ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 26, 2025.- The Dominican Republic claimed fifth place at the Women’s U21 Pan American Cup after defeating Mexico 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-19) in the tournament held at the Profesor Jorge Luis Solera Gymnasium of the Monserrat Sports Complex in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
The match started as a back-and-forth battle with no clear dominance from either team. After point 15, Mexico managed to pull ahead, but the Caribbean squad tied the score at 22 and took the set, leading with 17 attack points and 4 blocks.
The second set mirrored the first, with alternating control and increasingly contested points featuring longer rallies. The Dominican Republic took command in the third set.
Jismeily Flete DOM
The Dominicans outperformed in attacks (45-37) and blocks (8-4), while Mexico held the edge in serving (6-2).
Victoria Firpo of the Dominican Republic finished the match with 16 points, including 11 attacks, 4 blocks, and 1 ace, while Julie Millaray Arias contributed 12 points. For Mexico, Paula Miranda scored 13 points, with 9 attacks, 1 block, and 3 aces.
Mexico will face Puerto Rico on Sunday, July 27 at 1:00 p.m. to compete for sixth and seventh place in the tournament.
After the match, Dominican Republic’s Brazilian head coach Alexandre Ceccato commented, “In the end, it was a good result for me. The team is good; it’s a U19 squad, and finishing fifth is not bad. My intention was to be among the top four teams in the tournament, but it wasn’t possible. Next Sunday, we’re off to Indonesia to play the World Championship in this category.”
LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 26, 2025.- The 2025 U23 Women’s Pan American Cup, to be held from July 27 to August 1 at the Domo de La Feria in León, Guanajuato, marks the beginning of the qualification path for the third Junior Pan American Games in 2029.
For the teams from the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA), the U23 Pan American Cups, both women’s and men’s, held in 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028, will award ranking points valid for qualification to the 2029 Junior Pan American Games. The qualification process will close on December 31, 2028.
On this matter, the coaches shared their thoughts:
Matthew Krueger, Head Coach of Canada: “The goal of this tournament and the summer for NextGen (that’s how we call our program) is to get them ready to play a possible senior team. We’ve been training since the beginning of June, we had some tryouts beforehand, and we’ve been working hard. I’m excited to see how our girls can compete against the best in our conference and it’s going to be a good challenge for us”.
Kareem Richards, Head Coach of Costa Rica: “We have several objectives, both short and medium-term. Due to the number of competitions Costa Rica is currently participating in, we don’t have the full roster that will go to the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción. In the short term, for the players who are going to Asunción, we want them to gain the necessary experience to stand out in Paraguay. In the long term, we aim to continue identifying and developing those athletes who can make the leap to the senior national team.”
Wilfredo Robinson, Head Coach of Cuba: “We are aiming to keep the crown, that’s our dream. The players are excited about the responsibility they’ve been given. If reaching the final isn’t possible, we want to win a medal. This is a great opportunity to prepare for the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción.”
Wagner Pacheco, Head Coach of the Dominican Republic: “It will be a very tough competition; there are teams with a very high level. We had scrimmage matches with Mexico and Cuba, and both teams are well-prepared and look strong. This is the first time the United States is taking part in this competition, and they always have a very good level. Only a couple of my players here will not be competing in the Junior Pan American Games.”
Luis León, Head Coach of Mexico: “This is the group that will compete in Asunción in a few days. This tournament worked out perfectly to prepare us for the Junior Pan American Games. The goal is to reach the finals, fight for a spot on the podium, and I believe we have the team to compete.”
Claudia Noguera, Head Coach of Nicaragua: “We come well-prepared and highly motivated for the competition, which we know has a very high level. It is important for Central American countries to participate in tournaments against higher-level teams because that prepares the athletes for the future. We believe that the development of our region has risen due to participating at higher levels, and the teams’ pace and playing systems have greatly improved.”
Miguel Misidjang, Head Coach of Suriname: “The preparation of Suriname was good, we’ve been practicing for about three months, and we just finished second place in the CAZOVA U23 event, which has been good leading into this tournament. We are missing two players that couldn’t attend, because of other commitments. What we are looking for in this tournament, knowing upfront that other countries are much stronger, is a development campaign. We are focused on developing each player and the team, which is young, but we want them to have the experience”.
Marie Zidek, Head Coach of the United States: “This is the U.S. first time we’re competing in this tournament, we needed to get organized. We are very excited to be here; it’s a great opportunity for our players to continue to perform in high-level competitions against many countries that play a strong game. This is a difficult age group, some players are in university, some are transitioning first year Pro, but we are excited about the potential to compete and more players developing in the pipeline is our goal. We will focus on bringing a strong game for ourselves, trying to produce as many points as possible and then we will have to adapt to the teams we face”.
July 26, 2025.– The United States earned its second victory at the Men’s U19 World Championship taking place in Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Cuba remain winless after three matches.
United States 3, Colombia 2
A brilliant performance by U.S. captain Grant Lamoureux, who scored 31 points, led his team to a 3-2 (25-19, 19-25, 25-18, 30-32, 15-9) victory over Colombia on the tournament’s third day. The U.S. now sits in third place in Pool D with 2 wins and 1 loss.
Grant Lamoureux had an outstanding afternoon, tallying 31 points, including 5 aces, 25 kills, and 1 block. Roman Payne contributed 16 points, William Dryden added 11, and Thomas Henige chipped in with 10.
The U.S. outperformed Colombia in kills (66-47), blocks (9-3), and service aces (9-8).
Grant Lamoureux USA
Puerto Rico 0, Uzbekistan 3
Puerto Rico fell once again, this time against host Uzbekistan 0-3 (18-25, 21-25, 14-25). It was the third straight loss for the Puerto Rican team, jeopardizing their chances of advancing to the knockout stage. Puerto Rico now stands at 0-3 in Pool A.
Puerto Rico held a slight edge in blocks (7-6), but 28 unforced errors cost them dearly. Uzbekistan dominated in kills (34-25) and service aces (7-3). Team captain Jean Paul González led Puerto Rico with 9 points, including 8 kills and 1 ace.
Jean Paul Gonzalez PUR
Canada 1, Algeria 3
Canada once again took the first set but couldn’t maintain their advantage, losing 1-3 (25-19, 26-28, 28-30, 21-25) to Algeria. Despite battling hard in every set, the Canadians suffered their third consecutive defeat, leaving them at 0-3 in Pool B.
Canada led in kills (53-45), but Algeria outperformed them in blocks (11-8) and service aces (9-3). The match was plagued by unforced errors, with Canada committing 37 and Algeria 35.
Tyson Dezutter’s 21 points weren’t enough to carry Canada, despite solid contributions from Ethan Baraniuk (13), Kai Miles (12), and Aiden Vandenheuvel (11).
Tyson Dezutter CAN
Cuba 0, Finland 3
Cuba suffered its third straight loss, falling to a surprising Finland 0-3 (23-25, 20-25, 15-25). The Europeans, who had already upset the U.S. earlier in the tournament, continued their strong run by sweeping the Caribbean side. Cuba now sits at 0-3 in Pool D.
Finland controlled the match from start to finish, leading in kills (32-25), blocks (10-4), and aces (7-1). Alessandro González was Cuba’s top scorer with 12 points.
Alessandro Gonzalez CUB
Match Schedule for Monday, July 28
Sunday is a rest day for all teams. The tournament resumes on Monday, July 28, with the following matches for NORCECA teams (local time):
PUEBLA, Mexico, July 25, 2025 – The BUAP Arena witnessed a hard-fought match from start to finish tonight between the host nation and Guatemala, where Mexico earned its first victory in the NORCECA Men’s Final Four in front of spectators that consistently supported the home team.
In three thrilling sets, the match concluded with a score of 3-0 (27-25, 28-26, 30-28). Guatemala was superior in effective attacks with a total of 43 to Mexico’s 41, and in blocking points, 12-9. Andy Leonardo was the Guatemala´s top scorer, adding 15 total points, 13 of them on attacks, 1 on aces, and 1 on blocks.
Mexican outside hitter Oziel Aguirre, in his first experience with the senior team, led his team with 18 points, 15 on kills and 3 blocks, becoming the player with the most total points on the first day of competition.
Mexico celebrates
At the end of the match, Aguirre commented: “We’re here to give our best, and I want to keep working hard to contribute as much as I can to the team. It’s great to play at home with the fans supporting us.
This is just the beginning; it’s the first game, but we’re going to keep improving, getting into the swing of things, and I hope it turns out as well as possible.”
Mexico’s captain commented, “I think the victory was a good first step, but not how we got it.
I think we have a lot to improve, especially on the service line. There were specific moments where we missed serves and gave away a large number of points to Guatemala at the end of the set. Perhaps it was a mix of nervousness, pressure, and indecision that we need to work on, but playing at home with our families is always very motivating, and we’re sure to improve.”
Guatemala’s captain shared, “We come to these events knowing they’re high-level events. The three opposing teams are strong, and today the team gave their all. We never gave up. In the third set, we were way down and we managed to tie it, on the verge of winning, but our mistakes cost us the match.
It leaves us feeling good, especially because of the participation of the U-23 youth team. They played very well, and that motivates us.”
Tomorrow, Guatemala will face Puerto Rico, and Mexico will face the Dominican Republic.
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 25, 2025.– Chile earned a place in the semifinals of the U21 Women’s Pan American Cup after defeating Mexico 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-17) in the tournament held at the Professor Jorge Luis Solera Gymnasium at the Monserrat Sports Complex in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Chile dominated the first set, taking a significant lead early on. In the second set, Mexico started ahead, but the Chileans gradually closed the gap and turned the score around at point 16, maintaining the advantage to close out the third set comfortably.
Chile outperformed in attacks (42-23) and blocks (7-1), while Mexico held the edge in serves (5-4).
Martina Allende CHI
Petra Schwartzman led Chile and the match with 13 points, including 11 attacks and 2 blocks. Dominga Aylwin also scored in double digits with 10 points, all from attacks. For Mexico, Brenda Sofia Esquivel topped the scoring with 8 points.
On Saturday 26, Chile will face Costa Rica in the second semifinal at 7:00 p.m. The first semifinal will be at 5:00 p.m. between the United States and Canada.
Before the semifinals, Mexico will face the Dominican Republic at 3:00 p.m. for fifth place. The loser of that match will play Puerto Rico on Sunday to determine sixth and seventh place.
Martina Allende, Chile’s libero, said: “We are super happy; we’ve been working hard for a long time, and now we’re obtaining the rewards and celebrating this semifinal qualification. Tomorrow, we face Costa Rica. Playing against the home team is tough, but we are going to give it everything we have.”
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 25, 2025.– Canada defeated the Dominican Republic 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-23, 25-18) to secure a spot in the semifinals of the U21 Women’s Pan American Cup, held at the Professor Jorge Luis Solera Gymnasium at the Monserrat Sports Complex in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
In the first set, the Canadians managed to maintain a 3- to 4-point lead, which guaranteed them the set. The second set was closer, with the Dominican Republic closing the gap and coming back to tie the match at one set apiece.
It was a match filled with net attacks and strong blocking, as both teams showcased their power. In the end, Canada outperformed in attacks (55-50) and dominated from the service line (10-0). The Dominican Republic led in blocks (11-10).
Misha Hameed CAN
Canada had four players scoring in double digits: Logan King led with 20 points (17 attacks, 1 block, 2 aces), followed by Mary Healy with 15 points, Ella Piskorz with 14 (including 4 blocks), and Élodie Lalonde with 12 points.
For the Dominican Republic, Shantal Rivera topped the scores with 15 points, all from attacks, while Victoria Firpo contributed 12 points (9 attacks, 3 blocks).
Canada now awaits the result of the other quarterfinal to determine their semifinal opponent, while the Dominican Republic will play for fifth place against the loser of the match between Mexico and Chile.
Misha Hameed, Canada’s libero: “I think our big focus was being warriors, it’s our team value. Digging, finding grit, and just persevering through adversity was big for us, and not getting down on ourselves during those tough moments. I think that in the second and third sets they really tested us, but in the fourth set we showed more of that grit that we’ve been working on the whole week”.
Aurelina Ruiz, Dominican Republic’s libero: “We feel really good despite the loss because it was a great match, a very hard-fought game. Canada is a very strong team.”
PUEBLA, Mexico, July 25, 2025 – In the first match of the NORCECA Men’s Final Four, Puerto Rico defeated the Dominican Republic 3-0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-21) at the BUAP Arena.
With an opening point by Pelegrin Vargas, the top attacker in this match with 13 total points, the scoring opened in favor of Puerto Rico. The Dominican Republic reacted immediately, outscoring their opponent at the start of the first set, which was tied 24-24 and decided in the final points in favor of Puerto Rico with an ace from their captain, Pedro Molina.
In the second and third sets, Puerto Rico showed superiority in attack, blocking, and serving from the start, securing victory in an exciting match. Puerto Rico outscored its opponent 42-35 in attack points, 8-4 in effective blocks, and 4-2 in aces. Dominican Republic hitter Héctor Cruz added 14 total points, 13 on attacks and one on serve. For Puerto Rico, opposite Klistan Lawrence tied his teammate Vargas with 13 points, 9 on attacks, 3 blocks, and 1 serve.
PUR – Rivera serve
Captain Pedro Molina scored 9 points for his team. At the end of the match, he commented: “We’ve been preparing for this all summer and are very confident about what’s coming.
Like in all tournaments, it’s a bit difficult for us to get into the swing of things here because of the altitude we’re at. But as the match progressed, we found our rhythm, and I know that with each passing set, we’re feeling better and more confident. Very excited for the upcoming matches.”
For Dominican Republic, captain Henry Tapia said: “We started well, with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, but these are matches that make us realize how we’re really doing. The reception didn’t help, nor did the ball distribution.
Personally, I recognize that, knowing my potential, I know I needed to give more of myself to the team, but sometimes we get discouraged by some mistakes that make us lose focus of the game.”
Tomorrow, Puerto Rico will face Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic will face the host team, Mexico. Live broadcasts of the matches can be viewed on the Mexican Volleyball Federation’s YouTube page.
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, July 25, 2025 .– The 2025 edition of the Men’s U23 Pan American Cup will be held from July 29 to August 3 at the Multisport Dome in Guatemala City, with the participation of eight national teams.
At a press conference with local media, the National Volleyball Federation of Guatemala provided details of the competition.
The tournament will begin with a group stage. The teams finishing second and third in each group will advance to the quarterfinals, while the first-place teams will qualify directly for the semifinals.
Domo
The teams have been divided into two groups: Group A features the host country Guatemala, along with Costa Rica, Suriname, and Venezuela. Group B includes reigning champions Mexico, as well as Belize, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.
Mexico captured the title at the previous edition held in Paramaribo, Suriname, after defeating Peru in the final. Cuba earned the bronze medal by defeating Guatemala.
Throughout the history of the tournament, Cuba has been the most successful team with three titles (2014, 2018, and 2023), followed by Mexico with two championships. Argentina and Brazil have each won the title once.
July 25, 2025.- On the second day of the U19 Boys’ World Championship being held in Uzbekistan, the United States won a NORCECA clash against Cuba, while Canada and Puerto Rico suffered their second losses of the tournament.
United States 3, Cuba 1
Cuba couldn’t hold on to its first-set lead and ended up falling to the United States 3-1 (17-25, 25-19, 25-15, 25-21) on day two of competition. With this result, the U.S. moves to 1-1, while Cuba drops its second match. Pool D is currently led by Korea and Finland (2-0), followed by Brazil and the United States (1-1), with Cuba and Colombia at the bottom (0-2).
U.S. captain Grant Lamoureux led all scorers with 18 points, including 13 kills, 1 block, and 4 aces. Middle blocker Román Payne also reached double figures, playing a key role at the net to deny several Cuban attacks. Payne tallied 13 points (6 kills, 6 blocks, 1 ace).
Team USA outperformed Cuba in kills (43-42) and blocks (15-4), while both teams were tied in aces (5 each).
USA vs CUB
Puerto Rico 0, Belgium 3
Puerto Rico dropped its second match of the tournament with a 0-3 (21-25, 21-25, 16-25) loss to Belgium. Pool A is led by Pakistan and Argentina (2-0), followed by Uzbekistan and Belgium (1-1), with Türkiye and Puerto Rico still winless (0-2).
Puerto Rico held a slight edge in blocks (6-5), but Belgium dominated in kills (49-20) and aces (6-2). Gustavo Antonio Álvarez led Puerto Rico with 10 points (8 kills, 1 block, 1 ace).
PUR
Canada 1, Japan 3
Canada couldn’t capitalize on taking the first set and fell 1-3 (29-27, 11-25, 23-25, 20-25) against Japan. Pool B is topped by France and Bulgaria (2-0), followed by China and Japan (1-1), while Canada and Algeria remain winless (0-2).
The Canadians led in blocks (12-9) but committed 32 unforced errors. Japan held the advantage in kills (46-41) and aces (8-5). Tyson Dezutter was Canada’s top scorer with 17 points (16 kills, 1 block). Ken Jasmir Ahmad Farooq and Sowa Maeda also reached double digits with 13 points each, with Maeda contributing 3 blocks for Japan.
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 24, 2025.– Dominican Republic closed the group stage with a 3-0 win (25-18, 25-17, 29-27) over Mexico, securing a spot in the quarterfinals as the second-place team in Pool A of the U21 Women’s Pan American Cup, held at the Jorge Luis Solera Gymnasium of the Monserrat Sports Complex in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Throughout the match, the Dominican squad focused on building a strong offense, scoring nearly 50% of their total points through net dominance. Mexico was unable to read the Caribbean team’s attack.
Dominican Republic outperformed Mexico in attacks (42-25) and blocks (10-6), while both teams were tied with 5 aces each.
Dominican Republic
Shantal Rivera led the way for the Dominican Republic with 21 points (16 attacks, 2 blocks, and 3 aces). Team captain Victoria Firpo contributed 11 points (7 attacks and 4 blocks). For Mexico, Mariana del Rocío Hernández was the top scorer with 9 points.
With the win, the Dominican Republic advances to the quarterfinals to face Canada this Friday, July 25, at 5:00 p.m. (local time). The other quarterfinal match will feature Mexico, third in Pool A, taking on Chile, second in Pool B, at 7:00 p.m. (local time).
Dominican captain Victoria Firpo said, “I’m really happy. We need to put in more effort in the next match and play a little more calmly because today we ended the match feeling very anxious.”
Mexican captain Sofía Padrón commented, “Honestly, I’m not satisfied because we didn’t get the result we wanted. But what I did like about the team is that we fought until the end. Now we must keep pushing to get better results moving forward.”
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 24, 2025.– Khaya Gordon of Team Belize was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 7th AFECAVOL U23 Central American Women’s Championship, which concluded successfully with the host team winning the title at home.
Khaya Gordon also received the award for First Best Outside Hitter, while her teammate Nisaan Martínez was recognized as the Best Opposite of the tournament.
Sasha Kawas of Honduras claimed three individual awards: Best Receiver, Second Best Outside Hitter, and Top Scorer. Her teammate, Virginia Herdocia, earned the award for Firs Best Middle Blocker.
From El Salvador, Alejandra Flores took home the honors for Best Digger and Best Libero.
María Santa Cruz of Guatemala was awarded Best Server, while her compatriot Jimena Castellanos was recognized as Best Setter. From Panama, Sofía Centella earned the award for Second Best Middle Blocker.
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 24, 2025.- Belize was crowned undefeated champions at the 7th AFECAVOL U23 Central American Women’s Championship after defeating Guatemala 3-1 (25-9, 25-15, 21-25, 25-10) in the final match of the tournament.
This is Belize’s first-ever title in the U23 category, earned with a flawless 4-0 record. Guatemala secured second place with a 3-1 win-loss record.
Belize’s superior power made the difference, outscoring Guatemala in attacks 44-32 and dominating from the service line with a remarkable 17 aces to just 4 from their opponents. The Belizeans also led in blocks 12-8 and handled pressure better, conceding only 15 unforced errors compared to Guatemala’s 23.
