Volleyball – NORCECA

Coaches express optimism as CAZOVA Under-23 Championships awaits

Posted on July 10, 2025July 10, 2025

MALONEY, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 9, 2025: Less than 24 hours before the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Men and Women Under-23 Championships hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) serves off at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena from Thursday, July 10 until Sunday, July 13, the eight coaches of the respective participating teams all expressed optimism about their team’s chances.

The tournament the first to be held since 2018, and for the first time involving both genders after the women’s events was staged alone and won by Suriname will see the next generation of CAZOVA senior teams talent converge over the next four days with the intention of signaling their names to the region and the world by extension as well as leading their respective teams to regional glory.

Men’s Tournament

Cuban-born Carlos Orta, Head Coach of Suriname men, “I have been coaching in Suriname for the past three years as part of the FIVB agreement. This is the first time we are going to have the men’s competition in the Under-23 CAZOVA Championship and with it being the first time we don’t know the opposing teams that well. We know that Trinidad and Tobago always has a good team, but we don’t know the rest, but we now have a chance to show who is the best.”

Essiel Seecharan, Head Coach of Trinidad and Tobago men, “We are very much prepared for this competition. We have been training for the past three months, and we only have a few slight injuries, but nothing that should affect the outcome for us which is to get the gold medal.”

Brice Hardy-Dessources, Head Coach of Martinique men, “We came to Trinidad and Tobago to win this competition. This team had three weeks of preparation, and we are okay for this competition.”

Gayetann Broussillon, Head Coach of Guadeloupe men, “We have come here with a beautiful team to win and the objective here in this tournament is to win against every team

Women´s Tournament

Henry Delfina, Head Coach of Curacao women, “We had a period of training for about three months, and we have prepared a good team. We hope that we can have a good tournament and that we can also reach the finals, that’s our goal. And when we reach the final, anything can happen.”

Courtnee-Mae Clifford, Assistant Coach of Trinidad and Tobago women, “We are looking forward to the team competing and representing Trinidad and Tobago as best as they can with all the work they have put in with the goal of making it to the final match of the championship.”

Eddy Erialc, Head Coach of Martinique women, “I have come to win this tournament in Trinidad and Tobago with my team as I think that my team is very capable of winning this competition.”

Victor Lesperans, Head Coach of Suriname women, “It’s an honour to be here for the tournament. As defending champions, we are not thinking less than getting back the crown.

“Our preparations have been quite hectic as we had the national playoffs in that same period, so, we were more checking out the players in their teams, but in the last three weeks we had quite a good preparation.”

Mexico to Face Chile for a Direct Semifinal Berth at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup

Posted on July 10, 2025July 10, 2025

CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 9, 2025. – Mexico will play for the top spot in Pool A and a direct ticket to the semifinals of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup when they take on Chile, as both teams remained undefeated after two days of competition at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.

The Mexican team defeated Suriname in four sets on Wednesday, 25-23, 25-16, 22-25, 25-11, earning their second straight win (2-0), the same record as Chile. Their upcoming matchup will determine the group winner and the direct qualification to the semifinals.

Suriname (0-2), on the other hand, will face Panama (0-2) in a decisive game for third place in the group and a spot in the quarterfinals.

Mexico

Mexico dominated the match with a significant advantage in attacks (57-30), while Suriname outperformed the hosts in blocks (13-8) and service aces (4-1). Mexico committed 28 unforced errors, compared to 31 by Suriname.

Opposite hitter Arnoldo Hurtado led the Mexican offense with 15 points, all on kills, followed by team captain Carlos Grajeda, who contributed 14 points (11 kills, 3 blocks).

For Suriname, top scorers were Javier Nasibdar and Gianni Ritfeld with 11 points each. Middle blocker Revelino Sandel added 10 points, including a match-high of 8 blocks.

In the third set, Mexico attempted a comeback after trailing 7-14, tying the score at 22, but Suriname’s insistent defense allowed them to force a fourth set.

Mexican head coach Óscar Viña said after the match: “The team lost focus due to Suriname’s excellent defense; they picked up every ball. It wasn’t a bad thing for them to feel pressure; they showed grit and closed the match with a wide margin in the final set. Tomorrow will be a tough match; Chile is a respected opponent, and we must have our strategy ready to finish first in the group.”

USA Wins, Dominican Republic and Canada Fall in Five-Set Thrillers

Posted on July 10, 2025July 10, 2025

July 9, 2025.- In the start of the final week of the 2025 Women’s VNL Preliminary Round, the United States moved forward in their quest for qualification with a four-set victory over Thailand, while the Dominican Republic and Canada both lost tough five-set matches to China and Germany, respectively, in Arlington.

United States Earns Hard-Fought Win Over Thailand

Team USA had a tougher time than expected in defeating Thailand 3-1 (28-26, 21-25, 27-25, 25-15), as the Thai side fought for every ball.

Despite the challenge, the Americans led in attacks (67-56), blocks (10-7), and aces (3-2). It was a low-error match, with Thailand benefiting from 26 opponent errors, while USA received 21.

Outside hitter Avery Skinner led all scorers with 22 points for the U.S., including 19 attacks, 2 blocks, and 1 ace. She was supported by Logan Eggleston with 19 points (18 attacks, 1 block) and Dana Rettke with 10 (9 attacks, 1 ace).

The win helps the U.S. stay among the top 8 contenders, currently holding the eighth position with 5 wins, 4 losses, and 14 points, tied with Germany, who sits seventh with the same win-loss record but 16 points.

Logan Eggleston USA

Dominican Republic Falls to China, Jeopardizing Final Round Hopes

Brayelin Martínez’s 33 points weren’t enough to stop China in Arlington.

In a direct clash for one of the remaining four VNL 2025 Finals spots, China edged out the Dominican Republic 3-2 (25-22, 17-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-13) at the College Park Center, bringing the Asian team closer to securing their ticket to the Finals in Łódź, Poland, taking place July 23–27.

With this victory, China remained in sixth place with six wins and 17 points, strengthening their hold on a qualification spot. The Dominican Republic, on the other hand, sits in tenth place with four wins and 10 points, unable to gain ground at the start of the final week of preliminary action.

China’s blocking made the difference, with 15 points at the net compared to 10 from the Caribbean team. This helped offset the Dominican edge in kills (74-65) and aces (8-6). It was a tight match with few errors, Dominican Republic gave up 18 points, while China conceded 15.

Named team captain this week, outside hitter Brayelin Martínez kept her team in contention with a massive 33-point performance, including 28 kills and 5 blocks. Opposite Gaila González also stood out with 22 points (17 kills, 5 aces).

“I think we were pretty aggressive, and our serving was really good,” said setter Ariana Rodríguez. “China had their moments, of course, because they’re a great team, but we never gave up. We went to five sets, it was back and forth, but someone had to lose.”

Dominican Republic

Germany Tops Canada in Five-Set Battle

The third competition week began with a five-set thriller, where Germany edged Canada 3-2 (24-26, 25-20, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13), bringing them a step closer to the VNL Finals while leaving Canada in a tough spot.

Germany currently holds sixth place with five wins (16 points) and controls its own destiny for qualifying to Łódź later this month. Canada, with just two wins and seven points, faces an uphill battle not only for qualification but also to avoid relegation, sitting in 15th place out of 18 teams in the 2025 VNL.

For Canada, 21-year-old opposite Anna Smrek led the scoring with 20 points (17 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace). Middle blocker Nyadholi Thokbuom added 16 points, while outside hitter Abagayle Guezen contributed 15.

Kacey Jost CAN

Match Schedule for July 10

Canada will have a rest day. The Dominican Republic faces the United States in Arlington at 7:30 p.m. (local time).

Chile Earns Second Win at U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup

Posted on July 9, 2025July 10, 2025

CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 9, 2025.- Chile earned its second consecutive victory at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup, defeating Panama 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-17) on the second day of the tournament, at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.

Chile remains undefeated with a 2-0 record in Pool B, while Panama is still seeking for its first win (0-2).

The Chilean team dominated the match with a powerful offense, outscoring Panama in attacks 48-24. They also led in blocks (7-5) and service points (3-0), although they committed 21 unforced errors compared to Panama’s 17.

Chile celebrated

Chilean opposite Joaquín Valjalo was the top scorer of the match with 19 points (18 attacks and one ace), followed by outside hitter Mateo Sanza, who contributed 12 points. For Panama, Wen Downer led with 11 points.

Chile will close the pool-play on Thursday against Mexico, while Panama will face Suriname.

Álvaro Del Campo, head coach of Chile: “We’re happy. The team is focused and enjoying the moment. It’s very important to be able to apply on the court what we’ve been training for so long, and we’re taking it step by step. Tomorrow we’re going all in against Mexico; we’re exactly where we set out to be”.

USA Secures Second Win at U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup

Posted on July 9, 2025July 10, 2025

CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 9, 2025. – The United States earned its second consecutive win at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup, sweeping Canada 3-0 (25-20, 27-25, 25-17) on day 2 of the tournament at the Gimnasio de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM).

The U.S. leads Pool A with a 2-0 record, while Canada drops to 1-1.

The Americans found their rhythm early, especially in the second set where they surged ahead with an eight-point lead at the technical timeout (16-8). Canada, however, mounted an impressive comeback to tie the score at 24, pushing the set into extra points before the U.S. closed it out.

USA

Opposite hitter Corbin Batista led the U.S. offense with 12 points, while middle blocker Isiah Powell contributed 9 points, including three aces.

The United States showed dominance from the service line, outscoring Canada 9-2 in aces, 6-2 in blocks and committing fewer errors (25 to 33). Canada held a narrow 30 to 29 lead in attack points.

Canada’s top scorer was outside hitter Mason Lange with 11 points, followed by opposite Jarom Rowin with 9.

The United States (2-0) will conclude pool play on Thursday against Puerto Rico (0-1), while Canada (1-1) will face Venezuela (1-1) in a decisive match for the next round.

Head Coach of the United States, Jonah Carson: “Canada is a quality team that plays the game really well and puts some nice pressure on us. Our team showed that they know how to solve problems and work the process. I am really proud of the way the guys are playing and the way the responded together as a team”.

Venezuela Earns First Victory at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup

Posted on July 9, 2025July 9, 2025

CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 9, 2025. – Venezuela celebrated its first victory at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup by defeating Puerto Rico in straight sets 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-22) at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium in Cuernavaca.

With this result, Venezuela evens its record to 1-1 in Pool A, while Puerto Rico remains winless at 0-2.

The match was tightly contested point by point. Puerto Rico showed composure in the first two sets by coming back from behind but failed to hold on to an early 4-0 lead in the third.

Jean Gonzalez PUR

Blocking was the key to Venezuela’s success, with a clear advantage of 14-7. They also led in service points 4-2. Puerto Rico had a slight edge in attacks 36-35. Venezuela committed 19 unforced errors, compared to 22 by Puerto Rico.

Top scorers of the match were Venezuela’s Jean Sanabria with 14 points and Gandy Lugo with 12. Middle blocker Harold Larez also stood out with a match-high of six effective blocks.

On Puerto Rico’s side, outside hitter Gustavo Pérez was the only player to reach double digits, finishing with 10 points.

Venezuela will close pool-play on Thursday against Canada, while Puerto Rico will face the United States. The team that finishes first in the pool will advance directly to the semifinals.

Venezuela’s Head Coach, Ivan Nieto, stated: “It wasn’t an easy win, the score doesn’t reflect what truly happened. The Puerto Rican team is very similar to ours; they have the same skill set and playing style. But today, the balance slightly tipped in Venezuela’s favor in terms of tactics. We were able to finish on defense, counterattacks, or transitions that were crucial, and that they (Puerto Rico) couldn’t close, especially after the 20-point mark. It was tight.”

CAZOVA Under-23 Championship set to serve off in T&T

Posted on July 9, 2025July 9, 2025

MALONEY, Trinidad and Tobago, July 9, 2025.- The T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) will play host to the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Championship at the Maloney Indoor Sporting Facility from Thursday, July 10 until Sunday, July 13.

In the men’s four-team tournament, host Trinidad and Tobago will face off with Martinique, Guadeloupe and Suriname and the women’s competition will also feature four teams inclusive of host Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique, defending champion Suriname and Curacao.

At the end of both men and women Under-23 round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medals on Sunday, July 13 final, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal.

Mushtaque Mohammed, President of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association, in looking ahead to the tournament, said as an association, CAZOVA, was really happy to finally see the tournament come to fruition.

The CAZOVA boss added, ‘The tournament for the men was originally scheduled for the Cayman Islands, but because of some challenges they had, the T&T Volleyball Federation has taken up the challenge to stage the event along with hosting the women’s competition.

“Now we are going to get both men and women under-23 events off the ground, and we are really happy to see that the challenges we have been faced with are being overcome.

Commenting on the small number of participating teams, with the likes of the Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica and the US Virgin Islands all absent from this year’s tournament, Mohammed said, “Although it’s only four teams, we are really looking forward to an exciting and eventful tournament.

Mohammed noted that the tournament is being used as a qualification tournament for the Under-23 NORCECA Continental Pan American Cup Championship and will also pave the way for the teams that participate in the Pan American Junior Championship, which is held every quadrennial, and this year it will be held in Asunción, Paraguay.

However, this year’s qualification tournament is not for that specific competition and will serve as planning in preparation for the next quadrennial Pan American Junior Championship.

Following the completion of the CAZOVA Under-23 Championships, the T&T national teams are expected to compete in the NORCECA Senior Women’s Final Four in Puerto Rico from July 16-21, followed by the CAZOVA Under-17 Championships in Jamaica from July 28 to August 4, the Pan American Cup Senior Women’s Championship from August 1-11, and the CAZOVA Senior Championships from August 14-24.

CAZOVA Under-23 Championship schedule:

Thursday, July 10

Men:

Guadeloupe vs Suriname, 12 noon

T&T vs Martinique, 8 pm

Women:

Martinique vs Suriname, 2 pm

T&T vs Curacao, 6 pm

Friday, July 11

Women:

Curacao vs Suriname 1 pm

T&T vs Martinique, 8 pm

Men:

Martinique vs Suriname, 3 pm

T&T vs Guadeloupe, 6 pm

Saturday, July 12

Men

Guadeloupe vs Martinique, 1 pm

T&T vs Martinique, 8 pm

Women:

Curacao vs Martinique, 3 pm

T&T vs Suriname, 6 pm

Sunday, July 13

Men:

Third place playoff, 12 noon

Final, 6 pm

Women:

Third place playoff, 2 pm

Final, 4 pm

United States Advances to the Quarterfinals of the U19 Girls’ World Championship

Posted on July 9, 2025July 9, 2025

July 8, 2025.– The United States advanced to the quarterfinals of the U19 Girls’ World Championship taking place in Croatia and Serbia. The defending champions edged out Germany 3-2 (25-18, 26-28, 17-25, 25-15, 15-13), while Mexico was unable to overcome the strength of Bulgaria and fell 0-3 (22-25, 16-25, 16-25).

The quarterfinal matchups on Friday, July 11, will be: Italy vs United States, Bulgaria vs Brazil, Türkiye vs China, and Poland vs Japan, to determine the semifinalists of the tournament.

Team USA will continue its title defense on Friday when they face Italy in the quarterfinals.
The defending champions battled through a tough five-setter against Germany in their Round of 16 match in Osijek, taking the win 3-2 (25-18, 26-28, 17-25, 25-15, 15-13) to secure a spot among the top eight.

The Americans played a focused, point-by-point match, dominating in both blocking (19 to 11 effective blocks) and serving (8 to 4 aces).

Middle blockers Jordan Taylor and Gabrielle Nichols added 7 and 6 points respectively to the team’s blocking performance. Taylor also tallied 6 points (5 kills, 1 ace), while Nichols scored another 7 points, all from attacks. Both ended the match with 13 points each, matched by outside hitter Suliane Davis (8 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces).

Germany’s Maria Tabacuks led all scorers with 21 points (19 kills, 1 block, 1 ace) in a respectful farewell for the European team.

U.S. Head Coach Robert Keegan Cook said, “We talked about our defense being an issue during the group stage, and it was great to see our middles step up and organize the block against some very talented outside hitters. Germany played outstanding volleyball… I was very impressed with them. It was a tough match, and it’s good to see your team face that and see how they respond. We had to make a lot of changes in our lineup and systems. Having many players who can perform in different positions is one of our strengths, and thanks to our persistent team effort, we were able to win today.”

Mexico Falls to Bulgaria

Bulgaria became the first team to advance to the quarterfinals, confidently defeating Mexico 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-16). Kalina Veneva and Viara Parapunova both scored 12 points. For Mexico, Naomi Cruz Toledo led with 11 points.

In the matches for 17th to 24th place, Canada came from behind to beat Peru 3-2, after losing the first two sets. The set scores were 21-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-21, 15-12. Canada outperformed Peru across the board: 63-43 in attacks, 12-6 in blocks, and 9-7 in aces. Maya Bukovcan led the scoring for Canada with 20 points, followed by Brooke Fermaniuk with 16 and Sydney Bell with 14.

Puerto Rico also secured a 3-1 (25-18, 22-25, 25-17, 25-21) victory over Tunisia. They led in attacks (39-38), blocks (13-12), and service aces (10-6). Pamela Zoe Agosto led Puerto Rico with 15 points, while Johnnyeshka Carrasquillo contributed 13.

Canada and Puerto Rico will now play for positions 17 to 20.

In a thrilling five-setter, the Dominican Republic was edged out by Chile 2-3 (17-25, 24-26, 25-17, 25-13, 10-15). Despite leading in attacks (60-49) and service aces (11-8), the 40 unforced errors from the Dominicans contributed to Chile’s victory.

Matches on July 11 (Local Time – Croatia and Serbia)

Quarterfinals:

China vs Türkiye – 15:15; Japan vs Poland – 18:15; Bulgaria vs Brazil – 21:15; United States vs Italy – 21:15

9th–16th Places:

Serbia vs Croatia; Chinese Taipei vs Thailand; Mexico vs Belgium – 18:15; Germany vs Argentina

17th–20th Places:

Canada vs Puerto Rico – 15:15; Spain vs Chile

21st–24th Places:

Peru vs Tunisia; Egypt vs Dominican Republic – 18:15

Mexico Opens U19 Pan American Cup with Win Over Panama

Posted on July 9, 2025July 9, 2025

CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 8, 2025. – Mexico got off to a strong start at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup, defeating Panama in straight sets 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-14) at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.

The Mexican team opened the match with a commanding 5-0 lead, setting the tone for their first victory in Pool B of the tournament taking place from July 8 to 13 in Cuernavaca.

Mexico led in every skill of the game: kills (40-31), blocks (7-2), and aces (8-3). They also capitalized on 20 points from Panamanian errors, while conceding 14.

MONSTER BLOCK FROM MEXICO

Team captain Carlos Grajeda led Mexico’s offense with 16 points, followed by opposite hitter Arnoldo Hurtado, who contributed 11 points.

For Panama, the top scorers were opposite Kendrieck Newby with 14 points and outside hitter Wen Downer with 12.

On the second day of competition, Mexico (1-0) will face Suriname (0-1), while Panama (0-1) takes on Chile (1-0).

Mexico’s Captain, Carlos Grajeda: “I’m very proud of the chemistry we showed, considering we’re all from different parts of Mexico and usually play against each other. The bond I felt with the team is very special. Our attitude really worked in our favor.”

Panama’s Captain, Kendrieck Newby: “The start of the tournament was very tough since we had to face the host team. Mexico has a strong squad that has been preparing for a long time. We are a young group that is building up little by little, and we’re improving. Panama won’t stay still, we’re going to move forward. Mexico defended much more than we did; they were more consistent in their defense.”

Chile Swept Suriname in U19 Pan American Cup

Posted on July 8, 2025July 9, 2025

CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 8, 2025.– Chile swept Suriname 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-14) in their opening match of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium in Cuernavaca, Morelos.

In the first Pool B clash of the tournament, Chile controlled the rhythm from the start, outmatching Suriname with a significant 42-19 lead in attacks and an 8-3 advantage in blocks. Both teams scored two aces, while Chile committed 21 errors and Suriname 23.

Chile

Four Chilean players reached double figures in scoring: Mateo Sanz led with 14 points, followed by Joaquin Valjalo with 12, Gabriel Contreras and Francisco Briones with 10 points each.

For Suriname, Javier Nasibdar was the top scorer with eight points.

Chile will face Panama in their next match, while Suriname will meet host Mexico.

Chile Captain, Carlos Grajeda: “It was a good start. We have high expectations for this tournament; we want to reach the podium. This match allowed us to play our game and show our volleyball, which gives us more confidence for the upcoming matches”.

Suriname Captain, Kendreieck Newby: “We had a rough start. I think the city’s altitude affected us, since we live at 3 meters above sea level. We need to adjust and play better.”

Canada beat Puerto Rico to start U19 Pan Am Cup

Posted on July 8, 2025July 9, 2025

CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 8, 2025.– Canada kicked off their U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup campaign with a hard-fought victory over Puerto Rico in a tightly contested Pool A match 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-20) at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.

The match was a rollercoaster of momentum swings, with Canada ultimately sealing the win despite a strong comeback attempt from Puerto Rico, who erased a 19-24 deficit, looking for a fourth set. Canada ultimately ended the game with a stuff block from middle blocker Simon Oberbuchner.

Canada’s powerful offense was key, outscoring Puerto Rico 41-22 in attacks. They also held a slight advantage in service points (5-2). Puerto Rico was more effective in blocks with seven against five and committed fewer errors (24-35).

Barret CAN Attacks

Outside hitter Marcus Barrett and opposite Jarom Rowin led Canada’s scoring efforts with 11 points apiece. For Puerto Rico, Gustavo Alvarez scored seven points.

In their next matches, Canada (1-0) will face the United States (1-0), while Puerto Rico (0-1) looks to bounce back against Venezuela (0-1) as group play continues in Cuernavaca.

Team Canada captain, Marcus Barrett: “It was a great last set for the guys, and we came out super strong. I’m really happy how we played and starting with a win because it brings great energy to the team. I believe we have a shot of winning the tournament, we’ll go even stronger for our next matches.

Team Puerto Rico captain, Jean Paul Gonzalez: “It was a tough start. We had ups and downs, but with each game, we’ll gradually adjust to the new players on the team. In the end, we were more confident, and we need to believe more that we can do it.”

USA Wins U19 Pan American Cup Opener Over Venezuela

Posted on July 8, 2025July 8, 2025

CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 8, 2025. – The United States recovered from a slow start to defeat Venezuela 3-1 (20-25, 25-18, 25-16, 32-30) in the opening match of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup, taking place from July 8 to 13 at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.

Competing in Pool A, both teams engaged in a thrilling contest where the U.S. bounced back after dropping the first set. Despite constant pressure from the Venezuelan side, the Americans sealed the win with a dramatic extended fourth set.

United States held a slight advantage in attack points, 52-48, and dominated with a huge 15-3 advantage in blocks. USA led in aces 5-4, but committed more unforced errors, 34 to Venezuela’s 30.

USA

Middle blocker Isiah Powell of USA scored a match-high of16 points, including 8 kills and 8 stuff blocks. Opposite hitter Corbin Batista added 15 points.

For Venezuela, outside hitter Gandy Lugo led with 14 points, all from kills.

In their next matches in Pool A, the United States will face Canada, while Venezuela goes up against Puerto Rico.

Team captain USA Brett Novak: “There are a lot of new guys in the team, so they were nervous in the first set and missed a lot of serves, we gave Venezuela a lot of points in that set. In the next two sets we were able to go on some pretty good runs. We love playing tight games, that last set is what we live for and coming out with the win is the greatest part”.

Team captain Venezuela José Bello: “For eight of our players this is their first international experience. It was a great game for us; I am confident tomorrow we’ll come with more. The match was as expected facing the United States”.

Decisive Week Begins in Women’s VNL

Posted on July 8, 2025July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025. – The United States, Dominican Republic, and Canada head into a decisive week in their quest to finish among the top eight teams in the Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and qualify for the Finals, scheduled for July 23-27 in Łódź, Poland.

The United States currently sits in 8th place with 11 points, holding a 4-4 win-loss record. The Dominican Republic is in 10th place with the same 4-4 record but has earned only 9 points. Canada is in 15th place with 2 wins and 6 losses, collecting 6 points.

Dominican Republic

The teams competing this week in Arlington, Texas, USA, include the host nation United States, Dominican Republic, Canada, Germany, Thailand, and China.

Every match is crucial, but the most important ones for the NORCECA teams will be against China, currently in 6th place with 5 wins, 3 losses, and 15 points, and Germany, in 7th place with 4 wins, 4 losses, and 14 points.

Thailand is currently ranked 16th in the overall standings with 1 win, 7 losses, and 6 points, just below Canada.

Canada

Match Schedule for NORCECA Teams
(All times are local Arlington, USA time)

July 9: Canada vs Germany – 12:30 PM; Dominican Republic vs China – 4:00 PM; United States vs Thailand – 7:30 PM

July 10: Canada rests; United States vs Dominican Republic – 7:30 PM

July 11: United States rests; Dominican Republic vs Thailand – 4:00 PM; Canada vs China – 7:30 PM

July 12: Dominican Republic rests; United States vs Canada – 7:30 PM

July 13: Dominican Republic vs Germany – 11:30 AM; Canada vs Thailand – 3:00 PM; United States vs China – 7:00 PM

United States and Mexico Advance to the Round of 16 at the U19 Girls’ World Championship

Posted on July 7, 2025July 8, 2025

July 7, 2025. – The United States and Mexico are the only NORCECA teams that have advanced to the Round of 16 at the U19 FIVB Girls’ World Championship, currently taking place in Croatia and Serbia. Canada, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic will compete in the classification matches for 17th to 24th place.

