Category: Volleyball

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, June 1, 2024.- Puerto Rico’s Outside hitter Decilise Champion was elected the Most Valuable Player MVP of the inaugural edition of the Girls U17 Pan American Cup on Saturday in Guatemala City.

Champion was handed the award during the closing ceremony after Puerto Rico won the gold medal match to Peru and was crowned undefeated champion. She also was named the first Best Spiker.

Other awards were handed out recognizing individual performance based on the statistical data during the event.

Ariana Vasquez of Peru received the award for second Best Spiker and Guatemalan Natalia Girón was granted the award for first Best Blocker.

Recognitions for Costa Rica were given to Amelie Jenkins as second Best Blocker, Amanda Campos the Best Opposite and Nadia Granados the Best Server.

Venezuelans Yilen Gutierres and Fiorellys Utrera were named the Best Setter and Best Scorer respectively.

Kenia Martínez of Mexico left were her hands full, as Best Libero, Receiver and Libero.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, June 1, 2024.- Puerto Rico defeated Peru 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 31-29) to take the Gold Medal of the inaugural edition of the Girls U17 Pan American Cup, which concluded on Saturday at Guatemala’s City Dome.

Puerto Rico won the gold medal undefeated, with a 5-0 record and 5-1 mark in sets. Peru, the silver medalist, finished with a 4-1 record and a 12-6 record in sets.

In a dramatic finish where Peru denied five match points, Puerto Rico led in attack (53-40), blocking (6-2), and serving (5-2) but conceded 26 points on errors against 17.

Outside hitter Decilise Annalee Champion led her team to win the gold medal with a match-high of 24 points on 23 attacks and one block. Sara Lozano contributed 18 points on15 attacks and a match-high of 3 blocks. Team captain Kalia Alvarado registered 13 points on 11 attacks and two aces.

Middle blocker Camila Monge was Peru’s leading scorer with 9 points, all from kills, followed by outside hitters Brenda Quiroz and Ariana Vásquez with 7 points each.

Juan Carlos Núñez, coach of Puerto Rico, said they were able to apply pressure with their serving and had significant strength from the outside hitters. He also explained, “It was a game of long rallies because both teams controlled the ball well”. The team worked hard for the victory, “We had to earn our points because Peru didn’t give away many errors”. Elaborating on the match, he said, “We had two good sets, and in the third, we had many opportunities, but it came down to a dramatic finish, which was a good experience for the players. They felt the pressure, anxiety, and we couldn’t make the double substitution. These circumstances arose due to lack of experience; they are 15-year-old girls”.

Brazilian Antonio Rizola, coach of Peru, said he was proud of his team. He explained that Puerto Rico’s experience was evident, “They are a more mature team, despite being the same age, they live and know more about the game than our team, and we felt that weight”. Regarding the last set, he said, “Everyone expected Peru to give up, but that wasn’t the case. We made three serving errors because of anxiety, but this helps them grow and mature”. He concluded by saying, “I am very happy”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, June 1, 2024.- Venezuela defeated the Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-22, 26-24, 25-17) in the bronze medal match of the inaugural Girls U17  Pan American Cup on Saturday at Guatemala’s City Dome.  

Venezuela claimed the bronze medal with a record of 4 wins and 2 losses, with a total of 14 sets won and 8 lost.

The Dominican Republic, finishing in fourth place, closed with a 3-3 win-loss record and a 9-9 record in sets.

Venezuela dominated in attack points (40-36) and points from serves (5-3). The Dominican Republic had the advantage in blocks (6-4). Venezuela scored 27 points on Dominican errors and committed 18 of their own.

Once again, outside hitter Fiorellys Utrera led Venezuela with a match-high of 19 points, on 15 attacks, two blocks, and two service points. Gabriela Noguera and Nohely Placido (who came in as a substitute in the second set) each finished with 8 points.

The first two sets were very close, and it wasn’t until the third set that Venezuela managed to pull away when Fiorellys Utrera went to serve with the score at 12-11, extending the lead to seven points (18-11) and celebrating the bronze medal with a comfortable 25-17 set win.

Gabriela Noguera, Venezuela’s captain, said that the team learned a lot and is very motivated to keep working. Regarding the match, she expressed, “with emotion and enthusiasm, we managed to get the result, and Fiorellys brought stability to the team in the third set when she served; we had calmer”.

“We studied the Dominican Republic well, we knew where to position ourselves and where to adjust in blocking”, said Willian Ruiz, Venezuela’s coach. He explained that the team had difficulty pulling ahead until the third set due to the players’ age, “it’s natural for them to have many ups and downs, but we trust the work we are doing; Dominican Republic failed at key points, and we succeeded, and the teams were evenly matched in all aspects”. He concluded, “regardless of the result, it’s a tremendous tournament; we faced six different teams and it had been more than 14 years since we competed internationally”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, June 1, 2024.- Mexico defeated Cuba 3-0 (25-11, 25-20, 25-12) for fifth place in the inaugural Girls U17  Pan American Cup on Saturday in Guatemala City.

Mexico finished the Pan American Cup with a 3-3 record in wins. Mexico also defeated Cuba in pool-play in straight sets. Cuba concluded with a 1-4 record.

Mexico overpowered Cuba with a sizeable  advantage in attack points, 32-13; they also led in blocks (8-4) and service points (6-2). Mexico benefited from 29 Cuban errors while committing 14 of their own.

Mexico’s team captain, Aitana Rettke, was the only player with double digits scoring 13 points on 10 attacks, one block, and two points on serves. Outside hitters Brenda Esquivel and Karen González contributed 9 and 8 points respectively. Esquivel had a match-high of 5 blocks.

Salet Castillo was Cuba’s top scorer with 9 points.

