GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 21, 2025. – USA outside hitter Reagan Cooper was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six that ran from September 16-21 in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Cooper was a consistent offensive force for the American squad. Cooper’s performance was pivotal in guiding the United States to their second-ever gold medal at the event, following their first title in 2023.
Individual Awards
Dominican Republic’s Madeline Guillén stood out as the tournament’s Best Spiker and Best Scorer. Whitney James of Cuba earned the honor of Second Best Spiker for her attacking efficiency throughout the competition.
Defensive strength was highlighted by Neira Ortiz of Puerto Rico, who claimed Best Blocker, while Samantha Francis of the United States was named Second Best Blocker. The Americans also celebrated Ella Powell, who earned Best Setter honors.
Mexico’s star outside hitter Sofía Maldonado was recognized as Best Opposite and Best Server. The Dominican Republic’s Yaneirys Rodríguez dominated the backcourt awards, taking both Best Libero and Best Digger.
Rounding out the awards, USA’s Norah Sis was named Best Receiver, showcasing her consistency in serve reception and transition play.
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 21, 2025. – The United States captured the gold medal at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, defeating Mexico 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-19) on Sunday at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos to finish the tournament as the undefeated champion.
The U.S. closed the event with a perfect 7-0 record, while Mexico finished 5-2 – their only two losses coming against the Americans. This marks the United States’ second gold medal in the history of the event, having first won in 2023, to go along with two silver medals (2022, 2024).
For Mexico, it was their second silver medal (the first in 2021) after earning bronze last year. Mexico also made significant progress in the world ranking, starting the event in 29th place and finishing at 19th, gaining valuable points.
MEXICO-SILVER
The opening set was tightly contested. Mexico came from behind to tie the score at 9 and briefly led after a Jocelyn Urias block on Kamerynn Miner. The teams were leveled again at 14, 16, and 18 before the United States pulled away. Skylar Fields delivered a key kill against the block of Melanie Parra, followed by Samantha Francis blocking Sofía Maldonado to make it 20-18. Kendall Kipp reached set point with a block on Parra, and Norah Sis sealed it with a serve that resulted in a reception error from Parra.
The U.S. came out firing in the second set, with Reagan Cooper and Khori Louis leading the offense to a comfortable 20-12 lead. Despite efforts from Maldonado’s kills and Urias’ blocks, Mexico could not close the gap, and three late errors gave the Americans a 2-0 advantage.
Mexico kept the score close early in the third set, trailing 15-12 behind the offensive efforts of Maldonado and Parra. However, the U.S. pulled away with strong swings from Louis, Fields, and Sis to reach 20-14. Kendall Kipp’s block on Karina Flores brought up match point (24-18). Parra briefly denied the win with a kill, but Louis sealed the gold medal with a powerful cross-court spike.
REAGAN COOPER USA
The United States led in every statistical category: attacks (40-30), blocks (7-6), and aces (6-3). The Americans committed 16 errors compared to Mexico’s 21.
Outside hitter Reagan Cooper led the U.S. with 16 points, followed by Khori Louis with 11. Sofía Maldonado led Mexico with 12 points, while Melanie Parra contributed 10 and Jocelyn Urias posted a match-high five blocks.
Erik Sullivan, Head Coach of the United States said: “I’m very happy with how we played. I thought today was one of our most consistent and even matches. We put a lot of pressure on a very good Mexico team. A lot of plays went our way; I really liked the way we performed”.
Mexico’s Head Coach, Nicola Negro, said: “We faced a very strong United States and my team struggled. We are happy with the silver medal. Overall, it was a very good tournament for us – we only lost to the United States. We reached 19th place in the world ranking (two months ago we were 29th), and that is a huge result, the outcome of the work our team has put in. The girls showed dedication and performed well. We are growing technically and tactically, and now we need to work on developing our mentality to reach a higher level.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 21, 2025. – The Dominican Republic captured its first-ever bronze medal at the NORCECA Women’s Final Six, outlasting Puerto Rico in an epic five-set clash 3-2 (25-22, 20-25, 19-25, 25-23, 15-13) on Sunday at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
This result adds to the Dominican Republic’s impressive Final Six history, which already includes three gold medals (2021, 2022, 2024) and a silver in 2023. The Dominicans closed the tournament with a 3-4 record, while Puerto Rico finished 2-5.
Puerto Rico had swept the Dominican Republic in the preliminary round, but the rematch proved to be a battle of wills.
Madeline Guillen-DOM
The Dominicans stormed to a 5-0 lead in the opening set behind the offensive firepower of Massiel Matos and Alondra Tapia, taking advantage of Puerto Rico’s early errors. Puerto Rico responded with solid blocking from Neira Ortiz and Decelise Champion and sharp hitting from Paola Santiago to level the score at 12-12. From there, the teams traded points until Matos delivered a key kill and Geraldine González stuffed Santiago at the net to secure the first set.
Puerto Rico controlled the second set from start to finish, with Valeria Vázquez and Ortiz effectively shutting down Matos and Tapia at the net. Champion and Santiago maintained the offensive pressure, and Champion’s final kill sealed the set, tying the match at one apiece.
The third set saw Puerto Rico jump to a 5-1 lead, with Alba Hernández joining the scoring and Champion continuing her strong offensive run. The Dominicans clawed back to even the score at 14-all, but Puerto Rico regained control with Ortiz’s blocking and Vázquez’s attacks to take a 2-1 match lead.
Dominican Republic wins Final 3-4
Puerto Rico built a 12-8 advantage in the fourth set, with Ortiz and Hernández scoring two key blocks over Matos and Guillen. Champion and Santiago kept the pressure high, but the Dominicans refused to back down. Samaret Caraballo delivered a crucial block on Ortiz to tie the set at 23-23, followed by a big kill from Florangel Terrero and another from González to force a decisive fifth set.
In the tiebreak, the Dominican Republic earned match point at 14-12 with a kill from Guillen that rebounded off Ortiz’s block. Ortiz denied the first match point with a block on Matos, but González finished the job with a clever tip in the middle, clinching the bronze medal for the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic held a slight edge in attacks (63-61), while Puerto Rico led in blocks (15-12) and aces (6-3). Both teams committed 26 errors.
Madeline Guillén led the Dominican Republic with 24 points, followed by Alondra Tapia with 17 and Massiel Matos with 13. Decelise Champion of Puerto Rico topped all scorers with 25 points, while Valeria Vázquez added 17, Paola Santiago 16, and Neira Ortiz contributed 14 points, including a match-high nine blocks.
Marcos Kwiek, Head Coach of the Dominican Republic, said after the victory: “It was a good match. The players need to get used to this level of play and pressure. It’s good for their growth. It’s good that they go through these situations so they can grow as players and understand that nothing comes easy.”
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 21, 2025.- Canadians Marie-Alex Belanger and Lea Monkhouse defeated Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas 2-1 (14-21, 21-17, 16-14) to win gold in the NORCECA 2025 World Beach Championships Qualifying Tournament, which concluded this Sunday at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Belanger and Monkhouse defeated Dominicans Yari Cleto and Julibeth Payano 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) in their semifinal match, while González and Navas advanced to the final due to an injury of the Mexican duo of Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez.
The bronze medal went to Dominicans Cleto/Payano due to an injury of the Mexican team Torres/Gutiérrez.
Male and Female
Canada, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico were the countries that earned an spot in the World Championships, which will be held in Adelaide, Australia, from November 14 to 23.
In fifth place were Cubans Maykelin Drik/Kailin Garrido, who defeated Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez of Nicaragua 2-0 (21-16, 21-13).
Seventh place went to the Virgin Islands duo T’ara Austin/Taylor Buckner, who defeated Costa Rica’s Aliza Aguilar/Laura Molina 2-1 (9-21, 21-16, 15-10), while ninth place went to Donnina Argueta and Keiry Guzmán of El Salvador, who defeated Cayman Islands duo Deajra Tulloch/Amanda Robinson 2-0 (21-18, 21-12).
Other results of the day included: CUB Drik/Kailin d ISV Austin/Buckner 2-0 (21-12, 21-17); NCA López/Lolette d CRC Aguilar/Molina 2-1 (21-11, 18-21, 15-9).
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 21, 2025.- The United States duo of Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh defeated Puerto Ricans Cristian Encarnación and Diego Rosich in straight sets 2-0 (21-13, 21-17) to win the gold medal in the NORCECA 2025 Beach World Championship Qualifying Tournament played on the sand courts installed on Los Corales beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
The bronze medal went to Canadians Samuel Schachter and Jonathan Pickett, who defeated Rubén Mora and Dany López of Nicaragua 2-0 (21-11, 21-19).
PUR 2nd place
The United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Nicaragua were the countries that qualified for the 2025 Beach World Championship, to be held from November 14 to 23 in Adelaide, Australia.
Fifth place went to Cubans Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes, who defeated twins Yoel and Christopher Guardado of El Salvador 2-1 (21-12, 27-29, 15-7).
The Dominican pair Hayerling De Jesús/Melvin De Jesús finished seventh due to an injury to the Mexican team of Miguel Sarabia/Jorman Osuna, while Costa Ricans Daniel Dyner and Jhostin Varela finished ninth due to an injury to the Guatemalan pair Edgar Maldonado/Luis García.
Bryce Mayer and Tyler Penberthy of the Virgin Islands took eleventh place.
Other results of the day were: ESA Y. Guardado/C. Guardado d DOM H. De Jesús/M. De Jesús 2-0 (21-8, 21-14); CUB Gómez/Veranes d MEX Sarabia/Osuna 2-1 (18-21, 21-0, 15-0).
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 21, 2025. – Canada claimed fifth place at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six with a commanding 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-21) sweep over Cuba on Sunday at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
Canada closed the tournament with a 2-4 record, while Cuba finished 1-5. The Canadians defeated Cuba twice in the event, also prevailing in a thrilling five-set battle during the preliminary round.
Despite Cuba’s impressive blocking trio of Brenda Nold, Laura Suárez, and Dayana Martínez, Canada controlled the first set behind Sydney Grills’ strong performance from the service line and in attack, with consistent support from Maryn Boldon.
Maryn Boldon CAN
The second set was closely contested, tied at 18 points apiece before Cuba surged ahead 20-18 thanks to the efforts of Dezirett Madan, Yensy Kindelán, and Evilania Martínez. Canada responded with a steady rally, capitalizing on opponent errors. Boldon capped off a long rally with a powerful swing and followed up with a key block on Suárez to regain the lead. Veronica Dickson then sealed the set with a block and a decisive kill.
In the third set, Canada jumped out to an 18-13 lead with a serving run from Isabella Noble that disrupted Cuba’s system. Whitney James led Cuba’s late offensive push, but Canada held firm and secured the match on a reception error following a serve from Dickson.
Canada dominated in blocks (10-6) and serves (6-3) while taking advantage of 19 Cuban errors compared to their own 9. Cuba had a slight edge in attacks (41-40).
Maryn Boldon led all scorers with 14 points for Canada, while Veronica Dickson and Sydney Grills contributed 10 points each. Whitney James topped Cuba with 12 points, followed by Evilania Martínez with 10.
Canada’s Head Coach, Mathew Krueger said to be proud of his team “It’s unbelievable to have beaten Cuba twice, they are an unbelievable team, and it was a very good battle. I am proud of our team, all what we worked during the whole summer came in tuition today. The team deserves this one”.
Dezirett Madan, captain of Cuba, said: “We were very desperate, we put too much pressure on ourselves to do things right and give our best. I think that’s not good; you don’t get what you want that way, and desperation led us to make too many mistakes. This is another experience, and we will keep preparing to come back next year with a better version of each of us and give it our all.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 20, 2025. – Mexico delivered a thrilling five-set victory over Puerto Rico, 3-2 (18-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-20, 15-12), to advance to the gold medal match of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, held at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara
With this victory, Mexico secures its second-ever appearance in the gold medal match, having previously earned silver in 2021. After falling to Cuba in the 2023 bronze medal match, Mexico rebounded in 2024 to claim bronze over Puerto Rico. This year, they will meet undefeated USA for the gold medal, while Puerto Rico will face the Dominican Republic for bronze. Puerto Rico’s best finish remains their bronze medal from 2022.
The match lived up to its billing as a classic rivalry showdown, echoing their five-set preliminary round battle earlier in the tournament.
Puerto Rico opened strong, never trailing in the first set, powered by Decelise Champion and Valeria Vázquez, and capitalizing on Mexico’s errors and a dominant blocking performance from Neira Ortiz.
Mexico struck back in the second set, overcoming an early deficit to tie at 19 before pulling away behind a 15-6 attacking advantage. Sofía Maldonado led the charge offensively, while Jocelyn Urías’ key block shifted momentum.
Mexico blocks PUR
Puerto Rico regained control in the third, jumping to a 20-14 lead behind Ortiz’s defense at the net. Despite two late blocks from Urías, Puerto Rico held on to take a 2-1 match lead.
The fourth set was tightly contested, tied at 17 before Mexico’s dynamic duo of Maldonado and Melanie Parra powered the home side to force a tie-break. A massive block from Ortiz temporarily put Puerto Rico ahead, but Mexico responded with back-to-back points – a Maldonado kill followed by a Parra service winner – to seal the set.
In the decisive fifth set, Mexico jumped ahead 3-0 with Maldonado scoring all three points, but Puerto Rico stormed back to lead 9-7 with contributions from Paola Santiago, Champion, and Ortiz. Urías’ crucial block against Dariana Hollingsworth secured Mexico’s win.
Mexico led in attacks (60-48) and service points (8-5) but committed 33 errors to Puerto Rico’s 22. Puerto Rico had the edge in blocking (17-12).
Maldonado delivered a spectacular 26 points, supported by Melanie Parra’s 22. For Puerto Rico, Decelise Champion scored 21 points, followed closely by Neira Ortiz with 19 including an impressive 12 blocking points and Valeria Vazquez added 12 points.
Aimé Topete of Mexico said after defeating Puerto Rico: “We have all the emotions. From the first set to the fifth, it was very demanding. We had ups and downs, but we are celebrating a great victory. Our statistician has prepared everything for the next match, and it will be our responsibility to execute.”
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 20, 2025.– José Pablo Pérez of Guatemala was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship after leading his team to the title.
Pérez guided Guatemala to their sixth championship in this category, finishing as the top scorer with 22 points in the final against Nicaragua.
José Pablo became a nightmare for the opposing block with 20 attack points, supported by Jerry Durán, who was named Second Best Spiker, while Adolfo Rivas took home the award for Best Setter of the tournament.
Costa Rica, who claimed third place, earned four individual awards: Stanley Grant as First Best Spiker and Top Scorer, Jeremy Vanega as First Best Blocker, and Yulius Brown as Best Server.
Osmar Peralta of Nicaragua was recognized as Best Receiver, Best Digger, and Best Libero, while Kaelen Ingram of Belize was named Best Opposite and Lucas Espíndola of El Salvador received the Second Best Blocker award.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua: September 20, 2025: In a thrilling match at the ECVA Men’s Final Four Tournament, Saint Lucia emerged victorious over Antigua and Barbuda with a decisive score of 3-0, solidifying their status as a top contender. The match, played at the YMCA, concluded with set scores of 25-15, 25-23, and 25-19, showcasing the skill and determination of both teams.
Top Performers were Tevin St. Jean (Saint Lucia) – 13 points, Cairon Davis (Antigua) – 13 points and Erwin Mathurine (Antigua) – 13 points
With this victory, both Saint Lucia and Antigua are now poised to battle for the top position in the tournament. The teams will face each other again in a highly anticipated rematch, at the YMCA on Sunday September 21 at 8:30PM where the stakes will be higher. Fans can expect an intense and competitive atmosphere as both teams strive for supremacy.
As the tournament progresses, the excitement builds for this upcoming showdown. Supporters are encouraged to attend and cheer on their teams as they compete for glory in this prestigious event.
For further updates and information, please follow our official social media pages and visit the ECVA website ecvolleyball.com
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 20, 2025.– After an uncertain start, Guatemala rose to the occasion to defeat Nicaragua 3-1 (29-31, 25-17, 25-18, 25-15) in the battle for the title of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship.
For the Guatemalan team, it was their sixth triumph in seven editions, making them the most successful nation in this category, while Nicaragua earned their second silver medal.
Nicaragua struck first by taking a hard-fought opening set 31-29, but far from letting their guard down, Guatemala stepped up in the next three sets to seal the victory and the championship.
Guatemala was superior in blocking points 12-7, attacks 67-50, service points 3-2, and conceded 23 points on unforced errors compared to Nicaragua’s 22.
José Pérez shone on offense, scoring 22 points to lead Guatemala’s attack, with Jerry Durán adding 17 and Jeferson Zavala contributing 15. For Nicaragua, Yader León and Jesy Umaña finished the match with 16 points each.
At the end of the match, Guatemala’s coach Lucas Raider said: “For us, it was a tournament with many ups and downs; we improved along the way, we were able to win the matches that mattered, and we got the result we wanted.”
Regarding the runner-up finish, Nicaragua’s coach Jorge Mena commented: “We did the work to reach this second place, which surely no one expected us to achieve, especially considering the countries that were present at this event. The team was very worn out after the semifinal against Panama, and that affected us a lot.”
ST JOHN’S, Antigua – September 20, 2025: In an exhilarating encounter on day two of the ECVA Men’s Final 4, Dominica secured a decisive victory against Grenada , winning in straight sets with scores of 25-20, 25-20, and 25-19. This victory propels Dominica into the finals of the tournament, setting the stage for an exciting battle for the bronze medal against Grenada.
This marks Dominica’s first win in the tournament, showcasing their resilience and determination after a series of competitive matches characterized by exceptional teamwork and skill.
Yahn Florent led the charge for Dominica, delivering a stellar performance with an impressive 20 points, demonstrating his prowess on the court. Despite a commendable effort from Grenada’s Oba Clarke, who contributed 8 points, the team was unable to overcome a well-coordinated Dominica side.
After the match, Dominica’s coach, Ithoma James, expressed his mixed emotions: “I am happy that the guys won this evening but disappointed with the previous losses. I just hope the team can carry the momentum into tomorrow and secure another victory. We need to execute our game plan and focus on improving our passing.”
Grenada’s Head Coach, Nasseir Peer, acknowledged the strength of the Dominica team and that they are a powerhouse in the ECVA. We did our homework and look forward to playing against them tomorrow.
The match showcased high levels of athleticism and strategy, with Dominica demonstrating their strength and teamwork throughout the game.
Looking ahead, the next matchup will feature Antigua and Barbuda taking on Saint Lucia, promising more thrilling volleyball action.
For further updates and information, follow us on our social media platforms and ecvolleyball.com
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 20, 2025. – The United States booked its ticket to the gold medal match of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six after defeating the Dominican Republic 3-1 (25-20, 16-25, 25-18, 25-22) in the semifinals at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
This marks the fourth consecutive appearance for Team USA in the gold medal match, having earned silver in 2022, gold in 2023, and silver again in 2024. In the inaugural edition in 2021, the Americans claimed the bronze medal.
For the Dominican Republic, this is their first time competing for bronze since the event’s inception. The three-time champions had always contested the gold medal match until now.
The two teams had already met in the preliminary round, where USA also prevailed in four sets.
Kamerynn Miner-USA
Statistically, the Americans held a narrow edge in blocks (11-10) and service points (4-3). The Dominican Republic outscored the USA in attacks (54-48) but committed more unforced errors (28-18), which proved costly.
Reagan Cooper led the U.S. offense with 14 points, all on kills. Samantha Francis followed with 13 points, including six kills, six blocks, and one ace. Khori Louis and Skylar Fields chipped in with 10 points apiece.
Four Dominican players reached double digits: Massiel Matos led all scorers with 17 points, followed by Madeline Guillén with 15, Alondra Tapia with 13, and Geraldine González with 11.
USA team captain Kamerynn Miner praised her team’s performance, saying: “We really just had to get into our rhythm offensively, and defensively we made some really good adjustments, especially blocking our pins, which made it easier for us to get great touches. It was an all-around team effort tonight and I am very proud of our team. I am super excited to have the opportunity to compete for a medal — we’ve been training for this and I’m happy to implement it. Hopefully, we can get into our rhythm a little bit faster.”
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 20, 2025.- The women’s teams from the Dominican Republic, Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico advanced this Saturday to the Semifinals of the NORCECA 2025 Beach Volleyball World Cup Qualifying Tournament being held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, securing this way their ticket to the World Cup, which will take place from November 14 to 23 in Adelaide, Australia.
CAN
Dominicans Yari Cleto and Julibeth Payano defeated Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez of Nicaragua 2-0 (21-13, 21-11) in their Quarterfinal match. They will face Marie-Alex Belanger and Lea Monkhouse of Canada in the Semifinals. They advanced after defeating Aliza Aguilar and Laura Molina of Costa Rica 2-0 (21-10, 21-8).
DOM
María González and Allanis Navas advanced to the semifinals by defeating T’ara Austin/Taylor Buckner of the Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-13, 21-10). They will now play against Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who defeated Cubans Maykelin Drik and Kailin Garrido 2-0 (22-20, 22-20) in the quarterfinals.
The tournament continues this Sunday at 9:00 a.m. (local time) with the semifinals and positional matches. The bronze medal match and the Grand Final will be played in the afternoon.
PUR
Other results of the day were: CAN Belanger/Monkhouse vs. MEX Torres/Gutiérrez 2-0 (21-18, 21-16); NCA López/Lolette vs. CRC Aguilar/Molina 2-0 (21-12, 23-21); ISV Austin/Buckner d DOM Cleto/Payano 2-0 (21-16, 21-19); ESA Donnina Argueta/Keiry Guzmán d CAY Deajra Tulloch/Amanda Robinson 2-0 (21-14, 21-10).
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 20, 2025 – The pairs of USA Miles Partain/Andrew Benesh, CAN Samuel Schachter/Jonathan Pickett, PUR Cristian Encarnación/Diego Rosich, and NCA Rubén Mora/Dany López advanced to the Semifinals of the NORCECA 2025 Beach World Championship Qualifiers, which is being successfully held on the sand courts located at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
By advancing to the Semifinals, the four pairs secured their participation in the 2025 Beach World Championships, which will take place from November 14 to 23 in Adelaide, Australia.
CAN
Americans Partain and Benesh defeated twins Yoel and Christopher Guardado of El Salvador 2-0 (21-6, 21-14) in the Quarterfinals and will face Canadian duo Schachter and Pickett in the Semifinals, who defeated Dominicans Hayerling De Jesús and Melvin De Jesús 2-1 (21-14, 20-22, 15-9).
USA
Puerto Rico’s Encarnación and Rosich defeated Mexicans Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna 2-1 (21-19, 20-22, 16-14) in the Quarterfinals. They will now play Mora and López of Nicaragua in the Semifinals, who defeated Cuban duo Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes 2-1 (19-21, 21-17, 15-10).
The tournament continues this Sunday at 9:00 a.m. (local time) with the semifinals and position matches, and the bronze medal match and Grand Final will be played in the afternoon.