Pool A

With two sets won against group leaders Croatia, Thailand edged out Canada and Egypt in a tiebreaker to secure the last spot in the Round of 16.

Mexico closed pool play with a strong 3-0 (25-12, 25-23, 26-24) win over Egypt, finishing third with a 3-2 record and 9 points. Naomi Alejandra Cruz Toledo led all scorers with 17 points, while Salma Elbehiry was Egypt’s top performer with 11.

Germany dashed Canada’s hopes with a 3-1 (18-25, 25-16, 25-15, 25-23) comeback win. Canada needed a victory to qualify but couldn’t hold onto their first-set momentum. Marika Loker stood out for Germany with 21 points. Sol Henson and Sofia Zabjek led Canada with 11 points each. Germany finished second in the group with a 4-1 record and 13 points; Canada ended in fifth place with a 1-4 record and 3 points.

Alejandra Cruz MEX

Pool B

In a dramatic finish, Argentina narrowly overtook Puerto Rico to clinch fourth place in the pool.

Argentina kept their hopes alive with a hard-fought 3-2 (25-21, 21-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-12) win over the Dominican Republic. Just 14 years old, Sofía Emilia Baldo was the top scorer with 24 points. For the Dominican Republic, Rayni Merab Mondesí Arias scored 20. Argentina ended pool play with a 2-3 record and 4 points and depended on Puerto Rico’s result.

Puerto Rico needed a win over Chinese Taipei but fell in a five-set battle, 3-2 (25-22, 25-19, 22-25, 20-25, 15-12), and was eliminated. Wu Tzu-Hua, 15, led with 21 points. For Puerto Rico, Pamela Zoe Agosto and Kalia Isabel Alvarado contributed 13 points each.

Pool C

United States defeated Türkiye 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-22, 25-23), finishing third in the group with a 3-2 record and 11 points. Suliane Davis led the U.S. with 21 points, while Aylin Uysalcan scored 17 for Türkiye, who advanced in fourth place with a 2-3 record and 7 points.

Suliane Davis USA

Round of 16 Matchups:

Croatia vs Türkiye; Germany vs United States; Bulgaria vs Mexico; Poland vs Thailand; Brazil vs Belgium; Chinese Taipei vs Japan; China vs Serbia; Italy vs Argentina

17th–24th Place Playoffs:

Canada vs Peru; Spain vs Egypt; Puerto Rico vs Tunisia; Chile vs Dominican Republic

Coaches Share Their Expectations Ahead of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup

Posted on July 7, 2025July 7, 2025

CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 7, 2025. – One day before the start of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup, the coaches of the eight participating teams shared their thoughts and expectations for the tournament, which will take place from July 8 to 13 at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.

The event brings together promising youth talents from across the continent, offering them valuable international experience and the opportunity to continue developing within high-performance programs.

Jordan Taylor, Head Coach of Canada: “We had a training camp in Halifax; we trained a couple of times a day which is a big step for us versus last year’s competition. This year we have more continuity, so we feel a little bit more organized and prepared for competition. We’re bringing a younger squad, five returning players with NORCECA experience, for the majority, it’s going to be their first international competition, so it’s going to be a growth and learning event for these twelve athletes.”

Canada

Alvaro Del Campo, Head Coach of Chile: “The team is happy to be part of such an important international competition. We’ve been preparing with great dedication for several months. This is a group that’s been working together since last year’s South American tournaments. Our preparation included a tour to Uberlandia before coming to Mexico. We come with high expectations and the desire to compete against other countries.”

Chile

Oscar Viña, Head Coach of Mexico: “The team was built from the national championship. I selected players from the top four teams of that tournament, along with others with strong potential. We’ve been training here in Morelia for two weeks. The work has been solid; we may lack height compared to other teams, but I trust this group.”

Mexico

Horacio Angulo, Head Coach of Panama first highlighted that Panama is making its return to this level of competition after more than a decade of absence: “Panama hadn’t competed in an event like this for over ten years, it’s very gratifying. We’re here to show that high-level volleyball is played in Central America. We’ll take it one match at a time and focus on our own game.”

Panama

Juan Albarrán, Head Coach of Puerto Rico: “The Pan American Cup is a great preparation tournament for the U19 World Championship in Uzbekistan. We’re taking this competition very seriously. The pool we’re in offers strong preparation, and we’re confident we can do a good job.”

Puerto Rico

Furgil Ong-A-Fat, Head Coach of Suriname: “Our preparation went well. We started at the end of January with 60 players. We played friendly matches against French Guiana, so we’re motivated. The team has experience from the NORCECA U19 in Puerto Rico, and we hope to improve our position.”

Suriname

Jonah Carson, Head Coach of the United States: “This is a great opportunity for the development of our programs. We’ve got four players with previous international experience representing USA Volleyball. This is the first time USA Volleyball has been able to send a U19 team to both a Pan American Cup and a World Championship, so we have two distinct rosters. We’re looking to help accelerate the growth of our under-19 and coaching programs, and this is a nice first step in that. With the addition of the U17 category, we’re seeing something incredible develop here in NORCECA and globally.”

USA

Iván Nieto, Head Coach of Venezuela, emphasized that this event is part of the country’s federation restructuring and youth development process: “This competition is part of the development cycle for these young athletes. Most of the group is inexperienced, and we hope to showcase the progress they’ve made during this recent phase of training. We’ve gone through changes in our national federation and are forming new work teams. This is an opportunity for the newly identified talents to demonstrate the rise of Venezuelan volleyball.”

Venezuela

Mexico and USA Advance to U19 World Championship Eightfinals

Posted on July 6, 2025July 7, 2025

July 6, 2025. – Mexico and the United States secured their spots in the Eightfinals at the FIVB U19 Women’s Volleyball World Championship this Sunday in Croatia and Serbia.

The following teams clinched their place in the next round: Germany and Mexico (Pool A), Serbia (Pool B), Bulgaria, the United States, and Türkiye (Pool C), and Belgium (Pool D). They join the seven teams that had already qualified on Friday: Croatia, Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Poland, Italy, China, and Japan. Only two remaining spots are up for grabs on Monday.

Pool A

Germany and Mexico joined host Croatia as the three teams advancing to the Eightfinals, while Thailand, Egypt, and Canada are still fighting for the last remaining ticket.

Mexico made a major move with a 3-0 win (25-19, 25-22, 25-18) over Canada. Three players reached double digits for Mexico: Isabella Annie Ocampo, Angelica Jazmín Torres Galván, and middle blocker Aitana Rettke Tanguma, each scoring 10 points. Canada’s Sofia Zabjek led all scorers with 13 points. Mexico now holds a 2-2 record with 6 points, while Canada sits at 1-3 with 3 points.

Croatia kept its unbeaten record intact by defeating Egypt 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-15). Opposite hitter Asja Zolota led the way with 16 points, while Gena Mohamed was Egypt’s top scorer with 9. With this result, Mexico secured its eightfinals spot. Egypt, now 1-3, will face Mexico on Monday in a decisive match.

Isabella Annie Ocampo MEX

Pool B

Puerto Rico earned its first win of the tournament with a 3-0 victory (25-22, 25-12, 25-19) over the Dominican Republic. Diangelie González and Johnnyeshka Carrasquillo both scored 12 points. Ambar Avril Hernández led the Dominicans with 11 points.

Serbia secured qualification with a win over Argentina, while Puerto Rico and Argentina will battle on Monday for the last spot. Brazil and Chinese Taipei had already qualified.

Puerto Rico will need a strong performance against China and must hope that Argentina does not defeat the Dominican Republic. The Dominican team is mathematically eliminated from contention.

Puerto Rico celebrated

Pool C

Bulgaria, the United States, and Türkiye advanced to the Eighfinals, joining previously qualified Poland. Spain and Peru will move on to the 17th–24th place playoffs.

Bulgaria outlasted the United States in a thrilling five-set match (25-15, 16-25, 27-25, 13-25, 15-5). Kalina Veneva led Bulgaria with 18 points, while Suliane Davis posted 17 for the U.S. The Americans dominated in blocks (16-4), but Bulgaria held the edge in attacks (60-51) and aces (9-7).

Suliane Davis USA

Pool D

Belgium joined Italy, China, and Japan as the teams advancing to the next round. Tunisia and Chile will play in the 17th–24th place bracket.

Match Schedule – Monday, July 7

The final day of pool play features key matchups for NORCECA teams:

Pool A: Mexico vs Egypt at 15:15 (local time); Canada vs Germany at 21:15

Pool B: Dominican Republic vs Argentina at 15:15; Puerto Rico vs China at 21:15

Pool C: United States vs Türkiye at 21:15

Winless Day for NORCECA Teams at the U19 Girls’ World Championship

Posted on July 4, 2025July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025.- All five teams representing NORCECA at the U19 Girls’ World Championship, currently taking place in Serbia and Croatia, ended day three of competition with losses.

At the conclusion of day three of competition, several teams secured their spots in the eightfinals, Croatia (Pool A), Brazil and Chinese Taipei (Pool B), Poland (Pool C), as well as Italy, China, and Japan (Pool D).

Pool A

Mexico could not hold on to its early lead after winning the first set and ended up falling to Germany 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-12), recording their second consecutive loss. Mexico now holds a 1-2 record. German outside hitter Maria Tabacuks led her team with 19 points, while middle blocker Franziska Heil stood out with 7 of her team’s 16 blocks. For Mexico, Angelica Jazmin Torres Galván was the top scorer with 9 points.

Croatia remained undefeated after a hard-fought 3-1 win (25-19, 30-28, 25-27, 35-33) over Canada. Sixteen-year-old Opposite Asja Zolota, was the leading performer with 23 points, bringing her tournament total to 69 points in three matches. For Canada, middle blocker Maya Bukovcan contributed 16 points. Canada’s record is now 1-2.

Sol Henson CAN

Pool B

Chinese Taipei earned its third consecutive victory, defeating the Dominican Republic 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 23-25, 25-17). Top scorers were Wu Tzu-Hua and Chen Yi, each with 17 points. For the Dominican Republic, Estel Santos and Virelys Shantal Rivera both scored 11 points.

Co-host Serbia won a thrilling five-set match over Puerto Rico, 3-2 (19-25, 26-24, 19-25, 25-10, 18-16). Sixteen-year-old Mia Ciric led Serbia with 17 points. Cherisse Binex Atilano was Puerto Rico’s top scorer with 15 points. The Caribbean side now has two points in the standings.

Both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are still searching for their first win in the tournament and must win their upcoming matches to have a chance of qualifying for the eightfinals. Unfortunately, they will face each other on Sunday, July 6.

Estel Santos DOM

Pool C

Poland and the United States clashed in a high-level match on Friday, with the Polish side eventually edging out the defending champions, the U.S., 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 25-17, 25-27, 16-14). Poland’s Natasza Ornoch led all scorers with 27 points, while Macaria Spears led the U.S. with 21 points. Poland leads the group with 8 points; the U.S. sits in second place with 7 points and is close to securing a spot in the eightfinals.

Gabrielle Nichols – Macaria Spears USA

Match Schedule for Sunday, July 6

Saturday, July 5, is a rest day for all teams. Competition resumes Sunday, July 6, with the following matches:

POOL A: Mexico vs. Canada at 15:15 (local time)

POOL B: Puerto Rico vs. Dominican Republic at 15:15 (local time)

POOL C: United States vs. Bulgaria at 21:15 (local time)

United States remains undefeated at the Girls’ U19 World Championship

Posted on July 3, 2025July 3, 2025

July 3, 2025. – United States was the only NORCECA team to win on Day 2 of the Girls’ U19 World Championship, remaining undefeated with 2 wins in as many matches. The event is taking place in Croatia and Serbia.

Pool C

Defending champions USA continued their strong performance with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-18) win over Peru. Henley Anderson led the team with 14 points (10 kills, 4 blocks), while Waleska Toro Zoltanski was Peru’s top scorer with 12 points (8 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces).

With this win, the U.S. now shares the top spot in Pool C with Poland, both at 2-0 and 6 points. Bulgaria and Türkiye follow with 1 win and 1 loss (3 points), while Spain and Peru remain winless with no points.

USA will face Poland this Friday in a key match to determine the group leader.

Henley Anderson – Gabrielle Nichols USA

Pool A

Host nation Croatia claimed a second straight victory, defeating Mexico 3-1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-22, 25-19). Opposite Asja Zolota starred once again with 23 points (19 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace), while Naomi Alejandra Cruz Toledo led Mexico with 15 points (13 kills, 2 blocks). Mexico now holds a 1-1 record.

Thailand earned its first win by beating Canada 3-1 (22-25, 25-12, 25-17, 25-22). Captain Supawadee Panwilai led the charge with 23 points (18 kills, 1 block, 4 aces), while Sofia Zabjek was Canada’s top scorer with 14 points (11 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace).

Croatia tops the group with 6 points from 2 wins. Following behind with 1 win and 1 loss are Germany, Mexico, Canada, and Thailand. Egypt remains at the bottom of the group, winless.

Brenda Sofia Esquivel MEX

Pool B

Co-hosts Serbia bounced back with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-20) victory over the Dominican Republic. Outside hitter Anja Miovcic led with 12 points (7 kills, 3 aces, 2 blocks). Estel Santos Mateo led the Dominican side with 8 points, including 3 aces.

Brazil stayed perfect with another 3-0 win, this time over Puerto Rico (25-16, 25-17, 25-20). Middle blocker Lara Gabriele Rodríguez Almeida led with 13 points (10 kills, 1 block, 2 aces), while Kalia Isabel Alvarado scored 11 points for Puerto Rico.

Brazil leads the pool with 2 wins (6 points), followed by China, also 2-0 but with 5 points due to a five-set match. Serbia and Argentina sit at 1-1, while Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic remain winless; Puerto Rico has one point from their first-day performance, while the DR has yet to earn a point.

Matches for July 4

POOL A: Mexico vs Germany – 15:15 (Local Time) and Canada vs Croatia – 18:15 (Local Time)

POOL B: Dominican Republic vs China – 15:15 (Local Time) and Puerto Rico vs Serbia – 18:15 (Local Time)

POOL C: United States vs Poland – 21:15 (Local Time)

Cuernavaca Welcomes Top Youth Teams for U19 Boys’ Pan Am Cup

Posted on July 3, 2025July 3, 2025

CUERNAVACA, Morelos, Mexico, July 3, 2025. – A showcase of the next generation of volleyball talent is coming to Cuernavaca, as the NORCECA U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup takes center stage from July 8 to 13 at the Gimnasio de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM).

The event will feature eight national teams from North, Central America and Caribbean NORCECA Volleyball Confederation and the South America Volleyball Confederation CSV battling for the Pan American title and a place among the region’s best. The tournament also plays a key role in shaping the competitive landscape ahead of future international championships.

NORCECA teams qualify for the 2026 NORCECA U19 Boys Continental Championship, which is part of the qualification process to the 2027 U19 FIVB Boys World Championship.

USA arrives as the team to beat, having captured back-to-back gold medals in 2022 and 2023 undefeated. In both finals, they topped Mexico, who now seeks redemption and a chance to end their streak of three consecutive silver medals. Puerto Rico, bronze medalists last year, will also be aiming for a spot on the podium.

Teams are divided into two pools for the preliminary round: Pool A features Canada, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela, while Pool B consists of Chile, Panama, Suriname, and host Mexico.

Pool-play begins on July 8 with four daily matches, followed by quarterfinals on July 11, semifinals on July 12, and the final medal matches on Sunday, July 13.

Preliminary Round Schedule

July 8
14:00    USA vs Venezuela
16:00    Puerto Rico vs Canada
18:00    Chile vs Suriname

20:00 Mexico vs Panama

July 9
14:00    Puerto Rico vs Venezuela
16:00    USA vs Canada
18:00    Chile vs Panama

20:00 Mexico vs Suriname

July 10
14:00    Canada vs Venezuela
16:00    USA vs Puerto Rico
18:00    Suriname vs Panama

20:00 Mexico vs Chile

Year by Year podiums

YEAR	GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE
2011	BRA	PUR	USA
2017	MEX	CHI	PUR
2019	CUB	MEX	DOM
2022	USA	MEX	PUR
2023	USA	MEX	PUR

Composite Medal Table

COUNTRY	GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE	TOTAL
USA	2	0	1	3
MEX	1	3	0	4
CUB	1	0	0	1
BRA	1	0	0	1
PUR	0	1	3	4
CHI	0	1	0	1
DOM	0	0	1	1

Canada, Mexico, and USA Open U19 Girl’s World Championship with Victories

Posted on July 2, 2025July 3, 2025

June 2, 2025. – The 19th edition of the FIVB U19 Girl’s World Championship kicked off on Wednesday in Croatia and Serbia, with 24 national teams beginning their group stage campaigns. Canada, Mexico, and defending champions the United States all recorded opening-day victories.

Pool A

Canada started their campaign with a 3-1 (25-23, 14-25, 25-21, 25-18) win over Egypt at Gradski Vrt Hall in Osijek. Emerson Matthews led the Canadian scorers with 13 points (8 attacks, 3 blocks, 2 aces). Egypt’s middle blocker Retaj Kammer also tallied 13 points (9 attacks, 1 block, 3 aces), standing out as her team’s top performer.

Mexico had a flawless start, defeating Thailand 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-20) to take the early lead in the group. Outside hitter Naomi Alejandra Cruz Toledo was the match’s top scorer with 14 points (11 attacks, 3 blocks). For Thailand, Supawadee Panwilai stood out with 9 points, all from attacks.

Canada celebrates

Pool B

Argentina and Puerto Rico played a tightly contested five-set battle, with the South Americans emerging victorious 3-2 (21-25, 25-11, 25-18, 17-25, 15-10) in Vrnjačka Banja. Opposite Paula Tomasa led Argentina with 19 points (16 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace), while outside hitter Cherisse Binex Atilano was Puerto Rico’s top scorer with 15 points (13 attacks, 1 block, 1 ace).

With 16 team blocks, Brazil left no room for the Dominican Republic, winning in straight sets 3-0 (25-14, 25-13, 25-20). Opposite Luize Da Silva Tavares contributed six of those blocks and added two aces for a match-high 19 points. Julie Millaray Arias Alejo led the Dominican side with 8 points (7 attacks, 1 block).

USA celebrated

Pool C

Defending champions the United States had a tough start but overcame a spirited Spanish team 3-1 (22-25, 25-16, 25-12, 25-23). Middle blocker Gabrielle Nichols and outside hitter Macaria Spears both scored 14 points, while Spanish captain Inés Losada Gordaliza was the match’s top scorer with 17 points (14 attacks, 3 blocks).

Canada Sweep China, Cuba Falls to Argentina in a Five-Set Battle and USA swept by Italy

Posted on June 30, 2025June 30, 2025

June 29, 2025.- Week 2 of the Men’s Volleyball Nations League 2025 closed with Canada sweeping China (in Chicago), Cuba falling to Argentina in a five-set battle (in Belgrade) and host USA losing to Italy in three straight sets.

Cuba Falls to Argentina in a Five-Set Battle in Belgrade

Cuba closed its campaign in Belgrade with a hard-fought five-set loss to Argentina, missing the chance to break into the qualification zone for the Volleyball Nations League 2025 Finals.

Despite winning their first three matches in Belgrade, the Cubans couldn’t hold off the South Americans, who relied on their technique to overcome Cuba’s powerful offense and secured a 3-2 (23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 21-25, 15-11) victory on Sunday.

Cuba still walked away with one point from the match, bringing their total to 13. However, with a record of four wins and four losses, they now sit in ninth place in the standings, just outside the qualification zone for the VNL Finals.

Captain and outside hitter Miguel Ángel López led the Cuban offense with 18 points, all from kills. Opposite José Massó contributed 17 points, including 13 kills, three blocks, and one ace.

Canada sweep China

The first match of the day in Chicago had Canada putting on a strong performance to take China down 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-23) and take their first win in the week. With 11 points (three wins, five losses), the Canadians end the second week of the VNL 2025 in 14th place.

Opposite Xander Ketrzynski had an excellent all-around performance and led Canada with 21 points (14 kills, four aces, three blocks). Outside hitters Isaac Heslinga and Skyler Varga also reached double digits in scoring, registering 17 and 11 points, respectively.

United States swept by Italy

Reigning world champions Italy dominated the match from start to finish to secure a 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-18) victory over hosts United States at the NOW Arena in Chicago.

Playing more aggressively than the Americans, the Italians outscored their opponents in aces (eight to one) and blocks (six to two), besides benefiting from more errors (23 to 18). The United States had a slim edge in kills (40 to 38).

Outside hitter Cooper Robinson, who scored 11 points in kills, and opposite Gabi Garcia, who delivered ten, with nine kills and one ace, were the most effective players for the United States.

The Americans collected five points in their four VNL home matches, beating China and Canada and losing to Poland and Italy, and now rank 13th in the tournament, with ten points (four wins, four losses).

“The team is growing,” Garcia reflected. “The young kids are not so young anymore, and we’re happy about this. We know we have a lot of work to do and that we’re still learning about each other and our weaknesses and our strengths. We’re happy with the results we got this week. We’re going to keep working and preparing for the next one.”

The Men’s Volleyball Nations League 2025 will pause for one week. The women’s competition resumes from July 9-13, with Canada, Dominican Republic and USA competing in Arlington. The men return to action for the final week of the Preliminary Phase from July 16-20 in Chiba (Japan), Gdańsk (Poland), and Ljubljana (Slovenia).

USA Falls to a Strong Poland

Posted on June 29, 2025June 29, 2025

June 28, 2025.- Despite their efforts and improvements throughout the match, the U.S. Men’s National Team couldn’t stop the power of Poland, who earned a 3-0 victory (25-20, 25-21, 25-22) at the NOW Arena, backed by a passionate crowd of Polish fans on American soil.

With this result, the U.S. missed out on key points in the 2025 Men’s VNL standings, falling at home to a European powerhouse energized by strong support from the large Polish community in Chicago.

The top scorer for Team USA was 22-year-old outside hitter Cooper Robinson, who recorded 9 points, one more than opposite Kyle Hobus.

“We didn’t start well, but we made some adjustments, and our bench is always ready to contribute,” said setter Micah Ma’a.

“It’s tough to play against Poland, but it’s also a great experience. We wanted to keep competing all night, and even though we didn’t get the win, we fought until the end. They’re a great team.”

Following this setback, Karch Kiraly’s squad will look to regroup quickly and get back on the winning track in their next match, knowing that every point is crucial in the race for a spot in the VNL Finals.

Schedule for Sunday, June 29

In Belgrade, Serbia: Cuba faces Argentina at 4:30 p.m. (local time). In Chicago, USA: Canada plays China at 12:30 p.m. (local time), and the home team, USA, faces Italy at 7:30 p.m. (local time) to close the second week of competition.

U19 Pan Am Cup Award Winners

Posted on June 29, 2025June 29, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 28, 2025.- A young squad from USA won gold and 14-year-old Kari Knotts stood out at MVP today in Kingston, Ontario, as the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup concluded.

USA also picked up “best spiker” and “best setter” awards.

Valeria Gutierrez won two awards – libero and digger for her defensive action with the Costa Rican team. Dominican Republic’s Julie Arias also won two individual awards.

Host Canada was awarded 2^nd best blocker.

Here’s a full list award winners:

Best Spiker : Kari Knotts USA

2^nd Best Spiker : Ireland Real USA

Best Digger : Valeria Gutierrez CRC

Best Setter : Taimane Ainu’u USA

Best Receiver : Pamela Agosto PUR

Best Server : Julie Arias DOM

Best Libero : Valeria Gutierrez CRC

Best Scorer : Naomi Alejandra Cruz MEX

Best Opposite : Julie Arias DOM

Best Blocker : Brenda Sofia Esquivel MEX

2^nd Best Blocker: Maya Bukovcan CAN

MVP Kari Knotts USA

USA strikes U19 gold!

Posted on June 29, 2025June 29, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 28, 2025.- USA swept Mexico to claim gold at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Despite the determination of the Mexican side, the powerful young U.S. squad won the final 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-21).

Head coach of USA, Jamie Morrison, said: “It’s a young team and we set the goal of getting better every single day that we are here and I thought we did that. All 12 players contributed to us getting into this match. I’m proud that it’s their first gold medal in a USA uniform and the rest of the country should be proud of them too.”

The USA came out swinging and earned 48 points off attack, compared with 24 from Mexico. USA also had more blocking points (11-8). Mexico led in aces 9-5 and made fewer errors (11-23).

Top scorer of the match was 14-year-old outside hitter Kari Knotts with 24 points (19 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces).

Naomi Alejandra Cruz led Mexico with 8 points.

Host Canada won the bronze match over Dominican Republic.

Next up for this age-class, the FIVB U19 Girls’ World Championship in Serbia and Croatia in July.

2025 U19 Pan Am Cup Ranking

1. USA

2. Mexico

3. Canada

4. Dominican Republic

5. Venezuela

6. Puerto Rico

7. Costa Rica

Canada wins U19 bronze at home

Posted on June 29, 2025June 29, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 28, 2025.- Canada was able to manage the young, talented Dominican Republic team to win in the tie-break today at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

The home crowd cheered Canada on to the 3-2 (25-22, 25-18, 18-25, 19-25, 15-10) win and the bronze medal.