Mexico’s coach, Ignacio Sánchez Palmeros, honestly expressed that his team arrived at the competition overconfident, stating, “it is difficult to talk about a tournament with these results”. He added that this tournament grounds them to prepare physically and mentally for the World Championship in August, “this is a lesson for the team and for us as coaching staff”. Regarding today’s match, he said, “we have great respect for Cuba, and, like my players, it was mentally challenging to face the position we had to play for”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, June 1, 2024.- Costa Rica finished seventh place at the Girls U17 Pan American Cup after defeating Guatemala 3-1 (25-19, 21-25, 25-20, 25-22) at the Multi-sports Dome in Guatemala City.

Costa Rica concluded with a 2-4 win-loss record  and Guatemala 0-5.

Costa Rica and Guatemala had also faced in pool-play where Costa Rica also won in four sets.

The 13-4 advantage in service points was crucial for Costa Rica’s victory; they also outperformed in attack points 48-39. Guatemala held an 8-6 advantage in blocks and committed fewer errors 29-35.

Three players led Costa Rica’s victory, outside hitter Michelle Arias with 18 points (17 attacks, one service), middle blocker Amelie Jenkins with 11 points (5 attacks, a match-high of 4 blocks, two services), and opposite Amanda Campos with 10 points (8 attacks, one block, one serve).

On Guatemala’s side, opposite Melissa Guerra scored 16 points on 11 attacks, 3 blocks, and 2 direct service points. She was joined by outside hitter Andrea Garces with 11 attack points.

Argentine Christian López, coach of Costa Rica, began by saying, “playing these matches is very difficult because you come with objectives and only have one win”. Regarding how he motivated his team, he said, “I told them this was a final, it’s not easy because they are young girls, there’s fatigue because they are not used to playing at this pace, there are ups and downs”. He considered that Guatemala played a much better match than their first clash.

Celeste Cifuentes, Guatemala’s coach, said her team played with more order, but unfortunately the refereeing decisions “killed” their rhythm. She added that there are aspects to improve, but “leaving aside the result, the players found their level of play and showed what they can do”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 31, 2024. – Peru secured its ticket to the gold medal match of the first edition of the Girls U17 Pan American Cup against Puerto Rico after defeating Venezuela 3-1 (26-28, 25-22, 25-23 and 25-16) on Friday night in Guatemala City.

Peru advances to the gold medal match with an undefeated record of 4-0, with 12 sets won and 3 lost.

Venezuela will compete for the bronze medal against the Dominican Republic.

 In an exciting semifinal match, Peru recovered from losing the first set to claim the win, leading 58 to 40 in attack points, 11 to 10 in blocks, and 8 to 3 in service points. Peru gave away 36 points from errors and scored 24 points on Venezuela’s errors.

Peruvian middle blocker Camila Monge scored a match-high of 23 points on 17 attacks, 4 blocks, and 3 aces. Outside hitter Brenda Quiroz, who came off the bench in the first set, contributed 15 points, all on kills. Outside hitter Paola Moreano, who entered as a substitution  in the first set, added 14 points on 8 attacks, 4 blocks, and 2 aces.

Venezuelan outside hitter and team captain Gabriela Noguera was her team’s top scorer with 17 points on15 attacks and 2 blocks. Fiorellys Utrera scored 14 points on 13 attacks and one  ace.

Venezuela took two set points from Peru in the first set and then lost one before winning the set in a dramatic finish with a block by opposite hitter Valeria Ochoa. Peru recovered, winning the second set, which was tied at 20 points, ending with an attack point from Paola Moreano. Camila Monge with a block and Brenda Quiroz with a kill closed out the third set for Peru. In the fourth set, Peru managed to get Venezuela off their system of play, jumping to a huge lead  (11-5) from the beginning.

Brazilian Antonio Rizola, coach of Peru, said that the first set was very contested and very important because it showed that his team has a great capacity for comeback, “I took the two main attackers (the captain and the other outside hitter) out of the game, and those who came off the bench responded, and with them, we won the next three sets”. He also added, “it’s a great joy because the group is still developing, and reaching the final of a Cup like this is wonderful”.

Willian Ruiz, head coach of Venezuela, stated, “Peru adjusted in the second set, and we loosened up technically, in simple things”. Regarding what happened next, he said that Peru strengthened their defense, “I think part of Peru’s victory is that they never missed the opportunity to save a ball, which gave them an edge. They have very good reception”.  He also explained that he is achieving a significant goal of returning to international competition by being among the top four teams.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 31, 2024.- Puerto Rico advanced to the gold medal match of the first Girls U17 Pan American Cup after defeating Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-22) on Friday at Guatemala’s City Dome.

Puerto Rico reaches the championship game with a perfect 4-0 record and a 12-1 record in sets. The Puerto Ricans await their opponent, the winner between Peru and Venezuela.

Puerto Rico led in attack points (38-24) and committed fewer unforced errors (23-28). The Dominicans led in blocks (8-7) and service points (3-2).

Outside hitter Annalee Champion led her team to the semifinal with a match-high of 20 points on18 attacks and two blocks. She was joined by outside hitter Sara Lozano with 15 points on  11 attacks, two blocks, and two service points.

Dominican captain Estel Santos, with 12 points, was the only player on her team to score in double digits.

Puerto Rico quickly jumped to a huge 13-3 lead in the first set with points from Annalee Champion and Sara Lozano, combined with a considerable number of errors from the Dominican Republic. Puerto Rico was always ahead in the second set, despite strong serving pressure from the Dominican Republic. In the third set, Puerto Rico recovered from a five-point deficit (15-20) thanks to three consecutive errors by the Dominican Republic, an attack by Champion, and another opponent error to tie at 20. The last two points were also on Dominican errors.

Puerto Rican coach Juan Carlos Núñez explained that his team was able to play more steadily in this match. He said it was important that they could pressure with their serve and that his team was patient in the closing stages. “The team held on, and after many consecutive errors from the Dominican Republic, they were able to close the gap on the scoreboard, reacting with their serve”.