NCA
Other results of the day were: DOM H. De Jesús/M. De Jesús d CRC Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela 2-0 (21-14, 21-16); USA Partain/Benesh d NCA Mora/López 2-0 (21-16, 21-18); PUR Encarnación/Rosich d GUA Edgar Maldonado/Luis García 2-0 (21-11, 21-19); MEX Sarabia/Osuna d ISV Bryce Mayers/Tyler Penberthy 2-0 (21-12, 21-11); CAN Schachter/Pickett d ISV Bryce Mayers/Tyler Penverthy 2-0 (21-15, 21-13); MEX Sarabia/Osuna d ESA Y. Guardado/C. Guardado 2-0 21-12, 21-19).
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 20, 2025 – The Costa Rica National Team climbed to third place at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship after defeating Panama 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 29-27).
Panama was slow to get going and tried to extend the match, especially in the third set, but Costa Rica shut the door thanks to its powerful attack.
For Costa Rica, five players scored in double digits, with the top three being Stanley Grant with 24, Ignacio Sánchez with 17, and Yulius Brown with 13.
Stanley Grant CRC
For Panama, Víctor Araúz finished with 15 points and Víctor Pérez added 11.
Costa Rica was highly effective on attack, scoring 58 points compared to Panama’s 33. Panama narrowly led in blocking (7-4) and service points (5-4), but they committed 19 unforced errors compared to Costa Rica’s 13.
After the match, Costa Rica’s coach César Salas said: “Thank God we reached the podium, even though our goal was to make it to the final. We didn’t achieve that, but we are not sad, overall, the team had a great tournament. This is a very young group that will undoubtedly continue to grow.”
Panama’s coach Horacio Angulo added: “We have to be honest; the team didn’t have the necessary preparation. Still, people were able to see what these guys are capable of. To compete for medals with this new format, proper preparation is needed. You can have a team with very talented players, but that means nothing without preparation.”
ST. JOHNS, Antigua – September 20, 2025: In an exhilarating Day 2 matchup of the Men’s Final Four Tournament, Antigua and Barbuda emerged victorious against Dominica with a score of 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-22). The match, held at the YMCA, showcased intense competition and highlighted the exceptional skills of both teams.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Adrian Constant was a standout performer, dominating the court with 18 points through powerful spikes and effective serves, leading his team to victory. Cairon Davis and Immanuel Donovan also made significant contributions with key defensive plays and teamwork that proved crucial throughout the match.
On the other side, Team Dominica’s Yahn Florent led his team with an impressive 22 points, exhibiting remarkable skills in both offense and defense. Sidney John and James Nester displayed resilience, demonstrating strong teamwork and strategic play.
The match began with a fiercely contested first set that ultimately ended in favor of Dominica. However, Antigua quickly rebounded in the second set, showcasing strategic adjustments that propelled them to victory in the subsequent sets. The final set saw Antigua maintain their momentum, securing the win with a score of 25-22.
As the tournament progresses, Dominica is set to face Grenada in their next match, aiming to bounce back and keep their hopes alive in the competition.
For live match updates and more information, follow us at ecvolleyball.com.
Upcoming Matches – Saturday, September 20
– 6:00 PM – Grenada vs. Dominica – 8:30 PM- Saint Lucia vs. Antigua and Barbuda
ST JOHN’S – Antigua: September 20, 2025 – In an exhilarating showdown at the YMCA Hall, the Saint Lucia volleyball team emerged victorious against Grenada with a commanding score of 3-1. The match drew an enthusiastic crowd of spectators who witnessed a display of skill and determination from both teams.
The match began at 9:00 a.m. and lasted a total of 1 hour and 43 minutes. Saint Lucia secured their victory with set scores of 25-22, 21-25, 25-16, and 25-17, showcasing exceptional teamwork and strategy throughout the match.
Top Scorer for Saint Lucia, Tevin St Jean, with a remarkable total of 22 points and an outstanding Performance by Joseph Clercent contributed significantly with 19 points, including crucial attacks that shifted momentum in favor of Saint Lucia.
Grenada’s best performer, Darron Oxford led his team with 19 points, demonstrating resilience despite the loss.
Speaking with Darron Oxford, captain of the Grenada team after their second loss of the tournament, he said “ I feel disappointed but there are positives to be taken from this game we just need to stay focus”.
As the tournament progresses, both teams will take valuable lessons from this match, setting the stage for more exciting volleyball action.
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 20, 2025. – Belize did what was necessary to overcome El Salvador 3-1 (25-18, 14-25, 25-20, 25-23) in the battle that awarded the winner fifth place at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship.
Belize closed the competition with an overall record of 3-1 in wins and losses after competing in the demanding Pool A and the classification matches. Meanwhile, El Salvador finished in sixth place with a 1-3 overall record.
Eliazar Mejía spearheaded Belize’s attack with 19 points, supported by Kaelen Ingram with 18 and Daniel Musa with 11 points.
Eliazar Mejia BIZ
For El Salvador, Abner Cano led the offense with 23 points, while teammate Andrés Reyes added 12 points.
El Salvador had its best moment in the second set but was unable to maintain the pace against a Belizean side that held the advantage in attack points 48-44 and blocks 7-5, though El Salvador was more effective from the service line with a 7-5 edge in service points.
Both teams were nearly even in points from unforced errors, with Belize giving up 30 and El Salvador 29.
After the match, Belize’s coach Albert Humes stated: “Overall, I’d give the team a B grade. I think we could have had a better tournament, but we slipped in our first match against Panama. Maybe in a round-robin format we could have achieved a better position since we only lost once in the tournament and still finished fifth.”
Meanwhile, El Salvador’s coach Andrea Genova said: “We knew we were going to have a very tough tournament. Despite everything, we fought hard in every match. This experience is very valuable for our young players who are preparing for next year’s U19 tournament.”
September 20, 2025- Poland secured its place in the quarterfinals at the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025 in the Philippines. This Saturday in the city of Pasay, the finalists of the last three editions overcame Canada’s resistance in a four-set Round of 16 match. The number one team in the FIVB World Ranking will face Turkiye in one of the two quarterfinal matches scheduled for Wednesday, September 24.
Poland remained well in control of the scoreboard for most of the four sets, taking advantage of the abundant errors on the Canadian side, on the way to a convincing 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-18, 25-14) victory. Only in the decisive moment of the second set, the North Americans managed to break through the Polish domination and win the set.
Canada block
Canada gave Poland 35 points in unforced errors, while their opponents committed only 16 of those. The European side also dominated in serving with 5-2 in aces, and in net defense with 10-7 in blocks.
Canada outperformed Poland in the number of successful attacks, 52 against 48. Their opposite Sharone Vernon-Evans (Sho) was the top scorer of the match. He attacked with a 57% success rate and got two blocks and one ace to finish with the highest score of the match, 23 points. Outside hitter Jackson Young, who closed the second set for Canada with a huge block, also scored 11 points in offense and finished with a total of 12.
Jackson Young CAN
“Obviously we are not so happy to have lost, of course, but I think there were good things in the game. Of course, they are a great team, but we know this is the benchmark where we want to be, so we have to just keep building. We definitely grew as a team throughout the tournament. With me coming later in the summer and Nick (Nicholas Hoag) coming back, I think it took time to gel, but I think we did a good job and we are taking a step in the right direction,” Sho commented after the match.
“It feels good. I definitely feel like I belong, and the guys did a good job helping me come back and welcoming me. I just wanted to try to bring what I was doing in Japan and try to help the team be the best we can.” he concluded.
ST. JOHN, Antigua, September 29, 2025.- In the second match of the day, Antigua and Barbuda thrilled their home crowd with a 3–1 win over Grenada (19–25, 25–17, 25–18, 25–19). Despite dropping the first set, the home team rallied with dominant play across the remaining frames.
Darron Oxford of Grenada led the scores with 17 points, while Cairon Davis of Antigua and Barbuda followed closely with 16.
“It was disappointing to lose,” said Grenada captain Darron Oxford. “Our mistakes were a little too much. We need to capitalize on our opponents’ game and tighten up moving forward.
“We started shaky and the guys were nervous,” said Antigua and Barbuda captain Collin Thomas. “But as the game went on, we picked up momentum. The bench was amazing—rallying behind us. It was a strong showing for our first game.”
• 9:00 AM – Saint Lucia vs Grenada • 11:00 AM – Dominica vs Antigua and Barbuda • 6:00 PM – Grenada vs Dominica • 8:30 PM – Saint Lucia vs Antigua and Barbuda
ST. JOHN, Antigua, September 29, 2025.- The 2025 ECVA Men’s Final 4 Tournament launched with electrifying action at the YMCA in St. John’s, Antigua, as Saint Lucia edged Dominica in a five-set thriller, followed by a commanding win from host nation Antigua and Barbuda over Grenada.
Saint Lucia opened the tournament with a dramatic 3–2 victory over Dominica (17–25, 25–17, 25–21, 25–19, 16–14). The match featured intense momentum swings, and a fierce comeback attempt by Dominica, ultimately falling short in the final set.
Dominica’s captain Yhan Florent led all scorers with 26 points, while Tevin St. Jean paced Saint Lucia with 20.
“It was a tightly contested game, but we came out super strong,” said Saint Lucia captain Clercent Joseph. “Starting off this tournament with a win sets the standard for the rest of the weekend. I believe we have a good chance of winning.”
“We started off with a great first set,” said Dominica captain Yhan Florent. “There were ups and downs, but we will come back stronger.”
• 9:00 AM – Saint Lucia vs Grenada • 11:00 AM – Dominica vs Antigua and Barbuda • 6:00 PM – Grenada vs Dominica • 8:30 PM – Saint Lucia vs Antigua and Barbuda
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 19, 2025. – Mexico bounced back to defeat the Dominican Republic 3-1 (21-25, 26-24, 26-24, 25-23) in the final match of the preliminary round at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
With the win, Mexico closed the preliminary phase in second place with a 4-1 record and will face Puerto Rico (third place) in the semifinals. The Dominican Republic, finishing fourth, will face the United States.
The Dominican Republic’s powerful attacking, led by Madeline Guillen, Florangel Terrero, and Alondra Tapia, set the tone early, jumping to a 17-13 lead and taking the opening set 25-21.
The Caribbeans once again led the way in the second set, ahead 16-12, before Mexico rallied. Sofía Maldonado scored two key kills, Aime Topete added a strong swing, and Dominican errors allowed the home team to even the score at 16. Mexico reached set point 24-23 thanks to Melanie Parra’s offense, but the Dominican Republic extended the set with a block from Terrero. A crucial service error from Tapia and a block by Arleth Márquez on Terrero sealed the set for Mexico, tying the match.
Mexico wins
In the third set, Mexico held a 24-18 advantage thanks to Topete and Samantha Bricio, but the Dominican Republic fought back with kills from Angélica Hinojosa, Guillen’s attacks, and Samaret Caraballo’s strong serving, closing the gap to just two points. Bricio finally ended the set with a powerful spike off Hinojosa’s block, putting Mexico ahead 2-1.
Mexico kept their composure in the fourth set, building a 20-15 lead. Márquez’s block on Hinojosa gave the hosts a 23-19 edge, but Natalia Martínez’s back-to-back kills kept the Dominican Republic close. Mexico reached match point on a Dominican attack error and secured the victory on a Dominican service error.
Mexico led in attacks (52-47), while the Dominican Republic had the edge in serves (5-4). Both teams scored seven points on blocks. Mexico committed 37 errors compared to the Dominican Republic’s 35.
Aime Topete led Mexico’s scoring with 14 points, followed by Samantha Bricio with 10. Madeline Guillen topped all scorers with 19 points for the Dominican Republic, and Geraldine González added 11 points.
Samantha Bricio of Mexico commented on the game: “Our team has enough talent to make changes in the lineup. Today, three players from the younger categories came in as substitutes and did an amazing job. I think this is the first match where all three of them played with us at the same time. They performed without fear, did their job, as if we had always played together. It worked for us. Now we face Puerto Rico in the semifinals; we need to recover energy and try to do our best. I think in the end it will come down to who wants to win more.”
Marcos Kwiek, Coach of the Dominican Republic, stated: “It was a good match. Both teams had difficulties. We were already qualified for the semifinals with Cuba’s loss, so it was good for other players to get on the court, test some rotations; it was interesting. Tomorrow is what really matters.”
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 19, 2025. – In a dramatic, nail-biting finish, Nicaragua claimed the second ticket to the final of the VII AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship, prevailing over Panama in a thrilling five-set battle 3-2 (25-19, 19-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-12).
Nicaragua will aim for its second title in the category and will face Guatemala in a fourth consecutive final, after previously clashing in the 2018, 2022, and 2023 editions. In those duels, Nicaragua knocked Guatemala out in the 2022 edition.
Against Panama, Nicaragua kept its composure and played with patience in the most critical moments, facing a Panamanian squad that never backed down and had strong support from the fans present at La Basita Gymnasium in Chiriquí.
Nicaragua celebrates
The difference in points between both teams was slight. Panama led in attacks 70-68, but Nicaragua stepped up its blocking, scoring 11 points to Panama’s 7, while both teams scored one point from service.
Panama was hurt by 27 unforced errors, compared to 24 from Nicaragua.
On offense for Nicaragua, Yader León led with 23 points, followed closely by Jesy Umaña, also with 23. For Panama, Víctor Pérez and Víctor Arauz each scored 22 points.
After the match, Nicaragua’s top scorer Yader León said: “It was a very tough match. The guys started blocking at the most important moments, and that was key to getting the win. We took the first set, then fell behind because of our own mistakes, but we knew how to fix those situations. Honestly, the key to victory was our blocking in the last set.”
Meanwhile, Panama’s captain and top scorer Víctor Pérez said: “It was a very hard-fought match. Nicaragua is not an easy team, and against us, everything went their way. All we can do now is keep fighting, we want to take third place here at home to our country.”
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 19, 2025.– Guatemala’s National Team secured its place in the final of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship after prevailing over Costa Rica in a fierce battle, winning 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-18, 25-20).
For Guatemala, the defending champion, this will be their sixth final in the category, during which they have already collected five titles, the most recent in the 2023 edition.
Despite the score, it was not an easy match for Guatemala, who stayed calmer in the moments of pressure and pushed harder in their quest for the final ticket.
Jose Perez GUA
Costa Rica conceded 33 points from unforced errors compared to Guatemala’s 16, a factor that ultimately made the difference in the match result.
Both teams were evenly matched, with Costa Rica slightly ahead in attack points (59-58) and service aces (5-0), while tied in blocking points (6-6).
Guatemala found its main attacking figures in José Pérez and Yeferson Zavala, who each scored 15 points, while Jerry Durán contributed 14.
For Costa Rica, Staley Grant was the top scorer with 33 points, followed by Ignacio Morales with 18 and Yulius Brown with 10.
After the match, Guatemala’s top scorer José Pérez said: “In our previous match against Belize, we got a little overconfident, but against Costa Rica that didn’t happen. This time, we entrusted ourselves to God and He gave us the victory because we were able to work as a team and play with grit. Costa Rica is a very strong team, but the key to winning was staying united and never letting our attitude drop.”
Staley Grant, Costa Rica’s leading scorer, added: “Guatemala was a very strong opponent. I feel that we could have given more, but unfortunately, we made too many mistakes. That made the difference because Guatemala played with very few errors.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 19, 2025. – The United States completed the preliminary round of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six undefeated after sweeping Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-13) on Friday night at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
USA finished pool play with a perfect 5-0 record, while Puerto Rico closed with a 2-3 mark. Both teams secured spots in Saturday’s semifinals, awaiting their opponents based on final standings.
Puerto Rico started strong, building a 17-14 lead in the opening set with Decelise Champion driving the offense. The Americans responded with a Kendall Kipp kill and an Emily Thater block on Champion to tie the score at 17. From there, USA pulled away with key points from Skylar Fields and a crucial block by Samantha Francis to close the set.
Puerto Rico again took an early 9-4 lead in the second set, paced by Paola Santiago, but the United States quickly recovered. Claire Chaussee and Thater powered the offense, while both teams stayed close in blocking and serving. USA’s consistency at the net allowed them to take control late and earn the two-set advantage.
USA winners
In the third set, the United States dominated from start to finish, jumping ahead 21-9 behind a strong blocking performance from four different players, and sealing the sweep with a convincing finish.
USA led in attacks (40-36), blocks (12-5), and aces (4-3), while committing fewer errors (12 to Puerto Rico’s 19).
Samantha Francis and Claire Chaussee led the American scoring with 12 points each, followed by Skylar Fields with 10. For Puerto Rico, Paola Santiago scored 13 points and Decelise Champion added 11.
Claire Chaussee said about their execution: “We had the game plan of serving at their outsides and we stuck to it. In the past we were serving just anywhere on the court, and today we were really focused on directing our serves and getting them out of system. Our block did a lot better job of getting in front of them or head on or on their left shoulder, wherever it needed to be. Our passing was consistent the entire match and that helped us, it got our middles going”.
Juan Carlos Nuñez, head coach of Puerto Rico, reflected on the preliminary round: “We had very good matches, but we were inconsistent. Today against the United States, we were able to play offensively in the first two sets. We need to go toe-to-toe offensively with every opponent. We must get ready for tomorrow, as we are already in the semifinals.”
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 19, 2025 – The Cuban, Canadian, and United States men’s teams won both matches on the opening day of the NORCECA 2025 World Beach Championship Qualifiers, being played on the sand courts at Los Corales Beach on the coast of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
In Group A, Cubans Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes defeated Costa Rica’s Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) and Dominicans Hayerling De Jesús/Melvin De Jesús 2-0 (21-16, 21-14).
CAN Schachter in reception
Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh of the United States defeated Puerto Ricans Cristian Encarnación and Diego Rosich in identical sets in Pool B, 2-0 (21-16, 21-16), and in their second match, Edgar Maldonado and Luis García (GUA) 2-0 (21-7, 21-11).
In Pool C, Canadians Samuel Schachter and Jhonathan Pickett defeated Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna of Mexico 2-0 (21-12, 21-8) and twins Joel and Christopher Guardado of El Salvador 2-0 (21-13, 21-17).
The tournament is contesting four spots per gender for the 2025 Beach World Championships, which will be held in Adelaide, Australia, from November 14 to 23.
In other results of the day: Ruben Mora/Dany Lopez (NCA) d Maldonado/Garcia (GUA) 2-0 (21-8, 21-8); Cristian Encarnacion/Diego Rosich (PUR) d Mora/Lopez (NCA) 2-0 (21-16, 21-13); J. Guardado/Ch. Guardado (ESA) d Bryce Mayer/Tyler Penberthy 2-0 (21-17, 21-16).
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 19, 2025 – The women’s teams from the Dominican Republic, the Virgin Islands, Canada, and Cuba started undefeated at the NORCECA 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championship Qualifying Tournament held at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
In Pool C, Dominicans Yari Cleto and Julibeth Payano easily defeated Deajra Tulloch and Amanda Robinson of the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-7, 21-10), and the duo of Donnina Argueta and Keiry Guzmán of El Salvador by the same score of 2-0 (21-7, 21-10). In the same group, T’ara Austin/Taylor Buckner (ISV) defeated Argueta/Guzmán (ESA) 2-0 (21-9, 21-7) and Tulloch/Robinson (CAY) 2-0 (21-9, 21-9).
DOM
In Group A, Canadians Marie-Alex Belanger/Lea Monkhouse battled to defeat Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas 2-0 (23-21, 21-19), while their other match was a BYE.
In Group B, Cubans Maikelin Dirk and Kailin Garrido defeated Aliza Aguilar and Laura Molina of Costa Rica 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) and Nicaraguans Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez 2-0 (21-14, 21-15).
This Qualifier awards four spots per gender to the Beach Volleyball World Championship, which will be held in Adelaide, Australia, from November 14 to 23.
Other results of the day: González/Navas (PUR) and Susana Torres/Atenas Gutierrez (MEX) 2-0 (21-19, 21-18).
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 19, 2025 .– Canada pulled off an impressive reverse sweep to capture their first victory at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, defeating Cuba 3-2 (14-25, 14-25, 27-25, 25-19, 15-11) on Friday night at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
Both Canada and Cuba concluded the preliminary round with a 1-4 record and will face each other once again on Sunday in the match for fifth place.
Cuba dominated the opening two sets with a powerful net presence, led by Yailin De La Peña, Laura Suárez, and Whitney James. Strong blocking and aggressive serving helped the Cubans control the pace, taking the first set with a 6-0 block advantage and repeating their dominance early in the second with Dayana Martínez contributing back-to-back blocks. Canada responded with spirited attacks from Lauren Attieh and Sydney Grills, but Cuba remained steady, closing the set with an ace from Lisania Grafort.
The third set saw a major shift as Canada jumped to an early 7-3 lead behind Emma Boyd’s kills and blocks, with Grills adding pressure from the service line. Canada surged ahead 17-8 before Cuba fought back to tie the set at 23 and even reached match point with a De La Peña ace. Boyd delivered a clutch kill to level the score, and Canada capitalized on a Cuban error to extend the match.
Canada vs Cuba
Canada kept their momentum in the fourth, rallying from a three-point deficit to tie at 14-all. A late surge, highlighted by an Attieh kill and a Grills block over Evilania Martínez, gave Canada set point. Grills blocked Yanisleidis Sánchez to force a tie-break.
The decisive fifth set was closely contested until 5-5, when Canada pulled away for good. Attieh and Isabella Noble anchored the block, while Boyd sealed the win with a final kill.
Canada benefited from 34 Cuban errors (while committing 24) despite Cuba leading in attacks (57-45), blocks (13-10), and aces (11-6).
Canadian star Emma Boyd topped all scorers with 19 points (14 kills, 3 blocks, 2 aces). Sydney Grills added 14 points to the win (10 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces). Cuba’s Whitney James led her team with 16 points (11 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces), while Yailin De La Peña contributed 14 (10 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces). Dayana Martínez and Claudia Tarín chipped in 13 points each, and Laura Suárez added 12.
Emma Boyd, captain of Canada said about the win: “We came back from losing the first two sets focusing on taking care on our standards on our side of the net. Didn’t focus on Cuba was doing because we knew that if we improved and cleaned up our execution, things would probably start to go our way. All the subs brought different energy to the court, and it was a beautiful win”.
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 19, 2025. – The Belizean squad handled Honduras with little trouble, winning 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-15) to advance to the fifth-place match against El Salvador, on the final day of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship.
The loss left Honduras in seventh place in the event, without a single victory to their name after the group stage and classification round.
Belize had no issues dominating the match against Honduras, leading in attack points 40-30, blocks 9-6, and aces 4-2. They also committed fewer unforced errors with 19, compared to Honduras’ 22.
Belize celebrates
On offense for Belize, Kaelen Ingram led all scorers with 21 points, followed by Eleazar Mejía with 14.
For Honduras, Jesús Montes worked the hardest with 17 points, the only player on his team to reach double digits.