Canada led in attack points 58-50, blocking 10-4, while Dominican had one more ace (11-10). Canada also made more errors 35-24.

Canada_happy

Sydney Bell (16) and Sol Henson (14) led in points for Canada. Ambar Hernández (16) and Julie Millaray Arias (13) were top scorers for Team Dominican Republic.

“It was a great team effort for us,” explained Canada’s head coach Gina Schmidt. “Dominican served tougher than they did in the previous match we played against them. We were in system a lot in our first match, and they added some service pressure today, which got us out of our rhythm with our offense. Once we kind of settled that down and put on more pressure from service from our side, we were able to work our way back into the match. I loved the way our team reacted in that fifth set. Everyone found a way to contribute, so that’s important as we head into the next tournament.”

Most teams at the Pan Am Cup are using this tournament to prepare for the FIVB Girls’ U19 World Championship 2025, which will be held in Serbia and Croatia in early July.

The gold-medal match is next to determine place 1-2.

Dominican Republic is fourth. Venezuela finished fifth. Puerto Rico is sixth and Costa Rica is seventh.

Puerto Rico finishes sixth at U19 Pan Am Cup

Posted on June 29, 2025June 29, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 28, 2025.- Puerto Rico beat Costa Rica to finish sixth overall at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada today.

Puerto Rico won in straight sets 3-0 (25-20, 31-29, 25-19).

Eduardo Galarza, Head Coach, Puerto Rico, said post-match: “I tried rotating my team in preparation for the U19 World Championship, which is coming up. The level of our team is a bit higher than Costa Rica, so I tried different things to get a rhythm before the next tournament. But it was a great win. A win is always good.”

Puerto Rico’s strong offense led to 55 attack points, compared with 33 by Costa Rica. Blocks were 7-4 in favor of Costa Rica and aces were even at four. Costa Rica earned more points from errors 24-18.

Opposite Diangelie Gonzalez led the Puerto Rican team in points with 21.

Maria del Sol Venegas of Costa Rica equaled that tally, also with 21 points.

Puerto Rico is sixth and Costa Rica is seventh in this year’s standings.

Cuba pulls off another comeback, Canada lets victory slip away

Posted on June 28, 2025June 28, 2025

June 27, 2025. – Cuba staged yet another comeback, defeating the Netherlands 3-1, while Canada let a two-set lead slip away and fell 2-3 to Poland.

Cuba, the kings of comebacks, claim another victim in Belgrade!

Cuba heads into the weekend with plenty to celebrate after securing their third consecutive comeback win this Friday in Belgrade during Week 2 of the 2025 Men’s VNL.

Playing for the third day in a row at Belgrade Arena, Cuba recovered from dropping the first set to defeat the Netherlands 3-1 (21-25, 25-18, 25-21, 30-28). It was a repeat of their performances against Germany on Wednesday and Serbia on Thursday, three straight comeback victories.

With nine points earned this week alone and 12 points total (four wins, three losses), Cuba now sits in sixth place in the overall 2025 VNL standings.

“It was really tough,” admitted middle blocker David Fiel. “The first two matches were very demanding, both physically and mentally. But today we came out determined to win. It didn’t matter how, what mattered was getting the victory. We have a great team, and everyone can contribute, as they did today.”

Cuba won as they usually do, by dominating at the net. They outperformed the Netherlands in attacks (64-57), blocks (13-6), and also led in aces (3-2). This edge allowed them to overcome their 27 errors, compared to 21 from the Dutch side.

VNL 2025’s top scorer, outside hitter Marlon Yant, shined once again, leading Cuba with 21 points (20 kills and 1 block). He was supported by José Masso with 17 points, José Gutiérrez with 15, and middle blocker Roamy Alonso with 14, in a strong collective performance.

Cuba celebrated

Canada lets two-set lead slip away and falls to Poland

Canada wasted a two-set lead and eventually lost in a tie-break (32-30, 25-14, 17-25, 23-25, 13-15) against Poland.

The Canadians outperformed the Europeans from the service line (11 aces to 6) but were outscored in attacks (60-57) and blocks (12-8). In unforced errors, Canada benefited from 34 opponent errors while conceding 31 themselves.

Xander Ketrzynski led Canada with 20 points, including 19 kills and one ace. Brodie Hofer contributed 18 points (15 kills, 1 block, and 3 aces). Canadian captain Eric Loeppky also reached double digits, scoring 14 points (8 kills, 3 blocks, and 3 aces).

The loss leaves Canada in 14th place with a record of two wins and five losses.

Canada

Saturday, June 28 schedule

Only one match is scheduled for Saturday, June 28: USA vs. Poland at 7:30 p.m. (local time) in Chicago. Cuba and Canada have the day off.

Cuba vuelve a remontar, Canadá deja escapar la victoria

27 de junio de 2025.- Cuba volvía a remontar y terminó ganando 3-1 a Países Bajos, mientras que Canadá dejó escapar la victoria y terminó perdiendo 2-3 ante Polonia.

Mexico wins semi in five set to advance

Posted on June 27, 2025June 28, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 27, 2025.- Mexico outlasted Canada today to win their semifinal at the Girls’ U19 Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

It was a thrilling, back-and-forth five sets 3-2 (19-25, 25-19, 24-26, 25-16, 15-10).

Mexico led in attack points 55-52, and dominated from the service line 13-5. Canada had the blocking advantage (14-13).

Ignacio Ramirez, Head Coach, Mexico, said; “It was a very tough match from the beginning. We were able to take advantage of the opportunities that the Canadian team gave us. We had a bad set that we practically had won, but the girls recovered in the fourth and fifth sets to achieve this much-desired victory.”

Mexico’s Naomi Cruz led her team in scoring with 23 points (which included 3 blocks and two aces).

Canada’s Emerson Matthews led the home team with 19 points.

Canada’s Head Coach Gina Schmidt sums up her team’s effort: “We did a good job of executing our game plan early in the match. They made some adjustments, and I give credit to Mexico for doing that. Then it took us too long to adapt to what they adjusted to. They fought hard. We needed to execute better on our side, offensively and in serve receive. They were serving some tough, deep serves and that got us out of our rhythm a bit as well.”

Mexico plays for gold vs. USA and Canada plays for bronze vs. Dominican Republic.

Action continues and medal matches will be held on Saturday, June 28 at the Queen’s University Athletic and Recreation Centre.

USA advances to U19 Girls’ final

Posted on June 27, 2025June 27, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 27, 2025.- Team USA won its semifinal today at the Girls’ U19 Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

The final score was 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-20) over the Dominican Republic.

USA’s powerful attack was a difference maker and scored 41 points, compared with the Dominican Republic’s 26 attack points. USA also led in blocks (6-5) and ace (5-4). Errors were 23-21 favoring the USA on the scoresheet.

Despite Dominican Republic’s efforts early on in the match, USA’s size and power eventually led to the win.

USA head coach Jamie Morrison: “I talked to the team and I thought that midway through the second set we started competing. We didn’t think about the circumstances, other than the scouting report. We let that show to the world. That’s what I’m fired up about!”

Megan Hodges led the U.S. side with 14 points (including a block and an ace); Taylor Harrington and Olivia Henry followed scoring 11 apiece.

Yalyn Filpo and Julie Millaray Arias led the Dominican team with 8 points each.

Action continues and medal matches will be held on Saturday, June 28 at the Queen’s University Athletic and Recreation Centre.

Venezuela beats Costa Rica for fifth

Posted on June 27, 2025June 27, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 27, 2025.- Venezuela put together a solid performance at the Girls’ U19 Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, today.

They beat Costa Rica in three sets (25-22, 25-19, 25-19) to finish fifth out of seven teams overall in the tournament.

Ihosvanny Chambers, head coach of Venezuela said he was happy with today’s accomplishment: “We fully achieved our goal; we came with the hope that the players would develop. Winning matches is an added bonus. We know we have a future working with this group of girls who are participating for the first time in an international event of this high level. We are satisfied with the girls’ performance in this competition.”

Outside hitter Leidymar Colina led all scorers with 17 points for the winning team. Her team led in all skills, attack points were 36-33, blocks 8-3, aces 8-6 and Venezuela earned more points from Costa Rica’s errors (23-18).

Maria del Sol Venegas led the Costa Rican side with 14 points.

Action continues and medal matches will be held on Saturday, June 28 at the Queen’s University Athletic and Recreation Centre.

Dominican Republic defeats Costa Rica

Posted on June 26, 2025June 27, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 25, 2025.- Dominican Republic earned its first win at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada today.

They won decisively 3-0 (25-14, 25-8, 25-14) putting consistent pressure, especially from the service line, against Costa Rica today.

The Dominican team was dominant in the attack points 33-16, blocking 6-3 and service aces 17-4 and made fewer errors.

Alexandre Ceccato, Head Coach, Dominican Republic, was pleased with today’s effort: “We played a good match against Costa Rica and we will try to play a good semifinal tomorrow against the United States. The team improved a bit today.”

Julie Millaray Arias led scoring with 15 points – six of those aces. She was followed by teammate Harleny Linette De los Santos who scored 13 attack points.

Dominican Republic will face USA in tomorrow’s semifinal, while Canada will face Mexico in the other semi.

Cuba Comes from Behind to Defeat Serbia and USA Sweeps Canada in Straight Sets

Posted on June 26, 2025June 27, 2025

June 26, 2025. – Cuba in Belgrade and the United States in Chicago secured their second win in as many matches during the second week of the Men’s VNL.

Cuba Comes from Behind to Beat Serbia

After starting the week in 15th place, the Caribbean side earned its second consecutive victory and is now sitting in 9th.

Cuba continues to climb up the standings. This Thursday in Belgrade, the Caribbean squad secured another win after coming from dropping the first set to defeat Serbia 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 25-16), silencing the home crowd at the Belgrade Arena.

A day after defeating Germany, Cuba once again prevailed with grit and determination. With only two of their four matches this week completed, they have already doubled the points they collected in Rio de Janeiro and are now in eighth place with nine points (3 wins, 3 losses).

Cuba was clearly dominant against Serbia in all aspects of the game, with a massive advantage in blocks (18 to 4) and aces (10 to 3). They also scored more points in attacks (45 to 43), which helped offset a higher number of unforced errors (29 to 24).

Individually, opposite José Massó was the standout performer, leading all scorers with 19 points (14 kills, 3 blocks, and 2 aces). Outside hitter Marlon Yant, the current top scorer of the 2025 VNL, continued his unstoppable form with 18 points (14 kills, 3 aces, and one block).

“We’re still tired from the travel issues we had, but everyone is making sacrifices for the team,” said José Massó. “We push each other to keep the level high, and we will continue fighting until the end of the week,” he added.

USA Defeats Canada in Straight Sets

The United States earned their second win of the week, defeating Canada in straight sets (25-23, 25-22, 30-28) in Chicago during Men’s VNL Week 2.

The USA outperformed Canada from the service line (6 aces to 2), while the Canadians led in blocks (7 to 3). Both teams finished with 41 attack points.

Gabriel García led all scorers with 19 points for the USA (15 kills, 1 block, and 3 aces), while Cooper Robinson contributed 13 points (11 kills and 2 aces). On the Canadian side, team captain Fynnian Lionel McCarthy was their top scorer with 13 points (8 kills, 4 blocks, and 1 ace).

With this win, the USA moves into sixth place in the overall standings with 4 wins, 2 losses, and 10 points. Canada drops to 14th with a record of 2 wins and 4 losses.

USA Celebrated

Schedule for Friday, June 27

In Belgrade at 20:00 (local time), Cuba faces the Netherlands, while in Chicago at 19:30 (local time), Canada takes on Poland. The United States has a rest day.

USA perseveres against Puerto Rico

Posted on June 26, 2025June 27, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 26, 2025.- USA remains undefeated at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Canada after a win over Puerto Rico 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-14, 27-25).

Puerto Rico came out determined to show their grit and won the first set. The young United States squad regrouped to take the second and third sets. But Puerto Rico was not giving up and almost forced the tie-break only to lose in four.

USA celebrated

USA Head Coach Jamie Morrison: “I talked to the team in the locker room and told them I hope we do get pushed at some point because that matters. I’m happy with the way the team responded in the face of adversity. (Before the semifinal) I will tell them to be a team, work hard and play good volleyball.”

Outside hitters 14-year-old Kari Knotts along with team captain Ireland Real led scoring with 19 points each for USA.

Johnnyeshka Carrasquillo led the Puerto Rican side with 18 points (including 3 aces).

The United States led in attack points 57-46, blocking points 8-6, but Puerto Rico had the advantage in aces 12-9 but made more errors 23-20.

USA will play in the semifinals on Friday at the Queen’s University Athletic and Recreation Centre.

Mexico over Venezuela at U19 Pan Am Cup

Posted on June 26, 2025June 26, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 26, 2025.- Mexico defeated Venezuela today 3-1 (17-25, 25-23, 25-13, 25-20) at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada at the Queen’s University Athletic and Recreation Centre.

Mexico recovered from a first-set loss to win this important match and advance to the semifinals.

Esquivel (MEX)

Mexico’s team captain Isabella Ocampo said in a post-match interview: “Even in the tough times in this match, we were able to work as a team. We were also being very smart with where we were putting the ball and talking to each other about what’s open and how to help each other. I think that’s why we got the win today. It will help our momentum into the next match.”

Mexico led in attack points (61-45) and dominated from the service line – 10 aces compared with one from the losing side. However, Venezuela led in blocking points 9-4 and Mexico also made more errors (26-17).

Mexico’s Naomi Cruz Toledo led all scorers with 22 points; her teammate Angélica Torres was next on the scoresheet with 19 points.

Venezuela’s Leidymar Colina led her team’s efforts with 15 points.

Hard-Fought Wins for USA and Cuba, Canada Falls to Brazil

Posted on June 25, 2025June 26, 2025

June 25, 202. – The start of the second week of the Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) was quite challenging for NORCECA teams. The United States had to battle hard to defeat China 3-2, Cuba overcame logistical issues to beat Germany 3-1, and Canada couldn’t stop Brazil’s momentum, falling 0-3.

USA Struggles to Defeat China

Playing at home in the NOW Arena in Chicago, the United States had to push to the limit to defeat China 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-11).

The Americans were superior in attack (65-52), but China put up strong resistance, outperforming the U.S. in blocking (16-12). Both teams tallied 3 aces each.

Jordan Ewert led all scorers with 18 points (16 from attacks and 2 blocks). Kyle Ensing also stood out at the net with 12 points, while Jacob Pasteur contributed 11 points and Ethan Champlin added 10, both hitting double digits.

With this victory, the United States moves into ninth place in the standings with a record of 3 wins and 2 losses.

Jordan Ewert USA

Cuba Tops Germany with Powerful Serving

Cuba faced logistical challenges traveling to Belgrade and barely had time to rest before kicking off their second week of the 2025 Men’s VNL.

Despite the fatigue, the Caribbean squad fought hard on court and earned a crucial 3-1 victory (19-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-21) over Germany.

With this result, Cuba climbs to tenth place in the standings with a 2-3 record and 6 points, surpassing Germany, who drops to 14th with a 1-4 record, also with 6 points.

Serving was Cuba’s main weapon, delivering seven aces compared to Germany’s two. One of them, a powerful serve from José Gutiérrez straight to the corner of the German court, sealed the final point of the match with precision.

Gutiérrez was the standout player of the match, finishing with 20 points, 19 of them from attacks at an impressive 68% efficiency. Opposite José Masso contributed 14 points, while middle blocker Javier Concepción and outside hitter Marlon Yant each added 11.

“What can I say? We’re very tired, but we brought a lot of positive energy to the court and beat Germany. We tried to forget about being tired,” said Javier Concepción. “I think this week will be better than the last one. It was a good start, but that’s behind us now. We have to forget it and move forward…” he concluded.

Cuba celebrated

Canada Can’t Stop Brazil

Canada was unable to contain a sharp and inspired Brazil in its opening match of Week 2 at the 2025 VNL, falling 0-3 (22-25, 17-25, 17-25) at the NOW Arena in Chicago.

The Canadian team, which had shown strong performances in Week 1, suffered a setback against a Brazilian squad that controlled the match from start to finish. With this defeat, Canada drops three spots in the standings, falling from sixth to ninth place, though it still holds 8 points overall.

Despite the result, outside hitter Brodie Hofer was once again a key player for the North American side. Hofer tallied 12 points, including 11 kills and 1 ace, continuing to be one of Canada’s most consistent players in this edition of the tournament.

Daniel Lewis’s team showed flashes of solid play but couldn’t sustain the rhythm under Brazil’s pressure, especially in the second and third sets. The difference in blocking efficiency and offensive firepower proved decisive in the outcome.

Brodie Hofer CAN

Thursday, June 26 Schedule

On Thursday, June 26, Cuba will face host Serbia at 8:00 PM (local time in Serbia), while Canada takes on the United States at 7:30 PM (local time).

Canada defeats Dominican Republic

Posted on June 25, 2025June 26, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 25, 2025.- Canada now has a 2-0 record after beating Dominican Republic at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada on Wednesday evening.

Canada was challenged early on but managed to control the Dominican offense at crucial moments leading to a 3-0 win (25-22,25-23, 25-17).

Canada led in attack points (37-31), blocking points (8-6) and serves (7-4). They also made fewer errors (21-23).

Canada’s head coach, Gina Schmidt: “We talked about some things after last night’s game, and some of the things we talked about worked through (in practice) this morning, showed up in this game. I’m pleased with how we executed the game plan and adjusted to anything they brought during the game. I felt it was a good team effort to stay focused throughout the match.”

Canadians Sofia Zabjek (12 points) and Maya Bukovcan (11) led scoring for the host team.

Julie Millaray Arias led the Dominican side with 11 points.

Canada has Thursday off, while Dominican Republic faces Costa Rica in Group B action tomorrow.

The U19 Pan Am Cup is the final tournament before the teams head to Croatia and Serbia next month to face off in the FIVB Girls’ U19 World Championship 2025.

USA earns second sweep at U19 Pan Am Cup

Posted on June 25, 2025June 25, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 25, 2025.- USA earned its second consecutive win at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Canada, beating Mexico 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-23).

Despite many challenges from their North American neighbors, USA kept the pressure on Mexico today.

USA dominated in attack points (52-38) and also led in block points (5-3) and aces (6-4). USA, however, made more errors (20-12).

United States captain Ireland Real led all scoring with 19 points (17 attack points, 1 block and 1 ace).

Outside hitter Naomi Cruz Toledo was top scorer for Mexico with 16 points.

“Mexico is a good team that has been training for a long time and their coach has done a really great job,” said USA head coach Jamie Morrison. “I’m proud of our girls – we’re going to throw out a bunch of combinations and give everyone an experience representing USA Volleyball. I think we’re learning within matches and I’m proud of that. It sets the tone that we need to get better throughout this tournament.”

The USA faces Puerto Rico tomorrow in their final Group A matchup.

Venezuela takes first win at U19 Pan Am Cup

Posted on June 25, 2025June 25, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 25, 2025.- Venezuela took five sets to beat Puerto Rico 3-2 (25-15, 25-20, 28-30, 22-25, 16-14) at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada to earn their first win at the tournament.

In the 2-hour 20 min match, Puerto Rico had more successful attack points – 64-61, but the winning side led in blocks (14-11) and aces (8-6). Puerto Rico also made more errors (33-23).

Venezuela looked as if they would take the match in three sets, but Puerto Rico showed a lot of fight to push the match into a tie-break situation.

Ihosvanny Chambers, head coach of Venezuela said post-match: “It was a very intense match. We are very happy. We would have been happy regardless of whether the result was in our favor or not, because this is about the experience for all these girls participating in an event at this level… and how they were able to come from behind after winning two sets, then playing three very close sets, losing the third and fourth, and still coming from behind in the fifth. I think this is very important for them, for their development, which is the goal we are pursuing here — for the players to experience the level of volleyball at the international stage.”

Venezuela’s Leidymar Colina led all scoring with 26 points, including 2 blocks.

Johnnyeshka Carrasquillo was top scorer for Puerto Rico with 22 points – 19 attack points combined with three blocks.

This was both teams’ second match in Group A play.

FIVB updates two key rules for World Ranking system

Posted on June 25, 2025June 25, 2025

Junio 25, 2025.- The FIVB has updated two key components of its World Ranking system following consultation with the World Ranking Working Group and the Volleyball Council. The changes aim to enhance fairness, improve system flexibility and align with the organisation’s development objectives.

The first update revises the Overlapping Events Rule. Previously, when two World Ranking-eligible events overlapped and involved the same team, only the event with the higher Match Weight Factor (MWF) was counted, with the other excluded entirely.

Under the new rule, both events are now included in the ranking system. However, overlapping teams will only earn ranking points from the event with the higher MWF and the stronger position on the World Ranking event table. Matches involving those teams in the lower-weighted competition will not count for points. All other teams in both events will have their results recognised as usual.

The new approach enables greater inclusion of zonal and continental competitions within the ranking system, while maintaining competitive integrity.

The second update introduces a broader definition of National Federation (NF) activity. In the past, federations were penalised 50 points after two years of inactivity in World Ranking-eligible events.

Under the new rule, a federation is considered active if it takes part in any international, confederation or zonal event at senior or underage level, whether in volleyball or beach volleyball.

This new approach removes unnecessary penalties and reflects the full range of federation engagement.

Both updates are now in effect and form part of the FIVB’s ongoing efforts to strengthen competition structures and support the modernisation of the sport.

For further information, please refer to:

Canada beats Costa Rica at home

Posted on June 25, 2025June 25, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 24, 2025.- Canada overcame some first-match jitters to defeat Costa Rica in straight sets today at the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

The home team won 3-0 (25-19, 28-26, 25-20).

“It was a good win in front of our home crowd,” said Canada’s head coach Gina Schmidt. “I think something we’ll talk about for tomorrow is about how we can reduce the amount of unforced errors on our side, but for a first game we got a lot of players into the game, so that was important. We got to try different people getting used to playing beside each other, so this was a great first game to get those first-game jitters out of the way and we are looking to keep building for the next game.”

Attack points favored Canada 52-22, and they had nine aces compared with Costa Rica’s six. Costa Rica led in blocking points 7-4 and scored more points from Canada’s errors 30-13.

Canadian outside hitter Sofia Zabjek led both teams in points with 16 including 14 off the attack. She was followed by Sydney Bell with 10, and Maya Bukovcan with eight. Bukovcan also led the team in blocks with two.

Maria del Sol Venegas Grant and Mariela Navarro scored eight points apiece as top scorers for the Costa Rican side.

Canada is back in Group B action tomorrow to face off against Dominican Republic at 6:30 pm ET.

The U19 Pan Am Cup is the final tournament before the team’s head to Croatia and Serbia next month to face off in the FIVB Girls’ U19 World Championship 2025.

USA earns first win over Venezuela at U19 tournament

Posted on June 24, 2025June 25, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 24, 2025.-Venezuela’s best efforts were not able to match USA’s size and power today at U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, ending with a 3-0 (25-9, 25-23, 25-21) score.

USA dominated the first set, but Venezuela was able to make it a closer game in the second and third sets, even leading by up to four points at one point. But the young USA squad battled back to win.

“For all these players, it’s their first time ever putting on a USA uniform and that causes emotions. I’m proud of their ability to get over the emotion and play good volleyball,” said USA head coach Jamie Morrison. “This is an amazing experience for these girls. We talked about staying true to who it is they are and who we want to be as competitors. You need to pressure test that as much as you can and hats off to Venezuela for putting the pressure on us.”

USA dominated in attack points (41-22), blocking (14-4) and had more aces (8-5). Venezuela gained more points from opponent errors 22-12.

Megan Hodges (8 attack points, 5 blocks) and Shayla Rautenberg (6 attack points, 3 blocks and 4 aces) led USA in scoring with 13 points apiece. Leidymar Colina led the Venezuelan team with 13 points.

The tournament is held at the Queen’s University Athletic and Recreation Centre in Kingston and continues until June 28.

Mexico sweeps Puerto Rico to kick off U19 Pan Am Cup

Posted on June 24, 2025June 24, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 24, 2025.- In the opening match of the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Mexico swept Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-18).

Mexico’s team captain Isabella Ocampo said she was proud of the way her team worked together for the win: “I thought we came out swinging – we came out hard and aggressive. I feel like our teamwork is really what helped us get this win. Whenever we were stuck, we would help each other back up, get the point back and go on a good run.”

Mexico led in attack points (40-35) and out blocked its opponent 10-2. Service aces were equal at three each. Puerto Rico also made more errors (22-18) to Mexico’s advantage on the score sheet.

Naomi Cruz of Mexico led all scoring with 19 points (17 attack points and two blocks). Angélica Jazmin Torres Galvan and Brenda Sofia Esquivel Valdez, also of the winning side, scored 10 points each.

Pamela Agosto Serrano led scoring for the Puerto Rican team with 11 points.

The tournament is held at the Queen’s University Athletic and Recreation Centre in Kingston and continues to June 28.

Coaches Comment In Advance of U19 Girls’ Pan Am Cup

Posted on June 23, 2025June 24, 2025

KINGSTON, Ontario, June 23, 2025.- Seven teams are in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, for the U19 Girls’ Pan American Cup, which runs from June 14 to 28 at Queen’s Athletics & Recreation Centre.