Puerto Rican captain Kalia Alvarado expressed that during technical timeouts, they reminded themselves to trust their game, “we did it and maintained a good spirit”.  She added that teamwork will be key for the final.

Marcelo Cezarano, coach of the Dominican Republic, said that Puerto Rico knew how to apply pressure, but mentally his team needs to mature, “it’s natural at this age, it’s a process, and things worked when they followed the game plan we had prepared”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 31, 2024. – Cuba defeated Costa Rica 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-18) in a classification match for positions 5 to 8 in the Girls U17 Pan American Cup being played at Guatemala’s City Dome.  

Cuba will face Mexico on Saturday for fifth place in the tournament. This is the second time they clash; Mexico beat Cuba in pool-play in straight sets.

On the other hand, Costa Rica will play for seventh place against the host team, Guatemala. These two teams also faced each other in pool-play, with Costa Rica winning in four sets.

Cuba outperformed Costa Rica with a powerful attack (43-25) and a 5-2 margin in blocks. Both teams scored five points from direct serves. Cuba conceded more points on unforced errors (24-22).

Cuban outside hitter Salet Castillo was the top scorer of the match with 21 points on 18 attacks, two blocks, and one ace. Team captain Yesica Brito added 15 points on14 attacks and one ace.

In the second set, Costa Rica scored five service points that put Cuba in a tough spot, managing to tie the score at 22 points after Lilliam Vargas blocked Yesica Brito with a monster block.

“We lost our momentum in the second set and Costa Rica made things difficult for us”, said Yesica Brito. She added that Cuba showed their attacking power and will do the same against Mexico. “We’ve faced them before, but we’re aiming for a different outcome because we’ve progressed with each match to reach our level of play” Brito added.

Luciana Vargas of Costa Rica, who scored three direct serve points, spoke about the second set, saying, “Costa Rica fought hard until the end, there were some very good points from Cuba, both teams made mistakes, but we never stopped chasing the balls, and in the end, they always kept their heads up”.

Regarding Costa Rica’s final match, middle blocker Heli Moreno said, “I hope we have a good tournament overall (both personally and as a team); I think we can beat Guatemala tomorrow, we already know each other”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 31, 2024. – Mexico defeated Guatemala 3-0 (25-6, 25-11, 25-17) and will compete for the fifth place in the Girls U17  Pan American Cup in Guatemala City.

Following a decisive victory against the host country, Mexico will face the winner between Cuba and Costa Rica on Saturday for fifth place.

Mexico used its strength to secure the win with a significant advantage of 41-12 in attack points, 6-1 in blocks, and 9-3 in points from serves. Both teams were similar in errors, with Mexico committing 18 and Guatemala 19.

Mexico’s team captain, Aitana Rettke, scored a match-high of 15 points on 11 attacks, two blocks, and two aces. Middle blocker Cyntia Palomo added 11 points on 8 attacks, two blocks, and one ace. Outside hitter Karen González finished with 10 points on 8 attacks and two aces.

Mexican outside hitter Karen González commented that what she liked the most was her team’s spiking “we played united and gave it our all, plus we had a great attitude”. Regarding tomorrow’s match, she added, “we hope to win and dominate”.

Guatemalan setter Katherine Vaughn expressed that her team started at a low level but improved in the last set, “unfortunately, we didn’t play well, but we are satisfied with what we did in the third set”. She hopes her team will have a better attitude and end the tournament with a win in tomorrow’s match.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 30, 2024. – Dominican Republic defeated Costa Rica 3-0 (25-19, 25-20 and 25-22) in quarterfinals and will face Puerto Rico in the semifinals of the inaugural U17 Girls Pan American Cup being held in Guatemala City.

Dominican Republic will meet Puerto Rico on Friday in the first semifinal of the day at 6:00 pm (local time). In the other semifinal, Peru will face Venezuela at 8:00 pm (local time).

Costa Rica will compete in the classification matches for positions 5 to 8, starting with Cuba.

Dominican Republic capitalized their victory with advantages in attacks (39-32), blocks (8-4), and aces (5-3). The Dominicans committed one less error than Costa Rica (22-23).

Dominican team captain, Estel Santos, led all scorers with 15 points, all from attacks. Opposite hitter Rayni Mondesi added 11 points on 10 attacks, a match-high of 5 blocks, and one ace.

Costa Rica’s opposite hitter Amanda Campos led her team with 12 points from 10 attacks and two blocks.

Opposite Isabella Cerda scored the last point of the match with a direct attack. Costa Rica did not allow the Dominican Republic to advance easily, but the Dominicans secured the victory with greater power and reach.

Brazilian Christian López, coach of Dominican Republic, said that Costa Rica surprised them; their serves didn’t have the power they had today, “we studied Costa Rica very well, and today their serves complicated our performance. I had planned to play more with the middles, but that threw us off balance”. Regarding his team, he explained, “we have a lot to improve on, for example, my team must play with strength regardless of the opponent. Today they didn’t do that, and I want them to play the same way they did against Mexico”. He added that it is a process, the players are young, and they will improve.

Costa Rica’s libero, Jimena Alfaro, said that her team has all the talent to face teams more powerful than them, “we have trained a lot, we didn’t get the results we expected, and overall the match was good, but the power and height of the Dominican Republic put us at a disadvantage”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 30, . – Venezuela defeated Mexico 3-1 (25-19, 25-22, 21-25, 27-25) in quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals of the inaugural U17 Girls Pan American Cup at the Dome in Guatemala City.

Venezuela awaits its semifinal opponent, depending on the result between Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. Mexico will compete in the classification round for positions 5 to 8.

Venezuela dominated only in aces (9-5) but scored 33 points on Mexico’s errors while conceding just 17. Mexico held advantages in attacks (56-47) and blocks (13-9).