Regarding the victory, Eleazar Mejía, one of Belize’s top scorers, said: “We feel good with this victory, although we really regret not being able to qualify for the semifinals and play for a medal. We will face El Salvador in our next match. For us, this is a very important game, and we will give everything to take that fifth place.”
Meanwhile, Jesús Montes, Honduras’ leading scorer, stated: “We had many good moments, and others where our spirits dropped, but in the end we all tried to give our best for our team and our nation. It must be said that there is plenty of talent in Honduras; we just need to work more with it.”
Belize heads into the battle for fifth place with a 2-1 win-loss record, while El Salvador, who awaited their opponent after finishing third in Pool B, enters with a 1-2 record.
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 18, 2025. – The United States defeated Mexico 3-1 (25-15, 25-15, 20-25, 25-20) to secure its place in the semifinals of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, taking place in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
With a perfect 4-0 record, the Americans have already clinched a spot in Saturday’s semifinals, with one preliminary match still to play, which they will close against Puerto Rico (2-2). Mexico, with a 3-1 record, remains in strong position and will face Dominican Republic (2-2) in its final match of the round.
The United States jumped to a big lead in the first set (10-3) behind a powerful offense led by Madison Kubik, Reagan Cooper, and Skyler Fields. Cooper and Claire Chaussee were key from the service line, putting pressure on Mexico’s reception. Although Mexico scored through Sofía Maldonado and Melanie Parra, the U.S. kept control to take the set.
In the second set, Mexico showed a better rhythm, but the U.S. maintained control, taking the set by the same score as the first with Kendall Kipp and Khori Louis leading the offense.
Mexico had its best performance in the third set, taking the lead for the first time in the match (7-3) and holding it until the U.S. tied at 12-12. The set saw several lead changes, with Melanie Parra as the key offensive figure, combining powerful attacks and a tough serve to make it 21-17. With support from Uxue Guereca, Mexico forced a fourth set.
Madison Kubik-USA
In the fourth, the U.S. regained control, leading 16-11 and extending the gap to 18-11 with Kipp and Cooper at the helm. Mexico fought to stay close with Maldonado and Parra, but a Fields with a swing that Uxue Guereca could not handle, followed by another from Samantha Francis, sealed the victory for the Americans.
The U.S. held the advantage in attacks (54-46), blocks (7-4), and aces (7-6), while committing fewer errors (19-27).
Four U.S. players finished with double-digit scoring: Madison Kubik (14), Reagan Cooper (13), Khori Louis (12), and Kendall Kipp (11). Mexico’s Melanie Parra led all scorers with 18 points, followed by Sofía Maldonado with 14.
Erik Sullivan, Head Coach of the United States said after the win: “I’m very happy with the way we played. I thought Mexico maybe didn’t have their best stuff for the first two sets, but they showed us how they compete in sets three and four. I’m very proud of how our girls hung in there, I felt like we were kind of losing momentum a little bit, but we did a good job in making some adjustments and pushing back a little bit. It’s a nice growing moment for us”.
Nicola Negro, Mexico’s Head Coach, said about the match: “The United States came out with great aggressiveness in the first two sets, their serving and attacking killed us. It’s a good lesson for us because we must understand that if we want to grow, we must earn respect; we can’t think that playing is something easy. I hope we learn from the lesson that the United States gave us today.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 18, 2025. – At the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, legendary player and International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee Paula Weishoff is making her mark off the court, serving as assistant coach for Team USA. The three-time Olympian — silver medalist in Los Angeles 1984 and bronze medalist in Barcelona 1992 — spoke about her transition from player to coach, her vision of today’s game, and what it means to once again represent her country, this time in a technical role.
Weishoff, considered one of the most complete players in volleyball history, enjoyed a prolific professional career in Italy, Brazil, and Japan, earning multiple Most Valuable Player honors. After retiring as a player, she found in coaching a new way to give back to the sport that has given her so much.
“I never thought I would get into coaching. But destiny led me there. Lisa Love, coach at USC, gave me the opportunity to coach in college, study the game, and discover my passion for coaching,” she explained.
For Weishoff, the shift from playing to coaching required a deep learning process:
“Not all great players become great coaches. You have to learn how to transfer your knowledge and help players understand what’s happening on the court when you can’t be out there yourself. I had great mentors and studied the game in depth. That has helped me tremendously in my coaching role.”
After working with several USA Volleyball development programs and coaching various age groups, Weishoff returned to the national team for the quad leading up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Since then, she had dedicated herself exclusively to coaching at the collegiate level — until this recent return to the national team staff.
“I needed a break after 2012. I was doing double duty — USA practices in the morning and my college team in the evening. Now I’m back with renewed energy. I’m here to support Erik Sullivan’s staff, help wherever I’m needed, and contribute with the experience I’ve gained.”
Regarding her work with the new generation of players, Paula is optimistic:
“This generation is exceptional. They’re very receptive to feedback and understand their roles, whether they are on the court or not. They’re engaged and striving to get better, which makes our job so much easier.”
Weishoff also shared advice for young players with dreams of reaching the highest level:
“Every player is different. Some you need to push, others you need to explain why, and many are very visual and need to see video. The most important thing is helping them understand the purpose of what they are doing.”
Finally, Paula expressed her joy at being back on the international stage:
“I love volleyball. I’m happy to be here and to have this opportunity. Volleyball has been so good to me, and I feel blessed to give something back to the sport.”
Team USA is determined to remain a top contender in the region, and this tournament in Guadalajara marks a key step in their preparation for the next Olympic cycle. With leaders like Paula Weishoff on the staff, the legacy of U.S. volleyball continues to inspire new generations.
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 18, 2025.- Belize pulled off a surprising victory over Guatemala 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-20) to close Pool A of the VII AFECAVOL Central American U23 Championship, a result that determined the semifinal matchups.
All three teams in Pool A finished with a 1-1 win-loss record, but the semifinal spots went to Panama, who topped the pool with six points, followed by Guatemala (5) in second place and Belize (4) in third.
In the semifinal round, Guatemala will face Costa Rica while Panama will take on Nicaragua.
Richardson and Usher BIZ
Belize will meet Honduras in the classification round; the loser of that match will finish in seventh place, while the winner will advance to the fifth-place match against El Salvador, who is waiting for an opponent after finishing third in Pool B.
Against Guatemala, Belize played inspired volleyball, using their powerful blocking to neutralize their opponent.
Belize dominated in blocking points 14-2, attacks 55-46, and serves 7-3, although they gave away more points on unforced errors 31-20.
Kaelen Ingram led Belize’s offense with 25 points, followed by Eleazar Mejía with 23. For Guatemala, Jerry Durán topped the scoresheet with 12 points, supported by José Pérez with 10.
After the match, Belize’s captain Kaelen Ingram said: “We played like a family. We went into the match against Guatemala knowing that if we wanted to win, we had to help each other out. For our next match, we will give our best. The team knows that in every match we must go out and fight.”
Meanwhile, Guatemala’s captain Josué González commented: “All our matches against Belize are always tough. The truth is we didn’t play our game and that hurt us. We tried to fight back after falling behind, but we couldn’t get the result we wanted.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 18, 2025. – Dominican Republic secured a valuable 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-20, 25-22) victory over Canada on day four of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
With this result, the Dominicans improve their record to 2-2, the same as Puerto Rico, while Canada remains winless (0-4). Dominican Republic will close the preliminary round facing Mexico and Canada playing Cuba.
Madeline Guillen’s offense was key for Dominican Republic to recover from a difficult start, overcoming a five-point deficit in the first set. Florangel Terrero contributed with blocking and attacking to secure the set win.
Canada tied the match in the second set thanks to their solid work at the net with Grace Calnan, Emma Boyd, Raya Surinx, and Isabella Noble, successfully slowing down the Caribbean offense and capitalizing on Dominican reception errors.
Sydney Grills-CAN
In the third set, the Dominicans took the lead after an 8-all tie and stayed in control despite strong plays from Surinx and Boyd. The balanced attack and blocking on both sides were ultimately decided by Canada’s unforced errors.
The fourth set was also closely contested, with Canada coming back from 18-23 to 22-23, led by Sydney Grills, but Terrero and Tapia sealed the Dominican victory with powerful attacks.
The Caribbean team led in attacks (57-40), while Canada held a slight edge in blocks (9-8). Both teams scored 5 aces, but Dominican Republic gave away more points on errors (33-26).
Madeline Guillen was the top scorer of the match with 29 points. Florangel Terrero followed with 10 points for the Dominicans. For Canada, Raya Surinx and Maryn Boldon scored 14 each, while Emma Boyd added 11.
Dominican Republic’s captain, Camila De La Rosa, commented on her team’s performance: “It was a very balanced match; it wasn’t an easy match. We lost focus and gave away a set by making too many mistakes; we struggled in reception and serving. We are one step away from the semifinals.”
Mathew Krueger, Head Coach of Canada said “I’m very proud of team today. We’ve been talking about what it’s going to take for us to get to the next level and about the decision making when we attack, I believe we implemented that perfectly – we saw when we needed to tip. I’m very proud of the girls and how they’re battling throughout this tournament”.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 18, 2025. – A total of 21 teams from 12 different countries will compete in the NORCECA 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championship Qualifying Tournament, which will take place from September 19 to 21 on the sand courts located on Punta Cana Beach, Dominican Republic.
Twelve men’s and 10 women’s teams will compete for one of the four gender spots awarded for the Beach Volleyball World Championship, to be held from November 14 to 23 in Adelaide, Australia.
All teams will give their all in the preliminary round, which begins on Friday at 9:00 AM, seeking to advance from the group stage to the elimination round.
On the first day of competition, 20 preliminary round group matches will be played: 12 for the men’s team and 8 for the women’s team. The preliminary round will conclude on Saturday, along with the quarterfinals and losers’ bracket. Sunday will be a spectacular day with the semifinals, positional matches, and the grand final to crown the champions.
Men’s Teams: DOM Hayerling De Jesús/Melvin De Jesús; USA Miles Partain/Andrew Benesh; CAN Samuel Schachter/Jonathan Pickett; ISV Bryce Mayer/Tyler Penberthy; NCA Rubén Mora/Dany López; CRC Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela; CUB Damián Gómez/Eblis Veranes; GUA Edgar Maldonado/Luis García; ESA Yoel Guardado/Christopher Guardado; MEX Miguel Sarabia/Jorman Osuna; PUR Crisstian Encarnación/Diego Rosich.
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 18, 2025. – Costa Rica finished with a perfect 3-0 record and claimed the top spot in Pool B after defeating Nicaragua in a hard-fought duel 3-1 (25-17, 15-25, 25-20, 26-24), in the final day of pool play at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Men’s Championship.
Nicaragua finished in second place with a 2-1 win-loss record, and like Costa Rica, now awaits the definition of the final standings in Pool A to determine the semifinal matchups.
Costa Rica faced its toughest test of the tournament against Nicaragua, after comfortable 3-0 victories over Honduras and El Salvador.
The Costa Rican squad imposed its superior blocking, scoring 13 points collectively against Nicaragua’s 7, and also led in attacking points 55-53.
Stanley Grant CRC
Both teams were tied in service points 2-2 and were nearly even in points given away by unforced errors, with 22 for Costa Rica and 23 for Nicaragua.
Stanley Grant was Costa Rica’s main offensive weapon with 23 points, while Ignacio Sánchez finished with 12 and Yulius Brown contributed 11 points.
For Nicaragua, Yader León scored 15 points, Josué Blandón had 14, and Jesy Umaña added 13.
After the match, Costa Rica’s coach César Salas commented: “It was a very intense match; we were facing a very strong opponent. During the match we stopped making some of the adjustments we had discussed, especially in blocking, and it complicated things for us quite a bit. But in the end, our serve helped us a lot, and in the last set we were able to execute better in blocking.”
Meanwhile, Nicaragua’s coach Jorge Mena said after the match: “We wanted to win to take first place in the group, but it wasn’t meant to be. The boys lost focus at certain moments in the match, especially in the fourth set when we couldn’t score a key point. We must recognize that Costa Rica has great reach, and we couldn’t block at the right moments.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 18, 2025. – Cuba earned its first victory at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, defeating Puerto Rico 3-1 (18-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-22) on Thursday night at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
Cuba now stands at 1-3, while Puerto Rico drops to 2-2. In their final matches of the preliminary round, Cuba will face Canada, and Puerto Rico will take on the United States. The top four teams from the round-robin advance to Saturday’s semifinals.
Puerto Rico opened the match strong, pulling away from an 8-8 tie to lead 14-8 behind consecutive kills from Decelise Champion, key blocks on Evilania Martínez, and offensive contributions from Alba Hernández and Paola Santiago. Cuban opposite hitter Yalain De la Peña kept her team close with powerful attacks, but Puerto Rico held firm to take the opening set.
Set two was a rollercoaster battle. Puerto Rico held a three-point edge (13-10) with a block from Hernández on Laura Suárez and a strong push from Paola Vázquez. Cuba evened the score at 15 with solid offense from Dayana Martínez and De la Peña. The turning point came late when Cuba capitalized on Puerto Rican errors and Martínez sealed the set with a huge block over Diana Reyes, evening the match 1-1.
Cuba and Puerto Rico
Cuba carried the momentum into set three, racing to a 10-5 lead with strong blocking from Martínez and back-to-back kills from Whitney James and De la Peña. Puerto Rico’s errors mounted, allowing Cuba to pull away and take a commanding 2-1 lead.
In the fourth set, Cuba jumped to an 11-6 lead before Puerto Rico fought back to tie at 11 thanks to three straight points from Champion (two kills and a block) and a block from Santiago on Lisania Graforth. The teams traded points down the stretch until Cuba closed out the match, taking advantage of two reception errors by Santiago and an attack error by Paulina Pérez.
Cuba dominated in attacks 58-40, while Puerto Rico led in blocks 13-7. Both teams finished with six aces and similar error counts, Cuba with 25 and Puerto Rico with 22.
Yailin De la Peña led all scorers with 24 points, followed by Dayana Martínez and Whitney James with 12 points apiece, and Claudia Tarín added 11 points. Decelise Champion led Puerto Rico with 14 points, while Alba Hernández contributed 11 points.
Luizomar De Moura, Head Coach of Cuba, said about the victory: “Today was a great win. The girls are gradually understanding the new work philosophy, and this victory is very good to solidify what we are communicating to them every day.”
Wilmarie Rivera, Setter of Puerto Rico, commented on the loss: “I believe we need to be more consistent with our game, manage the highs and lows a little better, and be able to close sets when we are ahead. We must continue adjusting our game plan, be a bit more disciplined, and improve what we need to improve.”
Chiriquí, Panama, September 18, 2025.– The El Salvador National Team defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-15) to claim its first victory at the VII AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship, closing the group stage of the event.
El Salvador finished with a 1-2 win-loss record, placing third in Pool B, a position that guarantees them a chance to fight for fifth place on the final day of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Honduras ended in fourth place with no wins and must wait for the third-place finisher from Pool A to know their next opponent, in a match that will determine seventh place and the other contender for the fifth-place match.
Lorenzo Sanchez ESA
El Salvador controlled the match from start to finish, outscoring Honduras in attacks 36-28, blocks 9-4, and serves 4-2, while committing fewer unforced errors (15 compared to Honduras’ 26).
On offense, Abner Cano was the top scorer for El Salvador with 21 points, while teammate Andrés Reyes added 12.
For Honduras, Jesús Montes carried the scoring load with 20 points, the only player on his team to reach double digits.
Following the victory, El Salvador’s head coach Andrea Genova stated: “Against Honduras, the team was motivated to show what they are capable of. The guys displayed a different attitude and their true value against a rival more at our level, which allowed them to play with more calm and reach a better level, different from what they show against teams that put more pressure on them. In that sense, the players need to mature more and learn to handle pressure.”
For his part, Honduras’ head coach Miguel Pagoaga said after the match: “The taste of defeat is horrible. The boys collapsed in this match. We were not able to implement what we had really trained. The inconsistency hurt us a lot, and we could not execute as we wanted.”
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 18, 2025. – The NORCECA Volleyball Confederation and its Beach Volleyball Department join the World Beach Clean-Up Day in support of the Ministry of Environment of the Dominican Republic.
In commemoration of this global initiative, all participating teams of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball World Championship Qualification Tournament are invited to take part in a beach clean-up event to be held on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at Playa del Cortesito.
This activity highlights NORCECA’s commitment to environmental sustainability and community engagement, reinforcing the responsibility to protect and preserve the natural spaces where beach volleyball thrives.
In coordination with the Organizing Committee of the NORCECA World Championship Qualifier Beach Volleyball Tournament, athletes will participate in this important event.
NORCECA thanks all participating athletes, coaches, and delegations for their collaboration in this meaningful initiative.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, September 18, 2025. – The NORCECA/FIVB Regional Volleyball Development Center officially opened an International Level 2 Volleyball Coaches Course, with the participation of 42 coaches from Argentina, Belize, Colombia, Peru, Puerto Rico, Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, Chile, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic.
The opening ceremony was attended by prominent sports authorities, including Kelvin Cruz, Minister of Sports; Garibaldi Bautista, President of the Dominican Olympic Committee; and Dr. Bernardo Mesa, Technical Director of Centro Caribe Sports. Representing the Dominican Volleyball Federation (FEDOVOLI) were Lic. Amós Anglade, First Executive Vice President; Lic. Wellington Valenzuela, Technical Vice President; and Lic. Ángel Rivas, President of the National District Volleyball Association.
Also, present were the FIVB-designated instructors: Luis Muchaga of Spain, who is serving as the course director, joined by Cuco Pacheco of Puerto Rico and Alexander Gutiérrez of Venezuela.
In his remarks, Minister of Sports Kelvin Cruz praised the Development Center for its essential role in training technical personnel involved in volleyball competitions and encouraged participants to make the most of this learning opportunity to further strengthen volleyball in their countries.
On behalf of FEDOVOLI, Amós Anglade welcomed all participants and wished them success throughout the course.
Instructor Luis Muchaga, representing the FIVB, commended the organization of the event and emphasized that the Santo Domingo Development Center continues to be the most active among all FIVB centers worldwide.
The course is supported by the NORCECA Confederation, presided over by Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, and is organized under the leadership of Professor Nelson José Ramírez, Director of the Development Center. The five-day course will conclude on Sunday, September 21.
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 17, 2025. – Host nation Mexico kept their undefeated record intact with a commanding 3-0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-22) victory over Cuba at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
Mexico will face the United States on Thursday in a clash of undefeated teams (3-0). Cuba will go up against Canada as both teams look for their first victory. The top four teams at the end of pool play advance to the crossover semifinals.
Mexico came from behind to take control of the opening set, jumping ahead 11-9 thanks to three consecutive blocks by Jocelyn Urias on Evilania Martínez. Offensively, Sofia Maldonado and Samantha Bricio led the charge, while Cuba’s Whitney James put up a strong effort but could not slow Mexico’s momentum.
The home team cruised through the second set with dominant play. Melanie Parra added firepower with powerful spikes to build an 18-7 lead. Karina Flores’ strong defense and blocking neutralized Dezirett Madan and Martínez as Mexico closed the set convincingly.
Mexico celebrates
Cuba fought hard to stay alive, taking a 12-9 lead behind James and Laura Suárez. Yalain de la Peña extended Cuba’s advantage to 14-10. Mexico responded with composure, rallying from a six-point deficit (14-20) behind Urias’ blocking and service aces, combined with key kills from Flores and late Cuban errors. Bricio sealed the sweep with a powerful kill followed by an attack error from Cuba.
Mexico outperformed Cuba in every skill category, leading in attacks (31-28), blocks (12-4), and aces (7-2). Mexico committed 18 errors compared to Cuba’s 25.
Sofia Maldonado once again led Mexico’s offense and was the only player to reach double digits, finishing with 17 points. Karina Flores added 9 points, including a match-high 5 blocks. Whitney James led Cuba with 9 points.
Mexico’s captain Jocelyn Urías spoke about the comeback in the third set: “I stayed calm, I knew what I had to do on the court and that I needed to stay focused. We were very solid. It feels great to come from behind and win. As a team, we made a mental shift.”
Cuba’s top scorer Whitney James said: “In the third set we focused on minimizing errors and tried to extend the match. Mexico stayed technically sound, they did a good job with their serving and took advantage of our struggles.”
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 17, 2025.– Defending champion Guatemala overcame a rough start to defeat Panama 3-1 (20-25, 25-13, 25-23, 25-20), earning their first victory in the highly competitive Pool A of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship.
Guatemala did not play on the tournament’s opening day but now adds an important win ahead of their match against Belize to close the group stage.
Panama, meanwhile, holds a record of one win and one loss, with one foot already in the semifinals, but must wait for the result of the match between Guatemala and Belize to determine the standings of Pool A.
For Guatemala, José Pérez led the offense with 21 points, while Yeferson Zavala and Jerry Durán each contributed 16 points.
GUA vs PAN
Wen Downer spearheaded Panama’s attack with 14 points, followed by Víctor Pérez with 13 and Víctor Araúz with 12.
The difference in the match was Guatemala’s offense, which collectively scored 60 points compared to Panama’s 45. Both teams were even in blocking points with 9-9. Guatemala had a slight edge in service points 3-2, but committed more unforced errors, 25 to Panama’s 23.
After the match, Guatemala’s team captain Jerry Durán said: “We struggled a bit at the start, losing the first set, but we managed to keep our rhythm and take the victory. We will play fewer matches in Group A, but the teams are very strong, so we have to give everything in every game to get the win.”
Panama’s captain Víctor Pérez commented: “We had a very close match. Guatemala is a team that knows how to play well; they move the ball very well. We didn’t achieve the goal we wanted, but we still have to keep fighting to make Panama proud.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 17, 2025. – Puerto Rico swept Canada 3-0 (25-14, 25-12, 25-19) to capture their second victory at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Puerto Rico improved its record to 2-1, while Canada remains winless at 0-3. The top four teams will advance to the crossover semifinals. On day three of the tournament, Puerto Rico will face Cuba and Canada will take on the Dominican Republic.
Puerto Rico was dominant from start to finish. In the first set, they built an 18-9 lead with key blocks from Alba Hernández. Decelise Champion, Valeria Vázquez, and Paola Santiago were also instrumental in giving the Caribbean side a strong start.
In the second set, Puerto Rico kept their momentum, with Diana Reyes and Dariana Hollingsworth joining the offense. On Canada’s side, Emma Boyd responded with a couple of powerful swings.
Puerto Rico celebrates
Canada fought hard in the third set, taking an 11-9 lead with Gabrielle Attieh and Grace Calnan joining Boyd to stop Puerto Rico’s offense. Willmarie Rivera and Champion blocked Maryn Boldon to even the score at 12. Canada regained a two-point lead (17-15) with Raya Surinx on the attack, but Puerto Rico responded once again, tying the set at 17. The closing points went Puerto Rico’s way: Adriana Rodríguez blocked Boyd, Hollingsworth added a kill and another block over Boyd, and Rodríguez sealed the sweep with a final attack.