Guatemala
Nissan Martínez led Belize’s offense with 20 points, supported by Khaya Gordon with 15. For Guatemala, María Santa Cruz was the top scorer with 15 points.
After the match, Belize head coach José Fontes said: “We’re very happy with this championship. We must acknowledge the quality of the Guatemalan team. The key to winning the title was our players’ focus and commitment to defense. We have strong offensive potential, a solid blocking system, and our service game was very effective.”
On the other side, Guatemala head coach William Fernández stated: “Congratulations to the Belize team. We struggled with our court reception, and that cost us the match. Without a doubt, Belize was the best team of the tournament. Second place is still a good result, we aimed to reach the final, we fought as hard as we could, but it wasn’t enough. Now we just have to work even harder for next time.”
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 23, 2025.– The United States secured first place in Pool B with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-11) win over Chile, qualifying directly to the semifinals of the U21 Women’s Pan American Cup being held at the Profesor Jorge Luis Solera Gymnasium in the Monserrat Sports Complex in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Although Chile challenged the U.S. team, it wasn’t enough to stop the North Americans from comfortably controlling the match. The U.S. only trailed in the second set, but they quickly regained control. In the final set, the Americans surged ahead and dominated convincingly.
The United States led the match in every scoring category: attacks (33-24), blocks (11-4), and service aces (7-3). It was a match with few unforced errors, Chile committed 24, while the U.S. had 18.
USA celebrates
The U.S. distributed its attacks evenly across all zones of the court, which contributed to Jadyn Livings being the top scorer with 10 points (9 attacks, 1 block).
Francisca Vásquez led Chile, also scoring 10 points (8 attacks, 2 service aces).
Chile will face the third-place team from Pool A in Friday’s quarterfinals, determined by the upcoming match between the Dominican Republic and Mexico. The U.S. awaits its semifinal opponent for Saturday, July 26.
Brooklyn DeLeye, captain of the United States, commented, “It was a really good match against Chile. They put up a great fight. They were a very strong attacking team, but I’m super proud of how our team responded. From the beginning, we knew they would come at us aggressively, so we just matched that energy and came out with everything we had.”
Petra Schwartzman, Chile’s captain, said, “We’re happy with what we’ve accomplished in these three matches. Now we have a chance to reach the semifinals. We have a tough game tomorrow, and we’ll prepare and give it our all to keep moving forward. We knew the U.S. would be a tough opponent; they always have very strong teams.”
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 23, 2025. – Canada defeated Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-11, 25-23, 25-20) to claim third place in Pool B at the U21 Women’s Pan American Cup, securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the tournament taking place at the Profesor Jorge Luis Solera Gymnasium in the Monserrat Sports Complex in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Puerto Rico started strong the first set, but Canada quickly regrouped and turned the match around. The second and third sets were much more competitive and a complete contrast to the first.
Despite the closer scores in the last two sets, Canada came out on top, leading in attacks (40-28), blocks (8-2), and aces (6-2).
Chareika Carrion PUR
With this win, Canada will face the second-place team from Pool A (either the Dominican Republic or Mexico) in the quarterfinals on Friday. Puerto Rico, on the other hand, will play for sixth place on Saturday.
Canada’s Sophia Hansen was the top scorer of the match with 16 points (14 attacks, 2 blocks), while teammate Jessica Bergstrom stood out once again, contributing 11 points (5 attacks, 4 blocks, 2 aces). Jessica was once again the top blocker of the match, just like yesterday.
Chareika Carrión was Puerto Rico’s leading player with 11 points, all from attacks.
Ella McVittie, Canada’s captain, said: “I think this was necessary. We needed to fight back, and we did. I believe it was a full team effort. We talked about it before the match, about how everyone needed to contribute a little, and I’m happy we accomplished that today.”
Chareika Carrión, Puerto Rico’s captain, commented: “Honestly, I don’t feel happy at all. I know we prepared really well, but we didn’t give our best in every match.”
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 24, 2025.– Honduras defeated El Salvador 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-9) to secure third place at the VII AFECAVOL Central American U23 Women’s Championship.
Honduras finished the tournament with a 2-2 win-loss record, while El Salvador ended with a 1-3 record, placing fourth.
Three players from Honduras reached double digits in scoring, led by Sasha Kawas with 18 points, followed by Virginia Herdocia with 11 and Dazly Duran with 10.
Sasha Kawas HON
For El Salvador, team captain Allison Méndez was the top offensive contributor with 10 points.
Honduras dominated the match from start to finish, outperforming El Salvador in attacks (41-22) and service aces (12-5). Both teams were even in blocks (4-4), but El Salvador committed more unforced errors, giving up 18 points compared to Honduras’ 12.
After the match, Honduras’ coach Leonel Ulloa stated: “This third-place finish was what we had projected, without underestimating anyone. Against El Salvador, I expected a better performance, we have the bad habit of not maintaining our level. We’re leaving not fully satisfied; we think we could have done better.”
Meanwhile, Allison Méndez, captain of El Salvador, said: “We feel a bit disappointed because we didn’t play the game we were expecting. We lacked the mindset to apply more pressure and didn’t have the courage to keep attacking strongly. Looking ahead, this team has to improve a lot, both individually and collectively.”
July 24, 2025.- The U19 Boys’ World Championship kicked off this Thursday in Uzbekistan, but NORCECA teams were unable to secure victories on opening day.
POOL A
Argentina earned a straight-set victory over Puerto Rico (25-19, 25-21, 25-23), with Federico Debonis and Mauro Gay combining for a total of 32 points. Puerto Rican captain Jean Paul González was the only player on his team to reach double digits, scoring 13 points.
Puerto Rico held the edge in blocks (9-8), but Argentina outperformed them in attacks (42-28). Neither team recorded any service aces.
PUR
POOL B
At the Sport University Center, Canada initially surprised France by taking the first set, but the Europeans bounced back to win 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-20).
Reuben Veith led the Canadian side with 16 points, including 13 kills. Tyson Dezutter and Ethan Baraniuk also reached double digits with 10 points apiece.
Canada led in blocks (8-3), while France was superior in attacks (53-45) and service aces (5-1).
CAN
POOL D
Finland came from behind to defeat the United States 3-1 (17-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-20), powered by a 17-point performance from Kaapo Vanhatupa. Viktor Viljamaa and Kasper Vesanen added 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Finland’s defense made the difference, outblocking the Americans 11-6.
For Team USA, Grant Lamoureux and Elan Taylor each scored 13 points, with Payne Roman contributing 12.
In the final match of the day, Korea, bronze medalists in 2023, swept Cuba 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-20), led by 18 points from Lee Junho and 16 from Bang Kangho. Korea led in kills (47-41), blocks (7-4), and service aces (3-1).
Yosdani Medina was Cuba’s top scorer with 16 points.
PUEBLA, Mexico, July 24, 2025 – One day before the start of the NORCECA Men’s Final Four, the participating teams are ready to compete for the title of this fifth edition. The coaches shared their impressions and expectations for the tournament, which will be held from July 25 to 27 at the BUAP Arena.
Carlos Eduardo Schwanke, coach of Mexico: “This event will be an opportunity to test the players and our system of play against important opponents, since we are entering the competition without any previous friendly matches, so it is very important for the process we are undertaking with the team.
For us, as a new coaching staff, this is a special occasion because it will be our first competition in Mexico, and we have high expectations from the Mexican public. We hope they will strongly support the team and that it will be a great event for everyone.”
Alberto J. Torres, Puerto Rico coach: “We’re bringing a group similar to the one that played a year ago in Puerto Rico, and we’re bringing three U-21 players. We want to test them in this competition. But after winning this tournament in Puerto Rico, our expectation is to win here as well.
They’re a young team, but already have a lot of international experience, and there are some very iconic players in Puerto Rico who will be participating in this event, and we hope to put on a great show for the Mexican public.”
José Gutiérrez, coach of the Dominican Republic: “The foundation of our team is 11 U-23 players, and our goal in this competition is to give them experience as part of their preparation for the Junior Pan American Games, which will be held in August in Asunción, Paraguay. In this transition and long-term generational change, we are proposing, they are accompanied by our captain, Román Tapia, a 33-year-old key figure on the Dominican team.
Mexico has been the home of men’s events for many years, and we know the passion that exists among the fans who support their teams, so we expect a spectacular event as always.”
Reider Lucas, Guatemala coach, said: “We’re coming with a fairly young team because we prioritized preparation for the Junior Panamanian Games in Paraguay. 10 players are from this team, and some of them are also from the senior team.
We know we’re coming to a high-level event in the NORCECA region, and all the teams are very well prepared. We want to take advantage of the opportunity to raise our level of play by going out to fight in every match.”
The teams had the opportunity to conduct field reconnaissance training today, and tomorrow they will begin their matches with the Dominican Republic vs. Puerto Rico match at 6:00 PM.
LEÓN, Mexico, July 24, 2025. – Reigning champions Cuba will look to defend their title at the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup, set to take place from July 27 to August 1 at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Cuba captured their first-ever U23 Pan American Cup title in the previous edition by defeating the Dominican Republic 3-1 (26-24, 22-25, 25-21, 25-20) in the gold medal match, held at the Xalapa International Velodrome in Veracruz. It was a historic breakthrough, marking the first time since the tournament’s inception in 2012 that a team other than the Dominican Republic claimed the championship.
In addition to their 2024 gold medal, Cuba has earned three bronze medals in past editions (2014, 2016, and 2018).
The Dominican Republic remains the tournament’s most decorated team, with six gold medals and one silver.
This year’s competition will feature eight teams split into two pools. Pool A includes Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Suriname, and the United States. Host nation Mexico is placed in Pool B alongside defending champions Cuba, Canada, and Nicaragua.
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 23, 2025.– The Belizean team displayed their full strength to secure a comfortable 3-0 victory (25-16, 25-20, 25-18) over Honduras, maintaining their unbeaten record and keeping their hopes alive to battle for the top spot on the final day of the 7th AFECAVOL U23 Women’s Central American Championship.
Belize will face Guatemala in the feature match of the fifth and final day of the tournament, with both teams entering the contest undefeated with identical 3-0 win-loss records.
In the other match of the day, El Salvador will take on Honduras in a duel that will determine the third-place finisher of the event.
Belize
Belize dominated in attack points 34-23, blocks 27-6, and service aces 16-6. Both teams were nearly even in points from unforced errors, with Belize scoring 19 and Honduras 18.
Offensively for Belize, Khaya Gordon led with 16 points, supported by Nissan Martínez with 14. For Honduras, Sasha Kawas scored nine points, while Valeria Núñez and Andrea Aceituno contributed six points each.
After the match, Belize captain Gareth Bruce stated, “We prepared well for this match; we knew Honduras is a tough team. We’ve trained hard to come out and win, and we have a lot of confidence in each other, that’s important to get the victories. For our last match, we’re well prepared. We know that facing Guatemala will be the toughest match of the tournament, but we feel ready to succeed.”
Meanwhile, Honduras captain Dazly Durán said, “Belize has very tall, well-trained players, and it was really hard for us to figure things out. But I feel like we played a good match. We still have a chance to go for a medal. We close against El Salvador in a tough match, but we’re going to give it our all, in search of the win.”
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 23, 2025.– Costa Rica secured a spot in the semifinals of the U21 Women’s Pan American Cup after defeating Mexico 3-0 (25-6, 25-17, 25-23) at the tournament being held at the Profesor Jorge Luis Solera Gymnasium in the Monserrat Sports Complex in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Costa Rica stunned Mexico in the first set with a dominant 25-6 victory, powered by 16 attack points. Mexico was unable to decipher Costa Rica’s game throughout the set. In the second set, the Mexicans tried to even things out, but after the 13-point mark, the Central Americans pulled away again to take the set.
The third set was the most competitive, with Mexico nearly forcing a fourth set, but Costa Rica closed it out to seal the win.
CRC vs MEX
With the victory, Costa Rica clinched first place in Pool A and now awaits its semifinal opponent for Saturday, July 26.
Mexico will face the Dominican Republic at 7:00 PM (local time) on Thursday, July 24, to determine second and third place in the pool. Both teams will advance to the quarterfinals on Friday, July 25.
Costa Rica dominated the match from start to finish, outperforming Mexico in attacks (43-20), blocks (10-8), and service points (5-4).
Angélica Rodríguez led the Central American offense with 19 points (15 attacks, 3 blocks, 1 ace). Raldisha Barley and Melina Ester Abarca each added 14 points, while Fernanda Moraga also scored in double digits with 11 points.
For Mexico, Mariana del Rocío Hernández was the top scorer with 7 points (4 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace).
Costa Rica’s head coach Braulio Godínez, visibly pleased, said, “I’m very satisfied. Playing at home comes with great responsibility. We knew it was a high-level tournament and hoped to get one win, now we have two, so we’ll enjoy this moment. We know that by finishing first in our pool, tougher matches await us, but we’ve done a great job, the fans are happy, and now we’ll aim for an even bigger surprise.”
Mexico’s head coach Héctor Lozano commented, “We started off a bit unfocused. Playing against the home team took a toll (the crowd was very intense). Little by little, we improved our performance. We have the team to do more, and as the tournament progresses, we’ll show the level that Mexico is capable of.”
PUEBLA, Mexico, July 23, 2025. – The Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla (BUAP) Arena is ready to host the teams that will compete in the fifth edition of the NORCECA Men’s Final Four, which begins on July 25, 2025.
The event’s control committee and organizing committee inspected the facilities, equipment, and all the necessary facilities for the important international competition, which will take place from July 25 to 27, 2025.
Alberto Arreola, competition director, led the supervision of each work area that will host the event. He commented: “The venue is first-class and meets all the requirements of NORCECA and the FIVB regarding its facilities and court setup. My appreciation to the organizing committee, which has done a great job.” They have given us every opportunity to have an excellent event”.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., prior to the host Mexico’s match against Guatemala.
The live broadcast of the Final Four can be viewed on the Mexican Volleyball Federation’s YouTube channel.
The event will award the champion a ticket to the NORCECA Men’s Olympic Continental Championship and provide teams with FIVB World Ranking points.
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 23, 2025.- Guatemala secured a place on the podium and remained undefeated at the 7th AFECAVOL U23 Central American Women’s Championship after defeating Panama 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-16) in the opening match of the fourth day of competition.
Guatemala now holds a flawless 3-0 win-loss record and faces a crucial match against Belize on the final day, which will determine the medal colors for both teams. Meanwhile, Panama concludes the tournament winless in four matches.
María Santa Cruz led Guatemala’s offense with 14 points, supported by Dulce Trigueño with 11. For Panama, Diana Osorio scored nine points, and Ekaterina Ureña added eight.
Guatemala dominated in attack points 46-22 and in blocks 8-5 but gave away more points through unforced errors 23-14. Both teams were even in service points at 7-7.
Following the win, Guatemala’s captain Jimena Castellanos said, “We’re very happy with the result. In the last U23 championship, we finished in fourth place, so we already see this participation as a win. We’re going all out in our next match against Belize. Panama is a team that defends very well; they made us work hard. It wasn’t an easy match, despite the score.”
Panama’s captain Ruth Rivas stated, “I leave feeling proud of my team because they’re a very talented group, despite the youth of many of its members. We couldn’t get past Guatemala in our final match, but we gave it everything we had. I think we lacked a bit more maturity, and even though we didn’t win a match, the girls gained valuable experience.”
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 23, 2025. – Chile defeated Canada in four sets 3-1 (25-22, 25-18, 22-25, 25-17) and now shares the top spot in Group B of the U21 Women’s Pan American Cup with the United States. The tournament is taking place at the Profesor Jorge Luis Solera Gymnasium at the Monserrat Sports Complex in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
In the first set, Chile built an early 3-point lead that they held throughout to go up 1-0. In the second set, they took control from the start with a 5-point advantage and maintained it until the end.
The third set was a back-and-forth battle, with Canada winning their first set of the tournament. The fourth and final set followed a similar pattern, but Chile came out on top to seal the victory.
Chile led in attacks (46-43), while Canada dominated in blocks (11-7). Both teams were tied in aces (5-5). Chile capitalized on Canada’s 39 unforced errors to secure the win.
Lalonde Elodie CAN
Petra Schwartzman led Chile in scoring with 15 points (11 attacks, 2 blocks, and 2 aces). Dominga Aylwin also reached double digits with 13 points (12 attacks and 1 block). For Canada, Élodie Lalonde led with 18 points (17 attacks and 1 block), while Jessica Bergstrom added 11 points and set a tournament record for most blocks in a single match with 7.
Chile will face the United States on Thursday, July 24 at 5:00 PM (local time) to determine the group winner and a direct ticket to the semifinals. The loser of that match will advance to the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Canada will face Puerto Rico at 3:00 PM (local time) in a match that will decide a spot in the quarterfinals.
Chile’s head coach Eduardo Guillaume said, “This is an extraordinary result for us. I think it’s the first time we’ve ever beaten Canada at any level, and it fills us with joy. We played a great match with a lot of character. We overcame a team that is physically and technically equal or even better than us, and that makes this victory even more emotional.”
Canada’s head coach Olivier Faucher commented, “Congratulations to Chile, they played great today, they didn’t give us anything. On our side, we couldn’t pass the ball, so our offense became really predictable. We had problems passing the ball well and that’s the main piece of our execution. I think we have to battle a little bit more, fight for every point, and our mindset must be on competing, to bring energy to the court because winning is not easy at this level. We’ll learn from this, grow together as a group, and come back tomorrow stronger.”
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 23, 2025. – The United States earned their second win at the U21 Women’s Pan American Cup by defeating Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-13, 25-7, 25-15) at the start of the second day of competition, held at the Profesor Jorge Luis Solera Gymnasium in the Monserrat Sports Complex in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
USA took a quick lead in the opening set and widened the gap as the set progressed. In the second set, the Americans once again pulled ahead comfortably, reaching an 8-0 scoreline. They maintained control in the third set as well.
The United States dominated the match across all fundamentals: attacks (37-13), blocks (7-2), and service aces (5-0). Except for two players who started the previous match, the team used a different lineup today.
There were 46 unforced errors in the match, 26 by Puerto Rico and 20 by the USA.
Bayless Blaire USA
Blaire Bayless stood out on offense for the U.S., leading all scorers with 14 points, including one block and one ace. Elizabeth Andrew was the top blocker with 3 blocks and also contributed 8 points, the second-highest scorer for her team.
For Puerto Rico, Valeria Chloe Núñez led with 4 points, all from attacks at the net.
With this result, the United States remains undefeated with 2 wins and 10 points. Puerto Rico, on the other hand, suffers its second loss and is still searching for its first win.
USA will close out the pool-play on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. (local time) against Chile, while Puerto Rico will face Canada at 3:00 p.m. (local time).
USA head coach Heather Olmstead said, “We used a different lineup because we wanted to give everybody an opportunity to play, as they’ve all been working really hard this past week and a half. We’re comfortable with anyone on our roster going out and playing brand USA-volleyball. We know anyone can go in at any time, because we’re going to need everyone throughout the tournament. This was a good opportunity to show how strong we can be as a group, with everyone’s different playing styles.”
“The entire team did a good job supporting each other through the various changes. We stayed focused and did a nice job earning this second victory. We’re still fine-tuning our serve-pass game, but offensively our setters are doing a great job putting our hitters in rhythm, and I think everyone is contributing in different ways. We’re excited to play every match,” Olmstead concluded.
Puerto Rico’s head coach José Ricardo Rivera Guinand commented, “We’re playing good volleyball, but my offense isn’t flowing, right now I’m relying solely on our captain Chareika Carrión. If the rest of the team doesn’t start contributing offensively, the entire game becomes more difficult. We’re getting great match experience and have improved substantially from yesterday. We’ll keep trying to compete, we still have one game left and we can still reach the quarterfinals.”
July 23, 2025. – The U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team was eliminated from the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) on Wednesday after falling to defending champions Italy 0-3 (22-25, 21-25, 26-28) in the quarterfinals at Atlas Arena in Łódź, Poland.