Fiorellys Utrera once again led Venezuela’s attack, leading all scorers with 25 points on 22 attacks, 2 blocks, and one  ace. Team captain Gabriel Noguera contributed 14 points on 12 attacks, one block, and one ace.

Mexico’s captain, Aitana Rettke, led her team with 20 points on 19 attacks and one block. Outside hitter Karen Gonzalez and middle blocker Brenda Esquivel scored 16 and 13 points, respectively.

Venezuela was dominant in the first set, quickly jumping to a five-point lead and maintaining it until the end, despite losing a set point to Aitana Rettke at the net. They closed the second set with two consecutive opponent errors and a powerful kill by Fiorellys Utrera. Mexico stayed alive forcing a fourth set, dominating the third in attacks (16-10). Venezuela won the match in a dramatic finish after losing four match points and finally ending with an ace by opposite hitter Isabel Ochoa.

“Heart” was the key to Venezuela’s victory, said coach Ignacio Sánchez. He added that they had studied Mexico thoroughly and worked with the future in mind, “our expectation was to gain experience, and now we find ourselves among the top four in the tournament. The girls played with attitude, demonstrating their capability, ” he added.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 29, 2024.- Puerto Rico defeated Guatemala 3-0 (25-16, 25-13 y 25-20) and secured a direct ticket to the semifinals of the first Girls U17 Pan American Cup being held in Guatemala City.

Puerto Rico finished first in Pool B with an undefeated record (3-0) and advanced directly to Friday’s semifinals. Guatemala (0-3) will compete in the matches for positions 5 to 8.

Venezuela (2-1) finished second and Costa Rica (1-2) finished third in the group. Both teams will play in Thursday’s quarterfinals, with Venezuela facing Mexico and Costa Rica playing against the Dominican Republic.

Puerto Rico was dominant in attacks (28-19) and in direct service points (14-8). Both teams scored 5 blocking points. Puerto Rico committed 17 errors while Guatemala totaled 18.

Three Puerto Rican players scored  double digits, Kalia Alvarado with 13 points, including a match-high of 6 aces, Annalee Champion with 12 points, and Sara Lozano tallied 10 points.

Opposite hitter Melissa Guerra was the only Guatemalan player to score double digits, with 11 points on 7 attacks and a team-high of 4 aces.

Guatemala surprised Puerto Rico in the third set, tying the score at points 15, 16, 19, and 20; but their efforts fell short as the winners scored five consecutive points to secure the victory.

Puerto Rico’s coach, Juan Carlos Núñez, spoke about the team’s performance in the preliminary round, “this is a group that is getting to know each other, there are eight players who weren’t at the NORCECA in Honduras, and they all had the opportunity to be on the court”.  He stated that in this game, there was a chance to use all twelve players, “I am evaluating them in this setting; it’s preparation for the World Championship, and now we need to raise our level of play for the semifinals”.

Guatemala’s opposite hitter, Melissa Guerra, explained that the team has started very cold in all the games, and today was no exception, “it’s possible we have the mentality that we can’t face the opponent and today we got into our system very late”. For the upcoming games, she said, “we need to give our best from the beginning, improve our reception, and have more confidence”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 29, 2024. – Venezuela beat Costa Rica 3-1 (21-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-12) on Wednesday at the Girls U17 Pan American Cup at the Multi-sports Dome in Guatemala City.

Venezuela finished Group B with a 2-1 record, and Costa Rica with a 1-2 record. Both teams await the result between Puerto Rico, which is undefeated, and Guatemala (0-2).

Venezuela led in attack points 59 to 38 and in blocks 7 to 4. Costa Rica controlled the serves  4-2 but gave away 28 points on errors compared to 21 by Venezuela.

Venezuela’s outside hitter Fiorellys Utrera led all scorers with 17 points on15 attacks, one block, and one ace. Also contributing to Venezuela’s victory were middle blocker Isabela Sibada with 15 points on 14 attacks and one block, and team captain Gabriela Noguera with 13 points, all on kills.

Costa Rica’s opposite Amanda Campos, was the team’s leading scorer with 13 points on 12 attacks and one block. Outside hitter Michelle Arias added 11 points on 10 attacks and one block.

In the first set, Costa Rica scored five consecutive points (6-12) and then tied at 19 with two consecutive aces from Nadia Granados. At 21 points even, Costa Rica maintained their attack to win the first set. Venezuela responded strongly, taking the next three sets, and securing their second victory in the event.

Venezuelan outside hitter Fiorellys Utrera explained that they lacked communication in the first set, but despite that, they won the following sets, “we came out strong, connected as a team, and supported each other to limit our errors”. She added that the team had a positive attitude, which was key to their victory.

Argentinian Christian López, coach of Costa Rica, expressed that his team finished pool-play  well, “we could have done better things, but the team is in a learning process”. He also said that they paid a high price for their mistakes, “It’s not possible to maintain the level of play all the time because they’re not used to it, but I think they are trying to do things very well”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 29, 2024.- The Dominican Republic dominated Cuba 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-11) in the final match of pool-play at the Girls’ U17 Pan American Cup held at Guatemala City’s Dome.

Dominican Republic finished second in Pool A with a 2-1 record and will play in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The first place of the pool went to Peru (3-0), and third place to Mexico (1-2).

Cuba, with a 0-3 record, will play in classification matches for positions 5 to 8.

Both teams were equal in attacks (28 points) and blocks (8 points). Dominican Republic led in aces (8-2) and scored 31 points on Cuba’s errors, while conceding 18.

Team captain Estel Santos and opposite Rayni Mondesi were the top scorers for Dominican Republic with 11 points each. Middle blocker Cristal Mercedes collected 9 points, including a match-high of 4 blocks.

The top scorer of the match was Cuba’s Salet Castillo, with 13 points on 11 attacks and two blocks.