Jamie Morrison, Head Coach USA: “For the players on this team, it’s their first opportunity to put on a jersey with the American flag on it and I think that’s a very special thing. We’re looking forward to some great competition against some of the best teams in our zone.”

Ihosvanny Chambers, Head Coach, Venezuela: “Despite Venezuelan teams having been away from these age group categories competitions for many years, it is an honor to now participate in NORCECA. Our expectations are first and foremost for the girls to experience high-level competition for their development, as we are bringing a team between the U19 and U17 so they can gain experience and enhance their skills, which is the most important thing. Also, we aim for the girls to witness firsthand how the top-level international volleyball is played.”

Alexandre Ceccato, Head Coach, Dominican Republic, “We’re going to do everything we can to have a good tournament. Our group includes Canada and Costa Rica; we’re going to try to be the best in the group and do well in the tournament.”

Yuliana Gonzalez, Head Coach, Costa Rica: “I’m really excited about this new experience. We have a very young team; so I think we’re going to try out best and get a lot of experience, and to grow and better as a team. Also it’s important for us to have fun at this tournament!”

Gina Schmidt, Head Coach, Canada: “It’s a great warm-up to prepare us for the World Championship – we’re excited to see what we are capable of….We are using this to see how we can best prepare for what’s next, so there will be a lot of learning. We are familiar with some of the teams from last summer and we’re looking forward to a strong showing in front of a home crowd.”

Eduardo Galarza, Head Coach, Puerto Rico: “We are using this as preparation for the World Championship in Serbia. It’s the same players that will be travelling to the Worlds, so it’s great preparation with some good teams.”

Ignacio Ramirez, Head Coach, Mexico: “Our primary expectation is to utilize this competition as a platform for training and preparation for the World Championship in July, which is our main objective. Additionally, our secondary goal is to position ourselves among the top four teams. This will enable us to maintain our presence and continue developing the skills and objectives we have established in collaboration with the Mexican federation.”

LIVE Stream on Volleyball Canada’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVolleyballCanada/videos?view=2&sort=dd&live_view=502&shelf_id=2

All Go to Five Sets: Wins for USA and Dominican Republic, Loss for Canada

Posted on June 23, 2025June 23, 2025

June 22, 2025. – On the final day of Week 2 in the Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the United States celebrated a thrilling five-set victory over France in Belgrade, a win that lifted the Americans above the Finals qualification cut.

Earlier in Istanbul, the Dominican Republic also claimed a dramatic five-set win against Korea. In another Istanbul nail-biter, Belgium emerged victorious in five sets over Canada.

USA Defeats France in Epic Battle

USA earned a hard-fought victory over France in Belgrade, allowing them to climb past the Europeans in the VNL standings and move above the qualification line for the Finals. The Americans now sit in 8th place with a 4-4 record and 11 points. France, meanwhile, holds 11th place with a 3-5 record and 10 points.

In their match, France controlled much of the first two sets, but the Americans managed to rally in both to take a 2-0 lead. France responded with an 8-0 run in the third set to ignite their comeback and repeated the feat with another 8-0 run in the fourth set to force a decider.

At 13-13 in a tightly contested fifth set, Sarah Franklin sealed the win for the U.S. with back-to-back kills, securing a 3-2 victory (25-22, 26-24, 20-25, 21-25, 15-13).

Franklin led with 18 points, all on kills, while Logan Eggleston added 17 points on 61% efficiency. Middle blocker Dana Rettke contributed 10 points, including three blocks and an ace, and opposite Madisen Skinner was the team’s top scorer with 21 points, including one ace and one block.

Madisen Skinner USA (1)

Dominican Republic Edges Korea in Five-Set Thriller

Playing in Istanbul, the Dominican Republic and South Korea battled to a tie-break, where Las Reinas del Caribe came out on top with a 3-2 (19-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-20, 16-14) win.

The Dominicans twice came from behind in sets to push the match to a decisive fifth set. In the thrilling tie-break, Korea saved three straight match points (14-11) to level at 14-14. However, middle blocker Geraldine González earned another match point, and a Korean attack error handed the Caribbean team the win.

Blocking was key for the Dominicans, who doubled Korea’s output at the net (16 blocks to 8). González had a standout performance with seven blocks and 12 total points.

Brayelin Martínez was the match’s top scorer with 24 points, including four blocks. Opposite Gaila González also starred with 22 points and four blocks, while outside hitter Yonkaira Peña added 17 points, all from attacks.

The result places the Dominican Republic in 10th place with 9 points, holding a 4-4 record.

Dominican Republic Celebrated

Canada Falls Just Short in Five-Set Battle Against Belgium

Canada played one of the week’s most exciting matches but narrowly missed out on a win, falling to Belgium 2-3 (25-22, 13-25, 25-21, 22-25, 16-18) in a roller coaster match.

Canada came close to clinching the win, especially in the fifth set where they led 13-9. But Belgium stormed back with a five-point run. Despite having two match points, Canada couldn’t finish the set.

Head coach Giovanni Guidetti’s team put together a strong collective performance, particularly in blocking, where they outscored Belgium 17-10.

Outside hitter Hilary Howe Johnson led with 21 points, including five blocks. Young opposite Anna Smrek, 21, added 19 points with four blocks and two aces. Andrea Mitrovic contributed 14 points, and middle blocker Emily Maglio added 10.

“Despite the result, this was one of our most complete matches of the tournament. The team showed character, intensity, and the ability to compete to the final point,” said Canada’s coaching staff after the match.

With the loss, Canada remains in 15th place with a 2-6 record and 6 points. However, their level of play offers positive signs for the remaining matches, where they’ll look to finish strong and climb the standings.

Hilary Howe CAN

Men’s VNL Week 2 Begins Wednesday, June 25

The second week of the Men’s Volleyball Nations League starts Wednesday, June 25, with NORCECA teams playing in Serbia (Cuba) and Chicago (USA and Canada).

Cuba faces Germany at 13:00 (local time Serbia), while Canada plays Brazil at 16:00 (and the United States hosts China at 19:30 (both local time in Chicago).

Dominican Republic U19 Women’s National Team Travels to Canada for NORCECA Pan American Cup

Posted on June 23, 2025June 23, 2025

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 22, 2025 – The Dominican Republic U19 Women’s National Volleyball Team departed today for Kingston, Ontario, Canada, to compete in the NORCECA U19 Women’s Pan American Cup, set to take place from June 24 to 28 at Queen’s University’s Athletics & Recreation Centre.

The Dominican team will aim to represent the country with pride in this important continental tournament, facing off against the U19 national teams of Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Suriname, the United States, and Venezuela.

Official Roster Dominican Republic U19 Women’s National Team:

Setters:

Ana Patricia Encarnación Montero

Valerie Mariel Vargas Guzmán

Outside Hitters

Virelys Shantal Rivera Soto

Estel Santos Mateo

Ámbar Avril Hernández Domínguez

Harleny Linette De los Santos Báez

Middle Blockers:

Jakarlis Marianni Lima García

Yalyn Victoria Firpo Filpo – Team Captain

Cristal Yasmelis Mercedes Núñez

Opposites:

Julie Millaray Arias Alejo

Rayni Merab Mondesí Arias

Libero:

Aurelina Ruiz Rosario

Coaching Staff:

Alexander Ceccato, Head Coach

Marcos Vinicious Macedo, Assistant Coach

José Antonio Espinal Reynoso, Second Assistant Coach

Cedar Andrés Báez, Team Doctor

José Antonio Reynoso De Los Santos, Physiotherapist

Agripina Martínez, Team Manager

With a talented and determined group of athletes, the Dominican Republic heads into the competition ready to perform at a high level and continue advancing the growth of women’s volleyball in the country.

USA Sweeps Netherlands, Dominican Republic Falls to Brazil

Posted on June 22, 2025June 22, 2025

June 21, 2025.- Playing in Belgrade, the United States swept the Netherlands, while in Istanbul, the Dominican Republic couldn’t overcome Brazil and fell in straight sets at the 2025 Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL).

USA Sweeps Netherlands for Third Win in VNL 2025

The United States earned its third win of the tournament by defeating the Netherlands 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-19) on Saturday in Belgrade.

With this result, the Americans move up to ninth place in the overall standings, just below the cut for the VNL Finals, holding a 3-4 record and 9 points.

Team USA dominated the match in all areas of the game, particularly in attack (49-39), blocks (6-4), and service aces (4-2).

Outside hitter Logan Eggleston led all scorers with 14 points. Opposite Madisen Skinner contributed 13 points, including two blocks, an ace, and the match-winning point. Middle blocker Dana Rettke also stood out with 12 points.

“It’s been great! This group has amazing energy and is always willing to adapt, adjust, and improve,” said veteran Dana Rettke.

“I’m very proud of how they’ve responded to this challenge. I know for many it’s their first VNL, so it’s been a lot of fun playing with them and sharing this experience. Overall, I’m proud of how this group keeps improving every day, whether it’s during matches or training. We’re having a lot of fun!”.

Logan Eggleston USA

Dominican Republic Falls to Brazil

The Dominican Republic faced one of the world’s volleyball powerhouses on Saturday, falling to Brazil 0-3 (23-25, 18-25, 20-25).

Coached by Marcos Kwiek, the Caribbean team now sits in 10th place in the standings with 3 wins, 4 losses, and 10 points, just outside the current cutoff for Finals qualification. Despite the result, the team showed cohesion, determination, and competitive spirit against a Brazilian squad that now boasts six wins and only one loss, with star player Gabriela “Gabi” Guimarães back in the lineup.

Yonkaira Peña led the Dominican offense with 13 points, including two aces and a block. Brayelin Martínez added 12 points, while opposite Gaila González chipped in with 10. The trio kept the Dominican Republic in contention throughout the match, especially in a tightly contested third set.

“I’m proud because I’m doing a good job, and my team is helping me a lot,” said Brayelin Martínez, who has surpassed the 100-point mark in this year’s VNL.

“I’ll keep working hard to improve and help my team win more matches. No matter what happens, we always stay united and support each other, that’s something I’m really proud of.”

Yonkaira Peña DOM

Final Day of Week Two

Sunday, June 22 marks the final day of Women’s VNL Week 2, with the following matches scheduled: In Istanbul, Türkiye, Canada vs. Belgium at 12:30 PM (local time) and the Dominican Republic vs. Korea at 4:00 PM (local time). In Belgrade, Serbia, USA vs. France at 7:30 PM (local time).

Canada Falls Short Against Brazilian Block

Posted on June 20, 2025June 21, 2025

June 20, 2025. – Canada delivered one of its strongest performances so far in the 2025 Women’s VNL, but couldn’t overcome Brazil’s powerful blocking game, falling 0-3 (20-25, 23-25, 23-25) in a tightly contested match at Istanbul’s Sinan Erdem Dome, with over 2,000 spectators in attendance.

Despite the straight-set loss, Giovanni Guidetti’s squad showed character, tactical discipline, and organized defense, staying close throughout the match, particularly in the second and third sets, where they came close to leveling.

Nyadholi Thokbuom CAN

The standout for Canada was 19-year-old Abagayle Guezen, who came off the bench in the first set and led the offense with 13 points, all from kills. Middle blocker Nyadholi Thokbuom also impressed with a 75% attack efficiency, scoring 12 points that included two blocks and an ace.

“I’m very happy to see the team improving every day,” said head coach Giovanni Guidetti.

“Today we had a real chance to win two sets against Brazil. That shows we’re competing at their level, which is a very positive sign. We need to finish sets better, but the progress is clear and that keeps us motivated,” he added.

Despite Canada’s strong showing, Brazil’s blocking superiority made the difference. Julia Kudiess led the way with 8 blocks and totaled 16 points. In contrast, the Canadian side managed only 4 blocks throughout the match, a gap that proved crucial in key moments.

With this loss, Canada drops to 15th in the standings with a 2-5 record (5 points), but the performance proved they can compete head-to-head with the world’s top teams. The team now looks to build on this momentum in the upcoming VNL matches.

Intense Day at Women’s VNL: Dominicans Win, USA and Canada Fall

Posted on June 20, 2025June 20, 2025

June 19, 2025. – An intense day of action unfolded Thursday during Week 2 of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL). The Dominican Republic earned a commanding win over Belgium, the United States started strong against Poland but couldn’t hold on, and Canada fell in straight sets to a dominant Türkiye.

Dominican Republic overpowers Belgium for solid victory

The Dominican Republic showcased its offensive firepower and control, sweeping Belgium 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 27-25) at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul before 2,146 fans.

Under the guidance of coach Marcos Kwiek, the Caribbean Queens delivered a consistent performance, taking full advantage of their opportunities against a Belgian side that only threatened in the third set.

Brayelin Martínez led the way with 18 points (15 attacks, 3 aces) and came up big in the final moments of the match.

Gaila González added 17 points, helping form a well-balanced offense that overwhelmed the Belgians. Yonkaira Peña and Ariadne Rodríguez contributed solidly on defense and reception, allowing for effective offensive distribution.

With this win, the Dominican Republic now holds a 3-3 record and sits 8th in the standings with 7 points.

Brayelin Martinez DOM

USA loses momentum, falls to Poland in four sets

The United States couldn’t sustain its strong start and fell to Poland 1-3 (25-20, 20-25, 17-25, 18-25) in Belgrade.

Logan Eggleston led Team USA with 24 points, showing power in attack and serving. Middle blocker Brionne Butler also impressed with 13 points, including 6 blocks and 2 aces, though it wasn’t enough to stop Poland’s comeback.

After a solid first set, Erik Sullivan’s squad lost consistency, especially in the fourth set, where they failed to hold a four-point lead. Reception and serve control were weak points, as Martyna Lukasik fired 6 aces for Poland.

“We need to be more consistent. We didn’t compete at the level we expect from ourselves. We’ll regroup and prepare better for the next match,” said coach Erik Sullivan.
Team USA now stands at 2 wins and 4 losses, with 6 points and sits 11th in the standings.

Logan Eggleston USA

Canada fights hard but falls to Türkiye in straight sets

Canada battled with determination against undefeated Türkiye in front of nearly 15,000 local fans but ultimately lost 0-3 (16-25, 18-25, 24-26) at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul.

Opposite Anna Smrek led Canada’s offense with 13 points (11 kills, 2 blocks), while outside hitter Kyla Johnson added 8 points and contributed effectively in defense and from the service line. Alexa Mitrovic also chipped in with 5 points.

Canada showed tactical discipline and solid defense but struggled to contain Türkiye’s offensive strength. Türkiye led in attacks (39-33), blocks (8-5), and aces (9-0). Both teams committed 20 unforced errors.

With the loss, Canada drops to 2 wins and 4 losses, sitting in 12th place with 5 points.

Anna Smrek CAN

Friday, June 20 Schedule

In Istanbul, Canada will face Brazil at 7:30 p.m. local time. The United States and the Dominican Republic have a rest day.

USA Wins; Canada and Dominican Republic Fall in Week 2 VNL Opener

Posted on June 19, 2025June 19, 2025

June 18, 2025.– The United States kicked off the second week of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) with a valuable victory over host Serbia in Belgrade. Meanwhile, in Istanbul, the Dominican Republic put up a strong fight but fell in straight sets to Türkiye, while Canada played a thrilling match that ended in a five-set loss to Korea.

USA Defeats Serbia in Belgrade

The United States spoiled Serbia’s opening match in front of 5,800 fans, mostly cheering for the home team, with a 3-2 win (25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 15-11) at Belgrade Arena.

It was a standout night for Madisen Skinner, who led USA’s offense with a dominant 32-point performance (30 attacks and 2 blocks). Sarah Franklin contributed 20 points (18 attacks and 2 blocks).

The Americans led in attacks (65-61) and blocks (10-9). Both teams recorded 5 service aces.

Madisen Skinner (9) USA

Canada Nearly Pulls Off Dramatic Comeback

Canada played a thrilling match against Korea to kick off their second week of Women’s VNL action, narrowly losing in five sets, 2-3 (25-27, 18-25, 25-15, 25-20, 13-15), in Istanbul.

After dropping the first two sets, the Canadians showed strength and determination, rallying to tie the match at 2-2 and force a tiebreak. However, despite a strong collective effort, Korea edged out Canada in the final moments of the deciding set.

Canada stood out with an excellent performance at the net, tallying 13 direct blocks, nine of them shared between key players Emily Maglio (5 blocks, 13 total points) and Anna Smrek (16 points including 4 blocks). The team also outserved Korea, 6-4.

The offense was led by 19-year-old Abagayle Guezen, who scored 17 points, all from attacks. The Canadian squad showed strong competitive spirit and signs of tactical improvement in both defense and blocking.

Despite the loss, Canada’s performance leaves a positive impression and reflects their ongoing development as a team. They will look to build on this momentum in their upcoming matches in the regular phase of the VNL.

Abagayle Guezen CAN

Dominican Republic Nearly Spoils Türkiye’s Home Debut

In front of over 14,000 spectators at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul, the Dominican Republic came close to spoiling Türkiye’s home opener. Although the final score was a 0-3 loss, the Caribbean team fought valiantly, particularly in the first and third sets, which they nearly claimed. Set scores were 25-27, 19-25, and 26-28 in favor of the hosts.

Türkiye held slight advantages in attacks (44-39), blocks (7-6), and service aces (6-2), but the world No. 3 team had to battle for every point to secure the win.

The Dominican offense was powered by key hitters, with Gaila González scoring 19 points and Brayelin Martínez adding 11.

Gaila González DOM

Thursday, June 19 Schedule

In Istanbul, the Dominican Republic will face Belgium at 4:00 p.m. local time, while Canada takes on hosts Türkiye at 7:30 p.m. (both local time. In Serbia, the United States will meet Poland at 4:30 p.m. local time.

United States and Canada Close Week 1 with Victories

Posted on June 16, 2025June 16, 2025

June 15, 2025. – The United States and Canada wrapped up the first week of the 2025 Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) with victories. The U.S. defeated Cuba, while Canada swept Bulgaria.

USA Survives Four-Set Battle Against Cuba in Rio

In a match filled with intensity and momentum swings, the U.S. Men’s National Team secured a hard-fought 3-1 win (25-22, 25-18, 18-25, 25-23) over Cuba at the iconic Maracanãzinho stadium, claiming a crucial victory on the final day of Week 1 of the VNL.

Led by head coach Karch Kiraly, the Americans showed grit and composure to come back in several tough moments. Outside hitter Cooper Robinson led the team with 18 points (12 attacks, 4 blocks, 2 aces), playing a decisive role in the final two sets.

Middle blocker Jeff Jendryk also stood out with 13 points through strong performances both in attack and blocking, while outside hitter Taylor Champlin contributed 11 points.

After a shaky start, USA adjusted its system and capitalized on Cuba’s mistakes to take a 2-0 lead. Although the Caribbean squad bounced back in the third set, the Americans imposed their game in the fourth to seal the win with poise.

This result marks a step forward for Kiraly’s project with the men’s team, highlighting their ability to respond and perform under pressure. The United States now moves forward in Pool 2 with a valuable victory that strengthens their campaign in the 2025 VNL.

The U.S. finishes Week 1 with 2 wins and 2 losses, currently in 11th place, while Cuba ends with 1 win and 3 losses, ranked 15th.

Cooper Robinson USA

Canada Ends Week on a High Note with Sweep Over Bulgaria

Backed by 7,984 fans at the Centre Vidéotron, Canada earned a commanding 3-0 victory (26-24, 25-23, 25-19) over Bulgaria in their final match of Week 1 of the 2025 Men’s VNL.

The match lasted 1 hour and 36 minutes and showcased the Canadian team’s maturity and power, especially in crucial moments.

Head coach Daniel Lewis’s squad displayed consistency across all areas of the game. Outside hitter Eric Loeppky Hofer was the star of the night, leading the offense with 21 points, including powerful spikes and decisive aces. Opposite Ryan Sclater also played a key role with 12 points, showing precision in both attacking and serving.

Canada especially excelled in blocking (scoring 11 points in that category) and serving, while taking advantage of 24 unforced errors by Bulgaria. The Bulgarian team, after a competitive first set, was unable to maintain their level.

With this result, Canada closes the first week of the VNL with a 2-2 record, placing them in sixth place.

Canada celebrated

Women’s VNL Week 2 Begins June 18

Week 2 of the Women’s VNL begins Wednesday, June 18, across various locations. Canada and the Dominican Republic will head to Istanbul, Türkiye. Canada opens against Korea at 12:30 p.m. local time, while the Dominican Republic takes on the home team at 7:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Women’s National Team will travel to Belgrade, Serbia, where they’ll open against the host team at 8:00 p.m. local time.

NORCECA Teams Fall to European Rivals

Posted on June 15, 2025June 15, 2025

June 14, 2025. – Teams from NORCECA, the United States and Canada, were unable to overcome Slovenia and France, respectively. The U.S. lost 1-3 to Slovenia, while Canada came close to an epic comeback against France but ultimately fell in a tie-break.

Canada Nearly Pulls Off Historic Comeback

Team Canada came within reach of a historic comeback against the reigning Olympic champions, France. The Canadians lost a five-set thriller, 2-3 (22-25, 27-29, 29-27, 25-21, 6-15), with the French pulling away early in the final set to secure the win.

France outperformed Canada in attacks (72-67) and blocks (8-4), while the North Americans had the edge in serving, with five aces to France’s two.

Brodie Hofer and Xander Ketrzynski led Canada’s scoring, each finishing with 15 points. Hofer scored all his points from attacks, while Ketrzynski recorded 13 attacks, one block, and one ace. Also contributing to double digits were Ryan Joseph Sclater with 14 points, Skyler Varga with 12, and Daenan Gyimah with 10.

With this result, Canada now holds 4 points from one win and two losses, placing them 10th in the overall standings.

Canada celebrated

USA Falls Short Against Slovenia

The United States, fielding a young squad, could not overcome Slovenia and suffered a 1-3 loss (22-25, 25-27, 25-20, 23-25).

Both teams were tied in attacks (54 each), with the U.S. having a significant advantage in blocking (13-4). However, the Americans were hurt by 31 unforced errors, which handed valuable points to the Slovenians. The Europeans also had the edge in serving, with eight aces compared to the USA’s three.

Kyle Hobus led the U.S. scorers with 13 points. Gabriel García followed with 12 points, while Matthew Knigge and Jordan Ewert each contributed 11 points.

The United States currently sits 15th in the standings with 2 points, from one win and two losses.

Gabriel Garcia USA

Sunday, June 15 Schedule

The final day of Men’s VNL Week 1 features: United States takes on Cuba (5:00 p.m. local time, Rio de Janeiro), and Canada against Bulgaria (6:00 p.m. local time, Quebec)

Luca Cristofani Returns to Puerto Rico to Support the Development of National Volleyball

Posted on June 15, 2025June 15, 2025

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, June 14, 2025.- The Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (FPV) is pleased to announce the return of renowned Italian coach Luca Cristofani to Puerto Rico. He will collaborate directly with both the women’s and men’s National Team programs.

Cristofani, whose international career spans the highest levels of professional volleyball and national teams, will provide technical consulting, specialized observation of training sessions, and mentorship for local coaches. His focus will be strengthening the technical structure from the grassroots to the elite level, driving a comprehensive and sustainable vision for Puerto Rico’s national teams.

The FPV expects Cristofani to arrive on the island this Monday, June 16.

Luca Cristofani (Left)

Regarding this important addition, FPV President Dr. César Trabanco stated: “The return of Professor Luca Cristofani to our National Team Program reaffirms our commitment to the technical development of our teams. His international experience and formative approach will be key to strengthening both our senior and youth national teams, in both genders. We are confident that his collaboration will continue to elevate the level of Puerto Rican volleyball.”

As part of his visit, Cristofani will also offer continuing education courses for coaches and technical staff. These sessions aim to raise the level of preparation and encourage the exchange of knowledge, creating a valuable space for the growth of volleyball on the island.

“Puerto Rico has talent, passion, and a rich volleyball history. I’m excited to return and continue contributing to the growth of this sport on the island,” said Cristofani.

Luca previously visited Puerto Rico in 2023, serving as a technical advisor supporting the coaches of both the men’s and women’s national teams across all age categories.

Cuba Falls to Ukraine in Another Intense Tie-Break at the 2025 VNL

Posted on June 14, 2025June 14, 2025

June 13, 2025. – The Caribbean team fought until the very end but couldn’t replicate the previous day’s feat. Cuba played its second consecutive five-set match in Rio de Janeiro, but this time fell short against a surprising Ukrainian squad, who edged out a hard-fought 3-2 victory (25-22, 20-25, 25-20, 17-25, 15-12).

Cuba outperformed Ukraine from the service line (8-5) and capitalized on the Europeans’ 35 unforced errors. However, Ukraine held the advantage in attacks (51-50) and blocks (17-11).

Despite a strong offensive performance, particularly from star outside hitter Marlon Yant, who once again led all scorers with 23 points (19 attacks, 3 aces, and 1 block), Cuba was unable to close the tie-break in their favor as they did against Brazil on Thursday. Middle blocker Javier Concepción also had a solid outing, contributing 11 points (6 attacks, 4 blocks, and 1 ace).

Javier Octavio Concepcion CUB

It was a match filled with emotion, as Cuba managed to level the score twice after falling behind in sets. But in the decisive fifth set, they couldn’t contain Ukraine’s offensive push. The physical toll of back-to-back five-set matches also played a role.

With this loss, Cuba earns its second point in the overall standings of the 2025 VNL. The Caribbean squad has shown intensity and competitiveness but still needs to improve their finishing in key moments.