In a rematch of the Paris 2024 Olympic final, the Americans fought hard, especially in the third set, but couldn’t force a fourth against an Italian side that showed superior offensive efficiency. With the loss, Team USA is out of the semifinals and ends its campaign in this year’s tournament.
Sarah Franklin USA
Avery Skinner, one of three Olympic medalists on the squad, led the U.S. scorers with 11 points, all from attacks. Sarah Franklin followed with 8 points (7 kills and 1 block) in a young team that showed plenty of fight but couldn’t match the European powerhouse in strength and experience.
“I think we know each other well, and that makes it fun because it forces us to be creative,” said Skinner, who played her last club season in Italy. “I’m proud of the team for not giving up until the very end. We’re a young group, and we’ve been building week by week. The summer continues, we’ve got the World Championship ahead and we’re going to keep working.”
Throughout the match, the U.S. trailed Italy in kills (36 to 50), aces (4 to 5), and committed fewer unforced errors (17 to Italy’s 23), but it wasn’t enough to stop the undefeated Italian side.
Despite the elimination, the U.S. team showed clear growth throughout the tournament, going head-to-head with global powerhouses and laying important groundwork for the upcoming World Championship and the next Olympic cycle. The team’s youth and long-term potential are promising signs for the next phase of its development.
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 22, 2025. – El Salvador came from behind to edge Panama in an intense five-set battle 3-2 (8-25, 15-25, 25-23, 25-20, 15-8), earning their first victory in the VII AFECAVOL Central American U23 Women’s Championship.
The match featured a remarkable rally on the penultimate point of the fifth set, lasting nearly 1:56 minutes and involving 81 touches before El Salvador secured their 14th point. Finally, an opponent error gave them the win.
With this result, El Salvador improves to 1-2, while Panama remains winless with a 0-3 record.
Ekaterina Ureña PAN
Panama handed away 40 points on unforced errors, compared to 38 by El Salvador, a key factor in the outcome. Panama also led in attack points (43-36), blocks (10-7), and aces (10-6), but struggled to close the match despite several opportunities.
Allison Méndez and Paola Juárez led El Salvador with 16 points apiece, the only players on their team to reach double digits.
For Panama, Janeth Fuentes scored 16 points, Karla Alonso added 15, and Sofía Centella contributed 11.
After the victory, El Salvador captain Allison Méndez said, “Thanks to God we earned our first win, and thanks to my teammates who fought until the end. We lost the first two sets, but when you’re down, you have to learn to fight back and that’s what we did in this match. We know this is a learning process for us, as we’re a team for the future, but we’re growing from this experience.”
Janeth Fuentes, Panama’s top scorer, commented, “We had many chances to win the match, but we made things difficult for ourselves. We could have achieved a good result. I think what hurt us was failing to block at key moments. This was our best performance in the tournament so far, we were hopeful to win and fight for third place.”
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 22, 2025.- Guatemala came out on top of a fierce five-set battle against Honduras with a 3-2 (25-11, 25-27, 22-25, 28-26, 15-13) victory that keeps their hopes alive for a top-podium finish at the VII AFECAVOL Central American U23 Women’s Championship.
The match could have gone either way, with Guatemala leaning on the experience of its players to prevail under pressure against a resilient Honduran team that never backed down.
Guatemala’s stronger service game made a difference, outscoring Honduras 16-6 in aces. They also led in attack points 53-51. Honduras had the edge in blocking 13-10 but gave up more points on unforced errors, 36 to 32.
Annika Graniolati GUA
María Santa Cruz led the Guatemalan offense with 24 points, including 10 aces, 12 kills, and 2 blocks. Dulce Trigueño added 17 points, and Annika Graniolati contributed 10.
For Honduras, Sasha Kawas scored 22 points, Dazly Durán had 15, and Shantte Siliezar finished with 13.
Guatemala now holds a 2-0 record and will next face Panama. Honduras stands at 1-1 and will take on Belize in their upcoming match.
Commenting on the win, Guatemala’s head coach William Fernández said, “It was a very tough battle for both teams, the match was decided in the final set by just two points. Both teams made adjustments that paid off at different moments, but I must congratulate Honduras for never giving up, even after a difficult first set. Above all, I applaud our team for finishing the match with grit. We had to rely on the character and experience of our players to win those crucial points.”
Honduras coach Marvin Ulloa added, “I always tell our players that we’re not only here to win, but also to put on a show. If we play good volleyball, we can win as well. Against Guatemala, it was a great match that added a lot to the event. In the end, nerves and a lack of experience from some of our players may have affected us a bit.”
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 22, 2025. – In front of a packed gymnasium and with unwavering home support, Costa Rica delivered the biggest surprise of the opening day by sweeping the Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-15) at the U21 Women’s Pan American Cup, at the Professor Jorge Luis Solera Gymnasium in the Monserrat Sports Complex in Alajuela.
Costa Rica started strong in the first set, capitalizing on five unforced errors by the Caribbean side within the first eight points. The early confusion forced Dominican coach Alexandre Ceccato to call a technical timeout at point 11 to settle his team.
The pattern continued in the second set, with nerves again taking a toll on the Dominican players, who committed another 10 unforced errors, paving the way for the home team.
Throughout the match, Costa Rica made the most of the Dominican Republic’s 30 unforced errors and also held the advantage in attacks (35-25), blocks (7-4), and service aces (3-1).
Angélica Rodríguez led Costa Rica’s offense with 14 points, 12 on kills and 2 on blocks. Virelys Shantal Rivera led the Dominican Republic, scoring 12 points (7 attacks, 4 blocks, and 1 ace), and was the top blocker of the match.
Costa Rica’s Angélica Rodríguez said, “They played well, but we’ve been training for this for years, and we’re finally seeing the results. I’m proud of the team and of the work we did together. I’m very happy with the number of points I scored, but it was all thanks to the team.”
Dominican Republic coach Alexandre Ceccato commented, “We made too many mistakes. I think my team felt the pressure from the crowd. They’re very young, but they have what it takes to overcome that pressure and play better. We still have Mexico, who are strong, we’ll see what we can do to challenge them.”
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 22, 2025.- The United States began their Women’s U21 Pan American Cup title defense with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-13) victory over Canada, kicking off their campaign for a third consecutive title at the Profesor Jorge Luis Solera Gymnasium in the Monserrat Sports Complex, Alajuela, Costa Rica.
The U.S. team had a slow start, falling behind 1-6 in the opening set, but gradually recovered to tie the score at 13. From there, they took control and won the set 25-18. The second set was evenly matched until point 10, when the Americans pulled ahead and closed it out 25-15. In the third set, the defending champions dominated from start to finish.
USA’s team captain Brooklyn DeLeye led all scorers with 16 points, 14 on attacks. Kamryn Gibadlo also reached double digits with 11 points (10 attacks, 1 ace), while Favor Anyanwu contributed 10 points, including 4 blocks.
Anyanwu Favor – DeLeye Brooklyn (USA)
For Canada, Élodie Lalonde was the top scorer with 7 points, and Logan King added 6 points.
USA outperformed Canada in attacks (44-20), blocks (7-3), and aces (9-4). Canada took advantage of 19 unforced errors by the U.S.
Brooklyn DeLeye, U.S. team captain, said, “It’s a wonderful atmosphere to play in. All the hard work we’ve put in this past week led to this victory. I’m very proud of this team.”
Élodie Lalonde of Canada said, “Winning or losing at this point doesn’t mean much—we’re growing as a team and haven’t been together for long. Obviously, we came out as strong as we could. It was a great opportunity to learn as a team and coaching staff. We saw a lot of positives throughout the match and growth despite not taking the win. We started very strong; our setter had a great serve, but midway through the set we played more tentative, and that gave the U.S. an advantage.”
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, July 22, 2025. – The Women’s National Team of Puerto Rico continues its strong rise after being crowned champions at the NORCECA Final Four held this past weekend in Manatí, earning a thrilling five-set victory over Mexico.
This marks Puerto Rico’s third consecutive gold medal in the event and fifth overall, following a silver in 2019 and bronze in 2022.
The victory propelled Puerto Rico to 16th in the FIVB World Ranking — a key step in their journey toward qualifying for the 2026 Volleyball Nations League. The qualification window remains open until December.
While the 16th spot does not yet guarantee direct qualification, Puerto Rico significantly narrowed the gap, now just 2.01 points behind Ukraine, currently in 15th place and occupying the last qualifying spot. National team head coach Juan C. Núñez emphasized the importance of every achievement and reaffirmed the team’s focus:
“I’m not going to stress the girls. We’ll take it as the game dictates. I’m very pleased with the team’s performance — this is just the beginning, and we still have work to do,” Núñez said optimistically.
This ranking also places Puerto Rico in close competition with Argentina, who sit in 17th, trailing by 1.04 points.
With three major tournaments ahead — the XII Pan American Cup, the World Championship in Thailand, and the NORCECA Final Six — the team has concrete opportunities to earn the points needed to secure qualification.
Puerto Rico’s recent performance is not only a sporting achievement but also a statement of unity, focus, and continued progress.
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 22, 2025. – Chile kicked off the U21 Women’s Pan American Cup in dominant fashion, defeating Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-23) at the Profesor Jorge Luis Solera Gymnasium at the Monserrat Sports Complex in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Chile took control from the start, reaching the first technical timeout with a five-point lead at 8-3. In the second set, Puerto Rico tried to even the match, but after point 10, the Chileans regained command and pulled away comfortably.
Chile celebrates
Dominga Aylwin led the South American squad with 17 points (16 kills and 1 ace), while team captain Petra Schwartzman also reached double digits with 12 points (10 kills, 1 block, and 1 ace). For Puerto Rico, Chareika Carrión was the match’s top scorer with 18 points, all from attacks.
Chile dominated all statistical categories, attacks (42-33), aces (5-2), and blocks (7-3).
Karla Molina, Consul of the Chilean Embassy, was present throughout the match supporting the team. She said, “It’s always emotional to see fellow Chileans here, and even more so with a first victory. It truly feels special to be far from home and watch them represent our country and our sport as ambassadors, it’s an incredible feeling.”
Dominga Aylwin shared after the match, “I’m super happy with our team’s victory. This tournament is part of our preparation for the World Championship. We entered the game with strong conviction, and the result was a win, so I’m really excited.”
Chareika Carrión of Puerto Rico commented, “It was our first match, and we started very unfocused. In the third set, we got more organized, and I hope we can show more of what our team is capable of in the upcoming games.”
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 21, 2025.- Belize faced little resistance on its way to a second victory at the VII Central American U23 Women’s Championship, closing out Monday’s action with a commanding 3-0 (25-5, 25-10, 25-11) win over El Salvador.
Belize now has two wins in as many matches and will rest during the tournament’s third day. El Salvador, on the other hand, suffered its second loss and will face Panama in its next match.
Belize used its height advantage to dominate, racking up 44 attack points compared to El Salvador’s 11. They also led with service points 16-0 and shut down El Salvador’s limited attempts to fight back with a 2-1 edge in blocks.
Belize celebrates
Khaya Gordon, Fatoumata Camara, and Nisaan Ramirez each tallied 14 points for Belize. For El Salvador, Allison Méndez contributed four points.
After the win, Belize coach José Fontes said, “It was a relatively easy victory, but what I take away from this match is the attitude of our captain (Gareth Bruce), who is dealing with the emotional loss of a loved one. She’s still doing a great job in this tournament. We know our next two matches will be more demanding, so we need to prepare and not let confidence get the better of us.”
El Salvador coach Dany Calderón commented, “I think the lack of attention that some countries give to national team development processes often comes at a high cost, and that’s affecting us now. Generational changes also play a role, we’ve brought 11 players who are U19, and among them some are U15 and U17. The experience they lack can only be gained in competitions like this, so this is the only way forward.”
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 21, 2025. – Honduras opened its campaign at the 7th AFECAVOL U23 Central American Women’s Championship with a comfortable 3-0 (25-16, 25-11, 25-12) win over Panama on the tournament’s second day of action.
After resting on the first day of competition, Honduras secured its first win, while Panama suffered its second loss of the event.
With a stronger offensive display, Honduras asserted dominance by outperforming Panama in key areas: 37-15 in attack points, 6-4 in blocks, 6-2 in service aces, and committed fewer unforced errors (18 to 26).
Honduras
Sasha Kawas led the Honduran offense with 17 points, while Dazy Durán and Shantte Siliezar contributed eight points each. For Panama, Janeth Fuentes stood out with seven points.
Following Honduras’ successful debut, team captain Dazy Durán said: “We’re very happy to start this tournament on the right foot. This win helps us build some confidence heading into our second match, which will be tougher against Guatemala. Panama is a team that defends very well, but we stayed focused and worked well together.”
On Panama’s side, team captain Ruth Rivas reflected after the match: “We feel a bit frustrated because I truly believe we can do more than what we’ve shown. We always keep a positive attitude, even when we’re trailing, because letting our spirits drop completely would only make it worse. But we’re committed to pushing ourselves and giving our best in every match.”
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 21, 2025. – This morning, the preliminary interviews for the participating teams of the U21 Women’s Pan American Cup were held in the Quetzal Room at the Hilton Garden Inn City Mall in Alajuela.
The head coaches of the seven participating teams shared their insights and expectations for the tournament, which will take place from July 22 to 27 at the Monserrat Sports Complex Gymnasium in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
This event brings together promising youth talent from across the continent, providing international exposure and continuing their development in high-performance competition.
Héctor Lozano, Head coach of Mexico said: “We come with very high expectations. We’ve had great preparation and worked hard over the past few days. The competition is tough, with many high-level teams. Our team has a mix of experience and newcomers, some have international exposure, while others play key roles in their clubs.”
José Ricardo Rivera Guinand, Head coach of Puerto Rico, commented: “As for our expectations, last year in Canada we won the silver medal. We hope to at least repeat that achievement. We’re going to make the most of this tournament as preparation for the World Championship coming up soon in Indonesia.”
Heather Olmstead, Head coach of USA stated: “We’re glad to be here in Costa Rica representing the United States. We’re going to come out to compete, fight, and play as a team, doing our best with the best style of volleyball we can. We’ll rely on each other as a new group and see if we can start shaping our identity throughout the week. We know we’re going to face great competition, starting tomorrow against Canada, so we’re excited to compete.”
Eduardo Guillaume, Head coach of Chile said: “This is a tournament with very strong teams. We are in the same group as Puerto Rico, Canada, and the United States. Costa Rica is our direct rival. After this tournament, we head to the World Championship in Indonesia, so this event and the opponents we face here are great preparation for us.”
Olivier Faucher, Head coach of Canada, expressed: “We are excited about the competition. We’ve been training with this group for a week and are looking forward to the opportunity to play against strong opponents in our group, which will help us gain momentum ahead of the World Championship next month. We want to step on the court every day to win, but also to improve and continue building our team.”
Alexandre Ceccato, Head coach of Dominican Republic stated: “I believe this is a very strong championship. We’re bringing a U19 team, it’s going to be tough, but we’re going to try to reach the semifinals. This tournament also serves as preparation for the World Championship next month in Indonesia, as we plan to take the same group of players currently here in Costa Rica.”
Braulio Godínez, Head coach of Costa Rica shared: “This is a great opportunity for Costa Rica to promote volleyball here in Alajuela. It’s a place where many neighboring cantons practice the sport, so they can come and support our players. I believe our team has performed well; at one point, they placed fourth in a NORCECA event in the previous age category. It’s a group we believe in and have great faith in for the future.”
Before the tournament, the Control Committee inspected the court and facilities where the event will take place, confirming that everything is in excellent condition.
PUEBLA, Mexico, July 21, 2025. – Puebla is ready to welcome top-level men’s volleyball as it hosts the fifth edition of the NORCECA Men’s Final Four tournament, set to take place from July 25 to 27 at the state-of-the-art Arena BUAP.
The competition will feature reigning champions Puerto Rico, along with Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and host nation Mexico, battling in a round-robin format across three days of high-level action.
In addition to the NORCECA Men’s Final Four title, teams will earn FIVB World Ranking points, contributing to their qualification campaigns for the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League and the 2027 FIVB World Championship. Moreover, the tournament champion will secure a spot in the Senior NORCECA Men’s Olympic Continental Championship.
Teams are scheduled to complete preliminary inquiries and official preparations on the eve of the tournament that kicks off on Friday, July 25.
Competition Schedule:
Friday – July 25
6:00 pm Dominican Republic vs Puerto Rico
8:00 pm Mexico vs Guatemala
Saturday – July 26
6:00 pm Puerto Rico vs Guatemala 8:00 pm Mexico vs Dominican Republic
Sunday – July 27
5:00 pm Dominican Republic vs Guatemala 7:00 pm Mexico vs Puerto Rico
July 21, 2025.- The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 men’s competition will reach its conclusion in Ningbo, China, as eight national teams compete for the title in a five-day knockout tournament. The finals will be held at the Ningbo Beilun Sports and Art Centre from 30 July to 3 August, bringing together the top seven teams from the preliminary phase alongside host nation China.
This year’s preliminary round, which ran from 11 June to 20 July, introduced a revised format and spanned nine cities around the world, producing a tightly contested table from start to finish. The competition featured world-class volleyball across every match week, with little separating the teams vying for a place in the final eight.
The qualified teams are:
Brazil, Italy, France, Japan, Poland, Slovenia, Cuba, and China (host country)
The final stage of the competition in Ningbo will be hosted in a single-elimination format. Quarterfinals will be played on Wednesday and Thursday, with matches scheduled for 15:00 and 19:00 local time. Friday will serve as a rest day before the semifinals on Saturday, followed by the bronze medal match at 15:00 and the gold medal match at 19:00 local time on Sunday 3 August.
The quarterfinal matchups are:
Italy vs Cuba – 30 July at 15:00 local time
China vs Brazil – 30 July at 19:00 local time
France vs Slovenia – 31 July at 15:00 local time
Poland and Japan – 31 July at 19:00 local time
Now in its seventh edition, the VNL continues to evolve, with the 2025 men’s season seeing some of the best competition ever, with a number of matches decided by narrow margins.
MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, 20 de julio de 2025.- Wilma Rivera, setter of the Puerto Rico National Team, was recognized this Sunday as the Most Valuable Player of the NORCECA Women’s Final Four at Juan Aubin Cruz Abreu Coliseum in Manati, Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico’s setter contributed with 8 points, 4 aces and 4 kills, in the gold medal match against Mexico, and played a key role in securing the team’s third consecutive title and the ticket to the Senior’s NORCECA Women Olympic Continental Championship.
Also from Puerto Rico, Karla Santos was awarded as the first Best Spiker, alongside her teammates Neira Ortiz and Diana Reyes were named Best Blockers, Paola Santiago Best Scorer, Shara Venegas Best Digger and Decelise Champion Best Opposite.
From Mexico, Argentina Ung was awarded as Best Setter and outside hitter Samantha Bricio as Second Best Spiker.
Costa Ricans Lakysha Thompson was named Best Server while Maria Castro received the recognition of Best Receiver and Best Libero.
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 20, 2025. – Belize delivered a dominant performance in their opening match of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Women’s Central American Championship, earning a convincing 3-0 victory (25-14, 25-6, 25-17) over Panama.
Belize showcased their powerful blocking and solid attacking game, leaving Panama with no chance to recover.
The home team controlled every aspect of the match, outscoring Panama in attack points 37-9, blocks 13-0, and service aces 5-2, although they committed more unforced errors, 26 to Panama’s 20.
Khaya Gordon led Belize’s offense with 16 points, followed by Nisaan Martinez with 12. For Panama, Ekaterina Ureña contributed 6 points and Janeth Fuentes added 5.
Commenting on the victory, Belize’s head coach José Fontes said, “A win is always important. We weren’t satisfied with our performance in the first set, but that’s normal for an opening match of a tournament. We improved significantly in the second set, and in the third, we had some good moments, although we slowed down a bit. We made some changes to give our younger players a chance, but the key takeaway is the win and getting the team into rhythm to achieve our ultimate goal.”