Puerto Rico’s blocking advantage (13-3) proved decisive, along with 24 Canadian errors compared to just 9 of their own. Puerto Rico also led in attacks (34-30) and edged Canada in service points (4-3).
Decelise Champion led Puerto Rico with 12 points, while Emma Boyd scored 10 for Canada – the only two players reaching double figures.
Decelise Champion said about the win: “We were really determined in the first two sets; we had a good rhythm of play. I believe in the third set our rhythm was lower because we were a bit too confident, but we bounced back to get the win. Today we did well in defense, we scored on good attacks and our blocks did good”.
Attieh Gabrielle, outside hitter of Canada said about leading the third set: “In the third set we were very determined to finish the game giving our all and our heart, no matter what the score was. In that set we saw the true versions of ourselves. We’re hoping that next time we can begin like that from the beginning, because we showed a lot of good things; we just need to be consistent. Our blocking definitely put Puerto Rico out of system”.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 17, 2025. – Punta Cana will host the NORCECA Qualifier Tournament for the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship, taking place from September 19 to 21, where the best pairs from the region will compete to secure their spot at the world event.
A total of twelve teams per gender will compete for the four available berths per gender that NORCECA will award for the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship, scheduled for November 14-23 in Adelaide, Australia.
According to competition regulations, the participating teams correspond to the top twelve positions in the NORCECA ranking as of December 31, 2024:
Women: United States, Canada, Guatemala, Nicaragua, U.S. Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, El Salvador, and Cayman Islands.
Men: United States, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad & Tobago.
If any country does not confirm its participation in the event, it will be replaced by the next team in the NORCECA ranking.
This event in Punta Cana represents the final opportunity for NORCECA countries to secure their participation on the biggest stage of international beach volleyball.
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 17, 2025. – The United States continued its winning streak at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, defeating defending champions Dominican Republic 3-1 (25-12, 21-25, 25-20, 25-13) on Wednesday night at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
USA improves to 3-0 and sits atop the standings, while the Dominican Republic falls to 1-2. The top four teams from the round-robin phase will advance to the semifinals. On Thursday, the USA will face Mexico, while the Dominican Republic will meet Canada in a crucial matchup.
The Americans started the match on fire, building a commanding 14-6 lead thanks to the offensive trio of Norah Sis, Kendall Kipp, and setter Ella Powell. Middle blocker Emily Thater anchored the defense with key blocks, while the USA capitalized on Dominican errors to comfortably take the opening set. Alondra Tapia and Madeline Guillén led the Dominican offense but were unable to close the gap.
Kendall Kipp-USA
The Caribbean squad responded in the second set, showcasing improved blocking from Florangel Terrero and taking a 19-15 lead behind the attacking power of Massiel Matos. Tapia blocked Claire Chaussee, and Guillén fired a decisive kill to put the Dominicans ahead 23-19, eventually sealing the set to even the match 1-1.
The third set was tightly contested up to16-all before the USA surged ahead with two Chaussee kills and a pair of Dominican errors. Khori Louis added to the offense, and Chaussee brought up match point at 24-17. Despite a late rally by the Dominicans with a kill and block from Geraldine González, Skylar Fields closed the set with a powerful kill for a 2-1 USA lead.
The Americans dominated the fourth set, opening an eight-point advantage (18-10) with contributions from Louis, Kipp, and Thater at the net. Maintaining control throughout, the USA closed the match in commanding fashion to stay undefeated.
Dominican Republic’s 33 unforced errors proved decisive in the outcome, compared to just 10 by the United States. The Americans also held a slight edge in attacks (48-46) and service points (5-4), while both teams were even with 10 points from blocks.
Kendall Kipp led the U.S. offense with 18 points, followed by Khori Louis with 16 and Claire Chaussee with 11. Madeline Guillén topped all scorers with 22 points for the Dominican Republic, supported by Massiel Matos with 13 and Alondra Tapia with 12.
After the match, Kendall Kipp praised her team’s resilience, saying, “Dominican Republic put up a really good fight and challenged us in a lot of ways. We struggled with a few things at times, but we made adjustments on the block – we started reacting better to where they were attacking and tightened up our defensive plays. Those little adjustments made the difference.”
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 17, 2025.– Nicaragua defeated El Salvador 3-1 (25-14, 25-18, 18-25, 25-18) to secure one of the two semifinal spots at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship, improving their record to 2-0 in Pool B play.
Nicaragua still has one match left against Costa Rica in the final day of pool play, a duel that will determine the first-place finisher in the group.
El Salvador, winless in two outings, will face Honduras on the last day of pool play to determine the remaining Pool B positions.
Fernando Lira NCA
It was not an easy match for the Salvadoran side, who took time to find their best rhythm.
Nicaragua outperformed El Salvador in attack points 49-44 and blocking 10-7, while both teams were tied in service points 2-2.
El Salvador’s efforts were caught up by unforced errors, committing 32 compared to Nicaragua’s 22.
Jesy Umaña led Nicaragua’s offense with 23 points, supported by Yader León with 14 points.
For El Salvador, Abner Cano was the top scorer with 20 points, followed by Andrés Reyes with 12.
After the win, Nicaraguan team captain Josué Blandón said: “We are happy with this result. Even though El Salvador was a tough team, we were able to get the victory a bit more comfortably. Our coach made the necessary changes when the match got complicated for us, and honestly, our bench did its job to secure the win.”
Meanwhile, El Salvador captain Andrés Reyes commented: “We knew the match against Nicaragua was very important, especially after losing our first one. At the beginning, we started off discouraged and with little focus, but when we managed to win the third set, the team’s spirit was lifted. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make things work, and we lost the last set because of some small mistakes we made.
September 17, 2025.- The United States knocked Cuba out of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in the Philippines. In the last Pool D match in Pasay City on Wednesday, the Americans beat the Caribbeans in four sets and left them third in the final pool standings on a 1-2 win-loss record.
Portugal, who finished pool runners-up with 2-1, will join undefeated USA in the eight finals. The squad from southwestern Europe will face Pool E winners, Bulgaria, for a spot in the quarterfinals, while USA will meet Slovenia on September 22 at 8PM (local time).
The Americans took the first two sets of the match, enough to secure the first place in the pool. With their backs against the wall, the Cubans started mounting a comeback. In set three, they were denied the first five of six consecutive set points, but on the sixth, they managed to close the set.
Cooper Robinson USA
A similar story unfolded in set four, but this time Cuba failed to hold on to the advantage they had at 23-19. They also failed to convert the set point they reached at 24-23 as USA dramatically turned the course of the set around to a 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 23-25, 27-25) victory, with outside hitter Cooper Robinson nailing the match winner.
Robinson emerged as the best scorer of the match with 14 points. He spiked 13 points at a 59% success rate and added a kill block to his tally. These were the two elements the Americans performed better than the Cubans – 61-45 in spike kills and 13-10 in kill blocks. Their outside Jordan Ewert (two blocks and a 71% success rate in attack) and opposite Gabriel Garcia (two aces, two blocks and a 62% success rate in attack) also reached the double digits with 12 points apiece.
“We knew that Cuba needed this game. We knew Cuba was going to come out firing on all cylinders. But we were also on the edge. It was a great game for us. All 14 guys came in the court and did their job. I think we still have a lot of learning, a lot of growing up to do, but for us to pull out this win the way we did was pretty impressive,” Gabi Garcia told VBTV. “Being ready at all moments here at this World Championship is going to be important for all of us.”
Before exiting the tournament with grace, Cuba did better than USA in serving by 6-3 in aces and in precision by 23-28 in unforced errors. Their middle blocker Javier Octavio Concepcion attacked at a 67% success rate and raised four kill blocks to finish with a total of 12 points and share the team’s leading scorer honors with opposite Jose Israel Masso, who put away two blocks and an ace. Star middle Robertlandy Simon registered a 70% success rate in spiking and also reached the double digits with 10 points, including three blocks.
September 17, 2025.- Türkiye defeated Canada in the last game of the pool stage at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in the Philippines and finished as the undefeated leader of the final Pool G standings.
This Wednesday in Quezon City, the Turks defeated Canada in straight sets, who also advanced to the Round of 16 as pool runners-up with a record of two victories and one loss.
Now the Canadians will face on September 20 at 8 PM (local time) in the Round of 16 Poland, a team they have faced twice, the first in the 2006 World Championship in the Pool Stage with a 0-3 loss, and the second in 2010, also with a 0-3 loss.
Block CAN
Türkiye achieved a convincing 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 27-25) victory over Canada, eighth in the world. With this result, the European team took away 16.59 ranking points from their rivals and moved three positions up to number 13, while Canada fell to ninth place.
Türkiye outperformed Canada in attack with 43-28 in successful spikes, which marked the big difference in this match. The European team also committed fewer unforced errors: 19 against 24 from the North Americans. Opposite Adis Lagumdzija led with 15 points, all in spikes, with a 71% success rate. Outside hitter Efe Mandiraci registered a 55% success rate in spikes and added one ace for a total of 12 points. He was the one who scored the winning point in the intense overtime of the third set.
Canada did not fall without a fight. In fact, they outperformed the Turks in serving with 8-3 in aces and matched them in net defense with seven kill blocks each. Opposite Sharone Vernon-Evans (three aces, two blocks), middle blocker Fynnian McCarthy (three aces, one block), and outside hitter and captain Nicholas Hoag (two aces, one block) were the top scorers of their team with eight points each.
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 16, 2025. – Mexico rallied after dropping the opening set to defeat Canada 3-1 (21-25, 25-11, 25-17, 25-20) and remain unbeaten at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
Mexico now stands at 2-0, while Canada falls to 0-2. On day three of the event, Mexico (2-0) will face Cuba (1-1) and Canada (0-2) will take on Puerto Rico (1-1).
Canada jumped to an early 10-4 lead in the first set behind Emma Boyd’s offense and Veronica Dickson’s tough serving. Despite Mexico’s efforts, including a late surge led by Sofía Maldonado and Uxue Guereca, Canada held firm and sealed the set with a kill from Isabella Noble.
Mexico responded with a commanding performance in the second set, racing to a 6-1 lead and never looking back. Arleth Márquez was dominant at the net, while Aime Topete contributed crucial points as Mexico evened the match in emphatic fashion.
Gabrielle Attieh-CAN
The third set saw a tight start, but Mexico surged ahead 11-6 by finding gaps in Canada’s defense. Middle blocker Karina Flores joined Maldonado and Topete to keep Mexico in control. Despite a late Canadian rally led by Maryn Boldon, Gabrielle Attieh, and Boyd, Mexico closed the set with strong plays from Topete and Michelle Lizárraga.
Canada once again took the lead early in the fourth set (10-6), with Noble, Attieh, and Sydney Grills powering the offense. Mexico fought back with Maldonado and Topete to tie the score at 10. Samantha Bricio came off the bench and delivered a crucial ace to give Mexico a two-point edge (20-18). Flores added a key attack, and two Canadian errors sealed the victory for the home team.
Mexico dominated in attacks (50-35) and aces (8-3), while Canada led in blocks (10-8). Mexico handed out 25 points on unforced errors compared to Canada’s 30.
Sofía Maldonado once again led Mexico with 15 points (11 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace), followed by Aime Topete with 13 (12 kills, 1 ace) and Uxue Guereca with 12. Canada was led by Emma Boyd and Maryn Boldon with 11 points each.
Emma Boyd , Canada’s team captain and leading scorer: “In the first set we answered well from yesterday focusing on our details and executing on our game plan and I think we did a really good job at that. We knew the crowd was going to be super loud and that was energizing tonight. It was really fun volleyball. The last set was tight up to the end and then a couple of unfortunate errors ended it. It was wonderful competition tonight”.
Sofía Maldonado, Mexico’s top scorer: “At the beginning, we didn’t follow the coach’s instructions that well. We recovered from losing the first set by being more organized and improving our communication. The second set was very solid; we were all on the same page. Now we face Cuba, we need to stay mentally strong, and we will prepare for that.”
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 16, 2025.– Panama earned an important victory against a tough Belize team, 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 27-25), in the stellar match of the day, which opened Pool A action at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship.
Panama capitalized on its advantage in blocking (9-3) and serving (8-1). Belize led in attack points (42-32) but could not find the balance to turn the final result around.
The key to Panama’s victory were the 28 points they scored off Belize’s unforced errors, compared to only 13 of their own.
For Panama, Víctor Araúz and Kendrieck Newby finished with 11 points each, supported by Víctor Pérez who contributed 10 points.
Belize’s main offensive weapon was Kaelen Ingram with 22 points, but he received little support, with Eleazar Mejía being the team’s second-best scorer with 9 points.
Following the win, Panama’s coach Horacio Angulo said: “We knew that Belize is a very strong team, we were aware of what they could bring to this match, so we tried to work on our serving and consistency from the our outside hitters. This is definitely the ‘group of death,’ so every win is crucial. We know Guatemala’s trajectory, and the teams in the other group have their own strengths as well. For us, it’s about taking it one match at a time to try to reach the final.”
Meanwhile, Belize’s coach Albert Humes commented: “It was a very tough match, the players gave their best effort, but we must recognize that Panama did a great job. Now we must try to do things better in our next match.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 16, 2025. – Puerto Rico earned its first victory at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six with a dominant 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-22) sweep over defending champions Dominican Republic on Tuesday night at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
With the win, Puerto Rico evened its record to 1-1, while Dominican Republic also stands at 1-1. The top four teams at the conclusion of round-robin play will advance to the crossover semifinals. Next, Puerto Rico will face Canada and the Dominican Republic goes against the United States.
Puerto Rico’s well-balanced offense, led by Diana Reyes, Valeria Vázquez, and Decelise Champion, powered them to a comfortable first-set win. Strong blocking and aggressive serving disrupted the Dominican system, keeping the reigning champions under pressure from the start.
In the second set, Puerto Rico jumped to a commanding 16-9 lead, fueled by Champion’s blocking presence and timely kills. Despite strong attacking from Florangel Terrero and Alondra Tapia, Puerto Rico held firm, with Alba Hernández’s block on Tapia and Reyes’ attack against Angélica Hinojosa closing out the set.
Annalee Champion-PUR
The third set remained tight until 5-all, when Puerto Rico pulled ahead with a combination of Santiago’s tip, a setter kill from Wilmarie Rivera, and a Dominican error to lead 8-5. Terrero’s blocking and a late surge from Madeline Guillén kept the Dominican squad close, but Vázquez and Paola Santiago pushed Puerto Rico to a 22-19 advantage. Vázquez sealed the win with a decisive kill against Samaret Caraballo’s block.
Puerto Rico led in every scoring category: attacks (36-33), blocks (9-6), and aces (4-1), while also capitalizing on 26 Dominican errors compared to just 14 of their own.
Valeria Vázquez and Decelise Champion topped Puerto Rico’s scoring with 11 points each, including four blocks from Champion. Diana Reyes added 10 points. Madeline Guillén was the only Dominican player in double figures, leading all scorers with 16 points.
Valeria Vázquez, Puerto Rico’s top scorer: “Against Mexico yesterday we didn’t have a good serve, and today that was the key to our victory. Everyone who stepped up to the service line focused on putting pressure on the Dominican Republic. Winning in three sets gives us greater confidence. Tomorrow we can’t let our guard down.”
Madeline Guillén, Dominican Republic’s top scorer: “The coach had to make changes to our lineup because we had poor reception. We tried to do our best to get a good result. We improved in some aspects, but it wasn’t enough. We need to train our serve and reception better for the upcoming matches.”
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 16, 2025. – Costa Rica delivered a convincing performance, earning their first victory against El Salvador 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-20) in Pool B action on the opening day of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Men’s Championship.
Costa Rica was consistent throughout the match, even though El Salvador stayed close on the scoreboard in all three sets but without seriously threatening their opponent.
The Costa Ricans relied on their superior blocking, leading 11-8, and were dominant from the service line 8-2, while also edging El Salvador in attacks 34-32. In points from unforced errors, El Salvador gave up 22 compared to Costa Rica’s 19.
Costa Rica celebrates
Offensively, four Costa Rican players reached double digits, led by Yulius Brown with 14 points, followed by Stanley Grant with 12, Ignacio Sánchez with 11, and Jeremy Vanega with 10.
For El Salvador, Gustavo Ortiz was the top scorer with 13 points, supported by Abner Cano with 12 and Andrés Reyes with 11.
Costa Rica’s head coach, César Salas, said after the win: “We are very pleased with the team’s performance. What we had planned before the match was executed to the letter, although there are a few minor things to correct. The team showed good blocking, very effective serving, and a solid attack – all our tools worked. Now we just have to keep growing in this tournament.”
Meanwhile, El Salvador’s head coach Andrea Genova stated: “We knew we were going up against the strongest team in the group. Despite that, we played well in our first match. We know the crossover matches are key to achieving a good result, so we must focus on the games against Nicaragua and Honduras.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 16, 2025. – The United States overcame a tough challenge from Cuba, earning a five-set victory 3-2 (25-20, 16-25, 25-18, 22-25, 15-10) to move to 2-0 at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, taking place at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
The match was a roller-coaster battle, featuring powerful swings and strong blocking from both squads, with momentum shifting throughout the contest.
In the opening set, two monster blocks from Laura Suárez and a strong start by Dayana Martínez gave Cuba early momentum. The score stayed tight until key blocks from Emily Thater and late Cuban errors allowed the U.S. to close out the set.
Cuba responded in the second set, overcoming a three-point deficit (10-13) thanks to Whitney James’ efforts, taking a 17-14 lead and eventually leveling the match 1-1 behind Suárez’s offensive production.
The U.S. regained control in the third set, building a four-point advantage (13-9) with attacks by Samantha Francis and dominating from the service line (3-0 in aces for the set). Despite strong kills from Lisania Grafort, Team USA stayed ahead to go up 2-1.
USA celebrates
Cuba fought back in the fourth, surging to a 20-14 lead behind Grafort’s blocking and strong serving from Lysbeysis Hernández. The U.S. cut the deficit to one point (22-23) with Madison Kubik and Claire Chaussee scoring, but two decisive plays from Suárez – a kill and a block on Fields – forced a fifth set.
Cuba started strong in the tie-break, leading 5-1 with Yalian De La Peña playing a key role. The U.S. fought back to tie the score at 8-all behind Francis and Kubik’s net defense. Ella Powell’s serving pushed the U.S. to an 11-9 lead, and with a kill from Fields and a Cuban error, USA sealed the victory.
USA held the advantage in blocking (13-7) and service points (8-6), while Cuba led in kills (59-56). Both teams committed 26 unforced errors.
Madison Kubik and Skylar Fields led the U.S. scoring with 20 points each. Samantha Francis and Emily Thater added 10 apiece, with Thater registering a match-high five blocks. For Cuba, Yalain De La Peña scored 15 points, all on kills, followed by Suárez with 11 and Grafort with 10.
Next up, the United States faces the Dominican Republic, while Cuba takes on host Mexico.
Madison Kubik, Top scorer of USA: “I’m so proud of our fight, it was a great team win and maybe we didn’t play our best volleyball, but to win was really good for us. Cuba played a great match, they got very emotional, very passionate and they took a lot of great swings, so we definitely got a great battle”.
Aidachi Agüero, Cuba’s Libero: “Today there was more fighting spirit, more aggressiveness. There were moments when we lacked organization, but the most important thing is that we fought and gave our best until the very last minute.”
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 16, 2025.– The Nicaraguan National Team came from behind to defeat Honduras in five sets (23-25, 22-25, 25-8, 25-12, 15-6), earning their first victory in Pool B action as the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship got underway.
Honduras started strong by taking the first two sets against a Nicaraguan squad that took time to find their best rhythm.
Nicaragua completed the comeback thanks to their superior attack, led by Yader León with 29 points, 27 on attacks and 2 from the service line.
Nicaragua celebra
Also contributing to Nicaragua’s offense were Jesy Umaña with 18 points and Josué Blandón with 16 points.
For Honduras, Jesús Montes was the only player to score in double digits, finishing with 14 points.
As a team, Nicaragua outperformed Honduras in attacks 69 to 33, and in service points 7-2. Honduras, however, had the advantage in blocks 9-3. Both teams were almost even in points from unforced errors, with Nicaragua conceding 32 and Honduras 31.
Following the victory, Nicaragua’s head coach Jorge Mena said: “The first two sets were very tough; the team made a lot of mistakes, and that hurt us. But we managed to make the necessary adjustments to turn things around and win the next three sets. We knew that losing this match would have greatly reduced our chances of advancing.”
Meanwhile, Honduras’ head coach Miguel Pagoaga explained: “We started very well, surprising everyone by winning the first two sets, but then the players struggled with reception. We have no choice but to work on improving those weaknesses for the next match. Reception errors and poor blocking positioning hurt us a lot.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 15, 2025. – Mexico thrilled the home crowd by opening the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six with a dramatic 3-2 (25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 20-25, 15-8) victory over Puerto Rico on Monday night at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
The highly competitive round-robin tournament brings together the region’s top six teams, with the best four advancing to the crossover semifinals.
Sofía Maldonado was Mexico’s driving force from the start, leading the offense to secure the first set. Paola Santiago and Decelise Champion responded for Puerto Rico, but Samantha Bricio’s strong serving and attack helped Mexico take control of the second set, building a 15-10 lead. Despite Puerto Rico’s late rally—sparked by Neira Ortiz’s stellar performance at the net and capitalizing on Mexico’s errors—the hosts closed it out to go up 2-0.
Sofia Maldonado-MEX
Puerto Rico refused to go quietly, storming back to take the next two sets. The visitors came from behind in the third, with Valeria Vázquez hammering down the set point. In the fourth, despite Mexico’s efforts to erase a five-point deficit, Puerto Rico maintained their pressure behind Vázquez, Diana Reyes, and Ortiz to force a deciding set.
In the tiebreaker, Mexico regained its composure and dominated, racing to a comfortable 15-8 finish. Maldonado and Bricio led the way as the home fans celebrated an emotional opening win.
Mexico outperformed Puerto Rico in attacks (57-49) and serves (7-3), while Puerto Rico led in blocking (14-11) and committed fewer errors (33-35).
Maldonado led all scorers with 25 points (21 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace), followed by Bricio with 19 (15 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces) and Melanie Parra with 15 (11 kills, 1 block, 3 aces). For Puerto Rico, Vázquez, Reyes, and Champion each scored 13 points, while Ortiz added 12, including a match-high six blocks.
Mexico (1-0) will face Canada (0-1) on day two of the tournament, while Puerto Rico (0-1) takes on the Dominican Republic (1-0).
Jocelyn Urías, Mexico’s Captain: “Games against Puerto Rico are always intense. I feel we won the fifth set because we were very hungry for it; it really hurt not being able to close the match in three sets. In the last set, we couldn’t allow the loss or let Puerto Rico gain momentum when we had been controlling the rhythm of the game, so we came in with a lot of energy.”
