venezuela. Chile will face Panama in the classification matches for positions 5 to 8.
After dropping the first two sets, Chile responded with a strong performance in the third, significantly improving their blocking and defense. In the fourth set, the South Americans fought to come back from a six-point deficit (14-20), but their effort fell short against Canada’s momentum.
CANADA CELEBRATING
Canada led the match in attacks 55-41, in blocks 11-7 and 2-1 in aces. However, they committed more unforced errors than Chile, 29 to 26.
Outside hitter Mason Lange led the Canadian offense with 16 points, including 14 kills and 2 blocks. Three other players scored in double digits: opposite Jarom Rowin (14), middle blocker Cameron Hutt (13), and fellow middle Simon Oberbuchner (12).
For Chile, opposite Joaquín Valjalo, tallied a match-high of 18 points. Mateo Sanz added 10 points.
Taylor Jordan, Head Coach of Canada, on the third set against Chile: “Our opponent played much better in that set. Sometimes, it’s less about what you’re doing and more about recognizing the performance on the other side. Their opposite, Joaquin Valjalo, was phenomenal, and their libero was flawless with his digs.”
Speaking about his own team, he added: “Our brotherhood and team culture really showed today. We’re trying to build a new group that hasn’t played together before, and we finally started to see that family aspect come together. Some of our leaders stepped up — we were hungry, and we got rewarded for it”.
CIUDAD MADERO, Tamaulipas, July 11, 2025.- Mexico’s Torres/Gutiérrez and Puerto Rico’s González/Navas delivered commanding performances on the opening day of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour in Ciudad Madero.
In Pool A, Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez (MEX1) dominated from start to finish, defeating Canada’s Emma Cudmore and Claire Simmonds (CAN2) 21-14, 21-16. Earlier, Cudmore and Simmonds had opened pool play with a solid win over Guatemala’s Danna Aguilar and Ana Sofía Arévalo, with scores of 21-18 and 21-10. While the first set was closely contested, the gap widened significantly in the second.
Torres – Gutierrez (MEX1) vs Simmonds – Cudmore (CAN2)
In Pool B, Puerto Rico’s María González and Allanis Navas made a strong statement with a straight-sets victory over Mexico’s Yeray Vidaurrazaga and María Ramírez (MEX2), 21-19, 21-14, in one of the most thrilling matches of the day. The Puerto Ricans held their nerve in a tightly contested first set before pulling away in the second, showcasing their experience and composure. Earlier, the Mexican duo had opened with a dominant 21-16, 21-9 win over Nicaragua’s Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez, adding even more weight to Puerto Rico’s impressive performance.
Pool C also delivered excitement. Amber Bennett and Cristina Almeida of the U.S. Virgin Islands defeated Bermuda’s Megan Hands and Natalie Gazzard in straight sets (21-14, 21-17), displaying solid court control. Later, Canada’s Devin Corah and Alicia Thibodeau (CAN1) made quick work of Hands/Gazzard, winning 21-8, 21-12 in a match that posed little challenge for the Canadians.
The women’s opening day made it clear: both local and Caribbean teams have serious podium ambitions.
CIUDAD MADERO, Tamaulipas, July 11, 2025.-Mexican duos Lares/Carlos Andrés and Sarabia/Osuna kicked off the fourth stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour in Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas with thrilling performances and a clear message: as tournament favorites, they are here to compete, not speculate.
In Pool C, where the most exciting match of the day took place, Carlos Andrés and Miguel Lares (MEX2) defeated Canada’s Colin Lash and Dylan Devecseri in three sets (21-12, 19-21, 15-8), showing composure and resilience. Earlier, they had already edged Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora and Denis López in two intense sets (27-25, 21-13), with a nail-biting first set.
Lash/Devecseri had previously defeated Bermuda’s Kyle Hamilton and Connor Somerville 2-0 (21-7, 21-14). The Bermudans couldn’t bounce back in their second match either, falling to Nicaragua 2-0 (21-11, 21-8).
Guardado C. – Guardado Y. (ESA)
Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna (MEX1), placed in Pool A, dominated Guatemala’s Edgar Maldonado and Santiago Penagos with a smooth and precise performance, winning 2-0 (21-13, 21-11) to solidify their presence in the tournament. Puerto Rico’s William Rivera and Diego Rosich also defeated the Guatemalan duo 2-0 (21-15, 21-14).
Pool B featured the tightest matches of the day. El Salvador’s Christopher and Yoel Guardado beat Devin Van Siclen and Daniel Samuelson of the U.S. Virgin Islands with scores of 21-19 and 21-13, in a match that began neck and neck. The Guardado twins later faced Americans Skyler Kaufman and Christopher Shaffer, who emerged victorious in a thrilling battle, taking both sets 21-19 and proving that every point was hard-fought.
On this opening day, the teams from Mexico, the United States, and Canada showed power and poise, making it clear that it won’t be easy to take group leadership away from them. The competition is just getting started and promises even more excitement ahead.
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 11, 2025.- Venezuela moved into the semifinals of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup after defeating Suriname in straight sets 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-17) on Friday at the Gimnasio de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM).
Venezuela now awaits the result of the quarterfinal matchup between Canada and Chile to determine their semifinal opponent. Suriname, meanwhile, will move on to the classification matches for positions 5 to 8.
Venezuela displayed a dominant and consistent performance throughout the match, outperforming Suriname across all key areas.
Venezuela led in kills (44-21), blocks (13-5), and aces (6-0). Despite committing 21 unforced errors, against 12 from Suriname.
Opposite hitter Yoisbel Galeno led the Venezuelan offense with 13 points, including 10 kills and 3 blocks. Teammates Neyver Zabala and Harold Alonso Larez added 10 points each in the victory.
For Suriname, Javier Nasibdar was the top scorer with 13 points, recording 12 kills and one block.
Yoisbel Galeno, the match’s top scorer, said after the victory: “Our intention was to be dominant, and we achieved that. It was a good match for the entire team, and we hope to continue like this in the semifinals. The group stage matches were excellent and gave us a lot of experience to reach this stage of the tournament with more confidence”.
The U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup continues Saturday with semifinal action in Cuernavaca.
July 10, 2025.- The United States earned an important 3-1 victory (23-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-20) over the Dominican Republic in their bid to secure a spot among the top 8 teams competing for the title at the 2025 Women’s VNL.
The Dominicans gave the Americans an early scare by taking the first set of the match held in Arlington. However, starting in the second set, the Stars and Stripes found their rhythm and proved superior to the “Caribbean Queens,” ultimately claiming the win.
The U.S. dominated in attacks (51-41), blocks (14-10), and service aces (6-4), while taking advantage of 27 unforced errors by the Dominican Republic, compared to 25 from their side.
Avery Skinner led the scoring for the United States with 18 points, 15 from attacks, 1 block, and 2 aces. Also standing out in attack were Tia Jimerson and Logan Eggleston; Tia scored 14 points (9 attacks, 4 blocks, and 1 ace), while Logan added 10 points (7 attacks, 2 blocks, and 1 ace).
Gaila González of the Dominican Republic was the top scorer in the match with 19 points, from 13 attacks, 4 blocks, and 2 aces. Team captain Brayelin Martínez tallied 15 points (13 attacks and 2 blocks), while Jineiry Martínez also reached double digits with 10 points (7 attacks, 2 blocks, and 1 ace).
This win brings the United States within one victory of clinching a spot in the final round, currently sitting in eighth place with a 6-4 win-loss record. For the Dominican Republic, the loss puts them on the verge of elimination from the top 8, as they now have 4 wins and 6 losses. Both teams have only two matches remaining.
Match Schedule for July 11
The United States has a rest day. The Dominican Republic faces Thailand at 4:00 p.m. (local time), while Canada plays China at 7:30 p.m. (local time).
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 10, 2025: Host Trinidad and Tobago served off their bid for the title in the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Women’s Championship
hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) with a nail-biting (3-2) win over Curacao at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
In a see-saw contest that had the vociferous crowd at the edge of their seats with nearly every passing play, L’fe Roberts led ‘Calypso Spikers’ emerge from the five-set battle victorious, 23-25, 25-16, 25-18, 21-25, 15-13.
An emotional Deon Hutchinson was quick to admit that he believes the first game jitters affected his team.
“Playing in front of the home crowd for the first time may have gotten to the players, but I think we played really good volleyball, and we are happy for the win.
Henry Delfina, Head Coach of Curacao women, “We fought hard tonight but we lost the game. Our difficulty during the game was our passing which was not good enough to make out attacks useful.”
On Friday, Curacao serves off the day’s action versus Suriname from 1 pm followed by Trinidad and Tobago against Martinique at 8 pm, then on Saturday’s final day of round-robin matches, Curacao tackles Martinique at 3 pm, while Trinidad and Tobago closes out against Suriname from 6 pm.
At the end of both the round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medal on Sunday, July 13 final day of competition at 4 pm, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal, also on the final day from two hours earlier.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 10, 2025: Team captain Nicholas Williams led from the front as host Trinidad and Tobago swept Martinique (3-0) 25-13, 25-18, 26-24 in an enthralling contest in the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
Commenting on his team’s performance Trinidad and Tobago head coach Sean Morrison said it was a very good match by his team.
“We started off very strong and won the first two sets, but Martinique came back with a very good fighting spirit and won the third set. Then we also found our game again in the fourth set and came back strongly and lifted out confidence and kept fighting and good the win.”
Team captain Williams added, “The result didn’t shock me and I’m proud of my team mental endurance during the game tonight. It was a great battle, and we congratulate Martinique for giving us a good fight.”
Brice Hardy-Dessources, head coach of Martinique, was quick to admit that his opponents on the night were a very strong team.
“Tonight, Trinidad and Tobago was very strong, and I hope tomorrow against Suriname that my team will be better.”
On Friday, Martinique and Suriname meet from 3 pm followed by Trinidad and Tobago versus Guadeloupe at 6pm.
Then on Saturday’s final day of round-robin matches, Guadeloupe and Martinique clash from 1 pm while Trinidad and Tobago faces Suriname in the final pool match from 8 pm.
At the end of both the round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medal on Sunday, July 13 final day of competition at 6 pm, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal, also on the final day at 12 noon.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 10, 2025: Martinique sounded a warning to all rivals at the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Women’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) when they defeated defending champions Suriname (3-1) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
Led by captain Maelyss Melinard-Chanteur, Martinique secured a 25-16, 25-11, 21-25, 25-21 victory to signal their title ambitions in their opening match of the four-nation tournament.
Reflecting on his team’s win Eddy Erialc,Head Coach of Martinique women said, “We started well and won the first two sets, but then we made a tactical change with the libero, and it affected our play.”
“The third was not so good by us, but then we regrouped in the fourth set and won the match, and we are now looking forward to the next match where we hope to improve.
Melinard-Chanteur added, “I’m satisfied with our win, but I know we can play much better as a team.”
“It’s going to be a very tough competition and as a team we need to be focus and prepared for every match.”
Victor Lesperans, Head Coach of Suriname women was quick to point out that the reception from his players played a major role in their demise.
“Our reception fell away from early in the match and if you don’t receive well, then your attack breaks down. The good thing is that it’s a tournament where we have a chance to grow with every match, and we intend to do much better in our next match”.
Host Trinidad and Tobago comes up against Curacao in the second match tonight while on Friday, Curacao serves off the day’s action versus Suriname from 1 pm followed by Trinidad and Tobago against Martinique at 8 pm, then on Saturday’s final day of round-robin matches, Curacao tackles Martinique at 3 pm, while Trinidad and Tobago closes out against Suriname from 6 pm.
At the end of both the round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medal on Sunday, July 13 final day of competition at 4 pm, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal, also on the final day from two hours earlier.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 10, 2025: Suriname got off to a winning start in their bid to become the first champion in the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) when they defeated Guadeloupe (3-1) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
Playing the opening match of the four-team tournament which also involves host country Trinidad and Tobago and Martinique, Suriname prevailed 25-23, 25-20, 24-26, 25-11 in a very entertaining contest to get the four-day tournament off to a positive start.
Speaking after his team’s victory Cuban-born Carlos Orta, Head Coach of Suriname men said he felt his team performed well.
Orta added, “My team worked well as a unit, and they did what they were supposed to do to get the win against an opponent we have never played before.”
“During the third set had some difficulties, but we made the needed adjustments to come out on top with the win and now we are looking forward to the next match.
Gayetann Broussillon, Head Coach of Guadeloupe men said her team was very prepared for the match but did not execute well.
“Our concentration level in the first two sets was not where it needed to be and in the third set, we were able to get the win.
“But overall, I think we lacked the experienced to get the points in the crucial parts of the game as we are a young team, but we will expect to do much better in our next match,
Host Trinidad and Tobago face off with Martinique in the second match tonight while on Friday, Martinique and Suriname meet from 3 pm followed by Trinidad and Tobago versus Guadeloupe at 6pm.
Then on Saturday’s final day of round-robin matches, Guadeloupe and Martinique clash from 1 pm while Trinidad and Tobago faces Suriname in the final pool match from 8 pm.
At the end of both the round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medal on Sunday, July 13 final day of competition at 6 pm, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal, also on the final day at 12 noon.
CIUDAD MADERO, Tamaulipas, July 9, 2025.– The sands of Playa Miramar will host a historic moment for Mexican sports: for the first time ever, Tamaulipas will stage an international beach volleyball competition. The fourth stop of the 2025 NORCECA Tour will take place from July 11 to 14 in Ciudad Madero, featuring top teams from North, Central America, and the Caribbean.
This event marks the beginning of the 2025 NORCECA circuit in Mexico, which is set to host four stops this year. After Ciudad Madero, the tour will continue in Manzanillo (August 29–31), Guadalajara (September 5–7), and Ciudad del Carmen (October 10–12).
The tournament will bring together 19 teams—10 men’s and 9 women’s—representing nine countries.
The Mexican pairs arrive highly motivated with strong performances in the 2025 circuit. In the women’s division, Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez—winners of three silver medals—will be aiming for gold in front of their home crowd. In the men’s division, Inés Vargas and Carlos Andrés Ayala, champions in Puerto Cortés, along with Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna, gold medalists in Juan Dolio and bronze medalists in Puerto Cortés, will look to dominate on home soil.
POOL DISTRIBUTION
WOMEN
POOL A: CAN1: Simmonds/Cudmore; MEX1: Torres/Gutiérrez; GUA: Aguilar/Arevalo
POOL B: MEX2: Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez; PUR: Nieves/Musignac; NIC: López/Lolette
POOL C: BER: Hands/Gazzard; CAN2: Corah/Thibodeau; ISV: Bennett/Almeida-Anz
MEN
POOL A: GUA: Maldonado/García; MEX2: Sarabia/Osuna; PUR: Rivera/Rosich
POOL B: ESA: Guardado/Guardado; USA: Shaffer/Kaufman; ISV: Clements/Van Siclen
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 10, 2025. – Host Mexico secured a direct berth to the semifinals of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup after defeating Chile 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 29-27) on Thursday at the Gimnasio de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM).
Mexico closed the preliminary round undefeated at the top of Pool B. Chile, finishing second in the group with a 2-1 record, will face Canada in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Mexico displayed composure and control in the second set and rallied from behind in the third. The dramatic final set saw Chile reaching set point first at 24-23. However, Mexico’s attacking power proved decisive, closing the set in extended play to seal the sweep.
GIMNASIO UAEM CROWD SUPPORTING MEXICO
The host team’s offensive skill was evident with a 50-38 advantage in kills. Chile led in blocks (8-7), and both teams scored two points from the service line. Errors were nearly identical, with Mexico committing 21 and Chile 20.
Mexican outside hitter Emi Díaz led all scorers with 19 points on 18 kills and one ace. Opposite hitter Arnoldo Hurtado added 13 points (12 kills, one block), while Carlos Grajeda chipped in 11 points (10 kills, one block).
For Chile, Joaquín Valjalo was the lone scorer in double digits, recording 13 points from 12 kills and one block.
Mexico now awaits its semifinal opponent as the knockout phase of the tournament begins.
Emi Díaz, the match’s top scorer, said, “We stayed calm and went point by point until we secured the win in straight sets. Our serves let us down, but we’re going to improve them for the upcoming matches. Tomorrow we’ll rest so we can come into the semifinal with full strength.”
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 10, 2025 .– Suriname booked their place in the quarterfinals of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup after defeating Panama in four sets 3-1 (16-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-13) in their final Pool B match at the Gimnasio de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM).
With the win, Suriname secured third place in Pool B and will face Venezuela in Friday’s quarterfinals. Panama, finishing fourth in the group, will compete for positions 5 to 8.
Both teams came out energized, knowing a win would advance them to the next stage. The match featured intense rallies, dynamic net play, and strong crowd engagement. Panama took the opening set with aggressive attacking and solid defense, but Suriname responded adjusting their block and defensive structure in the second set.
MONSTER BLOCK FROM SURINAME
The turning point came in the fourth set, where Suriname stormed to an 11-3 lead, capitalizing on Panama’s errors and maintaining control through strong blocking.
Suriname’s blocking proved decisive, outscoring Panama 11-2 in that category. Panama committed 30 unforced errors, while Suriname had 22. Panama led in attacks 52-47, and both teams scored three aces.
Outside hitters Javier Nasibdar and Gianni Ritfeld were Suriname’s top scorers with 17 points each, while middle blocker Jahmit Jambo added 10. Panama’s captain Kendrieck Newby led his team with 17 points, supported by Wen Downer with 14.
Suriname head coach Furgil Ong-A-Fat reflected on the victory: “We had a tough start against Chile, then Mexico, and today we finally got a win. To keep the momentum for tomorrow’s quarterfinal, we must continue with our blocking, that was the key today, along with solid defense”.
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 10, 2025. – The United States secured a direct berth to the semifinals of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup after dominating Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-19) in their final Pool A match on Thursday at the Gimnasio de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM).
With this result, Team USA finishes pool play undefeated at 3-0, marking their third consecutive straight-set victory and advancing directly to Saturday’s semifinal round. Puerto Rico, finishing fourth in Pool A, will compete in the 5th-8th classification matches. Venezuela secured second place and Canada finished third, both advancing to Friday’s quarterfinals.
The United States outperformed Puerto Rico in every scoring category: 42-34 in kills, 9-4 in blocks, and 6-5 in aces. They also committed fewer errors (17) compared to Puerto Rico’s 18.
USA
Outside hitter Kale Cochran led all scorers with 14 points for the U.S., followed by opposite Corbin Batista with 11 and middle blocker Dante Cayaban with 10. Gustavo Alvarez was Puerto Rico’s top scorer with seven points.
U.S. middle blocker Brodie Heshler, who sealed the match with a block, shared his excitement: “It’s my first time being out of the country being part of the U.S. national team and feels great, it’s a big moment. I loved the ending match. We have a bunch of good players. The U.S. is very physical, and on top of that, we have a great libero who passes every ball perfectly. Overall, we’re a good team.”
Puerto Rico’s head coach, Juan Albarrán, shared his thoughts on the preliminary round: “I think the first two group matches were within reach; out of the six sets we played, four ended at 23 points, meaning we were in the fight the whole time. We were in a tough group with four strong teams, and this tournament serves as a learning experience for the World Championship. Facing these teams gives us a great level of preparation for what lies ahead.”
The U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup continues Friday with quarterfinal action, as teams compete for a spot in the medal rounds.
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 10, 2025.– Venezuela secured a hard-fought 3-1 (25-22, 25-22, 17-25, 25-22) victory over Canada in their final Pool A match at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup, held at the UAEM Gymnasium in Cuernavaca.