Saturday, June 14 Schedule
On Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, the United States faces Slovenia (1:30 PM local time) and in Quebec, Canada plays against France (16:30 PM local time).

Big Wins for Cuba and the United States, Canada Lose Their Undefeated Record

Posted on June 13, 2025June 13, 2025

June 12, 2025. – Cuba pulled off the surprise of the day by defeating Brazil at home in five sets. The United States came back from a 0-2 deficit to win in five sets against Iran, while Canada couldn’t hold on to a 2-1 lead and ended up falling 2-3 to Argentina.

Cuba Finish Strong and Beat Brazil Again in Rio

Cuba secured a thrilling 3-2 victory (27-25, 26-24, 21-25, 20-25, 15-13) against Brazil at the Maracanãzinho, repeating their 2024 feat. After winning the first two sets, the Caribbean squad saw Brazil tie the match but managed to come out on top in the tie-break with their powerful offense. The win earned Cuba 8.39 World Ranking points, and they now stand at one win and one loss.

It’s the second consecutive year that Cuba stuns Brazil in the Maracanãzinho during the VNL. Last year, the two teams met in the tournament opener, and Cuba won 3-1.

Cuba led in attacks 68-61, both teams scored 10 points from blocks, and Brazil dominated the serve with 7 aces to 3. However, the Cubans committed more unforced errors—34 compared to Brazil’s 28.

“It was an incredible match,” said López. “We fought for every point, and I want to congratulate the team. Each of our players contributed to this victory. We couldn’t play the way we wanted in the first match, but today we came back to win.”

Marlon Yant Herrera was Cuba’s top scorer with 23 points, all from attacks. José Israel Masso added 18 points (16 attacks, 2 blocks), while team captain Miguel Ángel López scored 18 as well (14 attacks, 2 blocks, 2 aces). Javier Octavio Concepción also reached double digits with 10 points (9 attacks, 1 block).

Marlon Yant Herrera CUB

USA Complete Reverse Sweep to Earn First VNL Victory

The Americans were down 2-0 against Iran, but showed resilience to come back and triumph.

Competing in the first week of the VNL with an inexperienced roster, the Americans had 25-year-old opposite Kyle Hobus, who plays in Austria with Hypo Tirol Innsbruck, as their leading scorer with 19 points (17 kills, two blocks).

Outside hitters Jordan Ewert, who spent the last club season in Italy with Rana Verona, and Cooper Robinson, who plays collegiate volleyball at UCLA, also delivered strong performances, contributing 17 and 14 points, respectively.

The victory against the Iranians also marked the Americans’ first win under new head coach and volleyball legend Karch Kiraly, who transitioned from the women’s national team after 12 successful seasons to lead the men’s side starting in 2025.

“The guys have so much to be proud of, that was really a true team effort,” Kiraly said. “Lots of guys came in and changed the game for us. All of us are learning together. It was great that we got better as the match went along, and all credit goes to the guys.”

The Americans outperformed Iran in attacks (58-56) and blocks (14-5), but struggled with unforced errors, committing 39 compared to Iran’s 31. Iran had the edge in aces, 9-4.

The result gave the United States their first two points in the VNL 2025 and placed them in 12th at the end of the day.

Kyle Hobus USA

Canada Fall in Five-Set Thriller

A thrilling match took place in Quebec, where the home team dropped the first set, came back to lead, but eventually lost 2-3 (22-25, 25-21, 25-14, 22-25, 8-15) to Argentina.

Canada outscored Argentina in blocks (9-6), while the South Americans led in attacks (59-58) and aces (10-4). Canada committed fewer unforced errors (25) than Argentina (31).

Four Canadian players reached double figures in scoring: Xander Ketrzynski led with 22 points, supported by Brodie Hofer with 17, Jackson Young with 16, and captain Fynnian Lionel McCarthy with 12.

With this loss, Canada ends the second matchday with one win and one defeat.

Xander Ketrzynski CAN

Schedule for Friday, June 13

On Friday, Cuba will be the only team in action, facing Ukraine at 5:30 p.m. local time in Rio de Janeiro. Canada and the United States will have a rest day.

Canada starts with a win, USA and Cuba lose their opening matches

Posted on June 12, 2025June 12, 2025

June 11, 2025.- Host country Canada kicked off the first week of the Men’s VNL with an important victory, edging Germany 3-2. Meanwhile, the United States were upset by Ukraine in a straight-set loss, and Cuba began their campaign with a 1-3 defeat to Slovenia.

Canada defeats Germany in five sets

The first five-set match of the 2025 VNL went to Canada, who came from behind twice to triumph 3-2 (23-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-23, 15-11) over Germany in the final match of the opening day, earning their first win under new head coach Dan Lewis.

Opposite Ryan Sclater and outside hitter Jackson Young led the way with 17 points each. Fellow outside hitter Brodie Hofer added 16, while Ryan Joseph Sclater and team captain Fynnian Lionel McCarthy chipped in with 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Canada outperformed Germany in blocks (14-8) and service aces (8-3) and capitalized on the 36 unforced errors committed by the Europeans. Germany held the advantage in attacks (58-48).

USA suffers surprise loss to Ukraine in VNL 2025 debut

The U.S. Men’s National Team, bronze medalists at the Paris Olympic Games, suffered a surprising 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-23) loss to Ukraine in their opening match of the 2025 VNL, held in Rio de Janeiro.

With a young squad featuring just one Olympian, Jeff Jendryk, on the court, the Americans struggled to contain Ukraine’s strong serving and were outplayed in all three sets. Gabriel García and Cooper Robinson led the U.S. attack with 13 points each, but their efforts fell short.

This defeat marks a tough start for Karch Kiraly in his debut as head coach of the U.S. Men’s Team. The loss also impacted the team’s FIVB World Ranking, dropping them from third to fourth after losing 17.64 points, allowing Slovenia to overtake the podium spot.

Captain Kyle Dagostino pointed to Ukraine’s serve as the key factor: “They put a lot of pressure on us. When they serve like that, everything becomes easier for them, in both blocking and defense.”

Gabriel Garcia USA

Cuba falls in four sets to Slovenia

Cuba opened its campaign in Group 2 of the Men’s VNL in Rio de Janeiro with a 1-3 (22-25, 25-21, 18-25, 15-25) defeat to Slovenia, currently ranked third in the FIVB World Ranking.

Both teams were even in blocks (12 each), but Slovenia had the edge in attacks (51-44) and service aces (5-3).

Two Cuban players reached double digits in scoring: outside hitter Marlon Yant Herrera tallied 19 points (14 kills, 4 blocks, 1 ace), and opposite José Israel Massó added 12 (9 kills, 1 block, 2 aces).

Jose Israel Masso CUB

Schedule for Thursday, June 12

In Rio de Janeiro, Cuba faces Brazil (5:30 PM local time) and the United States plays against Iran (9:00 PM local time). In Quebec, Canada hosts Argentina (8:00 PM local time).

First Week of Women’s VNL Concludes: USA and Canada Secure Wins, Dominican Republic Falls

Posted on June 9, 2025June 9, 2025

June 8, 2025 .- The first week of the 2025 Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) came to a close this Sunday. The United States claimed their first victory in Group 2, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Meanwhile, in Group 1, played at TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario, the host team ended the week with a spectacular comeback against Serbia to win 3-2. The Dominican Republic closed their participation with a loss against undefeated Japan.

USA Gets on the Board with Win Over Korea

The United States finally broke through and ended their first week with a 3-0 victory (25-13, 28-26, 25-17) over Korea. With this win, the U.S. team finished with one win and three losses, placing 13th overall with 4 points.

The Americans outperformed Korea in attacks (43-31) and blocks (14-3). Service aces were close, with Korea edging out the U.S. 5-4. Both teams committed 17 unforced errors.

Four U.S. players scored in double digits, with middle blocker Amber Igiede leading all scorers with 16 points (7 attacks, 8 blocks, 1 ace). Opposite Madisen Skinner tallied 15 points (13 attacks, 1 block, 1 ace), Sarah Franklin added 14, and Logan Lednicky finished with 10.

Amber Igiede – Sarah Franklin – Saige Kaahaaina-Torres USA

Canada Rallies to Defeat Serbia 3-2

Canada pulled off a stunning reverse sweep in front of their home crowd, defeating reigning world champions Serbia 3-2 (20-25, 18-25, 25-20, 25-18, 15-12). After dropping the first two sets, the Canadians turned the table and came from behind in the fifth set to seal the win.

Opposite and team captain Kiera Van Ryk delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 34 points, 24 from attacks, 1 block, and 9 service aces.

Despite Serbia leading in attacks (62-53) and blocks (18-5), Canada capitalized on the Europeans’ 34 unforced errors and Van Ryk’s phenomenal serving (Canada led 11-4 in aces). Van Ryk ended the week as the tournament’s second-highest scorer with 89 points and led all players in service aces with 15.

With this result, Canada finished 11th overall with 2 wins and 2 losses.

Kiera Van Ryk CAN

Dominican Republic Falls to Powerhouse Japan

The Dominican Republic wrapped up their week in Ottawa with a 0-3 loss (19-25, 21-25, 9-25) against a dominant Japan squad, who topped the standings with a perfect 4-0 record, all wins coming in straight sets. The Dominicans finished with 2 wins and 2 losses, placing 12th overall.

Japan outperformed the Caribbean team in attacks (51-26) and service aces (10-1), while the “Queens of the Caribbean” led in blocks (8-3). Japan committed 14 unforced errors to the Dominican Republic’s 11.

Gaila González led the Dominican scoring with 14 points (11 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace). Star player Brayelin Martínez, who didn’t shine as brightly in this match as in the previous three, still finished the week as the fourth top scorer of the tournament with 79 points (65 attacks, 12 blocks, 2 aces).

Gaila Gonzalez DOM

Men’s VNL Begins Tuesday, June 10

The Men’s Volleyball Nations League kicks off on Tuesday, June 10 in Xi’an, China, with a single match between Poland and the Netherlands. NORCECA will be represented by Canada, who will play in Quebec in Group 1, and by the United States and Cuba, who will compete in Group 2 in Rio de Janeiro.

On Wednesday, June 11, the United States faces Ukraine (11:00 a.m. local time), Canada takes on Germany (6:00 p.m. local time), and Cuba closes the day against Slovenia (6:00 p.m. local time).

Tough Loss for Canada Against Japan in the VNL

Posted on June 7, 2025June 8, 2025

June 7, 2025.– Canada suffered a tough defeat in the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Pool 1, at TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario. The Canadian team, playing at home, lost 0-3 (24-26, 20-25, 19-25) to Japan.

Their opposite and team captain, Kiera Van Ryk, was Canada’s top scorer with 11 points, one block, one ace, and the rest from attacks. Hilary Howe contributed 9 points (7 from attacks and 2 blocks).

Kiera Van Ryk CAN

Canada’s blocking was dominant, with an 8-0 advantage over Japan, but the Japanese team led in attacks (39-33) and service aces (7-3). The Asians also capitalized on 30 points from unforced Canadian errors.

With this loss, Canada now holds two defeats and just one win. Japan remains undefeated with three straight-set victories.

The final day of the first week of the women’s VNL will be played this Sunday, June 8. In Pool 1 action in Ottawa, the Dominican Republic faces Japan at 11:00 a.m. local time, while Canada hosts Serbia at 6:00 p.m. local time. In Pool 2, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the United States will face Korea at 4:00 p.m. local time.

Dominicans win another thriller, USA dramatic third loss

Posted on June 7, 2025June 7, 2025

June 6, 2025.- The first week of the Volleyball Nations League 2025 has been intense, but also successful for the Dominican Republic, which secured on Friday their second victory in three matches in the tournament, while the U.S. fell in dramatic five sets to Czechia in their third loss.

Dominican Republic returns to winning ways

One of the six teams competing in Pool 1, in Ottawa, Canada, the Queens of the Caribbean won their second five-setter in three days at The Arena at TD Place, taking the Netherlands down to keep their record positive.

If their opening-match five-set victory over Serbia on Wednesday featured a massive comeback for the Dominicans, their triumph over the Dutch had a different script, with ups and downs from both sides and tremendous back-and-forth before the Caribbeans prevailed 3-2 (22-25, 25-19, 28-26, 22-25, 15-13).

With two of their first three matches in Ottawa going to five sets, the Dominicans have played as many as 14 sets so far – before beating Serbia, they lost 3-1 to Bulgaria on Thursday.

Against the Dutch, the Caribbean could rely on their two main scorers as Brayelin Martínez and Gaila González combined for an impressive 51 points – the outside hitter registered 26, with 23 kills, two blocks and one ace, while the opposite produced 25, with 19 kills, three blocks and three aces.

The Dominican team outperformed the Netherlands 10-7 in blocks, and their serve was dominant, delivering 7 aces to the Netherlands’ 3.

With this victory, the Dominican Republic climbed to sixth place in the overall standings among the 18 teams competing in the 2025 VNL, with 2 wins and 1 loss for a total of 4 points.

Gaila Gonzalez DOM (2)

USA Can’t Hold the Lead, Suffers Third Consecutive Loss

The United States was unable to maintain their initial 2-0 set lead and ended up losing in five sets (25-23, 25-20, 17-25, 20-25, 25-27) to the Czechia. The final set was full of emotions—Team USA had a 10-7 lead but ultimately lost 25-27 in a set that was supposed to go to 15 points.

Despite the Czechs committing 31 unforced errors, they were superior at the net (82-66 in attacks) and in service aces (7-2). The USA led in blocks, 13-6.

Sarah Franklin was the top scorer for the U.S. with 20 points (19 attacks, 1 block), Amber Igiede added 18 points (13 attacks, 4 blocks, 1 ace), while Molly McCage and Logan Eggleston also scored in double digits with 11 points each, and Logan Lednicky added 10 points.

This marked the third loss for the United States.

On Saturday, June 7, in Ottawa, only one match will be played: Canada will face Japan at 4:00 PM local time. The Dominican Republic and the United States will have the day off.

Sarah Franklin USA

Marte excited to enjoy VNL 2025 through pregnancy

Posted on June 6, 2025June 6, 2025

June 6, 2025.- Expecting her first baby, the Dominican captain will be with her team for as long as she can during the tournament.

The Dominican Republic will count on an extra body on the court for at least their first matches in the Volleyball Nations League 2025 as team captain and veteran setter Niverka Marte is playing the tournament while expecting her first baby.

The 34-year-old playmaker doesn’t know for how long she’ll be able to keep playing, but she definitely wants to enjoy the moments of joy she is experiencing this first week, as the Queens of the Caribbean have faced Serbia and Bulgaria, and will play the Netherlands and Japan in Ottawa, Canada.

Even though many players who want to start a family plan to do it in the post-Olympic year, that wasn’t exactly the case with Marte. Having a baby had long been a dream of her, but the Dominican captain was struck with both surprise and intense happiness when she found out she was pregnant.

“My husband and I have been thinking about having a baby for a long time, but we always kept focused on what our priorities were at the moment and the upcoming tournaments,” she told Volleyball World in an exclusive interview. “We didn’t plan for it to happen now, but when we realized it was happening, it was a moment of incredible happiness for us. Our wonderful baby came by the grace of God and He couldn’t have picked a better time to give us this gift.”

Feeling as energized as ever and having many examples of players who continued to compete through pregnancy, including her longtime national team friends Bethania De La Cruz and Brenda Castillo, Marte had no doubts that she wanted to continue to represent her country in the VNL for as long as she could.

“I never felt better before,” she said. “I’ve been so, so happy that I’m in an unexplainable mood all the time. And I feel stronger and with a constant desire to train my body, too. I think that many people portray pregnancy as a disease and make it look like you can’t do anything. I always saw it from an entirely different perspective, and now that I’m experiencing it, I feel it in an even stronger way. Of course, my body is changing, and I need to take care of my needs and my baby’s needs, but why should I stop my entire life? I’ll adapt to it as it goes and will keep listening to my body. I feel great and would love to be with my team on the VNL. The only recommendation my doctor made was that I enjoy this moment, and that’s what I’ll do.”

One thing that makes Marte’s experience of playing through pregnancy even more special is the fact that her husband, Omar Martinez, is the physical trainer of the Dominican national team. That means the two can experience every step of her pregnancy together, supporting each other along the way.

“I’ve met him a couple of years before he joined the national team, and I’ve become better in every area of my life after that,” the setter, a three-time Olympian, added. “Having him full-time by my side is the best thing that could have happened, and it’s not a coincidence that I’ve been playing every set of every tournament for many years now. He takes care of me in every area of my life, not just sports, and that means a lot. I’m so blessed to have him by my side.”

While Marte still can’t determine for how long she’ll be able to help her teammates on the court in the VNL, the setter can already confirm she will need to sit out of the upcoming FIVB Volleyball World Championship, set to take place from August 22-September 7, in Thailand, as her pregnancy will approach its final stage.

Part of the Dominican national team since 2008 and a starter and captain for over a decade, Marte’s absence will create a void in the team both technically and from a leadership standpoint. While she’s out, Ariana Rodríguez, Yokaty Pérez, Aylin Liberato and Camila De La Rosa are the candidates to step into the starting lineup at the setter spot.

“We have over 20 players training with the Dominican national team, and we’re all different, but everyone has something to bring to the table,” Marte reflected. “So, I don’t think anyone replaces someone on the team. The opportunities have always been there and will continue to be there.”

Men’s Superior Volleyball League Postpones Start to October 2025 in Compliance with FIVB

Posted on June 6, 2025June 6, 2025

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, June 5, 2025 .- In a meeting held this evening between the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (FPV) and the eight franchise owners of the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM), it was unanimously agreed to postpone the start of the 2025 season to October 20, 2025.

The decision was made to comply with the regulations set by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and to ensure the proper development of the competition under international standards.

FPV President Dr. César Trabanco confirmed the decision and noted that further details regarding tournament planning and necessary adjustments will be announced in the coming days to guarantee a competitive and well-organized event.

“Our top priority is to meet international requirements while also delivering a high-quality tournament for our players, clubs, and fans. We’ll soon be sharing key information about the schedule and other logistical aspects,” said Dr. Trabanco.

All eight teams are confirmed to participate in the upcoming season, and each team will be allowed up to two foreign reinforcements to strengthen their rosters.

Canada, USA, and Dominican Republic Suffer Defeats in Women’s VNL

Posted on June 6, 2025June 6, 2025

June 5, 2025.– All three NORCECA teams competing in the 2025 Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) had a tough second day. In Pool 1, host nation Canada fell 1-3 to the Netherlands, while the Dominican Republic lost 1-3 to Bulgaria. Meanwhile, in Pool 2, USA suffered their second consecutive defeat, this time a 0-3 loss to Brazil.

Canada drops first match in Pool 1

Canada suffered their first loss of the 2025 VNL season, falling 1-3 (18-25, 25-22, 15-25, 23-25) to the Netherlands. In a match with few unforced errors, Canada committed 20, while the Netherlands had 24.

Canadian opposite and team captain Kiera Van Ryk once again led the scoring with 17 points (15 attacks, 1 block, 1 ace). The Dutch outperformed Canada in every skill, 55-48 in attacks, 13-3 in blocks, and 9-6 in aces.

With this result, Canada now holds a 1-1 record and 2 points, thanks to their win over Bulgaria the day before.

Andrea Mitrovic CAN

Dominican Republic falls in four sets to Bulgaria

Despite a standout performance from Brayelin Martínez, who scored 30 points (27 attacks, 3 blocks), and a strong effort in the second and fourth sets, the Dominican Republic was outlasted by Bulgaria 1-3 (21-25, 32-30, 19-25, 29-31).

Blocking was once again the Dominican team’s strongest weapon, dominating that category 16-11, but Bulgaria narrowly won in attacks 65-64 and led in service points 7-4.

The Dominican Republic now holds a 1-1 record with 2 points, following their victory over Serbia.

Brayelin Martinez DOM

USA suffers second straight loss

Brazil, the world’s second-ranked team, defeated USA, ranked third, in straight sets 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19) in Rio de Janeiro.

The young American squad was unable to match Brazil’s power and experience and were outplayed across 38-35 in attacks, 12-4 in blocks, and both teams with 4 aces.

Logan Eggleston was the top scorer for the USA and the only player in double digits, with 13 points, including 1 block and 12 attacks from the net.

On Friday, June 6, in Ottawa, the Dominican Republic will face the Netherlands at 2:00 p.m. local time, while Canada will have a rest day. In Rio de Janeiro, the United States will take on Czechia at 6:00 p.m. local time.

VNL 2025: Cuba look to power through the pack

Posted on June 6, 2025June 6, 2025

June 5, 2025.- Simon leads, young stars mature, and momentum builds in Cuba’s 2025 campaign as they return for their third straight Volleyball Nations League season aiming to build on the progress of recent years. After back-to-back campaigns in 2023 and 2024, the team bring back familiar leaders and rising contributors, continuing to rely on physical strength and fast attacking play to push for a stronger finish in an expanded field.

At the heart of the squad is 37-year-old middle blocker Robertlandy Simon, who remains part of the national team setup after initially suggesting his international career was over in 2024. He is expected to join the group in the third week of the Preliminary Phase.

Alongside the top-calibre middle blocker, Cuba will count on outside hitters Miguel Angel Lopez, Marlon Yant and Osniel Melgarejo, who have shaped the team’s attack in recent seasons. Setter Christian Manuel Thondike Mejias provides continuity in distribution, while middle blockers Roamy Alonso and Javier Concepción bring speed and vertical threat at the net. Libero Yonder García anchors the backcourt and leads a defensive unit that has gained stability over the past two editions.

Robertlandy Simon of Cuba

Cuba begin the season ranked 12th in the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Ranking. Their campaign opens in Rio de Janeiro from 11 to 15 June, where they will face Slovenia, Brazil, Ukraine and the United States. In Week 2 from 25 to 29 June in Belgrade, they are set to take on Germany, Serbia, Netherlands and Argentina. Then Week 3 will be held from 16 to 20 July in Gdansk, with matchups against Bulgaria, Poland, France and China.

Their development has been supported by the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme, which began with a six-month coaching support in 2023 valued at CHF 12,000. The support had a long-term impact, helping to strengthen the team’s technical preparation and giving the coaching staff the tools to build a more competitive unit on the international stage.

Now in their third VNL season, Cuba are no longer new to the demands of the competition. Their physical style, built around quick swings, strong blocking and high-tempo transition play, has made them a difficult team to face. Against more structured systems, Cuba’s unpredictability and athleticism continue to stand out.

A return to the Final Round remains within reach. With experienced leaders, improved depth and a style that can pose a threat to the top-ranked teams, Cuba’s purpose in 2025 is grounded in the progress they have already made. Their next step is to prove they can sustain it.

Cuba are scheduled to hold a training camp in Argentina ahead of the VNL, including friendly matches with the home side. The trip will form part of their preparations for a packed international season that also includes the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship later this year.

After rebuilding their presence on the international stage, Cuba now face a season that could define their trajectory in the next Olympic cycle. With Simon still in the fold and a more balanced lineup around him, their 2025 campaign is built to power through the pack.

Dominican Republic comes from behind to claim victory in VNL opener, Canada starts with a victory, and USA falls in debut

Posted on June 5, 2025June 5, 2025

June 4, 2025.- The Dominican Republic opened their 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) campaign with an exciting five-set comeback victory over reigning world champions Serbia in Pool 1, at TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario. Host Canada also secured a five-set win over Bulgaria to start strong at home. Meanwhile, in Pool 2, the United States fell in their debut against Olympic champions Italy in Rio de Janeiro.

Dominicans complete reverse sweep against Serbia

The second match of the day in Ottawa delivered high drama as the Dominican Republic clawed back from a two-set deficit to defeat Serbia. The “Queens of the Caribbean” didn’t give up after dropping the first two sets, ultimately triumphing 3-2 (26-28, 19-25, 25-15, 25-20, 18-16), marking the first tiebreak victory of the VNL’s seventh edition.

Outside hitter Brayelin Martínez led the offense with 17 points (11 kills, five blocks, one ace), joined by her sister, middle blocker Jineiry Martínez, who added 16 (14 kills, two blocks). Opposite Gaila González also contributed 16 points (11 kills, four blocks, one ace) in the epic comeback.

Blocking proved to be the Dominicans’ strongest skill, outperforming Serbia 16-11. They also capitalized on Serbian errors, with a 34-22 advantage in opponent unforced mistakes. However, Serbia led in kills (61-58) and aces (10-5).

Brayelin Martinez DOM

Canada needs five sets to beat Bulgaria

The final match of opening day action also went to five sets, with host Canada outlasting Bulgaria 3-2 (25-18, 25-12, 23-25, 19-25, 15-4) in front of their home fans. It was Canada’s first win under new head coach Giovanni Guidetti.

The Canadians were dominant in attacks (67-49) and serves (9-4), while Bulgaria held a slight edge in blocking (10-9).

Star opposite Kiera Van Ryk led all scorers with 25 points (19 kills, four aces, two blocks). Outside hitter Hilary Johnson followed with 18 (16 kills, two aces), and middle blocker Emily Maglio chipped in 14 points (eight kills, five blocks, one ace).

Kiera Van Ryk CAN

USA fall to Italy in opener

Reigning VNL champions Italy imposed their strength early, winning the first two sets comfortably. The third set saw the USA take a commanding 21-14 lead, but Italy mounted a comeback to win the set 30-28 and seal a 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 30-28) victory in Pool 2, played in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

New American head coach Erik Sullivan fielded a very young squad, with ten players making their VNL debut against the Olympic champions. Sarah Franklin and Logan Lednicky led the USA in scoring with nine points each.