Shara Venegas, Puerto Rico’s Captain: “We are a very physically strong team, and we were ready to play more sets, and I think that’s why we were able to come back from being two sets down, plus the rivalry we always have with Mexico gives us the adrenaline to keep going. I love playing against Mexico. They were able to finish at the end, and we were missing a bit more offense and couldn’t close, unlike the fourth set where we managed to do it.”
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 15, 2025. – The United States delivered a blocking masterclass, outscoring Canada 14-1 at the net, to sweep their opening match of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six 3-0 (25-13, 25-11, 25-20) at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
The round-robin tournament features the top six teams in the region, with the four best-ranked advancing to crossover semifinals.
Team USA jumped to a quick 14-6 lead in the first set, with middle blocker Samantha Francis setting the tone by creating a wall at the net. The Americans built an even larger advantage in the second set, behind the offensive power of opposite Kendall Kipp and outside hitter Norah Sis.
Canada showed more resistance in the third set, led by Emma Boyd and Madyson Saris, keeping the score close until point 16. The U.S. pulled away despite Canada denying three match points before closing out the sweep.
USA and CAN battle the ball over the net
The United States dominated the North American clash, holding significant advantages in kills (39-21), blocks (14-1), and aces (6-4). Errors were nearly even (USA 17, Canada 16).
Samantha Francis led the scoring for the USA with 12 points (7 kills, 5 blocks), followed by Kipp and Sis with 11 points each — Kipp with 6 blocks and Sis producing all 11 points on kills. Reagan Cooper contributed 10 points. Raya Surinx led Canada with 6 points.
Next, the United States (1-0) will face Cuba (0-1), while Canada (0-1) will take on host Mexico in their second match.
Kamerynn Miner, Team USA captain: “For us it was just about minimizing the nerves and making sure our communication was good with each other. Everything went really nice, it all comes to serves-pass and we did a great job in doing that. We’ve been doing so much work back home, blocking especially out of system and I think it looked great out there tonight, our pins were setting up great and our middles posing great, so it was a team effort”.
Emma Boyd, Team Canada captain: “The U.S. is a really strong competitor, they played a really clean game. There are some areas we need to work on for the rest of the tournament. It’s the first game and this doesn’t dictate what the rest of the tournament is going to look for us. You’re either winning or learning, so this is a learning experience for us. We’re excited to come back tomorrow and show up to play against Mexico”.
September 15, 2025.- The United States became the fourth national team guaranteed in the Round of 16 of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Monday, when they secured their second victory in the tournament’s Pool D at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, in Pasay City.
With six points earned and no sets dropped, the Americans are the first national team qualified in Pool D.
The Americans joined continental rivals Canada and European sides Bulgaria and Türkiye among the first teams qualified for the elimination rounds thanks to a 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-17) victory over Portugal in their second match in the tournament.
Gabriel Garcia USA
The USA’s second sweep in the tournament has them at the top of the Pool D standings with six points and, with that, they can no longer be caught by either Colombia, who have no points or wins, or Portugal, who could match the Americans’ six points and two wins in the third round, but would still be behind in the set ratio tie-breaker. With that, the Europeans will dispute the second spot in the Round of 16 with Cuba, which earlier on Monday defeated Colombia 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-20).
Gabriel Garcia and Jordan Ewert were the most important pieces in the American offense against the Portuguese, registering 12 points each – the opposite had eight kills, two blocks and two aces, while the outside hitter had 11 kills and one block. Outside hitter Ethan Champlin added another ten, with eight kills and two aces.
“We knew that Portugal had a good side-out game, they’re a crafty team with a lot of different shots, so we focused a lot on our blocking and defense today,” libero Erik Shoji analyzed. “Our transition game wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to get us the points we needed to win the match. We won the first two matches now and continue to improve every day, so that’s great.”
USA celebrates
On the Portuguese side, outside hitter Lourenço Martins was the most productive with 12 points (ten kills, one block, one ace). Opposite, José Pinto contributed nine, all in kills.
The ten-point gap in opponent errors (23 to 13) was, indeed, the biggest difference in favor of the Americans, who also outscored the Portuguese in kills (40 to 36) and blocks (eight to five) – each team fired four aces.
Pool D’s match schedule will be completed in Pasay City on Wednesday, with Portugal playing Colombia at 10:00 local time and NORCECA rivals the United States and Cuba meeting later, at 17:30.
September 15, 2025.- Things cleared up in Pool G of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in the Philippines and revealed the shocking truth that big pool favorites Japan will have to pack up at the end of the first stage of the competition. Canada and Türkiye will be the two teams from this pool to compete in the eighth finals.
Canada inflicted a second straight-set defeat on Japan in Quezon City on Monday. Earlier in the day, Türkiye also took their second victory by beating Libya.
Sharone Vernon-Evans CAN
With 10 kill blocks against two and 40 kills in attack against 33, Canada outplayed Japan on the way to a stunning 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-22) shutout. With this emphatic victory, the North Americans grabbed as many as 16.32 ranking points from Japan and moved a spot up the FIVB World Ranking, to number eight, just below the Asian team, which still kept its seventh position.
Opposite Sharone Vernon-Evans (Sho) led Canada with a match-high 14 points, including the block-out hit that closed the game and got the Canadian party started. He registered a 52% success rate in attack and put away one ace and one kill block towards the victory. Outside hitter and captain Nicholas Hoag also fired one ace, to which he added 12 spike kills at a 60% success rate to sign off with 13 points.
Nicholas Hoag CAN
“We are over the moon, for sure. Qualifying to the playoffs is a huge step. That was our goal, and we knew, coming into this match, we had a real opportunity to do that, so I am glad. The fight in the guys – you could just feel it from the start once we got here that we were on it and we just never let up. It’s amazing!” Sho told VBTV. “We will all be ready to go to fight Turkey for first place.”
Japan managed to outserve Canada by 7-3 in aces, with outside hitter Ran Takahashi and opposite Kento Miyaura each authoring two of those. They both reached double digits with a total of 11 and 10 points, respectively. The other three aces were delivered by star outside and captain Yuki Ishikawa.
The last two Pool G games, between Canada and Turkiye (2.00 PM Local Time) for first place in the pool, and between Japan and Libya for first win and third place, are set to be played on Wednesday, September 17.
September 15, 2025.- Cuba responded strongly to an unexpected first-round group stage defeat to Portugal and dominated Colombia on Monday to secure their first victory at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship and keep their hopes of advancing to the Round of 16 very much alive.
The Caribbeans opened the fourth day of matches in the Philippines with a duel against debutants Colombia and used their greater experience to handle the pressure in what was a do-or-die match for them, prevailing 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-20) at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The three points obtained with the sweep against the South Americans have placed Cuba alongside Portugal in the Pool D standings.
Cuba celebrates
Inserted into Cuba’s starting lineup after the loss to Portugal, outside hitter Osniel Melgarejo led his team against the Colombians with 14 points (12 kills, one block, one ace). Opposite José Masso tallied 12 (nine kills, two blocks, one ace) and outside hitter Marlon Yant contributed 11 (ten kills, one block).
“We want to stay humble and face every opponent as if they were the best team in the world,” middle blocker Javier Concepción reflected. “We saw what happened in our first match, and we’re focused on not getting too confident and preparing well for each game because every team here is dangerous. We needed to win today, and we just pushed hard and gave our best.”
Opposite Miguel Ángel Amaranto was the only Colombian player to reach double digits, leading all scorers with 18 points (16 kills, one block, one ace).
Cuba’s recipe for defeating Colombia and securing their first World Championship victory was outscoring their opponents both in kills (43 to 31) and blocks (seven to six). Each team landed three aces, and the number of errors was similar, with the Cubans giving away 23 points and the Colombians 22.
Cuba plays against the United States on September 17th at 5:30 PM (local time).
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 15, 2025.- With the presence of seven well-prepared squads and a new competition format, the battle for the title at the VII AFECAVOL Central American Men’s U23 Championship is shaping up to be a very exciting one as the event kicks off this September 16.
The teams from Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama have declared themselves ready for action after completing all documentation during the preliminary interviews held before the start of the matches.
Guatemala, Belize, and Panama are in Pool A, while Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras will battle in Pool B. After the group stage, the top finishers in each pool will advance to cross-over semifinals, while the remaining teams will compete for final ranking positions.
Belize’s head coach, Albert Humus, stated: “This event is very important for Belize, our goal is to win a medal and thereby improve our level in this category. We definitely ended up in the ‘group of death.”
Belize
Guatemala’s assistant coach, Luis Fernando Castañeda, said: “Our goal is always to try to perform well and fight for the championships in every competition. Our athletes have been competing internationally, which is very helpful because it allows us to arrive with plenty of match experience. We know that all the teams in this event are strong, and both groups that were formed are challenging.”
Guatemala
Honduras’ head coach, Miguel Pagoaga, added: “We trained for eight months, so our assessment of the team is very positive. We came to this competition with a young team, a U21 category group, but one that has prepared very well. We believe our pool is quite manageable with chances to advance, but it will all depend on the players’ effort on the court.”
Honduras
El Salvador’s head coach, Andrea Genova, mentioned: “For this competition, our expectation is to learn a lot from the tournament because we will be presenting a very young and renewed team. We were fortunate to end up in a group of four; we believe we can take advantage of the cross-over matches, but our goal is to deliver a good performance.”
El Salvador
Regarding the goals of the host team, Panama’s head coach, Horacio Angulo, stated: “As hosts, we seek to prepare well to try to reach the podium. We have a structured team with players from two categories who have done a good job in previous tournaments, so it is a group that knows each other well and includes players of good caliber. We will go game by game with this new format, and we hope things go well for us.”
Panama
Nicaragua’s head coach, Jorge Mena, explained: “Our expectation, as in every championship, is to aim for a medal. In our pool we face Costa Rica, Honduras, and El Salvador. We have a chance to advance but cannot underestimate our opponents. Our goal is to reach the next round and fight in the semifinals to reach the top.”
Nicaragua
Regarding Costa Rica’s participation, head coach César Salas stated: “Our main goal is to fight for the title. We want to work responsibly and come out strong with this group of players we brought. In our group, all the teams are tough, they are teams that work well. We will not underestimate any of them, we will play hard in each match and try to qualify for the next stage convincingly.”
ST. JOHNS Antigua & Barbuda, September 15, 2025. – The Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) is thrilled to announce the first edition of the highly anticipated 2025 ECVA Men’s and Women’s Final 4 Tournaments, taking place in the stunning twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. This event will showcase the region’s top four volleyball talents from ECVA member islands which continues to foster regional unity through sports.
The Tournament will be held over 2 weekends at the YMCA, in St John’s Antigua and will be played under the FIVB Official Rules of the Game at the time of the tournament. The Champion Team has the opportunity to represent the ECVA at the NORCECA Pan American Cup in 2026.
Host country Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Lucia and Grenada will compete in the Men’s Final 4 event running from September 19-21. For the Women’s Final 4 event, Bermuda, Grenada and Saint Lucia join Antigua and Barbuda, competing from September 26-28.
Speaking with Glenn Quinlan, ECVA President ahead of the tournament he indicated that this is the first year the Final 4 Tournament is being held and he is looking forward to a very exciting and competitive tournament which showcases the top 4 teams in the ECVA region.
Fans can look forward to a series of electrifying matches featuring intense rivalries and exceptional talents. Matches begin at 6:00p.m local time with 2 matches on opening day Friday and Saturday features 4 matches, 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. The tournament format is a round robin, where each team plays the other and on the final day, Sunday, will see the top 2 teams battle for the championship, vice champion as well as the 3rd and 4th place medal matches.
Each match will be crucial, as teams vie for the title of ECVA champion.
Beyond the volleyball action, attendees will have the chance to immerse themselves in the rich culture of Antigua and Barbuda, local cuisine and music, which will provide an excitement to the tournament.
The tournaments will be covered by ECVA Media Team, ensuring that fans both locally and internationally can follow the action. Live streaming options will be available for those unable to attend in person.
For more information, updates, and schedules visit our official website at ecvolleyball.comor follow ECVA on social media: Facebook @ECVA-Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association, Instagram @ecva.volleyball.
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 15, 2025. – The Dominican Republic opened the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six with a straight set 3-0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-21) victory over Cuba at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
The round-robin tournament features the top six teams in the region, with the four best-ranked squads advancing to crossover semifinals.
The Dominicans’ aggressive serving set the tone early, pressuring Cuba’s reception and cruising through the first set. The second set was a much tighter battle, but the Dominican Republic maintained composure in the key points to take a two-set lead. In the third, strong blocking allowed “Las Reinas del Caribe” to stay in control despite a late push from Cuba.
Alondra Tapia-DOM
The Dominican Republic dominated in kills (38-26), blocks (12-5), and aces (9-3), though they committed more unforced errors (26-16).
Opposite hitter Alondra Tapia led all scorers with 19 points (14 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces), followed by outside hitter Madeline Guillén with 15 points (10 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces). Dezirett Madan was Cuba’s top performer with 9 points.
Next up, the Dominican Republic will face Puerto Rico, while Cuba meets the United States in day two action.
Camila De la Rosa, Captain of the Dominican Republic: “We are a group that has known each other since the youth categories, our chemistry is good, but it had been a long time since we last played together. We had studied Cuba and tried to keep the match at our pace despite the ups and downs. In the end, we got the win.”
Laura Suárez, Middle Blocker of Cuba: “I don’t think it was a good start. We still have many matches left to keep moving forward, and I have faith in the team that we can improve our attitude and playing rhythm.”
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, September 14, 2025.- Alison McKay and Darby Dunn of Canada painted themselves with gold by winning the Gold Medal of the 8th stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Tour, held at the Flor Blanca beach stadium.
A high-class final was played on Sunday afternoon on Court 1 of the Flor Blanca Beach Stadium, with the victory in three sets 2-1 (21-19, 16-21, 15-8) for Canadians of Alison McKay and Darby Dunn, who defeated Kelly Belardi / Natalie Myszkowski of the United States.
This is the second medal of the season for Darby Dunn, she won the silver medal in Manzanillo alongside Mikayla Law-Heese.
McKay-Dunn reached the final thanks to their 2-0 (21-13, 21-9) victory in semifinals over Venezuelans Oriana Granadilla / Yonnielis Camacho, a match played in the morning.
All winners
Meanwhile, Americans Belardi-Myszkowski gave the surprise of the tournament by defeating in the semifinals the five-time champions, Puerto Ricans María González / Allanis Navas. The Americans came from behind to take the victory 15-21, 23-21, 17-15, in a thrilling match.
The Bronze medal match had no major complications for González-Navas of Puerto Rico, who defeated Venezuelans Oriana Granadilla / Yonnielis Camacho 2-0 (21-12, 21-15).
In placement matches, Dana Roskic / Katarina Pantovic took fifth place by defeating Natalia Girón / Paola Alvarado of Guatemala 2-0 (21-14, 21-14), while Mexicans Angélica Torres / María Jimena Ramírez defeated Katherine Quesada / Eugenia Ramírez of Costa Rica 2-0 (21-14, 21-14) for seventh place.
Nicaraguans Socorro López / Lolette Rodríguez finished nineth, who beat Dominicans Yari Cleto / Rosario Payano 2-0 (21-19, 21-15). The 11th place was decided between Sofía Vigil / Karla Tovar of El Salvador and Yulimar Alvarado / Danielle Resau of Nicaragua, with the Salvadorans winning 2-0 (21-16, 21-18).
13th place went to Honduras’ of Ruth Antonella Villegas / Shannia Rivera, who defeated El Salvador’s Michelle Guzmán / Donnina Argueta with a score of 2-1 (19-21, 21-19, 15-10). Mexicans Atenas Gutiérrez / Susana Torres, who withdrew from the tournament due to injury, finished last.
Final standings:
1. McKay/Dunn CAN 2. Belardi/Myszkowski USA 3. González/Navas PUR 4. Oriana/Yonnielis VEN 5. Roskic/Pantovic CAN 6. N. Girón/Alvarado GUA 7. Torres /Ramírez MEX 8. Quesada/Ramírez CRC 9. López/Lolette NCA 10. Cleto/Payano 11. Vigil/Tovar ESA 12. Alvarado/Resau NCA 13. Villegas/Rivera HON 14. Guzman/Donni ESA 15. Gutierrez/Torres MEX
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador. September 14, 2025.- Mexico’s number 1 pair, Sarabia/Osuna, conquered the Gold of the 8th stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Tour, held at the Flor Blanca beach stadium.
Miguel Sarabia and Jorman Osuna defeated Canadians of Martin Licht and Luke de Greeff in the grand finale with scores of 21-15 and 21-13. In semifinals, the Mexican duo had beaten Julián Araya / Jhostin Varela of Costa Rica 2-0 (21-16, 21-18).
For the duo Sarabia/Osuna, it is their fourth medal this year. In Juan Dolio they won their first Gold medal of the year, and in Puerto Cortés and Tamaulipas they achieved Bronze.
Miguel Sarabia said: “I am very happy, after the injury that kept me away from the courts for a few days, coming back and winning the Gold gives me a lot of confidence to keep being competitive, it is a very good step in this year.”
“Now our focus is on the World Championship qualifier in Punta Cana. It is a process that Jorman and I have experienced, with successes and learnings, so we are aware and confident that we are going to do very well in the world qualifier,” he pointed out with a smile.
Mens awards
Canadians Martin Licht and Luke de Greeff came this year with the goal of improving on the bronze medal obtained last year here in El Salvador, which they greatly surpassed by reaching the final in 2025 and taking the silver medal of the tournament.
Before the final, the now runners-up (Martin Licht / Luke de Greeff) had defeated Rouzbeh Rahnavard / Dylan Devecseri 2-0 (21-14, 21-18) in the All-Canadian semifinal.
Meanwhile, Araya/Varela of Costa Rica surprised a competitive Canadian pair Rahnavard/Devecseri to take the bronze by defeating the North Americans 2-0 (21-17, 21-16). This is the second time Araya/Varela have achieved bronze, the previous was last month in Manzanillo, Mexico.
In the placement matches:
For 5th place, Americans Gage Basey and Thomas Hurst defeated the Venezuelans Juliangel Zaid / Enyenser Delgado 2-0 (21-19, 21-19).
For 7th place, Christopher Guardado / Yoel Guardado of El Salvador defeated Rubén Mora / Dany López of Nicaragua 2-0 (21-18, 21-19). The fight for 9th place went to Mexico’s Inés Antonio Vargas / Carlos Andrés Ayala over Dominicans Francisco De Jesús / Antonio de Jesús 2-0 (21-17, 25-23).
Costa Rica’s Daniel Dyner / Victorio Esteban González took 11th place due to injury withdrawal of the Honduran pair Irvin Reyes / Manuel Serrano. For 13th place, Puerto Rico’s Cristian Encarnación / Diego Rosich defeated Guatemala’s Miguel Izaguirre / Santiago Penagos 2-0 (21-17, 21-19). The fight for 15th place was won by Bermuda’s Kyle Hamilton / Sean Tucker, who defeated Guatemala’s Fredy Luna / Jean Carlos Oliva 2-0 (21-19, 21-17).
Final standings:
1. Sarabia/Osuna MEX 2. Licht/de Greeff CAN 3. Araya/Varela CRC 4. Rahnavard/Devecseri CAN 5. Basey/Hurst USA 6. Juliangel/Esyenser VEN 7. Guardado C./Guardado Y. ESA 8. Mora/Lopez NCA 9. Lares/Carlos Andres MEX 10. De Jesus/De Jesus DOM 11. Dyner/Esteban CRC 12. Reyes/Serrano HON 13. Encarnacion/Rosich PUR 14. Izaguirre/Penagos GUA 15. Hamilton/Tucker VER 16. Luna/Oliva GUA 17. Vargas/Ponce ESA
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, September 13, 2025. – The North Central Volleyball Association (NCVA) held its annual meeting this Saturday, September 13, in Guadalajara, Mexico, on the occasion of the NORCECA Women’s Final Six tournament.
The session was chaired by Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, President of NORCECA, and Mark Eckert, CEO of Volleyball Canada and President of the Central Zone, who welcomed the attendees and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening volleyball high-level competition in the region.
Among the participants were the presidents of the NCVA member National Federations: John Speraw, CEO of USA Volleyball; Jesús Perales Navarro, President of the Mexican Volleyball Federation; Osvaldo Martínez, President of the Cuban Volleyball Federation; Ramón A. García, President of the Dominican Volleyball Federation; Dr. César Trabanco, President of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (virtually); and Mark Eckert of Canada.
Also present were Prof. Ariel Sainz Rodríguez, First Vice President of NORCECA, and Ms. Arateide Cáceres, General Manager of NORCECA.
The meeting addressed strategic topics for the future of volleyball in the zone, including updates to the criteria for awarding world ranking points considering zonal and confederation events, the constitution and current status of the NCVA, positions on the NORCECA Board of Administration, approval of the event calendars from 2026 to 2028 — including the beach volleyball calendar, age-group competitions, and the rotating host calendar — as well as the presentation of principles for multi-year host allocation.
Additionally, relevant topics were discussed such as the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Program and preparations for the bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Championship, emphasizing the importance of the region having representation in world-class events.
The session concluded with a call to continue working in a coordinated manner to promote the growth of volleyball in all its disciplines and to strengthen ties among the national federations.
GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 14, 2025.- Head Coaches from Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States spoke ahead of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six event running from September 15 to 21 in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Tournament ranking points for the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship, which is the Olympic Qualifier, in addition to world ranking points for the teams that do not compete in the Volleyball Nations League VNL.
Matthew Krueger, Canada’s Head Coach: “We’re excited to be back in Mexico, the tournaments have been great for us as a team and as a program. We’ve been very intentional with the things we’ve been working on from the last two competitions, we want to improve and see how we can get better. I’m looking forward to seeing how the last three weeks of practice will progress our team into this competition. We have players who are coming back from the U23 Pan Am Cup and the Senior Pan Am Cup, but some new athletes are here as well, which shows the depth of our program and excited to give them an opportunity”.
CAN
Luizomar De Moura, Cuba’s Head Coach: “It is a great pleasure to be here, in a high-level tournament. I hope that in this new process I am starting as head coach of the Cuban team, we can have a great competition. I wish good luck to all participants and hope that Cuba achieves success as well.”
CUB
Marcos Kwiek, Dominican Republic’s Head Coach: “We are coming with a very young group, a group with great potential, and we have high hopes that they will play at a good level because they have been working hard. I believe we can perform well.”
DOM
Nicola Negro, Mexico’s Head Coach: “This is the last competition of a rather long season, as always. We are coming from a very positive World Championship, and we want to continue building on our work — it’s one more step in our growth. This year marked the beginning of a new cycle, and we are progressing, so we hope to finish well.”
MEX
Juan Carlos Núñez, Puerto Rico’s Head Coach: “This is the last tournament of the year; it’s been a long summer with the same players, and we want to finish strong. It’s in our best interest to put on a good performance against the teams from which we can earn world ranking points. We want to finish in the best way possible and stay healthy. We are going to do our very best.”
