Positive outlook from coaches before the start of NORCECA Women’s Final Four

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.

Puerto Rico set to defend title at NORCECA Women’s Final Four

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.

Competition Schedule:

 Friday – July 18

 6:00 pm    Trinidad & Tobago vs Mexico

 8:00 pm    Puerto Rico vs Costa Rica

Saturday – July 19

6:00 pm    Mexico vs Costa Rica

8:00 pm    Puerto Rico vs Trinidad & Tobago

Sunday – July 20

5:00 pm    Trinidad & Tobago vs Costa Rica

7:00 pm    Puerto Rico vs México

HISTORIC MEDALS NORCECA WOMEN’S FINAL FOUR

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

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

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

Coliseo Juan Aubin Cruz, Manati

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

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

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

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

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

Competition Schedule:

 Friday July 18

 6:00 pm    Cuba vs Mexico

 8:00 pm    Puerto Rico vs Costa Rica

Saturday July 19

 6:00 pm    Mexico vs Costa Rica

 8:00 pm    Puerto Rico vs Cuba

Sunday July 20

 5:00 pm    Cuba vs Costa Rica

 7:00 pm    Puerto Rico vs México

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