On Thursday June 5, in Ottawa, Dominican Republic faces Bulgaria at 4:00 PM local time, and Canada goes against the Netherlands at 7:30 PM local time. In Rio de Janeiro, the U.S. will meet with host Brazil at 9:00 PM local time.

Sarah Franklin USA

Volleyball Thrives in Haiti: Regional Tournaments Unite Hundreds of Youth Despite National Challenges

Posted on June 4, 2025June 5, 2025

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, June 3, 2025.- The Haitian Volleyball Federation has been in full activity organizing successful tournaments, thanks to the tireless efforts and remarkable dedication by regional organizers.

In parts of the Northern Department, school tournaments began as early as December 2024. In 2025, hundreds of students continued to play volleyball, with championships held in Cap-Haïtien, Ouanaminthe, Hinche, Port-Margot, La Jeune, Mombin-Crochu, Pignon, and Saint-Marc.

A play sequence in the Port-au-Prince championship

Concurrently, the regular First Division tournaments were successfully held by the Ouanaminthe League, while the League in the West tournaments are currently in its final phase. These two major championships welcomed 20 clubs, with a total of approximately 300 athletes.

“I am proud that the Haitian Volleyball Federation has been able to stay the course and ensure that volleyball courts continue to be places of joy and performance for athletes during these challenging times. We recognize the many sacrifices made by both parents and athletes to keep volleyball alive across the country, bringing energy, unity, and hope to a population striving for stability.” said Jean Michel Frédéric François, President of the Haitian Volleyball Federation.

“Special thanks to all the regional leaders for their perseverance, all the institutions that championed us, and especially NORCECA for their continuous support. Seeing our youth smile, play, and push themselves beyond their limits, despite the circumstances, is the greatest triumph for Haitian sports,” concluded Mr. François.

Manatí to Host the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Four: High-Level Volleyball at the Juan Aubin Cruz Coliseum

Posted on June 3, 2025June 3, 2025

MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, June 3, 2025.- The Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (FPV), led by President Dr. César Trabanco, has officially announced that the city of Manatí will host the prestigious 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Four tournament, scheduled to take place from July 18 to 20 at the Juan Aubin Cruz Abreu Coliseum.

The event will bring together the national teams of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, and Costa Rica in an exciting round-robin format that promises high-level matchups. Additionally, this will be the first tournament to award ranking points toward qualification for the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), adding extra incentive to the competition and increasing its relevance on the international stage.

Coliseo Juan Aubin Cruz, Manati

Dr. César Trabanco, President of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation, expressed deep gratitude to the Mayor of Manatí, the Honorable José A. Sánchez, for his support to Puerto Rican volleyball and his commitment to the development of sports in the region.

“We greatly value the support of Mayor Sánchez and his team, who have opened the doors of the Juan Aubin Cruz Coliseum to host a top-tier event. Their backing is a clear demonstration of Manatí’s commitment to the growth of volleyball and the strengthening of our national teams,” said Trabanco.

He also emphasized the importance of the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Four for the Puerto Rican national team and the sport on the island:

“This tournament is a great opportunity for our players to showcase their talent and continue raising the level of volleyball in Puerto Rico. Facing strong opponents like Cuba, Mexico, and Costa Rica will allow us to compete at the highest level and demonstrate our team’s progress on the international stage. We look forward to an exciting event, with thrilling matches and passionate fans supporting our team as it aims to defend its title.”

As the reigning champion, Puerto Rico will look to maintain its dominance in the tournament and take full advantage of the home court to deliver an unforgettable experience for its fans.

Competition Schedule:

Friday July 18

6:00 pm Cuba vs Mexico

8:00 pm Puerto Rico vs Costa Rica

Saturday July 19

6:00 pm Mexico vs Costa Rica

8:00 pm Puerto Rico vs Cuba

Sunday July 20

5:00 pm Cuba vs Costa Rica

7:00 pm Puerto Rico vs México

Puerto Rico Unveils Senior Women’s Volleyball Pre-National Team

Posted on June 1, 2025June 3, 2025

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 31, 2025. – In an event held at Cayo Caribe, The Outlets at Montehiedra, the Puerto Rico Senior Women’s National Volleyball Pre-Selection was officially presented under the leadership of Head Coach Juan C. Núñez and his staff, including assistant coach José Mieles.

A group of athletes, made up of a mix of young talent and experienced veterans from the national program, is preparing for training sessions ahead of this summer’s international commitments.

“I’m excited and happy to be in charge of this talented group of players. It’s an excellent blend of youth and experience, with athletes returning to the program and others who will have their first opportunity to compete at this level,” said Núñez.

The preliminary group consists of approximately 19 to 22 players. As training progresses, the coaching staff will face the difficult task of making cuts to determine the final roster that will represent Puerto Rico in the upcoming summer qualification tournament.

The libero position, in particular, has multiple strong candidates, which will intensify internal competition. “For official tournaments, we must have a 14-player roster, which means eventually five or six players will be cut,” Núñez explained.

Training will begin this coming Monday at the University of Puerto Rico, with sessions open to the press. “We want everyone to be able to see the team’s preparation process. We’ll be training at 5:30 p.m. initially on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Then, we’ll add a fourth day and adjust the schedule as the weeks progress,” the coach stated.

With this preparation phase underway, the Puerto Rico Senior Women’s National Team aims to solidify its roster and strengthen its play in anticipation of the important challenges it will face in the coming months.

Senior Women’s National Team Summer Events:

– NORCECA Women’s Final Four – Host: Puerto Rico, July 16–21

– XII Pan American Cup Women – Host: Mexico, August 1–11

– FIVB Women’s World Championship – Host: Bangkok, Thailand, August 22–September 7

– NORCECA Women’s Final Six – Host: Mexico, September 22–29

Senior Women’s National Pre-Selection Roster:

Setters

Wilmarie Rivera

Jennifer Nogueras

Outside Hitters

Alondra Vázquez

Paola Santiago

Karla Santos

Valeria Vázquez

Paulina Pérez

Opposites

Decelise Champion

Dariana Hollingsworth

Sofía M. Victoriá

Middle Blockers

Neira Ortiz

Diana Reyes

Alba Hernández

Adriana Rodríguez

Liberos

Shara Venegas

Valeria León

Paula Cerame

Okiana Valle

Yelemid Correa

Technical Staff

Juan Carlos Núñez – Head Coach

José Mieles – Assistant Coach

Sheila Alicea – Statistician

Roberto Rivera – Strength & Conditioning Coach

José Rafael Servera – General Manager

Dr. María Magraner – Sports Psychologist

Michael Rivera – Equipment Manager

Puerto Rico Presents 2025 Men’s Senior National Volleyball Preliminary Roster

Posted on May 30, 2025June 3, 2025

NARANJITO, Puerto Rico, May 30, 2025.- The Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation held the official presentation of the 2025 Men’s Senior National Volleyball Preliminary Roster, which will train to represent Puerto Rico in upcoming NORCECA and FIVB tournaments.

Head coach of the senior national team, Jamille Torres, inspired the players with a motivational message:

“I want to be a facilitator and help you achieve everything you set out to do because just like you have goals, I have mine too. I’d like to win the Olympics, but we must go step by step. Let’s think big, beyond the Central American Games. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, and I want you to make the most of it. I was once in your shoes, and one day you could be in mine. I’ll always be available to help you with anything you need.”

Meanwhile, the president of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation, Dr. César Trabanco, emphasized the importance of the competitive path ahead for the team:

“Puerto Rico has the talent to position itself among volleyball’s elite. The Volleyball Nations League and the World Championship are key opportunities for international exposure and growth. Every tournament adds vital ranking points and helps with Olympic qualification. With effort, discipline, and commitment, we can compete with and beat top teams. This team has everything needed to make its mark.”

The men’s senior team will face a demanding schedule, with high-level tournaments paving the way toward the international elite:

– NORCECA Men Final Four – México, July 23-28

– XVIII Pan-American Cup – México, August 24 -September 1

– NORCECA Final Six – Puerto Rico, October 4 -13

The coaching staff and players are committed to preparation and teamwork, with a shared goal of proudly and excellently representing Puerto Rico in these events.

Men’s Preliminary Roster by Position

Outside Hitters:
Omar Hoyos
Pedro Molina
Pele Vargas Jr.
Kevin López
Diego Rosich
Axel Meléndez
Lorenzo Rivera
Antonio Feliciano

Opposites:
Klistan Lawrence
Jamal Ellis
Gregory Torres
Sebastián Negrón

Middle Blockers:
Jonathan Rodríguez
Antonio Elías
Ismael Alomar
Janluar Figueroa
Ramón Rosado
Iván Fernández
Eliel Salva

Setters:
Kevin Rodríguez
Howard García
Daniel Henwood
Diego Estrada

Liberos:
Arnel Cabrera
Dennis Del Valle
Luis Bertrán
Noah Meléndez

Coaching Staff:

Jamille Torres – Head Coach
Ramon Lawrence – Assistant Coach
Felix Román – Statistician

VNL 2025: Canada men bring journey full circle

Posted on May 29, 2025May 29, 2025

May 28 2025.- A Canadian at the helm, a home opener and their rise mark a defining chapter for the men’s team at the 2025 Volleyball Nations League.

The 2025 Volleyball Nations League arrives at a defining moment for the Canadian men’s national team. With three Olympic appearances in the past decade and a breakthrough VNL Final Round finish in 2024, the team has turned sustained development into results. Now, with a Canadian coach on the bench and the season opening on home soil, the journey not only comes full circle — it finally hits home.

Dan Lewis, a former national team player and long-time assistant, was appointed head coach in January. His promotion reflects the federation’s focus on continuity and leadership from within. After competing for Canada as a player at the highest level and contributing from the sidelines in recent years, Lewis now leads a group he knows well into the next stage of its evolution.

The coaching shift builds on a foundation strengthened by the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme. Since 2020, Canada have received CHF 1.55 million in support across both volleyball and beach volleyball, through application-based and targeted projects. That backing has supported long-term coaching and technical development for the national team programmes, contributing to the progress of the men’s squad at the highest level.

The 2025 squad features players from last year’s campaigns at the Paris Olympics and the Volleyball Nations League, alongside younger talent rising through the national pathway. Under Lewis, the team will continue to rely on its physical presence, structured systems and strong team identity that shaped their breakthrough performance in 2024.

Canada’s 2025 squad is led by some of their most prominent returnees from their Paris 2024 roster, including Luke Herr, Fynn McCarthy and Nick Hoag. Their contribution and experience at the international level remain central to Canada’s goals this season.

Canada host Week 1 of the VNL from 11 to 15 June at Centre Vidéotron in Quebec, where they face Germany, Argentina, France and Bulgaria. In Week 2, Canada travel to Chicago for matchups against Brazil, United States, Poland and China from 25 to 29 June. The final week of the preliminaries takes place in Ljubljana from 16 to 20 July, where they meet hosts Slovenia, Netherlands, Serbia and Ukraine.

Canada have appeared in every edition of the VNL since its launch in 2018. After years of consistent presence, their qualification to the Final Round in 2024 confirmed their arrival among men’s volleyball’s top-tier contenders. That upward trend now continues with a renewed leadership structure and home-court spotlight.

The 2025 season will also serve as a key step in preparation for the FIVB Men’s World Championship later this year.

Stars in the making to shine at July’s Girls U19 World Champs

Posted on May 27, 2025May 27, 2025

May 27, 2025.- The extended rosters of the 24 teams that will participate in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U19 World Championship have now been released and the eager volleyball fans can already find out which rising stars of world volleyball are getting ready to hit the courts in Osijek, Croatia and Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia from July 2 to 13.

FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U19 World Championship: team rosters (subject to eligibility check to be conducted by the FIVB)

While at this young age, the volleyball stars of the future are still building up their fame, there are still plenty of names on the rosters that would ring a volleyball fan’s bell.

Defending U19 world champions United States, for example, will be captained by Genevieve Harris (pictured in the main photo), the Best Setter of last year’s NORCECA U19 Women’s Volleyball Continental Championship.

China’s squad is highlighted by Yang Shuming , who was selected Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Best Opposite of the 2024 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship as well as MVP of the 2024 AVC U18 Women’s Volleyball Asian Championship, Chen Xiaohui, who was one of the U17 Dream Team middle blockers, and another three of the players, who snatched the inaugural U17 world title last year – Guo Zhongnan, Huang Yuexin and Wang Yibo. The two continental U18 Dream Teamers – outside Zhai Yurui and middle Wang Aoqian – are also on China’s roster.

Reigning 2024 U18 European champions Bulgaria have 13 of the 14 players who conquered the continental title last year on the roster for the upcoming U19 World Championship, headlined by EuroVolley U18 MVP and Best Setter Dimana Ivanova and other Dream Teamers like outside Kalina Veneva and middle Darina Naneva.

The MVP of the 2024 CSV U19 Girls’ Volleyball South American Championship, Mikaela Hestmann, is one of the outside hitters on the list of Brazilian players for Croatia-Serbia 2025, accompanied by setter and captain Luana Vazquez and middle Lara Rodrigues, also among the individual awardees at last year’s continental event.

A number of other continental Dream Teamers are featured on the rosters of Argentina (Paula Tomasa and Julia Allub), Belgium (Liese Verhelst and Jasmine Debout), Chile (Martina Allende), Chinese Taipei (Chen Pin-Yu), Dominican Republic (Julie Arias and Caroline Rodriguez), Italy (Ludovica Tosini and Veronica Quero), Japan (Tanyama Tsubaki and Chugangi Rion), Mexico (Caroline Rodriguez), Peru (Fatima Villafuerte) and Thailand (Sasitorn Jatta).

The German team will be captained by outside hitter Leana Grozer and it is no accident that that last name also rings a loud bell. Her legendary father Gyorgy Grozer is still an active and successful volleyballer at the age of 40. For sure, there are a few other “famous” daughters who will defend the honors of their family names, like Simona Ivanova, the daughter of Bulgarian legend Evgeni Ivanov, or Arianna Bovolenta, the daughter of Italian legend Vigor Bovolenta, to name a couple…

FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship match schedule announced

Posted on May 27, 2025May 27, 2025

May 27, 2025.- Defending 2023 U19 world champions and reigning 2024 U18 European champions France will play in one of the three opening games of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship set to take place from July 24 to August 3 in Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent.

The full match schedule for the pool stage of the competition has now been released, creating a sense of excitement and anticipation about how the on-court battles, involving the rising stars of world volleyball, will unfold on the way to crowning the new U19 boys’ world champions.

FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship: match schedule

France will take on Canada in a Pool B game at 11:00 local time (06:00 UTC) on one of the three competition courts in Tashkent. At the same time, on the other two courts, Belgium will meet Pakistan in a Pool A fixture and Iran will face Spain in Pool C.

In a remake of the 2024 Boys’ U18 African Nations Volleyball Championship, Egypt and Tunisia will open their Pool C campaigns at 14:00 (09:00). Meanwhile, U19 South American champions Argentina will take on Puerto Rico in Pool A.

An all-European clash between Italy and Poland, silver and bronze medalists of the 2024 CEV U18 Men’s Volleyball European Championship, in Pool C, and an all-Asian duel between Japan and last year’s U18 continental champions China in Pool B will highlight the third set of three matches, serving off at 17:00 (12:00) on the first competition day. Tournament hosts Uzbekistan will also start off their campaign at that time with a Pool A fixture against Türkiye.

The entire first leg of Pool D matches will get underway at the same time, 20:00 (15:00), with 2024 U19 NORCECA champions USA entering the competition with a game against Finland.

These four time slots will apply to all five competition days of the first phase of the tournament, from July 24 through July 29, with a rest day on July 27.

The top four teams in the final standings of each six-team pool will continue their quest for world honors in the elimination rounds leading up to the medal matches on August 3. The rest will continue their participation in the playoffs for the distribution of the places from 17th to 24th. All 24 teams will go through the respective number of playoff rounds (direct up-or-down matches) to fill all the places from first to 24th in the final competition standings.

VNL 2025: Canada embark on new mission with Empowerment and experience

Posted on May 23, 2025May 24, 2025

May 23, 2025.- Empowered on the court and guided by veteran coach Giovanni Guidetti, Canada target a breakthrough season. Canada’s women’s volleyball team will open their 2025 Volleyball Nations League campaign on home soil in Ottawa, but the journey that brought them here was shaped long before the opening whistle.

After years of building stability and gaining ground internationally, Canada’s women enter VNL 2025 with experienced players, a new head coach, and a sharper sense of what it takes to close the gap on the world’s top teams.

A key driver of Canada’s rise has been sustained support through FIVB Volleyball Empowerment. Since 2020, Canada has received CHF 1.55 million in support for its programmes. That support helped in hiring a top-tier coach, the expansion of performance and medical staff, and the creation of a professional structure to strengthen athlete development and national team operations.

Brie King & Kiera Van Ryk

Canada entered the VNL in 2021 and have qualified every year since. In 2023 and 2024, they posted their best results to date, finishing 10th overall and narrowly missing out on the Final Round. Later in 2023, they came close to securing an Olympic berth, finishing third in the qualification tournament in Ningbo – their strongest bid since Atlanta 1996. These performances reflected years of growth that helped establish their rise in women’s volleyball.

The foundation for that run was laid by Shannon Winzer, who coached the team from 2020 through the Olympic qualification cycle. She now serves as Volleyball Canada’s High Performance Director, helping guide the national programme’s long-term development.

Taking her place on the bench is Giovanni Guidetti, one of the most accomplished coaches in the sport, with four Olympic campaigns on his résumé. Appointed in January, the Italian brings a track record of elevating national teams and leading top clubs to international titles. His arrival marks the start of a new mission for Canada – adding a new layer of technical leadership and competitive insight to a team that has grown steadily in recent seasons.

Canada’s core also returns. Kiera Van Ryk leads the offence with power and consistency on the right side. Brie King continues to set the rhythm with confidence and control. Their experience, combined with Guidetti’s leadership, gives Canada a solid base in a season where margins will be tight.

Canada will play their opening four matches in Ottawa from 4 to 8 June, facing Bulgaria, Netherlands, Japan and Serbia. From 18 to 22 June, they move to Istanbul to meet Korea, Türkiye, Brazil and Belgium. The final week of pool play takes place in Arlington, Texas, with matches against Germany, China, United States and Thailand from 9 to 13 July. The Final Round will be in Lodz, Poland, from 23 to 27 July.

The team will also compete at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship, set to be held in Thailand later this year.

VNL 2025 comes at a time when Canada’s foundations are in place. Empowerment support has shaped the programme, experience anchors the core, and Guidetti brings a new perspective to the bench. The mission now is to keep moving forward.

Pablo Guzmán, 2024 Finals MVP, Joins the Patriotas de Lares

Posted on May 21, 2025May 22, 2025

SAN SEBASTIÁN, Puerto Rico, July 21, 2025.- The transfer of Pablo Guzmán to the Patriotas de Lares marks a new chapter in the journey of the two-time champions, Caribes de San Sebastián, in the Puerto Rican Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM).

The transfer was confirmed by David Chaparro Pérez, Co-Owner and General Manager of the Caribes, who emphasized the franchise’s commitment to the well-being of its players. “Our organization has stood out as one that provides opportunities to players. If we don’t reach an agreement for a season, we want every athlete to have the freedom to choose where to continue their path,” he explained.

The veteran player, MVP of the most recent finals series, was transferred to the Patriotas de Lares in exchange for financial compensation.

Pablo Guzman

Chaparro Pérez also underscored that the Caribes’ philosophy is clear: to respect players’ wishes and contribute to the development of the League. “We always aim for the best development of the League. We’re not here to hold back any player, but to strengthen the competitiveness and spectacle of Puerto Rican volleyball,” he stated.

“Pablo,” Chaparro continued, “expressed interest in relocating to a team of his preference. After discussing his options and respecting his decision, the transfer was granted. It’s important to highlight that this move was made directly at his request. As in any environment, agreements aren’t always reached on every point, but that’s part of the natural dynamic even within the best of families, though it was hard to say goodbye.”

The transfer has sparked varied reactions among fans, ranging from nostalgia over the veteran’s departure to excitement about the arrival of new talent. Chaparro Pérez confirmed that the move is part of a long-term strategic plan. “This change is part of a three-year restructuring process, during which we’ll incorporate new blood and gradually adjust the roster to maintain the team’s high level.”

Thus, Guzmán’s departure is part of a forward-looking vision aimed at ensuring the Caribes continue setting the standard in top-level volleyball, with the goal of strengthening the League and delivering the best possible show to the fans.

The regular season is set to begin on June 6, with the Gigantes de Adjuntas visiting the Caribes de San Sebastián, and the Changos de Naranjito facing the Gigantes de Carolina.

The 2025 LVSM will feature eight competing teams: Caribes de San Sebastián (two-time champions), Mets de Guaynabo, Plataneros de Corozal, Patriotas de Lares, Changos de Naranjito, Gigantes de Carolina, Gigantes de Adjuntas, and Cafeteros de Yauco.

VNL 2025: Dominican Republic aim for next-level finish

Posted on May 21, 2025May 21, 2025

May 21, 2025.- With veteran leadership and continued Empowerment support, the Dominican Republic squad aim to turn years of top-level consistency into their first Final Round appearance in the Volleyball Nations League.

Dominican Republic have long been one of the most consistent forces in women’s volleyball, and since the launch of the VNL, they’ve remained a steady presence among the world’s top contenders. In 2025, they return with a veteran lineup, strong leadership and one goal still just out of reach.

Head coach Marcos Kwiek

The build-up of their high-performance system has been supported by the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme, with over CHF 940,000 in support since 2021. This has strengthened the foundation of the national team, providing long-term coaching stability, technical development, and the ability to remain internationally competitive across multiple Olympic cycles.

Head coach Marcos Kwiek remains at the helm in 2025, leading a squad that has dominated their continent in recent years. Dominican Republic won the NORCECA Final Six in both 2022 and 2024, claimed gold at the 2023 Pan American Games, and were crowned continental champions again in 2023. These results have underlined their dominance in continental play and reinforced their readiness to compete for bigger feats on the international stage.

Dominican Republic have been part of every VNL edition since the tournament began, but a Final Round appearance has remained out of reach. Their performances have kept them competitive across multiple seasons, yet that next-level finish continues to be the goal.

Brayelin Martínez

That pursuit continues in 2025 with a group of established stars still leading the charge. Libero Brenda Castillo, widely regarded as one of the most decorated defensive players in international volleyball, anchors the squad alongside standouts Jineiry and Brayelin Martínez. All three bring extensive VNL and major tournament experience, forming a foundation that has carried the team through multiple cycles.

Dominican Republic will start VNL 2025 Week 1 in Ottawa, facing Serbia, Bulgaria, Netherlands and Japan from 4 to 8 June. In Week 2, they move to Istanbul to meet hosts Türkiye, Belgium, Brazil and Korea and from 18 to 22 June. The Preliminary Round wraps up in Week 3 in Arlington, where they will take on China, United States, Thailand and Germany from 9 to 13 July.

The team will also use the VNL to further integrate younger players emerging from its development system – a long-term priority supported by Empowerment funding. While the veterans remain central to the squad’s identity, the next wave of talent is expected to gain experience during the 2025 season.

“Reinas del Caribe” and GBC Farmacias Renew Strategic Alliance for Second Consecutive Year

Posted on May 20, 2025May 21, 2025

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, May 20, 2025 .- The Dominican Republic’s National Women’s Volleyball Teams Project and Grupo GBC Farmacias have announced the renewal of their strategic alliance for a second consecutive year. Through this agreement, GBC Farmacias remains the official sponsor of the “Reinas del Caribe” for all international competitions during the 2025 season, including the Volleyball Nations League and the FIVB World Championship.

The announcement was made during a press conference led by Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, President of the National Teams Project, and Raymond Rodríguez, Executive Vice President of Grupo GBC Farmacias.

Lic. Cristóbal Marte

During the event, Marte Hoffiz unveiled the new uniforms the Reinas del Caribe will wear in 2025, designed by the renowned Japanese brand Mizuno Corporation. He also emphasized that the financial resources generated through the agreement will be allocated as stipends for athletes across the four national women’s teams: U19, U21, U23, and the senior team.

Several players from the national program, along with members of the coaching staff, were present at the event.

“In 2025, the Dominican Republic will, for the second time, become the only country in the world to qualify for the U19 World Championship in Croatia, the U21 World Championship in Indonesia, the Youth Olympic Games (IOC) in Paraguay in the U21 category, and additionally, the Reinas del Caribe will compete in the Nations League and the FIVB World Championship in Thailand,” Marte Hoffiz stated. He added that in previous years, only Brazil had achieved a similar feat.

Lic. Raymond Rodríguez Junior

Marte also highlighted the academic focus of the program: “Most of our athletes are pursuing university degrees, both locally and abroad. Currently, we have six players on 50% scholarships in Japan, and the first among them was Alondra Tapia.”

For his part, Raymond Rodríguez, President of the GBC Foundation and Vice President of the business group, expressed his pride in continuing to support the team. “We are thrilled to extend this agreement and continue being part of the Reinas del Caribe family — a team that inspires hundreds of young girls to chase their dreams,” he said. “The National Teams Project has more than three decades of tireless work behind it and has become a model of success. Hopefully, other sports can follow this example.”