With this result, Venezuela closes the preliminary round with a 2-1 win-loss record, while Canada finishes 1-2. Both teams await final seeding ahead of the knockout stage.
Canada mounted a strong comeback in the third set after trailing by two sets, improving both their defensive reads and offensive execution. However, Venezuela responded with a reorganized effort in the fourth set to seal the match in four.
Venezuela
Venezuela held advantages in attacks (51-44), blocks (11-10), and aces (6-4). Canada committed fewer unforced errors, 23 to Venezuela’s 33.
Venezuela’s top scorer was outside hitter Neyver Manuel Zabala, who tallied 15 points on 11 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 aces. He was supported by middle blocker Angel Matute, who contributed 12 points (7 kills, 4 blocks, 1 ace), and outside hitter Gandy Lugo, who added 11 points all from kills.
Canada was led by team captain Marcus Barrett, who also scored 15 points. Middle blockers Simon Oberbuchner and Cameron Hutt contributed 12 and 10 points respectively.
Venezuela’s head coach, Iván Nieto: “The game plan was executed as expected; we only failed in the third set when Canada managed to break our reception line and gained an early lead. We also struggled with ball distribution, and they were well positioned to anticipate where we were going to pass. In the fourth set, we made the necessary adjustments, changing our middle attack and serving strategy, corrected our reception, and that gave the team the stability to move forward.”
CIUDAD MADERO, Tamaulipas, July 9, 2025. – For the first time ever, the state of Tamaulipas in Mexico will host an international beach volleyball competition with the arrival of the Fourth Stage of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, set to take place from July 11 to 14 at the Playa Miramar Sports Complex in Ciudad Madero.
The Tamaulipas event marks the first stop of the 2025 NORCECA Tour in Mexico, a country that will host four stages this season: Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas – July 11–14; Manzanillo, Colima – August 29–31; Guadalajara, Jalisco – September 5–7; Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche – October 10–12
The tournament will welcome teams from nine countries in the region, with a preliminary registration of nine women’s pairs and ten men’s pairs, whose participation will be officially confirmed during the preliminary meeting held the day before the start of the competition.
Mexican teams arrive highly motivated, aiming to reach the podium in front of their home crowd.
In the women’s division, Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who have claimed three silver medals so far in the 2025 tour, are hoping to strike gold on home soil and break past the silver barrier.
On the men’s side, Inés Vargas and Carlos Andrés Ayala, champions of the third stop in Puerto Cortés, are aiming to repeat their success in Madero. Meanwhile, the duo of Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna, who took gold in Juan Dolio and bronze in Puerto Cortés, are also setting their sights on the top of the podium.
With the sands of Playa Miramar as the stage and the enthusiasm of the local fans as fuel, Ciudad Madero is getting ready to welcome the region’s top beach volleyball pairs for what promises to be an exciting competition.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 10, 2025.– With Nicaragua coming in as the defending champion, the Second Edition of the AFECAVOL Men’s Final Four will kick off on Friday, July 11, featuring the national teams of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Belize alongside the titleholders.
The FESAVOL Gymnasium will host the event, which will feature two matches per day from July 11 to 13.
All participating teams completed their preliminary interviews and declared themselves ready for what is shaping up to be an intense competition in the quest for the championship trophy.
Jorge Mena, head coach of the Nicaraguan team, shared his thoughts on the challenge ahead in this Second Final Four: “The team is motivated and ready for the challenge. We are 100% prepared for the three matches ahead. As always, our goal is to take first place. We have a tough opening match against Guatemala, but I have confidence in our players”.
Andrea Genova, head coach of El Salvador, stated: “We’re coming in highly motivated. We know we have a good team, made up of experienced veterans and promising new athletes. The level of this event will be very high, with strong opponents, so we expect spectacular matches”.
Belize’s head coach, Albert Humes, explained: “We hope Belize will be one of the top teams in this Final Four. The teams here have significantly improved and developed, and Belize is no exception. That’s why our expectations for this competition are very high.”
Guatemala’s coach, Reider Lucas, commented: “Our goal in this competition is to achieve a good result. We’ve prepared well for this tournament, and we’re confident that things will go our way. The boys are coming in with a lot of energy and determination to get a strong result”.
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 9, 2025. – Mexico will play for the top spot in Pool A and a direct ticket to the semifinals of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup when they take on Chile, as both teams remained undefeated after two days of competition at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.
The Mexican team defeated Suriname in four sets on Wednesday, 25-23, 25-16, 22-25, 25-11, earning their second straight win (2-0), the same record as Chile. Their upcoming matchup will determine the group winner and the direct qualification to the semifinals.
Suriname (0-2), on the other hand, will face Panama (0-2) in a decisive game for third place in the group and a spot in the quarterfinals.
Mexico
Mexico dominated the match with a significant advantage in attacks (57-30), while Suriname outperformed the hosts in blocks (13-8) and service aces (4-1). Mexico committed 28 unforced errors, compared to 31 by Suriname.
Opposite hitter Arnoldo Hurtado led the Mexican offense with 15 points, all on kills, followed by team captain Carlos Grajeda, who contributed 14 points (11 kills, 3 blocks).
For Suriname, top scorers were Javier Nasibdar and Gianni Ritfeld with 11 points each. Middle blocker Revelino Sandel added 10 points, including a match-high of 8 blocks.
In the third set, Mexico attempted a comeback after trailing 7-14, tying the score at 22, but Suriname’s insistent defense allowed them to force a fourth set.
Mexican head coach Óscar Viña said after the match: “The team lost focus due to Suriname’s excellent defense; they picked up every ball. It wasn’t a bad thing for them to feel pressure; they showed grit and closed the match with a wide margin in the final set. Tomorrow will be a tough match; Chile is a respected opponent, and we must have our strategy ready to finish first in the group.”
MALONEY, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 9, 2025: As the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Championships prepare to serve off simultaneously for both men and women at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena from Thursday, July 10 to Sunday, July 13, attention turns to the women’s tournament, now being held for only the second time in seven years.
With Suriname having claimed the inaugural title in 2018 in Bonaire, the four participating women’s teams arrive in Trinidad and Tobago with renewed ambition. On the eve of the competition, the coaches expressed confidence in their squads and excitement to compete at this level once again.
This time around, Suriname is back to defend their crown and will come up against host Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao and Martinique.
Speaking ahead of the tournament the four coaches all expressed optimism about their chances at lifting the title.
Henry Delfina, Head Coach of Curacao women, “We had a period of training for about three months, and we have prepared a good team. We hope that we can have a good tournament and that we can also reach the finals, that’s our goal. And when we reach the final, anything can happen.”
Courtnee-Mae Clifford, Assistant Coach of Trinidad and Tobago women, “We are looking forward to the team competing and representing Trinidad and Tobago as best as they can with all the work they have put in with the goal of making it to the final match of the championship.”
Eddy Erialc, Head Coach of Martinique women, “I have come to win this tournament in Trinidad and Tobago with my team as I think that my team is very capable of winning this competition.”
Victor Lesperans, Head Coach of Suriname women, “It’s an honour to be here for the tournament. As defending champions, we are not thinking less than getting back the crown.
“Our preparations have been quite hectic as we had the national playoffs in that same period, so, we were more checking out the players in their teams, but in the last three weeks we had quite a good preparation.”
MALONEY, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 9, 2025: Less than 24 hours before the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Men and Women Under-23 Championships get underway simultaneously at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena from Thursday, July 10 to Sunday, July 13, the focus turns to the historic debut of the men’s tournament.
Being staged for the first time, the men’s event will see host nation Trinidad and Tobago face off against Suriname, Martinique, and Guadeloupe in pursuit of the inaugural title.
Following Wednesday’s preliminary inquiry and technical meeting, chaired by CAZOVA President Mushtaque Mohammed and T&TVF President Daymian Stewart at the Teams Hotel Piarco Palace, the four head coaches shared optimistic outlooks on their teams’ preparations and chances in the upcoming matches.
Cuban-born Carlos Orta, Head Coach of Suriname men, “I have been coaching in Suriname for the past three years as part of the FIVB agreement. This is the first time we are going to have the men’s competition in the Under-23 CAZOVA Championship and with it being the first time we don’t know the opposing teams that well. We know that Trinidad and Tobago always has a good team, but we don’t know the rest, but we now have a chance to show who is the best.”
Essiel Seecharan, Head Coach of Trinidad and Tobago men, “We are very much prepared for this competition. We have been training for the past three months, and we only have a few slight injuries, but nothing that should affect the outcome for us which is to get the gold medal.”
Brice Hardy-Dessources, Head Coach of Martinique men, “We came to Trinidad and Tobago to win this competition. This team had three weeks of preparation, and we are okay for this competition.”
Gayetann Broussillon, Head Coach of Guadeloupe men, “We have come here with a beautiful team to win and the objective here in this tournament is to win against every team
July 9, 2025.- In the start of the final week of the 2025 Women’s VNL Preliminary Round, the United States moved forward in their quest for qualification with a four-set victory over Thailand, while the Dominican Republic and Canada both lost tough five-set matches to China and Germany, respectively, in Arlington.
United States Earns Hard-Fought Win Over Thailand
Team USA had a tougher time than expected in defeating Thailand 3-1 (28-26, 21-25, 27-25, 25-15), as the Thai side fought for every ball.
Despite the challenge, the Americans led in attacks (67-56), blocks (10-7), and aces (3-2). It was a low-error match, with Thailand benefiting from 26 opponent errors, while USA received 21.
Outside hitter Avery Skinner led all scorers with 22 points for the U.S., including 19 attacks, 2 blocks, and 1 ace. She was supported by Logan Eggleston with 19 points (18 attacks, 1 block) and Dana Rettke with 10 (9 attacks, 1 ace).
The win helps the U.S. stay among the top 8 contenders, currently holding the eighth position with 5 wins, 4 losses, and 14 points, tied with Germany, who sits seventh with the same win-loss record but 16 points.
Logan Eggleston USA
Dominican Republic Falls to China, Jeopardizing Final Round Hopes
Brayelin Martínez’s 33 points weren’t enough to stop China in Arlington.
In a direct clash for one of the remaining four VNL 2025 Finals spots, China edged out the Dominican Republic 3-2 (25-22, 17-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-13) at the College Park Center, bringing the Asian team closer to securing their ticket to the Finals in Łódź, Poland, taking place July 23–27.
With this victory, China remained in sixth place with six wins and 17 points, strengthening their hold on a qualification spot. The Dominican Republic, on the other hand, sits in tenth place with four wins and 10 points, unable to gain ground at the start of the final week of preliminary action.
China’s blocking made the difference, with 15 points at the net compared to 10 from the Caribbean team. This helped offset the Dominican edge in kills (74-65) and aces (8-6). It was a tight match with few errors, Dominican Republic gave up 18 points, while China conceded 15.
Named team captain this week, outside hitter Brayelin Martínez kept her team in contention with a massive 33-point performance, including 28 kills and 5 blocks. Opposite Gaila González also stood out with 22 points (17 kills, 5 aces).
“I think we were pretty aggressive, and our serving was really good,” said setter Ariana Rodríguez. “China had their moments, of course, because they’re a great team, but we never gave up. We went to five sets, it was back and forth, but someone had to lose.”
Dominican Republic
Germany Tops Canada in Five-Set Battle
The third competition week began with a five-set thriller, where Germany edged Canada 3-2 (24-26, 25-20, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13), bringing them a step closer to the VNL Finals while leaving Canada in a tough spot.
Germany currently holds sixth place with five wins (16 points) and controls its own destiny for qualifying to Łódź later this month. Canada, with just two wins and seven points, faces an uphill battle not only for qualification but also to avoid relegation, sitting in 15th place out of 18 teams in the 2025 VNL.
For Canada, 21-year-old opposite Anna Smrek led the scoring with 20 points (17 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace). Middle blocker Nyadholi Thokbuom added 16 points, while outside hitter Abagayle Guezen contributed 15.
Kacey Jost CAN
Match Schedule for July 10
Canada will have a rest day. The Dominican Republic faces the United States in Arlington at 7:30 p.m. (local time).
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 9, 2025.- Chile earned its second consecutive victory at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup, defeating Panama 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-17) on the second day of the tournament, at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.
Chile remains undefeated with a 2-0 record in Pool B, while Panama is still seeking for its first win (0-2).
The Chilean team dominated the match with a powerful offense, outscoring Panama in attacks 48-24. They also led in blocks (7-5) and service points (3-0), although they committed 21 unforced errors compared to Panama’s 17.
Chile celebrated
Chilean opposite Joaquín Valjalo was the top scorer of the match with 19 points (18 attacks and one ace), followed by outside hitter Mateo Sanza, who contributed 12 points. For Panama, Wen Downer led with 11 points.
Chile will close the pool-play on Thursday against Mexico, while Panama will face Suriname.
Álvaro Del Campo, head coach of Chile: “We’re happy. The team is focused and enjoying the moment. It’s very important to be able to apply on the court what we’ve been training for so long, and we’re taking it step by step. Tomorrow we’re going all in against Mexico; we’re exactly where we set out to be”.
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 9, 2025. – The United States earned its second consecutive win at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup, sweeping Canada 3-0 (25-20, 27-25, 25-17) on day 2 of the tournament at the Gimnasio de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM).
The U.S. leads Pool A with a 2-0 record, while Canada drops to 1-1.
The Americans found their rhythm early, especially in the second set where they surged ahead with an eight-point lead at the technical timeout (16-8). Canada, however, mounted an impressive comeback to tie the score at 24, pushing the set into extra points before the U.S. closed it out.
USA
Opposite hitter Corbin Batista led the U.S. offense with 12 points, while middle blocker Isiah Powell contributed 9 points, including three aces.
The United States showed dominance from the service line, outscoring Canada 9-2 in aces, 6-2 in blocks and committing fewer errors (25 to 33). Canada held a narrow 30 to 29 lead in attack points.
Canada’s top scorer was outside hitter Mason Lange with 11 points, followed by opposite Jarom Rowin with 9.
The United States (2-0) will conclude pool play on Thursday against Puerto Rico (0-1), while Canada (1-1) will face Venezuela (1-1) in a decisive match for the next round.
Head Coach of the United States, Jonah Carson: “Canada is a quality team that plays the game really well and puts some nice pressure on us. Our team showed that they know how to solve problems and work the process. I am really proud of the way the guys are playing and the way the responded together as a team”.
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 9, 2025.- The American duo of Jordyn Scribner and Ella Grimes captured the women’s gold medal at the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, defeating Mexico’s Angela Pérez and Melina Román in straight sets 2-0 (22-20, 21-17) in the final held on the sands of Juan Dolio.
The bronze medal went to Canada’s Ruby Cochrane and Sophie Hancock, who battled through a three-set victory over Puerto Rico’s Itzamar Arana and Yamila González, winning 2-1 (21-10, 15-21, 15-10).
The final available berth to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship 2025 was claimed by Nicaragua’s Yulimar Alvarado and Brisa Bermúdez, who defeated El Salvador’s Fátima Rendón and Devora Medina in a thrilling match 2-0 (23-21, 21-16).
Winners
The five teams qualified for the FIVB World Championship are: United States, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Nicaragua.
In other results, Guatemala’s Harumi Monney and Mónica Cano finished seventh after a 2-0 (21-8, 21-16) win over the Dominican Republic’s Zoe Paniagua and Steyce Turbi.
Costa Rica’s Mariana Vindas and Luciana Soto took ninth place by defeating Bermuda’s Olivia Gazzard and Sophie Weikl 2-0 (22-20, 21-19).
Luna Ebanks and Krisi Smith of the Cayman Islands secured 11th place with a 2-0 (21-9, 21-8) victory over Antigua’s Philisha Burnette and Nevaeh Robertson.
Finally, Anguilla’s duo of Cynne’ Liburd and Cayla Jno-Baptiste placed 13th after beating Sarah Mohammed and Jenissa Morrison of Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 (21-10, 21-11).
Other results of the day were: ESA Rendon/Medina d GUA Monney/Cano 2-0 (21-17, 21-14), NCA Alvarado/Bermúdez d DOM Paniagua/Turbi 2-0 (21-9, 21-18), USA Scribner/Grimes d CAN Cochrane/Hancock 2-1 (23-25, 21-12, 15-11), MEX Pérez/Román d PUR Arana/González 2-0 (21-16, 21-10).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 9, 2025.- The American duo of Matix Williams and Colten Mortensen claimed the gold medal at the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, defeating Canada’s Misha Panasiouk and Bryce Kim in straight sets 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) on the sands of Juan Dolio.
The bronze medal went to Mexico’s Eduardo Escoto and José Bojórquez, who overcame Nicaragua’s Justin Barrios and Edgar Holmann 2-0 (21-15, 21-19).
The fifth and final berth to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship 2025 was secured by Guatemala’s Fredy Luna and Robin Oliva, who beat Dylan Lynee and William Duty of the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-10, 21-16).
The Winners
The five teams qualified for the FIVB World Championship are: United States, Mexico, Canada, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.
In other results, Dominican Republic’s Wayner Comprés and Franklin Segura finished in seventh place after Costa Rica withdrew due to injury.
Mauro Morales and Rocco Figueroa took ninth place after a hard-fought three-set victory over Trinidad and Tobago’s Darion Sparks and Josie Cedeño 2-1 (21-11, 20-22, 15-12).
Meanwhile, Kymani Greenidge and Merchant A’Jahnai of the U.S. Virgin Islands secured 11th place with a 2-0 (21-10, 21-14) win over Julien Simon and Kaiden Smith of Grenada.
Finally, Dominica’s Anthony Caisto and Kailo Robinson placed 13th via bye.
Other results of the day were: CAY Lynee/Duty d CRC Josué Durán/Angel Carranza 2-1 (21-12, 19-21, 15-11), GUA Luna/Oliva d DOM Comprés/Segura 2-0 (21-17, 23-21), CAN Panasiouk/Kim d MEX Escoto/Bojorquez 2-1 (14-21, 21-18, 15-12), USA Williams/Mortensen d NCA Barrios/Holmann 2-0 (21-11, 21-10).
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 9, 2025. – Venezuela celebrated its first victory at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup by defeating Puerto Rico in straight sets 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-22) at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium in Cuernavaca.
With this result, Venezuela evens its record to 1-1 in Pool A, while Puerto Rico remains winless at 0-2.
The match was tightly contested point by point. Puerto Rico showed composure in the first two sets by coming back from behind but failed to hold on to an early 4-0 lead in the third.
Jean Gonzalez PUR
Blocking was the key to Venezuela’s success, with a clear advantage of 14-7. They also led in service points 4-2. Puerto Rico had a slight edge in attacks 36-35. Venezuela committed 19 unforced errors, compared to 22 by Puerto Rico.
Top scorers of the match were Venezuela’s Jean Sanabria with 14 points and Gandy Lugo with 12. Middle blocker Harold Larez also stood out with a match-high of six effective blocks.
On Puerto Rico’s side, outside hitter Gustavo Pérez was the only player to reach double digits, finishing with 10 points.
Venezuela will close pool-play on Thursday against Canada, while Puerto Rico will face the United States. The team that finishes first in the pool will advance directly to the semifinals.
Venezuela’s Head Coach, Ivan Nieto, stated: “It wasn’t an easy win, the score doesn’t reflect what truly happened. The Puerto Rican team is very similar to ours; they have the same skill set and playing style. But today, the balance slightly tipped in Venezuela’s favor in terms of tactics. We were able to finish on defense, counterattacks, or transitions that were crucial, and that they (Puerto Rico) couldn’t close, especially after the 20-point mark. It was tight.”