In the second set, Cuba failed to maintain a four-point lead (13-17) and despite avoiding two set points for the Dominicans (21-24) thanks to two errors, they couldn’t close the set. Dominican Republic dominated the third set without complications.

“There was greater harmony among us in the third set”, said Dominican libero Nashly Lithgow. Speaking about Cuba, she said that Cuba managed to pressure them with attacks and blocks in the first two sets. “I think yesterday’s victory against Mexico gave us more confidence”, she added.

The top scorer of the match, Salet Castillo of Cuba, indicated that Dominican Republic played strongly and about the first two sets she highlighted, “our reception worked well, allowing us to attack with strength, combined with the team’s good spirits”. Speaking about how they dropped in the third set, she said, “definitely, if the team’s spirits had remained high, the outcome could have been better. We need to work on that”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 29, 2024,- Peru won Pool A undefeated after defeating Mexico 3-1 (25-22, 29-27, 21-25, 25-22) at the Girls’ U17 Pan American Cup on Wednesday in Guatemala City.

Peru ended pool-play with a 2-0 record and advanced to Friday’s semifinals. Mexico, with a 1-2 record, awaits the result between the Dominican Republic and Cuba to determine their final position in Pool A.

Despite Mexico leading in attacks (56-54) and blocks (12-9), Peru secured the victory by committing fewer errors (25-32) and an advantage in aces (5-3).

Peru’s team captain, Ariana Vásquez, led all scorers with 19 points (17 attacks, two serves). Outside hitter Gianella Chanca contributed 15 points (13 attacks, one block, one serve), and middle blocker Camila Monge scored 13 points (12 attacks, one block).

Outside hitter Karen González led Mexico with 17 points (14 attacks, two blocks, one serve). Middle blocker Kiara Ramírez recorded a match-high of six blocks of her 16 points. Captain Aitana Rettke added 15 points (14 attacks, one serve).

Mexico trailed the entire first set, unable to stop Peru’s offense. The Peruvians, coming from behind, won a dramatic second set after both teams lost two set points. Mexico managed to extend the match, jumping to an early five-point lead in the third set. Despite sharing the lead in the fourth set, Peru clinched the victory with fewer errors.

Gianella Chanca, Peru’s outside hitter, said it was a very demanding match, “Mexico pressured us in every set”. She indicated that it was a beautiful game despite the pressure and anxiety on the court for both teams, “we made a great effort as a team; the second set was very tough, but we are following Professor Rizola’s instructions, who talks to us about responsibility both on and off the court. We are doing it to the letter and doing our job well”.

Mexico’s coach, Ignacio Sánchez Palmeros, expressed, “after yesterday’s loss, we aimed to regain the players’ confidence. We used different players and had a good match”.  Regarding the loss, he indicated, “I believe the team lacks maturity, but we will give it our all in the rest of the competition; we are aiming for more matches and more experience”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 28, 2024 – Venezuela stormed past 3-0 (25-17, 25-15 y 25-8) over host Guatemala at the first edition of the Girls  U17 Pan American Cup on Tuesday night at the Multi-sports Dome  in Guatemala City.

This was Venezuela’s first win in Pool B, and with a 1-1 record, they will conclude the pool-play  against Costa Rica (1-1). Guatemala (0-2) will finish against Puerto Rico (2-0).

The pool winner will advance directly to the semifinals; the second and third places will compete in quarterfinals.

Venezuela held a huge 10 to 2 advantage in service points and a convincing 34 to 22 margin in attack points; they also scored 27 points from Guatemalan errors and conceded 12. The teams tied in blocking at 4-4.

Venezuelan outside hitter Fiorellys Utrera led all scorers with 13 points (8 attacks, 2 blocks, one ace). She was accompanied by team captain Gabriela Noguera with 11 points (9 attacks, one block, one ace).

Opposite hitter Melissa Guerra scored 11 points (10 attacks, 1 ace) as Guatemala’s top scorer.

William Ruiz, coach of Venezuela, said he was pleased that they could compete internationally again after a break in all categories. Ruiz explained that his team made their debut yesterday against the group favorite, and it was not easy, “the team is young, and we are building for the future, and today they showed more confidence compared to yesterday”. Regarding the match against Guatemala, he said, “they challenged us in the first set and the second set was tricky. We appreciate the effort of our Federation for allowing us to be here”.

Guatemala’s coach, Celeste Cifuentes, said that today the team came with more confidence after the first match, “playing at home took a toll on us, but as the match progressed, the girls realized they could give more. We knew today that Venezuela is a taller team with international experience”. She added that the team’s development process continues and that this is their first international experience.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 28, 2024.- Puerto Rico defeated Costa Rica 3-0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-18) for their second win at the Girls U17 Pan American Cup being held in Guatemala City.

Puerto Rico remains undefeated with a 2-0 record in Pool B, while Costa Rica has a 1-1 record. On Wednesday, Puerto Rico will conclude pool-play against Guatemala, and Costa Rica will face Venezuela.

Puerto Rico recovered from a four-point deficit (11-15) in the second set, and then the lead  went to both sides; they won the set with an opponent error. In the third set, with Puerto Rico leading 21-14, Costa Rica scored four consecutive points from attacks by Amanda Campos and opponent errors, reaching 21-18. Puerto Rico closed the set with a Costa Rican error and two points from Diangelie Gonzalez, who only played the third set.

Puerto Rico controlled all the game statistically, 38-30 in attacks, 9-3 in blocks, and 4-3 in aces. Additionally, Puerto Rico committed fewer unforced errors (21-24).

Outside hitters Sara Lozano and Annalee Champion scored 13 points each for Puerto Rico. Lozano on 11 attacks, one block, and one ace; Champion on 10 attacks, two blocks, and one service point.

Opposite hitter Amanda Campos and outside hitter Nicole Leiva led Costa Rica with 8 points each.