Rodríguez also emphasized the company’s social commitment: “As a foundation and as GBC Farmacias, we are proud to keep contributing so that many girls can dream of one day becoming a Reina del Caribe.”

The event was also attended by prominent figures from the national volleyball community and the corporate sector, including Milagros Cabral, General Director of the volleyball project; Francisca Santana, GBC’s Marketing Manager; and journalist Vargavila Riverón, Communications Advisor for Grupo GBC.

2025 Volleyball Canada Men’s Team Revealed

Posted on May 20, 2025May 20, 2025

May 20, 2025: Volleyball Canada has announced its Senior and Next Gen indoor men’s national teams for the 2025 season.

The senior team will compete in Volleyball Nations League kicking off in Quebec City, Quebec – presented by Desjardins – on June 11 and then travel to the United States and Slovenia in hopes of qualifying for the finals, to be held in China. In 2024, the senior men finished ranked sixth after making the VNL Finals and then going on to compete in Paris at the Olympic tournament.

After VNL, the team will prepare for the 2025 Men’s World Championship in September, with a Team Canada roster to be announced at a later date.

Leading the senior team will be head coach Dan Lewis in his first season in this position.

“With a small group of returning Olympians, this year’s senior team will also showcase athletes who are looking to shine and gain valuable experience on the world stage leading up to LA2028,” said Julien Boucher, Volleyball Canada’s men’s indoor high-performance director. “The Next Gen team lineup shows depth and the hard work that goes into preparing athletes to compete at the highest level.”

The Next Gen squad, under the guidance of head coach Dave Preston, features up and coming talent from across the country. This team will be focused on training and competing at the NORCECA Pan Am Cup, August 24 to September 1, in Mexico.

Senior Team Athletes
Landon Currie – Libero – Coldstream, BC
Max Elgert – Setter – Edmonton, AB
Jesse Elser – Outside Hitter – Calgary, AB
Daenan Gyimah – Middle Blocker – Scarborough, ON
Luke Herr – Setter – Winnipeg, MB
Isaac Heslinga – Outside Hitter – Orangeville, ON
Nicholas Hoag – Outside Hitter – Gatineau, QC
Brodie Hofer – Outside Hitter – Langley, BC
Xander Ketrzynski – Opposite – Toronto, ON
Justin Lui – Libero – Pickering, ON
Fynn McCarthy – Middle Blocker – Lake Country, BC
Jordan Schnitzer – Middle Blocker – Surrey, BC
Ryan Sclater – Opposite – Port Coquitlam, BC
Skyler Varga – Outside Hitter – Muenster, SK

Alternate Athletes
Mason Greves – Setter – Calgary, AB
Jackson Howe – Middle Blocker – Calgary, AB
Matthew Neaves – Opposite – Calgary, AB
Cory Schoenherr – Middle Blocker – Waterloo, ON
Jackson Young – Outside Hitter – Toronto, ON

Staff
Dan Lewis – Head Coach
Joao Paulo Bravo – Assistant Coach
Jason Haldane – Assistant Coach
Alberto Varela Frontier – Statistician
Michael Cook – Strength & Conditioning Coach, IST Lead
Schad Richea – Athletic Therapist
Nicholas Poelman – Chiropractor
Melissa Healy – Medical Coordinator
Kyle Paquette – Mental Performance Coach
Donna McDonagh – Mental Health Practitioner
Ashley Armstrong – Sport Dietician
Cassandra Nicol – Team Manager, Coordinator
Julien Boucher – High-Performance Director

NextGen Team
Athletes
Jordan Canham – Opposite – Avonmore, ON
Jackson Corneil – Middle Blocker – Surrey, BC
Cole Duncanson – Middle Blocker – St Catharines, ON
Zachary Hollands – Libero – Victoriaville, QC
Liam Kristjanson – Middle Blocker – Oak River, MB
Jeremy Love – Setter – Dauphin, MB
Brendan Mills – Opposite – London, ON
Liam Pauls – Outside Hitter – Balmoral, MB
Darian Picklyk – Libero – Winnipeg, MB
Jacob Sargent – Outside Hitter – Lethbridge, AB
Kaden Schmidt – Outside Hitter – Mississauga, ON
Erik Siksna – Outside Hitter – Markham, ON
Tomas Sorra – Setter – Toronto, ON
Zachary van Geel – Setter – Calgary, AB
Jonas Van Huizen – Outside Hitter – Langley, BC
Matthys Weststrate – Middle Blocker – Kelowna, BC

Staff
Dave Preston – Head Coach
Scott Koskie – Assistant Coach
John Barrett – Assistant Coach
Grant Wilson – Assistant Coach
Matthew Harris – Assistant Coach
Raphael Poulin – Strength & Conditioning Coach
Michael Cook – IST Lead
Meredith Waisman – Sport Physiotherapist
Melissa Healy – Medical Coordinator
Brendan Dinsdale – Mental Performance Coach
Donna McDonagh – Mental Health Practitioner
Ashley Armstrong – Sport Dietician
Cassandra Nicol – Team Coordinator
Georges Laplante – Team Manager
Julien Boucher – High-Performance Director

2025 FIVB Girls’ U19 World Champs match schedule released

Posted on May 16, 2025May 17, 2025

May 16, 2025.- The excitement ahead of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U19 World Championship set to get underway on July 2 is about to build up further with the announcement of the match schedule for the pool stage of the competition. Osijek in Croatia and Vrnjacka Banja in Serbia will host two pools each, running concurrently on four courts with three games per pool on each competition day.

FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U19 World Championship: match schedule

2025 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U19 World Championship

In what is probably the most interesting among the four opening matches, reigning 2024 U18 European champions Bulgaria will be challenged by another powerful European team, Poland, who finished fourth at the continental championship. It is a Pool C game to be played in Osijek, starting at 15:15 local time (13:15 UTC) on July 2.

In the other three opening matches that will serve off simultaneously, Egypt will meet Canada in Osijek’s Pool A, Argentina will face Puerto Rico in Vrnjacka Banja’s Pool B, and Japan will take on Belgium in Pool D, also in Vrnjacka Banja.

Co-hosts Croatia and Serbia will start their campaigns against Germany in Pool A and against Chinese Taipei in Pool B, respectively, later that day, at 18:15 (16:15 UTC).

The United States will start the defense of their 2023 U19 world title with a Pool C game against Spain at 21:15 (19:15 UTC).

These three time slots will apply to all four pools on all five competition days of the first phase of the tournament, from July 2 through July 7, with a rest day on July 5.

The top four teams in the final standings of each six-team pool will continue their quest for world honors in the elimination rounds leading up to the medal matches on July 13. The rest will continue their participation in the playoffs for the distribution of the places from 17th to 24th. All 24 teams will go through the respective number of playoff rounds (direct up-or-down matches) to fill all the places from first to 24th in the final competition standings.

Dominican Volleyball Association in Puerto Rico Hosts Successful Independence Cup

Posted on May 16, 2025May 16, 2025

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 16, 2025. – The Dominican Volleyball Association in Puerto Rico, which is part of the Dominican Volleyball Federation, recently held its second Independence Cup, an event that brought together six teams and celebrated the achievements of the Dominican community in Puerto Rico.

The tournament took place at the Bayamón Military Academy, with the team from Villa Tapia emerging as the champions.

“We successfully held the second Independence Cup with the participation of six teams, two of which came from Villa Tapia in the Dominican Republic. The Villa Tapia teams were led by José Francisco Fernández, treasurer of the Dominican Federation. It was an excellent event,” said Rafael Paniagua, President of the Association.

Paniagua was joined by other Association members, including Yeye Ventura, Juan Garabito Matos, Cristian Cruz, Dr. Carlos Pérez, and Dr. Ángeles Alonso.

As part of the Association’s ongoing activities, a triangular tournament will take place on May 17 and 18 at the Bayamón Military Academy, featuring two visiting teams from the Dominican Republic.

“We’ll have two teams from Monte Plata, one men’s and one women’s. Matches will be played Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. This is part of our programming for the enjoyment of our community in Puerto Rico,” Paniagua added.

The local teams participating include Las Primas (women’s), Team Chercha (men’s), and Voly Rumba (both divisions).

Additionally, in July, the Association will conduct a second talent identification initiative for Dominicans and their descendants up to the third generation, across both genders and various age categories.

Men’s international stars set to reappear at VNL 2025

Posted on May 15, 2025May 15, 2025

May 15, 2025.- Following an exciting season that culminated with the Paris Olympics in 2024, the biggest men’s international volleyball stars are ready to return to action with their national teams during the Volleyball Nations League 2025.

The rosters of the 18 national teams that will take part in the seventh edition of the event were released and published on the tournament’s website, further increasing the excitement for the initial week of competition, from June 11-15.

VNL 2025: Men’s Team Rosters (subject to eligibility verification to be conducted by the FIVB)

Reigning VNL and Olympic champions France will have the entire roster that took them to the top of the podium in Paris available for head coach Andrea Giani, including two-time Olympic MVP and star outside hitter Earvin Ngapeth. Other key players in the French squad are setter Antoine Brizard, middle blocker Barthélémy Chinenyeze, outside hitter Trévor Clévenot, opposite Jean Patry and libero Jenia Grebennikov.

Robertlandy Simón de Cuba

FIVB World Ranking leaders Poland is bringing the majority of their stars back in 2025, with outside hitter Wilfredo Leon, opposite Bartosz Kurek and middle blocker Jakub Kochanowski standing out in the list produced by head coach Nikola Grbić.

World champions Italy also preserved the core that took the team to the top of the world in 2022, having outside hitters Alessandro Michieletto and Daniele Lavia, setter Simone Giannelli and libero Fabio Balaso as key pieces.

Paris bronze medalists the United States will take a different approach, entering the VNL with a squad mostly formed by exciting young players, who will have the opportunity to represent their country and show what they are about in the VNL. Leading the team managed by new head coach Karch Kiraly on the court will be libero Erik Shoji, appointed as the captain, middle blocker Jeffrey Jendryk, setter Micah Ma’a and opposite Kyle Ensing.

Brazil is another country that will have new faces on the court with the absences of longtime pillars Bruno Rezende, Lucas Saatkamp and Yoandy Leal. The only returning player from the Brazilian winning campaign at the Rio 2016 Olympics, star outside hitter Ricardo Lucarelli will be one of the faces of the new squad, alongside opposite Darlan Souza, middle blocker Flavio Gualberto and setter Fernando ‘Cachopa’ Kreling.

With a new coach at the helm in Laurent Tillie, Japan will try to continue its recent rise in the international scene having outside hitters Yuki Ishikawa and Ran Takahashi and libero Tomohiro Yamamoto as their top players.

International volleyball stars are spread out among every VNL team, including Argentina’s Agustin Loser, Bulgaria’s Aleksandar Nikolov, Canada’s Ryan Sclater, China’s Zhang Jingyin, Cuba’s Robertlandy Simón, Germany’s György Grozer, Iran’s Amin Esmaeilnezhad, the Netherlands’ Nimir Abdel-Aziz, Serbia’s Drazen Luburić, Slovenia’s Tine Urnaut, Türkiye’s Adis Lagumdzija and Ukraine’s Yurii Semeniuk.

Head coaches will have until next week to make last-minute changes in the list, with up to substitutions allowed per team. For each week of the VNL, a team line-up of 12-14 players and up to four reserve players is selected among the 30 on the long list.

The men’s VNL 2025 will start from June 11-15, will pools held in Xi’an, China, Quebec, Canada, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Puerto Rico Men’s Volleyball Superior League Ready for the 2025 Season

Posted on May 15, 2025May 15, 2025

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 15, 2025. – The 2025 Men’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSM) will kick off on June 6 with the participation of eight teams: Caribes de San Sebastián (defending champions), Mets de Guaynabo (runners-up), Plataneros de Corozal, Patriotas de Lares, Changos de Naranjito, Gigantes de Carolina, Gigantes de Adjuntas, and Cafeteros de Yauco.

This season highlights the highly anticipated return of the Patriotas de Lares and the renewed rivalry between the Caribes and the Mets de Guaynabo, who played an electrifying championship series last year that went to a thrilling seventh match.

While the Caribes will aim for their third consecutive title, the Mets are back with one goal: to rewrite history and claim the championship.

Meanwhile, the Changos de Naranjito have added national team players Arturo Iglesias and Omar Hoyos to their roster.

The Gigantes de Carolina arrive with a revamped squad, featuring Rickyto Vega and Jonathan Rodríguez, both acquired in a trade with Naranjito.

The Plataneros de Corozal announced on their social media that Ramón “Monchito” Hernández Cruz will continue as head coach, assisted by Raúl Papaleo and Carlos Rodríguez. The team will feature players such as Dennis Del Valle, Luzgardo “Galdi” Liciaga, and Arnaldo Torres, among others. Their home court will be the Juan C. Berríos gym in Barranquitas while repairs are finalized at the Coliseo Carmen Zoraida Figueroa in Corozal.

The Gigantes de Adjuntas continue their preparations under the leadership of team owner Salvador Pérez, while the Cafeteros de Yauco are gearing up with a new international reinforcement. It’s a renewed team with the same ambition.

This season will be dedicated to Gregorio “Goyito” Mejill Vega and Francisco “Frankie” Santana Quiñones in recognition of their impact on Puerto Rican volleyball.

“This new edition of the LVSM reflects the passion and growth of our sport. We are proud to honor two great figures in Puerto Rican volleyball and to welcome back the Patriotas de Lares. We also look forward to another thrilling battle among all teams. Without a doubt, we will witness how the level of our league continues to rise.” — Dr. Trabanco, President of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation.

Top-caliber stars headline women’s VNL rosters

Posted on May 8, 2025May 8, 2025

May 8, 2025.- A long line of international stars of the highest caliber headline their national team rosters for the upcoming edition of the women’s Volleyball Nations League 2025.

As the 30-player team lists were finalized and published on the VNL competition website, a number of stellar names attract the fans’ attention in exciting anticipation of the first major event on the 2025 volleyball national team calendar.

VNL 2025: Women’s team rosters (subject to eligibility verification to be conducted by the FIVB)

Defending VNL champions Italy will once again be led by two-time VNL Most Valuable Player Paola Egonu, who was also named MVP of the Paris 2024 Olympic volleyball tournament. In fact, most of the reigning Olympic champions are back on coach Julio Velasco’s squad, including Olympic Dream Teamers Alessia Orro, Anna Danesi, Myriam Sylla and Monica De Gennaro.

In the absence of retired Sarina Koga, VNL 2024 runners-up Japan will be led by new captain Mayu Ishikawa. Rising star Yoshino Sato is also on the team. VNL 2024 Dream Team libero Manami Kojima is among the many other stars in new coach Ferhat Akbas’s selection.

The Best Middle Blocker of last year’s edition, Agnieszka Korneluk, highlights the stellar squad of bronze medalists Poland, along with the likes of fabulous Magdalena Stysiak and rising star Martyna Czyrnianska.

Brazil, who finished fourth in VNL 2024 and took bronze at the Olympics, will feature a long line of outstanding athletes, headlined by their charismatic captain Gabriela Guimaraes, a Paris 2024 Dream Team outside hitter, and featuring quality players like Julia Bergmann, Kisy Nascimento, Rosamaria Montibeller, Macris Carneiro, etc.

Three-time VNL champions and Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalists USA are putting forward a very strong line-up as usual, highlighted by Jordyn Poulter, Avery Skinner, Alexandra Frantti and many others.

The reigning crown bearers of the last two editions of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship Serbia will be spearheaded by prominent opposite Tijana Boskovic, while her powerful Turkish counterpart Melissa Vargas will lead the reigning European champions and semifinalists at Paris 2024. Among more experienced players like Teodora Pusic, Katarina Lazovic and Maja Aleksic, younger-generation athletes like Hena Kurtagic are expected to shine on Zoran Terzic’s squad, while Daniele Santarelli seems to have kept a core of established Turkish players like Zehra Gunes, Hande Baladin, Ebrar Karakurt, Cansu Ozbay, etc.

Asian champions Thailand, who are getting ready to host the World Championship later this year, are set to offer a solid presence in the VNL with the likes of Chatchu-On Moksri, Pimpichaya Kokram or captain Ajcharaporn Kongyot on the squad. NORCECA champions Dominican Republic will also rely on their top-caliber stars like Brayelin and Jineiry Martinez, Yonkaira Pena or Brenda Castillo.

There will be plenty of world-class talent on the other nine teams as well – Belgium’s Britt Herbots, Bulgaria’s Zhana Todorova, Canada’s Kiera Van Ryk, China’s Gong Xiangyu, Czechia’s Helena Grozer, France’s Helena Cazaute, Germany’s Anna Pogany, Korea’s Kang Sohwi, or Netherlands’ Nika Daalderop, to name a few.

The current lists of 30 players per team are not completely final, as the head coaches can make up to two replacements within the next week. Then, for the participation in each competition week of the VNL, a team line-up of 12-14 players and up to four reserve players is selected among the 30 on the long list.

UWI Women and JDF Men Crowned JaVA 2025 Club League Champions

Posted on May 6, 2025May 7, 2025

Jamaica, May 6, 2025.- The Jamaica Volleyball Association’s 2025 Club League concluded in thrilling fashion over the weekend, with the University of the West Indies (UWI) women and Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) men emerging Champions in the finals held at the GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport.

In the Women’s division, reigning champions University of the West Indies (UWI) successfully defended their title, securing a dominant victory over the Mico Old Students Association (MOSA) in straight sets 25-15, 25-10, 25-17.

UWI Women

The Men’s final featured a highly anticipated rematch of last year’s championship showdown between the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).

In what proved to be a fiercely contested final that went the distance and culminated in a nail-biting fifth set, Jamaica Defence Force emerged victorious once again, retaining their championship crown, winning 3 sets to 2 (25-23, 21-25, 25-21,19-25, 15-9).

Caguas Crowned New Champion in Puerto Rico’s LVSF

Posted on May 5, 2025May 5, 2025

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 4, 2025.- The Criollas de Caguas were crowned champions of Puerto Rico’s Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) this Sunday, dethroning the defending champions, the Cangrejeras de Santurce, in Game 6 of the KIA Finals Series held at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan.

Caguas sealed the title with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-13, 25-21) victory, clinching the series four games to two and securing the 15th championship in franchise history.

With the match tied at one set apiece, the Criollas tightened their net defense and pulled ahead, reaching the second technical timeout with a 15-7 lead following an attack by Temi Thomas Ailara off Santurce’s block. They then extended the lead to 16-7 after a hitting error by Helena Grozer into the antenna.

Santurce never recovered. Caguas reached set point at 24-13 after a hitting error by the Cangrejeras and closed the set on the next play due to a double contact by setter Mynelis Rivera.

In the fourth and final set, Caguas led at both technical timeouts, narrowly at 8-7 in the first, and 16-13 in the second, helped by a hitting error from Andrea Rangel.

Santurce tied it to 18 with a spike from Rangel, but the Criollas held firm. Kristin Lux kept the pressure on from the service line and closed out the match, and the championship, with back-to-back aces.

Lux scored 30 points (26 kills, 1 block, and 3 aces) and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Finals Series. Temi Thomas and Kath Bell added 16 and 15 points, respectively.

For Santurce, Andrea Rangel led with 25 points, followed by Kara McGhee with 15 and Helena Grozer with 12.

In overall stats, Caguas outperformed Santurce in attacks (62-57), blocks (9-3), and aces (7-1). However, Santurce led in digs (96-91), receptions (41-38), and assists (21-16).

The Cangrejeras were without their captain, Debora Seilhamer, who was absent due to a medical emergency.

Blackout During Criollas de Caguas’ Trophy Ceremony: An Incident That Overshadowed Their Triumph

Posted on May 4, 2025May 5, 2025

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 4, 2025.- What should have been a vibrant and emotional celebration for the Criollas de Caguas and their fans, after winning the KIA Finals Series of the LVSF, was marred by an unexpected incident that sparked outrage and concern.

As the team and its supporters celebrated their championship, secured in four sets over the Cangrejeras de Santurce, the lights at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum were abruptly turned off, disrupting the award ceremony and jeopardizing the safety of those in attendance.

Dr. César Trabanco, president of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation, addressed the situation, emphasizing that beyond the interruption of the trophy presentation, his main concern was the safety of everyone present, especially children and the elderly, who were suddenly exposed to a potentially hazardous situation due to the sudden loss of lighting.
“This isn’t just about a disrupted event, it’s about an act that put the well-being of those there to celebrate at risk. Safety must be the top priority at any sporting venue, and incidents like this should never happen under any circumstances,” Trabanco stated, visibly concerned.

The sound system also went out, affecting the Cangrejeras de Santurce, who were waiting to receive their runner-up trophy.

While the exact cause of the blackout remains unclear, reports confirmed there were no electrical failures in the area that could justify the interruption. This makes the incident even more troubling, as it is not considered an isolated case. A similar situation occurred during the 2023 finals held at the same venue, in a series against Corozal.

The continued lack of corrective measures to ensure uninterrupted award ceremonies leaves a poor impression and raises doubts about commitment to safety and respect for the sport.

Additionally, the live broadcast of the match on the digital platform Island Hub, used by the Cangrejeras’ management to stream games online via a pay-per-view model, was interrupted multiple times during the match. Paying fans voiced their frustration, as they invested in the service and were unable to watch the end of the game.

A night that was meant to honor the effort and talent of the Criollas ended on a sour note.

The Federation, teams, and fans all deserve celebrations that are carried out with respect and safety, upholding the spirit of the sport and its positive impact on the community.

Defending Champions Cangrejeras Still Alive in the LVSF KIA Finals Series

Posted on May 3, 2025May 3, 2025

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico, April 2, 2025. – The defending champions, Cangrejeras de Santurce, kept their title hopes alive on Friday night by sweeping the Criollas de Caguas (25-18, 25-21, 25-21) in the KIA Finals Series of the Women’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSF).

Coming into the match down 1-3 in the series and having lost the previous three matches in straight sets, Santurce faced a packed Roger Mendoza court ready to witness a championship celebration.

Up two sets, the Cangrejeras maintained their rhythm and took a 16-14 lead in the third set thanks to a successful attack by Andrea Rangel from zone two, going off Stephanie Enright’s block. Later, Rangel delivered an ace followed by a back-row attack from Tamara Otene to extend the lead to 19-15. Caguas struggled to recover.

Santurce reached set point at 24-20 with a block on Enright, and it was Otene who sealed the victory with a clean attack from zone two.

After the match, Cangrejeras setter Andrea Fuentes praised her team’s character, saying they overcame the 1-3 series deficit with determination: “Coming here tonight, to a court ready to celebrate, and being able to win in straight sets shows how much character we have,” said the young setter from Caguas.

Fuentes highlighted team unity and mental composure as key factors in the win. She also stated that she feels no internal conflict playing against Caguas, explaining that at this stage of her career, she prepares to face any opponent with the same mindset.

Meanwhile, Criollas middle blocker Diana Reyes acknowledged her team’s struggles at the net and with passing but emphasized that the series is not over yet: “Now we just need to go to practice tomorrow (Saturday), focus on what went wrong, fix it, and head into Sunday ready,” she concluded.

Offensively, Andrea Rangel led Santurce with 22 points (14 attacks, 3 blocks, and 5 aces). Tamara Otene added 15, Kara McGhee scored 14, and Helena Grozer chipped in with 11 points.

No player from Caguas reached double digits; Kath Bell was their top scorer with 9 points.

The Cangrejeras dominated in all facets of the game; 47-34 in attacks, 12-3 in blocks, 7-4 in aces, 54-51 in digs, 43-34 in passes, and 18-10 in assists.

The series now returns to the Roberto Clemente Coliseum, home of the Cangrejeras, for Game 6, scheduled for Sunday at 6:12 p.m.

Caguas One Win Away from the LVSF Championship

Posted on May 1, 2025May 2, 2025

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, April 30, 2025.- The Criollas de Caguas earned their third victory over the Cangrejeras de Santurce, moving just one win away (3-1) from claiming the Kia Final Series title of the Women’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSF) of Puerto Rico.

Caguas won in straight sets, 3-0 (27-25, 25-18, 26-24).

With the visitors up two sets, both teams split the technical timeouts in the third set. Santurce led the first one 8-7, with Neira Ortiz performing effectively through the middle. Caguas took the second technical timeout at 16-15 thanks to an attacking error by Helena Grozer, whose hit from zone four got caught in the net.

Kath Bell of Criollas

Attacking from zone four, Santurce’s Andrea Rangel committed an error that gave the Criollas a three-point lead (18-15). Santurce responded with pressure, showing strong net play and defense. After trailing 21-24, they rallied with three consecutive points to tie the set and force extra points. However, their surge wasn’t enough to extend the match.

The Criollas earned set point at 25-24 when Sofía Victoria broke through the Cangrejeras’ block. On the next play, Temi Thomas Ailara sealed the win for Caguas with an attack from zone four.

Following the victory, Criollas libero Okiana Valle De Jesús said:

“This series isn’t over yet; we have to come out and play again on Friday. That’s our focus. It’s not over until the final point is played and the whistle blows.”

She revealed that Caguas’ key to success, winning nine straight sets so far, has been staying focused on the present:

“We’re not thinking about the future or the championship. We’re going game by game, point by point, trying to do our best and make adjustments in the moment to win the first set, then the second, and the third, and ultimately the match. Most of all, we hope to close the series in Caguas and enjoy it,” she concluded.

The top scorers for Caguas were Kath Bell with 18 points, followed by Temi Thomas Ailara with 15, and Kristin Lux with 11.