On the other side, Panama’s coach Eric Lucero shared, “The girls were a bit nervous; most of them have very little international experience. Belize’s blocking surprised us more than we expected. We knew we were up against a team with good height, strong blocking, and a powerful attack, and I think that had a psychological impact on our players due to their lack of experience.”
MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, July 20TH, 2025.- Puerto Rico secured a three-peat victory defeating Mexico in an exciting five-set thriller (25-19, 24-26, 25-18, 20-25, 15-13) in NORCECA Women’s Final Four celebrated in Juan Aubin Cruz Abreu Coliseum at Manati, Puerto Rico.
With the win, Puerto Rico books a direct ticket to the 2026 Senior’s NORCECA Women Olympic Continental Championship.
This is the third gold medal in a row for Puerto Rico in this event and 5 medals overall since they won silver in 2019 and bronze in 2022. For Mexico this is their second consecutive silver medal, in the past edition of 2024 they also fell to Puerto Rico. They have a bronze medal won in 2019 and a gold medal winning the championship to Puerto Rico in 2022.
Puerto Rico finished the NORCECA Women’s Final Four undefeated with 3-0 record and Mexico with 2-1.
Decelise Champion PUR
Puerto Rico opened strong, taking the first set 25–19 behind the sharp execution of their outside hitters. It was a battle throughout the second set and answered with resilience, capitalizing on back-to-back Puerto Rican errors to steal the set in extra points 26–24. Puerto Rico surged with aggressive attacks and blocks for a 25–18 win, but Mexico held firm in the fourth, using tough serving and blocking to push the match to a tie-break. It was a nail-biting match, but Puerto Rico prevailed to clinch their third championship in a row.
Puerto Rico led 65-61 in attacks, 11-10 in blocks and 6-5 in serves, Mexico committed 27 errors and Puerto Rico 25.
Opposite Decelise Champion topped Puerto Rico scorers with 22 points (20 attacks and 2 blocks) joined by outside hitter Karla Santos with 19 points.
Mexico’s leading attackers were outside hitter Samatha Bricio with 18 points and opposite Sofia Maldonado with 16.
Juan Carlos Núñez, Puerto Rico’s coach: “We knew the match was going to be intense; they brought out their best talent. We played at home seeking qualification for the 2026 VNL, and in every match where we have the opportunity to earn points, we have to play to win. Offensively, we were at their level, and defensively, we played well. Now we have two days of rest, and then we begin training for the Pan American Cup.”
Decelise Champion, opposite of Puerto Rico: “It’s an honor and a great feeling because we’ve worked hard to get here. The match was very close, we had our ups and downs, but in the end, we were able to play together and get the win. We kept going point by point. Now it’s time for a lot of hard work and preparing for the upcoming competitions.”
Samantha Bricio, outside hitter of Mexico: “Puerto Rico clearly has a very good block; we have to work on how to improve. Today they were better than us. Our goal now is the Pan American Cup, which will help us prepare for the World Championship and perform at our best.”
Nicola Negro, head coach of Mexico: “First and foremost, congratulations to Puerto Rico for the victory. It was a very intense match that ended in five sets, but I always have great respect for Puerto Rican volleyball. I want to congratulate my players because we are in a new process of growth, and it was a match we played point by point.”
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 20, 2025. – Guatemala got off to a strong start at the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Women’s Championship with a comfortable 3-0 (25-19, 25-11, 25-16) victory over El Salvador in the opening match of the tournament.
It was a one-sided affair, with Guatemala in full control throughout, although El Salvador showed brief flashes of promise at the start of the match.
For Guatemala, María Santa Cruz led the offense with nine points, including seven kills and two aces. Jimena Castellanos and Annika Graniolati added eight points each.
Guatemala celebrates
El Salvador’s top scorer was Paola Juárez, who tallied six points in the match.
Guatemala dominated in attack points (34-12) and aces (11-6), while both teams were even in blocks with three apiece.
Following the win, Guatemala’s head coach William Fernández said, “The first match is always tough for any team. Congratulations to El Salvador for their performance, and especially to our team for earning the victory in three sets. The key to our success was our setting and finishing, even though we had some issues with our serve early on that we later corrected.”
Meanwhile, El Salvador’s coach Efraín Calderón commented, “We need to work more on our reception and be more consistent in finishing sets. For many of our players, this is their first tournament, and that has an impact. Guatemala has many experienced players in the U23 category, and that really helps them maintain their rhythm throughout the match.”
MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, July 19th, 2025.- Costa Rica swept Trinidad and Tobago (26-24, 25-14, 25-15) to win the Bronze Medal at the fifth edition of NORCECA Women’s Final Four on Sunday at Juan Aubin Cruz Abreu Coliseum in Manati, Puerto Rico.
Costa Rica finishes the event in third place with 1-2 record and Trinidad and Tobago in fourth with 0-3. This is Costa Rica’s second medal in the history of the event after they finished in second place in 2023.
Trinidad and Tobago held strong in a tightly contested first set, but Costa Rica’s serving proved decisive in a 26–24 extra-point win. Costa Rica made some changes, but Trinidad and Tobago put up a fight. Costa Rica gained control supported by Lakysha Thompson’s offense and won set two 25-14. The Costa Ricans continue pressuring with serve and attacks to claim the third set 25-15.
Costa Rica led 41-30 in attacking points and serves 8-4 while Trinidad and Tobago held a slight 4-3 margin in blocks. Costa Rica committed 15 unforced errors and Trinidad and Tobago 24.
Lakysha Nicolle Thompson CRC
Lakysha Thompson, middle blocker of Costa Rica: “I’m very happy with the match. Participating in this event is motivating and inspiring, allowing me to continue growing. We prepared very well mentally as a team. We worked very hard on blocking and attacking and set goals to win every set. Now it’s time to train hard and support my teammates for our upcoming events.”
José Miguel Briceño, coach of Costa Rica: “We achieved our goal with this bronze. It was an event that demanded a lot from start to finish. The first set was a battle, but we prevailed. Our player, Lakysha, was instrumental and made a significant difference in the second set. Now we need to continue working with the national teams to prepare for future events.
Delicia Pierre, outside hitter of Trinidad and Tobago: “In my opinion today’s match was one of the better games that we’ve played during the tournament. I think there’s room to improve in every game we play and again it wasn’t too bad since we worked on some of the things we needed to improve. I’m pleased with the things that we were able to work on. Now we go back home to do a lot of work and improve some of the skills to get stronger for our next competitions”.
Stewart Daymian, coach of Trinidad and Tobago: “We really had a very high expectations, it was a reality check for us. Some things we did achieve and some others we need to work on. It’s a little disappointing but we will be back. In the first set I noticed the other team made adjustment and we did not, they put pressure on the serve affecting our passing and that is something we needed to work. Next, we have our players playing some important tournaments and our main goal is to do a good job at the Caribbean Championship in August”.
July 20, 2025 .– Despite losing to China, the Cuban Men’s National Team secured a spot in the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Finals thanks to a series of favorable results that placed them seventh in the final standings. Among the teams that helped Cuba’s cause was the United States, whose loss to Japan worked in Cuba’s favor. Meanwhile, Canada closed the tournament with a win, spoiling Ukraine’s hopes of advancing to the Finals.
Cuba Falls to China but Still Clinches Finals Berth
The Caribbean side fell to China but managed to qualify for the Finals in seventh place due to the outcomes of other matches.
Cuba had the chance to seal its qualification without depending on other teams but failed to capitalize on it and had to wait until the end of the day to find out whether they would be traveling to Ningbo, China, for the Finals from July 30 to August 3.
Cuba would have secured its spot in the final round by defeating China in Gdańsk but instead suffered a five-set loss, 2-3 (25-20, 23-25, 25-15, 22-25, 17-19).
The team finished the preliminary round with six wins and 20 points.
Despite a spectacular 31-point performance from star outside hitter Marlon Yant, who tallied 29 kills and two blocks, Cuba couldn’t clinch the victory. Team captain and fellow outside hitter Miguel Ángel López added 17 points (14 kills, two blocks, and one ace).
“China did a great job today,” said José Massó. “They fought for every point, all the time. We didn’t apply enough pressure to win the match. We fought, but I think we also need to improve in that area, because sometimes we don’t do enough.”
Marlon Yant CUB
Japan Advances to VNL Finals After Sweep Over USA
Japan became the sixth team to clinch a spot in the Men’s Volleyball Nations League Finals, joining Brazil, Italy, France, Poland, and host China, after a dominant 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-23) victory over the United States.
With a new lineup, the U.S. team put up a fight, especially in the third set. Their offensive effort was led by outside hitter Jordan Ewert, who scored 13 points on attacks with an impressive 68% efficiency. Opposite Gabriel García (Gabi) contributed 10 points, including the team’s only two aces.
The U.S. ended the preliminary phase in 11th place with a 6-6 record, tied in wins and losses with Cuba (the last team to qualify), Iran, Ukraine, and Bulgaria.
USA vs Japon
Canada Upsets Ukraine, Ends Europe’s Finals Hopes
Canada closed its 2025 VNL campaign with a valuable 3-1 win over Ukraine (25-21, 25-27, 31-29, 25-21) in Ljubljana, a result that eliminated the Europeans from contention for the Finals in Ningbo and indirectly helped Cuba qualify.
With this performance, Canada wrapped up its campaign showing competitive grit and dashing the dreams of one of the tournament’s revelation teams.
Outside hitter Skyler Varga was the standout performer of the match, delivering a stellar offensive performance with 27 points (24 kills, two blocks, and one ace), a match-high. Opposite Jordan Canham also made his presence felt with 14 points (13 kills and one block).
Although Canada was not in the race for a Finals berth, the North Americans left a strong impression in the final stretch of the tournament, overcoming a rival that controlled its own fate. The team displayed depth, determination, and solid overall performance in a high-stakes match.
MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, July 20, 2025. – A historic moment in continental volleyball will unfold this Sunday at 5:00 p.m. at the Juan Aubín Cruz Coliseum, as two Puerto Rican referees will take the court for the opening match of the NORCECA Women’s Final Four between the senior national teams of Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago.
For the first time at this competitive level, the Puerto Rican duo of Eric Quirindongo (First Referee – R1) and Maricela Candelaria (Second Referee – R2) will officiate an official senior-level national team match in a NORCECA tournament. The only previous instance of two Puerto Rican referees working together in this capacity was at the U17 level, making this appointment an unprecedented milestone for Puerto Rican officiating.
“In the first match, Maricela Candelaria and Eric Quirindongo will be officiating. I believe this is the first time two Puerto Rican referees serve as R1 and R2 in a NORCECA senior national team match. It had happened before, but only at the U17 level,” said Arnaldo “El Abuelo” Piñero, referee supervisor, with clear excitement.
Meanwhile, Dr. César Trabanco, President of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation, celebrated the historic assignment as a testament to the quality and professionalism of Puerto Rico’s officiating corps. “This is a proud moment for our federation. The presence of local referees in such leading roles reaffirms our commitment to the technical development of the sport at every level,” he stated.
With this recognition, the FPV continues to demonstrate its leadership in the comprehensive development of both athletic and technical talent, raising Puerto Rico’s name across the international volleyball stage.
MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, July 19th, 2025.-Puerto Rico swept Trinidad and Tobago (25-17, 25-9, 25-) to extend their winning streak at the NORCECA Women’s Final Four at the Juan Aubin Cruz Abreu Coliseum.
Trinidad and Tobago started strong with a three-point lead (11-8) forcing Puerto Rico to call for their first time out. The set was leveled but Puerto Rico prevailed 25-17. After making changes for set two, Puerto Rico kept their dominance in attacks and serves for a straight set win.
Puerto Rico held a huge 41-17 advantage in kills, 7-2 in blocks and 9-0 in aces, while committing 16 unforced errors against 18 from Trinidad and Tobago.
Outside hitter Paola Santiago led the offense for Puerto Rico with 12 points while Valeria Vazquez contributed with 9 points. Destiny Leon was the best scorer for Trinidad and Tobago with 8 points.
Puerto Rico attack
Paola Santiago, outside hitter from Puerto Rico: “It feels incredible to play in front of the Puerto Rican fans; representing Puerto Rico in Puerto Rico is a dream come true. We always come to every match with the mentality of winning and giving our best performance, and we were all taken by surprise by Trinidad and Tobago’s intensity until the 17th point on the first set, but we managed to capitalize on those last points. We must prepare our serves better and play hard. Mexico is a great team, and it’s going to be a great battle.
Destiny Leon, middle blocker from Trinidad and Tobago: “We tried our best and did a very good job on the first set and I think once we get more training, and we can watch films and the other teams that will be able to come against them and perform better. Once we take the time and practice tomorrow and really focus, we can come against Costa Rica and put up a fight.”
Puerto Rico is looking for a three-peat and will play for the championship of the NORCECA Women’s Final Four against Mexico while Trinidad and Tobago will face Costa Rica for the third place.
Participating teams will be awarded FIVB World Ranking points valid for the qualification process to the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League and the FIVB World Championship 2027. Additionally, the champion team will earn the qualification to the Senior’s NORCECA Women Olympic Continental Championship.
MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, July 19th, 2025.- Mexico remains unbeaten at NORCECA Women’s Final Four with a straight-set victory over Costa Rica (25-15, 25-13, 25-18) at the Juan Aubin Cruz Abreu Coliseum.
Costa Rica fought the beginning of the match keeping the score close, but Mexico put pressure with the serve and adjusted the defense to win 25-15. The Mexicans came strong with a 9-1 lead in the second set, Costa Rica tried to comeback but lost the set 25-13. Mexico started set three trailing by three points (4-7) and had to make adjustments to overcome Costa Rica.
The Mexican team was dominant in the attack points 38-19, blocking 7-4 and service aces 11-2 but committed more errors than Costa Rica 21-19.
Melanie Parra led Mexico with 11 points followed by Grecia Castro with 8 points. For Costa Rica, Tamara Espinosa and Tatiana Sayles finished with 6 points each.
Melanie Parra, outside hitter of Mexico: “I’m very happy to be back on the national team, starting over, and being with this group of girls. I feel very happy to be able to represent Mexico again. It was a good match. The Costa Ricans played very well, and I think we played better, but there’s no easy match, and for the next match, we need to improve our serve and reception, which are our weaknesses.”
Tamara Espinosa, outside hitter of Costa Rica: “I think it was a pretty tough match at the start. As the match progressed, we improved as a team. In the end, we gave opportunities to some of the U-23 girls who are training for the Junior Pan American Games. I’m very happy because today’s match against Mexico we saw a lot of progress. When we started enjoying the match and letting go of that fear, everything flowed better. For tomorrow, we need a lot of concentration and focus on what we can do. Stay calm and trust in ourselves.
Tomorrow, Mexico (2-0) will play for the championship of the NORCECA Women’s Final Four against host team Puerto Rico, while Costa Rica (0-2) will play for third place against Trinidad and Tobago.
Participating teams will be awarded FIVB World Ranking points valid for the qualification process to the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League and the FIVB World Championship 2027. Additionally, the champion team will earn the qualification to the Senior’s NORCECA Women Olympic Continental Championship.
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 19, 2025. – The national teams of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Belize have declared themselves ready for the VII AFECAVOL U23 Women’s Central American Championship, an event that brings together the region’s rising volleyball talents.
Despite the notable absence of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, the tournament promises an exciting battle for the title. Two matches will be played each day from July 20 to 24 at the Belize City Civic Center.
Regarding the event, Belize’s head coach José Fontes said: “We have a well-balanced team, with some experienced players and some very young ones. We hope the team improves with each match. We know the level of these tournaments has grown a lot; we respect all teams, and the one that performs best will win the championship.”
Belize
Guatemala’s head coach William Fernández stated: “Our goal is to play the best we can and reach the final match undefeated. There are five teams in this competition, so the fight will be very intense. Guatemala is well-prepared—we trained hard for six months.”
Guatemala
Honduras’ head coach Marvin Ulloa explained: “We’re coming with a mostly young team, but with a certain level of experience. We hope to have a good tournament. We know the participating teams are well-prepared and of good level, so it will be a very competitive event. Our goal is to win a medal.”
Honduras
Gabriela Funes, assistant coach of El Salvador, mentioned: “Our team is well-prepared. It’s a squad full of young talent looking to perform at their best. Our goal is to finish among the top three. This event is a stepping stone before the senior category, so we hope our athletes give their best and apply what they’ve learned.”
El Salvador
Panama’s head coach Eric Lucero pointed out: “With this participation, we want to start a new process in Panamanian women’s volleyball. We’re bringing a very young team, with many players below the age limit for this event. We’re thinking about the future, looking for players with good physical profiles to reach the highest level in Central America. We know our Central American neighbors are more developed in this category, especially Belize, which has a very tall team. That’s why our main focus is on developing our players.”
July 19, 2025. – The United States and Canada suffered defeats in their respective matches on Saturday in the Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL), complicating their chances of qualifying for the tournament finals.
USA Falls to Germany in Five Sets
In a hard-fought, back-and-forth match, Germany earned a 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 17-25, 25-15, 15-12) victory over the United States on Saturday in front of over 5,000 fans in Chiba, Japan.
The United States dropped to 10th place with a 6-5 record, tied with Cuba, Ukraine, Slovenia, and Bulgaria, still holding onto a mathematical chance of making the Finals. In their final match on Sunday, July 20, they will face powerhouse Japan, currently in 5th place with a 7-4 record.
Even if the U.S. wins, they will have to wait for the outcome of all remaining matches to determine which teams will secure the five remaining spots, as Brazil and Italy have already qualified for the Finals regardless of their results, and China is also through as the host nation.
Germany moved up to 11th place in the current VNL standings with a 5-6 record and 17 points, and they too remain in contention for a quarterfinal berth.
For the U.S., opposite Kyle Hobus was the top scorer of the match with 18 points. Outside hitter Ethan Champlin added 14, while his fellow outside Nolan Flexen recorded three aces and finished with 12 points.
Erik Shoji USA
Canada Falls to Serbia
Canada started strong but couldn’t hold their lead, eventually losing 1-3 (25-15, 22-25, 18-25, 22-25) to Serbia, missing a key opportunity to keep their Finals hopes alive.
Brodie Hofer led Canada’s offense with 15 points, including 14 kills, while Isaac Heslinga added 14 points, including 2 blocks.
Canada outperformed Serbia in blocking, 8-4, but the Europeans had the edge in attacking (53-50) and serving (4-3).
Final Day of Preliminary Round
In Japan, the United States will face the home team at 19:20 local time. In Slovenia, Canada takes on Ukraine at 13:00 local time. In Poland, Cuba will close out the round for NORCECA with a match against China at 13:30 local time.
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 19, 2025. – The stage is set for the 2025 edition of the U21 Women’s Pan American Cup, which will take place from July 22 to 27 at the Montserrat Multisport Complex in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
The tournament will feature seven national teams competing in two pools. Pool A includes the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and host nation Costa Rica, while Pool B consists of the United States (reigning champions), Canada, Chile, and Puerto Rico.
The United States enters as the two-time defending champion after winning the 2022 and 2023 editions, bringing their total to three gold medals, including the first one in 2017. The Americans will aim to make history by claiming a third consecutive title this year.
Matches begin on Tuesday, July 22, with the finals scheduled for Sunday, July 27.
MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, July 19th, 2025.- Puerto Rico started on a high note beating Costa Rica 3-0 (25-12, 25-10, 25-7) in their opening match of NORCECA Women’s Final Four at the Juan Aubin Cruz Abreu Coliseum in Manati, Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico and Costa Rica fought at the beginning of the first set but Puerto Rico’s experience prevailed blocking away the Costa Ricans to win 25-12. Supported by their powerful serve and consistency in blocking, Puerto Rico dominated the rest of the match winning in straight sets.
The Puerto Ricans were dominant, leading 42-16 in attacks, 13-0 in blocks, and 7-0 in service points. Puerto Rico gave away 12 points from unforced errors compared to 13 from Costa Rica.
