SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 20, 2026.- The 2026 NORCECA Women’s Continental Championship gets underway this Friday, August 21, at the Prof. Ricardo Gioriber Arias Volleyball Palace, with eight teams competing for the continental title, three berths to the 2027 FIVB Women’s World Championship and the opportunity to continue on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Three berths to the 2027 FIVB Women’s World Championship will be awarded to the highest-finishing teams that have not already qualified.
The championship will also determine the teams that advance to the next stage of the Olympic qualification process. The top four teams in the final standings, excluding the United States as Olympic host, will advance to the NORCECA Continental Qualifier, to be held at the same venue on August 28 and 29, where one berth to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games will be awarded.
Ahead of the start of the competition, coaches shared their expectations for their teams.
Canada General Manager Shannon Winzer: “We’re coming off a great performance in the VNL, so we’re confident heading into this competition. This tournament is going to be tough because of the quality of the teams competing.”
Costa Rica Coach Ciro Zoratti: “If the Central American Games were already at a high level, I think this tournament will be even stronger with the United States and Canada competing, and with the teams having two additional players. We’re the youngest team in the tournament, so perhaps we won’t be as competitive, but it will be a great learning experience for our developing players.”
Cuba Coach Luizomar De Moura: “Our goal is to continue improving as a team. We’ve been training in the country for some time now and showed growth at the recently concluded Central American Games. In this tournament, of course, we’re aiming for a spot in the 2027 World Championship and to continue on the path toward qualification for the Olympic Games.”
Mexico Coach Nicola Negro: “This is a high-level tournament. It’s the Continental Championship and also part of the Olympic qualification process, so all the teams are expected to come here and give their best. As for our team, we need to raise our level of play compared to our performance at the Central American Games in order to be competitive.”
Puerto Rico Coach Juan Carlos Nuñez: “We’re coming with the expectation of achieving our main objectives, which are qualifying for the 2027 World Championship and the 2027 Pan American Games, as well as reaching the NORCECA Continental Qualifier to continue our pursuit of qualification for the Olympic Games.”
Dominican Republic Coach Marcos Kwiek: “We know there are two objectives involved. Our first goal is to qualify for the World Championship, which means finishing among the top three. Obviously, we want to win the NORCECA Championship, and our main goal is to qualify for the Olympic Games. We know it won’t be easy because all the teams are aiming for the same thing, so we have to take advantage of playing at home and do our best to achieve our goals.”
USA Coach Erik Sullivan: “It’s a great opportunity for us to come here and compete against such high-quality teams. Our goal is to continue improving our level of play and progressing toward the Olympic Games.”
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