Nicaragua Takes down Suriname to reach Quarterfinals

XALAPA, Mexico, September 5, 2024. – Nicaragua defeated Suriname 3-0 (25-21, 25-12, 25-15) to advance to the quarterfinal round as third place in Pool B of the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup at the International Velodrome in Xalapa, Veracruz.

Nicaragua (1-2) will face the loser between the Dominican Republic and Cuba in quarterfinals on Friday. Suriname (0-3) will play in the matches for positions 5 to 8 in the event.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua controlled every element of the game, with a 39-22 advantage in attacks, 7-6 in blocks, and 8-3 in serves, while scoring 21 points from opponent errors compared to 17.

Brittany Forbes of Nicaragua led all scorers with 18 points (13 attacks, 2 blocks, 3 aces). Brisa Pérez contributed 12 points, all from kills.

Sharon Balkaran, captain of Suriname, led her team with 11 points (10 attacks, one block).

NORMA BRENES (NCA) ATTACKS AGAINST SURINAME’S BLOCKERS SHOMANTLA DE GRAVEN

The first set was the most contested, despite Suriname recovering from a four-point deficit (16-20), Brittany Pérez, along with María José Rivera and Brisa Pérez, put Nicaragua ahead. From the sixth point onward, the Central Americans were always in the lead in the second set, topping Suriname with a huge margin, using the offense of its three key players. Nicaragua started the third set with a significant lead (6-1) and claimed victory in straight sets, with Brittany and María José leading the offense.

Claudia Noguera, Head coach of Nicaragua: “This victory guaranteed us a spot in the quarterfinals. It is the first time that Nicaragua has reached the quarterfinals in this Pan American age-group, which is gratifying. I told the players that this is a new experience for them and to take advantage of all the resources and everything they can gain from this championship. We will continue to fight to climb up the rankings”.

Claudius Straal, Head coach of Suriname: “We had a great first set. In the next sets we had too many passing errors as well as serving errors which is the most important thing in volleyball. Maybe we’ll have a rematch against them and do better”.

Chile Moves into Quarterfinals

XALAPA, Mexico, September 5, 2024.- Chile defeated Costa Rica 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-20) to advance to the quarterfinal round of the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup at the International Velodrome in Xalapa, Veracruz.

With their first victory in the tournament, Chile (1-2) secured third place in Pool A and moved on to the next round, where they will face the loser between Mexico and Peru. Costa Rica (0-3) will play in the classification matches for positions 5 to 8.

FRANCISCA VASQUEZ ATTACKS FOR CHILE AGAINST CRC

Chile finished the match with advantage in attacks (40-30) and blocks (5-3). Both teams scored 4 direct points from serves. Costa Rica conceded fewer points on errors (26-28).

Opposite hitter Petra Schwartzman was once again Chile’s top scorer with 17 points (15 attacks, 2 aces). Outside hitter Dominga Aylwin added 12 points for the win (9 attacks, 2 blocks, one ace). Francisca Vásquez contributed 10 points, all from kills.

Krystel Vargas led Costa Rica with 11 points (10 attacks, 1 block).

KRYSTEL VARGAS RECEIVES FOR CRC

The game had really extended rallies with both teams taking turns holding the advantage. Chile closed the first set by scoring four consecutive points (21-21) with attacks from Dominga Aylwin and Francisca Vásquez, along with a couple of opponent errors. Costa Rica started the second set 4-0 with offense from Ana Victoria Rojas and María del Sol Venegas, alongside Krystel Vargas’s serve, but Chile recovered, and the point exchange resumed. Chile always led in the third set and managed to finish with a comfortable five-point margin after a block by Aylwin against Jezrel Cabezas.

Ediardp Guillaume, Head coach of Chile: “This was a key match, the most important one. Not only was it important to win this match to move on to the next round, but also to gain confidence because we had faced two very strong opponents (Cuba, Dominican Republic), and the team wasn’t playing freely. To play freely, you need things to go well, and today they did, even though it was close. Now we will face the loser between Peru and Mexico, and we will see what happens.”

Braulio Godínez, Head coach of Costa Rica: “In the third set, our setter lost focus, and Chile managed to pull away; we didn’t have a chance to catch up. I feel it was a good match, with a high volume of play, and I am pleased with the team’s performance. We still lack a bit of faith and confidence in the final moments, as evidenced by closing the second set with two bad serves. Now we have two tough matches ahead of us, and we hope to win them.”

Guatemala Struggles to Defeat Belize

GUATEMALA CITY, September 4, 2024. – Guatemala struggled to secure a 3-1 victory (25-18, 25-17, 13-25, 25-21) over Belize in the opening match for both teams in the AFECAVOL Men’s Final Four, held at the Alfonso Gordillo Gymnasium on December 7.

It was a hard-fought match, with both teams showcasing powerful hitters; a total of seven players reached double digits.

Jerry Dura, GUA, ataca

ALBUM DE FOTOS DEL JUEGO

AFECAVOL FINAL FOUR MASCULINO

For Guatemala, Carlos López scored 15 points, Andy Leonardo had 13 points, and both Yeferson José Zavala and Jason Omar Hernández contributed 12 points each. On the Belizean side, Karym Coleman was the top scorer of the match with 16 points, followed by Francis Hauze with 14 points and Ernest Broaster with 12 points.

Guatemala outperformed Belize in attacks, 49-43, while Belize exceeded Guatemala in blocks, 9-4. Both teams were tied in serves, with 6 points each.

Karym Coleman, BIZ, remata

Carlos López, captain and top scorer for Guatemala, said, “Guatemala started strong, leading 2-0. In the third set, we lost focus and made many mistakes that Belize capitalized on. The fourth set was the most contested. I congratulate Belize on the work they’re doing and Guatemala’s bench players for their significant contribution in the final set”.

Karym Coleman, top scorer for Belize and the match, explained, “The match was very good. Belize started off slow, but in the third set, we started strong and won. Tomorrow, I hope we can come out stronger and more focused than in the first two sets today”.

Mexico Defeats Nicaragua for their second Victory

XALAPA, Mexico, September 4, 2024. – Mexico defeated Nicaragua 3-0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-13) in their second victory at the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup at the Xalapa International Velodrome, Veracruz.

On Thursday, Mexico (2-0) and Peru (2-0) will compete for first place in Pool B and a direct spot in Saturday’s semifinals. Nicaragua (0-2) and Suriname (0-2) will battle for third place and a chance to advance to the quarterfinals.

XIMENA SOLAR SERVING FOR MEXICO_MIKASA

The home team dominated in attacks (39-20), blocks (6-3), and serves (12-1). Mexico conceded fewer points from errors (16-18).

Mexico was able to use all its players, with Marcela Herrera as leading scorer with 10 points (7 attacks, 3 serves). María Ximena Solar registered 9 points.

For Nicaragua, Brittany Forbes led with 10 points (7 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace). María José Rivera contributed 8 points.

In the first set, Mexico was convincing, reaching a huge lead (20-8), which allowed them to control the match in the following sets.

JIMENA SALINAS SETTING FOR MEXICO

Marcela Herrera, top scorer of Mexico: “After watching Nicaragua play against Peru yesterday, we expected a tougher match, so we approached it with more confidence than we did in our previous game. Tomorrow against Peru, we need to come in strong, with a lot of confidence, and focus on our own game without depending on external factors. We want to enjoy tomorrow’s match; we’re playing at home, and we hope to have the support of the crowd”.

Brittany Forbes, top scorer of Nicaragua: “We knew it would be a tough match; they are playing at home and would have more confidence. We lacked better performance in receiving; without that, there’s no setting and no attack. I think we lacked confidence, although we recovered a bit towards the end, but the result didn’t go our way. Tomorrow, our opponent (Suriname) has height, but if we play at the level we know we can, we can win”.

Dominican Republic Came Out on Top Chile in four sets

XALAPA, Mexico, September 4, 2024. – Dominican Republic defeated Chile 3-1 (21-25, 25-11, 25-20, 25-20), improving their record 2-0 in Pool A of the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup in Xalapa, Veracruz.

The Dominican Republic (2-0) and Cuba (2-0) will face off on Thursday for the top spot in the pool and a place in the semifinals. Chile (0-2) will play against Costa Rica (0-2) for third place and a chance to advance to the quarterfinals.

GERALDINE GONZALEZ AND AILYN LIBERATO BLOCKING CHILE’S OH DOMINGA AYLWIN

The Dominican Republic bounced back from losing the first set, defeating Chile thanks to their superiority in blocking (10-3) and benefiting from 40 Chilean errors compared to their own 20. They also held a slight edge in attacks (37-36). Chile dominated in serves (10-9).

With double-digits, Alandra Tapia (18 points), Geraldine González (16 points), and Florangel Terrero (14 points) led the Dominican Republic to victory. González scored a match-high of 6 blocks.

Chilean Petra Schwartzman led all scorers with 19 points, while her teammate Dominga Aylwin contributed 11 points.

PETRA SHWARTZMAN (CHI) ATTACKS AGAINST DOM

Chile won the first set after coming back from a three-point deficit (7-10) with a block by María Nielsen and a serve by Francisca Vásquez; the lead shifted back and forth throughout the set. With the offense of Alondra Tapia and Florangel Terrero, the Dominican Republic rebounded, jumping to a huge lead in the second set (14-6). Geraldine González’s block stopped Chile’s efforts, allowing the Dominican team to tie the match with a convincing 25-11. The Dominicans maintained control in the third set, but the Chileans stayed close with attacks and strong serves from Petra Schwartzman. In the fourth set, González’, Tapia, and Terrero blocks were key to securing the win.

Alondra Tapia, top scorer of Dominican Republic: “It was hard for us to get into our rhythm. The team worked hard, and we supported each other to recover, along with the coaching staff. Our team is working on improving, getting better, because there are new players who are still developing. The pressure of coming from behind helps us improve. Personally, I need to be more responsible with my role on the team and give my best. Tomorrow will be a very fun and dynamic match against Cuba”.

Petra Schwartzman, top scorer of Chile: “In the first set, we came out with more determination, more intention, and they gave us more points on errors. The Dominican Republic got more organized in the second set, and it was hard for us to get back into our rhythm. The goal is to win as many matches as we can; we haven’t been able to win the first two, but tomorrow we will give it our all. It’s time to turn the page and play well”.

Nicaragua starts with a victory over El Salvador in the Men’s Final Four

GUATEMALA, September 4, 2024. – Nicaragua began the Men’s Final Four with a 3-0 victory (25-23, 25-20, 25-12) in the historic opening match of this first edition of the tournament organized by AFECAVOL.

The Nicaraguans fought hard to win the first set, but from the second set onward, they were far superior to the Salvadorans, who could no longer find their rhythm.

Axel Guitierrez, NIC, ataque

Nicaragua greatly outperformed El Salvador in blocks 13-3 and attacks 13-3, while El Salvador led in serves 3-1.

ALBUM DE FOTOS DEL JUEGO

AFECAVOL FINAL FOUR MASCULINO

Nicaragua’s Axel Gutiérrez was the top scorer of the match with 23 points, 20 of which came from attacks, 2 from blocks, and one from a serve. Emilio Andrews supported Nicaragua’s offense with 14 points, making him the best blocker of the match with 7 points.

Rodrigo Chávez scored 11 points for El Salvador, along with Abner Itiel Cano and Manuel Platero, who each contributed 9 points each.

Nicaragua celebra

Nicaragua’s Axel Gutiérrez, the top scorer of the match, stated, “We came hungry, thirsty for victory; we want to achieve what we have dreamed of for so long, which is the gold medal. El Salvador showed a good level of play, but in the end, we secured the victory”.

Rodrigo Chávez, El Salvador’s top scorer, commented, “I believe the team’s sporting maturity came through. We are a fairly renewed team with many young players who have little experience in this category. Nicaragua took advantage of those weaknesses, and they were more decisive. We will gradually develop a better game and give a stronger performance against the other two teams”.

Peru Aced Suriname All the Way

XALAPA, Mexico, September 4, 2024. – With an overwhelming 12-0 advantage in serves, Peru dominated Suriname 3-0 (25-5, 25-10, 25-13) in the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup that’s being played at the Xalapa International Velodrome in Veracruz.

Peru remains undefeated (2-0) in Pool B and will finish the preliminary round on Thursday against Mexico. Suriname, still winless (0-2), will close the pool-play against Nicaragua. The top team in the pool advances to Saturday’s semifinals.

Peru

In addition to their serving advantage, Peru dominated in attacks 33-11 and blocks 3-1, limiting their errors to 14 compared to 29 from Suriname.

Peru used all its players, with Carolina Oblea scoring a match-high of 5 service aces, 4 of them in the first set, totaling 7 points overall. The top scorer was opposite Jeissy Chia with 13 points (10 attacks, 3 aces). Xina Cortez added 7 points.

Sharon Balkaran led Suriname with 7 points.

SASKYA SILVANO ATTACKS AGAINST SURINAME

Evelyn Gallegos, middle blocker of Peru: “In yesterday’s match, we learned that we need more communication on the court. Today’s match allowed our coach to make many changes and give everyone a chance to play and get more confidence, which I think was evident. What worked in our favor was our serves, especially in the first set. Tomorrow, we hope to see a full house when we face Mexico. We’re going to try to limit our errors but also repeat the successes we’ve had. We’re going to play with passion to put on a show for all of Veracruz”.

Shemandy Clydesdale, setter of Suriname: “We definitely could have done better. Peru’s serves were challenging for us. Our team lacks spirit, we don’t celebrate enough to motivate us. At some point the receiving was good and the passing, but we couldn’t score. I tried to hype my team, and we need to work on that”.

Cuba Earns Second Win at U23 Pan Am Cup in Xalapa

XALAPA, Mexico, September 4, 2024. – Cuba earned its second victory in the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup after defeating Costa Rica 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-14) on Wednesday in Xalapa, Veracruz.

This was Cuba’s second consecutive win in Pool A, and they will face the Dominican Republic on Thursday in their final match of the preliminary round. Costa Rica, with a 0-2 record, will play against Chile. The top team in the pool advances to the semifinals of the competition.

CUBA WINS MATCH AGAINST CRC

Cuba outplayed Costa Rica using all of its players, making various lineup changes, and ended with a 41-22 advantage in attacks, 10-1 in blocks, and 4-1 in serves. Costa Rica committed fewer unforced errors (20-26).

Cuban outside hitters Lianet García and Alejandra Gómez were the top scorers of the match with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Melina Abarca was Costa Rica’s top scorer with 7 points.

SHEYLA ALVAREZ SETTING FOR COSTA RICA

Lianet García, Cuba’s top scorer: “We tried several new things during the game because the coach made lineup changes, all to help us develop individually and as a team. Tomorrow, we face a strong opponent (Dominican Republic), and the goal is to win, play hard, and give it our all. We will fight, as is customary in Cuba, and we hope to secure the berth in the semifinals”.

Camila Arias, libero of Costa Rica: “Cuba gave us the tough match we expected; they are a great opponent. The match was challenging, not easy; we fought, but we lacked the right attitude. We met the objectives we set for the match: not to stop fighting for the balls and to improve our serve, which I believe we executed more effectively in the last set”.

Mexico starts Women’s U23 Pan Am Cup with convincing Win against Suriname

XALAPA, Mexico, September 3, 2024.- Mexico began the Women’s U-23 Pan American Cup with a convincing 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-13) victory over Suriname at the International Velodrome of Xalapa in Veracruz.

The hosts dominated every skill of the game, attacks (37-16), blocks (3-1), and service aces (11-1). Mexico committed 19 errors, while Suriname made 24.

Mexico

On Wednesday in Pool B, at 4:00pm, Suriname (0-1) will face Peru (1-0), and at 8:00pm Mexico (1-0) goes against Nicaragua (0-1).

Mexico’s middle blocker and captain, María Ximena Cruz, was the top scorer of the match with 13 points (11 attacks, one block, one ace). Opposite hitter Arleth Marquez contributed to the victory with 9 points, while setter Jimena Salinas recorded a match-high 4 service aces.

Sharon Balkaran, Suriname’s captain, scored 8 points.