Puerto Rico
Shara Venegas, captain of Puerto Rico: “I’m very happy with our first match in our first tournament of the summer. We have many new players, and I think the veterans and the new players complemented each other well, and I’m very satisfied with today’s match. We must continue improving the consistency and serves in our individual game to reach the goals we want.”
Juan Carlos Núñez, coach of Puerto Rico: “For us, this is our first match. We didn’t have any preparation games, and we were evaluating our game and how we played. It was a match where I was able to see all the players in action and prepare for tomorrow’s match. We have to continue aligning as a group since half of the players are new, and we have to continue working to be more aggressive on our serves.”
María Castro, captain of Costa Rica: “It was a tough match. We knew Puerto Rico was going to go all out since they were at home, and we came in with the goal of doing a good job. In the end, things didn’t go as we thought. They had a great block and a very good serve. We tried to follow our coach’s instructions, and some things went well for us, others didn’t, but they helped us prepare for tomorrow’s match.”
José Briceño, coach of Costa Rica: “We knew it was going to be a very tough match emotionally, technically, tactically, since we were going to face the host and had the crowd on their side. At times, we had good rallies, but Puerto Rico’s block was quite overwhelming for our hitters, and their setter’s serve greatly affected our reception. I think we’ll get better and better, and we want to give all the players plenty of practice so they can get into their rhythm and develop.”
Costa Rica will play versus Mexico on day two of the tournament while Puerto Rico will face Trinidad and Tobago.
Before the match, a small inauguration ceremony took place with the presence of Manati’s Mayor Mr. José Sánchez González, Secretary of State Madam Rosachely Rivera Santana, President of NORCECA Mr. Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, the Director of Recreation and Sports Madam Pamela Rosado and the President of the Puerto Rican Federation Mr. César Trabanco.
The mayor of Manati expressed the importance of this tournament in the municipality for the sport, to help develop tourism and the economy. Also, he said to be honored that this event was brought to the city which will open the door to bring more high-level volleyball competitions at the international level.
The Secretary of the State was very excited for this tournament taking place in Manati: “This event is very important for Puerto Rico to develop the tourism and the sport. We thank the mayor for his support and for having this event celebrated here. I’m very happy to have the opportunity to host all these countries and witness the support of fans.
MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, July 18th, 2025. Mexico kicked off the NORCECA Women’s Final Four with a dominant 3-0 (25-8, 25-11, 25-14) win over Trinidad and Tobago at the Juan Aubin Cruz Abreu Coliseum in Manati, Puerto Rico.
Mexico quickly jumped to a 6-0 lead with a block from Karina Flores. Trinidad and Tobago tried to keep up, but Gloria Ung’s tactical serving led them into a nine-point advantage. In the second set Mexico took full advantage of Trinidad and Tobago mistakes taking a 11-3 lead thanks to the offense of Sofia Maldonado. Trinidad and Tobago fought at the beginning of the third set with Mexico’s new rotation, but the Mexicans gained their rhythm and won the set 25-14.
Mexico outperformed Trinidad and Tobago in attacks (39-15), serves (4-1) and blocks (8-1). Trinidad and Tobago capitalized on 24 errors while Mexico finished with 16.
Mexico celebrates
Middle Blocker Karina Angelica Flores was the top scorer for the winning team with 11 points followed by the opposite Sofia Maldonado with 10 points. For Trinidad and Tobago, Delicia Pierre finished with 5 points and middle blocker Destiny Leon with 4 points.
Nicola Negro, head coach of Mexico: “For us, it was a good match, only affected by the serve errors in the final set. It was a match we played in an orderly fashion, doing what we had to do. We must improve a lot for tomorrow. It’s the first game of the season, and it was a good match for the first game, but there’s always room for improvement.”
Jocelyn Urias, Captain of Mexico: “It’s great to be able to return for another year with the national team and play here representing Mexico. I feel like we’re confident in doing our job. Before we go in and play, I tell the girls to work on our own game with a lot of respect for the opponent, but at the same time, we have a lot of room for improvement. The idea is to give everyone a chance to get into rhythm and prepare for tomorrow’s game.”
Daymian Stewart, coach of Trinidad and Tobago: “First, I’m happy for all the girls as we said this tournament is the first of the season and give us an idea where we are and there are some things we need to work on, but I’m satisfied with the overall performance of the girls. For tomorrow’s match we need to make an adjustment at blocking; the girls were playing a little timid at times looking for more control and power but at this level we need to hit the ball”
Kaylon Cruickshank, captain of Trinidad and Tobago: “It was a very good game. I’m really happy with the performance of my team. This was the first time we played at this level and I’m happy that even though we were down in points, we fought till the end. I think that in the third set we improved in our passing, and we adjusted our defense, and we were able to make more points. For tomorrow we need to work a little more in defense and in confidence.”
On the second day of the event, Mexico will face Costa Rica while Trinidad and Tobago will play host team Puerto Rico.
July 19, 2025.- The United States earned their second win in Week 3 of Men’s VNL 2025 on Friday, while Canada got their first win and moved away from relegation. Cuba broke their winning streak and lost their first match of the week.
USA beat Argentina and surpass them in race for VNL Finals
Robinson leads the Americans to victory despite an impressive 30 points from Kukartsev.
USA made an important step in the race for the spots in the men’s Volleyball Nations League Finals. In Friday’s opening game in Chiba, Japan, they beat one of their direct rivals for qualification – Argentina – in four sets and rose to ninth place in the current VNL standings, on a 6-4 win-loss record and 16 points. In the heated race for the quarterfinal vacancies, the Americans are one of the five teams with six wins each, lined up in the places from fifth to ninth. Argentina, on the other hand, dropped to 11th place on 5-5 and 14, but are still well in contention for the tickets to Ningbo.
USA capitalized mostly on the many unforced errors by their South American opponents to earn a 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-20, 25-23) victory. 22-year-old outside hitter Cooper Robinson led the way to success with 20 points to his name, including the match winner. To his 18 kills in attack, he added one ace and one kill block. Middle blocker Merrick McHenry impressed with a 79% success rate in attack. He authored two of USA’s six aces in the match to finish with 13 points. So did opposite Kyle Ensing.
“This was super fun! We had some great energy on the court. It was really great to play with some of the guys again, so I had a blast! It was a very important win. We needed to win this one. If we had lost, we would have been out of contention, so this was a huge win,” Robinson told VBTV. “The crowd here is amazing! I love all these fans. They are so energetic and passionate about the game of volleyball, so I can’t wait to play here next year.”
Cooper Robinson USA
France stop Cuba in Gdańsk
In Gdańsk, defending champions France showed strength to hand Cuba their first upset at the Ergo Arena after back-to-back victories this week, winning the match between the teams 3-2 (20-25, 25-15, 23-25, 25-21, 15-9).
The victory took the reigning Olympic champions to third place in the VNL standings, with seven wins and 20 points. Cuba continue inside the qualification zone, in sixth place, with six victories and 19 points.
Opposite Théo Faure topped all scorers, with 20 points (19 kills, one ace) registered, two more than outside hitter Trévor Clévenot, who left the court with 14 kills, three aces and one block to his name.
“We’re very happy because it was a very difficult and important match,” outside hitter Mathis Henno said. “We know Cuba have a great team and we tried to push against them. It was not easy, but we got the result and we’re proud of it.”
Opposite Jose Masso, who delivered 17 points (13 kills, three aces, one block), and outside hitters Marlon Yant and Miguel Ángel López, who scored 16 and 14, respectively, were Cuba’s most productive offensive weapons.
Cuba attack
Canada defeated the Netherlands
Canada earned a 3-0 victory (25-22, 25-20, 25-15) over the Netherlands this Friday, securing their first win of the week and fourth overall in the tournament. With the result, Canada moved further away from the relegation zone and climbed to 14th place.
The Canadians outperformed the Europeans throughout the match. They led in attacks (43-35), dominated in blocks (5-1), and had the edge in service points (2-0). It was a closely contested match with few unforced errors, Canada committed 21, while the Dutch made 25.
Xander Ketrzynski was Canada’s top offensive player, scoring 16 points, 15 of them from attacks. Isaac Heslinga contributed 12 points (11 from attacks), while team captain Fynnian McCarthy added 10 points (7 attacks, 1 block, and 2 aces).
Canada celebrates
Schedule of matches on Saturday July 19
Cuba has the day off. In Japan, the U.S. plays against Germany at 7:30 PM (local time). In Slovenia, Canada faces Serbia at 4:30 PM (local time).
July 18, 2025.- The FIVB and Volleyball World have officially confirmed the Netherlands as the host nation for the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships 2027.
The decision follows a highly competitive bidding process, with three shortlisted countries submitting strong proposals. While all bids were recognized for their quality and potential to contribute to the sport’s global growth, the Netherlands presented the most ambitious and wide-reaching concept built around four cities.
The Dutch National Federation (Nevobo) has significant experience in delivering major volleyball events, such as the Volleyball Nations League and the FIVB Volleyball World Championships and has proven ability to engage communities across different regions.
Speaking about the confirmation of the 2027 Beach Volleyball World Championships host, FIVB President Fabio Azevedo commented:
“The Beach Volleyball World Championships 2027 in the Netherlands marks both a comeback and a bold step forward, in line with the FIVB Strategic Vision 2032 aiming to strengthen the Global Volleyball Movement. We are confident this championship will set new standards for excellence, innovation, sustainability and community engagement, and we look forward to working with NEVOBO (the Dutch Volleyball Federation) and local partners to make it an unforgettable celebration, on and off the sand. With a passionate fanbase and a proven track record, including the highly successful 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships hosted across four cities, the Netherlands is ready to deliver a great World Championships once again.”
Volleyball World Chief Business Officer Guido Betti added:
“The Netherlands’ approach to the World Championships goes beyond hosting a tournament, it’s about building a lasting legacy for beach volleyball across the entire country. We are seeing beach volleyball, and its competitions growing rapidly, and the Netherlands’ approach is exactly what we want to see shaping the future of the sport.”
President of Nevobo, Peter Sprenger noted:
“Hosting the 2027 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships is not just about a single tournament, it’s about planting a seed for sustainable growth and lasting social and economic benefits. Building on our 15-year strategy of organizing international indoor and beach volleyball events, we have seen firsthand how the sport can inspire communities and attract new fans. As beach volleyball’s popularity continues to rise worldwide as well in the Netherlands, this event will attract many new sport enthusiasts, inspiring new generations and strengthening community bonds. We believe it will create a thriving legacy that elevates beach volleyball across the country and the world for years to come.”
July 18, 2025.- The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 women’s competition is heading to its thrilling conclusion in Łódź, Poland, where the top eight teams will battle it out for the title over five high-stakes days.
From 23 to 27 July, the renowned Atlas Arena will be the stage for the final round of the tournament, in a knockout format that promises non-stop world-class volleyball.
Emerging from a competitive preliminary phase that stretched from 4 June to 15 July, the seven highest-ranked teams will join host nation Poland in the final phase.
The eight teams that have secured their spots in Łódź are:
Italy, Brazil, Japan, Poland, Türkiye, China, USA and Germany
The quarterfinal round will take place across the opening two days of the Finals. Two matches will be played each day, beginning at 16:30 and 20:00 local time on both Wednesday and Thursday.
The quarterfinal matchups are:
Italy vs USA – 23 July at 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT)
Poland vs China – 23 July at 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT)
Japan vs Türkiye – 24 July at 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT)
Brazil vs Germany – 24 July at 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT)
Friday will serve as a crucial recovery and preparation day before the semifinals take centre stage on Saturday. The first semifinal will begin at 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT), with the second following at 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT).
The final day of competition, Sunday 27 July, will see the bronze medal match held at 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT), followed by the grand finale for gold at 20:00 (18:00 GMT).
Now in its seventh season, the VNL has continued to bring even more excitement to international volleyball, and the 2025 women’s edition has proven to be one of the most tightly contested to date.
All matches from the Finals in Łódź will be streamed live and on-demand on VBTV, with thousands expected to pack Atlas Arena to witness the world’s best in action.
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 18, 2025. – Excitement is building as Central America prepares for the seventh edition of the AFECAVOL U23 Women’s Championship, set to take place from July 20 to 24 at the Belize City Civic Center, where a new champion will be crowned.
The tournament will feature five national teams: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and host nation Belize.
The absence of defending champions Nicaragua paves the way for a new regional titleholder. In the previous edition, held in 2024 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Nicaragua ended Costa Rica’s dominance, as they were aiming for a sixth consecutive title.
The competition will follow a round-robin format, with two matches played daily, promising excitement from start to finish.
July 17, 2025. – The Caribbean downed the FIVB World Ranking leaders in front of 9,000 Polish fans. Cuba headed to Gdańsk for the third and last week of the Volleyball Nations League 2025 Preliminary Phase aware that they’d need to score big wins in order to qualify for the tournament’s Finals.
On Thursday, the Cubans delivered for the second day in a row. After outlasting direct rivals Bulgaria in a thrilling five-set match on Wednesday, they shocked FIVB world number one Poland in front of over 9,000 home fans at the Ergo Arena, claiming a 3-1 win (22-25, 25-19, 25-21, 26-24). It was Cuba’s first victory over Poland since 2010, significantly boosting their hopes of reaching the Finals.
Miguel Angel Lopez CUB
The three points earned with the victory were vital for Cuba to remain in the qualification zone — they currently sit in seventh place with six wins and 18 points. They trail France (fifth) and Ukraine (sixth) only due to a lower set ratio. Poland ranks fourth with seven wins and 20 points.
Outside hitter Marlon Yant once again led Cuba’s offense, scoring 18 points (15 kills, two aces, and one block). Opposite José Massó added 15 points, outside hitter Miguel Ángel López had 12, and middle blocker Javier Concepción contributed 10.
“It wasn’t a surprise for us because we always fight hard,” said Concepción. “Our goal today was to maintain a high level the entire time, and we’re very happy with the win — there was a lot of emotion at the end. But this is just a small step; we still have a long way to go. We’re happy, but this isn’t over yet.”
Poland’s top scorers were opposite Kewin Sasak (11 points, all from kills) and outside hitter Tomasz Fornal, who tallied seven kills, two aces, and one block.
Friday, July 18 Match Schedule:
In Japan, the United States faces Argentina at 3:30 PM (Local Time). In Poland, Cuba plays against France at 4:30 PM (Local Time). In Slovenia, Canada plays the Netherlands at 8:00 PM (Local Time).
MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, July 17th, 2025.- Coaches of the teams at the NORCECA Women’s Final Four taking place at Manatí, Puerto Rico from July 18-20 commented about their expectations ahead of the competition during the preliminary inquiry expecting a high-level competition and to gain experience for their future events.
Juan Carlos Núñez, Head coach of Puerto Rico: Our first home tournament begins with high expectations, with our goals this summer is to have a strong representation and earn points in pursuit of qualification for the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
My team is a mix of veteran and young players. It’s an interesting mix, and it’s important for these young players to gain experience. We have several training sessions before tomorrow’s match to get off to a good start. It’s a deeper team than last year’s because we have more experienced players to take on the challenge of the summer.
Puerto Rico
Nicola Negro, Head coach of Mexico: This is our first event of the season where we have a young group, and we’ve been making a lot of changes. It’s the beginning of an Olympic cycle, and the goal is to start building our game. Prior this event, we had a training camp at the high-performance center in Mexico, as well as several friendly matches with teams from the United States, all with the goal of having a strong season.
We have a stable roster, the addition of about four athletes coming from college, and the return of Samantha Bricio, a very important player for our team, and we are very positive.
Mexico
José Miguel Briceño Torres, Head coach Costa Rica: We begin our national team participation phase with an eye toward this year’s regional tournaments, which include the Final Four and the Central American Games.
We have an experienced team and young players, and we want to prepare them to develop their game in this event. Since the beginning of the year, we’ve been training twice a week and have also used the national tournament to give the players a rhythm. Our goal is for the players to experience what it’s like to play against teams that will demand technical and tactical demands from them, expecting a progressive performance in this event.
Costa Rica
Daymian Stewart, Head coach Trinidad and Tobago: We are honor to be here and play at this level and for us is a big initial of our international season. Our main goal is the Caribbean championship in the Bahamas, so this is part of our preparation. We will face very tough opponents, but we expect Costa Rica to be the closes to our level and give them a challenge and to put our best foot forward against Puerto Rico and Mexico.
It is a new team. We are transitioning from the team that qualified from the world championship in 2018. We have some young players as young as 15 years old so this is an opportunity to give them exposure at this level, and this will really prepare us to continue dominating in our zone.
Trinidad and Tobago
Participating teams will be awarded FIVB World Ranking points valid for the qualification process to the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League and the FIVB World Championship 2027. Additionally, the champion team will earn the qualification to the Senior’s NORCECA Women Olympic Continental Championship.
July 16, 2025. – Cuba’s victory over Bulgaria and USA’s win against Türkiye boosted both teams’ chances of qualifying for the 2025 Men’s VNL Finals. Meanwhile, Canada fell further behind in the standings after losing to Slovenia.
Cuba tops Bulgaria and stays alive
Deep in the battle for a spot in the Finals, Cuba secured the first of several victories it will need this week to earn a ticket to Ningbo in thrilling fashion.
The Caribbean squad came from behind twice before edging out Bulgaria in a five-set thriller, 3-2 (23-25, 25-16, 23-25, 27-25, 15-13), and is now within the qualification zone.
Cuba jumped from ninth to seventh place with five wins and 15 points, putting them in a stronger position to advance. The loss to a direct rival dropped Bulgaria to 12th place, with four wins and 12 points.
Cuban star outside hitter Marlon Yant led all scorers with 23 points (18 kills, three blocks, and two aces), returning to the top of the VNL scoring charts with 172 points. Making his first appearance in this edition of the tournament, middle blocker Robertlandy Simón was on fire, contributing 19 points (13 kills and six blocks). Opposite José Massó (16), middle blocker Javier Concepción (15), and outside hitter José Miguel Gutiérrez (11) also reached double digits.
“We’re happy with the win because Bulgaria is a good team,” said Simón. “They’re younger, but they can compete with anyone. Tomorrow, we have another tough match against Poland, and we’re going to fight again.”
Marlon Yant Herrera CUB
USA sweeps Türkiye and climbs the standings
The United States delivered a solid performance in their first match of the week in Chiba, defeating Türkiye in straight sets 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-19), a result that helped them leapfrog Germany in the VNL standings.
The win lifted the Americans to 10th place with five victories and 13 points, holding the same 5-4 record as Cuba, Slovenia, and Argentina. Türkiye, on the other hand, sits in 16th place with two wins and six points and remains at risk of relegation.
Opposite Gabi García led Team USA with 15 points, including 13 kills and two aces. Ethan Champlin added 13 points, one more than fellow outside hitter Cooper Robinson.
“It was a great win against a tough team,” said García. “We need every point we can get to make it to the Finals, and it was a big day for us. Now we have to keep it going. I think we played really well as a team, and I’m excited to see where this takes us.”
USA celebrates
Canada falls to Slovenia
Canada couldn’t hold on to its first-set lead and ended up falling to host team Slovenia 1-3 (25-21, 21-25, 19-25, 21-25).
While the Canadians out-blocked Slovenia 10-6, it was the Europeans who prevailed in attacks (51-44) and service aces (6-4). Slovenia also capitalized on Canada’s 33 unforced errors, compared to just 28 of their own.
Outside hitter Brodie Hofer was Canada’s top scorer with 11 points (8 kills and 3 blocks), while Xander Ketrzynski added 10 points, all from kills.
Fynnian McCarthy – Brodie Hofer CAN
Thursday, July 17 Match Schedule
USA and Canada will rest. Cuba faces Poland at 20:00 local time in Gdańsk, Poland.
MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, July 16th, 2025.- Puerto Rico is set to defend its title at the fifth edition of the NORCECA Final Four Women’s tournament taking place from July 18 to 20 in Manati, Puerto Rico.