“Costa Rica attacked us a lot with serves in the second set,” said Puerto Rico’s Sara Lozano. “We were able to save the set with communication and teamwork,” she added. Lozano believes that the team’s unity and trust in their coach are Puerto Rico’s greatest strengths. Regarding the last match of pool-play, she said, “we will do our best and go all out from the beginning”.

Amanda Campos from Costa Rica said, “we were able to control most of the second set, but I think we don’t know how to stay calm in moments of crisis. Today’s game was faster and more demanding than yesterday’s”. Regarding the end of the preliminary round, she said, “we don’t see it impossible; Venezuela is taller than us, but we are motivated because last year at the NORCECA we defeated Cuba, so we believe in ourselves”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 28, 2024.- Peru defeated Cuba 3-1 (25-15, 19-25, 25-18, 25-17) to remain undefeated in the first Girls U17 Pan American Cup being held at the Mult-sports Dome in Guatemala City.

Peru has a 2-0 record in Pool A and will end the preliminary round against Mexico (1-1); Cuba, with a 0-2 record, will face Dominican Republic (1-1). The pool winner will advance directly to the semifinals.

Peruvian middle Camila Monge ended the match blocking Cuban Yesica Brito’s powerful kill.

Peru’s advantage in serves (11-2) was crucial for securing the victory. Peru also had a 9-3 advantage in blocks and committed fewer errors (20-34). Cuba led in attacks 50 to 40.

The top scorer of the match was Peru’s team captain, Ariana Vásquez, with 20 points on 14 attacks, one block, and a match-high of 5 aces. Outside hitters Gianella Chanca and Brenda Quiroz also contributed to win, Chanca scored 14 points on 13 attacks and one block, while Quiroz had 11 points on 9 attacks, one block, and one ace.

Opposite hitter Salet Castillo led Cuba with 19 points, all from kills, and Yesica Brito contributed 18 points, also all from kills.

Brazilian coach Antonio Rizola, recently hired to lead Peru, expressed great joy because his team has two wins in two matches, “the team is learning to have courage and to overcome difficult moments”. Reflecting on yesterday’s second set against the Dominican Republic, the team managed to recover, “it was a moment when the result could have been different, and today we lost a set to Cuba, but overcame to win the match”.  Rizola added that he remains grounded “there is a lot to do to learn to play volleyball”.

Cuban captain Yesica Brito said her team looked much better today, “we improved from yesterday’s match to today, corrected our mistakes, but today we lacked spirit and in difficult moments, we couldn’t finish”. Brito also highlighted that the team supported each other on the court, “it’s a loss that hurts, but we played as a team”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 28, 2024.-  Dominican Republic defeated Mexico 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-15) on the second day of action at the first Girls U17 Pan American Cup being held in Guatemala City.

Dominican Republic and Mexico both have a 1-1 record in Pool A. The Dominicans will finish the pool-play against Cuba, while Mexico will face Peru. Pool winners will advance directly to the semifinals, with the second and third place teams competing in the quarterfinals.

Dominican Republic was dominant throughout the match, to cancel out Mexico, which struggled to respond.

The Dominicans capitalized their victory with advantages in attacks (37-25), blocks (8-1), and aces (8-2), but committed more errors (26-22).

Two Dominican players finished with double-digits, Virelys Rivera with 14 points  on 10 kills, two blocks, and two aces, and team captain Estel Santos with 12 points on 11 kills and one block. Opposite hitter Rayni Mondesi contributed 9 points.

Aitana Rettke with 9 points was the top scorer for Mexico.

Compared to their loss yesterday against Peru, Dominican captain Estel Santos said, “today our spirit was much better, we also played as a team with a lot of communication”.  Regarding the win, she expressed, “we studied Mexico and knew how to control them with directed serves, which helped us succeed”.

Brazilian Marceo Cezarano, coach of the Dominican Republic explained that things went well, saying, “today we saw what we have been training for, a strong level”.  He also indicated that they studied Mexico very well, “we changed our system, nullified player number 13 (Aitama Rettke), even when they moved her from outside hitter to middle, and we knew how to control her”.

Mexico’s setter, Gabriela Garza, summarized the defeat by saying, “our reception failed, our attitude was off, and we let the Dominicans take control”.

Mexico’s coach Ignacio Sánchez Palmeros acknowledged that the team had a bad match and there was overconfidence from both the team and the technical staff, “this will serve to bring the players down to earth, and if we have the quality, we can recover and finish the competition well”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 27, 2024.- Costa Rica started the first edition of the Girls U17 Pan American Cup defeating Guatemala 3-1 (25-12, 25-13, 23-25, 28-26) on Monday night at the Multi-sports Dome in Guatemala City.

On the second day of the event, Costa Rica (1-0) in Group B will face Puerto Rico (1-0), while Guatemala (0-1) will play against Venezuela (0-1).

Costa Rica had no difficulties winning the first two sets comfortably. Guatemala forced a fourth set after a remarkable 8-point comeback (15-23) in the third. Costa Rica earned a dramatic win after losing two match points on a service error and a powerful attack by Guatemalan Andrea Garces, who later handed the victory to Costa Rica with an attack error.

Costa Rica led in attack points 51-33 and in service points 9-5. Guatemala outperformed in blocking 12-6. Costa Rica had fewer errors 26-35.

Michelle Arias led the scores with 22 points on 16 attacks, 2 blocks, and a match-high of 4 direct serving points. Nicole Leiva added 16 points on 15 attacks and one ace. Opposite player Amanda Campos scored 12 points.

Opposite Melissa Guerra was the only one to score double digits for Guatemala with 12 points.

Lilliam Vargas, captain of Costa Rica, said, “we were determined, it was very intense and hard-fought.” Regarding the difference in the set results, she added, “I feel that losing the third set affected us mentally and gave Guatemala more confidence; tomorrow we will play well, with determination, and we will give our all on the court.”