AVAIRA SENGWAI WINS BALL OVER THE NET

María Ximena Cruz, captain of Mexico: “This is the first international tournament for many on the team, and I feel that for a first match, it was a good start for us to loosen up as a team. We were a bit nervous; sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves because we want to do things right, especially playing in Mexico. I believe that with what we’re doing in training, we have what it takes to win a medal. We have much more to give.”

Sharon Balkaran, captain of Suriname: “I think we could have done better. I expected Mexico to be stronger and maybe we could have won this game. I have a positive mindset; it’s  the beginning of the journey and it’s going to be fine. We must learn from our mistakes and regroup. I believe we can win a game or two”.

Cuba Outclass Chile in Four Sets

XALAPA, Mexico, September 3, 2024.- Cuba defeated Chile 3-1 (19-25, 25-23, 27-25, 25-13) on the first day of competition at the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup in the International Velodrome of Xalapa, Veracruz.

Cuba recovered after losing the first set with a 45-42 advantage in attacks and scoring 36 points on Chile’s errors compared to their own 22. Chile had the edge in blocking with 14-8 and scored one more point in aces, 8-7.

IGNACIA NIELSEN ATTACKS AGAINST CUBA

Cuba’s captain, Whitney James, led her team with 16 points (14 attacks, 2 aces). Opposite hitter Lisania Grafort added 10 points, all on attacks.

Chilean opposite hitter Petra Schwartzman was the top scorer of the match with impressive 29 points (21 attacks, 5 blocks, 3 aces). Outside hitter Dominga Aylwin contributed 11 points, including 5 blocks, followed by middle blocker Maria Ignacia Nielsen with 10 points.

On the second day of Pool A, Cuba (1-0) will face Costa Rica (0-1) at 2:00 PM, and Chile (0-1) will take on the Dominican Republic (1-0) at 6:00 PM.

CUBA’S CAPTAIN WHITNEY JAMES CELEBRATING FOR CUBA

Chile quickly earned a six-point lead (16-10) in the first set, capitalizing on Cuba’s reception errors, along with Petra Schwartzman’s offense and Maria Ignacia Nielsen’s blocking. Cuba came back from a seven-point deficit in the second set (13-20) with attacks from Lisania Grafort and Thainalien Castillo. Yensy Kindelan stopped Chile with a block, and Whitney James’ attack tied the match. Cuba took the third set after losing two set points to Petra, but a block by Lisbeysis Hernández put Cuba ahead. With a 4-1 advantage in blocks and 2-0 in aces, Cuba dominated the fourth and final set.

Whitney James, captain of Cuba: “The key to our recovery was patience, a lot of patience. We focused on correcting our mistakes and calming down. This is the first match of the tournament, and it’s normal to have ups and downs; training is one thing, and playing a match is another. We concentrated on our game”.

Camila Donoso, captain of Chile: “Cuba finished extraordinarily; they started blocking us, especially at the end of the match, making it difficult for us to score, and as a result, we got frustrated. It’s only the first match; we’re used to the pressure of coming from behind, and I’m sure we’ll bounce back”.

Peru Starts Off U23 Pan American Cup with a Victory

XALAPA, Mexico, September 3, 2024.- Peru started off the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup with a 3-1 (25-17, 21-25, 25-16, 25-15) victory over Nicaragua at the Xalapa International Velodrome in Veracruz, Mexico.

In their first match in Pool B, despite dropping a set, Peru outperformed in attacks (50-38), blocks (6-5), and serves (9-4). Peru scored 31 points from opponent errors and gave away 26.

PERU’S LIBERO BRISSA NIEVES RECEIVING

On Wednesday, Peru will play against Suriname, and Nicaragua will face Mexico.

Three players scored in double digits for the South American team; Fabiana Hurtado with 15 points (10 attacks, one block, and a match-high of 4 aces), Xina Cortez with 14 points (all from kills), and Jeissy Chia with 11 points (6 attacks, 3 blocks, 2 aces).

Brittany Forbes led Nicaragua with 15 points (12 attacks, 2 blocks, one ace).

Nicaragua surprised Peru in the second set, jumping to a comfortable four-point lead (11-7) and tying the match at one set apiece, thanks to the offense of Brittany Forbes and María José Rivera. Peru came back with determination in the third set, surpassing Nicaragua 13-9 in attacks, with Xina Cortez leading the way. In the fourth set, Fabiana Hurtado was joined by Katherine Pauro to secure the win.

Peru

Fabiana Tavara, captain of Peru: “We lost the second set because we got anxious and stressed when things weren’t going our way. I made some poor decisions, which caused the team to be unsure of what to do. Our defense also became disorganized, and as a result, our reception suffered. We needed time to calm down, we communicated and improved a lot. Starting with a win motivates us and gives us confidence to keep going, especially after bad results in other championships”.

María Marcela Roa, captain of Nicaragua: “We showed that we have potential by winning the second set. The key was that we enjoyed ourselves. I think we got nervous because for some of us, it’s our first time in a Pan American Cup. In the following sets, we felt pressured. We need to improve our communication, teamwork, and go back to enjoying the game”.

Dominican Republic defeated Costa Rica in U23 Women’s Pan American Cup Opener

XALAPA, Mexico, September 3, 2024.-  Dominican Republic defeated Costa Rica 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-17) in the opening match of the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup at the Xalapa International Velodrome in Veracruz.

Dominican Republic finished with a huge lead in attack points, 45 to 22, holding a slight edge in blocks, 6 to 5, and in serves, 2 to 1. The Caribbean team conceded one more point on errors (23-22).

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WINS MATCH AGAINST CRC

Dominican opposite hitter Alondra Tapia led all scorers with 17 points. Middle blocker Geraldine Gonzalez contributed 10 points to the Dominican victory.

Costa Rican opposite and team captain Ana Victoria Rojas scored 11 points, the only player on her team to reach double digits.

In the first set, the teams were tied at twelve points, but from then on, Ailyn Liberato and Alondra Tapia pushed the Dominican Republic to take the first set. The Dominican Republic dominated the second set, gaining a sizeable lead (14-6), with Florangel Terrero joining their offense, and then closing their first win in straight sets.

GERALDINE GONZALEZ (DOM) ATTACKS AGAINST CRC

Aiylin Liberato, captain of the Dominican Republic: “We are a team with the motto: improvement; we are seeking to reach a good level of play, to prepare together as a team, and to reach the maximum of our potential. We trust our coaches and follow their instructions, which gives us all the confidence to achieve a good result. We adapted during the game; it was the first time we played together as a team. We have three Caribbean Queens, two Olympians, and there was a lot of disposition to come together and come out with the win.”

Ana Victoria Rojas, captain of Costa Rica: “We came in with the mindset to enjoy the game and for each of us to fulfill our role on the court. As the match progressed, the Dominican Republic got more comfortable, and we lost focus. There were moments during the sets when we regained our defensive and attacking mindset as we did in the first set. The experience of the Dominican Republic weighed heavily.”

All Set for the Start of the First AFECAVOL Men’s Final Four

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, September 3, 2024: The first AFECAVOL Men’s Final Four Championship kicked off this Tuesday with the preliminary interviews with the coaches and representatives from Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua—the teams that secured the top spots in last year’s Central American Championship.

Everyone agrees that this is a great initiative by the AFECAVOL Board of Directors, as this tournament allows the senior national teams to have annual competition.

ALBUM FLICKR

AFECAVOL FINAL FOUR MASCULINO

Albert Humes, coach of Belize, said, “I believe the Final Four is an excellent tournament. What it does is, if you play here, it helps develop the senior category program, as you get to play in AFECAVOL every year. As for Belize, we are always knocking on the door, and today we are trying to open that door and step inside. Our guys have trained very hard to do well in this tournament. Profe Yamill Herrera from Cuba has greatly helped in trying to take Belize to the next level, so that’s our expectation for this tournament”.

Belize

Italian coach Andrea Génova of El Salvador commented, “This is the first time this tournament is being organized, and it’s a great incentive because it features the top 4 teams from last season. I think it’s going to be a good tournament, with extra motivation for senior teams, as they will now compete every year. We have come well-prepared, but the competition will be very tough because everyone has brought a very good team”.

El Salvador

Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala, expressed, “This is going to be a very interesting and important tournament since it’s the first time it’s being held with the top four ranked teams in Central America. In our region, there is a lot of competitive rivalry, and this helps improve the level of our teams and the level of the area. We believe it will be a very close competition. We have prepared well, we have a fairly renewed team, and we want to do well and try to achieve the objectives we’ve set for ourselves”.

Guatemala

Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua, stated, “We appreciate the opportunity to play in this first edition of the Final Four. Our team comes to work, to give our best, and we are well-prepared for this tournament. Our expectations are to reach the highest spot on the podium. We are 100%, we feel good, and the young players are ready to give it their all”.

Nicaragua

Anguilla and Dominica Crowned Champions at ECVA U21 Beach Volleyball Championships

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts. September 1, 2024.- Anguilla and the Commonwealth of Dominica claimed top honors in the female and male categories, respectively, of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under 21 Beach Volleyball Championships, which concluded on September 1, 2024.

The Championships, held over three action-packed days from August 30 to September 1, were preparatory tournaments for qualification to the FIVB U21 World Beach Volleyball Championships, scheduled to be held in Georgia in July 2025. The best beach volleyball talents from across the Eastern Caribbean and Bermuda region were showcased.

Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Terrance Drew and Minister of Sport et al., Hon. Samal Duggins, alongside officials from the St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee (SKNOC) and the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank, were on hand to crown the new champions. Joining them on the podium was special guest Hon. Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, underscoring the regional appeal of the Championships.

In a thrilling final, Anguilla defeated St. Lucia to capture the gold in the female category, while Dominica triumphed over host St. Kitts and Nevis to secure victory in the male bracket.

The bronze medals were awarded to Bermuda and Antigua and Barbuda. Bermuda secured third place in the female category after Antigua and Barbuda forfeited, while Antigua and Barbuda defeated Grenada to claim the bronze in the male bracket.

The crowning of the champions marked the conclusion of the tournament, which saw participation from 13 teams representing 11 countries. ECVA President Glenn Quinlan, in his closing remarks, expressed optimism that the competition would inspire even greater interest in beach volleyball throughout the region. He extended his gratitude to the many partners and sponsors who contributed to the tournament’s success and announced that the end of this year’s event signals the formal beginning of plans for next year, with St. Kitts and Nevis once again set to host.

As the region’s top young athletes return home, focus increases on preparing for the FIVB U21 World Beach Volleyball Championships.

Participating countries were Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada, the British Virgin Islands, St. Eustatius, Saba, Bermuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla, and host St. Kitts and Nevis.

Various social media platforms affiliated to the ECVA U21 have made a significant footprint, registering over 50 thousand impressions and 5 thousand accounts reached, representing a 350 increase, in week prior to and following the Championships.

Dominica Wins ECVA Men’s Under- 21 Beach title Unbeaten

BASSETERE: St Kitts and Nevis, September 1, 2024:  Dominica completed its mission to win the Men’s segment of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-21 Championships here at the Marriot Beach, and booked a place to the FIVB Beach Volleyball Under-21 World Championships, set for Georgia, 2025.

The duo of Bill Frederick and Mervin Mingo, silenced the partisan support from the host country, thwarting everything that the pair of Julian Bristol and Vickash Sundar, representing St Kitts and Nevis Team, winning in straight sets, 21-19, 21-16.

This meant that Frederick and Mingo went through the championships, not conceding a set, beating all comers by 2-0 margins.

Dominica’s coach- Yahn Florent commenting after his team’s domination, said he was able to bring all his experience garnered from playing in the ECVA, NORCECA and FIVB Qualifying tournaments, to bear on his charges.

“I basically shared my experience and knowledge about placements and positions when on the court, but the players themselves were hungry for that gold medal; we were not letting up on anything…We played everyone the same way, the same intensity”, Florent said.

The coach said that on return home, they will be back on training, because going to international tournaments requires a higher level of preparation.

“This is not the time to slack up…We have to prep some training drills to improve their sharpness and overall skills sets”, Florent projected.

En route to the final, Frederick and Mingo beat Antigua and Barbuda’s Khaliq Joseph and Miguel Lugo, 2-0 (21-11, 21-17), while Bristol and Sundar were taken the distance by Grenada’s Kibose Hamilton and Zerick Walcott, but prevailed 2-1(21-17, 17-21, 15-10)

Joseph and Lugo earned Antigua and Barbuda a podium spot, when they defeated Hamilton and Walcott, 2-0 (21-17, 21-16), to take bronze.

Positions 5-8: St Kitts and Nevis Team Two: Jedediah Pencheon and Komarr Fraites had a 2-0 (21-14, 21-16) win over   Bermuda’s Riley Morbey and Marcus Rodriques. British Virgin Islands’ Jason Dunkley- Maduro and Alexander Wheatley had a walk over St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Tariq Duncan and Damari Frederick. Positions 9 -12: Anguilla outfit of Trevon Smith and Shaquoy Reid defeated St Kitts and Nevis’ Team Three of Joash Walters and Alex Lall 2-0 (21-19, 21-16).  St Lucia’s Daniel Joseph and Rayquan Francis beat St Eustacius’ Zjondre De Jesus and D’Jairo Hassel, 2-1(21-13, 13-21, 15-10).

Anguilla takes Women’s Gold Medal

BASSETERE, St Kitts and Nevis, Sept, 1. 2024: Anguilla, represented by Lavesha Richardson and Deandra Flemming defeated St Lucia’s pair of Kurtrice Jules and Marie -Therese St Clair, to pouch gold in the Women’s segment of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-21 Championships here at the Marriot Beach.

Richardson and Flemming won 2-0 (21-17, 22-20), to ink their name as the ECVA’s women’s representatives to the FIVB Beach Volleyball Under-21 World Championships, set for Georgia 2025,

Both finalists though had to rebound from losses on day one, before navigating their way successfully to the title match.  Eventual champions- Anguilla was beaten by Bermuda, whilst St Lucia suffered at the hands of Antigua and Barbuda.

For Coach of the Anguilla outfit- Jason Liburd, the title was a testament of resilience.

“It was a tough road for us to get to the final, because we had to beat the defending champions, Dominica… We also had to beat Antigua and Barbuda, who was a finalist last year, and who had beaten us last year to get to the final.

Liburd though put the success to work done in preparation for the tournament and the experience gained in participating in the ECVA senior tournament in St Lucia, earlier this year.

Before reaching the title match, Richardson and Flemming ousted the Antigua and Barbuda pair of Jaya Carr and Jassania Joseph, 2-0 (21-18, 21-17), whilst Joseph and St Clair beat Bermuda’s- Isabella Sousa and Hailey Trott 2-1(21-10. 17-21, 15-8)

Sousa and Trott went on to win the bronze medal, as Antigua and Barbuda was forced to forfeit the match, after Joseph sustained an injury in the first set.

(Positions 5-8): As the losing quarterfinalists battled for the fifth to eighth positions, Grenada’s duo Teasia Jones and Makyala Mason had the better of Nayelli Fergus and Reanna Robinson of St Vincent and the Grenadines, 2-0 (21-15, 21-13). Dominica’s Nyla Edmund and Alyssa Bully saw off the St Eustacius pair of Gerelvia Spanner and Elshe Spanner, 2-0 (21-7, 21-9)

(Positions 9-12): In the jostle for positions 9 – 12, St Kitts and Nevis Team Three, comprising Asia Campbell and Jenieve Thomas, beat British Virgin Islands’ Natalia Drayton and Karissa Scatliffe 2-1(21-19, 20-22, 15-10) and Hannah Johnson and Selena Gomez of Saba defeated St Kitts and Nevis Team Two of Jahzara Andrew and Khimeli Jules, 2-1 (18-21, 21-13, 15-4)

Five NORCECA Referees successfully underwent FIVB Referee Course during Boys’ U17 World Championship

September 3, 2024.- As many as 26 international referees from all over the world not only whistled the matches of the 2024 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship in Sofia, from Aug. 25-31, but also successfully underwent an extensive course to be confirmed as FIVB referees, following their successful examination and practical performance.