MALONEY, Trinidad and Tobago, July 9, 2025.- The T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) will play host to the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Championship at the Maloney Indoor Sporting Facility from Thursday, July 10 until Sunday, July 13.
In the men’s four-team tournament, host Trinidad and Tobago will face off with Martinique, Guadeloupe and Suriname and the women’s competition will also feature four teams inclusive of host Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique, defending champion Suriname and Curacao.
At the end of both men and women Under-23 round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medals on Sunday, July 13 final, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal.
Mushtaque Mohammed, President of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association, in looking ahead to the tournament, said as an association, CAZOVA, was really happy to finally see the tournament come to fruition.
The CAZOVA boss added, ‘The tournament for the men was originally scheduled for the Cayman Islands, but because of some challenges they had, the T&T Volleyball Federation has taken up the challenge to stage the event along with hosting the women’s competition.
“Now we are going to get both men and women under-23 events off the ground, and we are really happy to see that the challenges we have been faced with are being overcome.
Commenting on the small number of participating teams, with the likes of the Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica and the US Virgin Islands all absent from this year’s tournament, Mohammed said, “Although it’s only four teams, we are really looking forward to an exciting and eventful tournament.
Mohammed noted that the tournament is being used as a qualification tournament for the Under-23 NORCECA Continental Pan American Cup Championship and will also pave the way for the teams that participate in the Pan American Junior Championship, which is held every quadrennial, and this year it will be held in Asunción, Paraguay.
However, this year’s qualification tournament is not for that specific competition and will serve as planning in preparation for the next quadrennial Pan American Junior Championship.
Following the completion of the CAZOVA Under-23 Championships, the T&T national teams are expected to compete in the NORCECA Senior Women’s Final Four in Puerto Rico from July 16-21, followed by the CAZOVA Under-17 Championships in Jamaica from July 28 to August 4, the Pan American Cup Senior Women’s Championship from August 1-11, and the CAZOVA Senior Championships from August 14-24.
July 8, 2025.– The United States advanced to the quarterfinals of the U19 Girls’ World Championship taking place in Croatia and Serbia. The defending champions edged out Germany 3-2 (25-18, 26-28, 17-25, 25-15, 15-13), while Mexico was unable to overcome the strength of Bulgaria and fell 0-3 (22-25, 16-25, 16-25).
The quarterfinal matchups on Friday, July 11, will be: Italy vs United States, Bulgaria vs Brazil, Türkiye vs China, and Poland vs Japan, to determine the semifinalists of the tournament.
Team USA will continue its title defense on Friday when they face Italy in the quarterfinals. The defending champions battled through a tough five-setter against Germany in their Round of 16 match in Osijek, taking the win 3-2 (25-18, 26-28, 17-25, 25-15, 15-13) to secure a spot among the top eight.
The Americans played a focused, point-by-point match, dominating in both blocking (19 to 11 effective blocks) and serving (8 to 4 aces).
Middle blockers Jordan Taylor and Gabrielle Nichols added 7 and 6 points respectively to the team’s blocking performance. Taylor also tallied 6 points (5 kills, 1 ace), while Nichols scored another 7 points, all from attacks. Both ended the match with 13 points each, matched by outside hitter Suliane Davis (8 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces).
Germany’s Maria Tabacuks led all scorers with 21 points (19 kills, 1 block, 1 ace) in a respectful farewell for the European team.
U.S. Head Coach Robert Keegan Cook said, “We talked about our defense being an issue during the group stage, and it was great to see our middles step up and organize the block against some very talented outside hitters. Germany played outstanding volleyball… I was very impressed with them. It was a tough match, and it’s good to see your team face that and see how they respond. We had to make a lot of changes in our lineup and systems. Having many players who can perform in different positions is one of our strengths, and thanks to our persistent team effort, we were able to win today.”
Mexico Falls to Bulgaria
Bulgaria became the first team to advance to the quarterfinals, confidently defeating Mexico 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-16). Kalina Veneva and Viara Parapunova both scored 12 points. For Mexico, Naomi Cruz Toledo led with 11 points.
In the matches for 17th to 24th place, Canada came from behind to beat Peru 3-2, after losing the first two sets. The set scores were 21-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-21, 15-12. Canada outperformed Peru across the board: 63-43 in attacks, 12-6 in blocks, and 9-7 in aces. Maya Bukovcan led the scoring for Canada with 20 points, followed by Brooke Fermaniuk with 16 and Sydney Bell with 14.
Puerto Rico also secured a 3-1 (25-18, 22-25, 25-17, 25-21) victory over Tunisia. They led in attacks (39-38), blocks (13-12), and service aces (10-6). Pamela Zoe Agosto led Puerto Rico with 15 points, while Johnnyeshka Carrasquillo contributed 13.
Canada and Puerto Rico will now play for positions 17 to 20.
In a thrilling five-setter, the Dominican Republic was edged out by Chile 2-3 (17-25, 24-26, 25-17, 25-13, 10-15). Despite leading in attacks (60-49) and service aces (11-8), the 40 unforced errors from the Dominicans contributed to Chile’s victory.
Matches on July 11 (Local Time – Croatia and Serbia)
Quarterfinals:
China vs Türkiye – 15:15; Japan vs Poland – 18:15; Bulgaria vs Brazil – 21:15; United States vs Italy – 21:15
9th–16th Places:
Serbia vs Croatia; Chinese Taipei vs Thailand; Mexico vs Belgium – 18:15; Germany vs Argentina
17th–20th Places:
Canada vs Puerto Rico – 15:15; Spain vs Chile
21st–24th Places:
Peru vs Tunisia; Egypt vs Dominican Republic – 18:15
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 8, 2025. – Mexico got off to a strong start at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup, defeating Panama in straight sets 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-14) at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.
The Mexican team opened the match with a commanding 5-0 lead, setting the tone for their first victory in Pool B of the tournament taking place from July 8 to 13 in Cuernavaca.
Mexico led in every skill of the game: kills (40-31), blocks (7-2), and aces (8-3). They also capitalized on 20 points from Panamanian errors, while conceding 14.
MONSTER BLOCK FROM MEXICO
Team captain Carlos Grajeda led Mexico’s offense with 16 points, followed by opposite hitter Arnoldo Hurtado, who contributed 11 points.
For Panama, the top scorers were opposite Kendrieck Newby with 14 points and outside hitter Wen Downer with 12.
On the second day of competition, Mexico (1-0) will face Suriname (0-1), while Panama (0-1) takes on Chile (1-0).
Mexico’s Captain, Carlos Grajeda: “I’m very proud of the chemistry we showed, considering we’re all from different parts of Mexico and usually play against each other. The bond I felt with the team is very special. Our attitude really worked in our favor.”
Panama’s Captain, Kendrieck Newby: “The start of the tournament was very tough since we had to face the host team. Mexico has a strong squad that has been preparing for a long time. We are a young group that is building up little by little, and we’re improving. Panama won’t stay still, we’re going to move forward. Mexico defended much more than we did; they were more consistent in their defense.”
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 8, 2025.– Chile swept Suriname 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-14) in their opening match of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium in Cuernavaca, Morelos.
In the first Pool B clash of the tournament, Chile controlled the rhythm from the start, outmatching Suriname with a significant 42-19 lead in attacks and an 8-3 advantage in blocks. Both teams scored two aces, while Chile committed 21 errors and Suriname 23.
Chile
Four Chilean players reached double figures in scoring: Mateo Sanz led with 14 points, followed by Joaquin Valjalo with 12, Gabriel Contreras and Francisco Briones with 10 points each.
For Suriname, Javier Nasibdar was the top scorer with eight points.
Chile will face Panama in their next match, while Suriname will meet host Mexico.
Chile Captain, Carlos Grajeda: “It was a good start. We have high expectations for this tournament; we want to reach the podium. This match allowed us to play our game and show our volleyball, which gives us more confidence for the upcoming matches”.
Suriname Captain, Kendreieck Newby: “We had a rough start. I think the city’s altitude affected us, since we live at 3 meters above sea level. We need to adjust and play better.”
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 8, 2025.– Canada kicked off their U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup campaign with a hard-fought victory over Puerto Rico in a tightly contested Pool A match 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-20) at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.
The match was a rollercoaster of momentum swings, with Canada ultimately sealing the win despite a strong comeback attempt from Puerto Rico, who erased a 19-24 deficit, looking for a fourth set. Canada ultimately ended the game with a stuff block from middle blocker Simon Oberbuchner.
Canada’s powerful offense was key, outscoring Puerto Rico 41-22 in attacks. They also held a slight advantage in service points (5-2). Puerto Rico was more effective in blocks with seven against five and committed fewer errors (24-35).
Barret CAN Attacks
Outside hitter Marcus Barrett and opposite Jarom Rowin led Canada’s scoring efforts with 11 points apiece. For Puerto Rico, Gustavo Alvarez scored seven points.
In their next matches, Canada (1-0) will face the United States (1-0), while Puerto Rico (0-1) looks to bounce back against Venezuela (0-1) as group play continues in Cuernavaca.
Team Canada captain, Marcus Barrett: “It was a great last set for the guys, and we came out super strong. I’m really happy how we played and starting with a win because it brings great energy to the team. I believe we have a shot of winning the tournament, we’ll go even stronger for our next matches.
Team Puerto Rico captain, Jean Paul Gonzalez: “It was a tough start. We had ups and downs, but with each game, we’ll gradually adjust to the new players on the team. In the end, we were more confident, and we need to believe more that we can do it.”
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 8, 2025.- The pairs from the United States (Jordyn Scribes/Ella Grimes), Canada (Ruby Cochrane/Sophie Hancock), Puerto Rico (Itzamar Arana/Yamila González), and Mexico (Angela Pérez/Melina Román) advanced to the semifinals of the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, securing their spots at the FIVB World Championship to be held October 7-11 in Doha, Qatar.
The U.S. duo Scribes/Grimes reached the semifinals by defeating Guatemala’s Harumi Monney/Mónica Cano in straight sets 2-0 (21-16, 21-8). They will face Canada’s Cochrane/Hancock, who earned their spot with a 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) victory over El Salvador’s Fátima Rendon/Devora Medina.
Angela Perez of Mexico
In the other quarterfinal matches, Puerto Rico’s Arana/González cruised past the local team of Zoe Paniagua/Steyce Turbi 2-0 (21-12, 21-10) and will meet Mexico’s Pérez/Román in the semifinals. The Mexican duo defeated Nicaragua’s Yulimar Alvarado/Brisa Bermúdez 2-0 (21-18, 21-11).
In the classification matches for 9th to 12th place, Bermuda’s Olivia Gazzard/Sophie Weikl defeated Antigua’s Philisha Burnette/Nevaeh Robertson 2-0 (21-14, 21-17), while Costa Rica’s Mariana Vindas/Luciana Soto swept Cayman Islands’ Luna Ebanks/Krisi Smith 2-0 (21-13, 21-15).
The semifinals and placement matches will be held on Wednesday morning, followed by the bronze and gold medal matches in the afternoon.
Other day results included: DOM Paniagua/Turbi d ANT Burnette/Robertson 2-0 (21-5, 21-6), CRC Vindas/Soto d TTO Sarah Mohammed/Jenissa Morrison 2-0 (21-4, 21-7), PUR Arana/González d ESA Rendon/Medina 2-1 (21-17, 19-21, 15-12), NCA Alvarado/Bermúdez d CAY Ebanks/Smith 2-0 (21-9, 21-13), USA Scribner/Grimes d BER Gazzard/Weikl 2-0 (21-3, 21-10), MEX Pérez/Román d AGU Cynne´ Liburd/Cayla Jno-Baptiste 2-0 (21-4, 21-5).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 8, 2025.- The men’s pairs from Nicaragua, Canada, Mexico, and the United States advanced on Tuesday to the semifinals of the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, securing their spots at the FIVB World Championship to be held October 7-11 in Doa, Qatar.
Nicaragua’s duo Justin Barrios/Edgar Holmann cruised past Dominican Republic’ s Wayner Comprés/Franklin Segura in straight sets 2-0 (21-10, 21-10). They will face the U.S. team of Matix Williams and Colten Mortensen in the semifinals, after the Americans defeated Guatemala’s Fredy Luna/Robin Oliva 2-0 (21-17, 21-6).
Edgar Holmann of Nicaraua
Canada’s Misha Panasiouk/Bryce Kyim earned their semifinal spot with a 2-0 (21-17, 21-13) quarterfinal win over Costa Rica’s Josué Durán/Angel Carranza. They will meet Mexico’s Eduardo Escoto and José Bojorquez, who needed just two sets to overpower Dylan Lynee/William Duty of the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-9, 21-7).
In the classification matches for 9th to 12th place, Darion Sparks/Josie Cedeno of Trinidad and Tobago beat the U.S. Virgin Islands team of Kymani Greeidge/Merchant A’jahani 2-0 (21-6, 21-19), while Puerto Rico’s Mauro Morales/Rocco Figueroa defeated Julien Simon/Kaiden Smith of Grenada in straight sets 2-0 (21-9, 21-12).
Semifinals and placement matches will take place Wednesday morning, followed by the bronze and gold medal matches in the afternoon.
Other results of the day were: DOM Comprés/Segura d GRN Simon/Smith 2-0 (21-5, 21-11), NCA Barrios/Holmann d ISV Greenidge/Merchant 2-0 (21-17, 21-14), GUA Luna/Oliva d TTO Sparks/Cedeno 2-0 (21-5, 21-13), USA Williams/Mortensen d DMA Anthony Caiston/Kailo Robinson 2-0 (21-3, 21-8), MEX Escoto/Bojorquez d PUR Morales/Figueroa 2-0 (21-6, 21-14).
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 8, 2025. – The United States recovered from a slow start to defeat Venezuela 3-1 (20-25, 25-18, 25-16, 32-30) in the opening match of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup, taking place from July 8 to 13 at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.
Competing in Pool A, both teams engaged in a thrilling contest where the U.S. bounced back after dropping the first set. Despite constant pressure from the Venezuelan side, the Americans sealed the win with a dramatic extended fourth set.
United States held a slight advantage in attack points, 52-48, and dominated with a huge 15-3 advantage in blocks. USA led in aces 5-4, but committed more unforced errors, 34 to Venezuela’s 30.
USA
Middle blocker Isiah Powell of USA scored a match-high of16 points, including 8 kills and 8 stuff blocks. Opposite hitter Corbin Batista added 15 points.
For Venezuela, outside hitter Gandy Lugo led with 14 points, all from kills.
In their next matches in Pool A, the United States will face Canada, while Venezuela goes up against Puerto Rico.
Team captain USA Brett Novak: “There are a lot of new guys in the team, so they were nervous in the first set and missed a lot of serves, we gave Venezuela a lot of points in that set. In the next two sets we were able to go on some pretty good runs. We love playing tight games, that last set is what we live for and coming out with the win is the greatest part”.
Team captain Venezuela José Bello: “For eight of our players this is their first international experience. It was a great game for us; I am confident tomorrow we’ll come with more. The match was as expected facing the United States”.
July 8, 2025. – The United States, Dominican Republic, and Canada head into a decisive week in their quest to finish among the top eight teams in the Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and qualify for the Finals, scheduled for July 23-27 in Łódź, Poland.
The United States currently sits in 8th place with 11 points, holding a 4-4 win-loss record. The Dominican Republic is in 10th place with the same 4-4 record but has earned only 9 points. Canada is in 15th place with 2 wins and 6 losses, collecting 6 points.
Dominican Republic
The teams competing this week in Arlington, Texas, USA, include the host nation United States, Dominican Republic, Canada, Germany, Thailand, and China.
Every match is crucial, but the most important ones for the NORCECA teams will be against China, currently in 6th place with 5 wins, 3 losses, and 15 points, and Germany, in 7th place with 4 wins, 4 losses, and 14 points.
Thailand is currently ranked 16th in the overall standings with 1 win, 7 losses, and 6 points, just below Canada.
Canada
Match Schedule for NORCECA Teams (All times are local Arlington, USA time)
July 9: Canada vs Germany – 12:30 PM; Dominican Republic vs China – 4:00 PM; United States vs Thailand – 7:30 PM
July 10: Canada rests; United States vs Dominican Republic – 7:30 PM
July 11: United States rests; Dominican Republic vs Thailand – 4:00 PM; Canada vs China – 7:30 PM
July 12: Dominican Republic rests; United States vs Canada – 7:30 PM
July 13: Dominican Republic vs Germany – 11:30 AM; Canada vs Thailand – 3:00 PM; United States vs China – 7:00 PM
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 7, 2025.- The women’s pairs from Canada (Ruby Cochrane/Sophie Hancock), El Salvador (Fátima Rendón/Devora Medina), Puerto Rico (Itzamar Martínez/Yamila González), Nicaragua (Yulimar Alvarado/Brisa Bermúdez), and the United States (Jordyn Scribner/Ella Grimes) kicked off the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier with strong, undefeated performances on the first day of competition. The event is being held on the sands of Juan Dolio Beach in the Dominican Republic and serves as a qualifier for the FIVB U18 World Championship.
Canada’s Cochrane/Hancock were unstoppable in Pool A, winning both of their matches in straight sets. They defeated Philisha Brunette/Nevae Robertson of Antigua 2-0 (21-7, 21-2), and then Dominican Republic’s Zoe Paniagua/Steyce Turbi 2-0 (21-4, 21-11).
El Salvador
In Pool B, El Salvador’s Rendón/Medina secured two wins, first over Sarah Mohammed/Jenissa Morrison of Trinidad & Tobago 2-0 (21-3, 21-8), and then against Costa Rica’s Mariana Jiménez/Luciana Soto 2-0 (21-19, 21-16). In the same pool, Puerto Rico’s Martínez/González matched their success, defeating Jiménez/Soto (CRC) 2-0 (21-11, 21-18) and Mohammed/Morrison (TTO) 2-0 (21-7, 21-9).
In Pool C, Nicaragua’s Alvarado/Bermúdez beat Vernecia Caines/Verneeci Caines of the U.S. Virgin Islands in straight sets, 2-0 (21-16, 21-16), and then won a hard-fought three-setter against Guatemala’s Harumi Monney/Mónica Cano 2-1 (21-14, 19-21, 15-8).
Finally, in Pool D, the U.S. team of Scribner/Grimes earned a dominant 2-0 (21-5, 21-3) win over Cynne’ Liburd/Cayla Jno-Baptiste of Anguilla and followed up with a 2-0 (21-18, 21-15) victory over Mexico’s Ángela Pérez/Melina Román.
This tournament awards five qualification spots per gender to the FIVB U18 Beach Volleyball World Championship, scheduled for October 7–11 in Doha, Qatar.
Other results of the day were: GUA Monney/Cano and CAY Luna Ebanks/Krisi Smith 2-0 (21-16, 21-9); MEX Pérez/Román and BER Olivia Gazzard/Sophie Weikl 2-0 (21-8, 21-4); BER Gazzard/Weikl and AGU Liburd/Jno-Baptiste 2-0 (21-14, 21-11).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 7, 2025.– Five men’s pairs delivered strong performances to remain undefeated on the opening day of the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, being held on the stunning sands of Juan Dolio Beach in the Dominican Republic.
The unbeaten duos are Misha Panasiouk/Bryce Kim (CAN), Justin Barrios/Edgar Holman (NCA), Fredy Luna/Robin Oliva (GUA), Darion Sparks/Josie Cedeno (TTO), and Eduardo Escoto/José Bojorques (MEX).
In Pool A, Canada’s Panasiouk/Kim easily defeated Julien Simon/Kaiden Smith of Grenada in straight sets 2-0 (21-9, 21-4), followed by another 2-0 win over Dominican Republic’s home team Wayner Comprés/Franklin Segura (21-13, 21-14).