“We improved as the match developed; we were quite nervous, and it was a slow start”, said Regina Porres, captain of Guatemala. She also expressed that they managed to demonstrate what they have practiced and that they are in good condition, “we fought hard, but unfortunately, we didn’t get the result.”

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 27, 2024.- Puerto Rico defeated Venezuela 3-1 (25-22, 18-25, 25-19, 25-21) in their opening match of the Girls U17 Pan American Cup being held at the Multi-sport Dome in Guatemala City.

On the second day in Group B, Puerto Rico (1-0) will face Costa Rica and Venezuela (0-1) will play against the host country, Guatemala.

In a match that lasted a little over two hours (2:13), Puerto Rico managed to overcome Venezuela with a significant advantage in blocks (11-3) and attack points (57-47). Venezuela held an advantage in aces (5-3) and scored 32 points through Puerto Rico’s unforced errors while giving up 22 points on their own errors.

Puerto Rico’s outside hitter Annalee Champion led all scorers with 22 points on 20 attacks and 2 blocks. Outside hitter and team captain Kalia Alvarado contributed 20 points on 17 attacks, 2 blocks, and one ace. Additionally, Sara Lozano added 14 points on 11 attacks and 3 blocks.

Opposite hitter Valeria Ochoa and outside hitter Gabriela Noguera led Venezuela with 12 points each.

Kalia Alvarado, captain of Puerto Rico, said that at the beginning of the match they were a bit tense, “as we gained confidence, we were able to perform well”. Regarding what she thought they did well, she said, “our focus and spirit were the best aspects for today’s victory, but we need to improve on reception and decision-making”.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s captain, Gabriela Noguera, expressed that they did a good job today. “Considering it was the first match, we did well”. She said that the set they won was because they had a better attitude, “our attitude must be consistent throughout the match, but we need to limit the number of errors”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 27, 2024.- Mexico opened their participation in the first U17 Girls Pan American Cup with a 3-0 victory (25-17, 25-14, 25-20) over Cuba at the Multi-Sport Dome in Guatemala City.

Mexico (1-0) will face Dominican Republic (0-1) in their second match of Pool A, while Cuba (0-1) will play against Peru (1-0).

In the third set, Mexico came from behind (6-10), scoring four consecutive points through Cuban errors to tie at 10 points. Mexico sealed the victory in straight sets with determined kills from Karen González and Aitana Rettke.

Mexico led in attacks 35 to 22 and in aces 7 to 3. Cuba led in blocks 5 to 4 and committed 29 unforced errors compared to Mexico’s 21.

Only two players scored double digits, Mexico’s captain Aitana Rettke with 17 points (16 kills, one block) and Cuba’s outside hitter Salet Castillo with 14 points (10 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces).

Aitana Rettke, Mexico’s captain, explained that they have a great responsibility being the current NORCECA champions, but they felt very confident in the first match, “we started very well, a strong three-set victory gives us greater confidence”. Regarding the coach’s substitutions, she said, “We all contribute to the team, each of us has different skills and sometimes a change is needed, and the result was accomplished”.

Mexico’s coach Ignacio Sánchez Palmeros expressed that part of the process is that the team does not maintain high intensity levels throughout the match, “we need to work on that; one way is through substitutions that risk the result but help them grow as a team, raising the level of volleyball in Mexico and showing that they must give their all”. He added that the team dreams big.

Cuba’s captain, Yesica Brito, said that her team did well in reception, but their performance was not as expected due to nerves, “this was the first match and it was against a strong team, the NORCECA champions; what went wrong today will not happen again”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 27, 2024.- Peru won opening match of the first U17 Girls  Pan American Cup defeating Dominican Republic in straight sets (25-16, 26-24, 25-19) at the Multi-sports Dome in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Peru and Dominican Republic are in Group A of the event. On Tuesday, Peru will face Cuba and Dominican Republic will go up against Mexico.

The South American team started the first two sets behind, and in the second set, they prevented the Dominican Republic from tying the match by saving three set points (21-24).

Peru was more effective in attack points (31-29) and blocks (6-3), while the Dominicans topped in service points (10-7). Peru benefited from 32 Dominican errors compared to 17 from their own.

The top scorer of the match was Peru’s team captain, Ariana Vásquez, with 16 points on 12 attacks, one block, and three service points. Outside hitter Gianella Chanca contributed to the victory with 11 points on 8 attacks, one block, and two service points.

Dominican captain Estel Santos led her team with 14 points on 12 attacks and two service points. Opposite hitter Rayni Mondesi finished with 9 points on 5 attacks, one block, and three service points.

With great joy, Peru’s captain, Ariana Vásquez, expressed, “It was an effort by all the girls, we fought for every ball.” Regarding the win, she said, “It’s very good because it helps us mentally; I think we had confidence in what we know how to do on the court, but we have to focus on tomorrow’s match now.”

“It’s natural to make mistakes at this age, but today there were too many, especially in that second set that we couldn’t close,” said  Dominican Republic’s coach, Brazilian Marcelo Cezarano. “I understand that it’s the first game with me as coach, we changed the system of play a bit and it’s a learning process. It’s more complicated whenyou don’t play frequently. Tomorrow we’ll try to reduce the mistakes.”

Guatemala City, Guatemala, May 26, 2024 – Coaches from current U17 NORCECA champion  Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Peru agreed that the Girls U17 Pan American Cup is a great opportunity to prepare before they compete from August 17 to 24 in the FIVB  World Championship in Peru.

The day before the competition begins at the Multi-Sports Dome in Guatemala City, the eight coaches of the participating teams shared their initial impressions.

The Girls U17 Pan American Cup, to be held from May 27 to June 1, is part of the qualification system for the 2025 NORCECA Continental Championship and the 2026 FIVB World Championship.