Five candidates came from the NORCECA Confederation: Krystian Krzyzak (United States), José Beltré (Dominican Republic), Jason Dodd (Canda), Yamil Gómez (Puerto Rico) and Kenia Nieves (Puerto Rico).

FIVB Rules of the Game and Refereeing Commission President Guillermo Paredes from Argentina was the Course Director, joined by Commission members Alexander Steel from Scotland, Frans Loderus from the Netherlands and Guy Bradbury from Canada as course instructors.

The course was organized by the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation (BFV). It included three days of theory, which covered various topics like the different referee roles, decision making, game technology with a focus on the Video Challenge system, physical and mental readiness, training attention and focus, and concluded with a written examination before the beginning of the U17 World Championship.

It was followed by practical on-court experience and assessment during the matches with the candidates taking on different referee roles. On the last three days of the competition, the referees received hands-on experience with the Video Challenge system, with Bolt6 experts offering them their extensive knowledge.

All five NORCECA referees concluded the course successfully and are a valuable addition to improve the refereeing level in our region.

Dominican Republic, USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Cuba & Mexico Qualified to Women’s 2025 World Championship

September 3, 2024.- The FIVB revealed the participants of the 2025 Women’s Volleyball World Championship that will take place in Thailand featuring 32 national teams, which include six NORCECA teams.

Next year’s edition of the event will be the first to be held biannually.

Current NORCECA Champions Dominican Republic (ranked No.11), United States (ranked No.3) and Canada (ranked No.8) earned their berth via NORCECA quota.

Team USA against Team Dominican Republic on September 3, 2023 in Quebec City, Canada. Mathieu Belanger/Norceca

Puerto Rico (ranked No.16), Cuba (ranked No.23) and Mexico (ranked No.25) were also confirmed via FIVB World Ranking after the qualification period for the tournament  concluded on August 30.

Completing the list are host Thailand and defending world champions Serbia, along with Poland,  Germany, Belgium, Czechia, Ukraine, France, Bulgaria, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain and Greece.

The exact dates of the 2025 Volleyball Women’s World Championship and information about the tournament’s Drawing of Lots will be released when available.

United States, Canada and Cuba Qualified to Men’s 2025 World Championship

September 3, 2024.- The FIVB revealed the participants of the 2025 Men’s Volleyball World Championship that will take place in the Philippines featuring 32 national teams, with USA, Canada and Cuba representing NORCECA.

Next year’s edition of the event will be the first to be held biannually.

Team USA NORCECA 2023 Champions

The men’s tournament has two automatic qualifiers – hosts the Philippines and defending champions Italy. As part of the new qualification system, 15 spots were awarded during the 2023 Continental Championships, with Current NORCECA Champions the United States (ranked No.3), Canada (ranked No.11) and Cuba (ranked No.12).

Egypt, Algeria and Libya emerging from Africa, Japan, Iran and Qatar qualifying in Asia, Poland, Slovenia and France taking the European berths, and Argentina, Brazil and Colombia representing South America.

The remaining 15 spots were allocated to the best national teams in the FIVB World Rankings as of August 30, 2024, not yet qualified – Germany, Serbia, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Belgium, Türkiye, Czechia, Bulgaria, Portugal, Finland, Tunisia, China, Romania, Chile and Korea.

The men’s World Championship will be held in the Philippines from September 12-28, 2025, and the Drawing of Lots will take place in Manila, on September 14, 2024, at 19:30 local time (11:30 GMT), and will be streamed live and for free on VBTV and Volleyball World’s YouTube channel.

Four Men’s teams go in search of ECVA Gold

BASSETERRE: St Kitts and Nevis, August 31, 2024: Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, along with Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis Team One advanced to the men’s semifinals of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-21 Championships here at the Marriot Beach.

The four maintained an unblemished record, after successfully navigating pool play and their quarter-final battles.

Dominica’s Bill Frederick/ Mervin Mingo had an easy passage to the semifinal, as St. Vincent and the Grenadines was unable to take the court, forfeiting the match because of shoulder injury to Damari Frederick

Antigua and Barbuda’s Khaliq Joseph and Miguel Lugo overcame Bermuda’s Riley Morbey and Marcus Rodriques, 2-0 (21-10, 21-13), with the Grenadian pair of Kibose Hamilton and Zerick Walcott defeated the British Virgin Island’s Jason Dunkley Maduro and Alexander Wheatley, 2-0(21-8, 21-11).

While St. Kitts and Nevis Team One of Julian Bristol and Vickash Sundar advanced over their fellow Kittians, Team Two of Jedediah Pencheon and Komarr Fraites 2-0 (24-22, 21-13).

The semifinal match ups on Day Three, feature Bristol/ Sundar facing Hamilton/ Walcott and Joseph/ Lugo against Frederick/ Mingo.

The semifinal winners meet in the title match, whilst the losers play for bronze.

Final Pool Play matches

Pool D: Hamilton/ Walcott def. De Jesus/ Hassel l 2-0 (21-6, 21-9); Frederick/ Mingo def. Pencheon/ Fraites 2-0(21-18, 21-9); Pool B: St Kitts and Nevis Team Three made up of Joash Walters and Alex Lall def. St Lucia’s Daniel Joseph; Pool C: Rayquan Francis, 2-1 (19-21, 21-13, 15-6)

Play Offs

Duncan/ Frederick def. Joseph/ Francis 2-0 (21-15, 21-9)

Pencheon/ Fraites def. De Jesus/ Hassel 2-0 (21-13, 21-13)

Dunkley -Maduro/ Wheatley def. Walters/ Lall 2-1(21-17, 17, 21-15-13)

Morbey/ Rodriques def. Smith/ Reid 2-1(11-21, 21-17, 15-11)

Consolation Places

Walters/ Lall def. De Jesus/ Hassell 2-0 (21-16, 21-10)

Smith/ Reid def. Joseph/ Francis 2-0 (21-14, 21-15)

Pencheon/ Fraites def. Dunkley -Maduro/ Wheatley 2-0(21-11, 21-6)

Morbey/ Rodriques w/o Duncan/ Frederick

Day Three match schedule

De Jesus/ Hassel vs Joseph/ Francis; Walters/ Lall vs Smith Reid; Dunkley- Maduro/ Wheatley vs Duncan/ Frederick and Pencheon/ Fraites vs Morbey/ Rodriques.

Women’s teams reach Semifinals in ECVA U21 Beach showdown

BASSETERRE: St Kitts and Nevis, August 31, 2024: Anguilla staged a second and third set comebacks, to oust defending champion- Dominica, to reach the semifinals in the Women’s segment of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-21 Championships here at the Marriot Beach.

Represented by Lavesha Richardson and Deandra Flemming, Anguilla came from a set down to humble Alyssa Bully and Nyla Edmund, pulling out all the stops to win 2-1 (21-10, 14-21, 15-13).

It was uncontrolled joy for the Anguillans, as they left the Dominicans spellbound.

Likewise, St. Lucia, who did not light up day one, returned on day two with some aplomb, to join Anguilla in the last four.

St. Lucia’s Kurtrice Jules and Marie -Therese St. Clair ended Gerelvia Spanner and Elshe Spanner of St.  Eustacius run of wins, beating them 2-0 (21-18, 21-12).

Meanwhile, Bermuda, via Isabella Sousa and Hailey Trott gained their semi-finals advancement at the expense of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Nayelli Fergus and Reanna Robinson, trumping 2-0 (21-12, 21- 6).

And, Antigua and Barbuda’s combination of Jaya Carr and Jassania Joseph saw off Grenada’s Teasia Jones and Makyala Mason 2-0 (21-17, 21-12) to stay unblemished after three matches.

Pool Play

Day Two also hosted matches in Pool play as Bully/ Edmund beat Andrew/ Jules 2-0 (21-4, 21-15) in Pool B; Carr/ Joseph beat Campbell/ Thomas 2-0(21-5, 21-7) in Pool C, and in Pool D, Spanner/ Spanner beat Alwani versus Hensley- Phillip 2-1(16-21, 21-10, 15-4)   and Jones/ Mason defeated Johnson/ Gomez 2-0 (21-8, 21-8)

Play Offs

Fergus/ Robinson def. Johnson/ Gomez 2-0 (21-7, 21-19); Jules/ St Clair beat Drayton/ Scatliffe 2-0 (21-12, 21-8), while Richardson/ Flemming def. Campbell/ Thomas 2-0 (21-12, 21-8) and Jones/ Mason def.  Andrew/ Jules 2-0 (21-9, 21-6).

Consolation Play

Bully/ Edmund def. Jones/ Mason 2-1(21-18, 20-22, 15-4); Spanner/ Spanner def. Fergus/ Robinson 2-0 (21-13, 21-16); Andrew/ Jules def. Cambell/ Thomas 2-0 (21-14, 21-16) and Johnson/ Gomez def. Drayton/ Scatliffe 2-0 (21-15, 21-9).

Day Three Schedule

Semi-finals

Sousa/ Trott vs Jules/ St Clair  

Carr/ Joseph vs Richardson/ Flemming

(Positions 9-12): Drayton/ Scatliffe vs Campbell Thomas; Johnson/ Gomez vs Andrew/ Jules

(Positions 5-8): Fergus/ Robinson vs Jones/ Mason; Spanner/ Spanner vs Edmund/ Bully

Third Place Playoff: Semi-finals losers

Gold Medal Match: Semi- Finals Winners

USA’s Massey & Davis triumph as U19 Beach Volleyball World Champs

September 1, 2024.- USA’s Myriah Massey & Lily Davis shut out Spain’s Sofia Izuzquiza & Marta Carro in Sunday’s final to triumph as FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Champions in Shangluo, China, in women’s beach volleyball.

In another American sweep earlier in the day, Sally Perez & Sarah Wood took the bronze, leaving Thailand’s Varagkhana Sogalee & Somruedee Koedkaew in fourth place.

The 2024 FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championship women’s podium

18-year-old Massey and 17-year-old Davis were quite convincing in both sets of the gold medal match in China and celebrated the world crown after a 2-0 (21-16, 21-16) sweep. The American pair started the tournament from the qualifiers, but eight wins and one loss later, they could triumph as champions of the world. It was the third time in history a US duo claims the U19 women’s world title. At the previous edition of the tournament two years ago, Massey took the silver medal in partnership with Ashley Pater, but now went one step higher with Lily Davis, all the way to the top of the podium. For Davis, this was the first major international competition of her career.

“The gold medal means everything to us,” she said after the final. “Representing our country is a blessing. It’s so cool to see new places this way. And I think just working this hard to win it all is a great feeling!”

Mexico’s Ines Antonio Vargas Lares & Carlos Andres Ayala Herrera

“I think our biggest achievement was getting out of the qualifier because we wouldn’t have been able to get all the way here if we didn’t take care of business in the first few matches that we played,” Myriah Massey added.

In the bronze medal match earlier on Sunday, 17-year-old Sally Perez and 16-year-old Sarah Wood secured a second American spot on the podium by delivering a 2-0 (21-17, 21-16) victory over Thailand’s Varagkhana & Somruedee. So, after going through the tournament on a 6-1 win-loss record, they decorated their duo’s first world-level appearance with bronze, bringing USA’s total medal count in the history of the competition up to seven.

In men, Mexico’s Ines Antonio Vargas Lares & Carlos Andres Ayala Herrera finished fourth place after falling 1-2 (15-21, 21-19, 5-15) to AmirAli GhalehNovi & Habib AkbarzadehKashani of Iran in the bronze medal match.

FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships: all results

Cuba finishes 10th, Mexico 12th, and Puerto Rico 15th at U17 World Championship

SOFIA, Bulgaria, August 31, 2024.- Cuba finished in 10th place, Mexico in 12th, and Puerto Rico in 15th in the first edition of the U17 Men’s World Championship, which concluded on Saturday in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Cuba faced the host nation, Bulgaria, in a match for the ninth place in the tournament. The European team won 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-18). The top scorer of the match was Cuban Yosdani Medina with 23 points. Cuba outperformed Bulgaria in attack (44-30), but 22 unforced errors contributed to their loss.

Mexico vs Libya

Meanwhile, Mexico fell 1-3 (27-25, 23-25, 16-25, 17-25) against Libya, finishing 12th place in the tournament. Both teams tied in attacks with 51 points each, but 25 unforced errors from Mexico allowed the Libyans to take the victory. Emi Yanixan Diaz with 18 points and Ricardo González with 12 points were the top scorers for Mexico.

Puerto Rico finished in 15th place without playing, as Uzbekistan was a no-show in the tournament.

FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship: match schedule

Italy triumphed as the first ever U17 boys’ volleyball world champions with a furious comeback from two 3-2 (23-25, 17-25, 25-22, 33-31, 15-9) over Argentina.

Chinese Taipei won the bronze medal with a hard-fought 3-2 (25-17, 16-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-12) victory against Spain.

St Kitts and Nevis Team One and Antigua on the double

BASSETTERE: St Kitts and Nevis, Aug. 30: St. Kitts and Nevis Team One’s Julian Bristol and Vickash Sundar, as well as Antigua and Barbuda’s Khaliq Joseph and Miguel Lugo, went two wins from as many matches on day one of Men’s Pool play in the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-21 Championships at the Marriot Beach. 

In straight sets, Bristol and Sundar, beat Tariq Duncan and Damari Frederick of St.  Vincent and the Grenadines 2-0(21-15, 21-18) and had a 21-3, 21-10 win over Jason Dunkley and MaduroAlexander Wheatley of the British Virgin Islands to go perfect in Pool A.

Meanwhile, Joseph and Lugo top Pool C, beating St. Lucia’s Daniel Joseph and Rayquan Francis 2-0 (21-11, 21-16) but had to dig deep to ward off the St. Kitts and Nevis’ Team Three, composed of Joash Walters and Alex Lall, winning 2-1 (21-16, 16-21, 15-11). 

In Pool B, Dominica’s Bill Frederick and Mervin Mingo defeated Bermuda’s Miley Morbey and Riley Rodriques 2-0 (21-8, 21-14), and Jedediah Pencheon and Komarr Fraites of St. Kitts and Nevis Team Two beat Morbey and Rodriques 2-1 (26-24, 19-21, 15-7).

Two matches in Pool D and one in Pool A, completed the day’s proceedings. Anguilla’s Trevon Smith and Shaquoy Reid recorded a 2-0 (21-6, 21-12) win over St.  Eustacius’ Zjondre De Jesus and D’Jairo Hassell, with Grenada’s Kibose Hamilton and Zerick Walcott seeing off De Jesus and Hassell, also 2-0 (21-15, 21-15).

And, in Pool A, Duncan/ Frederick defeated Dunkley and Wheatley, 2-0(21-8, 21-6).

Day Two commences with the remaining matches in Pool play:

Pool D: Hamilton/ Walcott vs De Jesus/ Hassell; Pool C: Joseph/ Francis vs Walters/ Lall; Pool B: Frederick/ Mingoo vs Pencheon/ Fraites.

Thereafter, are the playoff matches featuring the crisscrossing of the final placing of the four pools, followed by the losers to determine the minor places.

Cuba will play for 9th place and Mexico for 11th place at Boys’ U17 World Championship

SOFIA, Bulgaria, August 30, 2024.- Cuba and Mexico will play for 9th and 11th place respectively, after Cuba beat Libya and Mexico fell to Bulgaria on Friday at the Boys’ U17 World Championship in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Cuba and Bulgaria will meet in Saturday’s ninth-place match starting at 11:00 (local time). On Friday, they achieved straight-set victories to stay on track for ninth place.

Cuba against Libya

First, Cuba, led by outside Andy Marrero with 15 points, including four aces, managed a 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-19) win over Libya. Then, the home team overcame a difficult first set against Mexico to cruise on to a 3-0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-16) shutout.

Libya and Mexico will meet for the 11th place at 13:00 (local time) on Saturday.

Tunisia achieved a 3-1 (19-25, 25-12, 27-25, 25-20) comeback victory over Puerto Rico on

The competition is over for Puerto Rico, who will finish in 15th place without playing on Saturday on a forfeit win over no-show Uzbekistan.

FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship: schedule and results

Thailand to Host FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship 2025!

August 30, 2024.- The FIVB and Volleyball World are excited to announce that Thailand will host the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship, subject to the guarantees of the Government of Thailand.

The FIVB, Volleyball World and Thailand Volleyball Association (TVA) today signed an agreement to host the prestigious event, which will bring together the world’s top 32 women’s national teams as they compete for World Championship glory.

The agreement was signed by FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F° and TVA President Somporn Chaibangyang during the Asian Volleyball Confederation Congress, which concludes today in Bangkok. The formalities from the recently elected Thai Government are expected next month, following the formation of the new cabinet.

Thailand’s selection as the host nation followed a rigorous evaluation process among several strong candidates. This decision comes shortly after Bangkok hosted the VNL Finals for the first time, where enthusiastic local fans turned out in large numbers to support their beloved Thai women’s national team and experience elite volleyball firsthand.

Stay tuned for more updates as we look forward to bringing the Volleyball Women’s World Championship 2025 to Thailand for the first time in the competition’s history!

NORCECA Congratulates Ramon Suzara on Election as AVC President

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 30, 2024.- The North, Central America, and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA extends its heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Ramon Suzara on his election as the new President of the Asian Volleyball Confederation  (AVC).

Ramon Suzara of the Philippines was elected the President of the Asian Volleyball Confederation during the organization’s elective General Assembly in Bangkok, Thailand, which is a testament to his exemplary leadership and profound dedication to the sport of volleyball for many years.

Ramon Suzara elected AVC President

The newly elected AVC President, who is also currently serving as the President of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation, will hold office for the next four years, from 2024 to 2028.

The trust and confidence placed in Mr. Ramon Suzara by the AVC governing bodies highlight the exceptional and visionary skills he brings to this new role.

NORCECA President, Mr. Cristobal Marte Hoffiz has developed an extraordinary friendship for many years, since 1992 and he has full confidence that under Suzara’s leadership, AVC will go into a new era of development to achieve new milestones in the realm of volleyball.

NORCECA looks forward to initiating a partnership and collaboration with Mr. Suzara and AVC; and is excited to continue within FIVB and NORCECA the prospects and opportunities for the global development of volleyball, eager to support and work alongside with him in these endeavors.

On behalf of the NORCECA Confederation, its President Cristobal Marte Hoffiz, the Executive Committee, the Board of Administration, and the 41 national and regional volleyball federation members, we commend Mr. Suzara on his new achievement, wishing him every success as he embarks on this new chapter in his distinguished career.

It is with heavy hearts NORCECA mourns the passing of Mannika Charles-Warrington

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 29, 2024.- The North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA and its president, Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, join in profound grief and sadness over the passing of Mannika Charles-Warrington, a beloved indoor and beach volleyball player for the U.S. Virgin Islands National team

Mannika brought joy to her loved ones, teammates and the sport. We cherish the moments she represented the U.S. Virgin Islands, most recently during the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour.

We extend our deepest condolences to her family, close ones and friends in these difficult moments.

NORCECA offers its heartfelt sympathies to the U.S. Virgin Islands volleyball family, the Officers and Members of the U. S. Virgin Islands Volleyball Federation for this irreparable loss.

May she Rest in Peace.

Mexico Defeated Chile and Cuba Overcame Tunisia at Boys’ U17  World Championship

SOFIA, Bulgaria, August 29, 2024.- Mexico defeated Chile, Cuba overcame Tunisia, and Puerto Rico fell to Libya in the playoffs for the positions 9 to 16 of the Boys’ U17  World Championship in Bulgaria.

Mexico beat Chile 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-20), with advantages in attacks (42-34) and blocks (6-3). Chile led in serves (4-2).

Cuba celebrates victory over Tunisia

Ricardo González and Oskar De Jesús González were Mexico’s top scorers with 16 and 11 points, respectively.

Cuba defeated Tunisia 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-21). The 15 to 5 advantages in blocks were crucial for Cuba’s victory. They also led in kills (57-48).

With 25 points, Cuba’s team captain Yosdani Medina led all scorers, followed by Andy Marrero with 21 points.

Libya defeated Puerto Rico in dramatic five-sets 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 14-25, 25-20, 15-13). Puerto Rico led in blocks (7-4) and aces (6-4). Libya outperformed in attacks (63-58).

Puerto Rico in action against Libya

Adrián Carrillo and Maximiliano Aponte were Puerto Rico’s top scorers with 10 points each.

On Friday, in the matches for positions 9 to 12, Cuba will face Libya (11:00 am local time), and Mexico will play against Bulgaria (2:00 pm local time). Puerto Rico will meet Tunisia (2:00 pm local time) for positions 13 to 16.

FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship: match schedule

First AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Final Four Championship

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, August 29, 2024.- The first edition of the AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Final Four Championship will take place from September 4 to 6 at the 7 de Diciembre “Alfonso Gordillo” Gymnasium in Guatemala City. 

The AFECAVOL Men’s Final Four gathers the four highest-ranked senior teams in Central America from the year prior to the competition, based on the XXII Central American Men’s Championship in 2023: Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, and Nicaragua.

The creation of this event, as well as the women’s event which was held earlier this year in Honduras, aims to provide annual competition for the senior category rather than every two years. 

The winner of the AFECAVOL Central American Final Four Championship will qualify for the NORCECA Continental Championship.

Guatemala Senior National Team

Streaming available for Guatemala’s matches (7:30 pm) on Facebook Live:

Confederación Deportiva Autónoma de Guatemala

Streaming available for 5:00 pm matches on Facebook Live:

Federación Nacional De Voleibol Guatemala

The teams are scheduled to arrive on September 2, with preliminaries the following day, and the competition will begin on September 4, featuring two daily matches at 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM.

AFECAVOL FINAL FOUR MASCULINO

Competition Schedule:

Wednesday September 4

5:00pm   El Salvador vs Nicaragua

7:30pm   Guatemala vs Belize

Thursday September 5

5:00pm   El Salvador vs Belize

7:30pm   Guatemala vs Nicaragua

Friday September 6

5:00pm   Belize vs Nicaragua

7:30pm   Guatemala vs El Salvador 

With Deep Sadness, NORCECA Mourns the Passing of Pilar Victoriá

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 29, 2024. – The North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA and its president, Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, join in profound grief and sadness over the passing of Pilar Marie Victoriá, a distinguished member of the Puerto Rican National Volleyball team.

We extend our deepest condolences to her parents, family, and loved ones, during this difficult time. Pilar Marie Victoriá was an exemplary athlete whose passion and commitment to volleyball left an indelible mark on our community.

NORCECA offers its heartfelt sympathies to the Puerto Rican volleyball family, to Dr. César Trabanco, President of the Puerto Rican Volleyball National Federation and Vice President of our Confederation, for this irreparable loss.

We stand in solidarity with all those who had the privilege of knowing her and working alongside her.

May she rest in peace and may her legacy in the sport inspire future generations.

Eleven countries in ECVA U-21 Beach Volleyball tussle

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts and Nevis: Aug. 29, 2024: The final destination is Georgia 2025, for the FIVB Beach Volleyball Under-21 World Championships. Eleven countries will be looking to book their flights, at the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-21 Championships, August 29 to September 1, at the Marriot Beach.

The participating countries are Anguilla (AGU), Antigua and Barbuda (ANT), Bermuda (BER), British Virgin Islands (IVB), Grenada (GRN), Dominica (DMA), Saba (SAB), St. Eustatius (EUX), St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN), St. Lucia (LCA) and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (VIN).

Consisting of a Women’s and a Men’s segment, the thirteen teams are in four pools of each of the genders.

WOMEN’S SEGMENT

Pool A: AGU- Lavesha Richardson/ Deandra Flemming; IVB- Natalia Drayton/ Karissa Scatliffe; BER- Isabella Sousa/ Hailey Trott

Pool B: DMA- Alyssa Bully/ Nyla Edmund; VIN- Nayelli Fergus/ Reanna Robinson; SKN- Jahzara Andrew/ Khimeli Jules

Pool C: ANT: Jaya Carr/ Jassania Joseph; LCA- Kurtrice Jules/ Marie -Therese St Clair; SKN- Asia Campbell/ Jenieve Thomas

Pool D: SKN Celina Alwani/ Jontelle Hensley- Phillip; GRN- Teasia Jones/ Makyala Mason; EUX- Gerelvia Spanner/ Elshe Spanner; SAB- Hannah Johnson/ Selena Gomez

MEN’S SEGMENT

Pool A: SKN – Julian Bristol/ Vickash Sundar, VIN -Tariq Duncan/ Damari Frederick, IVB -Jason Dunkley MaduroAlexander Wheatley

Pool B: DMA- Bill Frederick/ Mervin Mingo; BER- Miley Morbey/ Riley Rodriques; SKN- Jedediah Pencheon/ Komarr Fraites

Pool C: LCA- Daniel Joseph/ Rayquan Francis; ANT- Khaliq Joseph/ Miguel Lugo; SKN- Joash Walters/ Alex Lall

Pool D: GRN- Kibose Hamilton/Zerick Walcott; AGU-Trevon Smith/ Shaquoy Reid, EUX: Zjondre De Jesus/ D’Jairo Hassell; SAB: D’Angelo Gomez/Suedaiyer Pemberton

Matches begin at 9:AM on August 30.

Dominican Republic Aims to Defend Title at U23 Women’s Pan American Cup

VERACRUZ, Mexico, August 28, 2024.- Dominican Republic will seek their seventh title at the 2024 U23 Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup, to be held from September 3 to 8 at the Xalapa International Velodrome in Veracruz, Mexico.

Reigning champion Dominican Republic has won the event in each of its six editions and all eyes are set for them to retain their title. Mexico has lost the title match to the Dominican Republic in the last two editions. Argentina has one silver and one bronze medal. Brazil, Colombia, and Peru have one silver medal each, while Cuba has three bronze medals.

The 2024 U23 Women’s Pan American Cup is part of the qualification system towards the 2025 Pan American Junior Games in Asunción, Paraguay.

From the four (4) vacancies granted to NORCECA, two (2) vacancies will be granted to the top two placed teams in the final ranking of the event among NORCECA National Team. The remaining two (2) vacancies will be granted to the two (2) highest ranking teams in the NORCECA U23 Ranking not qualified. The South American Volleyball Confederation, CSV, will establish its own qualification system.

The eight participating teams have been divided in two pools, with Pool A consisting of Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Chile; and host Mexico is in Pool B with Nicaragua, Peru and Suriname.

Preliminary Round Schedule

September 3

2:00pm   Dominican Republic vs Costa Rica

4:00pm    Peru vs Nicaragua

6:00pm   Cuba vs Chile

8:00pm   Mexico v Suriname

September 4

2:00pm   Costa Rica vs Cuba

4:00pm    Peru vs Suriname

6:00pm   Chile vs Dominican Republic

8:00pm   Nicaragua vs Mexico

September 5

2:00pm   Costa Rica vs Chile

4:00pm    Suriname vs Nicaragua

6:00pm   Dominican Republic vs Cuba

8:00pm   Mexico vs Peru

HISTORIC MEDALS WOMEN’S U23 PAN AMERICAN CUP

YEARGOLDSILVERBRONZE
2012DOMBRAARG
2014DOMCOLCUB
2016DOMARGCUB
2018DOMPERCUB
2021DOMMEXPUR
2023DOMMEXARG

MEDAL COMPOSITION

COUNTRYGOLDSILVERBRONZETOTAL
DOM6006
MEX0202
ARG0123
BRA0101
COL0101
PER0101
CUB0033
PUR0011

NORCECA Teams Compete for positions 9 to 16 in Boys’ U17  World Championship

SOFIA, Bulgaria, August 27, 2024.- Cuba, Mexico, and Puerto Rico fell in the Round of 16 and will compete for positions 9 to 16 at the Boys’ U17 World Championship in Sofia, Bulgaria. 

Cuba lost in five sets against Spain, 3-2 (26-24, 19-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-10), with better attack (55-52) but was outblocked (15-10) and gave up more points on errors (36-34). Both teams were tied with five direct service points. 

Mexico against Italy

Cuba’s top scorer was opposite hitter Yosdani Medina with 22 points. 

FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship: match schedule

Italy dominated Mexico 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-21). Italy had the advantage in every skill, attacking (40-37), blocking (11-6), and serves (5-2). Mexico committed 19 unforced errors compared to Italy’s 14. 

Opposite hitter Ricardo González and outside hitter Emi Díaz scored 13 and 12 points, for Mexico, respectively.

Puerto Rico celebrates scoring against Chinese Taipei

Chinese Taipei defeated Puerto Rico 3-1 (25-21, 25-9, 25-18, 25-16). Both teams scored 6 blocking points, Puerto Rico had the advantage in serving (4-2), but Chinese Taipei finished with huge margin in attacks (62-36). 

Adrián Carrillo led Puerto Rico with 12 points. 

The teams will return to action on Thursday, August 29, with classification matches for positions 9 to 16, where Mexico faces Chile (11:00 am local time), Cuba against Tunisia (2:00 pm), and Puerto Rico plays Libya (5:00 pm).

International Beach Volleyball Coaches Course Concludes Successfully

HATO MAYOR, Dominican Republic, August 26, 2024.- The NORCECA/FIVB Regional Development Center in Santo Domingo, NORCECA Confederation, and FIVB successfully concluded the International Beach Volleyball Coaches Course at Rancho Doña Callita in Hato Mayor.

The course was held from August 20 to 24, led by FIVB Instructor Mauro Hernández from Venezuela, accompanied by Olympic coach Ingrid Morales from Costa Rica.

The 19 coaches from eleven countries successfully completed the course, receiving certification as Beach Volleyball Coaches.

Mauro Hernández expressed that the participants showed great interest during the course and congratulated the Development Center, and its director Professor Nelson José Ramírez, for the organization.

Coach Alex Medina from the Dominican Republic was recognized as an outstanding participant.

Puerto Rico Earns First Victory in Boys’ U17  World Championship

SOFIA, BULGARIA, August 26, 2024.- Puerto Rico earned its first victory in the Boys’ U17 World Championship being held in Bulgaria after defeating Cuba 3-0 (26-24, 25-14, 25-18) on Monday.

Puerto Rico outperformed the Cubans in blocks 14-8 and in serves 3-2, while both teams were tied in attacks with 34 points each. Puerto Rico capitalized on the 25 unforced Cuban errors.

Emi Yanixan Diaz MEX

Puerto Rico’s captain, Gustavo Antonio Álvarez, led the team in scoring with 16 points, supported by Marcos Gabriel Fernández with 10 points. For Cuba, their captain, Yosdani Medina, was the top scorer with 14 points.

In another NORCECA match, Mexico lost to the host country, Bulgaria, 1-3 (17-25, 21-25, 25-19, 15-25). Mexico’s top scorers were Emi Yanixan Diaz with 13 points and Ricardo González with 12 points.

Gustavo Antonio Alvarez PUR

FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship: match schedule

On August 27, the round of 16 will take place with Mexico facing Italy at 2:00 am (Mexico time), Puerto Rico plays against Chinese Taipei at 5:00 am, and the day ends with Cuba facing Spain at 11:00 am.

Bianca Farriol Named Most Valuable Player

LEÓN AND IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 25, 2024.- Argentina’s Bianca Farriol was honored as the Most Valuable Player MVP of the 21st Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup, held from August 18 to 26 in León and Irapuato, Guanajuato.

Middle blocker Bianca Farriol, with 7 stuff blocks in the gold medal match against the United States, led her team to a back-to-back Pan American Cup championship.

Individual Awards

Farriol also received the award for Best Blocker of the event.

From the United States, Veronica Perry was named Second Best Spiker. Kendall Kipp and Claire Hoffman were awarded Best Opposite and Best Receiver, respectively.

Colombian Ana Karina Olaya received the distinction of Best Spiker, and her teammate Camila Gómez was named Best Libero and Best Digger.

Karen Rivera won the Best Setter award, and Grecia Castro was named Best Scorer, both from Mexico.