PUR
Erik Sullivan, USA’s Head Coach: “Our team has more young players than players with a lot of experience with us. It’s an opportunity to give some people some experience and the opportunity to wear our jersey and compete for our country. In anything we compete we expect to win, that is our goal, but in the end, we’re excited to play a lot of matches in a short period of time which will help us to compete”.
San Salvador, El Salvador. September 13, 2025. – The two Canadian teams qualified for the semifinals of the 8th stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Tour, held at the Flor Blanca beach stadium, thus ensuring one spot in the tournament final, while Costa Rica and Mexico will play the other semifinal for the second spot.
In a vibrant duel between Central American countries, Costa Rica, with Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela, defeated the Guardado twins of El Salvador in two sets, with scores of 21-18 and 22-20.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s number one pair, Miguel Sarabia / Jorman Osuna, had to push themselves to the limit and recover after losing the first set, to finally defeat Venezuelans Juliangel Zaid and Enyenser Alfonso Delgado 2-1 (14-21, 21-17, 15-13).
The Canadian pairs earned their spots in the semifinals as follows: Canada 1, of Rouzbeh Rahnavard / Dylan Devecseri, defeated Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora / Dany López 2-1 (21-15, 25-27, 15-11). Canada 2, with Martin Licht / Luke de Greeff, also advanced after overcoming Americans Gage Basey / Thomas Hurst in three sets, 2-1 (16-21, 21-18, 15-8).
Costa Rica celebrates
The men’s semifinals will open Sunday’s action, with Araya/Varela (CRC) facing Sarabia/Osuna (MEX) at 8:30 a.m. (local time). Then, the Canadian duel between Rahnavard/Devecseri and Licht/de Greeff will take place at 9:20 a.m. (local time).
Very competitive matches were played among the teams in Pool A. The first position was decided in the last round, where the duo of Julián Araya / Jhostin Varela took first place, tying in wins and losses (3-1) with Canada’s Martin Licht / Luke de Greeff, but with a better points ratio. 3rd place: Mexico’s Inés Vargas / Carlos Andrés Ayala 2-2 4th place: Cristian Encarnación / Diego Rosich (Puerto Rico) 2-2 5th place: Rafael Vargas / Fernando Ortiz (El Salvador) 0-4
Pool B was dominated Americans Gage Basey / Thomas Hurst (champions of the recently held Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay) with 4 victories. In second place were Christopher and Yoel Guardado of El Salvador, with only one loss against USA. 3rd place: Irvin Reyes / Manuel Serrano (Honduras) 4th place: José Miguel Izaguirre / Santiago Penagos (Guatemala)
Nicaraguans Rubén Mora / Dany López were the leaders in Pool C with 4 wins, relegating the Mexican pair Miguel Sarabia / Jorman Osuna to second place. 3rd place: Francisco De Jesús / Antonio De Jesús (Dominican Republic) 4th place: Fredy Ronaldo Luna / Robin Jean Carlos Oliva (Guatemala)
Venezuelans Juliangel Zaid / Enyenser Delgado finished first in Pool D, followed by Canada’s Rouzbeh Rahnavard / Dylan Devecseri. 3rd place: Daniel Dyner / Esteban González (Costa Rica) 4th place: Kyle Hamilton / Sean Tucker (Bermuda)
San Salvador, El Salvador. September 13, 2025. – Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Canada and the United States qualified for the semifinals of the 8th stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Tour, held at Flor Blanca Beach Stadium.
Venezuela’s Oriana Granadilla / Yonnielis Camacho advanced after mercilessly defeating Katherine Quesada / Eugenia Ramírez of Costa Rica with scores of 21-14 and 21-8. At the same time, the champions of the last five stops, María González / Allanis Navas of Puerto Rico, showed no mercy and defeated Natalia Girón / Paola Alvarado of Guatemala 2-0 (21-14, 21-7).
In the All-Canadian quarterfinal, Alison McKay / Darby Dunn, defeated Dana Roskic / Katarina Pantovic with scores of 21-18 and 21-15. In the last quarterfinal match, Americans Kelly Belardi / Natalie Myszkowski secured their ticket to the semifinals by winning 2-0 (21-14, 21-18) over Mexico’s Angélica Jazmín Torres / María Jimena Ramírez.
USA
The semifinal matches will be played between Venezuela and Canada at 10:10 a.m. (local time), and the United States against Puerto Rico at 11:00 a.m. (local time). The bronze medal match is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. and the final will be played at 3:10 p.m. (local time).
Earlier in pool-play, Pool A was very tight: all the teams finished tied in matches won, lost and points. The tiebreaker was decided by point ratio, leaving Katherine Quesada and Eugenia Ramírez of Costa Rica in first place. In second position was the Guatemalan pair of Natalia Girón and Paola Alvarado, while El Salvador’s Sofía Vigil and Karla Tovar finished third.
PUR
Pool B was dominated by María González and Allanis Navas of Puerto Rico, the only pair in the tournament that did not concede a single set in this phase. Venezuelans Oriana Granadilla and Yonnielis Camacho took second place with two victories and one loss. The third position went to Nicaragua, represented by Yulimar Alvarado and Danielle Resau; while Ruth Villegas and Shannia Rivera of Honduras ended in fourth place.
In Pool C, Americans Kelly Belardi and Natalie Myszkowski took the group with three victories and no losses. In second place were Canadians Alison McKay and Darby Dunn with two victories and one defeat. Dominicans Yari Cleto and Rosario Payano took third place, while in fourth, to the surprise of many, were Mexicans Atenas Gutiérrez and Susana Torres.
Pool D was led by Canadians Dana Roskic and Katarina Pantovic, who secured first place thanks to their three victories. In second place were Mexicans Angélica Torres and María Jimena Ramírez (2-1). The third position went to the Nicaraguans Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez (1-2), while in fourth place were Keiry Guzmán and Donnina Argueta of El Salvador, without victories.
September 13, 2025.- Portugal shocked Cuba with a victory in their debut at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship in the Philippines. In a Pool D match played in Pasay City on Saturday, the Europeans came back after losing the first set to celebrate their first World Championship win in nearly 23 years.
With 19 points from 22-year-old outside hitter Nuno Marques, Portugal (world ranking No. 29) defeated world No. 10 Cuba 3-1 (20-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-19).
Portugal was stronger at the net with 11-7 kill blocks and showed better accuracy, committing only 23 unforced errors compared to Cuba’s 31. Marques registered a 65% success rate in attack and sealed the match with a winning swing. He also added two aces and two kill blocks. Middle blocker Filip Cveticanin stood out with four blocks and a 71% attacking success rate, finishing with 14 points, while opposite José Pinto also scored 14, including three blocks.
Cuba matched Portugal in successful kills (48 each) and was better from the service line with 7 aces to 5. Outside hitter Marlon Yant also posted 19 points (two aces, two blocks), matching Marques as the game’s top scorer. Opposite José Massó contributed 12 points, while captain Miguel López added another 11.
Cuba faces Colombia on September 14 at 10:00 AM (hora local).
September 13, 2025.- Playing his first match with the Canadian national team since the Tokyo Olympics four years ago, opposite Sharone Vernon-Evans made a difference and helped the North Americans avoid what would have been a major upset, scoring 22 points to lead them to victory in their 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship debut.
Canada faced Libya, who returned to the World Championship after 45 years, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Pasay City, Philippines. The Canadians came back after unexpectedly dropping the first set and prevailed 3-1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-12, 29-27) in the Pool G opening match.
Despite the opening-set loss, Canada still secured all three points with their four-set victory, while the Libyans left empty-handed. Each team will play two more group-stage matches, and the top two will advance to the Round of 16.
Canada celebrates
A key figure for Canada between 2017 and 2021, the 27-year-old Vernon-Evans had transitioned to beach volleyball, appearing in some Beach Pro Tour events in 2023. In his return to international indoor volleyball, he picked up where he left off and finished as the match’s top scorer with 22 points (16 kills, three blocks, three aces).
Canadian captain and outside hitter Nicholas Hoag, also returning after missing the Nations League, shone with 20 points (15 kills, four aces, one block). Middle blockers Fynn McCarthy and Daenan Gyimah added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
“I think everyone was a little nervous in the first set,” Hoag admitted. “Libya plays very aggressively, and if they pass well, they’re hard to stop. I’m glad we got the win, but we need to play better if we want to beat Japan in the next match. They’re a great team, we can’t give them anything. We’ll also need to be very disciplined with our blocking.”
Serving was the big difference: Canada scored 15 aces against only 3 from Libya. The North Americans held a slight edge in kills (51 to 49) and blocks (12 to 9), while both teams gave away 23 points in errors.
Canada will face Japan on September 15 at 2:00 PM (local time).
September 13, 2025.- Back with the U.S. men’s national team after missing the Volleyball Nations League, captain Micah Christenson (Olympic medalist setter) guided the Americans to a solid victory in their first match of the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship on Saturday in the Philippines.
Led by their star setter, the Americans started their campaign in the tournament with a strong 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-14) triumph over Colombia at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, in Pasay City.
The victory gave the Americans their first three points in Pool D, while the Colombians left empty-handed in their historic World Championship debut. Each team will play two more group-stage matches, and the top two from each pool will advance to the Round of 16.
USA Celebrates
Ethan Champlin and Gabriel Garcia were key pieces in the offense run by the veteran 32-year-old setter. The outside hitter led the U.S. team with 17 points (12 kills, three aces, two blocks), while the opposite registered 12 (eight kills, four aces). Fellow outside hitter Jordan Ewert added 11 points (ten kills, one block).
“I think it was a good start,” Christenson said. “It was the first time for a lot of our guys in a World Championship match, and I think we didn’t have many ups and downs. Colombia had some good moments during the game, and we showed maturity in dealing with them.”
The Americans were superior in every aspect: they outscored Colombia in kills (40 to 31), blocks (6 to 4), and aces (8 to 3). They also made fewer errors (17 to 21) to secure their first tournament victory.
USA’s next match will be on September 15 against Portugal at 9:00 PM (local time).
San Salvador, El Salvador. September 12, 2025. – The Puerto Rican duo of María Claudia González and Allanis Navas started strong in their quest for a sixth consecutive title, on the first day of action of the 8th Stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour 2025, held at the Flor Blanca Beach Sports Stadium.
The tournament kicked off with a commanding win by gold medal favorites María González and Allanis Navas of Puerto Rico, who swept Nicaragua’s Yulimar Alvarado and Ella Danielle Resau 2-0 (21-8, 21-10). In their second match, the Puerto Rican duo kept up their dominant pace, defeating Honduras’ Ruth Villegas and Shannia Rivera in straight sets 2-0 (21-11, 21-10).
This first position of Pool B will be decided on Saturday, as Venezuela’s Oriana Granadilla / Yonnielis Camacho also finished the day with two victories: 2-0 (21-10, 21-10) over Villegas/Rivera of Honduras and 2-0 (21-14, 21-12) over Alvarado/Resau of Nicaragua.
Guatemala
Another match that marked the start of the tournament was the Central American classic, and it did not disappoint. Guatemala’s Natalia María Girón / Paola Alvarado defeated Katherine Quesada / Eugenia Ramírez of Costa Rica 2-1 (15-21, 21-17, 15-12). Later, in the other Pool A match, the Costa Ricans recovered from their initial loss and beat the local duo Daniela Vigil / Karla Tovar 2-0 (21-10, 21-19). The positions in this pool will be determined on Saturday at 9:20 AM (local time) with the match between El Salvador and Guatemala.
In Pool C, the Americans Kelly Belardi / Natalie Myszkowski dominated their two matches. First, they defeated Canadians Alison McKay / Darby Dunn 2-0 (21-11, 21-15), and over Dominicans Yari Cleto / Rosario Payano 2-0 (21-17, 21-14). The Americans still need to face Mexico’s Atenas Gutiérrez / Susana Torres), who were surprised by the Dominicans in their debut, losing 0-2 (19-21, 17-21).
In Pool D, Canadians Dana Roskic / Katarina Pantovic lead with two victories. In their first match, they defeated Torres/Ramírez of Mexico 2-1 (24-22, 18-21, 15-11) and then beat Guzmán/Donni of El Salvador 2-0 (21-10, 21-14). Canada will close the group stage facing Nicaraguans Socorro López / Lolette Rodríguez, who have one victory 2-0 (21-11, 21-11) over El Salvador and one loss against the Mexicans Angélica Torres / María Jimena Ramírez.
The tournament will continue Saturday starting at 9:20 AM (local time). In the afternoon, the quarterfinals will be played to define the semifinalists and the classification matches for positions.
San Salvador, El Salvador. September 12, 2025. – The pairs from Costa Rica, Julián Araya / Jhostin Varela, and Nicaragua, Rubén Mora / Dany López, started undefeated in the 8th stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held at the Flor Blanca Beach Sports Stadium.
The opening day was marked by very close duels and several surprises. Three group stage matches were decided in three sets, and even the ones finished in two sets were resolved with tight scores.
In the first matches of the day, Canada’s Martin Licht / Luke de Greeff defeated Rafael Alberto Vargas / Fernando Javier Ortiz of El Salvador 2-1 (14-21, 21-12, 15-9). At the same time, on court 2, Puerto Ricans Cristian Encarnación / Diego Rosich beat Mexico 2, of Inés Antonio Vargas / Carlos Andrés Ayala, 2-1 (21-19, 20-22, 15-13).
NCA
In Pool A, Araya/Varela from Costa Rica achieved two victories. The first, against Canada’s Licht/de Greeff 2-0 (21-12, 21-15), and then against Encarnación/Rosich of Puerto Rico, in what was perhaps the most exciting match of the day, with the Costa Ricans taking the win 26-24, 21-19. They still need to face El Salvador’s Vargas/Ortiz and Mexico’s Vargas/Ayala.
In Pool B, Gage Basey / Thomas Hurst of United States (champions of the recently held Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay) and El Salvador’s Christopher / Yoel Guardado also remain undefeated. This Saturday at 8:30 AM (local time), they will face each other, and the winner could secure the first place in their pool.
In Pool C, Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora / Dany López dominated with authority. First, they beat Guatemala’s Fredy Luna / Carlos Oliva 2-0 (21-12, 21-6) and then defeated Dominicans Hayerling Francisco De Jesús / Melvin Antonio De Jesús 2-1 (21-17, 22-24, 15-10). They still need to play against Mexico’s Miguel Sarabia / Jorman Osuna, who have only played one match, which they won 2-0 (21-10, 21-8) against Guatemala.
In Pool D, Venezuela’s duo Juliangel Zaid / Enyenser Alfonso Delgado imposed their dominance by defeating Costa Rica’s Daniel Dyner / Esteban González 2-0 (21-11, 23-21) and Bermuda’s Kyle Hamilton / Sean Tucker 2-0 (21-11, 21-16).
The tournament will continue this Saturday starting at 8:30 AM (local time), and in the afternoon the quarterfinal matches will take place, which will determine the semifinalists.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico, September 11, 2025. – Guadalajara, Jalisco, is set to welcome the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six, scheduled for September 15–21 at the Unidad Deportiva López Mateos.
This will be the fifth edition of the prestigious tournament, which serves as part of the qualification pathway for both the 2026 NORCECA Women’s Pan American Cup and the 2026 NORCECA Women’s Continental Championship.
The Dominican Republic enters the competition as the defending champion, having captured the title three times (2021, 2022, 2024). The United States won the crown in 2023.
The competition format includes a round-robin preliminary phase, with the top four teams advancing to the crossover semifinals (2nd vs 3rd y 1st vs 4th) on September 20. The fifth- and sixth-place teams will meet on the final day to determine their final ranking, followed by the bronze and gold medal matches.
The six participating teams are host nation Mexico, Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the United States.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, September 11, 2025. – Everything is set for the start of the eighth stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, scheduled to take place September 12-14 at the Flor Blanca Beach Sports Stadium. Teams from twelve countries are officially registered, guaranteeing three days of high-level action for El Salvador’s fans.
The event will feature 15 women’s teams and 17 men’s teams, offering an exciting showcase of international talent.
In the women’s division, all eyes will be on Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas, who arrive motivated after capturing their fifth consecutive gold medal last week and will now pursue their sixth title of the season. Also standing out is Canadian Dana Roskic, who won silver in El Salvador in 2024 and now returns alongside Katarina Pantovic, aiming to match or improve on her previous performance.
In the men’s division, favorites include the Mexican duo of Jorman Osuna and Miguel Sarabia. Osuna recently claimed silver in Zapopan and gold in Manzanillo with José Cárdenas, while together with Sarabia he earned gold in Juan Dolio and bronze in Puerto Cortés. Local fans will have the chance to cheer for the Guardado twins, who are hoping to reach the podium for the first time on home soil.
Canada Men
Eduardo Paiz, event promoter, commented, “This is the third time we have the opportunity to organize this event, and we have witnessed its evolution since 2023, when we hosted the Tour for the first time. We take this opportunity to thank NORCECA for the trust they have placed in us.”
“Our greatest satisfaction is that each year more sponsors come on board and more teams join the competition, giving the Salvadoran public the chance to enjoy world-class beach volleyball,” he added.
The competition will begin with the men’s division at 8:30 AM (local time), followed by the women’s division at 9:20 AM (local time).
The pool distribution is as follows:
Women
Pool A: Vigil/TovarESA, N. Girón/Alvarado GUA y Quesada/Ramirez CRC
Pool B: Gonzalez/Navas PUR; Oriana/Yonnielis VEN, Villegas/Rivera HON y Alvarado/Resau NCA2
Pool C: Belardi/Myszkowski USA, Gutiérrez/Torres MEX, Cleto/Payano DOM y McKay/Dunn CAN2
Pool D: Roskic/Pantovic CAN, López/Lolette NCA, Guzmán/Donni ESA2 y Torres /Ramírez MEX2
Men
Pool A: R Vargas/Ponce ESA2, Encarnación/Rosich PUR, Araya/Varela CRC, Lares/Carlos Andrés MEX2 y Licht/de Greeff CAN2
Pool B: Basey/Hurst USA, Izaguirre/Penagos GUA, Reyes/Serrano HON y Guardado C./Guardado Y ESA
Pool C: Sarabia/Osuna MEX, Mora/López NCA, De Jesus/De Jesús DOM y Luna/Oliva GUA2
Pool D: Rahnavard/Devecseri CAN, Juliangel/Esyenser VEN, Hamilton/Tucker BER y D. Dyner/Gonzalez CRC2
Women’s Teams
Canada Alison Mckay/ Darby Dunn – (McKay/Dunn), Dana Roskic / Katarina Pantovic – (Roskic/Pantovic); Costa Rica Katherine Vanessa Quesada / Eugenia Ramirez – (Quesada/Ramirez); República Dominicana Yari Manuela Cleto / Rosario Julibeth Payano – (Cleto/Payano); El Salvador Keiry Michelle Guzmán / Donnina Fernanda Argueta – (Guzmán/Donni), Daniela Sofia Vigil / Karla Jamileth Tovar – (Vigil/Tovar); Guatemala Natalia María Giron / Paola Marie Alvarado Franco – (N. Girón/Alvarado); Honduras Ruth Antonella Villegas / Shannia Rivera – (Villegas/Rivera); Mexico Atenas Angelica Gutiérrez / Susana Torres García – (Gutiérrez/Torres), Angélica Jazmín Torres / María Jimena Ramírez – (Torres /Ramírez); Nicaragua Yulimar Franchely Alvarado / Ella Danielle Resau – (Alvarado/Resau), Socorro Margarita López / Lolette Eleonor Rodríguez – (López/Lolette); Puerto Rico María Claudia González / Allanis Navas – (González/Navas); Estados Unidos Kelly Belardi / Natalie Myszkowski – (Belardi/Myszkowski); VenezuelaOriana Francis Granadilla / Yonnielis Camacho – (Oriana/Yonnielis)
Men’s Teams
Bermuda Kyle Hamilton / Sean Tucker – (Hamilton/Tucker); Canada Martin Licht / Luke de Greeff – (Licht/de Greeff), Rouzbeh Rahnavard / Dylan Devecseri – (Rahnavard/Devecseri); Costa Rica Julián Araya / Jhostin Varela – (Araya/Varela), Daniel Dyner / Victorio Esteban Gonzalez – (D. Dyner/Gonzalez); República Dominicana Hayerling Francisco De Jesús / Melvin Antonio de Jesús – (De Jesus/De Jesús); El Salvador Christopher Guardado / Yoel Guardado Rivas – (Guardado C./Guardado Y.), Rafael Alberto Vargas / Fernando Javier Ortiz (R Vargas/Ponce); Guatemala José Miguel Izaguirre / Santiago Penagos – (Izaguirre/Penagos), Fredy Ronaldo Luna / Robin Jean Carlos Oliva – (Luna/Oliva); Honduras Irvin Armando Reyes / Manuel Alejandro Serrano – (Reyes/Serrano); Mexico Inés Antonio Vargas / Carlos Andrés Ayala – (Lares/Carlos Andrés), Miguel Sarabia / Jorman Osuna – (Sarabia/Osuna); Nicaragua Rubén Alejandro Mora / Dany Antonio López – (Mora/López); Puerto Rico Cristian Encarnación / Diego Rosich – (Encarnación/Rosich); Estados Unidos Gage Basey / Thomas Hurst – (Basey/Hurst); Venezuela Juliangel Zaid / Enyenser Alfonso Delgado – (Juliangel/Esyenser)
CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 12, 2025.– The Seventh AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship will take place from September 16 to 20 at the La Basita Gymnasium in the province of Chiriquí, Panama, featuring a brand-new competition format that includes a preliminary group stage.
Until now, AFECAVOL tournaments in this category had been played in a round-robin format, where each team faced all other participants. With the introduction of the new group-stage system, the competition gains a new dynamic, making every match crucial for advancing to the final rounds.
All seven Central American countries will participate in the tournament, divided into two groups: Group A consists of five-time champion Guatemala, Belize, and Panama, while Group B includes Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Honduras.
At the conclusion of the group stage, the top two teams from each group will advance to the crossover semifinals (1A vs 2B and 1B vs 2A). The third-place team in Group B will qualify directly for the 5th/6th place match. Meanwhile, the third-place team in Group A will face the fourth-place team in Group B; the winner will play for fifth place, and the loser will finish in seventh place.
Guatemala enters as defending champion, having reclaimed the title in the previous edition, also held at La Basita Gymnasium in 2023, after losing it to Nicaragua in 2022. With five titles, Guatemala remains the most successful team since the tournament’s inception.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, September 10, 2025.– The eighth stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour will take place September 12-14 at the Sand Sports Stadium of the Flor Blanca Sports Complex in San Salvador.
This marks the third consecutive year that El Salvador hosts a stage of the prestigious continental circuit. For this edition, there is a preliminary registration of 15 women’s teams and 17 men’s teams, with the final list to be confirmed during the preliminary inquiry a day before competition begins, where pool composition will also be determined.
In the women’s field, Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas headline the entry list as winners of all five events they have played so far this season (Juan Dolio – Dominican Republic, Puerto Cortés – Honduras, Puerto Madero – Tamaulipas, Manzanillo – Colima, and Zapopan – Jalisco). Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, consistent podium finishers in the first six stops, will also compete, looking to return to the medal stand after finishing seventh last week in Zapopan.