For Santurce, Tamara Otene led with 15 points, followed by Neira Ortiz with 12, and Kara McGhee with 10.

The series returns to Caguas this Friday at the Roger Mendoza Coliseum at 8:00 p.m.

Las Cangrejeras de Santurce are the defending champions.

Criollas defeat Cangrejeras in Game 3 of the LVSF Finals

Posted on April 27, 2025April 28, 2025

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico, April 27, 2025.- The Criollas de Caguas defeated the defending champions, the Cangrejeras de Santurce, 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-23) in the third match of the KIA Final Series of the Women’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSF).

With a two-set lead, the Criollas opened the third set with a 4-0 run, including two service aces. Two consecutive attacks by Temi Thomas-Ailara, one from zone four to zone four, and another to zone one, gave the Criollas the first technical timeout with an 8-4 lead. They also reached the second technical timeout with the same four-point advantage, 16-12, thanks to an attack error by Helena Grozer of the Cangrejeras.

A kill by Diana Reyes pushed Caguas ahead by five points (18-13), prompting Santurce’s coach Pascual Saurin to call his second timeout of the set.

Temi Thomas Ailara of Caguas

A surge from Santurce closed the gap (19-20) and later (23-24), but their hopes ended there, under the guidance of Spaniard Pascual Saurin and Puerto Rican Javier Gaspar.

Kristin Lux attacked from zone four, breaking through the Cangrejeras’ block to seal the victory and give Caguas a 2-1 lead in the series.

The series will pause until Wednesday, April 30, when the Cangrejeras will host Caguas at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum starting at 8:12 p.m.

Caguas’ offense once again leaned on their three imports, with Kristin Lux leading the way with 14 points, followed by Kath Bell with 12, and Temi Thomas-Ailara with 11.

For the Cangrejeras, Helena Grozer scored 14 points, Kara McGhee contributed 12, and Neira Ortiz added 11.

After the match, Cangrejeras assistant coach Javier Gaspar said:

“It’s sad because we couldn’t get it done. The effort was there; we just didn’t execute. Credit must be given to Caguas; they made the necessary adjustments and were consistent, particularly in K-2, where we were not, and that was the difference in these two games here in Caguas.”

Regarding the return to the Roberto Clemente Coliseum, Gaspar added:

“We’ll meet to work on a few things, prepare for the next match, defend our home court, and even the series.”

Meanwhile, Caguas assistant coach Juan Albarrán commented:

“We have done a good job with our service. I think we have caused some positive things with that skill, and our reception, unlike that first match in Santurce, has remained quite stable, especially Okiana, who has maintained over 70% in reception. So, reception has kept us in it and has allowed us to distribute the offense better. We defended our home court, which was our goal for these two matches.”

Criollas tie the Kia Final Series with straight-sets victory over Cangrejeras

Posted on April 27, 2025April 27, 2025

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico, April 26, 2025. – The Criollas de Caguas tied the KIA Final Series of the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) by defeating the Cangrejeras de Santurce 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-17) at home, the Roger Mendoza Coliseum.

With a two-set lead, the Criollas took the first technical timeout of the third set 8-5 and pulled ahead 13-9 after an attack error by Kara McGhee, prompting Spanish head coach Pascual Saurín to call his first timeout.

The home team maintained a stable passing and took the second technical timeout 16-11 following another attack error by the Cangrejeras.

Kath Bell attacked from the back row to extend the lead, and Diana Reyes served an ace that pushed Caguas ahead 18-12, a gap from which Santurce never recovered.

The Criollas reached set point at 24-16 with an effective attack from Kristin Lux on the outside (zone 4). After one point from Santurce, Lux struck again to seal the victory with another precise attack.

The series will continue Sunday at the same venue, starting at 7:00 p.m.

Caguas celebrated

After the match, Cangrejeras head coach Pascual Saurín said:

“You never expect to lose. I always come to play expecting to win. What I knew was that it would be difficult and tough, this is going to be the final series: two strong teams, two evenly matched teams, and the home-court advantage will likely play a big role. We knew today would have an atmosphere like this. Caguas came out to give it their all, and we weren’t comfortable on the court. We tried, but in the end, it just didn’t happen for us.”

Regarding what the Cangrejeras did successfully in the first match but not in this second one, the Spanish coach added:

“It’s simply about having the right sensations. In the first match, we blocked a lot. Today, our blocking wasn’t effective, mainly because we didn’t serve well. Our serving was very weak, very soft, and they, on the other hand, served very well and felt comfortable. They blocked us quite a bit. Tomorrow is another match. First, we need to recover well, and we’ll surely see a different match than what we saw today.”

Caguas head coach Juan Carlos Núñez commented:

“We didn’t come looking for a 3-0 sweep; we just came to do what we had to do: defend our home court. We needed to improve a lot from the way we played the first day because statistically, nothing worked for us. We had to find a way to serve better, be more effective at the net, and offensively match up with them. Things worked out for us today. We matched their energy through our defense, and it turned out pretty well.”

As for the plans for tomorrow’s match, Núñez concluded:

“The series is now tied. We’re heading into a third match, and we’ll keep doing what we have to do: defend our home court.”

The Criollas’ offense was well distributed among their three foreign players. Kath Bell led the team with 17 points (15 kills and 2 blocks), followed by Kristin Lux with 12 points and Temi Thomas-Ailara with 11.

For Santurce, Tamara Otene was the only player in double digits with 13 points (12 kills and 1 block).

Caguas outperformed Santurce in attacks (42-35), blocks (10-7), aces (2-0), and digs (58-57). Santurce led in receptions (48-28) and assists (26-19).

Santurce Strikes First in the KIA LVSF Grand Final

Posted on April 25, 2025April 25, 2025

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, April 24, 2025.- The defending champions, Cangrejeras de Santurce, capitalized on their home-court advantage at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum to take the opening match of the KIA Final Series of the Women’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSF), edging out the Criollas de Caguas in an exciting five-set battle (23-25, 25-13, 25-20, 24-26, 15-7).

Holding a 2-1 set lead, the home team took the first technical timeout of the fourth set 8-4 after a block by Kara McGhee on Alba Hernández. Caguas responded with a 12-7 run and clinched the second technical timeout by a narrow margin following a service error from Santurce.

Both teams continued in a fierce back-and-forth, testing each other’s serve reception. A deflected attack by Temi Thomas Ailara gave Santurce a two-point edge at 21-19. However, the Criollas regrouped, tied the set at 22 after an attack error by Andrea Rangel, and snatched the set 26-24 thanks to an ace by Thomas and a clean finish from Kath Bell.

Andrea Rangel of Cangrejeras

In the fifth and deciding set, Santurce jumped ahead 6-3 and reached the side switch with an 8-4 lead, boosted by a service ace from Tamara Otene. Caguas was unable to recover.

Following the win, Cangrejeras captain Débora Seilhamer stated:

“We knew it was going to be an extremely tough game. We were prepared to go to the full five sets. Obviously, it’s going to be a hard-fought series from start to finish.”

The series now moves to Caguas at the Roger Mendoza court for back-to-back matches on Saturday and Sunday. About this, the veteran Seilhamer added:

“We need to prepare physically for that. Caguas has a deep bench, so they can rotate players more. We need to manage ourselves better, take care of our bodies, and try to steal one or two games in Caguas.”

Criollas captain Raymarielys Santos commented:

“We must keep working. Every night there will be a battle, so we must continue improving in every area. I believe the next practice will be very important. We need to keep studying Santurce and improve our serving. It’s going to be a long series, and we have to keep going.”

On offense for Santurce, standouts included Tamara Otene with 27 points, Helena Grozer with 20, Andrea Rangel with 18, and Kara McGhee with 15.

For Caguas, Temi Thomas Ailara led with 21 points, followed by Kristin Lux with 12 and Kath Bell with 11.

Santurce dominated the stats: 64-51 in attacks, 17-13 in blocks, 9-3 in service aces, 119-110 in digs, 48-40 in receptions, and 41-25 in assists.

The series is a best-of-seven; the first team to win four games will be crowned champion.

Las Criollas Earn Spot in the 2025 LVSF Finals

Posted on April 20, 2025April 23, 2025

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, April 20, 2025. – In a thrilling battle last Thursday night, the Criollas de Caguas secured their spot in the finals of the 2025 Women’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSF), defeating the Mets de Guaynabo 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-20, 26-24) at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum.

With this victory, the Criollas broke the home-court trend and sparked an outburst of celebration among their fans. They claimed the semifinal series 4-2.

The Criollas de Caguas will now face the defending champion, the Cangrejeras de Santurce, in the Gran Serie Final KIA.

Caguas outperformed Guaynabo in attacks (56-53), blocks (17-11), and service aces (3-2). The Mets led in digs (62-54), receptions (40-34), and assists (39-14).

Standout offensive contributors for the Criollas included Kath Bell with 20 points (19 kills and 1 block), followed by Temi Thomas Ailara with 16 points and Kristin Lux with 14. Alba Hernández led the net defense with 6 of the team’s 9 blocks.

For the Mets, Chiaka Ogbogu shined with 20 points, and Rebecca Latham added 19.

KIA Finals Series Schedule

The Gran Serie Final KIA will be played as a best-of-seven. The first team to reach four wins will be crowned champion:

Tuesday, April 22: Cangrejeras de Santurce at Criollas de Caguas – 8:00 PM

Thursday, April 24: Criollas de Caguas at Cangrejeras de Santurce – 8:12 PM

Saturday, April 26: Cangrejeras de Santurce at Criollas de Caguas – 8:00 PM

Monday, April 28: Criollas de Caguas at Cangrejeras de Santurce – 8:12 PM

If necessary:

Wednesday, April 30: Cangrejeras de Santurce at Criollas de Caguas – 8:00 PM

Friday, May 2: Criollas de Caguas at Cangrejeras de Santurce – 8:12 PM

Sunday, May 4: Cangrejeras de Santurce at Criollas de Caguas – 7:00 PM (NEUTRAL VENUE)

Volleyball and Beach Volleyball Venues confirmed for Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028

Posted on April 15, 2025April 23, 2025

April 15, 2025.- The countdown is on, as the venues for volleyball and beach volleyball at the Olympic Games LA28 have now been confirmed.

The City of Long Beach, a 2028 Venue City, will showcase Beach Volleyball at the iconic Alamitos Beach. Volleyball will be held at the Arena in Anaheim, a premier entertainment and sports venue that will undoubtedly provide the perfect Olympic stage for an unforgettable volleyball experience.

This announcement follows the extraordinary success of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 – widely celebrated as the most successful Games ever for volleyball and beach volleyball. From record-breaking viewership, incredible performances on the field of play and iconic backdrops, the sports captured unprecedented global attention.

Building on this momentum, the FIVB is confident that the LA28 Games, set to take place from 14-30 July 2028, will continue to raise the bar for volleyball at the Olympic level, and that these landmark locations will offer a spectacular setting for the world’s best volleyball athletes to compete on sport’s greatest stage.

“We are extremely excited by the confirmation of these venues and the opportunity they represent to showcase our sports at the Olympic Games LA28.” said FIVB Secretary General Hugh McCutcheon. “The Paris 2024 volleyball competitions showed volleyball and beach volleyball at their absolute best, and we are confident LA28 will continue that legacy. The FIVB looks forward to continuing to work closely with the LA28 Organizing Committee, the IOC, and all of our partners in the lead-up to what promises to be an outstanding Games.”

Las Criollas One Win Away from the Final and Santurce Wins Semifinal Series B

Posted on April 13, 2025April 14, 2025

Puerto Rico, April 12, 2025. – The Criollas de Caguas are now just one win away from the Final after defeating the Mets de Guaynabo in Semifinal A, while the Cangrejeras de Santurce swept the Atenienses de Manatí on Saturday in Semifinal B of the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) of Puerto Rico.

Home teams continue to dominate in Semifinal Series A of the LVSF. On Saturday night, the Criollas de Caguas moved one step closer to the Final with a straight-sets victory (25-23, 29-27, 25-13) over the Mets de Guaynabo at the Roger Mendoza Coliseum in Caguas.

The Criollas’ offense was led by Diana Reyes and Kristin Lux, who both scored 15 points. They were followed by Sofía Victoria and Stephanie Enright, who each added 11 points.

For Guaynabo, Rebecca Latham led the scoring with 13 points, while Paola Santiago contributed 10.

The series will continue on Wednesday, April 16, at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo, starting at 7:00 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Cangrejeras de Santurce swept the Atenienses de Manatí in Semifinal B on Saturday with another dominant 3-0 victory (25-15, 25-17, 25-18) at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum. With this win, the Cangrejeras advance to their third consecutive final.

Santurce faced the Pinkin de Corozal in the 2023 final, where Corozal came out on top. In 2024, Santurce defeated the Atenienses de Manatí, and now they await the winner of Caguas vs. Guaynabo.

The Cangrejeras had three players in double digits: Andrea Rangel (16), Tamara Otene (14), and Kara McGhee (10).

For Manatí, last season’s runners-up, Karla Santos and Jovyrelis Ayala scored 14 and 10 points, respectively.

Mets Tie Semifinal Against Criollas; Santurce One Win Away from Final

Posted on April 11, 2025April 11, 2025

Puerto Rico, April 10, 2025. – While the Mets were evening up Semifinal A with two wins apiece against the Criollas de Caguas at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo, the defending champions, the Cangrejeras de Santurce, captured their ninth consecutive set in Semifinal B against the Atenienses at the Juan Aubín Cruz Coliseum in Manatí.

The Mets defeated the Criollas 3-1 (20-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-15).

The series now moves to the Roger Mendoza Coliseum in Caguas this Saturday, April 12, for Game 5, in a matchup that has so far favored the home teams.

Guaynabo outperformed Caguas in attacks (53-51), aces (10-2), and digs (87-77). Both teams finished with 11 successful blocks, while Caguas led in receptions (40-28) and assists (24-20).

Guaynabo’s offense featured three players in double figures: Rebecca Latham (28 points), Paola Santiago (17), and Valeria Flores (16). For Caguas, Kristin Lux tallied 15 points, followed by Sofía Victoria with 13, and Diana Reyes and Alba Hernández with 12 each.

In Game 3 of the other semifinal series, the Cangrejeras de Santurce moved within one win of advancing to the LVSF Final after sweeping the Atenienses de Manatí 3-0 (25-17, 29-27, 25-18).

Manatí has yet to win a single set in the series. Santurce will look to complete the sweep at home this Saturday.

On offense, Santurce was led by Tamara Otene and Helena Grozer with 14 points each, along with Andrea Rangel who contributed 10 points. For Manatí, Karla Santos scored 12.

The semifinals are best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing.

Criollas Lead Serie A and Cangrejeras Extend Their Dominance in Serie B

Posted on April 9, 2025April 9, 2025

Puerto Rico, April 8, 2025.– In the semifinals of the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) of Puerto Rico, the Criollas de Caguas successfully defended their home court at the Roger Mendoza Coliseum against the Mets de Guaynabo to regain the lead (2-1) in Series A, while the Cangrejeras de Santurce continue to dominate in Series B (2-0).

The Criollas secured the victory with set scores of 25-21, 26-24, 22-25, and 25-16.

Kristin Lux led the Criollas’ offense with 24 points, followed by Sofía Victoriá with 22. Diana Reyes and Stephanie Enright each contributed 12 points. For Guaynabo, Valeria Flores tallied 22 points, and Rebecca Latham added 18.

In Series B, the Cangrejeras de Santurce once again overpowered the Atenienses de Manatí at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in straight sets, 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-23). Manatí has yet to win a set in the series.

Tamara Otene led Santurce’s offense with 22 points, on 17 attacks, three blocks, and two aces. Andrea Rangel contributed 16 points, while Helena Grozer chipped in 11. For Manatí, Solimar Cestero stood out with 10 points.

The series continue on Thursday, April 10, when Santurce visits Manatí at the Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu “Bincito” Coliseum at 8:30 p.m., while Guaynabo will host Caguas at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum starting at 8:00 p.m.

The Mets Set the Pace and Tie Semifinal Series A Against Caguas

Posted on April 7, 2025April 8, 2025

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, April 6, 2025. – The Mets de Guaynabo successfully defended their home court, the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum, defeating the Criollas de Caguas 3-1 (25-17, 28-26, 20-25, 25-18) in the second match of Semifinal Series A of the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF).

The series is now tied 1-1 and will continue on Tuesday at the Roger Mendoza Coliseum in Caguas.

Rebecca Latham led with 22 points, followed by Paola Santiago with 17, Valeria Flores with 15, and Alejandra Argüello with 10. For Caguas, Diana Reyes contributed 14 points, while the team committed 25 attack errors.

Maria Carvalhaes

The home team dominated the first set from the start and held off a late surge by the Criollas. The second set was a fierce battle, eventually won by Guaynabo thanks to a key block by Alejandra Argüello. Caguas responded by taking the third set, but the Mets sealed the victory with a strong finish in the fourth.

Guaynabo outblocked Caguas 13 to 8, edged them 77 to 76 in digs, and led 40 to 30 in receptions. Both teams finished with 53 attacks and 7 aces. Caguas had the edge in excellent digs, 20 to 18.

In the other semifinal, the Santurce Cangrejeras took the first match against the Manatí Atenienses in straight sets (25-21, 25-23, 25-18), led by standout performances from Tamara Otene and Helena Grozer with 16 points each, along with 12 from Andrea Rangel and 10 from Kara McGhee.

For Manatí, in a losing effort, Tristin Savage and Solimar Cestero each scored 13 points.

Criollas Start Strong in LVSF Semifinals Against Mets

Posted on April 5, 2025April 6, 2025

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico, April 4, 2025. – The Criollas de Caguas kicked off Semifinal A of the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) on the right foot, defeating the Mets de Guaynabo 3-1 (25-19, 15-24, 26-24, 25-23) at home in the Roger Mendoza Coliseum.

With the match tied at one set apiece, both teams battled point-for-point in the third set, with ties at 21, 22, 23, and 24.

Caguas closed the set with back-to-back points: Raymariely Santos surprised the defense with a second touch, and Lauren Matthews followed with a strong spike off the Mets’ block.

Criollas celebrated

In the fourth set, the Criollas once again came from behind. Guaynabo pulled ahead 11-5 and led 16-12 at the second technical timeout, after a successful spike from Valeria Flores on the left wing (zone four).

The Mets couldn’t hold on to their 18-12 lead, and the Criollas responded with a 7-1 run to tie the score to 19, capped by a service ace from Lauren Matthews.

The teams remained tied up to 23-all. Caguas earned set point with a back-row attack by Ivania Ortiz and sealed the victory in the next play with a solid kill from Matthews on the right side (zone two).

Lauren Matthews led the Criollas’ offense with 19 points (14 attacks, 3 blocks, and 2 aces), followed by Kristin Lux with 14 and Diana Reyes with 13.

For Guaynabo, Rebecca Latham scored 24 points, Paola Santiago added 17, and Valeria Flores contributed 15.

Caguas outperformed Guaynabo in blocks (13-11), aces (6-3), and assists (21-17). The Mets had the edge in attacks (59-51), digs (87-71), and receptions (46-43).

The next match of this best-of-seven series (first to four wins) will take place on Sunday, April 6, at the Mario Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo, starting at 5:00 p.m.

Mets Complete the Four Semifinalists of the 2025 LVSF

Posted on March 31, 2025March 31, 2025

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, March 30, 2025.– The Mets de Guaynabo became the fourth semifinalist of the Women’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSF) after dominating Section A of the quarterfinals with a third consecutive victory over the Changas de Naranjito.

The Mets de Guaynabo defeated the Changas de Naranjito 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-23) on Sunday at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum. Despite the loss, Naranjito fought until the last play of each set.

In the semifinals, the Mets de Guaynabo will face the Criollas de Caguas in Series A. Meanwhile, Series B promises to be a memorable battle between the defending champions, the Cangrejeras de Santurce, and the runners-up of the last tournament, the Atenienses de Manatí. The semifinals will begin on April 4.

During the quarterfinal match, the Changas were close to taking the second set with a 23-20 lead, but a 6-1 run by the Mets denied them the opportunity. In the third and decisive set, Naranjito came within 23-24, but a service error cost them the match and ultimately their postseason hopes.

Naranjito ended the season without securing a single road victory, including this quarterfinal series.

The Mets’ offense was led by Rebecca Latham with 16 points, supported by Valeria Flores and Paola Santiago, who each contributed 14 points.

For Naranjito, the top scorer was Genesis Collazo with 11 points.

Statistically, Guaynabo dominated in key areas, holding advantages in attacks (41-38), blocks (10-8), aces (8-2), digs (51-48), receptions (31-29), and assists (18-14).

Defending Champions Cangrejeras Secure LVSF Semifinal Spot

Posted on March 30, 2025March 30, 2025

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 29, 2025. – The Cangrejeras de Santurce swept their quarterfinal series in Section B of the Women’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSF) against the Valencianas de Juncos after securing their third consecutive victory.

The Cangrejeras defeated the Valencianas 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-17) on Saturday at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan.

With two sets in their favor, the Cangrejeras sealed the victory after dominating the second technical timeout of the third set with a 16-13 lead. Neira Ortiz attacked through the middle, Helena Grozer scored from zone four, and Ortiz struck again with two consecutive attacks. A block on Markenzie Benoit extended the lead to 20-13, a deficit that Juncos could not recover from.

Santurce reached set point at 24-17 with a powerful cross-court attack from Tamara Otene in zone four, then secured the win on the next play with an ace from Cristina Martínez.

Helena Grozer led the Cangrejeras with 15 points (13 attacks, 1 block, and 1 ace). Andrea Rangel contributed 14 points, while Tamara Otene added 13. For Juncos, Jaylen Hodge stood out with 16 points.

The Cangrejeras outperformed the Valencianas in attacks (46-33), blocks (9-7), and assists (18-12). Juncos had the advantage in aces (5-2), digs (45-38), and receptions (31-27).

In the semifinals, the Cangrejeras will face last season’s runners-up, the Ateniensesde Manatí, who advanced directly to this stage after finishing second in the regular season.

Mets Secure Second Consecutive Victory in LVSF Quarterfinals

Posted on March 29, 2025March 29, 2025

NARANJITO, Puerto Rico, March 29, 2025.– In the continuation of the Section A quarterfinals of the Women’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSF), held at the legendary Gelito Ortega court in Naranjito, the Mets de Guaynabo secured their second consecutive victory over the Changas de Naranjito, putting them just one win away from the semifinals.

The Mets de Guaynabo defeated the Changas de Naranjito 3-1 (25-19, 17-25, 26-24, 25-23).

With the match tied at one set apiece, the third set proved to be the most intense, extending into extra points, where the visiting team emerged victorious by holding off the home team’s surge.

In the fourth set, Naranjito refused to back down, making a strong push in the final phase, but was unable to complete the comeback. Guaynabo reached set point (24-19) with a powerful spike from Rebecca Latham. Although Changas scored four consecutive points, a hitting error by Génesis Collazo sealed the match.

Rebecca Latham once again stood out as Guaynabo’s key player, scoring 27 points, including 25 attacks and two blocks. Paola Santiago contributed 20 points, while Valeria Flores added 13.

For Naranjito, Adanna Rollins led the scoring with 27 points, followed by Aury Cruz with 14 and Génesis Collazo with 13.

The Mets dominated in attacks (62-50) and digs (80-60). Both teams recorded three aces, while the Changas led in blocks (17-13), receptions (42-35), and assists (23-16).

The Section B quarterfinals between the Cangrejeras de Santurce and the Valencianas de Juncos will continue with their third match on Saturday, March 29, at 8:12 PM at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum. Santurce leads the series 2-0, and a victory would send them to the semifinals against the Atenienses de Manatí.

If necessary, a fourth match would be played at the Rafael G. Amalbert court in Juncos on Monday, March 31, at 8:30 PM.

Cangrejeras One Win Away from the LVSF Semifinals

Posted on March 27, 2025March 28, 2025

JUNCOS, Puerto Rico, March 27, 2025. – Defending champions Cangrejeras de Santurce are just one victory away from advancing to the semifinals of the Women’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSF) after defeating Valencianas de Juncos 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-19) at the Rafael G. Amalbert court.

With a two-set lead, the Cangrejeras maintained control in the third. After the second technical timeout, a block against Emily Elliot put them ahead 19-15.

Juncos closed the gap to 18-19 thanks to an attack from Kelly Sánchez from zone four, but two errors by the home team allowed the Cangrejeras to regain a 21-18 lead, never looking back.

Santurce secured the set with two consecutive blocks, reaching 23-18. They earned match point at 24-18 after an off-target attack by Emily Elliot and sealed the victory at 25-19 with an attacking error from Hodge in zone four.

The statistics reflected Santurce’s dominance: 31-28 in attacks, 10-4 in blocks, 5-4 in aces, 52-47 in digs, and 12-11 in assists. Juncos had led in receptions (30-18).

On the offensive side, Andrea Rangel and Tamara Otene led the Cangrejeras with 14 and 11 points, respectively. For Juncos, only Emily Elliot reached double digits, scoring 11 points.

The next match in this Section B quarterfinal series will take place on Saturday, March 29, at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum, home of the Cangrejeras de Santurce, starting at 8:12 p.m.

In the other quarterfinal series, corresponding to Section A, the Mets de Guaynabo (1-0) will face the Changas de Naranjito (0-1) this Friday, March 28, at the legendary Gelito Ortega court at 8:00 p.m.