Candida Arias of the Dominican Republic was recognized as Second Best Blocker, and Cuba’s Dezireth Madame was awarded Best Server.

Argentina Wins Back-to-Back Title at the Women’s Pan American Cup

LEÓN, Mexico, August 25, 2024.- Argentina won their second consecutive Pan American Cup title after defeating the United States 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-19) to claim the gold medal at the 21st edition of the Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup, which concluded in León, Guanajuato on Sunday.

Argentina finished the event with a 7-1 record, with their only loss coming against the United States in the preliminary round. United States finished 6-1, with their only defeat coming against Argentina.

Second Place USA

In the history of the Pan American Cup, Argentina has won two gold medals and three bronze. The U.S. continues to be the most successful team in the Cup with 7 golds, 3 silvers, and 5 bronzes, for an overall of 15 medals.

United States led in kills (39-35), but Argentina held advantages in blocking (12-5), serving (7-1), and limited their errors (12-21) to secure the victory.

With 7 stuff blocks, Bianca Farriol led all scorers with 15 points for Argentina. Bianca Cugno scored 13 points.

Colombia Bronce, Argentina Gold and USA Silver

Veronica Perry of the United States led her team with 13 points. Kendall Kipp and Serena Gray added 10 points each.

Argentina maintained advantage throughout the first set, with Elina Rodríguez as their top scorer. In the second set, Argentina recovered from a three-point deficit (8-11) to never fall behind again; however, with a service error and a kill from Veronica Perry, they lost two set points before taking the 2-0 lead. With the U.S. ahead by five points (10-5), Argentina turned the score around again, enduring tighter plays to finish with the win.

Bianca Farriol, top scorer of Argentina: “We never gave up; we gave our last breath to win the gold medal. I’m very emotional. The loss against them in the group stage helped us become more aggressive, and we were able to study them better.”

Mexico Outclass Puerto Rico for 5th place at Women’s Pan American Cup

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 25, 2024. – Mexico defeated Puerto Rico 3-1 (25-20, 15-25, 25-19, 25-16) for fifth place in the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup in Irapuato, Guanajuato.

With strong blocking from Uxue Guereca and Jocelyn Urías, Mexico managed to control Puerto Rico’s attacks, forcing them into unforced errors due to the local team’s effectiveness at the net.

MEX Grecia Castro spikes

Urías finished with five effective blocks, while Guereca added 3, contributing to a total of 14 blocks for Mexico, compared to nine from their opponents. Mexico also outperformed in attacks 55-43 and in serves 3-2, with 26 errors committed compared to 18 from Puerto Rico.

Six Mexican players scored in double digits: Uxue Guereca with 16 points, Jocelyn Urías with 14, María Fernanda Rodríguez with 13, and Grecia Castro and Karina Flores with 12 each. For Puerto Rico, Neira Ortiz contributed 11 points.

MEX Uxue Guereca serves

Jocelyn Urías, captain of Mexico:

“We are happy with our performance, but we know we could have achieved a better result; it just didn’t go our way. We put up good fights in five-set matches against strong teams and came very close. The goal in the end was to adjust, and we managed to do that to win the last two games.”

“Everyone is in good spirits. We overcame the loss to Argentina and finished in a good position. Our season with the national team ends here; now it’s time to return to our clubs, keep preparing, and improve, because next year there are many events like the World Championship, Final Six, and another cup.”

USA Repeats as Men’s Final Six Champion

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 25, 2024: Defending champions USA defeated Canada in four sets today to win the 2024 edition of the Men’s Final Six at the Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau, Quebec. 

The score 3-1 (25-19, 17-25, 25-20, 25-22).

Although Canada led with more attack points 48-43 and earned six points to USA’s five on aces; USA dominated in blocking points 14-7 and made fewer errors 25-30.

USA’s Cooper Robinson led all scoring with 16 points (9 attacks, 4 blocks, 3 aces). Zachary Rama and William Rottman contributed 13 points each, also for USA.

Silver Canada

Reeve Gingera led Canada’s scoring effort with 12 points (which included 2 aces).

Canada finished with the silver medal and a record of 4-2. USA won the gold and had a 5-1 record, with their only loss coming against Canada in the round robin.

Team USA’s captain Mason Briggs said: “We had a match earlier in the tournament against Mexico where we had to come back and win that in five, so we were prepped to fight back. We were prepped for them (Canada) to come out hot, and our goal is just to have fun and play together.

“I think we gained a lot of confidence over the tournament. Everyone did their job, and I think the team just really came together to play the best volleyball that we could at the end of the tournament.”

Team USA’s head coach Andy Read: “Two days ago, Canada played a really great match against us, and we went back and looked at it and saw some things we could have been better at. Today we were just a better team. I want to thank Volleyball Canada and NORCECA for putting on such a fabulous tournament. It’s great being back-to-back Final 6 champions.”

Team Canada’s head coach Glenn Hoag: “We’re not necessarily looking at the results. We’re happy to play in the final but you know, it’s all about getting information on those guys for the future. I think we ran out a little bit of energy too. We worked hard to win, to get our wins this week, and I think it drained us a little bit. But overall, a good tournament for us, and a lot of learning with the players that are basically our future.”

Canada Seventh place with straight set win against Chile

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 25, 2024.- Canada defeated Chile in straight sets 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-20) to secure seventh place at the 21st Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup in Irapuato, Guanajuato. 

Canada struggled in the first two sets against Chilean pressure, who tried to snatch the game, especially with the offensive efforts of Beatriz Novoa and Petra Schwartzman on the sides. Canada managed to close out each set strongly with good serving and the attacking power of Gabrielle Attieh and Abagayle Guezen, which was impossible for Chile’s block to stop. 

CHI Beatriz Novoa spikes

The third set was always in Canada’s favor, Lucy Borowski offense, who finished with 12 points, and 11 from Gabrielle Attieh, along with 10 from Abagayle Guezen. Beatriz Novoa was Chile’s top scorer with 15 points, followed by Petra Schwartzman with 12. 

Canada was better in attack 41-35, in blocking 6-4, as well as in serving 8-3, with 24 unforced errors from the Canadians compared to 20 from the Chileans.

CAN captain Averie Allard

Averie Allard, captain of Canada: “We got better every game and that’s important for us, especially as a younger group. I’m looking forward to LA 2028, that’s our goal. Any win was important, just to acknowledge the things that we’ve made, eleven games in such a short period of time is not easy, but I applaud every person in this team, including staff”.

Shannon Winzer, Head Coach of Canada: “Pan Am Cup is a great tournament, we get to play against some pretty good teams. I think the format is not healthy for players, having to play eight games in eight days is not safe for anyone, but the level of play is getting better every year. Pan Am Cup is a valuable tournament for us because we bring a young team who get great experience against some A teams”.

Second Loss for Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Mexico at the Boys’ U17  World Championship

SOFIA, BULGARIA, August 24, 2024.- ON Sunday 25th, NORCECA teams at the Boys’ U17 World Championship suffered their second defeat in the preliminary round.

Mexico was the first to take the court, facing Spain and falling 0-3 (21-25, 18-25, 24-26). Emi Yanixan Diaz with 17 points and Ricardo González with 13 points were Mexico’s top scorers. 

Immediately after, Cuba fell 0-3 (22-25, 16-25, 15-25) against Argentina. Andy Lázaro Marrero with 11 points was Cuba’s top scorer in the game. 

Emi Yanixan Diaz MEX

In the last match of the day, Italy defeated Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-11). Puerto Rico’s top scorers were Maximiliano Aponte and their captain Gustavo Antonio Álvarez, both with 5 points. 

FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship: match schedule

Pool-play concludes on August 26th. In Pool C, Puerto Rico will face Cuba, while Mexico will play against the hosts, Bulgaria, in Pool A.

Colombia Takes Bronze at Women’s Pan Am Cup

LEÓN, Mexico, August 25, 2024.- Colombia won the bronze medal at the 21st Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-14) victory over the Dominican Republic in León, Guanajuato. 

Colombia finished the event with a 4-3 record, while the Dominican Republic ended with a 5-2 record. 

This is Colombia’s second bronze medal in the history of the Cup, the first was won in 2019. Overall, the South Americans have accumulated 3 medals (1 silver, 2 bronze). 

ANA KARINA OLAYA ATTACKS AGAINST DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

In the preliminary round, the Dominican Republic had defeated Colombia in five intense sets. 

Colombia built their victory with an advantage in attack (48-30), blocking (7-6), and serving (2-1). Additionally, they committed fewer errors (15-18). 

The top scorers of the match were Colombia’s Dayana Segovia and Laura Grajales with 14 and 13 points respectively. Ana Karina Olaya added 11 points. 

Gaila González was the top scorer for the Dominican Republic with 11 points. 

Colombia Bronce medal

Colombia set the pace and level of intensity throughout the match, stopping the Dominican Republic to counterattack. 

María Alejandra Marín, captain of Colombia: “We knew that the Dominican Republic is a very strong team with a lot of experience, but they are very tired from the international events they have recently played in (VNL, Olympic Games), and it was Colombia’s moment to take advantage. Despite not having trained much, we had a good tournament.” 

Hernán Osorio, coach of Colombia: “We corrected many of the issues from this week and went out to propose a more aggressive game, with more determination, convinced that it was possible to win. The result was very favorable for us; we expected tighter scores because the Dominican Republic is such a strong team, with a lot of experience and Olympic players. For us, the tournament has been about strengthening certain aspects.”

Mexico outlasts Puerto Rico for bronze

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 25, 2024: In a back-and-forth match for the podium, Mexico came out on top and goes home with the bronze medal from the 2024 edition of the Men’s Final Six at the Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

The final score was 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 25-18, 23-25, 15-11).

Mexico led in 59-57 attack points and ace serves 8-6, while Puerto Rico led in blocks 10-9, but made more errors 33-23.

Jamal Ellis Carballo of Puerto Rico led all scoring with 24 points.

Mauro Isaac Fuentes Rascon and Yasutaka Sanay Heredia (with 2 blocks and three aces) each had 17 points for Mexico.

Puerto Rico finishes in fourth position.

Mexico’s head coach Carlos Schwanke said:  “The difference today was they were willing to win… We started in May to try to build a team and after three months, we achieved a bronze medal in an amazing tournament. So I’m happy to end up like that…. We had to change our strategy in the middle of the second set. And this, I think, contributed to us coming back, and also for the guys to believe more, because after the last defeat against Puerto Rico, I thought they were a little bit down. So this is a good achievement for us, and also a really good comeback for the players.”

Mexican player Yasutaka Sanay Heredia #10 : “Our objective here at this tournament was for the gold medal, so we are not fully satisfied.  We still have some details to work out. It is good that we won today and will not go home empty-handed.”

Cuba battles Dominican Republic for fifth place

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 25, 2024: The battle for fifth place ended in Cuba’s favor on final day of the Men’s Final Six at the Slush Puppie Centre arena in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

Despite their best efforts for a comeback, Dominican Republic couldn’t handle the powerful attack of Cuba and the match ended in four sets 1-3 (19-25, 36-34, 24-26, 21-25).

Cuba held the advantage in attack points (68-59), blocks (13-10), and Dominican Republic had one more ace than the winning side (5-4). Errors were similar (26-25) with Cuba making one more error.

Cuba celebrate

Víctor Andreu Flores of Cuba led all scorers with 29 points (25 attack points, three blocks and an ace).

Adrián Figueroa Lantigua led the Dominican side with 23 points, followed by teammate Hector Alexis Cruz Cepin with 19 points.

Dominican Republic finishes sixth overall.

Cuba’s head coach Jesus Angel Cruz Lopez said in the post-match interview: “Ultimately, we finished in fifth place, which wasn’t the position we expected in this tournament, but we ended with a victory. We didn’t just win one game; we won two. It wasn’t a good tournament for this group of athletes, but this serves as an analysis for future competitions for the athletes and for their individual preparation.”

Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Mexico Start with Defeats in the Boys’ U17 World Championship

SOFIA, BULGARIA, August 24, 2024.- The Boys’ U17 World Championship kicked off this Saturday with Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Mexico representing NORCECA, all three teams starting with defeats.

In Pool A, Mexico was the first to play, losing 3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-17) to Chinese Taipei. Emi Yanixan Diaz was the top scorer for Mexico with 12 points. On Sunday, they face Spain at 11:00 AM local time.

Emi Yanixan Diaz MEX

FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship: match schedule

In Pool C, Argentina defeated Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-22), and Italy beat Cuba 3-1 (25-23, 24-26, 25-15, 25-12). On Sunday, the NORCECA representatives will switch opponents, with Cuba playing Argentina at 2:00 PM and Puerto Rico facing Italy at 8:00 PM (local time).

For Puerto Rico, the top scorer was Dylan Jomar López with 11 points, while Cuban captain Yosdani Medina was their top scorer with 10 points.

Mexico and Puerto Rico in the Top Ten of the Girls’ U17 World Championship

LIMA, Peru, August 24, 2024. – Mexico and Puerto Rico finished in the eighth and ninth positions, respectively, at the inaugural edition of the Girls’ FIVB U17 Women’s World Championship, which concluded on Saturday in Lima, Peru.

Mexico secured the eighth place after falling to Turkey 1-3 (17-25, 19-25, 25-22, 15-25), while Puerto Rico defeated Argentina 3-0 (26-24, 25-14, 25-21) to claim the ninth position.

Opposite Rubí Zúñiga was the top scorer for Mexico, and opposite Decelise Champion of Puerto Rico led the scoring in the match against Argentina.

Decelise Annalee Champion PUR

Canada won an exciting five-set match 3-2 (25-19, 27-25, 25-27, 20-25, 15-13) against Egypt to finish in 13th place. Middle blocker Dara Obeid and outside hitter Ana Stojanovic each scored 21 points in the victory.

The Dominican Republic finished in 15th place after a 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-20) victory over Ecuador. The top scorer of the match was Dominican Yamil Moya, who scored 15 points.

China won the gold medal match to Japan 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-18) and Italy beat Chinese Taipei 3-1 (19-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-22) in the bronze medal match.

FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship: match schedule

USA Nicholas Slight MVP at NORCECA Men’s Final Six

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 25, 2024: Nicholas Slight, USA’s setter, received the Most Valuable Player Award at the 2024 edition of the Men’s Final Six at the Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau, Quebec.

Also from the United States, DiAeris McRaven was awarded as Second Blocker, Cooper Robinson Best Server and Mason Briggs Best Receiver.

From Canada, Mason Greves was named the Best Setter and Trent Cherewaty Best Blocker.

Dominican Jose Figueroa was the Best Opposite and Best Scorer. His teammate Hector Cruz the second Best Spiker.

Hiram Bravo and Franky Adrian Hernandez of Mexico the Best Digger and Best Spiker respectively.

Puerto Rico’s Dennis Del Valle named Best Libero.

Argentina to Defend Its Title Against the United States

LEÓN, Mexico, August 24, 2024.- Argentina will defend its title against the United States after defeating Colombia 3-1 (15-25, 28-26, 25-18, 25-23) in the semifinal of the Women’s Senior Pan American Volleyball Cup on Saturday in León, Guanajuato.

Argentina will defend its title on Sunday at 6:00 pm (local time) against the United States. Argentina won the Women’s Pan American Cup for the first time in history last year in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Colombia will compete for the bronze medal against the Dominican Republic at 3:00 pm. In the group stage, the Dominican Republic defeated Colombia in five sets.

MONSTER BLOCK FROM DAYANA SEGOVIA (COL) AGAINST ARG

A 15-8 advantage in blocking points was crucial for Argentina’s victory, along with a 6-2 lead in service points. Colombia finished with an advantage of 55-52 in kills and committed fewer errors, 20-27.

Argentina’s opposite, Bianca Cugno, was the top scorer of the match with 21 points. Dalma Pérez contributed 14 points, Bianca Farriol 13, and Candelaria Herrera 12, with the trio combining for 12 blocking points.

Ana Karina Olaya led Colombia with 19 points, followed by Valerin Carabali with 15 points and Dayana Segovia with 10.