Christian López, Head Coach of Costa Rica: “We believe we are in good shape; we have trained a lot. At this age, it is mostly a learning process. We come to try to do our best, have a very good tournament, but above all, gain experience. There are new faces on the team, 5 or 6 are from the team that competed last year in Honduras”. 

Carina Menes Carrion, Head Coach of Cuba: “We come with good preparation. Last year, when we competed in the NORCECA U17, we didn’t win a medal and finished in sixth place. This year, we have prepared competitively; we are preparing this U17 team for the U19 tournament. We worked a lot on our reception, which was our weakness in the previous competition. We are here to fight for the championship”.

Marcelo Cezarano, Head Coach of Dominican Republic: “We are training hard to improve. I am the new coach, and the players are adapting very well to the change. The main goal is our preparation for the World Championship. We will go into every match to win. We are looking for good results”.

Celeste Cifuentes, Head Coach of Guatemala: “My team is very motivated and strengthened. They are a group of girls who have worked since they were in mini-volleyball at the national level. For most of the team, as well as for me as a coach, it is a new experience competing internationally. We know it is a tough competition, facing strong teams in the area. We have worked on the psychological aspect of the game, and we will try to exploit our strengths”.

Ignacio Sánchez Palmeros, Head Coach of Mexico: “This tournament is a good scale to see where we stand before we compete in the World Championship. It allows us to test other athletes; we have two injured players, and we will have the opportunity to see others play, so we can arrive with the best team at the World Championship. Coming as NORCECA champions gives us the chance to play good volleyball because all the teams will play at one hundred percent against us, and that’s what we want for our development”.

Antonio Rizola, Head Coach of Peru: “I love the Pan American Cup; it is a fundamental competition for all the teams in the Americas because we don’t play against each other much. Especially this Peruvian team, it will be our first time together, and I need to use it as a laboratory because from the team that qualified last year for the World Championship, I changed players’ positions and added five new players, everything is unknown. The team is anxious, it’s necessary to remember that they are all girls, and we will seek our own objectives as a team, our growth in every aspect of its performance”.

Juan Carlos Núñez, Head Coach of Puerto Rico: “We are preparing for the World Championship in August. After the NORCECA Championship in Honduras, we had a tryout for new players and nearly 300 girls participated, we selected 20 who trained for a month and a half to come here. Of the 12 players on the team, this championship will help me evaluate 8 girls who were not in Honduras. It is a good period to decide on the team we will take to Peru”.

William Ruiz, Head Coach of Venezuela: “First of all we want to thank NORCECA and its president Cristóbal Marte for the invitation, and our Federation for including us again in these events. We are starting a new cycle, with a new group of young girls in our country, aiming to reach the elite of South American and World volleyball”.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 25, 2024.- The Multi-Sports Dome in Guatemala City is ready for the inaugural edition of the Girls U17 Pan American Cup, which kicks off on Monday, May 27.

The control committee and the organizing committee of the event conducted inspections of all the facilities prepared for the competition, which runs from May 27 to June 1.

The technical delegates supervised each work area under the guidance of Ariel Sainz, president of the control committee, who stated, “The Dome is a facility we are familiar with; it has hosted numerous international competitions, and everything is ready for the event to start”.

Carlos Enrique Santis, president of the National Federation of Guatemala and competition director, explained the details regarding transportation, food, and the activity schedule planned to ensure the event runs smoothly.

The Girls U17 Pan American Cup will be streamed on Facebook Live Fnvg Voleibol Guate.

Ariel Sainz explained that since this is an underage category, all technical delegates must guide the athletes as they are being introduced to international competitions.

It was confirmed that before the match between Guatemala and Venezuela, an opening ceremony will take place.

The event is part of the qualification system for the 2025 NORCECA Continental Championship and the 2026 FIVB World Championship in this category.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, May 22, 2024.- The first Girls U17 Pan American Cup, to be held from May 27 to June 1, will take place in Guatemala City, Guatemala, at the Dome Sports Center.

The Girls U17 Pan American Cup is an event that is part of the qualification system for the NORCECA U17 Continental Championship in 2025 and the age-group FIVB World Championship in 2026.

The details of the competition were announced by the president of the National Volleyball Federation of Guatemala, Enrique Santis Rangel, during a press conference.

“It is a great opportunity and a challenge to organize this event, for which we have been preparing for a long time. We are fostering new talents and laying the foundations for those who will represent our country in future competitions,” said Santis Rangel.

The tournament will have eight national teams competing, divided into two groups.

Group A includes Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Peru, while Group B consists of Costa Rica, the host Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.

Mexico is the current NORCECA U17 champion, a title they won last November in an extraordinary comeback from two sets down, winning 3-2 (23-25, 23-25, 27-25, 25-21, 15-5) against Puerto Rico at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

The preliminary pool-play round begins on Monday, May 27, concluding on Wednesday, May 29, to determine the teams advancing directly to the semifinals. The second and third-place teams in each group will compete in the quarterfinals to determine the teams advancing to the medal rounds.

“Two years ago, the FIVB agreed to the creation of this category, so all the Confederations worldwide adopted this new competition system. This year, there is participation in the U17 World Championship. This event will serve for ranking purposes towards the 2025 NORCECA Continental Championship,” concluded Santis.

Schedule Preliminary Round

May 27

14:00    Peru vs. Dominican Republic

16:00    Mexico vs. Cuba

18:00    Puerto Rico vs. Venezuela

20:00    Guatemala vs. Costa Rica

May 28

14:00    Dominican Republic vs. Mexico

16:00    Peru vs. Cuba

18:00    Costa Rica vs. Puerto Rico

20:00    Venezuela vs. Guatemala

May 29

14:00    Mexico vs. Peru

16:00    Dominican Republic vs. Cuba

18:00    Costa Rica vs. Venezuela

20:00    Guatemala vs. Puerto Rico