Mexico
Nicaragua’s Barrios/Holman opened Pool B with a solid 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) victory over Costa Rica’s Josué Durán/Ángel Carranza. They had a bye in their second match of the day.
In Pool C, Guatemala’s Luna/Oliva battled past Cayman Islands’ Dylan Lynee/William Duty in three sets, 2-1 (21-17, 12-21, 15-7). Their second match was a bye. In the same pool, Trinidad and Tobago’s Sparks/Cedeno also defeated Lynee/Duty in straight sets, 2-0 (24-22, 21-13), and had a bye as well.
In Pool D, Mexico’s Escoto/Bojorques opened with a comfortable 2-0 (21-15, 21-14) win over Dominica’s Anthony Caiston/Robinson Kailo. They then had to dig deep to overcome the U.S. duo Matix Williams/Colten Mortensen in three sets, 2-1 (14-21, 21-17, 19-17).
This tournament awards five spots per gender to the FIVB U18 Beach Volleyball World Championship, set to take place October 7-11 in Doha, Qatar.
Other results of the day were: CRC Durán/Carranza d ISV Kymani Greenidge/Merchant A’jahnai 2-0 (21-16, 21-9); PUR Mauro Morales/Rocco Figueroa d DMA Caiston/Kailo 2-1 (20-22, 21-18, 15-13); USA Williams/Mortensen d PUR Morales/Figueroa 2-0 (21-12, 21-11).
July 7, 2025. – The United States and Mexico are the only NORCECA teams that have advanced to the Round of 16 at the U19 FIVB Girls’ World Championship, currently taking place in Croatia and Serbia. Canada, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic will compete in the classification matches for 17th to 24th place.
Pool A
With two sets won against group leaders Croatia, Thailand edged out Canada and Egypt in a tiebreaker to secure the last spot in the Round of 16.
Mexico closed pool play with a strong 3-0 (25-12, 25-23, 26-24) win over Egypt, finishing third with a 3-2 record and 9 points. Naomi Alejandra Cruz Toledo led all scorers with 17 points, while Salma Elbehiry was Egypt’s top performer with 11.
Germany dashed Canada’s hopes with a 3-1 (18-25, 25-16, 25-15, 25-23) comeback win. Canada needed a victory to qualify but couldn’t hold onto their first-set momentum. Marika Loker stood out for Germany with 21 points. Sol Henson and Sofia Zabjek led Canada with 11 points each. Germany finished second in the group with a 4-1 record and 13 points; Canada ended in fifth place with a 1-4 record and 3 points.
Alejandra Cruz MEX
Pool B
In a dramatic finish, Argentina narrowly overtook Puerto Rico to clinch fourth place in the pool.
Argentina kept their hopes alive with a hard-fought 3-2 (25-21, 21-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-12) win over the Dominican Republic. Just 14 years old, Sofía Emilia Baldo was the top scorer with 24 points. For the Dominican Republic, Rayni Merab Mondesí Arias scored 20. Argentina ended pool play with a 2-3 record and 4 points and depended on Puerto Rico’s result.
Puerto Rico needed a win over Chinese Taipei but fell in a five-set battle, 3-2 (25-22, 25-19, 22-25, 20-25, 15-12), and was eliminated. Wu Tzu-Hua, 15, led with 21 points. For Puerto Rico, Pamela Zoe Agosto and Kalia Isabel Alvarado contributed 13 points each.
Pool C
United States defeated Türkiye 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-22, 25-23), finishing third in the group with a 3-2 record and 11 points. Suliane Davis led the U.S. with 21 points, while Aylin Uysalcan scored 17 for Türkiye, who advanced in fourth place with a 2-3 record and 7 points.
Suliane Davis USA
Round of 16 Matchups:
Croatia vs Türkiye; Germany vs United States; Bulgaria vs Mexico; Poland vs Thailand; Brazil vs Belgium; Chinese Taipei vs Japan; China vs Serbia; Italy vs Argentina
17th–24th Place Playoffs:
Canada vs Peru; Spain vs Egypt; Puerto Rico vs Tunisia; Chile vs Dominican Republic
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 7, 2025. – One day before the start of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup, the coaches of the eight participating teams shared their thoughts and expectations for the tournament, which will take place from July 8 to 13 at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.
The event brings together promising youth talents from across the continent, offering them valuable international experience and the opportunity to continue developing within high-performance programs.
Jordan Taylor, Head Coach of Canada: “We had a training camp in Halifax; we trained a couple of times a day which is a big step for us versus last year’s competition. This year we have more continuity, so we feel a little bit more organized and prepared for competition. We’re bringing a younger squad, five returning players with NORCECA experience, for the majority, it’s going to be their first international competition, so it’s going to be a growth and learning event for these twelve athletes.”
Canada
Alvaro Del Campo, Head Coach of Chile: “The team is happy to be part of such an important international competition. We’ve been preparing with great dedication for several months. This is a group that’s been working together since last year’s South American tournaments. Our preparation included a tour to Uberlandia before coming to Mexico. We come with high expectations and the desire to compete against other countries.”
Chile
Oscar Viña, Head Coach of Mexico: “The team was built from the national championship. I selected players from the top four teams of that tournament, along with others with strong potential. We’ve been training here in Morelia for two weeks. The work has been solid; we may lack height compared to other teams, but I trust this group.”
Mexico
Horacio Angulo, Head Coach of Panama first highlighted that Panama is making its return to this level of competition after more than a decade of absence: “Panama hadn’t competed in an event like this for over ten years, it’s very gratifying. We’re here to show that high-level volleyball is played in Central America. We’ll take it one match at a time and focus on our own game.”
Panama
Juan Albarrán, Head Coach of Puerto Rico: “The Pan American Cup is a great preparation tournament for the U19 World Championship in Uzbekistan. We’re taking this competition very seriously. The pool we’re in offers strong preparation, and we’re confident we can do a good job.”
Puerto Rico
Furgil Ong-A-Fat, Head Coach of Suriname: “Our preparation went well. We started at the end of January with 60 players. We played friendly matches against French Guiana, so we’re motivated. The team has experience from the NORCECA U19 in Puerto Rico, and we hope to improve our position.”
Suriname
Jonah Carson, Head Coach of the United States: “This is a great opportunity for the development of our programs. We’ve got four players with previous international experience representing USA Volleyball. This is the first time USA Volleyball has been able to send a U19 team to both a Pan American Cup and a World Championship, so we have two distinct rosters. We’re looking to help accelerate the growth of our under-19 and coaching programs, and this is a nice first step in that. With the addition of the U17 category, we’re seeing something incredible develop here in NORCECA and globally.”
USA
Iván Nieto, Head Coach of Venezuela, emphasized that this event is part of the country’s federation restructuring and youth development process: “This competition is part of the development cycle for these young athletes. Most of the group is inexperienced, and we hope to showcase the progress they’ve made during this recent phase of training. We’ve gone through changes in our national federation and are forming new work teams. This is an opportunity for the newly identified talents to demonstrate the rise of Venezuelan volleyball.”
ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay, July 6, 2025 – In the presence of the President of the Republic of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, Panam Sports President Neven Ilic, Paraguayan Olympic Committee President Camilo Pérez, and other distinguished officials, the traditional lighting ceremony of the Pan American Flame and the start of the Torch Relay for the ASU 2025 Junior Pan American Games took place.
Starting today, the Pan American Flame will travel through Paraguay’s main cities, culminating its journey on August 9 at the ASU 2025 Opening Ceremony.
The beautiful, historic, and touristic Jesuit Mission of Jesús de Tavarangue in Paraguay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, provided the perfect setting for the significant and traditional ceremony that marks the beginning of the II ASU 2025 Junior Pan American Games.
Set against the natural backdrop of the Jesuit Ruins, the event brought together the highest-ranking government and sports authorities from Paraguay and Panam Sports. After the flag procession and national anthems, the attending officials delivered speeches emphasizing the importance of the ceremony and the significance of hosting the most impactful sporting event in Paraguay’s 214-year history.
“This is a very traditional ceremony in our organization. For the senior Pan American Games, the flame is always lit in Teotihuacan, Mexico. For the first Junior Pan American Games, the lighting took place at Cerro Cristo Rey in Cali. Today, we are in a magical place, full of history and of great importance to Paraguay. Here, the new flame is born and will travel to various corners of this beautiful country until it reaches the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony. We are happy and excited, the most important youth sporting celebration in the continent is almost here,” said Panam Sports President Neven Ilic.
“From here, a journey begins, not just a ceremonial journey, but a true, tangible process of national transformation. ASU 2025 is not an isolated project; it’s part of a broader effort involving infrastructure investment, tourism promotion, job creation, talent development, and, of course, Paraguay’s international projection,” said Paraguayan President Santiago Peña.
After the speeches, Guaraní indigenous representatives entered the scene. To the rhythm of music and ancestral dances, they lit the new flame and the Pan American torch, officially starting the traditional relay.
The first to carry the Pan American Flame was Panam Sports President Neven Ilic, followed by Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, Minister of Sports César Ramírez, Paraguayan Olympic Committee President Camilo Pérez, a Guaraní representative, and six athletes, officially launching the ASU 2025 Torch Relay.
For 33 days, the ASU 2025 torch will travel through Paraguay’s main cities until it reaches the Estadio Defensores del Chaco in Asunción on August 9 for the Opening Ceremony.
The ASU 2025 Junior Pan American Games will be held from August 9 to 23 and will feature over 4,000 athletes from 41 countries across the continent.
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 6, 2025.- A total of 17 countries will compete in the NORCECA U18 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, the official event to secure spots at the 2025 FIVB U18 World Championship. The tournament kicks off this Monday on the sand courts set up along the beach of Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic.
During Sunday’s preliminary inspections, 15 women’s teams and 13 men’s teams were registered, all aiming to advance from the group stage, which begins Monday at 8:00 a.m. local time.
The opening day will feature 24 matches: 10 in the men’s division and 14 in the women’s. The group stage will conclude Tuesday morning, followed by quarterfinals and the loser’s bracket matches in the afternoon. Semifinals, medal matches, and placement games will be played on Wednesday.
The top five teams per gender will earn direct qualification to the FIVB U18 World Championship, set to take place October 7-11 in Doha, Qatar.
July 6, 2025. – Mexico and the United States secured their spots in the Eightfinals at the FIVB U19 Women’s Volleyball World Championship this Sunday in Croatia and Serbia.
The following teams clinched their place in the next round: Germany and Mexico (Pool A), Serbia (Pool B), Bulgaria, the United States, and Türkiye (Pool C), and Belgium (Pool D). They join the seven teams that had already qualified on Friday: Croatia, Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Poland, Italy, China, and Japan. Only two remaining spots are up for grabs on Monday.
Pool A
Germany and Mexico joined host Croatia as the three teams advancing to the Eightfinals, while Thailand, Egypt, and Canada are still fighting for the last remaining ticket.
Mexico made a major move with a 3-0 win (25-19, 25-22, 25-18) over Canada. Three players reached double digits for Mexico: Isabella Annie Ocampo, Angelica Jazmín Torres Galván, and middle blocker Aitana Rettke Tanguma, each scoring 10 points. Canada’s Sofia Zabjek led all scorers with 13 points. Mexico now holds a 2-2 record with 6 points, while Canada sits at 1-3 with 3 points.
Croatia kept its unbeaten record intact by defeating Egypt 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-15). Opposite hitter Asja Zolota led the way with 16 points, while Gena Mohamed was Egypt’s top scorer with 9. With this result, Mexico secured its eightfinals spot. Egypt, now 1-3, will face Mexico on Monday in a decisive match.
Isabella Annie Ocampo MEX
Pool B
Puerto Rico earned its first win of the tournament with a 3-0 victory (25-22, 25-12, 25-19) over the Dominican Republic. Diangelie González and Johnnyeshka Carrasquillo both scored 12 points. Ambar Avril Hernández led the Dominicans with 11 points.
Serbia secured qualification with a win over Argentina, while Puerto Rico and Argentina will battle on Monday for the last spot. Brazil and Chinese Taipei had already qualified.
Puerto Rico will need a strong performance against China and must hope that Argentina does not defeat the Dominican Republic. The Dominican team is mathematically eliminated from contention.
Puerto Rico celebrated
Pool C
Bulgaria, the United States, and Türkiye advanced to the Eighfinals, joining previously qualified Poland. Spain and Peru will move on to the 17th–24th place playoffs.
Bulgaria outlasted the United States in a thrilling five-set match (25-15, 16-25, 27-25, 13-25, 15-5). Kalina Veneva led Bulgaria with 18 points, while Suliane Davis posted 17 for the U.S. The Americans dominated in blocks (16-4), but Bulgaria held the edge in attacks (60-51) and aces (9-7).
Suliane Davis USA
Pool D
Belgium joined Italy, China, and Japan as the teams advancing to the next round. Tunisia and Chile will play in the 17th–24th place bracket.
Match Schedule – Monday, July 7
The final day of pool play features key matchups for NORCECA teams:
Pool A: Mexico vs Egypt at 15:15 (local time); Canada vs Germany at 21:15
Pool B: Dominican Republic vs Argentina at 15:15; Puerto Rico vs China at 21:15
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 6, 2025.- The American duo of Malachi Brewington and Titus Lance claimed the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, defeating Costa Rica’s Julián Araya and Esteban González in straight sets (21-14, 21-14) in the final held on the sands of Juan Dolio.
The bronze medal went to the host team from the Dominican Republic, as Melvin de Jesús and Ramón de Jesús delivered a solid performance to beat Louis Charbonneau and Henry Heider of Canada 2-0 (21-18, 21-12).
The final berth to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship 2025 was secured by Rafael Vargas and Fernando Ortíz of El Salvador, who won a thrilling three-set battle against Julián Bristol and Jedediah Pencheon of Saint Kitts and Nevis 2-1 (21-17, 18-21, 15-10).
Award
The five men’s teams qualified to the FIVB World Championship are: United States, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Canada, and El Salvador.
In other results, Justin Barrios and Deyner López of Nicaragua finished in seventh place after defeating Jerome Morrison and Jahreef Miguel of Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 (21-16, 21-6).
Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederic of Dominica placed ninth, overcoming Nkoya Williams and Aaron Taylor of Barbados 2-0 (23-21, 21-18).
Ignacio Peraza and Reyko Figueroa of Puerto Rico finished 11th, defeating Fredy Luna and José Guevara of Guatemala 2-0 (21-14, 21-19).
Meanwhile, Jaden Victor and Peter Emmanuel of Saint Lucia closed out in 13th place with a hard-fought 2-1 (21-17, 14-21, 15-12) win over Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee of the Cayman Islands.
Finally, Zerick Walcott and Kibose Hamilton of Grenada also placed 13th, advancing by bye.
Other results of the day were: ESA Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz d TTO Jerome Morrison/Jahreef Miguel 2-0 (21-17, 21-17), SKN Julian Bristol/Jedediah Pencheon d NCA Justin Barrios/Deyner Lopez 2-1 (15-21, 22-20, 15-11), USA Malachi Brewington/Titus Lance d CAN Louis Charbonneau/Henry Heider 2-1 (20-22, 21-10, 15-11), CRC Julian Araya/Victorio Gonzalez d DOM Melvin de Jesus/Ramon de Jesus 2-0 (21-17, 21-14).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 6, 2025.- The American duo of Zoey Henson and Sarah Wood claimed the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, defeating Puerto Rico’s Miabella Musignac and Alanis Nieves in straight sets 2-0 (21-13, 21-11) on the sands of Juan Dolio.
The bronze went to Canada’s Ofure Odigie and Ruby Sorra, who beat Laura Molina and Sofía Vega of Costa Rica in straight sets 21-15, 21-18.
The fifth and final ticket to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship 2025 was secured by Guatemala’s Danna Aguilar and Naomi Monney, who overcame Nicaragua’s Yuliana Chávez and Ella Resau in a tight battle, winning 2-0 (24-22, 21-16).
United States
The five women’s teams qualified to the World Championship are: United States, Costa Rica, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala.
In other results, Daniela Vigil and Ashley Rauda of El Salvador finished seventh, edging out Dominican Republic’s Crismil Paniagua and Daneyi Arias in three sets, 2-1 (21-9, 8-21, 15-12).
Isabelle Phillip and Ericka Gaspard of Saint Lucia claimed ninth place, defeating Destiny Lane and Sierra Rayside of Barbados 2-0 (21-19, 21-19).
In 11th place, Joanna Robinson and Brianna Delapenha of the Cayman Islands beat Jassania Joseph and Jaya Carr from Antigua and Barbuda 2-0 (21-6, 21-10).
Deandra Fleming and Lavesha Richardson of Anguilla took 13th place after a 2-1 (21-14, 18-21, 15-10) win over Brookling Donovan and D’Keisha Jordan of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Finally, Sarah Mohammed and Bianca Perkins of Trinidad and Tobago also placed 13th, advancing via bye.
Other results of the day were: NCA Yuliana Chavezz/Ella Resau d ESA Daniela Vigil/Ashley Rauda 2-0 (21-19, 21-15), GUA Danna Aguilar/Naomi Monney d DOM Crismil Paniagua/Daneyi Arias 2-0 (21-12, 21-14), USA Zoey Henson/Sarah Wood d CAN Ofure Odigie/Ruby Sorra 2-0 (22-20, 25-23), PUR Miabella Musignac/Alanis Nieves d CRC Laura Molina/Sofia Vega 2-0 (21-13, 21-19).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 5, 2025.- The women’s duos from the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico have secured their spots in the semifinals of the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Qualifier, also earning qualification to the FIVB World Championship, set to take place from October 15 to 19 in Puebla, Mexico.
The U.S. team of Zoey Henson and Sarah Wood claimed a dominant win over Nicaragua’s Yuliana Chávez and Ella Resau with set scores of 21-5 and 21-12. In the semifinals, they will face the Canadian pair Ofure Odigie and Ruby Sorra, who advanced by defeating El Salvador’s Daniela Vigil and Ashley Rauda 2-0 (21-17, 21-16).
Miabella Musignac of Puerto Rico
Laura Molina and Sofía Vega of Costa Rica advanced with authority, defeating Dominicans Crismil Paniagua and Daneyi Arias 2-0 (21-5, 21-6). They will meet Puerto Rico’s Miabella Musignac and Alanis Nieves in the other semifinal after the Puerto Rican duo beat Danna Aguilar and Naomi Monney of Guatemala 2-0 (21-18, 21-19).
In the classification round for 9th to 12th place, Isabelle Phillip and Ericka Gaspard of Saint Lucia topped Jassania López and Jaya Carr of Antigua 2-0 (21-17, 21-17), while Destiny Layne and Sierra Rayside of Barbados edged past the Cayman Islands’ Joanna Robinson and Brianna Delapenha in a tight 2-1 battle (21-19, 18-21, 19-17).
For 13th to 16th place, Brooklyn Donovan and D’Keisha Jordan of the U.S. Virgin Islands defeated Sarah Mohammed and Bianca Perkins of Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 (21-16, 21-16). Deandra Fleming and Lavesha Jordan of Anguilla advanced via bye.
Semifinals and classification matches will take place on Sunday morning, followed by the bronze and gold medal matches in the afternoon.