Colombia started strong, taking the first set comfortably 25-15, with Valerin Carabali and Melissa Rangel leading in offense. Argentina regained territory with an extended score in the second set, after losing two set points to Dayana Segovia, but the attacks by Bianca Cugno and the blocks by Dalma Pérez and Candelaria Herrera tied the match. In the third set, Argentina dominated with five blocks, three by Herrera and two by Cugno, and outperformed Colombia in attacks 15-10. Tied at 23 points in the fourth set, an attack error by Ana Karina gave Argentina the match point, which Pérez sealed with a block over Segovia.

VICTORIA MAYER ATTACKS FOR ARGENTINA

Victoria Mayer, captain of Argentina: “It was a match worthy of a semifinal. As we’ve been doing throughout the tournament, we kept growing. There was a lot of rotation, and every player on the court and those who came off the bench gave everything they had. We bounced back from losing the first set with grit and team unity, which is key for us. Tomorrow will surely be a great match against the United States.”

Facundo Morando, coach of Argentina: “After losing the first set, we adjusted with blocking; we figured out how to block their opposite (Dayana Segovia) and neutralize Ana Karina, who has a very powerful attack, hitting very high and hard. Colombia did well, adjusting the rotation to target Vicky, but as always, and as it has been throughout the tournament, the team held strong and secured the victory.”

Cuba Swept Peru to Finish Ninth place

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 24, 2024. – Cuba triumphed over Peru in straight sets 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-21) to secure ninth place in the 21st Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup.

Cuba dominated the match with a 43-30 advantage in kills and an 8-5 margin in blocks, but Peru performed better in service 6-4. However, Peru committed 20 errors compared to Cuba’s 12.

Peru put pressure on Cuba with their serves at the start of the game, keeping the score close until the point 10, after which Cuba took the lead with two streaks of four consecutive points to take the first set.

CUB winner

Cuba was more decisive in the second set, with an advantage of 13-8 in attacks, 3-0 in blocking, and 3-1 in service, with Evilania Martínez scoring 7 points in that set.

Peru tried to extend the match with strong serving, managing 34 direct points and a total of 7 points from Karla Ortiz, but it wasn’t enough against Cuba’s solid performance, which ended strongly with blocking.

Yalain de la Peña and Evilania Martínez led Cuba with 15 points each, while Dezirett Madan contributed 11 points. For Peru, Karla Ortiz scored 11 points.

Cuba had finished in fourth place in Pool B, defeating Chile and Costa Rica, but lost the classification match for positions 7-10 against Canada. Peru finished fourth in Pool A, with victories over Dominican Republic and Suriname, but fell to Chile in five thrilling sets in the classification match.

Mexico beats Canada at Final Six

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 24, 2024:Mexico secured a spot in the bronze-medal match after a win over Canada at the Men’s Final Six at the Slush Puppie Centre arena in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

Mexico beat Canada in four sets 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 25-27, 25-21).

Attack points were even at 57; Canada had the advantage in blocks (10-8) and Mexico the slight advantage in serves 5-4.  Mexico capitalized on Canada’s errors 21-30.

This was Mexico’s third win of the tournament.

Franky Hernández Milantony was Mexico’s top scorer with 18 points. Mauro Fuentes Rascón followed with 15 points.

Captain Zachary Hollands of Canada had a match-high 22 points, while Dylan Martens contributed 19 points.

Mexico will face Puerto Rico for bronze on Sunday. Canada (4-1) will face the USA for the gold medal in the final.

Mexico’s head coach Carlos Schwanke commented: “We had a chance today as Canada did not play its starters. We took the opportunities we had to win the match; we played well from the beginning of the match and bet on our serve, and it worked.  Tomorrow is the bronze medal match and we’re going to fight for it.”

Mexico Struggles to Defeat Chile and Will Face Puerto Rico for Fifth Place

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 24, 2024 – Mexico recovered from losing the third set to win 3-1 (28-26, 25-12, 22-25, 25-14) against Chile and will play for fifth place in the 21st Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup against Puerto Rico.

Mexico will face Puerto Rico for fifth place in the Cup, while Chile will play against Canada for seventh place.

Mexico struggled in the first set but used their experience, with two good defenses and counterattacks with hits from Uxue Guereca and Grecia Castro, to take the set 28-26.

MEX winner

The second set was an easy win for Mexico, pulling ahead from the start, but in the third, they struggled from the beginning with Chile leading 8-1, then 18-13. Mexico put pressure on at 19-18, but Beatriz Novoa, Petra Schwartzman, and María Nielsen managed to finish the set, reducing the set score to 1-2.

Once again, in the fourth set, Mexico showed their strength and secured the match in front of a good number of fans who came to the Inforum in Irapuato to support their team.

Mexico outperformed Chile in attacks 61-47, in blocking 10-4 (with four from Jocelyn Urias), and in service aces 6-3, with both teams committing 23 errors.

CHI Schwartzman spikes

Grecia Castro, with 21 points, was Mexico’s top scorer, Jocelyn Urias finished with 15, and María Rodríguez added 12 points. For Chile, Beatriz Novoa scored 17 points, and Petra Schwartzman finished with 16.

Jocelyn Urias, captain of Mexico: “We really wanted to finish the match in three sets, but we struggled in the third. I think we got a bit overconfident, but in the fourth set, we were able to refocus and secure the win. We really appreciate the support from the fans; of course, I would love for more people to come to watch our matches, but we are happy with the support, both here and in León”.

Nicola Negro, coach of Mexico: “We are happy with the victory; we didn’t play our best game. Yesterday against Argentina, I think we played our best game of the Cup so far, but we didn’t get the win. Today we felt a bit of fatigue, the seventh day, seven games, and we had a mix of good and not-so-good moments.”

United States Booked their Place in the Women’ Pan Am Cup Finals

LEON, Mexico, August 24, 2024. – The United States booked their place in the final of the 21st Women’s Senior Pan American Volleyball Cup by defeating the Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 28-26) in the semifinals.

This marks the tenth time that the United States has advanced to compete for the gold medal in the Pan American Cup, having won it seven times, making them the most successful team in the Cup’s history.

United States will compete for the gold medal on Sunday at 6:00 pm (local time) against the winner of the other semifinal between Colombia and Argentina. The Dominican Republic will battle for the bronze medal at 3:00 pm against the loser.

JENNA GRAY SETTING FOR USA

The United States outperformed the Dominican Republic in kills (50-44) and blocks (8-4). Dominican Republic held a slight edge in service aces (4-3). In errors, United States committed 15, while the Dominican Republic had 17.

USA’s opposite Kendall Kipp led all scorers with 20 points (18 kills, 2 blocks). Team Captain and outside hitter Veronica Perry scored 12 points (10 kills, one block, one ace). Claire Hoffman added 11 attack points.

Yonkaira Peña led the Dominican Republic with 14 points (13 kills, one ace). Middle blocker Candida Arias contributed 10 points (6 kills, 3 blocks, one ace).

USA never trailed in the first set, holding up to an eight-point lead, with Kendall Kipp and Veronica Perry leading the way, joined by middle Serena Gray’s blocks. In the second set, the Dominican Republic rallied to tie at 16 with Yonkaira Peña and Gaila González, but USA pulled ahead again, reaching set point (24-19), with the Dominican Republic extending the set to 25-23. The Dominican Republic reached set point in the third (24-22), which the Americans fought with an attack by Claire Hoffman and a block by Tia Jimerson to tie at 24. Florangel Terrero reached a new set point for the Dominican Republic, which USA extended to an overtime 28-26 win with a Dominican error.

GAILA GONZALEZ (DOM) AND JENNA GRAY (USA) BATTLEING THE BALL OVER THE NET

Veronica Perry, captain of United States: “There were a lot of technical parts in this game. I think our staff members had us well prepared for this match, in technical and tactical strategies. Our team did a good job staying steady and executing those things. Dominican Republic is a really good team, and we came in with a good strategy, but they made adjustments from the second set forward”.

Brad Rostratter, Head Coach of United States: “We did a good job from the service line, they did too. There were longer plays, both teams were out of system that we would’ve liked. We were in system a little bit more and that gave us the advantage over time. In the first set we played well, and they played well the next two”.

Marcos Kwiek, Head Coach of the Dominican Republic: “It was a good match. We made mistakes at key moments due to the lack of maturity of some players; the last point is proof of that, it’s part of the process. We are in a transition phase, it’s natural. We’re going for the bronze medal.”

Puerto Rico plays another 5-set battle, this time they won against Canada

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 24, 2024. – Puerto Rico, in a nearly two-hour match and after falling in five sets last night against the Dominican Republic, prevailed 3-2 (16-25, 25-16, 25-16, 16-25, 15-10) over Canada, advancing to the fifth-place match of the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup.

In a very even match-up in all aspects, Puerto Rico gained a slight advantage in attacks, 57-54, especially during moments when Canada was putting pressure when they reached halfway in each set. They managed to pull ahead by playing through the middle of the net with Neira Ortiz and through the corners with opposite hitter Dariana Hollingsworth.

PUR Diana Reyes attack against CAN Emma Boyd defense

Canada led in blocking 13-12, while Puerto Rico led in service aces 5-2; both teams committed 23 unforced errors.

For Puerto Rico, Dariana Hollingsworth scored 21 points, Neira Ortiz added 19 points, and Diana Reyes contributed 13 points. For Canada, Emma Boyd scored 15 points and Nyadholi Thokboum added 13.

On Sunday, Puerto Rico will face the winner between Mexico and Chile, while Canada will play for seventh place against the loser.

PUR Cestero spikes against CAN Averie Allard and Emma Boyd defense

Shara Venegas, captain of Puerto Rico: “We are prepared for this type of scenario. It has been a tough, intense tournament with many games and little rest, which speaks to how well we are doing physically. I am happy and proud of the work Puerto Rico has done, as we have performed at a high level, and we will continue to give it our all until the end.”

Neira Ortiz, middle blocker of Puerto Rico: “We started the match behind; it’s not easy to play for these positions, but we always have to finish strong. We try to stay positive and fill ourselves with good energy, which is what we’ve tried to do throughout the tournament. I think our performance has had many ups and downs, but as long as we finish well, play hard, with a positive mindset and that fighting spirit, I’ll be happy.”

USA recovers from a slow start to beat Cuba

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 24, 2024:  USA came back from a close first set to block Cuba from a win today at the Men’s Final Six at the Slush Puppie Centre arena in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

USA won in three sets (33-31, 25-14, 25-17)

The United States led in attack points (40-35) and ace serves (6-3) and dominated in blocking points 18-2. United States made more errors than Cuba 22-19.

USA outside hitter Cooper Robinson had a match-high 15 points (8 attack points, 5 blocks, 2 aces). Nolan Flexen and Zachary Rama each earned 14 points, also for USA.

Thiago Suarez Mendoza and Bryan Camino Martinez led Cuba with 10 points apiece.

USA’s only loss so far was to Canada yesterday. Cuba has one win and four losses in the tournament.

USA player #23 DiAeris McRaven commented: “We needed to make a couple of adjustments early in the game. And then once we were able to adapt to the situation, as you saw in the second set, we were able to pick it up really quickly. Everybody was getting blocks. Our ability to adapt in the middle of the game was huge and critical for our win today.  … We needed that little kick in the butt in the first set to remind us that we have to play hard if we want to be in that gold medal match.”

USA Head Coach Andy Read said: “The first set was huge. Winning that set in overtime gave us momentum and we just kept rolling…. We want to compete for the gold medal and now we need to get ready for tomorrow and have a great match.”

Puerto Rico earns second win at Final Six

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 24, 2024: Puerto Rico defeated Dominican Republic today at the Men’s Final Six at the Slush Puppie Centre arena in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

The score was 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 15-25, 25-20).

Although the Dominican team led in attack points (52-50) and blocks (9-6), Puerto Rico’s squad held the advantage in aces (5-1) and made fewer errors (22-29)

Outside hitter Klistan Lawrence Vidal was top scorer for Puerto Rico with 21 points (18 attack points, 1 block and 2 aces).

Dominican captain Héctor Alexis Cruz was next on the scoresheet with 20 points.

This was Puerto Rico’s second win of the tournament. Dominican Republic is 1-4.

Team Captain and libero #4 Dennis Del Valle of Puerto Rico said after today’s win:  “We are a little more focused. Before coming to this tournament, we only got to practice for two weeks as a team. As the days go by, we’ve been playing better and getting to know each other better….. I think that’s making a difference – our team chemistry and we are playing with more passion and energy. We acknowledge that we are a very emotional team and the results are now coming for us.”

Puerto Rico Head Coach Oswald Antonetti Cameron said: “Dominican Republic played well against the U.S., so for us to beat them is good. And with winning against Mexico yesterday, we’re pleased as we have a young team. We are improving and they are starting to believe they can win.”

Cuba, Mexico and Puerto Rico compete at Boys’ U17  World Championship

SOFIA, Bulgaria, August 24, 2024.- Cuba, Mexico and Puerto Rico compete at the inaugural edition of the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship in Sofía, Bulgaria from August 24-31.

The 16 best U17 men’s national teams on the planet begin on Saturday the race to claim the first-ever world title in the age group as the maiden edition of the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship starts in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.

With matches split between the Levski Sofia sports hall and the Hristo Botev volleyball hall, the tournament will have eight days of action from August 24-31 – there will be one day off on August 28, between the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals.

Featuring national teams representing all five continental confederations, the event will start with four pools of four teams each.

Mexico is in Pool A, with host Bulgaria, Chinese Tapei and Spain.

NORCECA U17 champion Puerto Rico and Cuba, are in Pool C, joined by Argentina and Italy.

Pool B consists of Egypt, Iran, Libya and Tunisia.

All matches will be streamed live on VBTV free of charge.

All 16 national teams will advance to the Round of 16 and their pool positions will determine their matchups. The eight teams that prevail in their first elimination matches move forward to the quarterfinals, while the losers play the playoffs from ninth to 16th place.

FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship: match schedule

NORCECA Congratulates Roko Sikirić on Election as CEV President

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 24, 2024.- The North, Central America, and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA extends its heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Roko Sikirić on his election as the new President of the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) for the 2024-2028 term. The election took place during the CEV General Assembly, marking a significant milestone in European volleyball.

On behalf of the NORCECA Confederation, its President Cristobal Marte Hoffiz, the Executive Committee, the Board of Administration, and the 41 national and regional volleyball federation members, we commend Mr. Sikirić on his new achievement. His extensive experience and dedication to the sport, with over 30 years of involvement in volleyball as a former professional player, Sports Director at Berlin Recycling Volleys, and most recently as the Head of Volleyball & Events in the CEV, have demonstrated his unwavering commitment to the growth and development of volleyball.

Mr. Sikirić’s rapid ascent within the CEV hierarchy is a testament to his exceptional leadership and managerial skills. Recognized by the CEV governing bodies for his vision and ability to drive the sport forward, his election as President is a reflection of the trust and confidence the volleyball community places in him.

NORCECA looks forward to continued collaboration with Mr. Sikirić and the CEV under his leadership, as we work together to further the global growth and success of volleyball. We are excited about the future and the opportunities that lie ahead for our sport.

Canada and Puerto Rico Secure Wins at Girls’ U17 World Championship

LIMA, PERU, August 23, 2024. On Friday, Canada and Puerto Rico earned victories against the Dominican Republic and Croatia, respectively, while Mexico lost to Brazil in a five-set match at the Girls’ U17 World Championship taking place in Lima, Peru.

Canada defeated the Dominican Republic 3-1 (26-24, 19-25, 25-21, 25-15). The Canadians dominated in all areas of the game, leading in attacks (47-29), blocks (8-7), and serves (18-10). Ana Stojanovic led all scorers with 16 points, while Rayni Merab Mondesi led the Dominican Republic with 12 points.

Aitana Rettke MEX

Puerto Rico had to give their all to defeat Croatia 3-0 (25-21, 30-28, 26-24). Decelise Champion was Puerto Rico’s top scorer with 18 points.

Mexico pushed Brazil to five sets. The Brazilians had to work hard to defeat Mexico 3-2 (20-25, 25-12, 24-26, 25-17, 15-9). Aitana Rettke was the top scorer for Mexico with 13 points.