On the men’s side, Mexico’s Jorman Osuna, silver medalist in Zapopan and gold medalist in Manzanillo with José Cárdenas, will be back with his regular partner Miguel Sarabia, with whom he captured gold in Juan Dolio and bronze in Puerto Cortés. Fellow Mexicans Ines Vargas and Carlos Ayala (Lares/Carlos Andrés) will also compete, boasting a gold medal in Puerto Cortés, bronze in Juan Dolio, and silver in Paramaribo.
Representing Nicaragua are Rubén Mora and Dany López, silver medalists in Varadero earlier this year, while Canada’s Martin Licht and Luke de Greef aim to repeat or improve on their bronze medal performance from last year at this same venue.
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, September 7, 2025. – Puerto Rico’s Maria Gonzalez and Allanis Navas claimed their fifth straight gold medal of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, rallying to defeat USA’s Michelle Shaffer and Rachael Kramer 2-1 (14-21, 21-18, 15-9) in a thrilling final in Zapopan, Jalisco.
Entering the tournament as the top favorites, Gonzalez and Navas once again lived up to expectations, extending their unbeaten streak and winning every stage they have competed in this season — Juan Dolio, Puerto Cortés, Tamaulipas, Manzanillo, and now Zapopan — securing a perfect five-for-five record on the tour.
Allanis Navas expressed her pride in her teammate: “María always kept her composure during the game. We always step onto the court as warriors, no matter the score and no matter the height of our opponents. We recently graduated and are training as much as possible, with the goal of achieving the victories that lie ahead. We’re going to keep working because the road is long.”
Female Podium
Regarding the achievement of winning five consecutive gold medals, María González said: “It’s incredible! In every match we go in as if anyone could beat us, and we step in as warriors, ready to fight for every point, and I think that has been the key to winning these five gold medals. We don’t go in thinking about it, but rather as if it’s a completely new game.”
For Shaffer and Kramer, the silver medal marks their first NORCECA podium finish as a team, and Shaffer’s debut at an international event. Kramer previously earned bronze last year in Puerto Cortés.
In the bronze medal match, Cuba’s Kailin Garrido and Maykelin Drik defeated Canada’s Akash Grewal and Katarina Pantovic 2-0 (21-16, 21-19). This is Kailin/Drik’s second bronze medal of the season, having also taken third place in Varadero.
Shaffer/Kramer advanced to the final after winning a tough three-set battle 2-1 (21-12, 17-21, 15-11) over Kailin/Drik in the semifinals, while Gonzalez/Navas stormed past Canada’s Grewal/Pantovic 2-0 (21-17, 21-13).
All winners
Canada’s Dunn/Law-Heese finished fifth after a straight-sets victory 2-0 (21-14, 21-14) against Nicaragua’s Lopez/Lolette.
Mexico’s Torres/Gutierrez secured seventh place with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-16) win over Venezuela’s Ramirez/Valeria.
Guatemala’s Alvarado/Guerra claimed ninth place after defeating Venezuela’s Oriana/Yonnielis in three sets 2-1 (21-19, 13-21, 15-10).
El Salvador’s Vigil/Tovar took eleventh place, beating Bennett/Valenciana of the U.S. Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-12, 21-15).
Mexico’s Cruz/Torres finished in thirteenth place with a 2-0 (21-11, 21-11) win over Costa Rica’s Quesada/Aguilar.
Classification Matches:
C 5/8: Lopez/Lolette NCA d Ramirez/Valeria VEN 2-1 (21-10, 19-21, 21-19); Dunn/Law-Heese CAN 2-1 (13-21, 21-14, 15-8).
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, September 7, 2025. – Evan Cory and Derek Bradford of the United States clinched the gold medal at the seventh stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, defeating home favorites José Cardenas and Jorman Osuna of Mexico 2-0 (21-17, 21-19) in a thrilling final at the Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénicas in Zapopan, Jalisco.
This victory marks Cory/Bradford’s first medal together as a team and Bradford’s first-ever NORCECA gold medal. Cory, a seasoned competitor, previously claimed two gold medals in Mexico in 2022 (La Paz and Aguascalientes), as well as a silver and a bronze in the Dominican Republic in 2024.
Speaking after the win, Cory said: “As professional athletes, we work so hard for this moment every time we play, and it doesn’t happen often. So, this is amazing and special. Doing it against a really strong Mexican team and in front of their home crowd was really fun.”
USA Gold
Bradford added: “It’s fantastic. This tournament was amazing. Mexico is a great host, the venue was set up perfectly, and the crowd was incredible.”
For Cardenas and Osuna, the silver medal is their first of the 2025 season after taking gold just last week in Manzanillo. Osuna also won a gold medal from Juan Dolio earlier this year, along with two bronzes from Puerto Cortés and Tamaulipas.
The bronze medal went to Cuba’s Damian Gomez and Eblis Verane, who prevailed over Canada’s Cameron Chadwick and Robert Kemp 2-0 (21-14, 23-21). This is Gomez/Veranes second bronze medal of the season, following their podium finish in Varadero.
In the semifinals USA’s Cory/Bradford beat Cuban Gomez/Veranes 2-0 (21-18, 21-14) and Mexico’s Cardenas/Osuna defeated Chadwick/Kemp (CAN) 2-0 (21-12, 21-13).
Mexico Silver
Venezuelans Jualiangel Zaid/Esynser Delgado won a three-set battle recovering from losing the first set over Ines Vargas/Carlos Andrés Ayala of Mexico 2-1 (21-23, 21-15, 15-11) to finish in fifth place.
In the battle for seventh place, between two Central American duos, Mora/Lopez of Nicaragua beat Guardado twins of El Salvador in three sets 2-1 (21-17, 20-22, 17-15).
Gannett/Rivest of Canada finished ninth place with a 2-0 victory (21-16, 21-13) against Izaguirre/Maldonado of Guatemala.
Butcher/Enile of Trinidad and Tobago took eleventh place with a know show of Puerto Rico’s Rivera/Rosich due to an injury.
Cuba Bronze
Venezuelan duo Harrison/Hernandez took position thirteen over Encarnacion/Pacheco of Puerto Rico 2-1 (15-21, 23-21, 15-13). Finally, D. Dyner/Varela of Costa Rica finished in position fifteen.
Classification Matches:
C 5/8: Lares/Carlos Andres MEX d Guardado C./Guardado Y. ESA 2-0 (21-13, 22-20); Esyenser/Juliangel VEN d Mora/Lopez NCA 2-0 (21-17, 25-23).
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, September 6, 2025 – The men’s semifinals are set in Zapopan, with Mexico’s José Cardenas/Jorman Osuna, Canada’s Cameron Chadwick/Robert Kemp, Cuba’s Damian Gomez/Eblis Verane, and USA’s Evan Cory/Derek Bradford advancing at the seventh stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour.
Sunday’s semifinals will see local favorites Cardenas/Osuna take on Chadwick/Kemp of Canada, while Cubans Gomez/Verane will clash with Americans Cory/Bradford for a place in the gold medal match.
Cardenas/Osuna delighted the home crowd with a straight-set quarterfinal win, defeating Venezuela’s Juliangel Zaid/Esynser Delgado 2-0 (23-21, 21-17). Chadwick/Kemp of Canada secured their semifinal berth with a convincing 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) victory over Nicaragua’s Ruben Mora/Dany Lopez.
In one of the most dramatic matches of the day, Cubans Gomez/Verane came from behind to stun Mexico’s Ines Vargas/Carlos Andrés Ayala 2-1 (20-22, 23-21, 15-6). Meanwhile, Cory/Bradford of the United States downed El Salvador’s twin brothers Christopher and Yoel Guardado 2-0 (21-14, 21-18) to remain perfect in the tournament.
Cardenas Osuna MEX
Earlier in the day, the final round of pool play set the stage for the quarterfinals. Mexico’s Lares/Carlos Andrés dominated Pool A with a commanding 2-0 (21-10, 21-4) win over Trinidad and Tobago’s Butcher/Enile. Chadwick/Kemp of Canada finished atop Pool B after edging Guatemala’s Izaguirre/Maldonado 2-0 (21-14, 24-22), followed by Cuba’s Gomez/Verane, who defeated Venezuela’s Harrison/Hernandez 2-0 (21-14, 21-18).
In Pool C, Esynser/Juliangel of Venezuela emerged first after a hard-fought 2-1 (20-22, 21-18, 15-10) victory over Puerto Rico’s Rivera/Rosich, who were forced to withdraw due to an injury. The Guardado twins earned their quarterfinal ticket with a thrilling 2-1 (25-23, 17-21, 15-12) win over Costa Rica’s D. Dyner/Varela.
Cory/Bradford of the USA topped Pool D undefeated, beating Puerto Rico’s Encarnacion/Pacheco 2-0 (22-20, 21-16). Mexico’s Cardenas/Osuna claimed second place in the pool after an exciting comeback win over Canada’s Gannett/Rivest 2-1 (15-21, 21-17, 15-13).
Placement Matches:
C 13/16: Encarnacion/Pacheco PUR (bye); Harrison/Hernandez VEN d D. Dyner/Varela CRC 2-1 (16-21, 21-17, 15-9).
C 9/12: Izaguirre/Maldonado GUA d Rivera/Rosich PUR (forfeit); Gannett/Rivest CAN d Butcher/Enile TTO 2-0 (21-10, 21-12).
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, September 6, 2025 .– Cuba’s Kailin Garrido and Maykelin Drik pulled off a major upset on Saturday, defeating Mexican home favorites Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez 2-0 (21-17, 21-17) in the quarterfinals to secure a spot in the women’s semifinals of the seventh stage of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour.
The win ended Torres and Gutiérrez’s streak of reaching the podium at every stage this season, marking the first time they will miss the top three.
On Sunday, Kailin/Drik will face USA’s Michelle Shaffer and Rachael Kramer in the semifinals, while Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas – the tournament favorites – will take on Canada’s Akash Grewal and Katarina Pantovic.
González and Navas, aiming for their fifth gold medal in as many appearances this season, advanced with a dominant 2-0 (21-6, 21-11) win over Nicaragua’s Socorro López and Lolette Rodríguez.
Gonzalez/Navas PUR
Shaffer and Kramer fought through a thrilling three-set battle to overcome Canada’s Darby Dunn and Mikayla Law-Heese 2-1 (27-25, 19-21, 15-13) and book their place in the final four.
Meanwhile, Grewal and Pantovic reached their second consecutive semifinal with a commanding 2-0 (21-12, 21-13) victory over Venezuela’s Aidana Mejías and Valeria Moreno.
In pool play, Torres/Gutiérrez dominated Bennett/Valenciana of the U.S. Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-13, 21-9) to comfortably claim the top spot in Pool A. Meanwhile, González/Navas stayed perfect in Pool B, defeating El Salvador’s Vigil/Tovar 2-0 (21-13, 21-12).
Over in Pool C, Grewal/Pantovic powered past USA’s Shaffer/Kramer 2-0 (21-14, 21-15) to secure first place, and in Pool D, Dunn/Law-Heese clinched the group with a convincing 2-0 (21-10, 21-12) victory over Venezuela’s Ramírez/Valeria. Capping off the action, Guatemala’s Alvarado/Guerra fought hard to earn a 2-1 (21-18, 12-21, 15-11) win over Costa Rica’s Quesada/Aguilar to take third in the pool.
Placement Matches:
C 13/16: Quesada/Aguilar CRC (bye); Cruz/Torres MEX (bye).
C 9/12: Alvarado/Guerra GUA d Bennett/Valenciana ISV 2-0 (21-9, 21-14); Oriana/Yonnielis VEN d Vigil/Tovar ESA 2-0 (23-21, 21-13).
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, September 5, 2025.– Canadians Darby Dunn/Mikayla Law-Heese, Venezuela’s Aidana Mejías/Varlria Moreno and Americans Michelle Shaffer/Rachael Kramer each celebrated two victories on Friday’s opening day of the women’s competition at the seventh stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held in Zapopan, Jalisco.
Dunn and Law-Heese dominated Pool D, going undefeated with back-to-back wins. They opened with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-13) victory over Guatemala’s Paola Alvarado/Estefanie Bethancourt and followed with another straight-set triumph, 21-10, 21-13, against Costa Rica’s Katherine Quesada/Aliza Aguilar. Venezuela’s Aidana Mejías/Valeria Moreno also finished the day with a 2-0 record in Pool D, defeating Quesada/Aguilar 2-0 (21-19, 21-18) before rallying from a set down to beat Alvarado/Bethancourt 2-1 (19-21, 21-17, 15-10).
Dunn/Law-Heese and Ramirez/Valeria will clash on Saturday to decide Pool D top finisher.
ShafferKramer USA vs OrianaYonnielis VEN
In Pool C, USA’s Shaffer and Kramer earned their two wins, starting with a 2-0 (21-10, 21-16) victory over Mexico’s Naomi Cruz/Angélica Torres. They were then tested by Venezuela’s Oriana Granadillo/Yonnielis Camacho but prevailed in straight sets, 21-19, 24-22. Cruz/Torres managed to split their matches, edging Canada’s Akash Grewal/Katarina Pantovic 2-1 (12-21, 21-19, 15-9) earlier in the day. Grewal/Pantovic closed with a 2-0 (21-16, 21-12) win against Granadillo/Camacho.
Pools A and B featured three-team groups, with each pair playing one match and receiving a bye.
In Pool A, host duo Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez thrilled the home crowd with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-10) win over Nicaragua’s Socorro López/Lolette Rodríguez. The Nicaraguans had earlier defeated Melanie Valenciana/Amber Bennett of the U.S. Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-6, 21-13).
Tournament favorites, María González/Allanis Navas of Puerto Rico, endured a hard-fought Pool B opener, taking down Cuba’s Kailin Garrido/Maykelin Drik 2-0 (21-17, 21-19). Garrido/Drik had previously posted a 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) victory against El Salvador’s Karla Tovar/Daniela Vigil.
Pool play will conclude on Saturday, followed by the quarterfinals and classification matches.
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, September 5, 2025. – USA’s Evan Cory/Derek Bradford, Canada’s Cameron Chadwick/Robert Kemp, and Venezuela’s Juliangel Zaid/Esynser Delgado opened the seventh stage of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour with unbeaten records at the Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénicas in Zapopan, Jalisco.
Evan Cory and Derek Bradford of the United States dominated Pool D, winning both matches on opening day. After rallying from a first-set loss to defeat Canada’s Tynan Gannett/Guillaume Rivest 2-1 (18-21, 21-11, 16-14), they secured a straight-set victory 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) over Mexico’s José Cárdenas/Jorman Osuna. Earlier, Cárdenas/Osuna earned a convincing 2-0 (21-12, 21-12) win over Puerto Rico’s Cristian Encarnación/José Pacheco, who later fell in three sets 2-1 (21-17, 16-21, 15-9) to Gannett/Rivest.
KempChadwick CAN
In Pool B, Cameron Chadwick and Robert Kemp of Canada posted a perfect 2-0 mark. They opened with a commanding 2-0 (21-13, 21-17) win against Venezuela’s Harrison Rivero/José Hernández, then overcame a spirited effort from Cuba’s Damian Gómez/Eblis Verane to close 2-0 (21-17, 23-21). Gómez/Verane had earlier cruised past Guatemala’s José Izaguirre/Edgar Maldonado 2-0 (21-18, 21-9), but the Guatemalans bounced back later to edge Rivero/Hernández 2-0 (21-16, 21-19).
Venezuela’s Juliangel Zaid and Esynser Delgado stayed flawless in Pool C with two solid victories. They opened with a hard-fought 2-1 (21-17, 22-24, 15-10) triumph over El Salvador’s twin brothers Christopher and Yoel Guardado, then followed up with a convincing 2-0 (21-18, 21-12) win against Costa Rica’s Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela. Dyner/Varela had earlier dropped a close three-set match to Puerto Rico’s William Rivera/Diego Rosich 2-1 (19-21, 21-19, 15-10). The Guardado twins closed their day strong, defeating Rivera/Rosich 2-1 (18-21, 21-14, 15-12).
In Pool A, Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora and Dany López split results, first defeating Josiah Butcher/Stephen Enile of Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 (21-15, 21-10) before falling to Mexico’s Ines Vargas/Carlos Andrés Ayala 2-0 (21-8, 21-16).
Saturday’s schedule will feature the conclusion of pool play, followed by the quarterfinals and classification matches.
ZAPOPAN, Jalisco, Mexico, September 4, 2025. – The excitement of the seventh stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour comes to Zapopan, Jalisco, this weekend at the iconic Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénicas, with teams from eleven countries officially registered to compete.
The tournament will feature 14 women’s teams and 15 men’s teams, promising three days of high-level beach volleyball competition.
In the women’s field, all eyes will be on Puerto Rico’s Maria Gonzalez and Allanis Navas, who have already captured four gold medals this season and are aiming for a fifth. Local favorites Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez will look to shine on home sand, while the United States’ Rachael Kramer, bronze medalist in Puerto Cortés last year, is set to be a strong contender.
Puerto Rico
On the men’s side, Mexican duo José Cárdenas and Jorman Osuna, fresh off their gold medal win in Manzanillo last week, will headline the competition. They will face tough challengers, including silver medalists Cameron Chadwick and Robert Kemp of Canada and bronze medalist Jhostin Varela of Costa Rica. Also in the mix are the United States’ Evan Cory, bronze and silver medalist in 2024, in two stages in Dominican Republic and in 2022 gold medalist in La Paz and Aguascalientes, partnered with Derek Bradford, bronze medalist in Suriname this year. As well as Nicaragua’s Ruben Mora and Dany López, medalists in numerous stages throughout the NORCECA Tour.
The event promises thrilling matches and a festive atmosphere as Zapopan hosts international athletes aiming to climb the NORCECA Tour rankings.
Pool distribution is as follows:
Women
Pool A: Torres/Gutiérrez MEX; Bennett/Valenciana ISV; Lopez/Lolette NCA
Pool B: Gonzalez/Navas PUR; Vigil/Tovar ESA; Kailin/Drik CUB
Pool C: Grewal/Pantovic CAN; Shaffer/Kramer USA; Cruz/Torres MEX; Oriana/Yonnielis VEN
Pool D: Alvarado/GuerraGUA; Quesada/Aguilar CRC; Ramirez/Valeria VEN; Dunn/Law-Heese CAN
Men
Pool A: Lares/Carlos Andres MEX; Mora/Lopez NCA; Butcher/Enile TTO
Pool B: Kemp/Chadwick CAN; Izaguirre/Maldonado GUA; Gomez/Veranes CUB; Harrison/Hernandez VEN
Pool C: D. Dyner/Varela CRC; Guardado C./Guardado Y. ESA; Esyenser/Juliangel VEN; Rivera/Rosich PUR
Pool D: Cory/BradfordUSA; Encarnacion/Pacheco PUR; Cardenas/Osuna MEX; Gannett/Rivest CAN
Women ‘s Teams
CANADA Akash Grewal/Katarina Pantovic (Grewal/Pantovic); Darby Dunn/Mikayla Law-Heese (Dunn/Law-Heese); COSTA RICA Katherine Quesada/Aliza Aguilar (Quesada/Aguilar); CUBA Kailin Garrido/Maykelin Drik (Kailin/Drik); EL SALVADOR Karla Tovar/Daniela Vigil (Tovar/Vigil); GUATEMALA Paola Alvarado/Estefanie Bethancourt (Alvarado/Guerra); MEXICO Susana Torres/Atenas Gutiérrez (Torres/Gutiérrez); Naomi Cruz/Angélica Torres (Cruz/Torres); NICARAGUA Socorro López/Lolette Rodríguez (Lopez/Lolette); PUERTO RICO María González/Allanis Navas (González/Navas); USA Michelle Shaffer/Rachael Kramer (Shaffer/Kramer); U.S. Virgin Islands Melanie Valenciana/Amber Bennett (Valenciana/Bennett); VENEZUELA Oriana Granadillo/Yonnielis Camacho (Oriana/Yonnielis); Aidana Mejías/Valeria Moreno (Ramirez/Valeria).
Men’s Teams
CANADA Tynan Gannett/Guillaume Rivest (Gannett/Rivest); Cameron Chadwick/Robert Kemp (Chadwick/Kemp); COSTA RICA Daniel Dyner /Jhostin Varela (D.Dyner/Varela); CUBA Damian Gomez/Eblis Verane (Gomez/Veranes); EL SALVADOR Christopher Guardado/Yoel Guardado (Guardado C./Guardado Y.); GUATEMALA José Izaguirre/Andrés Maldonado; MEXICO José Cardenas/Jorman Osuna (Cardenas/Osuna); Ines Vargas/Carlos Andrés Ayala (Lares/Carlos Andrés); NICARAGUA Rubén Mora/Dany López; PUERTO RICO Cristian Encarnación/José Pacheco (Encarnación/Pacheco); William Rivera/Diego Rosich; TRINIDAD & TOBAGO Josiah Butcher/Stephen Enile (Butcher/Enile); USA Evan Cory/ Derek Bradford (Cory/Bradford); VENEZUELA Jualiangel Zaid/Esynser Delgado/ (Esynser/Juliangel); Harrison Rivero/José Hernández (Harrison/Hernández).
September 4, 2025.- The United States lost to the reigning European champions Türkiye, who dropped their first set at the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship 2025 on Thursday, but overcame a brave American team to advance for the first time in history to the tournament’s semifinals.
The Europeans came out on top in the fourth and last quarterfinal match of the event, which took place at the Huamark Indoor Stadium, in Bangkok, taking the Americans down with a 3-1 (25-14, 22-25, 25-14, 25-23) victory to continue their chase for their first World Championship medal.
Sarah Franklin USA
Star outside hitter Ebrar Karakurt delivered her best performance at the World Championship so far against the Americans, leading the Turkish side with 23 points (20 kills, three blocks). Opposite Melissa Vargas was also instrumental, tallying 21 points (18 kills, three aces), while team captain and middle blocker Eda Erdem added another 13, with a match-high seven blocks and six kills.
Sarah Franklin was the most productive American player on the court with 12 points (ten kills, one block, one ace), one more than fellow outside hitter Avery Skinner, middle blocker Dana Rettke and opposite Stephanie Samedy.
“I’m very proud of the team,” Rettke, a Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist, reacted. “When you look at where we were at the beginning of the season and where we are now, there’s been so much growth. We worked very hard over the summer to be in the best shape possible here, and we did a great job. It’s the first year in the quad and we have a new coaching staff and new players, so this is a great result.”
Türkiye’s strong game at the net paved the way for their victory as the Europeans largely outscored the Americans in both kills (58 to 41) and blocks (19 to 11). The USA had the most aces (six to three) and there was a similar number of errors made by both sides (Türkiye gave up 18 points and the United States, 17).
GUADALAJARA, Mexico, September 3, 2025. – The excitement of beach volleyball comes to Guadalajara for the first time with the seventh stop of the 2025 NORCECA Continental Tour, to be held September 5-7 at the Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénicas in Zapopan.