Other results of the day: DOM Crismil Paniagua/Daneyi Arias d ANT Jassania Jospeh/Jaya Carr 2-0 (21-8, 21-19), CRC Laura Molina/Sofía Vigil d ISV Brooklin Donovan/D’Keisha Jordan 2-0 (21-10, 21-6), ESA Daniela Vigil/Ashley Rauda d CAY Joanna Robinson/Brianna Delapenha 2-0 (21-14, 21-18), GUA Danna Aguilar/Naomi Monney d BAR Destiny Layne/Sierra Rayside 2-0 (21-12, 21-13), NCA Yuliana Chávez/Ella Resau d TTO Sarah Mohammed/Bianca Perkins 2-0 (21-4, 21-2), USA Zoey Henson/Sarah Wood d LCA Isabelle Phillip/Ericka Gaspard 2-0 (21-6, 21-7), PUR Miabella Musignac/Alanis Nieves d AGU Deandra Fleming/Lavesha Richardson 2-0 (21-10, 21-7).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 5, 2025.- The men’s pairs from the Dominican Republic, United States, Canada, and Costa Rica secured spots in the semifinals of the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Qualifier on Saturday, earning their qualification to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship, scheduled for October 15-19 in Puebla, Mexico.
In a thrilling quarterfinal match, Dominican duo Melvin de Jesús and Ramón de Jesús defeated Nicaragua’s Justin Barrios and Deyner López in three sets, 2-1 (21-18, 19-21, 15-13). They will face Costa Rica’s Julián Araya and Victorio González, who earned a convincing 2-0 (21-16, 21-11) win over Julián Bristol and Jedediah Pencheon of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Malachi Brewington of United States
Meanwhile, the American team of Malachi Brewington and Titus Lance overcame Jerome Morrison and Jahreef Miguel of Trinidad and Tobago with set scores of 24-22 and 21-7. In the semifinals, they will go up against Canada’s Louis Charbonneau and Henry Heider, who came from behind to defeat Rafael Vargas and Fernando Ortiz of El Salvador in a hard-fought 2-1 match (13-21, 22-20, 15-13).
In the 9th-12th place bracket, Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederic defeated Puerto Rico’s Ignacio Pedraza and Reyko Figueroa 2-1 (16-21, 21-15, 15-11), while Nkoya Williams and Aaron Taylor of Barbados outlasted Guatemala’s Fredy Luna and José Guevara in another three-set battle (21-17, 19-21, 15-13).
For the 13th-16th classification, Stephen Watson and Dylan Lynee of the Cayman Islands comfortably beat Zerick Walcott and Kibose Hamilton of Grenada 2-0 (21-9, 21-10). The pair Jaden Victor and Peter Emmanuel of Saint Lucia advanced via bye.
Semifinals and classification matches will be played on Sunday morning, followed by the bronze and gold medal matches in the afternoon.
Other results were: DOM Melvin de Jesus/Ramon de Jesus d DMA Mervin Mingo/Bill Frederic 2-0 (21-13, 21-12), NCA Justin Barrios/Deyner Lopez d BAR Nkoya Williams/Aaron Taylor 2-0 (21-13, 21-11), ESA Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz d GRN Zerick Walcott/Kibose Hamilton 2-0 (21-14, 21-16), TTO Jerome Morrison/Jahreef Miguel d GUA Fredy Luna/Jose Guevara 2-0 (21-18, 21-11), CRC Julian Araya/Victorio Gonzalez d CAY Stephen Watson/Dylan Lynee 2-0 (21-9, 21-12), USA Malachi Brewington/Titus Lance d SKN Julian Bristol/Jedediah Pencheon 2-0 (21-13, 21-14), PUR Ignacio Pedraza/Reyko Figueroa d LCA Jaden Victor/Peter Emmanuel 2-1 (15-21, 21-15, 15-13).
July 4, 2025.- All five teams representing NORCECA at the U19 Girls’ World Championship, currently taking place in Serbia and Croatia, ended day three of competition with losses.
At the conclusion of day three of competition, several teams secured their spots in the eightfinals, Croatia (Pool A), Brazil and Chinese Taipei (Pool B), Poland (Pool C), as well as Italy, China, and Japan (Pool D).
Pool A
Mexico could not hold on to its early lead after winning the first set and ended up falling to Germany 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-12), recording their second consecutive loss. Mexico now holds a 1-2 record. German outside hitter Maria Tabacuks led her team with 19 points, while middle blocker Franziska Heil stood out with 7 of her team’s 16 blocks. For Mexico, Angelica Jazmin Torres Galván was the top scorer with 9 points.
Croatia remained undefeated after a hard-fought 3-1 win (25-19, 30-28, 25-27, 35-33) over Canada. Sixteen-year-old Opposite Asja Zolota, was the leading performer with 23 points, bringing her tournament total to 69 points in three matches. For Canada, middle blocker Maya Bukovcan contributed 16 points. Canada’s record is now 1-2.
Sol Henson CAN
Pool B
Chinese Taipei earned its third consecutive victory, defeating the Dominican Republic 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 23-25, 25-17). Top scorers were Wu Tzu-Hua and Chen Yi, each with 17 points. For the Dominican Republic, Estel Santos and Virelys Shantal Rivera both scored 11 points.
Co-host Serbia won a thrilling five-set match over Puerto Rico, 3-2 (19-25, 26-24, 19-25, 25-10, 18-16). Sixteen-year-old Mia Ciric led Serbia with 17 points. Cherisse Binex Atilano was Puerto Rico’s top scorer with 15 points. The Caribbean side now has two points in the standings.
Both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are still searching for their first win in the tournament and must win their upcoming matches to have a chance of qualifying for the eightfinals. Unfortunately, they will face each other on Sunday, July 6.
Estel Santos DOM
Pool C
Poland and the United States clashed in a high-level match on Friday, with the Polish side eventually edging out the defending champions, the U.S., 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 25-17, 25-27, 16-14). Poland’s Natasza Ornoch led all scorers with 27 points, while Macaria Spears led the U.S. with 21 points. Poland leads the group with 8 points; the U.S. sits in second place with 7 points and is close to securing a spot in the eightfinals.
Gabrielle Nichols – Macaria Spears USA
Match Schedule for Sunday, July 6
Saturday, July 5, is a rest day for all teams. Competition resumes Sunday, July 6, with the following matches:
POOL A: Mexico vs. Canada at 15:15 (local time)
POOL B: Puerto Rico vs. Dominican Republic at 15:15 (local time)
POOL C: United States vs. Bulgaria at 21:15 (local time)
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 4, 2025.- The women’s pairs from USA (Zoey Henson/Sarah Wood), Canada (Ofure Odigie/Ruby Sorra), Costa Rica (Laura Molina/Sofía Vigil), and Guatemala (Danna Aguilar/Naomi Monney) had a strong and undefeated start on the opening day of the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Qualifier for the FIVB World Championship, taking place on the sands of Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic.
The U.S. duo Henson/Wood dominated Pool D easily, defeating Deandra Fleming/Lavesha Richardson of Anguilla 2-0 (21-5, 21-4) and Miabella Musignac/Alanis Nieves of Puerto Rico 2-0 (21-10, 21-11).
In Pool A, Canada’s Odigie/Sorra also picked up two wins, first over Jassania Joseph/Jaya Carr of Antigua 2-0 (21-9, 21-11), and then against Dominican duo Crismil Paniagua/Daneyi Arias 2-0 (21-5, 21-19).
CRC
Costa Ricans Molina/Vega claimed two victories in Pool B, beating Joanna Robinson/Briana Delapenha of the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-18, 21-10) and El Salvador’s Daniela Vigil/Ashley Rauda 2-0 (21-17, 21-12).
Finally, in Pool C, Guatemala’s Aguilar/Monney opened with a dominant 2-0 win (21-4, 21-4) against Sarah Mohammed/Bianca Perkins of Trinidad and Tobago, followed by a 2-0 victory (21-18, 21-17) over Yuliana Chávez/Ella Resau of Nicaragua.
This event awards five spots per gender to the FIVB U21 World Championship, scheduled to take place from October 15 to 19 in Puebla, Mexico.
Other results of the day were: ESA Vigil/Rauda d ISV Brooklin Donovan/D’Keisha Jordan 2-0 (21-10, 21-10), CAY Robinson/Delapenha d ISV Donovan/Jordan 2-0 (21-10, 21-12), NCA Chávez/Resau d BAR Destiny Layne/Sierra Rayside 2-0 (21-16, 21-16), BAR Layne/Rayside d TTO Mohammed/Perkins 2-0 (21-11, 21-17), PUR Musignac/Nieves d LCA Isabelle Phillip/Ericka Gaspard 2-0 (21-14, 21-8) and LCA Phillip/Gaspard d AGU Deandra Fleming/Lavesha Richardson 2-0 (21-13, 21-12).
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 4, 2025.- Five men’s teams wrapped up the opening day of the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Qualifier for the FIVB World Championship, with perfect records on the sand courts of Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic.
The unbeaten duos were: Malachi Brewington/Titus Lance (USA), Louis Charbonneau/Henry Heider (CAN), Justin Barrios/Deyner López (NCA), Julián Araya/Victorio González (CRC), and Julián Bristol/Jedediah Pencheon (SKN).
In Pool D, USA’s Brewington/Lance defeated Jaden Victor/Peter Emmanuel of Saint Lucia 2-0 (21-11, 21-17) and Puerto Rico’s Ignacio Pedraza/Reyko Figueroa 2-0 (21-15, 21-11). In the same group, Saint Kitts and Nevis’ Bristol/Pencheon edged out Pedraza/Figueroa 2-1 (22-24, 21-16, 15-12) and also beat Victor/Emmanuel 2-0 (21-10, 21-16).
CAN
In Pool A, Canadians Charbonneau/Heider overcame Mervin Mingo/Bill Frederic of Dominica 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) and outlasted Dominicans Melvin De Jesús/Ramón De Jesús 2-1 (21-13, 19-21, 15-12).
In Pool B, Nicaragua’s Barrios/López swept Zerik Walcott/Kibose Hamilton of Grenada 2-0 (21-12, 21-16) and El Salvador’s Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz also in two sets (21-13, 21-16).
Finally, in Pool C, Costa Rica’s Araya/González dominated Jerome Morrison/Jahreef Miguel of Trinidad & Tobago 2-0 (23-21, 21-7) and Fredy Luna/José Guevara of Guatemala 2-0 (21-15, 21-12).
This tournament awards five spots per gender for the FIVB U21 World Championship, set to take place from October 15 to 19 in Puebla, Mexico.
Other results of the day were: ESA Vargas/Ortiz d BAR Nkoya Williams/Aaron Taylor 2-0 (21-16, 21-7), BAR Williams/Taylor d GRN Walcott/Hamilton 2-0 (21-14, 21-15), GUA Luna/Guevara d CAY Stephen Watson/Dylan Lynee 2-1 (14-21, 21-17, 15-9), TTO Morrison/Miguel d CAY Watson/Lynee 2-0 (21-19, 21-16).
July 4, 2025.- FIVB President Fabio Azevedo today stopped in the Philippines on his way to Palau for the Mini Pacific Games for meetings with various local authorities and stakeholders in the lead-up to a historic moment for the country
The visit comes as the Philippines prepares to host the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship from 12 to 28 September, the first time the tournament will be held in the country and only the second time ever in Asia. With just 71 days to go, anticipation is building for what promises to be a landmark edition of volleyball’s premier global event.
This year’s Volleyball Men’s World Championship will debut an expanded format, increasing from 24 to 32 teams, and marks the first edition under a new biennial cycle. Matches will be held at two major venues in the heart of Manila: the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
While in the region, President Azevedo, joined by Volleyball World Chief Business Officer Guido Betti, took the opportunity to connect with local stakeholders and check on preparations for the milestone event. AVC President Ramon Suzara also joined President Azevedo during the visit.
President Fabio Azevedo commented:
“It is a pleasure to be here in the beautiful city of Manila, where the passion for volleyball is truly inspiring. With preparations in full swing, it’s clear the Philippines is ready to make history as it hosts the Volleyball World Championship for the very first time.
“This edition will officially be the largest and most globally inclusive edition in the tournament’s history. Better yet, we will be making history in a country that lives and breathes our sport. I am delighted to meet with local authorities and see firsthand the energy going into delivering an exceptional event at two world-class venues.”
Awarded the hosting rights in 2024, the Philippines has shown strong commitment and enthusiasm at all levels, including strong government support, to delivering an unforgettable tournament.
JUAN DOLIO, Dominican Republic, July 3, 2025. – A total of 18 countries will compete in the NORCECA U21 Beach Volleyball Championship, the official qualification tournament for the 2025 FIVB Age-Group World Championships, which begins this Friday on the beautiful sand courts of Juan Dolio Beach in the Dominican Republic. This event offers a great opportunity to witness the region’s rising beach volleyball stars showcasing their talent and passion.
Fifteen teams per gender were registered during Thursday’s preliminary inspections, all aiming to advance from the preliminary pool play, which starts Friday at 8:00 a.m. local time.
A total of 28 matches are scheduled for Friday, 14 in the men’s division and 14 in the women’s. The preliminary round will conclude on Saturday morning, followed by the quarterfinals and the losers’ bracket in the afternoon. Semifinals, medal matches, and placement matches will be played on Sunday.
El Salvador
The top four teams per gender will earn direct qualification to the FIVB U21 World Championship, set to take place from October 15 to 19 in Puebla, Mexico.
Men’s Teams: DOM Melvin De Jesús/Ramón De Jesús; NCA Justin Barrios/Deyner López; TTO Jerome Morrison/Jahreef Miguel; SKN Julián Bristol/Jedediah Pencheon; USA Malachi Brewington/Titus Lance; GUA Fredy Luna/José Guevara; BAR Nkoya Williams/Aaron Taylor; DMA Mervin Mingo/Bill Frederick; CAN Louis Charbonneau/Henry Heider; ESA Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz; CAY Stephen Watson/Dylan Lynee; LCA Jaden Victor/Peter Emmanuel; PUR Ignacio Pedraza/Reyko Figueroa; CRC Julián Araya/Victorio González; GRN Zerick Walcott/Kibose Hamilton.
Women’s Teams: DOM Crismil Paniagua/Daneyi Arias; CRC Laura Molina/Sofía Vega; BAR Destiny Layne/Sierra Rayside; LCA Isaballe Phillip/Ericka Gaspard; USA Zoey Henson/Sarah Wood; GUA Danna Aguilar/Naomi Monney; ISV Brooklyn Donovan/D’Keisha Jordan; ANT Jassania Joseph/Jaya Carr; CAN Ofure Odigie/Ruby Sorra; ESA Daniela Vigil/Ashley Rauda; TTO Sarah Mohammed/Bianca Perkins; AGU Deandra Fleming/Lavesha Richardson; PUR Miabella Musignac/Alanys Nieves; NCA Yuliana Chávez/Ella Resau; CAY Joanna Robinson/Brianna Delapenha.
July 3, 2025. – United States was the only NORCECA team to win on Day 2 of the Girls’ U19 World Championship, remaining undefeated with 2 wins in as many matches. The event is taking place in Croatia and Serbia.
Pool C
Defending champions USA continued their strong performance with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-18) win over Peru. Henley Anderson led the team with 14 points (10 kills, 4 blocks), while Waleska Toro Zoltanski was Peru’s top scorer with 12 points (8 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces).
With this win, the U.S. now shares the top spot in Pool C with Poland, both at 2-0 and 6 points. Bulgaria and Türkiye follow with 1 win and 1 loss (3 points), while Spain and Peru remain winless with no points.
USA will face Poland this Friday in a key match to determine the group leader.
Henley Anderson – Gabrielle Nichols USA
Pool A
Host nation Croatia claimed a second straight victory, defeating Mexico 3-1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-22, 25-19). Opposite Asja Zolota starred once again with 23 points (19 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace), while Naomi Alejandra Cruz Toledo led Mexico with 15 points (13 kills, 2 blocks). Mexico now holds a 1-1 record.
Thailand earned its first win by beating Canada 3-1 (22-25, 25-12, 25-17, 25-22). Captain Supawadee Panwilai led the charge with 23 points (18 kills, 1 block, 4 aces), while Sofia Zabjek was Canada’s top scorer with 14 points (11 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace).
Croatia tops the group with 6 points from 2 wins. Following behind with 1 win and 1 loss are Germany, Mexico, Canada, and Thailand. Egypt remains at the bottom of the group, winless.
Brenda Sofia Esquivel MEX
Pool B
Co-hosts Serbia bounced back with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-20) victory over the Dominican Republic. Outside hitter Anja Miovcic led with 12 points (7 kills, 3 aces, 2 blocks). Estel Santos Mateo led the Dominican side with 8 points, including 3 aces.
Brazil stayed perfect with another 3-0 win, this time over Puerto Rico (25-16, 25-17, 25-20). Middle blocker Lara Gabriele Rodríguez Almeida led with 13 points (10 kills, 1 block, 2 aces), while Kalia Isabel Alvarado scored 11 points for Puerto Rico.
Brazil leads the pool with 2 wins (6 points), followed by China, also 2-0 but with 5 points due to a five-set match. Serbia and Argentina sit at 1-1, while Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic remain winless; Puerto Rico has one point from their first-day performance, while the DR has yet to earn a point.
Matches for July 4
POOL A: Mexico vs Germany – 15:15 (Local Time) and Canada vs Croatia – 18:15 (Local Time)
POOL B: Dominican Republic vs China – 15:15 (Local Time) and Puerto Rico vs Serbia – 18:15 (Local Time)
POOL C: United States vs Poland – 21:15 (Local Time)
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, Mexico, July 3, 2025. – A showcase of the next generation of volleyball talent is coming to Cuernavaca, as the NORCECA U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup takes center stage from July 8 to 13 at the Gimnasio de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM).
The event will feature eight national teams from North, Central America and Caribbean NORCECA Volleyball Confederation and the South America Volleyball Confederation CSV battling for the Pan American title and a place among the region’s best. The tournament also plays a key role in shaping the competitive landscape ahead of future international championships.
NORCECA teams qualify for the 2026 NORCECA U19 Boys Continental Championship, which is part of the qualification process to the 2027 U19 FIVB Boys World Championship.
USA arrives as the team to beat, having captured back-to-back gold medals in 2022 and 2023 undefeated. In both finals, they topped Mexico, who now seeks redemption and a chance to end their streak of three consecutive silver medals. Puerto Rico, bronze medalists last year, will also be aiming for a spot on the podium.
Teams are divided into two pools for the preliminary round: Pool A features Canada, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela, while Pool B consists of Chile, Panama, Suriname, and host Mexico.
Pool-play begins on July 8 with four daily matches, followed by quarterfinals on July 11, semifinals on July 12, and the final medal matches on Sunday, July 13.
Preliminary Round Schedule
July 8 14:00 USA vs Venezuela 16:00 Puerto Rico vs Canada 18:00 Chile vs Suriname
20:00 Mexico vs Panama
July 9 14:00 Puerto Rico vs Venezuela 16:00 USA vs Canada 18:00 Chile vs Panama
20:00 Mexico vs Suriname
July 10 14:00 Canada vs Venezuela 16:00 USA vs Puerto Rico 18:00 Suriname vs Panama
July 3, 2025.- The FIVB recently welcomed a high-level delegation from the Government of India and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to the Volleyball House in Lausanne, Switzerland, for productive discussions on the exciting future of volleyball in India.
The delegation was led by Mr. Hari Ranjan Rao, Secretary Sports, Government of India, and legendary Olympian and IOA President, Ms. PT Usha. The group also included IOA CEO Mr. Raghuram Iyer; Hon. Minister of Sports, Government of Gujarat, Mr. Harsh Rameshbhai Sanghavi; Principal Secretary, Sports, Youth & Cultural Activities, Government of Gujarat, Shri Ashwani Kumar; Principal Secretary, Urban Development & Urban Housing, Shri M. Thennarasan; Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad, Mr. Banchhanidhi Pani, and Reliance Industries Limited President and Chief of Staff, Srinivasan B.
