LEÓN, Guanajuato, Mexico, June 11, 2026.- The coaches of the four participating teams agreed that the 2026 NORCECA Men’s Final Four represents an important starting point for their respective programs, serving as the first international event of the season and a tournament that awards valuable continental and world ranking points.
The competition will be held from June 12 to 14 at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato, featuring Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Guatemala. In addition to crowning the tournament champion, the event is part of the qualification pathway for the Lima 2027 Pan American Games.
Dominican Republic head coach, Venezuelan Alexander Gutiérrez, said the tournament will help continue the development of a program that has significantly strengthened its roster depth.
“It has been a difficult start to the season for us because we are hosting the Central American Games and have not had a permanent training base. We spent 30 days in Colombia building the foundation of our preseason. This tournament will be important to continue evaluating players because, for the first time in the eight years I have led this project, I have options at every position. We take it very seriously because it offers ranking points, and my intention is to continue developing the project for the long term,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cuban coach Reider Lucas, who leads Guatemala, emphasized the importance of competing in high-level events for the growth of volleyball in his country.
“For Guatemala, it is very important to participate in events like this, and we are very happy to be here. We had a good year in 2025, even though the ending was not what we expected, and we want to get back on that path. The players are motivated, and our goal is to remain at this level because it helps Guatemalan volleyball continue to grow. We want to make a good impression,” he stated.
Mexico’s head coach, Brazilian Carlos Eduardo Schwanke, highlighted the work done during the preparation period and the expectations of the host team.
“We are just starting the season and have trained hard to build a team that improves every year. For this first tournament, we have only been training together for two weeks, and we will try to show our best version. Last year we were here for the Men’s Pan American Cup and won the silver medal; this year we have great ambition and the dream of winning the gold medal for Mexico here in León,” he commented.
Puerto Rico head coach Jamille Torres explained that his squad combines youth and experience with the objective of continuing the growth of the national program.
“For this tournament, we have brought a mix of young players who are succeeding in the NCAA, standout players from our domestic league, and several veterans, with the goal of continuing to strengthen our national program. We have won this tournament for the past two consecutive years, so we come here aiming to contend for the title and continue improving our position in the world rankings,” he said.
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