Four national teams, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago, will compete in pursuit of the championship, following Cuba’s withdrawal due to unexpected travel complications.
Participating teams will be awarded FIVB World Ranking points valid for the qualification process to the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League and for the qualification to the FIVB World Championship 2027.
As the back-to-back reigning champion, Puerto Rico is one of the top contenders aiming to defend their title. In the last tournament held in Puerto Rico, the host team finished first, Mexico second and Cuba secured the third seed.
The competition will feature three days of round-robin matches starting this Friday at the Juan Aubin Cruz Abreu Coliseum, which is set to accommodate up to 8,000 spectators.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 13, 2025: Trinidad and Tobago’s Opposite Hitter Jahreef Miguel was named the ‘Most Valuable Player’ of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena on Sunday.
Miguel also collected the ‘Best Opposite’ award after helping his team to a 21-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10 win over Suriname in the final.
Individual Awards CAZOVA U23 Men
In addition to Miguel, his team-mates Jerome Morrison “Best Setter”, Rayon Dickson “Best Libero” and ‘Best Digger’, and Michael Burkett ‘Best Receiver’
Despite the loss in the final, Suriname players also collected a number of individual awards with Shemar Jameson “First Best Outside Hitter” and ‘Best Scorer’. Anfernee Lee Aleong ‘Second Best Outside Hitter’, and captain Faiq Lobo ‘First Best Middle Blocker’.
Martinique’s Kenan Melinard “Second Best Middle Blocker’ and Guadeloupe’s Crane Zackary “Best Server’ collected the other awards.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 13, 2025: As was expected Martinique captain Maelyss Melinard-Chanteur was deservedly named the ‘Most Valuable Player’ of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Women’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena on Sunday.
Melinard-Chanteur captured the award, one of two on the night after firing her team too 23-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-19 triumph over Suriname in the tournament decider while she was also named the ‘Second Best Outside Hitter’.
Women Individual Awards CAZOVA U23
Not to be left out, Martinique’s Dorianne Chadet, Emeline Kalt and Alice Budon were all award winners as well copping the ‘Second Best Middle Blocker’, ‘Best Setter’ and ‘Best Libero’ accolades respectively.
Suriname’s Shaniva Balkaran was named ‘First Best Outside Hitter 1’, while her teammate Cailynn Griffith nabbed both the ‘Best Digger’ and ‘Best Opposite’ awards.
Curacao’s Phelipa Giovienelly copped the ‘First Best Middle Blocker 1’ and Trinidad and Tobago trio Natassia Baptiste ‘Best Server’, Jordanne Hutchinson ‘Best Receiver’ and L’fe Roberts ‘Best Scorer’ awards.
July 15, 2025. – The final week of Preliminary Round matches for the Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) begins this week, with teams battling for a spot in the quarterfinals. The Final Round will be held in Ningbo Beilun, China, starting on July 30.
As the host nation, China has already secured a place in the quarterfinals, leaving the remaining 15 teams to compete for the seven remaining spots.
Cuba sits in 9th place with a 4-4 record (13 points)
USA is in 13th place, also with a 4-4 record (10 points)
Canada is in 14th place with 3 wins and 5 losses (11 points)
Brazil tops the standings with 7 wins and 1 loss, followed by Poland and Italy, both with 6 wins and 2 losses.
Given the standings, USA, Cuba, and Canada must aim to win their remaining matches to have a chance at qualifying for the single-elimination Final Round.
NORCECA Teams’ Match Locations:
USA plays in Chiba, Japan, alongside Argentina, Brazil, Türkiye, Germany, and Japan.
July 14, 2025.– The three-week Preliminary Round of the 2025 Women’s Volleyball Nations League came to an end this Sunday, with the United States clinching the last spot for the Finals in 8th place. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic and Canada finished in 12th and 16th place, respectively.
USA Falls to China in Thrilling Five-Set Match
The United States couldn’t hold onto its two-set lead and eventually lost to China in a thrilling five-set battle, 2-3 (25-18, 25-19, 21-25, 16-25, 16-18), concluding the Preliminary Round in 8th place with 7 wins and 5 losses.
In a tightly contested match, the U.S. led in blocks (10-9) and aces (4-1), while China held a slight edge in attacks (67-64) and capitalized on 28 American unforced errors, compared to their own 25.
Outside hitter Sarah Franklin was phenomenal, leading all scorers with 32 points, including 29 kills and 3 blocks. Taylor Mims added 10 points (9 kills and 1 block).
The quarterfinals begin on July 23, followed by the semifinals on July 26, and the championship match on July 27. The eight teams advancing to the Final Round in Łódź, Poland, are: 1. Italy, 2. Brazil; 3. Japan; 4. Poland; 5. China; 6. Türkiye; 7. Germany; 8. United States.
Matches will be held in Łódź, Polonia.
Sarah Franklin USA (1)
Canada wraps up 2025 VNL with a solid performance against Thailand and secures its place in VNL
Canada’s women’s national team closed out their 2025 Volleyball Nations League campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 win (17-25, 25-23, 30-28, 23-25, 15-13) over Thailand on Sunday in Arlington. Although Canada had already secured its spot in the VNL 2026 before the match, the team showed determination to end on a high note, finishing in 16th place with three wins and ten points.
Outside hitter Hilary Johnson was the standout performer with 25 points (22 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace), while middle blocker Emily Maglio had a strong two-way game with 19 points, including 10 kills, 8 blocks, and 1 ace.
“It feels amazing to finish with a win,” said Johnson after the match. “We worked really hard throughout the tournament. Wins didn’t come easily, so ending like this is a big reward. I’m proud of my team. Now we rest and then get back to the gym with new teammates to keep growing together.”
Despite the loss, Thailand achieved their goal of remaining in the 2026 VNL by taking two sets, which gave them the single point needed to avoid relegation—sending Korea to the bottom spot. Thailand closed the tournament with a 2-10 record and 6 points.
For Canada, this victory serves as a morale boost ahead of upcoming international competitions. While they fell short of qualifying for the Finals, the team showed clear improvement and promising development, with a mix of rising talent and experienced leaders forming a strong foundation for the program’s future.
Korea, who had competed in every VNL edition since its inception, is now relegated. Their best result was 12th place in the inaugural 2018 edition. Korea will be replaced in the 2026 VNL by the highest-ranked national team in the FIVB World Ranking that did not compete in 2025.
Canada
Dominican Republic Ends 2025 VNL in 12th After Loss to Germany
The Dominican Republic wrapped up its 2025 VNL campaign with a 3-1 (25-20, 25-13, 21-25, 25-21) loss to Germany on Sunday in Arlington, closing the Preliminary Phase in 12th place.
The “Caribbean Queens” finished with five wins and 13 points, missing out on a place in the Finals in Łódź but displaying competitiveness against some of the world’s top teams.
In the final match, opposite Gaila González led the Dominican offense with 15 points (12 kills, 3 aces). Despite taking the third set and showing fight throughout the match, the team couldn’t match the European side’s pace in key moments.
July 14, 2025. – The U.S. Girls U19 National Team earned the silver medal at the 2025 Girls U19 World Championship after falling in the final to Bulgaria, 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-17, 29-27) on Sunday in Osijek, Croatia.
The U.S. has medaled in the last four World Championships for the age group. The 2023 World Championship, where the team won gold, was the first one contested as a U19 championship. Previously, FIVB held Worlds as a U18 event, and the U.S. won bronze in 2021 and gold in 2019.
The match was close statistically as the U.S. finished with a one-point advantage in kills (46-45) and blocks (11-10), while Bulgaria served eight aces compared to five for the U.S. The key statistic was Bulgaria committing 14 fewer errors (37-23).
Henley Anderson USA
Outside hitter Suli Davis, who was named Best Outside Hitter, led the U.S. in points (17), kills (13), aces (3), digs (16) and successful receptions (4). Libero Lily Hayes finished with 14 digs.
Outside Cari Spears totaled 12 points on 10 kills and two blocks, while middle blocker Jordan Taylor shared match-high honors with four blocks to go with seven kills for 11 points. Henley Anderson was named Best Opposite and had seven points on five kills and two blocks in the final.
Suliane Davis USA
11th-Place Match
Chinese Taipei secured 11th place with a 3-1 (25-21, 30-28, 17-25, 25-15) victory over Mexico at the Trstenik Gymnasium, dominating the offensive battle with 70 successful attacks to Mexico’s 48. Sixteen-year-old opposite Xu Zhen-Xuan led the Asian team with 20 points (18 kills, 1 block, 1 ace). Mexico’s top scorers were middle blocker Aitana Rettke Tanguma (10 kills, 1 ace, 5 blocks) and outside hitter Angélica Jazmín Torres (15 kills, 0 aces, 1 block), both finishing with 16 points.
USA part of Dream Team: Suliane Davis (Second Best Outside Hitter) and Henley Anderson (Best Opposite).
Final Standings – FIVB U19 Women’s World Championship 2025:
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 13, 2025: Host Trinidad and Trinidad were crowned the first champions of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena on Sunday.
This was after the Calypso Spikers led by captain Nicholas Williams defeated Suriname in a sometimes heated but enthralling contest 21-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10 with the captain rightfully sinking the match winning point for the host off a failed block by Suriname.
The win avenged a loss also in five sets to the same opponents in their final round-robin match on Saturday night and secured the lone qualification spot to the Junior Pan American Cup next year.
Commenting on the win, Trinidad and Tobago Head Coach Sean Morrison the win was a result of hard work, total effort and sacrifice by his players and coaching staff.
Williams added, “We faced a really good Suriname team, and we had to dig deep to get the win and credit to my teammates for pulling it off.”
Cuban-born Suriname coach, FIVB Development Coach, Carlos Orta, Suriname was quick to admit that he felt the Trinidad and Tobago was a much more complete team than his.
Orta said, “Player for player, I believe Trinidad and Tobago has the best team in the competition, but my team is also a good team, which made for a very good contest.”
“We fought a good game today, and we were fighting and giving our all and both teams played well, but in the end, I think Trinidad and Tobago was better.
Faiq Lobo, Captain of Suriname, said, “I hate being second, but it was a good game and Trinidad and Tobago played better.”
“We fought hard, and they also fought hard, but it just wasn’t our day today.”
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 13, 2025: Martinique lifted the title in the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Women’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) when they dethroned Suriname (3-1) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
Inspired by France-based captain Maelyss Melinard-Chanteur, Martinique was made to work hard for their victory by a stubborn Suriname team who won the first set, 25-23, before the eventual champions prevailed 25-15, 25-21, 25-19 to seal their ticket to the Junior Pan American Cup next year.
The win was similar to their round-robin meeting on the opening night of the tournament which Martinique also won in four sets.
An elated Eddy Erialc, Head Coach of Martinique women’s team said he was very happy for the win by his team but also thanked Suriname for a very good match.
“In our first match against Suriname, we had a much easier time, but today, they lifted their game as champions do and made it a very good level contest and a hard game to play.”
Melinard-Chanteur added, “I’m very happy that my team won, as my last time in Trinidad at the youth level I ended up with the silver medal, so to win this time is a really good feeling.”
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 13, 2025: Host Trinidad and Tobago ended their campaign in the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Women’s Championship on a high with a win over Curacao for the bronze medal.
Winners over the same opponents on Thursday’s first day of competition in five sets, the Deon Hutchinson-coached ‘Calyspo Spikers’ won 25-12, 25-13, 25-20 inspired by another solid outing from captain L’fe Roberts.
Speaking after the win, Hutchinson credited his players for battling against the odds throughout the tournament to come away with the win.
He said, “We had a tough loss to Suriname on Saturday night which resulted in us missing the chance to play the gold medal match. But the girls came back today very strong and determined to get the bronze medal and they did just that.”
“Credit to Curacao for their strong effort as well, but today the girls were determined to finish on a high,’ stated Hutchinson.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 13, 2025: Martinique took home the bronze medal in the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) when they came from behind to beat Guadeloupe 3-1 at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
Winners over the same opponents in their final round-robin pool match on Saturday night in straight sets, Martinique found themselves trailing at the end of the first set, 18-25.
However, in the second set Martinique managed to battle to a 25-22 win and kept the momentum to win the next two sets 25-19, 25-21 to secure the bronze medal, ending the tournament with two wins on the trot after losing their first two matches against Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname, respectively.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 13, 2025.- Andy Leonardo of Guatemala was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Second AFECAVOL Senior Men’s Final Four, held successfully from July 11 to 13 at the FESAVOL Gymnasium.
Leonardo also earned the award for Best Server of the event. Guatemala collected multiple individual honors, with Adolfo Rivas named Best Setter, and Carlos López awarded Second Best Spiker.
From Nicaragua, Miguel Castillo stood out by earning Best Digger, Best Libero, and Best Receiver, while Axel Gutiérrez claimed the honors for Best Opposite and Best Scorer.
Francis Hauze of Belize was recognized as Best First Spiker, and his teammate Hakan Godoy received the award for Second Best Blocker. Representing El Salvador, Diego Guido Guidos was named Best First Blocker.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 13, 2025. – Guatemala was crowned undefeated champion of the Second Senior Men’s Final Four organized by AFECAVOL, after comfortably sweeping El Salvador 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-19) in the final match of the competition.
Guatemala finished the tournament with a perfect 3-0 record, while El Salvador was unable to secure a single win. Belize claimed second place, and Nicaragua took third.
The match against El Salvador was the only one where Guatemala could breathe easily, as their previous encounters against Nicaragua and Belize went the full five sets before they emerged victorious.
Andy Leonardo led Guatemala’s offense with 13 points, supported by Carlos López with 11 and José Pérez with 10. On the Salvadoran side, Ricardo Navarro finished with 11 points.
Reider Lucas, head coach of Guatemala, commented after the title win: “We had prepared well for this event, and it also serves as an important step for us on the road to the Central American Games. Our goal was to perform well, especially because last year we were left with a bitter taste after losing at home”.
Andrea Genova, head coach of El Salvador, stated: “We knew this tournament would be of a very high level. The teams came well-prepared, especially Belize, who surprised everyone in this event. For our part, injuries affected us a lot and hurt us at the start of the tournament, but overall, the players showed some improvement in each match”.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 13, 2025. – With a relentless attack and a solid, nearly impenetrable block, Belize defeated Nicaragua 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-21) to secure the silver medal at the Second Senior Men’s Final Four organized by AFECAVOL.
Belize finished the tournament with a 2-1 win-loss record, guaranteeing them second place, while Nicaragua concluded with a 1-2 record, placing them in third.
It was a one-sided match, with Belize leading in every statistical category: attacks (41-31), blocks (10-2), and aces (5-1). Despite conceding more points on unforced errors (22-19), it had no impact on the final outcome.
On offense, Francis Hauze led Belize with 17 points, followed by Ernest Broaster with 14. For Nicaragua, Axel Gutiérrez was the only player to reach double digits, scoring 14 points.
Elton Anderson, team captain for Belize, shared after the match: “We are very excited about this victory. We had lost our previous match, but this time we stayed organized and overcame our mistakes. We played with more strategy and managed to control our emotions. This was one of our best matches, especially against Nicaragua. I’m very happy and emotional because this is my last tournament; I’m getting a bit old, so I say goodbye with this win”.
Jorge Mena, head coach of Nicaragua, reflected: “We needed to train harder before the event, and the players needed to understand what they were up against. Now it’s time to reflect and accept that we need to work much harder if we want to win a medal at the Central American Games”.
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 13, 2025 – Blake Fahlbusch of the United States was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2025 U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup after leading his team to an undefeated championship run at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.
USA clinched their third consecutive U19 Pan Am Cup gold medal, sweeping Mexico 25-20, 25-21, 25-18, with a dominant team performance throughout the tournament. Mexico, backed by a passionate home crowd, proudly took the silver medal, while Canada captured its first-ever bronze at the event with a straight-sets win over Venezuela.
USA
Blake Fahlbusch was joined by teammates who also collected multiple awards: Isiah Powell earned 1st Best Blocker, Benjamin Bayer was recognized as Best Receiver, and Dante Cayaban claimed Best Server honors.
Mexico’s Carlos Grajeda and Emi Diaz were recognized as the 1st and 2nd Best Spikers, respectively, after strong performances throughout the tournament.
Fernando Castello of Puerto Rico earned the award for 2nd Best Blocker, highlighting his defensive contributions at the net.
Chile had a standout showing in individual awards, with Juan Pablo Espinoza named Best Setter, Joaquin Valjalo earning both Best Opposite and Best Scorer, and Esteban Castillo receiving the Best Digger award.
Rolando Bello of Venezuela rounded out the award recipients as the tournament’s Best Libero, demonstrating solid defensive skills.
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 13, 2025. – The United States achieved a remarkable third consecutive gold medal at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup, sweeping host nation Mexico 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-18) at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium in Cuernavaca.
USA’s dominance in the tournament continues, having now won three straight titles, in 2022, 2023, and 2025, and four overall medals in the history of the event (3 gold, 1 bronze).
This was Mexico’s fifth consecutive appearance in the gold medal match, and although they were strongly supported by an energetic home crowd, they fell short once again. Mexico’s only title came in 2017 against Chile; since then, they’ve collected four silver medals (2019, 2022, 2023, 2025).
After two tightly contested sets, the United States surged to a commanding 14-8 lead in the third and never looked back. USA held a significant edge in attacks (45-29) and blocks (11-4), while also leading 2-1 in aces, however they committed more errors than Mexico (25 to 17).
Three U.S. players scored in double digits: Blake Fahlbusch led all scorers with 17 points (15 kills, 2 blocks); Corbin Batista added 15 kills and Isiah Powell contributed 11 points (5 kills, 6 blocks).
Mexico’s top performer was Carlos Grajeda, who scored 13 points.
Team captain Brett Novak reflected on the experience: “It feels unbelievable. We only had one week of training together before coming here. This team has come together so well, especially over the last four days, we just got better and better, playing as a group. The crowd really got into it in the first two sets; they were very energetic, and we loved it, it got us going.”
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 13, 2025. – Canada captured its first-ever medal in the history of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup, defeating Venezuela in straight sets 3-0 (25-15, 26-24, 25-18) on Sunday at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium in Cuernavaca.
Canada came out strong, taking early control of the match by dominating the first set. Venezuela responded with intensity, especially in the second set, but the Canadians remained composed and closed the match in three sets to secure the bronze medal.
A dominant attacking performance gave Canada the edge, with a 44-23 advantage in kills. Both teams recorded eight blocks, and Canada held a slight lead in service aces (4-3). In errors, the count was nearly even, with Canada committing 23 and Venezuela 20.
Opposite Lukas Wright led all scorers with 18 points for Canada, followed by outside hitter Mason Lage with 11 and middle blocker Simon Oberbuchner contributing 10. Venezuela’s top scorer was Ángel Matute with 7 points.
Canadian head coach Taylor Jordan reflected on the significance of the moment: “For us, we just wanted to live in the moment. This is the last day that this group is playing together, to enjoy being a team for one last day, one last match. Maybe it was less about the bronze and more about us being one big Canadian family. In terms of success, our reception was phenomenal, and that gave us an opportunity to play”.
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 13, 2025. – Puerto Rico secured a hard-fought fifth-place finish at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup with a thrilling five-set victory over Chile, 3-2 (21-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-23, 15-12), on Sunday at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium in Cuernavaca.
In a marathon match that lasted over two hours, both teams battled with intensity, exchanging long rallies and fierce net play. Puerto Rico rallied from an 8-11 deficit in the decisive fifth set, tying the score and gaining momentum with a final push of effective blocking to close the match 15-12.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico outblocked Chile 12-10 and capitalized on 38 Chilean errors while committing 24 of their own. Chile held the edge in attacking points, 71-57, and points from serves, 3-1.
Jean Paul González led Puerto Rico with 22 points, all on kills. Gustavo Álvarez added 18 points, and Fernando Castello contributed 14 points, including a match-high of 7 blocks.