FIVB President Fabio Azevedo took the opportunity to share his vision for the global development of volleyball, as outlined in the FIVB Strategic Vision 2032. This vision is focused around four key pillars: professionalism, integration, empowerment and mass participation.
The delegation was also updated on the FIVB’s Volleyball Empowerment programme, which supports National Federations to reach their full potential. Since 2017, India has received a total investment of USD 420,000 through four coach support projects for its men’s national volleyball team. A new 12-month coaching project is currently underway. The impact of Volleyball Empowerment support has been positive, with India’s national team claiming silver last month at the CAVA Nations Volleyball League.
The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of both parties to harness India’s enormous volleyball potential and continue fostering stronger ties in the years ahead.
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 3, 2025.-Belize Volleyball Association President Allan Sharp has been elected President of the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (BOCGA), following elections held during the National Olympic Committee’s Annual General Meeting on June 28, succeeding Hilberto Martinez, who had served in the role since 2013.
Sharp has served as BOCGA’s Secretary General since 2017 and has led the Belize Volleyball Association since 2008.
The new Executive Board will serve a four-year term through 2029. Elected alongside Sharp were Herman Pastor as Vice President, Giovanni Alamilla as Secretary General, Sharon Hardwick as Assistant Secretary General, and Arturo Vasquez as Treasurer.
Three Executive Members were also elected, namely Kaya Cattouse, Raul Rosado and Leticia Westby.
The new Executive Board begins its term with a mandate to promote excellence, strengthen unity across the sporting community, and support the continued development of sport in Belize.
The leadership group is expected to build on recent progress made both nationally and through Belize’s participation in regional and international competitions.
Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic, July 2025. – The shores of Juan Dolio Beach in the Dominican Republic are set to take center stage as the region’s most promising young athletes compete in the NORCECA U21 and U18 Beach Volleyball Championships, official qualification tournaments on the road to the 2025 FIVB Age-Group World Championships.
The vibrant coastal setting will serve as the backdrop for intense competition and rising talent, marking a key milestone in the journey of future stars aiming for global success.
Both tournaments will bring together national teams from across the NORCECA Zonal Associations, including AFECAVOL, CAZOVA, ECVA, and the Central Zone, all vying for a place on the world stage.
The competition will begin with the U21 tournament, taking place from July 3 to 7, with official matches scheduled from July 4 to 6. This will be followed immediately by the U18 championship from July 7 to 9.
The top four teams per gender in each event will earn direct qualification to the main draw of the respective world tournaments.
The FIVB U18 World Championship is scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar, from October 7 to 11, while the FIVB U21 World Championship will be held in Puebla, Mexico, from October 15 to 19.
With the eyes on Juan Dolio, these tournaments represent a key milestone in the development of young talent and a unique chance for teams to secure their place among the world’s best.
June 2, 2025. – The 19th edition of the FIVB U19 Girl’s World Championship kicked off on Wednesday in Croatia and Serbia, with 24 national teams beginning their group stage campaigns. Canada, Mexico, and defending champions the United States all recorded opening-day victories.
Pool A
Canada started their campaign with a 3-1 (25-23, 14-25, 25-21, 25-18) win over Egypt at Gradski Vrt Hall in Osijek. Emerson Matthews led the Canadian scorers with 13 points (8 attacks, 3 blocks, 2 aces). Egypt’s middle blocker Retaj Kammer also tallied 13 points (9 attacks, 1 block, 3 aces), standing out as her team’s top performer.
Mexico had a flawless start, defeating Thailand 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-20) to take the early lead in the group. Outside hitter Naomi Alejandra Cruz Toledo was the match’s top scorer with 14 points (11 attacks, 3 blocks). For Thailand, Supawadee Panwilai stood out with 9 points, all from attacks.
Canada celebrates
Pool B
Argentina and Puerto Rico played a tightly contested five-set battle, with the South Americans emerging victorious 3-2 (21-25, 25-11, 25-18, 17-25, 15-10) in Vrnjačka Banja. Opposite Paula Tomasa led Argentina with 19 points (16 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace), while outside hitter Cherisse Binex Atilano was Puerto Rico’s top scorer with 15 points (13 attacks, 1 block, 1 ace).
With 16 team blocks, Brazil left no room for the Dominican Republic, winning in straight sets 3-0 (25-14, 25-13, 25-20). Opposite Luize Da Silva Tavares contributed six of those blocks and added two aces for a match-high 19 points. Julie Millaray Arias Alejo led the Dominican side with 8 points (7 attacks, 1 block).
USA celebrated
Pool C
Defending champions the United States had a tough start but overcame a spirited Spanish team 3-1 (22-25, 25-16, 25-12, 25-23). Middle blocker Gabrielle Nichols and outside hitter Macaria Spears both scored 14 points, while Spanish captain Inés Losada Gordaliza was the match’s top scorer with 17 points (14 attacks, 3 blocks).
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 2, 2025.- The International Level 1 Volleyball Coaching Course was officially inaugurated in Belize with the presence of Mr. Giovanni Alamilla, Secretary General of the Belize Olympic Committee; Mr. Marvin Ottley, Acting Director of the Department of Sports; and Mr. Allan Sharp, President of the Belize Volleyball Association and recently elected President of the Belize Olympic Committee. The course is organized by the NORCECA Confederation and the NORCECA/FIVB Regional Development Center.
This landmark course, the first of its kind held in Belize, brings together 23 coaches from different regions of the country and is led by renowned international instructor John Kessel from the United States.
During the opening ceremony, Mr. Allan Sharp, who heads both the Belize Olympic Committee and the Belize Volleyball Association, expressed his satisfaction and gratitude for the support received from NORCECA President Lic. Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz and the Regional Development Center. He emphasized that this course is part of an ambitious training program being implemented by the Belize Volleyball Association, with the aim of making volleyball the strongest sport in the country.
Sharp also extended special thanks to Prof. Nelson José Ramírez, Director of the NORCECA/FIVB Regional Development Center, for his swift commitment to making this initiative a reality. He announced that a second Level 1 course is scheduled for August, reinforcing the Federation’s commitment to advancing technical development in Belizean volleyball.
Representing the Belize Olympic Committee, Mr. Giovanni Alamilla expressed pride that the Committee’s headquarters is serving as the venue for these educational activities. He also recognized the Belize Volleyball Association as one of the most dynamic and active sports organizations in the country.
Mr. Marvin Ottley, Director of Sports, highlighted that training is key to national sports progress. He congratulated the Development Center for making it possible to host such courses in Belize and emphasized the potential impact this initiative could have in strengthening other federations through technical knowledge.
Finally, Prof. Nelson José Ramírez shared his enthusiasm for the support received in organizing these courses and reaffirmed that the Development Center remains aligned with the strategic growth plan of the NORCECA Confederation and the FIVB, with a firm belief in education as a pillar for regional volleyball development.
July 1, 2025.- The FIVB this week welcomed Marc Olivier Anatole, the President of the French Guyana National Federation (NF), a Regional Member of the FIVB, to the Volleyball House in Lausanne, Switzerland, where discussions focused on the Volleyball Empowerment programme and future collaboration opportunities.
The FIVB was represented by FIVB President Fabio Azevedo, General Sports Director Steve Tutton, Head of Empowerment and NF Relations Hitesh Malhotra and Head of Development and Sustainability Paulo Barone.
A key topic of discussion was the Volleyball Empowerment programme. To date, the NF has received USD 130,000 in support across eight projects, ranging from volleyball equipment, knowledge transfer and coach support. Currently, a 12-month coach support project, approved for two years, with French coach Baptiste Barberon is underway for the French Guyana national volleyball team. The meeting explored both the impact of these initiatives and potential future projects.
FIVB President Fabio Azevedo also took the opportunity to present the FIVB Strategic Vision 2032, an ambitious yet realistic roadmap designed to take volleyball to the next level globally. It focuses on four key pillars: professionalism, integration, empowerment and mass participation.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, July 1, 2025. – The NORCECA-FIVB Volleyball Development Center announces two important international coaching courses, aimed at continuing to strengthen technical skills and the development of volleyball in the region.
From July 21 to 25, the FIVB Beach Volleyball Coaches Course Level 1 will take place, led by FIVB Instructor Mauro Hernández, who is widely recognized for his extensive experience in teaching and developing beach volleyball at the international level.
Later, from September 17 to 21, the FIVB Volleyball Coaches Course Level 2 will be held, designed for experienced coaches looking to advance their knowledge and skills in indoor volleyball. The instructor for this course will be announced soon.
Both courses will be held at the NORCECA-FIVB Volleyball Development Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and are officially certified by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).
For more information and registration, interested participants can contact the Center directly via email: centrofivb_rdom@yahoo.es.
June 29, 2025.- Week 2 of the Men’s Volleyball Nations League 2025 closed with Canada sweeping China (in Chicago), Cuba falling to Argentina in a five-set battle (in Belgrade) and host USA losing to Italy in three straight sets.
Cuba Falls to Argentina in a Five-Set Battle in Belgrade
Cuba closed its campaign in Belgrade with a hard-fought five-set loss to Argentina, missing the chance to break into the qualification zone for the Volleyball Nations League 2025 Finals.
Despite winning their first three matches in Belgrade, the Cubans couldn’t hold off the South Americans, who relied on their technique to overcome Cuba’s powerful offense and secured a 3-2 (23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 21-25, 15-11) victory on Sunday.
Cuba still walked away with one point from the match, bringing their total to 13. However, with a record of four wins and four losses, they now sit in ninth place in the standings, just outside the qualification zone for the VNL Finals.
Captain and outside hitter Miguel Ángel López led the Cuban offense with 18 points, all from kills. Opposite José Massó contributed 17 points, including 13 kills, three blocks, and one ace.
Canada sweep China
The first match of the day in Chicago had Canada putting on a strong performance to take China down 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-23) and take their first win in the week. With 11 points (three wins, five losses), the Canadians end the second week of the VNL 2025 in 14th place.
Opposite Xander Ketrzynski had an excellent all-around performance and led Canada with 21 points (14 kills, four aces, three blocks). Outside hitters Isaac Heslinga and Skyler Varga also reached double digits in scoring, registering 17 and 11 points, respectively.
United States swept by Italy
Reigning world champions Italy dominated the match from start to finish to secure a 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-18) victory over hosts United States at the NOW Arena in Chicago.
Playing more aggressively than the Americans, the Italians outscored their opponents in aces (eight to one) and blocks (six to two), besides benefiting from more errors (23 to 18). The United States had a slim edge in kills (40 to 38).
Outside hitter Cooper Robinson, who scored 11 points in kills, and opposite Gabi Garcia, who delivered ten, with nine kills and one ace, were the most effective players for the United States.
The Americans collected five points in their four VNL home matches, beating China and Canada and losing to Poland and Italy, and now rank 13th in the tournament, with ten points (four wins, four losses).
“The team is growing,” Garcia reflected. “The young kids are not so young anymore, and we’re happy about this. We know we have a lot of work to do and that we’re still learning about each other and our weaknesses and our strengths. We’re happy with the results we got this week. We’re going to keep working and preparing for the next one.”
The Men’s Volleyball Nations League 2025 will pause for one week. The women’s competition resumes from July 9-13, with Canada, Dominican Republic and USA competing in Arlington. The men return to action for the final week of the Preliminary Phase from July 16-20 in Chiba (Japan), Gdańsk (Poland), and Ljubljana (Slovenia).
Nassau, The Bahamas, June 29, 2025. – The CAZOVA VolleyStation Seminar officially concluded in Nassau, The Bahamas, as part of preparations for the upcoming CAZOVA Championships set to take place in the country. The initiative aimed to strengthen the region’s technical capabilities in line with international standards.
A total of 16 participants were trained in VolleyStation Referee (digital scoring), while 10 completed the VolleyStation Pro (performance analysis) module, with 8 individuals successfully completing both courses. This marks a significant step forward in developing a group of qualified VolleyStation delegates who can support both domestic and international competitions.
Bahamas Volleyball Federation President, Kurkwood Greene Sr., expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, emphasizing how vital it is to have certified personnel for the upcoming events. “We are pleased that these participants are now qualified to work at our championships, especially for the CAZOVA Senior Championships which we will be hosting. This also allows us to use them in our national leagues, fully aligned with FIVB standards,” said Greene.
FIVB instructor Manuel Calderón, who led the seminar, praised the dedication of the participants. “The group was very attentive, highly engaged, and eager to learn. Now the key is to continue their development through regular practice to maintain and refine these new skills,” he stated.
CAZOVA President Mushtaque Mohammed also commended the group’s commitment. “This is a major step toward developing self-sufficiency in the Caribbean. I encourage participants to keep practicing because without it, these skills can fade. This effort is not only for local events but also prepares them to contribute to NORCECA and other international competitions,” he said.
This seminar is part of CAZOVA’s broader strategy to develop a sustainable network of qualified VolleyStation delegates within the Caribbean. Some of the participants are expected to gain further experience through upcoming international assignments within the region, helping to strengthen our presence on the global volleyball stage.
The seminar wrapped up with a certification ceremony on June 29, reinforcing CAZOVA’s commitment to embracing technology and elevating volleyball operations across the Caribbean.
PUERTO CORTÉS, Honduras, June 29, 2025.- Puerto Rico’s women’s duo, Allanis Navas and María González, were crowned undefeated champions of the third stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held from June 27 to 29 at Playa Municipal El Porvenir in Puerto Cortés, Honduras.
The Puerto Ricans delivered an impeccable performance, dropping only one set throughout the entire tournament. That lone setback came in the semifinals against the U.S. pair of Emma Donley and Portia Sherman, whom they defeated in three sets 2-1 (21-8, 18-21, 15-11). They won all their other matches in straight sets.
In the final, Navas and González showcased their strength, defeating Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez 2-0 (21-16, 21-17). The Mexican duo had advanced to the gold medal match after beating Canada’s Maya McNabney and Emma Kunaus in straight sets 2-0 (21-15, 21-19).
Meanwhile, the bronze medal match was one of the most competitive of the day. Donley and Sherman from the United States claimed the podium after defeating Canada’s McNabney and Kunaus in three sets (21-18, 16-21, 15-9).
Final placement matches:
5/6: Vidaurrazaga/Ramirez MEX vs Valenciana/Buckner ISV (21-12, 21-16)
7/8: Rivera/Bruhier HON vs Vigil/Rauda ESA (21-12, 21-16)
9/10: Ramírez/Quesada CRC vs Silva/N. Brenes NCA (21-13, 21-19)
11/12: Molina/Sofi V CRC vs Murillo/Clarke HON (21-12, 21-5)
13/14: Simmonds/Cudmore CAN vs Aguilar/Arevalo GUA (21-7, 21-9)
15/16: Smith/Lumsden JAM vs Villegas/Rodriguez HON (21-18, 21-13)
Final Positions
1.Allanis Navas/María Claudia González PUR 2. Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez MEX 3. Emma Donley/Portia Sherman USA 4. Maya McNabney/Emma Kunaus CAN 5. Yamilet Vidaurrazaga/María Jimena Ramírez MEX 6. Melanie Valenciana/Taylor Buckner ISV 7. Shanna Rivera/Reizel Bruhier HON 8. Daniela Vigil/Fabiola Rauda ESA 9. Eugenia Ramírez/Kianny Quesada CRC 10. Nahima Silva/Norma Brenes NCA 11. Laura Molina/Sofia Vega CRC 12. Nicolle Murillo/Shanttle Siliezar HON 13. Claire Simmonds/Emma Cudmore CAN 14. Mariela Aguilar/Ana Sofia Arévalo GUA 15. Petal Smith/Kristina Lumsden JAM 16. Ruth Villegas/Alejandra Rodríguez HON 17. Fátima Rendon/Devora Medina ESA
PUERTO CORTÉS, June 29, 2025. – Antonio Vargas Lares and Carlos Andrés Ayala clinched the title for Mexico at the third stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held at Playa Municipal El Porvenir in Puerto Cortés, Honduras, from June 27 to 29.
The Mexican duo delivered a solid and efficient performance in the final, defeating the American pair Troy Field and Ryan Wilcox in straight sets, 21-17 and 21-18, with no major difficulties.
Mexico also claimed the bronze medal thanks to Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna, who came from behind to defeat Americans James Drost and Robert Harrison in an exciting match that ended 16-21, 21-18, 15-13.
The all-Mexican semifinal was grueling, leaving Sarabia and Osuna physically drained after falling to Lares and Ayala in a hard-fought battle that extended to three sets, 29-27, 25-27, 15-7.
Meanwhile, the semifinal between the two U.S. pairs was also closely contested, with Field and Wilcox prevailing over Drost and Harrison in straight but competitive sets, 21-16 and 21-18.
Final placement matches:
5/6: Rahnavard/Gannett CAN vs Mora/López NCA (21-19, 21-15)
7/8: Araya/Varela CRC vs Ratter/Van Siclen ISV (21-14, 21-17)
9/10: Encarnación/Rivera PUR vs Cascante/López NCA (21-15, 18-21, 15-6)
11/12: Licht/de Greeff CAN vs Morton/Nage SKN (21-15, 21-13)
13/14: Leonardo/Maldonado GUA vs Izaguirre/Penagos GUA (21-11, 21-18)
15/16: Reyes/Serrano HON vs R Vargas/Ponce ESA (21-17, 21-15)
17/18: Esteban/Solano CRC vs Theodore/Enile TTO (21-14, 21-19)
Final Positions
1. Antonio Vargas Lares/Carlos Andrés Ayala MEX 2. Troy Field/Ryan Wilcox USA 3. Miguel Sarabia/Jorman Osuna MEX 4. James Drost/Robert Harrison USA 5. Rouzbeh Rohnavard/Tynan Gannett CAN 6. Rubén Mora/Danny López NCA 7. Julián Araya/Jhostin Varela CRC 8. Kendall Ratter/Devin Van Siclen ISV 9. Cristian Encarnacion/William Rivera PUR 10. Jefferson Cascante/Denis López NCA 11. Martin Lich/Luke de Greeff CAN 12. Elkreen Morton/Nage Hendrickson SKN 13. Andy Leonardo/Edgar Maldonado GUA 14. Jose Miguel Izaguirre/Santiago Penagos GUA 15. Armando Reyes/Manuel Serrano HON 16. Rafael Vargas/Fernando Ortiz ESA 17. Esteban González/Justin Solano CRC 18. Joel Theodore/Stephen Enile TTO 19. Kevin Herrera/Isaac Méndez HON
June 28, 2025.- Despite their efforts and improvements throughout the match, the U.S. Men’s National Team couldn’t stop the power of Poland, who earned a 3-0 victory (25-20, 25-21, 25-22) at the NOW Arena, backed by a passionate crowd of Polish fans on American soil.
With this result, the U.S. missed out on key points in the 2025 Men’s VNL standings, falling at home to a European powerhouse energized by strong support from the large Polish community in Chicago.
The top scorer for Team USA was 22-year-old outside hitter Cooper Robinson, who recorded 9 points, one more than opposite Kyle Hobus.
“We didn’t start well, but we made some adjustments, and our bench is always ready to contribute,” said setter Micah Ma’a.
“It’s tough to play against Poland, but it’s also a great experience. We wanted to keep competing all night, and even though we didn’t get the win, we fought until the end. They’re a great team.”
Following this setback, Karch Kiraly’s squad will look to regroup quickly and get back on the winning track in their next match, knowing that every point is crucial in the race for a spot in the VNL Finals.