For the 13th place match, Canada will face Egypt on Saturday, August 24, at 12:00 p.m., while the Dominican Republic will play against Ecuador for the 15th place at 9:00 a.m. Mexico will compete for 7th place against Türkiye. Puerto Rico will face Argentina in the 9th place match.

Comeback Win in 5- Sets puts Argentina in Semifinals

LEÓN, Mexico, August 23, 2024.- Argentina reached the semifinals of the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup after a five-set comeback victory over Mexico 3-2 (15-25, 21-25, 25-17, 25-13, 15-12) on Friday at the Domo de La Feria in León, Guanajuato.

Argentina will face Colombia in the second semifinal on Saturday, while the first semifinal will feature the United States against the Dominican Republic, who also came back in five sets against Puerto Rico.

Argentina

Mexico will compete in the classification matches for the positions 5-8 in Irapuato, starting against Chile.

Argentina led in blocks (14-6), while Mexico held advantages in attacks (59-53) and service points (5-3). Argentina scored 31 points off opponent errors and gave away 22.

Argentina’s outside hitter Dalma Pérez was the top scorer in the match with 22 points from 19 attacks and 2 aces. Contributing to the victory were middle blocker Bianca Farriol with 16 points, including a match-high of 7 blocks, outside hitter Elina Rodríguez, and opposite hitter Bianca Cugno, each with 10 points.

Once again, Mexico’s outside hitter Grecia Castro led her team with 19 points. Uxue Guereca added 13 points, and both María Rodríguez and Karina Flores contributed 11 each.

NICOLE PEREZ ATTACKS AND OVERTAKES MEXICO’S BLOCKERS

Mexico started strong, gaining a nine-point lead (20-11) in the first set, with Grecia Castro and Uxue Guereca at the wings and Karina Flores in the middle as their key players. In the second set, Argentineans Dalma Pérez and Bianca Farriol adjusted better to Mexico’s game, which lost a set point before Castro secured the set. The match turned around as Argentina dominated the third set entirely, overpowering Mexico by a huge margin (25-17). The South Americans forced a tiebreak by significantly improving their blocking (3-0) and winning it with an ace from Pérez. The teams were tied several times in the fifth set until the point 12, when Argentina’s Elina Rodríguez and Pérez scored two consecutive points and sealed the victory with a Mexican attack error.

Dalma Pérez, top scorer of Argentina: “I feel that our attitude is what defines us the most. We are growing as a group, and I’m one of the youngest, but I feel that when I step in, the whole team gives me the confidence to do whatever I want. I believe that our attitude led us to victory. We started the match very slow, but we refocused”.

Facundo Morando, coach of Argentina: “The girls deserve all the credit. They showed character, as they have throughout the tournament. They wait, adapt, and then strike”.

Novoa leads Chile in five-set Victory against Peru

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 23, 2024.- Led by their captain Beatriz Novoa, Chile achieved an exciting 3-2 (25-20, 26-28, 28-26, 19-25, 15-8) victory over Peru in the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup, to play for positions 5 to 8 of the event.

Novoa scored 33 points, the highest in a single match in the Pan American Cup so far, supported by Petra Schwartzman with 22 points and María Nielsen with 12 points.

Chile

Lesly Johansson finished with 16 points for Peru, and both Diana de La Peña and Aixa Vigil scored 14 points each.

Chile outperformed in attacks 73-63 and in serves 6-2, while both teams were tied with 8 blocks each. Chile committed 34 unforced errors compared to 26 from Peru.

On Saturday, Chile will face Mexico to determine the positions 5 to 8, after Mexico lost to Argentina in five sets.

The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, especially in the second and third sets, when both teams had set points. However, effective blocking and powerful kills from De La Peña on one side, and from Novoa and Schwartzman on the other, gave Chile the advantage in the third set.

CHI Petra Schwartzman attack against PER Diana de la Peña Lesly Johansson defense

In the fourth set, Peru was more effective with solid defense and second-chance plays. In the fifth set, Novoa and Petra once again remained focused and secured the Chilean victory.

Beatriz Novoa, captain of Chile: “It was a great match. The kind of game we were looking for. We knew we were at a similar level with Peru, that it would be a tough match, and I think each one of us gave 100 percent. I’m very happy about that, for my team, and because we are very united as a team”.

“We followed the game plan to the letter. Our statistician guided us really well, he’s amazing. We were aware and did it; I think we played very organized, and that was part of the victory.”

Dominican Republic Bounces Back in Five Sets to Reach Semifinals

LEÓN, Mexico, August 23, 2024.- The Dominican Republic bounced back from two sets down to defeat Puerto Rico 3-2 (19-25, 24-26, 25-23, 27-25, 15-8) and secure a spot in the semifinals of the 21st Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup in León, Guanajuato.

Dominican Republic will wait to learn their semifinal opponent, while Puerto Rico will compete in the positions 5 to 8 matches in Irapuato (pending opponent).

Dominican Republic controlled in attacks (60-57) and blocking (17-14), while Puerto Rico led in serving (6-0) and committed one more error (31-30).

Dominican Republic

Dominican Gaila González led all scorers with 31 points (27 attacks, 4 blocks). Yonkaira Peña contributed to the victory with 14 points, and Cándida Arias added 11, including a match-high of 7 blocks.

Dariana Hollingsworth led Puerto Rico with 23 points, supported by Diana Reyes and Neira Ortiz with 15 points each.

Puerto Rico never trailed in the first set, with attacks from Dariana Hollingsworth, Diana Reyes, and Neira Ortiz, combined with blocking and serving from Wilmarie Rivera, reaching a lead of up to 7 points. Puerto Rico overcame a four-point deficit in the second set, but the Dominicans led until 23-23, thanks to the offense of Gaila González and Yonkaira Peña, before surrendering a set point, allowing Puerto Rico to win the set 26-24. In the third set, the Dominican Republic led 18-14, but Puerto Rico managed to tie the score at 20 and stayed close with strong blocking from Diana Reyes; the Dominicans won the set with a block by Yokaty Peralta and a kill from Gaila. Puerto Rico led the fourth set with a 21-16 advantage, but the Dominicans came back to steal the match point (24-23) after consecutive blocks by Arias, Peralta, and Gaila, forcing a fifth set. Dominican Republic maintained the lead throughout the final set, securing their place in the semifinals.

CANDIDA PEREZ ATTACKS AGAINST PUR

Niverka Marte, captain of the Dominican Republic: “There are days when you play well and lose, and others when you play poorly and win; today we played poorly. We made a lot of mistakes at the beginning, especially in blocking and defense. It was a very important win. Puerto Rico is an intense team, and they played really well. We knew we must always put pressure on them, and I’m happy with the victory”.

Gaila González, top scorer of Dominican Republic: “Matches against Puerto Rico are never easy. We started poorly, a bit slow, and Puerto Rico took full advantage. We adjusted what we were doing wrong, and I think that’s why we came out victorious. We focused and followed our coach’s instructions to secure the win. I try to help my team, and today I was able to do that”.

Canada outperforms Cuba to play for positions 5 to 8

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 23, 2024.- Canada defeated Cuba 3-1 (27-25, 20-25, 25-19, 26-24) to advance to the battle for positions 5 to 8 at the 21st Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup.

Canada will play a classification match for positions 5 to 8 on Saturday at the Inforum in Irapuato, while Cuba will await the loser of the match between Chile and Peru to determine the final positions for 9 and 10.

Canada recovered from two set points in favor of Cuba (the first at 24-23 and 25-24) to win the first set with two attacks by Gabrielle Attieh when the match was tied at 25-25.

CAN celebrate

Cuba won the second set after gaining an advantage from point 10 with Dezirett Madan and Laura Suárez each scoring 4 points. In the third and fourth sets, both teams had to adjust due to injuries of key players, such as middle blocker Abagayle Guezen for Canada, who left the court in the second set, and Cubans Madan and James, both key players for their team.

Canada’s superior attack made the difference, outscoring Cuba 61-43. Cuba led in blocks (13-12) and service points (5-3), with 32 unforced errors by Canada compared to 22 from Cuba.

The top scorer was Canada’s Nyadholi Thokboum with 19 points, followed by Gabrielle Attieh with 15 and Lucy Borowski with 13. Dezirett Madan and Laura de la Peña each scored 12 points for Cuba.

CAN Jasmine Rivest attack against CUB defense

Nyadholi Thokboum, top scorer of Canada: “It was a hard game to get through because we got some injuries on our starters, so it was important to dial in and do the best for my team. We had a game plan going in, we had some shots we wanted to make, some block assignments and I think we got away from it a little bit; we got refocused towards the end. It was a team effort”.

Shannon Winzer, Head coach of Canada: “That was a very hard match. We did not play good volleyball. We made a lot of unfocused errors, and obviously we had a lot of interruptions with injuries and leaking roofs. I’m glad that we won in the end, but it was not good volleyball on our part at all. We lost our starting middle blocker and our captain right now, but we will reases. We can definitely fight better with the people we have on the floor”.

Dominican Republic sweeps Cuba

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 23, 2024:  Dominican Republic beat Cuba today 3-0 at the Men’s Final Six at the Slush Puppie Centre arena in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

The score was 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-22).

Dominican held the advantage in attack points (53-42), blocks were even at seven and Cuba had the slight edge in serves 3-2.  Errors were even at 13 each.

Alexis Cruz Cepin of Dominican Republic topped all scorers with 25 points – 22 attack points, 2 blocks and an ace.  Teammate Adrian Jose Figueroa Lantigua contributed 19 points to the winning side.

Middle blocker Thiago Suarez Mendoza of Cuba was that team’s top scorer with 16 points.

This was the Dominican team’s first win of the tournament.  

Dominican Republic head coach Dante Mañon commented: “We really needed this victory for the team to keep improving. We came prepared for this match of our region because we know that Canada and the United States are teams that play at a high level and are stronger than us. We’re right there; we think we need to keep winning games and keep working together towards our goal.”

Costa Rica Finishes 11th Defeating Suriname

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 23, 2024.- Costa Rica secured 11th place at the 21st Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup after defeating Suriname 3-0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-13).

Both teams were seeking their first win of the tournament and started evenly in the first set, with blocks on both sides. However, Costa Rica pulled ahead from the point 11, scoring seven consecutive points and creating a gap, thanks to six points from Tatiana Sayles.

CRC winner

In the following two sets, Costa Rica maintained strong serving and effective attacks, building a comfortable lead and closing the match smoothly.

Costa Rica was superior in attacks (42-15) and serves (6-4), while Suriname led in blocking (6-3) but committed 24 unforced errors compared to Costa Rica’s 16.

Tatiana Sayles scored 11 points for Costa Rica, with Melina Abarca contributing 10 and Ana Rojas adding 9. Jose Ruth Tammenga led Suriname with 8 points.

CRC captain Tatiana Sayles attack

Tatiana Sayles, captain of Costa Rica: “We’re leaving happy because we closed with a victory. It was a very tough tournament with challenging opponents, but that helps us grow as a team”.

“I think we played well in the group stage. Although the matches were tough, the team showed great potential as we look ahead to next year’s Central American competition. All the players got some action today, which also makes us happy”.

“This group has come together very well. We started this process almost a month ago, maybe not with much time, but we still managed to get to know each other well during training and integrated well as a team. Now we’ll return home, where other players are waiting in Costa Rica to continue the process and prepare for this year”.

Puerto Rico comes back to beat Mexico

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 23, 2024:  Puerto Rico re-grouped after losing the first set to beat Mexico in four today at Men’s Final Six at the Slush Puppie Centre arena in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

The final score was 1-3 (25-18, 26-28, 19-25, 20-25).

Although Mexico was more aggressive on attack points (52-46) and had a couple more ace serves (8-6); Puerto Rico out-blocked its opponent (17-8) and made fewer errors (22-27).

Opposite Jamal Ellis Carballo was impressive for the winning side with 31 points (24 attacks, four blocks, and three aces).

Franky Hernández Milantony led for Mexico on the scoresheet with 17 points (including four aces).

This was Puerto Rico’s first win of the tournament; Mexico has a 2-2 record.

Puerto Rico Head Coach Oswald Antonetti Cameron said: “It’s a very young group that have been playing and training together for a couple of years now. It’s difficult when you have a team at this level when the players are 18-20 years old. We started slow but we are growing through the tournament. We have a mentality of growth and hopefully we will just keep getting better.”

Canada sweeps USA in Final Six

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 23, 2024:  Canada keeps its perfect record after a win over the United States today at the Men’s Final Six at the Slush Puppie Centre arena in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

Canada won in straight sets 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-18), and has a 4-0 record in the tournament. This was Team USA’s first loss.

Canada had the advantage in attack points (37-33), blocking (10-3) and aces (6-1). USA made fewer errors 22-25.

Outside hitter Cooper Robinson of  USA led all scoring with 15 points.

Isaac Heslinga was Canada’s top scorer with 13 points; followed by teammates Skyler Varga (10), and Cory Schoenherr, Trent Cherewaty and Reeve Gingera with nine each.

Canada’s head coach, Glenn Hoag, said:  “It wasn’t as clean as our match yesterday (vs Cuba), but the U.S. is a good team. We know their system well, so it was all about our side. Our serving and passing was good. Their passing was more difficult, and they struggled with offense. … Now the important thing is that we are qualified for the finals, so tomorrow we will rest some guys. It’s been four matches in a row at a very intense level. Especially yesterday against Cuba and today’s match was very physical. Overall, I’m happy with the performance so far.”

Mexico Falls to China and will Play for Positions 5 to 8 at the U17 World Championship

LIMA, Peru, August 22, 2024.- Mexico couldn’t overcome China, losing the quarterfinal match of the Girls’ U17 World Championship 0-3 (10-25, 16-25, 6-25) in Lima, Peru.

China outperformed Mexico in every skill of the game, leading in attacks (37-23), blocks (9-1), and serves (13-0). Yliana Rubi Zuñiga was the top scorer for Mexico with 9 points.

On Friday, August 23, Mexico will face Brazil at 9:30 a.m. (local time) in a bid for 5th place in the tournament.

FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship: match schedule

In other NORCECA matches, Puerto Rico defeated Canada 3-1 (25-21, 16-25, 25-21, 25-19), and the Dominican Republic lost to Croatia 0-3 (15-25, 20-25, 19-25).

Also on Friday, Puerto Rico will play against Croatia at 4:00 p.m., aiming for 9th place. Canada will face the Dominican Republic at 10:00 a.m., competing for 13th place.

If Mexico wins, they will compete for either 5th or 6th place. Puerto Rico also needs a victory to play for 9th or 10th place, while the winner between Canada and the Dominican Republic will play for 13th place, and the loser for 15th place in the tournament.

Colombia Reaches Semifinals as Top Finisher in Pool A

LEÓN, Mexico, August 22, 2024.- Colombia reached to the semifinals of the Women’s Pan American Cup as first place in Pool A after defeating Mexico 3-1 (26-24, 23-25, 25-23, 25-21) on Thursday at the Domo de La Feria in León, Guanajuato.

Mexico finished third place with a 3-2 record in Pool A and will face Argentina in the quarterfinals on Friday (8:00 p.m.). The Dominican Republic (4-1), second place in the pool, will play a Caribbean derby against Puerto Rico in the other quarterfinal match (5:00 p.m.), both matches in León.

KAREN RENTERÍA ATTACKS AGAINST MEXICO’S BLOCKERS

Colombia outperformed Mexico in attacks (64-54) and serves (3-2). Mexico dominated the blocking with a huge 12-5 margin, but conceding 34 points on errors compared to 14 by Colombia.

Ana Karina Olaya led Colombia with 18 points. Dayana Segovia contributed 13 points. Laura Grajales and Valerin Carabali also helped secure the victory with 11 points each. Carabali was the top scorer in blocks with 9 points.

Mexico’s Grecia Castro all scorers with 24 points. Karina Flores added 21 points, along with Uxue Guereca who finished with 14. Team captain Jocelyn Urías added 11 points.