Mexico is hosting four Tour stops during the 2025 season, with Puerto Madero, Tamaulipas, and Manzanillo, Colima already completed. Guadalajara marks the third Mexican stop before their final leg in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche.
The 2025 NORCECA Tour is key for collecting points in both the continental and world rankings, and it is part of the qualification process for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, making it highly competitive and attractive for the participating national teams.
This stop has a pre-registration of 29 teams from 12 countries. The official confirmation will take place after the technical meeting, held one day before the competition kicks off.
Following the success in Manzanillo, the medalists from that stop return to the sand: on the women’s side, Puerto Rico’s María González and Allanis Navas remain unbeaten with four golds in as many appearances in 2025, along with Canada’s Darby Dunn and Mikayla Law-Heese, and Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who will look to capture the top spot in front of their home crowd.
On the men’s side, Mexico’s Jorman Osuna and José Cárdenas arrive as favorites after winning gold in Manzanillo. Also competing are Canada’s Robert Kemp and Cameron Chadwick, as well as Costa Rica’s Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela, silver and bronze medalists respectively.
Guadalajara is set for a weekend of top-level action, with the region’s best duos battling for crucial points ahead of the season finale and the road to Santo Domingo 2026.
September 1, 2025.- USA lived up to their status of match favorites against their North American neighbors Canada on Monday and swept the seventh 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship eighthfinal in Bangkok in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinal stage of the competition. USA’s opponent in the quarterfinals on Thursday is Türkiye, serving off at 20:30 local time.
A block-out kill by sub-in opposite Stephanie Samedy delivered USA’s winning point in their 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-21) victory over Canada.
The Americans outplayed their opponents in net defense by 11-6 in kill blocks, and in offense by 42-38 in successful swings. They also capitalized on the 19 unforced errors Canada made, against the 12 committed on their side of the net. Outside hitters Avery Skinner and Sarah Franklin shared the top scorer honors of the match with 13 points apiece for the winners. The latter was also one of the best blockers of the match with three stuffs to her name. Opposite Madisen Skinner chipped in with another 12 points.
USA vs CAN
“We are feeling really good. We are trying to get to the gym every day and just work to be better and better, and that’s going to show in the game. It’s super exciting for us and we are continuing to push that,” Franklin. “All the older girls kind of took us all in and showed us the ropes. So, all of us younger girls, we are ready to learn, we are ready to do whatever needs to be done for us. We are all super excited to continue to compete. And having the USA jersey on is always an honor and it is what pushes us to do better and better.”
Serving was the only scoring element, in which Canada outperformed their rivals, by 4-3 in aces. Authoring one of those aces and putting away three kill blocks, 21-year-old opposite Anna Smrek emerged as the team’s leading scorer with a total of 12 points.
“I think this entire summer was a big part about learning and growing, and trying to just grow our skill set. A lot of us are new to this whole experience – VNL, World Championship. I think in terms of the long-term goals over the summer, to get to the round of 16 is great,” Smrek commented after the game. “Obviously, we fell short, but kudos to the USA – they fought hard – so, we will exit with our head held high. I think we started competing for it a little bit late, especially in sets, we let them get ahead of us and then we were playing catch-up. We had our chances against the USA in the VNL. We wanted it, but again, we did not start competing until later on. So, we just need to get at it from the jump, and I think it could be a really good match-up.”
COURLAND, Tobago. August 30, 2025. Barbados Destiny Layne and Janica Grant took the gold medal in the first CAZOVA Girls U18 Beach Volleyball Champion when they defeated the Aruba’s duo of Whitfield and Eduards 21-9, 21-11.
In the semifinals, Whitfield and Eduards eased past Cayman Islands’ Luna Ebanks and Krisi Smith, while Layne and Grant spanked USVI’s Denbow and Tutein 21-6, 21-5.
In the quarterfinal by Arubans Nayah Alisha Whitfield and Davy-Ann Eduards edged out TTO’s Sadie Torkar and Bianca Perkins in three tough sets, 17-21, 21-19, 5-15, while USVI’s Rzyra Denbow and Aryanna Tutein defeated St Kitts/Nevis’ Celina Alwani and Shaylee Pinney. 19-21, 21-13, 15-10. T&T girls’ team had to settle for the fifth spot after beating St Kitts and Nevis’ Celina Alwani and Shaylee Pinney in three sets, 21-19, 8-21 and 15-10.
This initiative forms part of CAZOVA’s ongoing development programme, designed to prepare the region’s young athletes for future Zonal and Continental competitions, as well as their progression toward World Championships and Olympic qualification tournaments.
This age group represents a crucial stage for the region’s emerging talent pool, with many athletes aspiring to be considered for the upcoming 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.
Courland, Tobago, August 30, 2025.- TTO’s Jeremiah Jankey and Michael Burkett spiked their way to the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-18 Beach Volleyball Tournament final with a hard-fought three-set win over Cayman Island’s Dylan Lynee and William Duty at the Courland Beach Sports Arena, in Courland, Black Rock, Tobago on Saturday.
The hometown pair of Jankey and Burkett prevailed 21-10, 18-21, 16-14 to the delight of the home spectators over Lynee and Duty in a clash of unbeaten teams.
Earlier on Jankey and Burkette won their semifinals over Martiniquan brothers Noah Choux and Elowan Choux 21-16, 21-12, while Cayman Islands’ Dylan Lynee and William Duty humbled Haitians Luckenly Joseph and Julien Philippe 21-13, 25-23.
Joseph/Phillippe secured the bronze medal thanks to their win over Noah Choux and Elowan Choux 21-18, 21-19.
When the quarter-finals served off in the morning session, Jankey and Burkette crushed the US Virgin Islands’ Makeo Frederick and Zayden Turner. 21-7, 21-8 while Noah Choux and Elowan Choux battled past Barbadians Joshua Ashby and Aaron Taylor. 21-19, 21-19; Lynee and Duty dumped Arubans Joshua Hoepelman and Victor Mitchell 23-21, 21-14, and Joseph and Philippe crushed the St Kitts and Nevis duo Troy Shiwamber and Vansh Aidasani 21-5, 21-12.
In the fifth to eighth semifinals, Ashby and Taylor defeated Frederick and Turner 21-18, 21-17, while Hoepelman and Mitchell beat Shiwamber and Aidasani 21-5, 21-13.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.– Venezuela’s captain, Willner Rivas, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup, held from August 26 to 31 at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
Willner Rivas was a key player in leading Venezuela to the Undefeated Championship of the Pan American Cup, after defeating Mexico in the gold medal match 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 20-25, 25-19).
The All-Star Team of the event was formed by Nolan Flexen of the United States as Best Spiker, and Pelegrín Vargas of Puerto Rico as Second Best Spiker.
Individual Awards
In the middle blocker position, Rafael Burgos of the Dominican Republic and Cole Duncanson of Canada were recognized as Best and Second Best Middle Blocker, respectively.
The award for Best Setter went to Mason Greves of Canada, while Best Opposite was given to Vicente Parraguirre of Chile, who was also the Best Scorer with 99 points in the tournament.
Best Libero was awarded to Rafael Almonte of the Dominican Republic, who also earned the honors for Best Digger.
Mexico’s Axel Téllez received the award for Best Server, and Erik Siksna of Canada was named Best Receiver.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.– Venezuela was crowned undefeated champion of the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup after defeating Mexico 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 20-25, 25-19) in the gold medal match that closed the event at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
This title marks Venezuela’s first-ever gold medal in the history of the Pan American Cup, adding to the bronze medal they earned in 2015.
Host nation Mexico claimed the silver medal, the second in its history, bringing their overall tally to four medals: one gold, one silver, and two bronze.
Venezuela wins Gold Medal
Venezuela finished undefeated with six victories, 15 sets won and only three lost. Mexico closed the tournament with a record of four wins and two losses, placing second.
Venezuela prevailed in attack (50-42) and blocking (10-8), while Mexico outperformed in service points (5-2). In errors, the Venezuelan side committed one fewer than the hosts (32-33).
Team captain Willner Rivas stood out as the top scorer of the match with 20 points. He was supported offensively by Emerson Rodríguez with 16, Jean Herrera with 12, and Eduardo Vásquez with 10. For Mexico, Axel Téllez led with 12 points, including a match-high 4 aces, followed by Yasutaka Sanay with 11 and Mauro Fuentes with 10.
Venezuela’s head coach, Argentine Rubén Wolochin, praised his team’s effort after the historic victory: “We are very happy. I think we played very well and it is the result of four months of training and hard work. I congratulate the boys, they deserve it. We are the only undefeated team in the tournament. Before coming we had the feeling that things could go this way, but we had to prove it on the court, and after five years without competing it is a huge accomplishment. I am very proud of them.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.- Canada swept Colombia 3-0 (27-25, 25-22, 25-14) to claim the bronze medal at the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The Canadian team, the defending champion, was aiming for a historic three-peat. Although they fell short of reaching the final, they closed the tournament in third place with a record of 4 wins and 1 loss. In the history of the event, Canada now holds 2 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze medals.
Colombia finished in fourth place with a record of three wins and three losses, marking the first time in the history of the tournament that they reached a medal match.
The first set was the tightest, tied at 17 points. Colombia gained the lead with a block by Andrés Piza, but Canada quickly responded. After leveling the score at 22, Jonas Van Huizen spikes pushed Canada ahead in a dramatic finish to take the set 27-25.
Mason Greves-CAN and Cory Schoenherr-CAN
In the second set, Canada pulled away 17-13 with strong plays from Cory Schoenherr and Erik Siksna. Piza and Miguel Martínez led the Colombian push late in the set, but a service error handed the North Americans the 25-22 win.
In the third set, powerful serves from Jordan Canham set the tone and paved the way for a wider lead. The blocking duo of Siksna and Matthew Duncanson sealed the sweep (25-14) and the bronze medal.
Canada outperformed in blocking (12-5), attacking (38-24), and serving (6-1). Colombia committed fewer errors (21 to Canada’s 31).
Jordan Canham led all scorers with 16 points (12 attacks, 1 block, 3 aces), followed by Erik Siksna with 13 (8 attacks, 4 blocks, 1 ace), and Jonas Van Huizen with 12 (11 attacks, 1 ace). For Colombia, Andrés Piza and Miguel “Amaranto” Martínez each contributed 8 points.
David Preston, Canada’s Coach: “We were prepared for this match. I am proud of the guys for the way they handled the disappointment form last night, adding to the fact it was a late night, we didn’t have much rest and there was a lot of reasons of not showing up today. We found a really good reason and finished well. Our block-defense was outstanding tonight, the whole tournament we struggled with our serving so we didn’t have enough chances to play block-defense, and today they figured it out”.
MANZANILLO, Colima, August 31, 2025.- Mexico’s José Cárdenas and Jorman Osuna were crowned champions of the sixth stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour at Playa Azul, Manzanillo, defeating Canada’s Robert Kemp and Cameron Chadwick 2-0 in the final with scores of 21-16 and 21-19.
Osuna arrived with strong credentials, having already claimed one gold medal and two bronze medals earlier this season alongside Miguel Sarabia, further strengthening Mexico’s dominance in this circuit.
The podium was completed by Costa Ricans Julián Araya and Jhostin Varela, who achieved a historic 2-0 (21-16, 21-16) victory over Americans Timothy Brewster and Ryan Ierna in the bronze medal match. For the Costa Rican pair, it was the first podium finish of their careers at a senior-level stop.
Mexico Gold Medal
The semifinals highlighted the high level of competition. Cárdenas/Osuna defeated Araya/Varela 2-0 (26-24, 21-19), while Kemp/Chadwick came from behind to overcome Brewster/Ierna 2-1 (13-21, 21-16, 15-10).
In placement matches, Mexicans Lares and Carlos Andrés secured fifth place after defeating Americans Lev Priima and Charles Siragusa 2-0 (24-22, 21-16). In an all-Puerto Rican clash, Cristian Encarnación and José Pacheco captured seventh place with a 2-1 (17-21, 21-15, 17-15) win over William Rivera and Diego Rosich.
With this result, Mexico confirmed its status as favorite with a pair already collecting medals, Canada repeated as protagonists after winning bronze in Paramaribo, and Costa Rica climbed onto the podium for the first time this season.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.- Chile defeated the United States in straight sets 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-18) to secure fifth place at the eighteenth Men’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
Chile closed its campaign with a strong record of five wins and only one loss, while the United States finished with three victories and three defeats.
Dusan Bonacic-Chile
The match was highly contested in the first two sets, decided by small details. In the opening set, the score was tied at 22 when Tomás Gago blocked Kyle Hobus to give Chile a 24-22 lead. A service error extended the set, but a reception error by the U.S. following another attack from Gago sealed the win. In the third set, Chile built a clear five-point lead (15-10) and maintained control until closing out the sweep.
Chile outperformed the United States in attacks (40-34) and service points (4-1). Both teams scored seven points from blocking, while Chile committed fewer errors (22-24).
Dusan Bonacic led Chile with 13 points, closely followed by Vicente Parraguirre with 12. For the United States, Daniel Wetter topped the scorers and was the only player in double digits with 14 points.
Chile’s head coach Daniel Nejamkin praised his team’s performance: “It was a very close match. The team showed character. Perhaps this is Chile’s best performance at a Pan American Cup, with six matches played and only one loss (in five sets). We leave with the best impression as we move toward the World Championship.”
MANZANILLO, Colima, August 31, 2025. Puerto Ricans María González and Allanis Navas reaffirmed their status as favorites and captured their fourth gold medal of the season, claiming the championship at the sixth stop of the 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held at Playa Azul, Manzanillo, Colima.
The Puerto Rican duo, who had already defeated Mexico’s Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez in previous finals, once again showcased their superiority by prevailing in the gold medal match 2-1 over Canada’s Darby Dunn and Mikayla Law-Heese with scores 21-15, 18-21, 15-12.
The bronze medal went to local favorites Susana Torres and Atenas Gutiérrez, who secured a spot on the podium before their home crowd with a straight-sets victory (21-15, 21-19) over Canada’s Akash Grewal and Katarina Pantovic
Puerto Rico Gold Medal
The semifinals were also intense: González and Navas edged Torres and Gutiérrez 2-1 (20-22, 21-19, 15-13), while Dunn and Law-Heese advanced with a 2-0 (21-11, 21-19) win over Grewal and Pantovic.
In placement matches, Mexico’s Naomi Cruz and Angélica Torres finished fifth after defeating Guatemala’s Natalia Girón and Estefanie Bethancourt 2-0 (21-15, 21-18). Meanwhile, Costa Ricans Katherine Quesada and Aliza Aguilar secured seventh place with a 2-0 (21-16, 21-16) win over USA’s Amarie Bremel and Arika Johnson, but later fell 2-0 (21-14, 21-14) against Cruz and Torres.
With this result, Puerto Rico consolidates its dominance in the women’s division, while Mexico celebrates a podium finish at home, closing an intense sixth stop of the continental circuit.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.- Cuba claimed seventh place at the eighteenth edition of the Men’s Pan American Cup after defeating Puerto Rico 3-1 (25-20, 19-25, 25-23, 25-21).
Cuba finished the tournament with a 3-3 record, while Puerto Rico ended with 2-4, placing seventh and eighth respectively.
It was a close match, with neither team able to dominate clearly. Cuba took the first set, while Puerto Rico controlled the second after point 10, relying on its blocking to even the score. In the third, despite the Puerto Ricans holding a two-point lead late in the set, Cuba closed it out by capitalizing on their opponent’s errors. In the fourth, the Cubans took definitive control to secure the victory.
Thiago Suárez-Cuba
Cuba led in attacks 52-41, while Puerto Rico dominated blocking 13-8. Both teams scored 2 service points and committed a similar number of errors: Cuba 33, Puerto Rico 32.
For Cuba, Yusniel González and Endriel Pedroso led the scoring with 14 points each, followed by Thiago Suárez with 11. On Puerto Rico’s side, opposite hitter Jamal Ellis topped all scorers with 16 points, Pedro Molina added 13, Ángel Rivera tallied 11 including a match-high 5 blocks, and Peligrín Vargas contributed 10.
Both head coaches acknowledged that their pre-tournament objectives were not achieved.
Cuba’s coach, Darienn Ferrer: “Cuba did not do well in this tournament, it was not the objective we were expecting. We came away with a victory over Puerto Rico for the best position we could rescue. We leave with more experience. We must improve in many aspects.”
Puerto Rico’s coach, Jamille Torres: “We have a lot to learn. This is a young team that is growing. This is a step forward, not the result we were looking for. We leave here with much to learn and much to contribute for the players.”
August 31, 2025.- The United States conquered its first medal in the history of the competition in this age category, after sweeping Czechia 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-18) in the bronze medal match.
Fourteen years after coming very close to the podium, the Americans set the pace with calm and control, steadily pulling away in each set to complete the sweep.
The victory was built on a balanced and complete performance, as the United States totaled 42 kills, four aces and eight blocks, while limiting their errors to only 13. Captain Sean Kelly led with 19 points (14 kills, three blocks and two aces), while Cole Hartke contributed 12.
Sean Kelly USA
Their solid defense contained the Czech attack, limiting captain Matej Pastrnak to 13 points and opposite Tomas Brichta to just six. With rallies consistently defined thanks to blocking and floor coverage, the Americans closed out the match and celebrated a long-awaited place on the podium.
Within the Dream Team, Sean Kelly of the United States was included, who was chosen as one of the Best Outside Hitters, after helping his team to achieve the historic bronze medal.
Cuba finishes seventh place
For seventh place, Cuba defeated host China 3-1 (25-20, 25-19, 20-25, 25-22), driven by the power of Daniel Martínez, who scored 26 points, and Carlos Javier Pereira Larea, who added 17. After conceding the third set to Wu Haoze and Li Hai, the Cubans regrouped in the fourth to close their tournament with a victory.
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.– The Dominican Republic survived a five-set battle to defeat Suriname 3-2 (25-13, 25-15, 23-25, 24-26, 15-11) and secure ninth place at the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The Dominicans closed the tournament with a record of three wins and three losses, while Suriname finished with 1-4, settling for tenth place.
After dominating the first two sets with ease, the Dominican Republic endured Suriname’s push that forced a tight tie-break. Suriname took a two-point lead in the third set and, with great momentum, extended the match into a decisive fifth set, where the Dominicans finally prevailed thanks to their blocking and steadier performance.
The Dominican team made the difference at the net with a 19-8 blocking advantage, in addition to being more effective in attack (62-60), service (4-1), and committing fewer unforced errors (21-27).
Dominican Republic’s team captain Héctor Cruz was the top scorer of the match with 24 points (20 attacks, 3 blocks, and one ace). Ronny Molina added 20 points (19 attacks, one block), while Luther Molina contributed 15.
Four players of Suriname scored in double digits: Shemar Jameson with 19 points, Gianni Ritfeld with 13, Zefanio Breinburg with 12, and Keven Sporkslede with 11.
Dominican Republic’s head coach Alexander Gutiérrez said about the tournament: “This tournament was a gain for the boys who don’t have much experience and who must take responsibility. Consequently, that lack of experience causes complications against lower-level teams unnecessarily. We are going to keep working and pushing to be well prepared for the Central American Games.”
August 31, 2025.- Brazil recovered from a first-set upset to defeat the Dominican Republic on Sunday in the Round of 16 in Bangkok and become the sixth national team guaranteed in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship.
Dominated by the aggressive Dominicans in the first set, the reigning South American champions responded with a flawless performance in the second set and built from there to win the match and take the spot in the quarterfinals with a 3-1 (18-25, 25-12, 25-20, 25-12) victory over the Caribbean.
Opposite Gaila González delivered 15 points (13 kills, two blocks) in the last match of the Dominicans in Thailand. The Martínez sisters Jineiry and Brayelín contributed nine and eight points, respectively.
Gaila Gonzalez DOM Attack
“Brazil played very well tonight,” Gaila reflected. “We had a great start, but then they managed to put more pressure on us with their serving and the match changed. They deserved to win. We struggled with our passing in some moments, and that’s an area we need to work on for the next tournaments.”
Brazil’s dominance from the service line (six aces to one) was one of the factors that led them to victory, as the South Americans also outscored the Dominicans in kills (46 to 40) and blocks (14 to eight), besides making fewer errors (20 to 27).
The World Championship Round of 16 will be completed on Monday, with the United States and Canada meeting at 17:00 local time (10:00 GMT) and Türkiye and Slovenia battling at 20:30 (13:30 GMT).
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 21, 2025.- Guatemala concluded the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup with a 3-0 (25-10, 25-16, 25-17) victory over Antigua and Barbuda at the Domo de la Feria in León.
Guatemala finished in 11th place of the competition with a 1-5 record, while Antigua and Barbuda ended the tournament winless.
The Central American squad celebrated the victory by dominating in attacks 43-22, in blocks 8-5, and committing fewer errors (15-23). Both teams scored one direct service ace.
Andy Leonardo led all scorers with 15 points (13 attacks, one block, one ace), while Yeferson Zavala added 13 points (12 attacks, one block) for Guatemala.
On the other side, Adrian Constant stood out for Antigua and Barbuda with 9 points, all from attacks.
Guatemala’s coach, Reider Lucas, said: “We finished with a victory, a result that came after things didn’t go well for us yesterday. The previous match was a bad experience: things didn’t work out, we couldn’t use our captain due to injury in the last two matches, and the attitude wasn’t good. This was a very good competition for Guatemala, a high-level event, and progress has been made.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 30, 2025.- Mexico advanced to the final of the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup after defeating Canada 3-1 (25-21, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22) at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
The host team will play for the gold medal this Sunday against Venezuela, while Canada will face Colombia for the bronze.
The home crowd enjoyed a thrilling start in the opening set, as Mexico jumped ahead 20-12 thanks to the offense of Alexis Garay and Franky Hernández. Canada responded with a spectacular comeback led by Erik Siksna and Cole Duncanson, closing the gap to 23-21, but a blocking error and a stuff block from Axel Téllez sealed the set for the hosts.
Mexico wins
The second set remained tight up to 17 points, when two Canadian errors opened the door for Mexico. In the final stretch, Cory Schoenherr extended the suspense, but a kill from Oziel Aguirre secured the 2-0 lead.
Canada controlled the third set with a comfortable 16-10 advantage and, despite a late push from Mexico, Jordan Canham led his side to force a fourth set.
In the decisive set, Mexico rallied from a three-point deficit with Yasutaka Sanay coming off the bench and the contribution of Brandon López. Two late errors from the home team made it dramatic, but captain Mauro Fuentes clinched the victory with a powerful hit off the block of Jonas Van Huizen.
Although Canada led the stats in attacks (48-40), blocks (8-7), and service points (5-4), their high number of errors (46 to Mexico’s 30) proved costly.
For Mexico, Axel Manuel Téllez and Yasutaka Sanay led with 9 points apiece. Three Canadians finished in double digits: Erik Siksna (21), Jordan Canham (11), and Jonas Van Huizen (10).
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