Chile’s best performer was once again Joaquín Valjalo, who topped all scorers with 26 points. He was supported by Francisco Briones (18 points), Joaquín Cassanova (16), and Mateo Sanz (13).
Juan Albarrán, head coach of Puerto Rico, said, “It was a great match, and the fans really enjoyed it. For us, it was extremely important to leave here with this fifth-place finish, because of what it means to win at this moment and, emotionally, what lies ahead next week: the FIVB U19 World Championship.”
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 13, 2025. – Panama secured a hard-fought seventh-place finish at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup after edging Suriname in a thrilling five-set battle, 3-2 (22-25, 25-19, 12-25, 25-22, 15-8) at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium in Cuernavaca.
In a roller coaster of a match, Panama claimed revenge after falling to Suriname in the preliminary round. This time, they came out on top by leading in kills (64-53) and aces (5-2). Suriname held the advantage in blocks (11-7) and committed fewer errors (23 to Panama’s 33).
Wen Downer PAN
Panama’s Wen Downer delivered a tournament-high of 29 points at the moment, powering the team’s offense. He was supported by Kendrieck Newby, who chipped in with 18 points in the victory.
For Suriname, Javier Nasibdar led with 21 points, followed by Gianni Ritfeld with 17. Both Jahmit Jambo and Revelino Sandel contributed 10 points each.
Horacio Angulo, head coach of Panama, spoke after the match: “We tried the entire match to beat them, we went for it, and we did it. This was a very tough tournament, and our team is new and young. I’m grateful for the boys’ effort. We didn’t want to finish in last place, and we achieved that.”
July 12, 2025. – USA booked the last available ticket to the Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Finals in Łódź. In Friday’s closing VNL match in Arlington, they outlasted Canada in a dramatic five-set battle and secured their place among the last eight in the competition. The two sets won were sufficient for Canada to secure their survival in the VNL for next season.
That wasn’t the case for Korea, who lost Sunday’s opening match in Chiba in straight sets to France, keeping the relegation battle open until the Thailand vs. Canada game later that same day.
In a rollercoaster of emotions, the U.S. claimed a narrow 3-2 (26-24, 23-25, 20-25, 25-21, 19-17) victory in extra points of the tiebreak against Canada. Each set was a mini rollercoaster with constant lead changes, but the fifth set was especially dramatic: Canada came back from a four-point deficit to reach double match point at 14-12. The Americans denied them, leveled the score, and fended off three more match points before sealing the win with three straight points, igniting a celebration from the home crowd in Arlington.
Madisen and Avery Skinner USA
The winners were led by outside hitter Avery Skinner with 21 points, including one block. Opposite Madisen Skinner (two aces, one block) and outside hitter Logan Eggleston (two blocks) each contributed 19 points, while middle blockers Tia Jimerson (six blocks) and Dana Rettke (three blocks) added 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Despite Canada’s tremendous blocking effort, 24 stuff blocks in total, it wasn’t enough to claim victory in this North American classic. Twenty-one-year-old opposite Anna Smrek had six blocks and two aces for a 13-point total, while middle blocker Emily Maglio tallied five blocks and one ace to reach 12 points. Outside hitter Hilary Howe Johnson led all scorers with 29 points, including four blocks. Team captain and middle blocker Jazmine Ruth White added 10 points with four blocks, and fellow outside hitter Andrea Mitrovic also reached double figures with 11 points.
Avery Skinner USA
With a 2-9 win-loss record, 8 points, and a 16-31 set ratio, Canada sits in 16th place in the current VNL standings and can no longer be overtaken by Thailand, who are last with a 1-10 record, 5 points, and a 9-31 set ratio, even with a straight-sets win. However, Thailand can still surpass Korea, who have finished their campaign at 1-11 with 5 points, and would only need to win two sets against Canada to do so.
Match Schedule Sunday July 13
All matches local time Arlington. Dominican Republic vs Germany at 11:30, Thailand vs Canada at 15:00. USA against China at 19:00.
July 12, 2025. – The reigning champions, United States, ended Poland’s unbeaten run and will play the final against Bulgaria, who eliminated Turkey. The Americans will be aiming for back-to-back titles and their third U19 world championship, having won the title in 2019, when they defeated Italy, and in 2023, when they beat Turkey.
United States vs. Bulgaria – THE GRAND FINAL
The current champions, United States, will face Bulgaria in the final of the 2025 FIVB Women’s U19 Volleyball World Championship this Sunday in Osijek, Croatia. Both teams won their respective semifinals on Saturday at the Gradski Vrt Hall in Osijek, securing their spots in the final.
The defending champions, United States, ended Poland’s unbeaten run in the World Championship with a decisive 3-0 victory (25-14, 25-18, 25-19) to advance to the final. Poland had reached the semifinals with a perfect record of eight wins, including a 3-2 victory over the Americans in the preliminary round.
USA celebrates
However, the Americans completely dominated the match, outpacing Poland in attack (37 to 26 spikes), blocking (12 to 3 effective blocks), and serving (8 to 3 aces). Attacker Suliane Davis was unstoppable with 18 points (13, 3, 2), while opposite Henley Anderson added 11 points (6, 3, 2). For Poland, Natasza Ornoch was the top scorer with 8 points (6, 0, 2).
“This is a great victory for us. Poland is a fantastic team and being able to compete with them at this level and come out as winners is a tremendous honor. We have improved in every game, considering that we have only been together as a team for about three weeks. Going to the final with a result like this gives us a lot of confidence,” said United States captain Genevieve Harris.
“It means a lot for us to defend the title because having a World Championship medal is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We want to give our all in that match and fight for our country and the sport we love,” she added.
Genevieve Harris USA
Mexico Will Play for 11th Place
Croatia secured the match for ninth place on Sunday. In the Saturday night game in Vrnjacka Banja, they defeated Mexico 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-20). The Croatian team will play for ninth place, and Mexico will compete for eleventh place. Croatian captain Lana Francetic (11, 1, 1) and her Mexican counterpart Naomi Alejandra Cruz (11, 2, 0) were the top scorers with 13 points each.
Mexico will play for eleventh place against Chinese Taipei, who lost their match against Argentina.
Canada Finishes the Championship in 18th Place
In the overall standings, Spain ended up in 17th place after defeating Canada 3-2 (17-25, 25-17, 10-25, 25-23, 15-09). Captain Inés Losada Gordaliza was Spain’s top scorer with 22 points (19, 1, 2), while receiver Sofia Zabjek led Canada with 18 (14, 1, 3). Canada finished in 18th place.
Puerto Rico Loses to Chile and Finishes 20th in the World
Chile concluded their participation in 19th place after defeating Puerto Rico 3-1 (25-12, 19-25, 25-20, 27-25). Opposite Javiera Núñez Ibaceta was the top scorer with 18 points (15, 3, 0), while Cherisse Binex Atilano Narváez led Puerto Rico, which finished in 20th place, with 14 points (11, 1, 2).
Dominican Republic finished in 23rd place after defeating Tunisia 3-1 (25-23, 12-25, 25-23, 25-20) in Trstenik, leaving the African team in last place (24th). The 15-year-old opposite Rayni Merab Mondesi led the Caribbean team with 24 points (20, 3, 1). In Tunisia, captain Sinda Ben Hamida once again stood out with 15 points (10, 3, 2).
Schedule for July 13
FINAL: United States vs. Bulgaria at 18:15 (Local Time)
Match for 11th Place: Mexico vs. Chinese Taipei at 13:15 (Local Time)
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 12, 2025: Suriname and host Trinidad and Tobago provided the spectators with a glimpse of what to expect in the final of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena on Sunday from 6 pm.
Both teams already qualified for the final, went back-and-forth in a five-setter to determine the round-robin pool winners, with the visitors just coming out on top 25-18, 25-19, 20-25, 23-25, 15-11.
With both technical staff opting to rest key players ahead of the more important gold medal match to come a day later, it was left up to the bench players to grab the spot-light and that they did with the Carlos Orta-coached Suriname grabbing a 2-0 lead in sets in the best-of-five contest.
However, spurred on by the home crowd and some powerful spiking from Jahreef Miguel, Michael Burkett and Elijah Best, Trinidad and Tobago clawed their way back into the contest by taking the next two sets, 25-20, 25-23 to extend the match to a fifth and deciding contest.
Both teams then introduced their regular starters for the start of the fifth set and Trinidad and Tobago started brightly and raced into a 6-3 lead in the decider, and nine points away from victory.
However, following a time-out by Cuban-born Suriname coach, FIVB Development Coach, Carlos Orta, Suriname then won five straight points to grab an 8-6 advantage.
Trinidad and Tobago then drew level at 9-9, but Suriname then pulled away again, winning four straight points for a 13-9 cushion before closing out the match by winning two of the next four points and bragging rights ahead of the title-match, and no doubt a confidence boosted as well.
With the win, Suriname ended with a 3-0 record and nine points at the top of the table, with Trinidad and Tobago in the second spot with a 2-1 record and eight points ahead of their meeting again today for the gold medal and the lone qualification spot to the Junior Pan American Cup next year.
The bronze medal match will feature Martinique and Guadeloupe from 12 noon.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 12, 2025: Martinique finally got among the win column in the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) when they brushed aside French-speaking rivals Guadeloupe (3-0) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
With both teams yet to get a win heading into the contest, it was just left for bragging rights ahead of their meeting for the bronze medal on Sunday as well, and in the end, the livelier Martinique team got the confidence boosting win, 25-19, 25-19, 25-23.
With the win, Martinique ended round-robin play with a 1-2 record and six points, while Guadeloupe finished with a 0-3 mark and one point.
Both teams go up against each other again on Sunday from 12 noon in the bronze medal match, before host Trinidad and Tobago faces Suriname in the gold medal contest from 6 pm with a ticket to the Junior Pan American Cup at stake for the winners.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 12, 2025: Defending champions Suriname will have a chance to avenge their lone defeat in the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Women’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) so far when they face unbeaten Martinique in the final at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena on Sunday from 4 pm.
This after Suriname coached by Victor Lesperrans broke the hearts of the host Trinidad and Tobago with a battling 13-25, 25-22, 29-27, 25-22 win in their final round-robin match.
Both Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago entered the match with 1-1 win-loss records, after both defeated Curacao, but were beaten by Martinique as well.
And with the winners securing a spot in the final it was Suriname captained by Chantelle Lisse who prevailed in the topsy-turvy contest to end with a 2-1 record and 10 points, four points behind Martinique, to have a chance at retaining their title, they first won back in 2018 in Bonaire.
The heart-broken Trinidad and Tobago will still have a chance to finish on the medal podium as they come up against Curacao, in another repeat of the women’s opening day fixture in the bronze medal match from 2 pm.
The winners of the gold medal will qualify to next year’s Junior Pan American Cup.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 12, 2025: Tournament favourites Martinique marched into the finals of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Women’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) with a third win from as many matches at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
Winners over defending champions Suriname in their opener on Thursday, and host Trinidad and Tobago on Friday, Martinique led by the influential Maelyss Melinard-Chanteur won against a determined Curacao 25-23, 25-23, 25-23 to finish top of the four-team round-robin table with a perfect 3-0 record and 14 points ahead of the gold medal match on Sunday from 4 pm while Curacao ended at the bottom of the table without a win, but three points from taking a set in each of their three defeats.
In the gold medal match on Sunday, the Eddy Erialc-coached Martinique will do battle with title-holders Suriname coached by Victor Lesperrans, in a re-match of the opening women’s game of the tournament while host Trinidad and Tobago meets Curacao for the bronze medal from 2 pm.
The winners of the gold medal will qualify to next year’s Junior Pan American Cup.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 12, 2025. – Nicaragua earned its first win at the AFECAVOL Senior Men’s Second Final Four with a convincing 3-0 victory over El Salvador (28-26, 25-18, 25-19), facing little resistance throughout the match.
With this result, Nicaragua evens its record at 1-1, while El Salvador remains winless after two match days.
On the final day of competition, Nicaragua will face Belize in a crucial matchup, as both teams aim to secure second place in the standings. Meanwhile, undefeated Guatemala will go up against El Salvador, looking to close the event on a high note.
Nicaragua dominated the match, facing real pressure only in the opening set. They finished with a clear advantage in attack points (51-38) and service aces (4-1). El Salvador showed some spark at the net, leading in blocks (8-5), but gave up more points through unforced errors (18-16).
“Unfortunately, we lost our first match, but against El Salvador we stayed focused. El Salvador plays better at home, but we stayed calm, and that helped us get the result we wanted, which was to win,” said Nicaragua’s captain Jonny Zeledón.
El Salvador’s captain, Mario Nochez, commented after the match: “We only have one match left against Guatemala, who have clearly been the strongest team in this Final Four. But we will fight until the end, we’re going to battle in that match and try to give Guatemala a good game. Against Nicaragua, we played well in the first set but lost our focus in the rest of the match.”
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 12, 2025. – Guatemala had to dig deep to overcome Belize in a hard-fought five-set battle, winning 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 26-24, 21-25, 15-11). The victory marked Guatemala’s second win at the AFECAVOL Senior Men’s Final Four, with just one match day remaining in the tournament.
Guatemala remains undefeated with a 2-0 record, while Belize sits at 1-1.
On the final day of competition, Sunday, July 13, Guatemala will face hosts El Salvador in a bid to secure the top spot in the standings. Belize, meanwhile, will take on a tough Nicaraguan squad.
Guatemala
Andy Leonardo led Guatemala’s offense with 24 points, supported by Carlos López, who contributed 17. Belize’s top scorer was Francis Hauze with 19 points, followed by Karym Coleman with 13 and Ernest Broaster with 12.
Though both teams tried to dominate at the net, Guatemala came out on top in attacking points (63-56) and service aces (5-2). Belize excelled in blocking (15-5) but gave up 36 unforced errors compared to Guatemala’s 34.
“It was a very tough match. Belize is a team that has been preparing well in recent years for the Central American Games. I think all teams push harder when they play against us. Playing five sets is always challenging because those final 15 points can go either way. The key to this victory was the spirit we maintained throughout,” said Guatemala’s top scorer Andy Leonardo.
Belize’s captain, Elton Anderson, shared his thoughts: “Guatemala is a very strong team. We gave our all in the match, but they know how to handle any situation. It was a good game for us, our strengths are attacking and blocking, but we made too many errors today.”
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 12, 2025. – Mexico secured its place in the final of the Boys’ U19 Pan American Cup after an exciting four-set victory (25-19, 19-25, 25-23, 29-27) over Venezuela at the Gymnasium of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM).
This marks the fifth consecutive time that Mexico has reached the gold medal match in the history of the tournament, having won the title only once, in 2017 against Chile. In the 2019, 2022, and 2023 finals, Mexico fell to Cuba and the United States, respectively. Now, playing at home, they will look to break that streak.
Venezuela will face Canada in the third-place match.
The ending could not have been more dramatic, as Venezuela tried to force a tie-break, but a decisive block by Carlos Grajeda sealed the Mexican victory with a thrilling 29-27 score in the fourth set.
Mexico led in attacks (62-48) and service aces (5-1), while Venezuela dominated at the net with more blocks (14-9). Mexico committed more unforced errors, 31 against Venezuela’s 22.
Arnoldo Hurtado led Mexico’s offense with 21 points (18 attacks, 2 blocks), followed by Emi Díaz with 15 and Carlos Grajeda with 13. For Venezuela, Neyver Zabala scored 13 points, while Gandy Lugo and Harold Larez added 12 each.
At the end of the match, Mexico’s head coach Iván Nieto said: “It was a very tough match. Our opposite hitter, Arnoldo Hurtado, got injured in the final points of the game. It was dramatic, but we made it through with five players. I’m very happy to reach the final”.
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 12, 2025.– The United States is one step closer to achieving a hat-trick at the Boys’ U19 Pan American Cup, advancing to their third consecutive gold medal match after a commanding 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-17) semifinal victory over Canada at the UAEM Gymnasium.
Having won the last two editions of the tournament, Puerto Rico and Guatemala, Team USA continued its dominant run by outperforming Canada in kills (37-28), blocks (6-5), and aces (4-1). The Americans also capitalized on 28 Canadian errors, while giving away 19 of their own.
USA celebrates
Corbin Batista led the U.S. scoring effort with 14 points, while Jarom Rowin was Canada’s top scorer with 11 points.
Speaking about the team’s performance, U.S. head coach Jonah Carson said, “The team we played today (Canada) put a lot of pressure on us, playing some really savvy volleyball and challenging us tactically. I’m really proud of our guys for the way they responded, staying involved in the process and playing for USA Volleyball.”
The United States now awaits the winner of the second semifinal between Mexico and Venezuela, with the chance to secure a third straight U19 Pan American Cup title.
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 12, 2025.- With an outstanding offensive performance, opposite hitter Joaquín Valjalo led Chile with 26 points in a 3-1 (25-21, 25-17, 21-25, 25-13) victory over Panama at the Boys’ U19 Pan American Cup, taking place at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium and concluding this Sunday.
Valjalo has been Chile’s standout player in all their matches, and with his 26-point performance – the highest in the tournament so far – he is emerging as one of the top scorers of the event. Chile also had contributions by Mateo Sanz with 15 points and Joaquín Cassanova with 13.
JOAQUIN VALJALO AND CASANOCA CELEBRATING
Chile moves on to the fifth-place match, where they will face Puerto Rico. Panama will compete for seventh place against Suriname.
After dropping the first two sets, Panama came back strongly in the third, using a more aggressive approach that allowed them to build a five-point lead (14-9) and extend the match. However, Chile regained control in the fourth to secure the win convincingly.
Chile dominated in attack with a 56-37 advantage and outperformed Panama in service aces, 9-7. Despite committing more unforced errors (26 to 24), Panama only managed a slight edge in blocks, 8-7.
For Panama, Wen Downer and Diego Sánchez led with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
Reflecting on the match, Valjalo commented, “We lost the third set because, in general, we came in with a low rhythm and little intensity after losing a very important match yesterday. In the end, we pulled off the win.”
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 12, 2025. – Puerto Rico advanced to the fifth-place match at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup after defeating Suriname in straight sets 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-16) on Saturday at the Gymnasium of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) in Cuernavaca.
The Puerto Rican team will face the winner of the match between Panama and Chile on Sunday, the final day of the tournament.
Despite some ups and downs, Puerto Rico managed to stop Suriname’s comeback attempt in the second set, staying on course to secure a straight-set victory.
Adrian Carrillo PUR
The Boricuas led in attacks (42-32) and blocks (13-6). Both teams scored two aces, while Puerto Rico committed fewer unforced errors (16 compared to Suriname’s 18).
Outside hitter Gustavo Álvarez led all scorers with 16 points (14 attacks, one block, one ace), followed by team captain Jean Paul González with 14 points (10 attacks, 4 blocks). Middle blocker Fernando Castello also contributed 10 points, standing out with a match-high 6 blocks.
For Suriname, Gianni Ritfeld led the offense with 14 points (11 attacks, 2 blocks, one ace), and Javier Nasibdar added 10 points.
Puerto Rican libero Ignacio Cruz shared his thoughts after the win: “There were ups and downs in all three sets, but I think Suriname made some good adjustments in the second set, especially on defense. In the end, we came out with the win, and tomorrow we’ll give it everything we’ve got to finish strong.”
The U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup concludes Sunday with the final placement matches.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 11, 2025: Host Trinidad and Tobago won for the second time in straight sets 3-0), beating Guadeloupe 25-16, 25-13, 25-20 to secure a spot in the gold medal match of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
For T&T, the trio of Williams, Michael Burkett, and Jahreef Miguel were once again the main contributors with a number of powerful spikes that left proved too much for Guadeloupe while on the defensive end, T&T was also very efficient to keep their opponents at bay/
Speaking after his team’s win, Trinidad and Tobago coach Sean Morrison said, “For us it was a good as we took it point by point, stayed consistent and came out with the win.
‘We had a few errors in the first match, and we came out tonight and we limited those errors, so we just have to stay focus and take it game by game.”
Williams added, “We came here to win this tournament as our focus is to get the win and bring home the gold medal and get to the NORCECA level.