Schedule for Sunday, June 29
In Belgrade, Serbia: Cuba faces Argentina at 4:30 p.m. (local time). In Chicago, USA: Canada plays China at 12:30 p.m. (local time), and the home team, USA, faces Italy at 7:30 p.m. (local time) to close the second week of competition.
PUERTO CORTÉS, Honduras, June 28, 2025.- Women’s teams from Puerto Rico, United States, Canada, and Mexico advanced to the semifinals of the third stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, taking place at Playa Municipal El Porvenir in Puerto Cortés, Honduras.
In the quarterfinals, the Puerto Rican duo of Allanis Navas and María González had no major difficulties defeating Melanie Valenciana and Taylor Buckner from the U.S. Virgin Islands with dominant scores of 21-5 and 21-12.
McNabney-kanaus CAN (9)
Similarly, the American pair Emma Donley and Portia Sherman controlled their match against Daniela Vigil and Ashley Rauda of El Salvador, winning comfortably 21-7 and 21-16.
Later in the afternoon, Canada’s Maya McNabney and Emma Kunaus overcame the home team, Shanna Rivera and Reizel Bruhier, with straight sets 21-11 and 21-12. In the evening, the all-Mexican showdown went to Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who defeated Yeray Vidaurrazaga and María Jimena Ramírez with scores of 21-13 and 21-14.
The women’s semifinals on Sunday will feature: Navas/González (PUR) vs Donley/Sherman (USA) and McNabney/Kunaus (CAN) vs Torres/Gutiérrez (MEX)
Action kicks off Sunday at 8:00 a.m. (local time), with the medal matches scheduled for the afternoon.
Torres-Gutierrez MEX
Final positions group phase
Group A: 1. Navas/González PUR, 2. Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez MEX, 3. Molina/Sofi V CRC, 4. Simmonds/Cudmore CAN, 5. Rendon/Medina ESA
PUERTO CORTÉS, Honduras, June 28, 2025.- Both duos from the United States and both duos from Mexico advanced to the men’s semifinals at the third stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour on Saturday in Puerto Cortés, Honduras.
The American duo of James Drost and Robert Harrison battled their way to a hard-fought quarterfinal victory over Rouzbeh Rahnavard and Tynan Gannett of Canada in a thrilling three-set match, winning 21-18, 19-21, 18-16.
Meanwhile, the other U.S. pair, Troy Field and Ryan Wilcox, eliminated defending champions Rubén Mora and Dany López of Nicaragua with a dominant performance, posting scores of 21-12 and 21-11.
The Mexican teams also secured their spots in the semifinals. Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna overcame Costa Rica’s Julian Araya and Jhostin Varela in a tight match, winning 21-18, 21-18. On the other side, Inés Lares and Carlos Andrés had little trouble defeating Kendall Ratter and Devin Van Siclen from the U.S. Virgin Islands in straight sets, 21-12, 21-14.
Miguel Sarabia MEX
The semifinals between compatriots: Drost/Harrison (USA) vs Field/Wilcox (USA) and Sarabia/Osuna (MEX) vs Lares/Carlos Andrés (MEX)
The final day of the competition starts Sunday at 8:00 a.m. (local time), with the medal matches scheduled for the afternoon.
Group B: 1. Drost/Harrison USA, 2. lugar Araya/Varela CRC, 3. Cascante/Lopez NCA, 4. Izaguirre/Penagos GUA, 5. Theodore/Enile TTO
Group C: 1. Lares/Carlos Andres MEX, 2. Mora/Lopez NCA, 3. Licht/de Greeff CAN, 4. R Vargas/Ponce ESA, 5. Herrera/Mendez HON.
Group D: 1. Field/Wilcox USA, 2. Ratter/Van Siclen ISV, 3. Morton/Nage SKN, 4. Reyes/Serrano HON
Results position matches:
Clasification pos. 17-20: Esteban/Solano CRC vs Herrera/Méndez HON 2-0 (21-14, 21-11)
Clasification pos. 13-16: Izaguirre/Penagos GUA vs R Vargas/Ponce ESA 2-0 (21-17, 21-12); Leonardo/Maldonado GUA vs Reyes/Serrano HON 2-0 (21-17, 21-17).
Clasification pos. 9-12: Cascante/Lopez NCA vs Licht/de Greeff CAN 2-0 (21-12, 21-12).
KINGSTON, Ontario, June 28, 2025.- A young squad from USA won gold and 14-year-old Kari Knotts stood out at MVP today in Kingston, Ontario, as the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup concluded.
USA also picked up “best spiker” and “best setter” awards.
Valeria Gutierrez won two awards – libero and digger for her defensive action with the Costa Rican team. Dominican Republic’s Julie Arias also won two individual awards.
KINGSTON, Ontario, June 28, 2025.- USA swept Mexico to claim gold at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Despite the determination of the Mexican side, the powerful young U.S. squad won the final 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-21).
Head coach of USA, Jamie Morrison, said: “It’s a young team and we set the goal of getting better every single day that we are here and I thought we did that. All 12 players contributed to us getting into this match. I’m proud that it’s their first gold medal in a USA uniform and the rest of the country should be proud of them too.”
The USA came out swinging and earned 48 points off attack, compared with 24 from Mexico. USA also had more blocking points (11-8). Mexico led in aces 9-5 and made fewer errors (11-23).
Top scorer of the match was 14-year-old outside hitter Kari Knotts with 24 points (19 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces).
Naomi Alejandra Cruz led Mexico with 8 points.
Host Canada won the bronze match over Dominican Republic.
Next up for this age-class, the FIVB U19 Girls’ World Championship in Serbia and Croatia in July.
KINGSTON, Ontario, June 28, 2025.- Canada was able to manage the young, talented Dominican Republic team to win in the tie-break today at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
The home crowd cheered Canada on to the 3-2 (25-22, 25-18, 18-25, 19-25, 15-10) win and the bronze medal.
Canada led in attack points 58-50, blocking 10-4, while Dominican had one more ace (11-10). Canada also made more errors 35-24.
Canada_happy
Sydney Bell (16) and Sol Henson (14) led in points for Canada. Ambar Hernández (16) and Julie Millaray Arias (13) were top scorers for Team Dominican Republic.
“It was a great team effort for us,” explained Canada’s head coach Gina Schmidt. “Dominican served tougher than they did in the previous match we played against them. We were in system a lot in our first match, and they added some service pressure today, which got us out of our rhythm with our offense. Once we kind of settled that down and put on more pressure from service from our side, we were able to work our way back into the match. I loved the way our team reacted in that fifth set. Everyone found a way to contribute, so that’s important as we head into the next tournament.”
Most teams at the Pan Am Cup are using this tournament to prepare for the FIVB Girls’ U19 World Championship 2025, which will be held in Serbia and Croatia in early July.
The gold-medal match is next to determine place 1-2.
Dominican Republic is fourth. Venezuela finished fifth. Puerto Rico is sixth and Costa Rica is seventh.
KINGSTON, Ontario, June 28, 2025.- Puerto Rico beat Costa Rica to finish sixth overall at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada today.
Puerto Rico won in straight sets 3-0 (25-20, 31-29, 25-19).
Eduardo Galarza, Head Coach, Puerto Rico, said post-match: “I tried rotating my team in preparation for the U19 World Championship, which is coming up. The level of our team is a bit higher than Costa Rica, so I tried different things to get a rhythm before the next tournament. But it was a great win. A win is always good.”
Puerto Rico’s strong offense led to 55 attack points, compared with 33 by Costa Rica. Blocks were 7-4 in favor of Costa Rica and aces were even at four. Costa Rica earned more points from errors 24-18.
Opposite Diangelie Gonzalez led the Puerto Rican team in points with 21.
Maria del Sol Venegas of Costa Rica equaled that tally, also with 21 points.
Puerto Rico is sixth and Costa Rica is seventh in this year’s standings.
June 27, 2025. – Cuba staged yet another comeback, defeating the Netherlands 3-1, while Canada let a two-set lead slip away and fell 2-3 to Poland.
Cuba, the kings of comebacks, claim another victim in Belgrade!
Cuba heads into the weekend with plenty to celebrate after securing their third consecutive comeback win this Friday in Belgrade during Week 2 of the 2025 Men’s VNL.
Playing for the third day in a row at Belgrade Arena, Cuba recovered from dropping the first set to defeat the Netherlands 3-1 (21-25, 25-18, 25-21, 30-28). It was a repeat of their performances against Germany on Wednesday and Serbia on Thursday, three straight comeback victories.
With nine points earned this week alone and 12 points total (four wins, three losses), Cuba now sits in sixth place in the overall 2025 VNL standings.
“It was really tough,” admitted middle blocker David Fiel. “The first two matches were very demanding, both physically and mentally. But today we came out determined to win. It didn’t matter how, what mattered was getting the victory. We have a great team, and everyone can contribute, as they did today.”
Cuba won as they usually do, by dominating at the net. They outperformed the Netherlands in attacks (64-57), blocks (13-6), and also led in aces (3-2). This edge allowed them to overcome their 27 errors, compared to 21 from the Dutch side.
VNL 2025’s top scorer, outside hitter Marlon Yant, shined once again, leading Cuba with 21 points (20 kills and 1 block). He was supported by José Masso with 17 points, José Gutiérrez with 15, and middle blocker Roamy Alonso with 14, in a strong collective performance.
Cuba celebrated
Canada lets two-set lead slip away and falls to Poland
Canada wasted a two-set lead and eventually lost in a tie-break (32-30, 25-14, 17-25, 23-25, 13-15) against Poland.
The Canadians outperformed the Europeans from the service line (11 aces to 6) but were outscored in attacks (60-57) and blocks (12-8). In unforced errors, Canada benefited from 34 opponent errors while conceding 31 themselves.
Xander Ketrzynski led Canada with 20 points, including 19 kills and one ace. Brodie Hofer contributed 18 points (15 kills, 1 block, and 3 aces). Canadian captain Eric Loeppky also reached double digits, scoring 14 points (8 kills, 3 blocks, and 3 aces).
The loss leaves Canada in 14th place with a record of two wins and five losses.
Canada
Saturday, June 28 schedule
Only one match is scheduled for Saturday, June 28: USA vs. Poland at 7:30 p.m. (local time) in Chicago. Cuba and Canada have the day off.
Cuba vuelve a remontar, Canadá deja escapar la victoria
27 de junio de 2025.- Cuba volvía a remontar y terminó ganando 3-1 a Países Bajos, mientras que Canadá dejó escapar la victoria y terminó perdiendo 2-3 ante Polonia.
PUERTO CORTÉS, Honduras, June 27, 2025. –The teams from Puerto Rico (Navas/González), U.S. Virgin Islands (Valenciana/Buckner), Mexico 1 (Torres/Gutiérrez), Honduras 1 (Rivera/Bruhier), Canada (McNabney/Kunaus), and the United States (Donley/Sherman) remain unbeaten after day one of the third stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour in Puerto Cortés, Honduras.
Allanis Navas and María González of Puerto Rico went undefeated in Pool A. However, the pool is currently led by Yamilet Vidaurrazaga and María Jimena Ramírez of Mexico. Puerto Rico holds 4 points from two wins, while Mexico leads with 5 points after earning two wins and one loss.
Allanis Navas of Puerto Rico said, “This is our first time in Honduras. The stadium is amazing; there are three courts, which makes the schedule move faster. We have a pretty long pool phase since we’re in the only group with five teams. We are taking it match by match and always aiming for the maximum, chasing that gold medal once again. The Puerto Rican duo comes off winning the second stop of the NORCECA Tour held in Juan Dolio.
Donley-Sherman USA
In Pool B, Melanie Valenciana and Taylor Buckner from the U.S. Virgin Islands remain undefeated with three wins, while Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez finished the day with two victories. The two teams will battle for the top spot in the final pool match scheduled for 12:40 p.m. (local time) on Saturday.
In Pool C, Honduras’ Shanna Rivera and Reizel Bruhier also finished undefeated with two wins but sit in third place in the standings. This is due to Nicaragua’s Silva/N. Brenes and El Salvador’s Vigil/Rauda playing three matches (one more than Honduras), both finishing with two wins and one loss for a total of 5 points.
Pool D is set for an exciting North American showdown on Saturday. Canada’s Maya McNabney and Emma Kunaus lead with three wins, followed by the U.S. team of Emma Donley and Portia Sherman with two victories. Canada and the United States will face each other on Saturday, no earlier than 1:20 p.m. (local time).
Complete results from Friday, June 27
Group A:Navas/González PUR vs Simmonds/Cudmore CAN (21-6, 21-8); Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez MEX vs Molina/Sofi V CRC (18-21, 21-7, 15-5); Navas/González PUR vs Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez MEX (21-15, 21-13); Simmonds/Cudmore CAN vs Rendon/Medina ESA (22-20, 21-11); Molina/Sofi V CRC vs Rendon/Medina ESA (17-21, 21-14, 15-10); Vidaurrazaga/Ramírez MEX vs Simmonds/Cudmore CAN (21-19, 21-13)
Group B: Torres/Gutiérrez MEX vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); Valenciana/Buckner ISV vs Murillo/Clarke HON (21-16, 21-4); Torres/Gutiérrez MEX vs Murillo/Clarke HON (21-8, 21-11); Aguilar/Arévalo GUA vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); Valenciana/Buckner ISV vs Aguilar/Arévalo GUA (21-18, 21-10); Murillo/Clarke HON vs Bye (21-0, 21-0)
Group C: Rivera/Bruhier HON vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); Vigil/RAUDA ESA vs Silva/N. Brenes NCA (21-18, 22-20); Rivera/Bruhier HON vs Vigil/Rauda ESA (21-17, 20-22, 15-10); Smith/Lumsden JAM vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); Silva/N. Brenes NCA vs Smith/Lumsden JAM (21-6, 21-16); Vigil/Rauda ESA vs Bye (21-0, 21-0)
Group D: Donley/Sherman USA vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); McNabney/Kunaus CAN vs Ramírez/Quesada CRC (21-17, 12-21, 15-11); Donley/Sherman USA vs Ramírez/Quesada CRC (21-14, 21-9); Villegas/Rodríguez HON vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); McNabney/Kunaus CAN vs Villegas/Rodríguez HON (21-6, 21-7); Ramírez/Quesada CRC vs Bye (21-0, 21-0)
KINGSTON, Ontario, June 27, 2025.- Mexico outlasted Canada today to win their semifinal at the Girls’ U19 Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
It was a thrilling, back-and-forth five sets 3-2 (19-25, 25-19, 24-26, 25-16, 15-10).
Mexico led in attack points 55-52, and dominated from the service line 13-5. Canada had the blocking advantage (14-13).
Ignacio Ramirez, Head Coach, Mexico, said; “It was a very tough match from the beginning. We were able to take advantage of the opportunities that the Canadian team gave us. We had a bad set that we practically had won, but the girls recovered in the fourth and fifth sets to achieve this much-desired victory.”
Mexico’s Naomi Cruz led her team in scoring with 23 points (which included 3 blocks and two aces).
Canada’s Emerson Matthews led the home team with 19 points.
Canada’s Head Coach Gina Schmidt sums up her team’s effort: “We did a good job of executing our game plan early in the match. They made some adjustments, and I give credit to Mexico for doing that. Then it took us too long to adapt to what they adjusted to. They fought hard. We needed to execute better on our side, offensively and in serve receive. They were serving some tough, deep serves and that got us out of our rhythm a bit as well.”
Mexico plays for gold vs. USA and Canada plays for bronze vs. Dominican Republic.
Action continues and medal matches will be held on Saturday, June 28 at the Queen’s University Athletic and Recreation Centre.
PUERTO CORTÉS, June 27, 2025.– After a long day due to the large number of registered teams at the third stop of the NORCECA Tour, at Playa Municipal El Porvenir in Puerto Cortés, the dominant teams on the first day were Costa Rica, both United States pairs, and both Mexican pairs.
Group A was led by the Mexican duo of Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna, who won both of their matches, defeating Esteban/Solano from Costa Rica 21-15, 21-16 and Rahnavard/Gannett from Canada 22-20, 21-13.
Jorman Osuna of Mexico said, “This is my first time in Honduras, and the organization, the courts, and the level are very good and beautiful. This is our fourth adventure on the NORCECA Tour. We’ve won two stops, and we hope to win gold again at this one.”
Miguel Sarabia added, “The quality of players at this tournament is exactly what we expected. Strong pairs like the ones from the United States, Canada, and Nicaragua raise the level. We won the last stop of last year in Costa Rica and the one in Juan Dolio this year, and we hope to repeat here in Puerto Cortés”.
Osuna MEX
In Group B, Araya/Varela from Costa Rica and Drost/Harrison from the United States both finished with a 2-0 record. These two teams will face each other on Saturday at 10:40 a.m.
The Mexican pair of Antonio Vargas and Carlos Andrés Ayala dominated with two victories, including a surprise win over last year’s champions at this stop, Mora/López from Nicaragua, defeating them 2-0 (21-18, 21-13).
The United States team of Troy Field and Ryan Wilcox also finished undefeated in Group D of the tournament.
Results of Friday, June 27
Group A: Sarabia/Osuna MEX vs Esteban/Solano CRC (21-15, 21-16); Rahnavard/Gannett CAN vs Encarnación/Rivera PUR (12-21, 21-13, 15-6); Sarabia/Osuna MEX vs Rahnavard/Gannett CAN (22-20, 21-13); Leonardo/Maldonado GUA vs Esteban/Solano CRC (21-18, 21-15); Encarnación/Rivera PUR vs Leonardo/Maldonado GUA (21-8, 21-19); Rahnavard/Gannett CAN vs Esteban/Solano CRC (21-0, 21-0)
Group B: Drost/Harrison USA vs Izaguirre/Penagos GUA (21-13, 21-9); Araya/Varela CRC vs Cascante/López NCA (21-19, 21-16); Drost/Harrison USA vs Cascante/López NCA (19-21, 21-15, 15-13); Izaguirre/Penagos GUA vs Theodore/Enile TTO (21-19, 21-19); Araya/Varela CRC vs Theodore/Enile TTO (21-14, 21-7); Cascante/Lopez NCA vs Izaguirre/Penagos GUA (21-6, 21-16)
Group C: Mora/López NCA vs Herrera/Méndez HON (21-7, 21-3); Lares/Carlos Andrés Ayala MEX vs Licht/de Greeff CAN (21-19, 17-21, 15-11); Lares/Carlos Andrés MEX vs Mora/López NCA (21-18, 21-13); R Vargas/Ponce ESA vs Herrera/Méndez HON (21-18, 17-21, 15-7); Licht/de Greeff CAN vs R Vargas/Ponce ESA (21-15, 21-5); Lares/Carlos Andrés MEX vs Herrera/Méndez HON (21-12, 21-12)
Group D: Reyes/Serrano HON vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); Field/Wilcox USA vs Ratter/Van Siclen ISV (21-18, 21-14); Field/Wilcox USA vs Reyes/Serrano HON (21-13, 21-17); Morton/Nage SKN vs Bye (21-0, 21-0); Ratter/Van Siclen ISV vs Morton/Nage SKN (21-19, 21-17).
Nassau, The Bahamas, June 26, 2025.- The Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) has officially launched a four-day VolleyStation Seminar in Nassau, The Bahamas, bringing together volleyball professionals from across the region.
The seminar, which runs from June 26 to 29, has attracted 16 participants representing Trinidad and Tobago and multiple islands of The Bahamas, reflecting CAZOVA’s commitment to strengthening volleyball through technology and education.
Under the guidance of FIVB Instructor Manuel Calderón, the program focuses on two specialized modules: VolleyStation Pro for statisticians and VolleyStation Referee, designed for statisticians, scorers, and referees
Delivered in a blended classroom and on-court format, the seminar provides hands-on training in digital scoring and performance analysis, essential tools in modern volleyball.