Guadeloupe captain, “Noa Pignol added, “We did not have a good start to the match, but in the third set we played much better, and we need to play like that for our next match.”
Gayetann Broussillon, Coach of Martinique, “We have to play much better that how we are playing at present.”
On Saturday’s final day of round-robin matches, Guadeloupe and Martinique clash from 1 pm while Trinidad and Tobago faces Suriname in the final pool match from 8 pm.
At the end of both the round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medal on Sunday, July 13 final day of competition at 6 pm, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal, also on the final day at 12 noon.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 11, 2025: Martinique secured the first spot available in the final of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Women’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) after they swept host Trinidad and Tobago (3-0) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
Coming off a win against defending champions Suriname in four sets on Thursday night, all eyes were on the very business-like Martinique line-up, and they did not disappoint as led by captain Maelyss Melinard-Chanteur they humbled Trinidad and Tobago 25-20, 25-13, 25-14 for a 2-0 record and nine points at the top of the four-team table.
Deon Hutchinson, Coach of the Trinidad and Tobago said, “Service was receiving was a huge issue for us tonight as well as Martinique was serving tough.”
“But, at the end of the day we have to dig deep to win our next match against Suriname to have a chance to play Martinique again in the final.”
“I’ am confident that my team can grow from this and once we are able to cope well with our service receive game, we will play a better game.
Hutchinson also noted that team captain L’fe Roberts who sustained an injury at the start of the second set is in good health and will be available for his team’s must-win match against Guadeloupe.
Roberts added, “I feel as though we need to have a little more grit and positive energy flowing to fight back.”
Looking ahead to the match against Suriname with the winner set to join Martinique in Sunday’s final, Roberts said she hopes to lead from the front and bring the positive energy to her team.”
Melinard-Chanteur said her team was really focus and ready for the match against Trinidad and Tobago and she was very happy with the win.
Martinique Coach Eddy Erialc said he was happy with the win but felt his team could do better in general.’
“We got the win, but our game was not consistent as we did well in the first two sets and then in the third set our game dropped.”
On Saturday’s final day of round-robin matches, Curacao tackles Martinique at 3 pm, while Trinidad and Tobago closes out against Suriname from 6 pm.
At the end of both the round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medal on Sunday, July 13 final day of competition at 4 pm, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal, also on the final day from two hours earlier.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 11, 2025: Suriname made it two wins from as many matches to reach the gold medal match when they battled past Martinique in four sets in the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
Following their first night triumph over Guadeloupe in a similar four sets, Suriname powered to a 25-27, 25-22, 25-7, 25-12 victory over Martinique for a 2-0 win-loss record and eight points, to seal a spot in the gold medal match on Sunday.
Cuban-born Carlos Orta, coach of the Suriname team said he was pleased with his team as they played better than their opening win over Guadeloupe.
“Martinique is a taller team and the jump higher, but I am really pleased with my boys. Now we have one more match against Trinidad and Tobago, which I believe is going to be tough for us
Faiq Lobo, Captain of Suriname added, “In the first part of the game we did not find our momentum, but we then settled down and made good connections and finished the game well.
Brice Harley-Dessources, Coach of Martinique said, ‘We had a very good start and played two good sets, but then the fitness of my team was not there.’
Martinique captain Lohann Dessources, “We have to do better in our next match. The federation and our national league made a big effort to help our team get to this competition and we cannot go back home without a big team effort and a win.”
On Saturday’s final day of round-robin matches, Guadeloupe and Martinique clash from 1 pm while Trinidad and Tobago faces Suriname in the final pool match from 8 pm.
At the end of both the round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medal on Sunday, July 13 final day of competition at 6 pm, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal, also on the final day at 12 noon.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 11, 2025.– Belize got off to a strong start at the Second AFECAVOL Senior Men’s Final Four, defeating El Salvador 3-1 (25-22, 21-25, 25-22, 25-19) in the closing match of the opening day.
Belize displayed great dominance at the net, outscoring El Salvador 14-12 in blocks. They were also more effective on offense, with a 54-46 advantage in attack points, and added six aces, while El Salvador failed to score any from the service line.
Although El Salvador showed improved play in the second set, Belize maintained control throughout the match, even after conceding 30 unforced errors compared to El Salvador’s 22.
Karym Coleman BIZ
Karym Coleman led Belize with 27 points, including 23 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 aces. Francis Hauze contributed 16 points.
On El Salvador’s side, Ricardo Navarro was the top scorer with 16 points, followed by Eduardo Bolaños with 12 and Diego Guidos with 11.
Belize will face a tough challenge in their second match against Guatemala, while El Salvador will go up against Nicaragua, with both teams looking for their first win.
“We’re really happy to have earned this win. In the first Final Four we played, we couldn’t win our opening match, so starting this new edition with a victory is fantastic for us. We hope to carry the same momentum into our second match,” said Albert Humes, head coach of Belize, after the match.
Regarding the loss, El Salvador’s coach Andrea Genova said, “This was an up-and-down match for us. We have a couple of injured players who weren’t available at the start. They came in briefly, but they’re not ready to play a full match. Not having a stable lineup cost us, especially in those moments where we struggled to score.”
July 11, 2025 – The Dominican Republic secured their fifth victory of the 2025 Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) season on Friday with a straight-sets win over Thailand. Meanwhile, Canada was unable to match China’s strength and lost in four sets.
Dominican Republic Defeats Thailand
The Dominican Republic earned their first win in three matches played in Arlington, climbing from 13th to 10th place in the standings. However, with five wins and 13 points, they are now out of contention for the Finals, as they cannot catch up to the United States, currently in eighth place with six victories and 17 points.
The Caribbean team claimed a dominant 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-23) win over Thailand at the College Park Center. The Dominicans led in attacks (49-39), blocks (11-3), and aces (5-3).
Captain and outside hitter Brayelin Martínez was the top scorer of the match with 17 points (13 kills and 4 blocks). Her younger sister, middle blocker Jineiry Martínez, and opposite hitter Gaila González each contributed 15 points.
“We have the World Championship coming up soon and we’re trying to prepare,” said Gaila. “We want to improve in every match to arrive in top shape. There are new players this season and we’re really enjoying it.”
Reigning Asian champions Thailand remain in danger of relegation in the 2025 VNL after suffering their third straight loss during the third week of the preliminary round in Arlington.
Brayelin Martinez DOM
Canada Falls to China in Four Sets
Team Canada was unable to recapture the form they showed in the first week of the tournament. In this final week of action, they dropped their second consecutive match, this time against China, who came out on top 3-1 (25-22, 25-15, 22-25, 25-23).
Canada outperformed China in blocking (8-4), but China led in attacking points (59-51) and service aces (7-3). China also benefited from fewer unforced errors, 27 compared to Canada’s 23.
Abagayle Guezen and Anna Smrek both scored 14 points for Canada, with Guezen tallying 12 kills and Smrek adding 4 blocks. Emily Maglio contributed 12 points (11 from attacks), and Andrea Mitrovic chipped in with 11 points.
The loss leaves Canada in 16th place out of 18 teams, with a 2-8 win-loss record, still fighting to avoid relegation.
Abagayle Guezen CAN
Saturday, July 12 Schedule
The Dominican Republic has a rest day. At 7:30 p.m. (local time), the United States will face Canada.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 11, 2025.- Guatemala came from behind to snatch a 3-2 victory (21-25, 24-26, 25-22, 25-19, 15-12) over Nicaragua in the opening match of the Second AFECAVOL Men’s Senior Final Four.
Nicaragua took an early lead by winning the first two sets but couldn’t sustain their momentum against a Guatemalan team that steadily improved and walked away with an important win.
Guatemala led in attacking points 63-58, was more effective in blocking 12-10, and outperformed in serving 5-3, although they conceded 33 points from unforced errors compared to Nicaragua’s 30.
Guatemala
Carlos López led Guatemala’s offense with 26 points, supported by Andy Leonardo who contributed 23 points.
For Nicaragua, Axel Gutiérrez was the top scorer with 25 points, while Jonny Zeledón and Denis García each added 17 points.
On the second day of action, Saturday, July 12, Nicaragua will face El Salvador, while Guatemala takes on Belize.
“We knew it was going to be a tough match. Nicaragua has managed to put together a group of players with a good level of play. This match could have gone either way. Despite being down 0-2, our guys knew how to grow and turn the match around,” said Guatemala’s head coach Reider Lucas after the game.
Meanwhile, Nicaragua’s head coach Jorge Mena commented, “We had a 2-0 advantage in the match and were even leading in the third set, but we didn’t know how to capitalize on it. After that, the team collapsed, and we couldn’t keep up the spirit.”
July 11, 2025. – Reigning champions United States will face Poland, while Türkiye will take on Bulgaria in the semifinals of the 2025 FIVB Girls’ U19 World Championship, set for this Saturday at the Gradski Vrt Hall in Osijek, Croatia.
USA Secures Semifinal Spot
Italy suffered their first loss of the tournament, falling to the defending champions United States in a thrilling five-set battle, 3-2 (29-31, 25-23, 25-21, 28-30, 15-8), living up to expectations with a high-level performance. Despite committing more unforced errors (29 to Italy’s 25), the Americans outperformed their European rivals in attack (70-65) and service (8-4), while both teams were tied in blocks with 17 each.
Eighteen-year-old outside hitter Macaria Spears led the U.S. offense with 24 points (21 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace). Fellow outside hitter Suliane Davis (15 attacks, 2 blocks, 2 aces) and middle blocker Jordan Taylor (12 attacks, 7 blocks) each contributed 19 points. Opposite hitter Henley Anderson also reached double digits with 17 points (12 attacks, 2 blocks, 3 aces).
“We knew it was going to be a tough match because Italy is a great team, but we had trained for this moment. We knew how to fight when it mattered,” said Spears. “Every team will come at us hard because we’re the defending champions, and we’re prepared for that.”
Mexico celebrates
Mexico Pulls Off Comeback Win Over Belgium
Mexico came from two sets down to celebrate a hard-fought 3-2 (21-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-10) victory over Belgium, securing a matchup with host Croatia in the 9th-place playoffs this Saturday.
Naomi Alejandra Cruz and opposite Aylin Andrea Ravell led Mexico with 18 points each. Angélica Jazmín Torres added 15 points, and Aitana Rettke chipped in with 14. On the Belgian side, top scorer Mila Vlahovic finished with a match-high 22 points.
Mexico held the edge in attacks (61-56) and blocks (9-5), while Belgium had the advantage in aces (9-8).
Sofia Zabjek CAN – Alanis Maldonado and Daniella Gonzalez PUR
Canada Tops Puerto Rico
Canada secured a tight 3-1 (25-21, 15-25, 25-23, 25-14) win over Puerto Rico in a match to determine placement for the 17th-place playoff.
Canadian outside hitters Emerson Matthews and Sofia Zabjek led the scoring with 16 points apiece. For Puerto Rico, opposite Pamela Zoe Agosto Serrano scored 13 points.
Egypt Outlasts Dominican Republic
Egypt earned the right to face Peru for 21st place on Saturday after rallying past the Dominican Republic 3-1 (20-25, 25-10, 25-23, 25-15).
The Dominican side will face Tunisia in the match for 23rd place in the final standings.
Dominican opposite Rayni Merab Mondesí, just 15 years old, was the match’s top scorer with 19 points.
Schedule Saturday July 12
Semifinals: Türkiye vs Bulgaria and USA vs Poland 21:15 (Local time)
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 11, 2025.- Canada secured a spot in the semifinals of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup after defeating Chile in four sets (25-17, 25-20, 22-25, 25-19) at the Gymnasium of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) in Cuernavaca.
Canada moves on to face the United States in the semifinals. In the other semifinal, Mexico will take on Venezuela. Chile will face Panama in the classification matches for positions 5 to 8.
After dropping the first two sets, Chile responded with a strong performance in the third, significantly improving their blocking and defense. In the fourth set, the South Americans fought to come back from a six-point deficit (14-20), but their effort fell short against Canada’s momentum.
CANADA CELEBRATING
Canada led the match in attacks 55-41, in blocks 11-7 and 2-1 in aces. However, they committed more unforced errors than Chile, 29 to 26.
Outside hitter Mason Lange led the Canadian offense with 16 points, including 14 kills and 2 blocks. Three other players scored in double digits: opposite Jarom Rowin (14), middle blocker Cameron Hutt (13), and fellow middle Simon Oberbuchner (12).
For Chile, opposite Joaquín Valjalo, tallied a match-high of 18 points. Mateo Sanz added 10 points.
Taylor Jordan, Head Coach of Canada, on the third set against Chile: “Our opponent played much better in that set. Sometimes, it’s less about what you’re doing and more about recognizing the performance on the other side. Their opposite, Joaquin Valjalo, was phenomenal, and their libero was flawless with his digs.”
Speaking about his own team, he added: “Our brotherhood and team culture really showed today. We’re trying to build a new group that hasn’t played together before, and we finally started to see that family aspect come together. Some of our leaders stepped up — we were hungry, and we got rewarded for it”.
CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 11, 2025.- Venezuela moved into the semifinals of the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup after defeating Suriname in straight sets 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-17) on Friday at the Gimnasio de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM).
Venezuela now awaits the result of the quarterfinal matchup between Canada and Chile to determine their semifinal opponent. Suriname, meanwhile, will move on to the classification matches for positions 5 to 8.
Venezuela displayed a dominant and consistent performance throughout the match, outperforming Suriname across all key areas.
Venezuela led in kills (44-21), blocks (13-5), and aces (6-0). Despite committing 21 unforced errors, against 12 from Suriname.
Opposite hitter Yoisbel Galeno led the Venezuelan offense with 13 points, including 10 kills and 3 blocks. Teammates Neyver Zabala and Harold Alonso Larez added 10 points each in the victory.
For Suriname, Javier Nasibdar was the top scorer with 13 points, recording 12 kills and one block.
Yoisbel Galeno, the match’s top scorer, said after the victory: “Our intention was to be dominant, and we achieved that. It was a good match for the entire team, and we hope to continue like this in the semifinals. The group stage matches were excellent and gave us a lot of experience to reach this stage of the tournament with more confidence”.
The U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup continues Saturday with semifinal action in Cuernavaca.
July 10, 2025.- The United States earned an important 3-1 victory (23-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-20) over the Dominican Republic in their bid to secure a spot among the top 8 teams competing for the title at the 2025 Women’s VNL.
The Dominicans gave the Americans an early scare by taking the first set of the match held in Arlington. However, starting in the second set, the Stars and Stripes found their rhythm and proved superior to the “Caribbean Queens,” ultimately claiming the win.
The U.S. dominated in attacks (51-41), blocks (14-10), and service aces (6-4), while taking advantage of 27 unforced errors by the Dominican Republic, compared to 25 from their side.
Avery Skinner led the scoring for the United States with 18 points, 15 from attacks, 1 block, and 2 aces. Also standing out in attack were Tia Jimerson and Logan Eggleston; Tia scored 14 points (9 attacks, 4 blocks, and 1 ace), while Logan added 10 points (7 attacks, 2 blocks, and 1 ace).
Gaila González of the Dominican Republic was the top scorer in the match with 19 points, from 13 attacks, 4 blocks, and 2 aces. Team captain Brayelin Martínez tallied 15 points (13 attacks and 2 blocks), while Jineiry Martínez also reached double digits with 10 points (7 attacks, 2 blocks, and 1 ace).
This win brings the United States within one victory of clinching a spot in the final round, currently sitting in eighth place with a 6-4 win-loss record. For the Dominican Republic, the loss puts them on the verge of elimination from the top 8, as they now have 4 wins and 6 losses. Both teams have only two matches remaining.
Match Schedule for July 11
The United States has a rest day. The Dominican Republic faces Thailand at 4:00 p.m. (local time), while Canada plays China at 7:30 p.m. (local time).
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 10, 2025: Host Trinidad and Tobago served off their bid for the title in the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Women’s Championship
hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) with a nail-biting (3-2) win over Curacao at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
In a see-saw contest that had the vociferous crowd at the edge of their seats with nearly every passing play, L’fe Roberts led ‘Calypso Spikers’ emerge from the five-set battle victorious, 23-25, 25-16, 25-18, 21-25, 15-13.
An emotional Deon Hutchinson was quick to admit that he believes the first game jitters affected his team.
“Playing in front of the home crowd for the first time may have gotten to the players, but I think we played really good volleyball, and we are happy for the win.
Henry Delfina, Head Coach of Curacao women, “We fought hard tonight but we lost the game. Our difficulty during the game was our passing which was not good enough to make out attacks useful.”
On Friday, Curacao serves off the day’s action versus Suriname from 1 pm followed by Trinidad and Tobago against Martinique at 8 pm, then on Saturday’s final day of round-robin matches, Curacao tackles Martinique at 3 pm, while Trinidad and Tobago closes out against Suriname from 6 pm.
At the end of both the round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medal on Sunday, July 13 final day of competition at 4 pm, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal, also on the final day from two hours earlier.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 10, 2025: Team captain Nicholas Williams led from the front as host Trinidad and Tobago swept Martinique (3-0) 25-13, 25-18, 26-24 in an enthralling contest in the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Men’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
Commenting on his team’s performance Trinidad and Tobago head coach Sean Morrison said it was a very good match by his team.
“We started off very strong and won the first two sets, but Martinique came back with a very good fighting spirit and won the third set. Then we also found our game again in the fourth set and came back strongly and lifted out confidence and kept fighting and good the win.”
Team captain Williams added, “The result didn’t shock me and I’m proud of my team mental endurance during the game tonight. It was a great battle, and we congratulate Martinique for giving us a good fight.”
Brice Hardy-Dessources, head coach of Martinique, was quick to admit that his opponents on the night were a very strong team.
“Tonight, Trinidad and Tobago was very strong, and I hope tomorrow against Suriname that my team will be better.”
On Friday, Martinique and Suriname meet from 3 pm followed by Trinidad and Tobago versus Guadeloupe at 6pm.
Then on Saturday’s final day of round-robin matches, Guadeloupe and Martinique clash from 1 pm while Trinidad and Tobago faces Suriname in the final pool match from 8 pm.
At the end of both the round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medal on Sunday, July 13 final day of competition at 6 pm, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal, also on the final day at 12 noon.
MALONEY, AROUCA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, JULY 10, 2025: Martinique sounded a warning to all rivals at the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-23 Women’s Championship hosted by the T&T Volleyball Federation (T&TVF) when they defeated defending champions Suriname (3-1) at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena.
Led by captain Maelyss Melinard-Chanteur, Martinique secured a 25-16, 25-11, 21-25, 25-21 victory to signal their title ambitions in their opening match of the four-nation tournament.
Reflecting on his team’s win Eddy Erialc,Head Coach of Martinique women said, “We started well and won the first two sets, but then we made a tactical change with the libero, and it affected our play.”
“The third was not so good by us, but then we regrouped in the fourth set and won the match, and we are now looking forward to the next match where we hope to improve.
Melinard-Chanteur added, “I’m satisfied with our win, but I know we can play much better as a team.”
“It’s going to be a very tough competition and as a team we need to be focus and prepared for every match.”
Victor Lesperans, Head Coach of Suriname women was quick to point out that the reception from his players played a major role in their demise.
“Our reception fell away from early in the match and if you don’t receive well, then your attack breaks down. The good thing is that it’s a tournament where we have a chance to grow with every match, and we intend to do much better in our next match”.
Host Trinidad and Tobago comes up against Curacao in the second match tonight while on Friday, Curacao serves off the day’s action versus Suriname from 1 pm followed by Trinidad and Tobago against Martinique at 8 pm, then on Saturday’s final day of round-robin matches, Curacao tackles Martinique at 3 pm, while Trinidad and Tobago closes out against Suriname from 6 pm.
At the end of both the round-robin series, the top two teams will square off for the gold medal on Sunday, July 13 final day of competition at 4 pm, while the third and fourth placed teams will contest the bronze medal, also on the final day from two hours earlier.
English 
Spanish