This initiative is a key step in preparing for upcoming CAZOVA events this year and beyond, ensuring that the region is equipped with qualified professionals capable of operating advanced statistical and scoring systems. It also reinforces CAZOVA’s commitment to knowledge transfer and developing a growing network of certified VolleyStation technicians to support volleyball’s growth throughout the Caribbean.
“In today’s game, technology is as important as physical skill. This group has shown great enthusiasm and determination to embrace new tools that will enhance how we manage and analyze volleyball,” said Calderón.
CAZOVA president, Mushtaque Mohammed, recognized the importance of this investment “We must become self-sufficient in hosting our events and also I encourage each national federation to use the software in their national leagues”.
The seminar will conclude with a certification ceremony on June 29, equipping participants with the credentials and skills to implement VolleyStation systems in their respective countries. This effort is part of CAZOVA’s broader strategy to elevate volleyball standards and foster sustainable regional development.
KINGSTON, Ontario, June 27, 2025.- Team USA won its semifinal today at the Girls’ U19 Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
The final score was 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-20) over the Dominican Republic.
USA’s powerful attack was a difference maker and scored 41 points, compared with the Dominican Republic’s 26 attack points. USA also led in blocks (6-5) and ace (5-4). Errors were 23-21 favoring the USA on the scoresheet.
Despite Dominican Republic’s efforts early on in the match, USA’s size and power eventually led to the win.
USA head coach Jamie Morrison: “I talked to the team and I thought that midway through the second set we started competing. We didn’t think about the circumstances, other than the scouting report. We let that show to the world. That’s what I’m fired up about!”
Megan Hodges led the U.S. side with 14 points (including a block and an ace); Taylor Harrington and Olivia Henry followed scoring 11 apiece.
Yalyn Filpo and Julie Millaray Arias led the Dominican team with 8 points each.
Action continues and medal matches will be held on Saturday, June 28 at the Queen’s University Athletic and Recreation Centre.
KINGSTON, Ontario, June 27, 2025.- Venezuela put together a solid performance at the Girls’ U19 Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, today.
They beat Costa Rica in three sets (25-22, 25-19, 25-19) to finish fifth out of seven teams overall in the tournament.
Ihosvanny Chambers, head coach of Venezuela said he was happy with today’s accomplishment: “We fully achieved our goal; we came with the hope that the players would develop. Winning matches is an added bonus. We know we have a future working with this group of girls who are participating for the first time in an international event of this high level. We are satisfied with the girls’ performance in this competition.”
Outside hitter Leidymar Colina led all scorers with 17 points for the winning team. Her team led in all skills, attack points were 36-33, blocks 8-3, aces 8-6 and Venezuela earned more points from Costa Rica’s errors (23-18).
Maria del Sol Venegas led the Costa Rican side with 14 points.
Action continues and medal matches will be held on Saturday, June 28 at the Queen’s University Athletic and Recreation Centre.
KINGSTON, Ontario, June 25, 2025.- Dominican Republic earned its first win at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada today.
They won decisively 3-0 (25-14, 25-8, 25-14) putting consistent pressure, especially from the service line, against Costa Rica today.
The Dominican team was dominant in the attack points 33-16, blocking 6-3 and service aces 17-4 and made fewer errors.
Alexandre Ceccato, Head Coach, Dominican Republic, was pleased with today’s effort: “We played a good match against Costa Rica and we will try to play a good semifinal tomorrow against the United States. The team improved a bit today.”
Julie Millaray Arias led scoring with 15 points – six of those aces. She was followed by teammate Harleny Linette De los Santos who scored 13 attack points.
Dominican Republic will face USA in tomorrow’s semifinal, while Canada will face Mexico in the other semi.
PUERTO CORTÉS, June 26, 2025. – The Nicaraguan duo of Rubén Mora and Dany López arrives at the third stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour hoping to repeat the feat they achieved in 2024, when they were crowned champions in Puerto Cortés.
Dany López commented, “We are participating in this third stop of the NORCECA Tour, which is very special for us because last year we won the gold medal here. We hope we can once again achieve a satisfying result.”
Rubén Mora added, “Last year I think it was a bit easier since there were only about 10 teams. This year the competition has nearly doubled, with around 20 teams. It’s going to be a very tough tournament. In fact, this entire season has been challenging from the very first stop, since every event has had more than 15 teams,” he pointed out.
Control committee
This year, the groups are divided as follows:
Pool A: Andy Blanco/Edgar Maldonado (GUA), Rouzbeh Rahnavard/Tynan Gannett (CAN), Miguel Sarabia/Jorman Osuna (MEX), Sarabia is the Central American and Caribbean champion and the pair won gold at the second stop in Juan Dolio, Cristian Encarnación/Diego Rosich (PUR), and Esteban González/Justin Solano (CRC).
Pool B: Joel Theodore/Stephen Enile (TTO), Jefferson Cascante/Denis López (NCA), James Drost/Harrison (USA) – Drost is a veteran of the world tour, having competed in FIVB and NORCECA tournaments since 2011, Julián Araya/Jhostin Varela (CRC), and José Izaguirre/Santiago Penagos (GUA).
Pool C: Rafael Vargas/Ponce (ESA), Lares/Carlos Andrés (MEX), Rubén Mora/Dany López (NCA), Martin Licht/Luke de Greeff (CAN), and Herrera/Méndez (HON).
Pool D: Elkreen Morton/Nage Hendrickson (SKN), Troy Field/Ryan Wilcox (USA), Irvin Reyes/Manuel Serrano (HON), and Kendall Ratter/Devin Van Siclen (ISV).
Just like the women’s competition, the men’s event will start at 8:00 a.m. (local time) with the opening match between Mexico’s Sarabia/Osuna and Costa Rica’s Esteban/Solano.
PUERTO CORTÉS, June 26, 2025.– The third stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour kicks off this Friday at the El Porvenir Municipal Beach in Puerto Cortés, featuring 17 women’s teams divided into four pools, one with five teams and three with four teams each.
Canada’s number 1 duo, Emma Kunaus and Maya MacNabney, are feeling confident and hope to improve on their previous fifth-place finish. Emma shared, “I’m really excited for this tournament because there’s strong international competition. My partner (Maya) and I are looking to reach the podium after having a good tournament last time in Juan Dolio, where we finished fifth. Puerto Rico and Mexico are definitely the teams to beat, they give great competition, and we’re very excited to face them again this weekend.”
Canada
Puerto Rico’s Allanis Navas and María González, reigning Central American and Caribbean champions and gold medalists at the second stop in Juan Dolio, will lead Pool A, which also includes Laura Molina/Sofía Vega from Costa Rica, Fátima Rendón/Devora Medina from El Salvador, Yeray Vidaurrazaga/María Jimena Ramírez from Mexico, and Claire Simmonds/Emma Cudmore from Canada.
The Mexican duo of Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who earned silver medals at both the first stop in Varadero and the second in Juan Dolio, aim to dominate Pool B. Joining them are Melanie Valenciana/Taylor Buckner from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Danna Aguilar/Ana Sofía Arévalo from Guatemala, and Xue Murillo/Clark from Honduras.
Pools C and D are set as follows: Pool C: HON (Shanna Rivera/Reizel Bruhier), NCA (Nahima Silva/Norma Brenes), JAM (Petal Smith/Kristina Lumsden), ESA 2 (Daniela Vigil/Ashley Rauda) and Pool D: USA (Emma Donley/Portia Sherman), CAN (Maya MacNabney/Emma Kunaus), HON 2 (Ruth Villegas/Valery Rodríguez), CRC 2 (Eugenia Ramírez/Quezada)
June 26, 2025. – Cuba in Belgrade and the United States in Chicago secured their second win in as many matches during the second week of the Men’s VNL.
Cuba Comes from Behind to Beat Serbia
After starting the week in 15th place, the Caribbean side earned its second consecutive victory and is now sitting in 9th.
Cuba continues to climb up the standings. This Thursday in Belgrade, the Caribbean squad secured another win after coming from dropping the first set to defeat Serbia 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 25-16), silencing the home crowd at the Belgrade Arena.
A day after defeating Germany, Cuba once again prevailed with grit and determination. With only two of their four matches this week completed, they have already doubled the points they collected in Rio de Janeiro and are now in eighth place with nine points (3 wins, 3 losses).
Cuba was clearly dominant against Serbia in all aspects of the game, with a massive advantage in blocks (18 to 4) and aces (10 to 3). They also scored more points in attacks (45 to 43), which helped offset a higher number of unforced errors (29 to 24).
Individually, opposite José Massó was the standout performer, leading all scorers with 19 points (14 kills, 3 blocks, and 2 aces). Outside hitter Marlon Yant, the current top scorer of the 2025 VNL, continued his unstoppable form with 18 points (14 kills, 3 aces, and one block).
“We’re still tired from the travel issues we had, but everyone is making sacrifices for the team,” said José Massó. “We push each other to keep the level high, and we will continue fighting until the end of the week,” he added.
USA Defeats Canada in Straight Sets
The United States earned their second win of the week, defeating Canada in straight sets (25-23, 25-22, 30-28) in Chicago during Men’s VNL Week 2.
The USA outperformed Canada from the service line (6 aces to 2), while the Canadians led in blocks (7 to 3). Both teams finished with 41 attack points.
Gabriel García led all scorers with 19 points for the USA (15 kills, 1 block, and 3 aces), while Cooper Robinson contributed 13 points (11 kills and 2 aces). On the Canadian side, team captain Fynnian Lionel McCarthy was their top scorer with 13 points (8 kills, 4 blocks, and 1 ace).
With this win, the USA moves into sixth place in the overall standings with 4 wins, 2 losses, and 10 points. Canada drops to 14th with a record of 2 wins and 4 losses.
USA Celebrated
Schedule for Friday, June 27
In Belgrade at 20:00 (local time), Cuba faces the Netherlands, while in Chicago at 19:30 (local time), Canada takes on Poland. The United States has a rest day.
KINGSTON, Ontario, June 26, 2025.- USA remains undefeated at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Canada after a win over Puerto Rico 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-14, 27-25).
Puerto Rico came out determined to show their grit and won the first set. The young United States squad regrouped to take the second and third sets. But Puerto Rico was not giving up and almost forced the tie-break only to lose in four.
USA celebrated
USA Head Coach Jamie Morrison: “I talked to the team in the locker room and told them I hope we do get pushed at some point because that matters. I’m happy with the way the team responded in the face of adversity. (Before the semifinal) I will tell them to be a team, work hard and play good volleyball.”
Outside hitters 14-year-old Kari Knotts along with team captain Ireland Real led scoring with 19 points each for USA.
Johnnyeshka Carrasquillo led the Puerto Rican side with 18 points (including 3 aces).
The United States led in attack points 57-46, blocking points 8-6, but Puerto Rico had the advantage in aces 12-9 but made more errors 23-20.
USA will play in the semifinals on Friday at the Queen’s University Athletic and Recreation Centre.
KINGSTON, Ontario, June 26, 2025.- Mexico defeated Venezuela today 3-1 (17-25, 25-23, 25-13, 25-20) at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada at the Queen’s University Athletic and Recreation Centre.
Mexico recovered from a first-set loss to win this important match and advance to the semifinals.
Esquivel (MEX)
Mexico’s team captain Isabella Ocampo said in a post-match interview: “Even in the tough times in this match, we were able to work as a team. We were also being very smart with where we were putting the ball and talking to each other about what’s open and how to help each other. I think that’s why we got the win today. It will help our momentum into the next match.”
Mexico led in attack points (61-45) and dominated from the service line – 10 aces compared with one from the losing side. However, Venezuela led in blocking points 9-4 and Mexico also made more errors (26-17).
Mexico’s Naomi Cruz Toledo led all scorers with 22 points; her teammate Angélica Torres was next on the scoresheet with 19 points.
Venezuela’s Leidymar Colina led her team’s efforts with 15 points.
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June 25, 202. – The start of the second week of the Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) was quite challenging for NORCECA teams. The United States had to battle hard to defeat China 3-2, Cuba overcame logistical issues to beat Germany 3-1, and Canada couldn’t stop Brazil’s momentum, falling 0-3.
USA Struggles to Defeat China
Playing at home in the NOW Arena in Chicago, the United States had to push to the limit to defeat China 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-11).
The Americans were superior in attack (65-52), but China put up strong resistance, outperforming the U.S. in blocking (16-12). Both teams tallied 3 aces each.
Jordan Ewert led all scorers with 18 points (16 from attacks and 2 blocks). Kyle Ensing also stood out at the net with 12 points, while Jacob Pasteur contributed 11 points and Ethan Champlin added 10, both hitting double digits.
With this victory, the United States moves into ninth place in the standings with a record of 3 wins and 2 losses.
Jordan Ewert USA
Cuba Tops Germany with Powerful Serving
Cuba faced logistical challenges traveling to Belgrade and barely had time to rest before kicking off their second week of the 2025 Men’s VNL.
Despite the fatigue, the Caribbean squad fought hard on court and earned a crucial 3-1 victory (19-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-21) over Germany.
With this result, Cuba climbs to tenth place in the standings with a 2-3 record and 6 points, surpassing Germany, who drops to 14th with a 1-4 record, also with 6 points.
Serving was Cuba’s main weapon, delivering seven aces compared to Germany’s two. One of them, a powerful serve from José Gutiérrez straight to the corner of the German court, sealed the final point of the match with precision.
Gutiérrez was the standout player of the match, finishing with 20 points, 19 of them from attacks at an impressive 68% efficiency. Opposite José Masso contributed 14 points, while middle blocker Javier Concepción and outside hitter Marlon Yant each added 11.
“What can I say? We’re very tired, but we brought a lot of positive energy to the court and beat Germany. We tried to forget about being tired,” said Javier Concepción. “I think this week will be better than the last one. It was a good start, but that’s behind us now. We have to forget it and move forward…” he concluded.
Cuba celebrated
Canada Can’t Stop Brazil
Canada was unable to contain a sharp and inspired Brazil in its opening match of Week 2 at the 2025 VNL, falling 0-3 (22-25, 17-25, 17-25) at the NOW Arena in Chicago.
The Canadian team, which had shown strong performances in Week 1, suffered a setback against a Brazilian squad that controlled the match from start to finish. With this defeat, Canada drops three spots in the standings, falling from sixth to ninth place, though it still holds 8 points overall.
Despite the result, outside hitter Brodie Hofer was once again a key player for the North American side. Hofer tallied 12 points, including 11 kills and 1 ace, continuing to be one of Canada’s most consistent players in this edition of the tournament.
Daniel Lewis’s team showed flashes of solid play but couldn’t sustain the rhythm under Brazil’s pressure, especially in the second and third sets. The difference in blocking efficiency and offensive firepower proved decisive in the outcome.
Brodie Hofer CAN
Thursday, June 26 Schedule
On Thursday, June 26, Cuba will face host Serbia at 8:00 PM (local time in Serbia), while Canada takes on the United States at 7:30 PM (local time).
KINGSTON, Ontario, June 25, 2025.- Canada now has a 2-0 record after beating Dominican Republic at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada on Wednesday evening.
Canada was challenged early on but managed to control the Dominican offense at crucial moments leading to a 3-0 win (25-22,25-23, 25-17).
Canada led in attack points (37-31), blocking points (8-6) and serves (7-4). They also made fewer errors (21-23).
Canada’s head coach, Gina Schmidt: “We talked about some things after last night’s game, and some of the things we talked about worked through (in practice) this morning, showed up in this game. I’m pleased with how we executed the game plan and adjusted to anything they brought during the game. I felt it was a good team effort to stay focused throughout the match.”
Canadians Sofia Zabjek (12 points) and Maya Bukovcan (11) led scoring for the host team.
Julie Millaray Arias led the Dominican side with 11 points.
Canada has Thursday off, while Dominican Republic faces Costa Rica in Group B action tomorrow.
The U19 Pan Am Cup is the final tournament before the teams head to Croatia and Serbia next month to face off in the FIVB Girls’ U19 World Championship 2025.
PUERTO CORTÉS, Honduras, June 25, 2025.– The heart of the Honduran Caribbean will once again come alive with world-class beach volleyball. For the second consecutive year, Puerto Cortés will host a stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, welcoming the third leg of the 2025 circuit, set to take place from June 27 to 29 at El Porvenir Municipal Beach.
There is high anticipation for the event, with 37 teams from 13 pre-registered countries, all aiming to collect crucial ranking points. The final list of participating teams and pool distribution will be officially confirmed during the preliminary meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 26.
The list is highlighted by Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora and Danny López, current champions of Puerto Cortés and silver medalists at the first stop of the 2025 season in Varadero, Cuba. Also, Mexico’s Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna, along with Inés Vargas Lares and Carlos Andrés Ayala, who captured gold and silver medals, respectively, at the second stop of the Tour in Juan Dolio.
On the women’s side, standouts include Puerto Rico’s Allanis Navas and María González, gold medalists at the second stop of the Tour in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic, as well as Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who have reached the podium with silver medals at both of the first two stops of the 2025 NORCECA Tour.
Puerto Cortés continues to establish itself as one of the key destinations for the growth and development of beach volleyball in the region, offering a splendid venue on the shores of the Caribbean Sea. The event promises a top-level sporting spectacle for both the athletes and the local and visiting fans.
The competition will feature the best men’s and women’s pairs from the NORCECA region, who will not only battle for a place on the podium but also strive to earn points towards major international competitions, including the Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games.
KINGSTON, Ontario, June 25, 2025.- USA earned its second consecutive win at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Canada, beating Mexico 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-23).
Despite many challenges from their North American neighbors, USA kept the pressure on Mexico today.
USA dominated in attack points (52-38) and also led in block points (5-3) and aces (6-4). USA, however, made more errors (20-12).
United States captain Ireland Real led all scoring with 19 points (17 attack points, 1 block and 1 ace).
Outside hitter Naomi Cruz Toledo was top scorer for Mexico with 16 points.
“Mexico is a good team that has been training for a long time and their coach has done a really great job,” said USA head coach Jamie Morrison. “I’m proud of our girls – we’re going to throw out a bunch of combinations and give everyone an experience representing USA Volleyball. I think we’re learning within matches and I’m proud of that. It sets the tone that we need to get better throughout this tournament.”
The USA faces Puerto Rico tomorrow in their final Group A matchup.
KINGSTON, Ontario, June 25, 2025.- Venezuela took five sets to beat Puerto Rico 3-2 (25-15, 25-20, 28-30, 22-25, 16-14) at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada to earn their first win at the tournament.
In the 2-hour 20 min match, Puerto Rico had more successful attack points – 64-61, but the winning side led in blocks (14-11) and aces (8-6). Puerto Rico also made more errors (33-23).
Venezuela looked as if they would take the match in three sets, but Puerto Rico showed a lot of fight to push the match into a tie-break situation.
Ihosvanny Chambers, head coach of Venezuela said post-match: “It was a very intense match. We are very happy. We would have been happy regardless of whether the result was in our favor or not, because this is about the experience for all these girls participating in an event at this level… and how they were able to come from behind after winning two sets, then playing three very close sets, losing the third and fourth, and still coming from behind in the fifth. I think this is very important for them, for their development, which is the goal we are pursuing here — for the players to experience the level of volleyball at the international stage.”
Venezuela’s Leidymar Colina led all scoring with 26 points, including 2 blocks.
Johnnyeshka Carrasquillo was top scorer for Puerto Rico with 22 points – 19 attack points combined with three blocks.
This was both teams’ second match in Group A play.
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