ANA KARINA OLAYA (COL) ATTACKS AND FACES MEXICAN BLOCKERS

Jocelyn Urías denied Colombia a set point in the first set, and then a spike from Karen Rivera tied the score at 24; Colombia took the set (26-24) after two opponent errors. Colombia recovered from a three-point deficit (8-11) to win the second set, scoring 10 points from Mexican errors, with Ana Karina Olaya leading in scoring. In the third set, Mexico stayed close and managed to even the score at 22 points; two powerful attacks by Grecia Castro extended the match. The fourth set was equally contested, with the score tied at 20 points before Colombia pulled ahead, closing the match with a serve from Dayana Segovia.

Hernan Osorio, Head Coach of Colombia: “Mexico is a team that plays an aggressive game with speed and explosive actions, and at this stage of the competition, fatigue, the accumulation of training and matches take a toll. It was a big challenge, especially since Mexico prepared well for this match at home. It was a hand-to-hand and point-to-point game. Colombia managed to stay calm, handle the timing well, and the collective response was very positive”.

Nicola Negro, Head Coach of Mexico: “The first three sets were decided by details. We managed to win the third set. We are not happy with the loss, but honestly, today was our best match; we attacked and blocked better, technically it was our best performance. Now we need to focus on tomorrow, as we have a very tough quarterfinal match ahead of us”.

USA Unbeaten Move to Semifinals winning Pool B over Argentina

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 22, 2024.- United States won Pool B unbeaten (5-0) over Argentina 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 21-25, 25-21) and got a direct ticket to the semifinals in the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup. 

Argentina (4-1) will play the quarterfinals on Friday against the third-place team from Pool A, Mexico. In the other quarterfinal match, the Dominican Republic will face Puerto Rico. 

ARG captain Victoria Mayer on the net against USA Serena Grey defense

It was a battle of blocks, spectacular defensive plays, and powerful spikes, with the United States leading in attack 55-50, in blocking 15-12, with 6 effective blocks by Serena Gray, and in serving 4-2, with 19 unforced errors by the United States and 22 by Argentina. 

Kendall Kipp once again excelled for the United States with 25 points, while Veronica Perry scored 18 points. 

For Argentina, Bianka Farriol finished with 14 points and Daniela Bulaich with 11.

USA Kendall Kipp attack against ARG Candela Salinas defense

Kendall Kipp, máxima anotadora de USA: “I feel like all the things we’ve been working on with the group the last couple of weeks just came together. Argentina was a really great team but we just did a good job executing our scouting report and we played well as a team. We’ll get some rest and recover, get some rest, get good practice and get really back to battle again, because we’re going to face some good teams back there (Leon)… it’s not done yet”.

Brad Rostratter, Head Coach of United States: “We had to play hard, they are a very talented team. We were eager to take on the challenge of getting to play them, with some really class players on the other side of the net. We won our pool so that gives us an off day for tomorrow, we’ll have a little training session in Leon and figure out what that venue’s like and get comfortable there. Our serving, our blocking and our defense was really the difference for us. They were the best attacking team coming into this match and our block and our serve did a great job getting them out rhythm; that was a key factor in building up that success and force them to try some different attacker to manufacture kills”.

Canada beats Cuba to stay undefeated

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 22, 2024:  Canada earned its third win in a row at the Men’s Final Six at the Slush Puppie Centre arena in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

With this 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-21) win over Cuba, Canada is 3-0 in the tournament so far. Cuba has one win and two losses.

Today, Canada led in attack points (46-41), blocks (10-5) and ace serves 5-1.  Cuba made fewer errors (14-17).

Outside hitter Skyler Varga of Canada was the match top scorer with 18 points, followed by teammate Reeve Gingera contributed 13 points (9 attack points, 1 block and 3 aces).

Opposite Bryan Camino Martinez topped the charts for Cuba with 13 points.

Canada faces USA, also undefeated, on Friday evening.

Canada’s head coach Glenn Hoag: “It was probably our best match so far, but Cuba also played better today than in other matches in the tournament. The guys stayed disciplined and followed the game plan pretty well. … We can do even better I think, as it’s a young group. But I’m really pleased – they came in today and really competed well.”

Team Canada player Isaac Heslinga: “I think we have been figuring things out on receive, with the harder serves coming from Cuba. And we learned to contain the balls – they hit balls hard and I think we did a good job of slowing things down on blocks and were able to transition and recycle if needed. … In the end, we’re here to have fun and build relationships and we are enjoying our time as a team.”

Dominican Republic Dominates Canada with Blocking

LEÓN, Mexico, August 22, 2024. – The Dominican Republic dominated Canada with a significant advantage in blocking (10-4) for a 3-0 (25-15, 25-23, 25-17) victory in the XXI Women’s Senior Pan American Volleyball Cup in León, Guanajuato. 

The Dominican Republic finished Pool A with a 4-1 record and is awaiting the result between Colombia and Mexico to determine its final position, but they have guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals. Canada, with a 2-3 record, will play in the matches for positions 7 to 10, starting against Cuba. 

Dominican Republic

In addition to outblocking Canada, the Dominicans held advantage in attacks (38-34). Both teams scored 4 service points, and the Dominican Republic committed fewer unforced errors (12-23). 

Dominican outside hitter Yonkaira Peña scored 16 points, all from kills. Middle blocker Candida Arias contributed 11 points, including a match-high of 6 blocks. 

Opposite hitter Lucy Borowski scored 10 points for Canada. 

GABRIELLE ATTIEH (CAN) ATTACKS AND FACES DOMINICAN REPUBLIC’S BLOCKERS

The Dominican Republic’s blocking was key to taking the first set by a wide margin, with five different players scoring five blocking points. After a tie at 11 points in the second set, Canada jumped to a four-point lead (17-13) thanks to effective block-attacks from Abagayle Guezen and attacks from Avery Heppell. The Dominicans were well organized to recover, forcing Canada into errors, and eventually, Yonkaira Peña put the team ahead. However, the teams tied again at 22 and 23 points until a Canadian serving error and then a service ace from Samaret Caraballo decided the set. In the third and final set, the Dominican Republic kept the lead, and just like the previous set, Caraballo won the match with an effective serve. 

Marcos Kwiek, head coach of the Dominican Republic: “We did what was necessary to secure the victory in three sets. The team has been improving with each match. Today we played at a good level against a strong opponent. We need to keep improving. We will likely play a quarterfinal match. One game at a time”.

Shannon Winzer, head coach of Canada: “I think there’s some big differences between Dominican and us. We asked our hitters to hit high and try to fight hands and the errors we were making were in line with that. Dominican is such a physical team, and we were trying to play against that. Where am I more frustrating? As soon as we get to the end of the game, we become undisciplined; and that’s the difference between playing in the senior A game and not, you have to play disciplined whether it’s in the first ten points or last five points, I think that’s where our problem is now”.

Mexico overpowers Dominican Republic at Men’s Final Six

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 22, 2024:  Mexico defeated Dominican Republic today at the Men’s Final Six, which is being held at the Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

After recovering from a five-set loss to USA yesterday, Mexico was strong on its offense to sweep the Mexican team 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-21) today.

Mexico dominated in attack points (50-32), and shut out its opponent in aces 5-0. The Dominican team was effective in blocking 10-3, but it was not enough to stop Mexico’s ability to overpower its opponent.

Captain Mauro Fuentes Rascón of Mexico was the match top scorer with 14 attack points, 2 blocks and 2 aces for a total of 18 points.

Adrián Figueroa Lantigua led the Dominican team’s effort with 16 total points (3 from blocks).

Mexico’s record is 2-1; Dominican Republic is 0-3 so far in the tournament.

Mexico’s head coach Carlos Schwanke commented: “This result was very important for points; we are going in the right direction. We worked well in our serve, especially in our variation of short and long, and we were able to defend as needed.”

Cuba Overcomes Chile for Fourth Place in Pool B

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 22, 2024 – Cuba secured fourth place in Pool B by defeating Chile 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-18) in the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup, thanks to a strong blocking game that limited their opponents’ options.

Cuba finished the group stage with a 2-3 record, while Chile ended with 1-4. Both teams will compete in the matches for positions 7 to 10.

CUB winner

In total, Cuba achieved nine effective blocks, limiting Chile’s offense, with setter Thalia Moreno scoring 5 of them, and opposite hitter Yalain de la Peña contributing three.

Cuba dominated in attack (48-27), blocking (9-5), and serving (3-2), with 17 unforced errors compared to 15 from their opponents.

The top scorer of the match was opposite hitter Dezirett Madan with 11 points for Cuba, while her teammate Laura Suárez also had 11, and De la Peña added 10. Beatriz Novoa, captain of Chile, finished with 10 points.

On Friday at 5:00 p.m., Cuba will face Canada, fifth place in Pool A, while at 8:00 p.m., Chile will take on Peru, fourth place in the other group.

CUB Martinez spikes, CHI Basualto and Schwartzman defense

Laura Suárez, captain of Cuba: “It was a very good match for us, we were very disciplined, and our plan came through. Each one of us contributed, and we got the result. We studied the opponent well, but the main thing was that each of us did our job. We were more focused because we knew we needed this victory”.

Leivis García, Head Coach of Cuba: “We knew that Chile is a team with a very important rhythm of play and a well-organized combination of attacks and tips, and the girls paid attention, they were attentive, and they recovered many balls. They adapted to Chile’s game, read it, and interpreted it, using blocking as the main weapon”.

USA wins its third match of Final 6 tournament

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 22, 2024:  The United States has a 3-0 record at the Men’s Final Six, which is being held at the Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

Team USA today swept Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-23) for its third victory in a row. 

USA led in attack points (43-29), blocks (9-5), aces (6-1), but made more errors (18-12) than its opponent.

Opposite Grant Sloane led the charge for Team USA, with 16 points.

Klistan Lawrence Vidal was again a top scorer for Puerto Rico with 10 points, along with teammate Jamal Ellis Carballo, who also added 10 points to the scoresheet.

Puerto Rico has yet to win a match at this tournament.

USA Head Coach Andy Read : “I can see we are making progress. We had an emotional match yesterday with that five-set win (over Mexico) and it’s a challenge to come back the next day and perform. But we got through it and some guys came in and played really well for us. I like where we are going and we’re looking forward to playing Canada tomorrow night.”

Peru Ends Preliminary Round with Victory Over Suriname

LEÓN, Mexico, August 22, 2024. – Peru ended the group stage with a 3-0 (25-10, 25-11, 25-8) victory over Suriname in Pool A of the XXI Women’s Senior Pan American Volleyball Cup in León, Guanajuato. 

Peru finished with a 2-3 record in Pool A and will compete in the matches for positions 7 to 10. Suriname closed without wins and will face Costa Rica for positions 11-12 

PERU WINS MATCH AGAINST SURINAME

Peru led in attack points (48-12), blocks (4-2), and serves (6-0), conceding 15 points on errors against 17. 

Four Peruvian players scored in double digits: María Paula Rodríguez (14), Kiara Vicente (12), Claudia Palza (11), and Johansson (10). 

Janneke and Jose Ruth Tammenga each scored 4 points for Suriname. 

Despite Peru’s dominance in the match, Suriname managed to take a two-point lead at the start of the second set, marking the first time in the tournament they held any advantage.

YSABELLA SANCHEZ RECEIVING FOR PERU

Besna Villegas, libero of Peru: “We started the group stage on the right foot. We had some issues with injuries to some players, and that affected us a bit. We will keep moving forward, thinking about the three matches we have left in the tournament and will give our best. I think we need to improve communication among ourselves, have more confidence to close sets because there were matches we could have won”.

Janneke Tammenga, captain of Suriname: “We were on top for one moment. It was really happy to have that highlight, we were in front with good spikes. We need to work on every skill because this level is way above what we play back home, so it’s a whole experience of adaptation and then becoming stronger. We look forward to our next game, we hope for the best and as long as we grow step by step we will improve as a team”.

Puerto Rico Advances to Quarterfinals with Win Over Costa Rica

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 22, 2024 .- Puerto Rico qualified for the quarterfinals after defeating Costa Rica 3-0 (25-12, 25-14, 25-19) in Pool B of the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup. 

Puerto Rico (3-2) finished in third place in Pool B and will move to León to play in the quarterfinals on Friday, awaiting to know their opponent. Costa Rica (0-5) will face Suriname, the sixth place in Pool A, on Friday to determine the final standings. 

For Puerto Rico, Dariana Hollingsworth was the leading scorer with 20 points, and Solimar Cestero finished with 11. Tatiana Sayles was Costa Rica’s top scorer with 15 points. 

PUR Rivera attacks, CRC Sayles and Alfaro defense

Puerto Rico was superior in attack (43-25), blocking (8-3), and serving (5-3), taking advantage of 19 opponent errors compared to their 14. 

Dariana Hollingsworth, top scorer of Puerto Rico: “It feels great to advance because this tournament has been very competitive, it was a bit difficult for us, but we found a way to move forward, to unite as a group, trusting in the coaching staff and their game plan, and that has helped us a lot. Any of the opponents will be tough, we must go out and play with everything we have, with everyone ready to do the job”.

José Mieles, Head Coach of Puerto Rico: “One of our goals was to advance to the next round, but more than that, I think we’ve gradually found our rhythm in the game, we’ve been improving with each match, and we’ve been able to give confidence to some players who had lost it, so we’re happier about that than advancing to the next round”.

Braulio Godinez, Head Coach of Costa Rica: “We’re just getting into the group, but we’ve taken the opportunity to test different variations. We’ve worked on defense, reception, we tried Tamara (Espinoza) as libero, and other variations, and in the first matches, we had some issues. The idea is to keep working towards the Central American Games, and I feel that the experience here will help us a lot to set goals and work this year”.

A passionate Argentina prevails over Cuba

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 21, 2024.- Argentina (4-0) showed character and courage to defeat Cuba (1-3) in straight sets 3-0 (27-25, 25-15, 25-23) in the last match of day four in Group B of the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup.

Cuba took a 21-16 lead in the first set, but Argentina tightened their block and managed to level and take the lead 24-22, although they missed two set points before Elina Rodríguez and team captain Verónica Mayer came through with powerful killd to close the set 27-25.

ARG Elina Maria Rodriguez attack

Argentina gained momentum after turning the score around, and Cuba couldn’t handle the South Americans’ serves, which limited their attack. Argentina’s effective blocking contributed 12 points, 5 from Candelaria Herrera.

Elina Rodríguez was Argentina’s top scorer with 17 points, followed by Bianca Cugno and Bianca Farriol with 9 each. For Cuba, Dezirett Madan scored 8 points.

Argentina led in attacks 35-28, blocks 12-6, and both teams scored on 4 aces. Cuba committed 26 unforced errors, while Argentina had 25.

Argentina will close the group stage on Friday at 5:00 p.m. against the United States, fighting for first place in Pool B and a direct ticket to the semifinals. Cuba will face Chile at 2:00 p.m.

ARG winner

Victoria Mayer, captain of Argentina: “We came here looking for a match that I think was very important because Cuba had been playing very well; yesterday, they had a great match against the United States, and we knew it wouldn’t be easy. I think we showed character, and that’s why we were able to close the first set. The end of the match was very tight, so luckily, we were able to close it out and bring it home. Now we’re thinking about tomorrow, as the group will be decided, and we’re going to fight with everything”.

Facundo Morando, Head Coach of Argentina: “Yesterday, we saw that our team has the ability to wait, endure, and when the time comes, make the breakthrough; I think that’s a good display of character. It’s been like that since the match against Chile, and if we review the  games, it’s been happening. Today, once again, serving and blocking were two key weapons. Cuba is also strong in blocking, but we managed the game well, and Vicky (Mayer) played a great match, moving the attack around. We’re really happy with another victory”.

Mexico Takes Down Peru in Exciting Five Sets

LEÓN, Mexico, August 21, 2024.- Mexico defeated Peru in exciting five-sets (22-25, 25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 15-11) in Pool A of the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup in León, Guanajuato.

This was Mexico’s second consecutive five-set match, improving their record to 3-1, the same as Colombia and the Dominican Republic. Peru now stands at 1-3.

On the last day of the group stage, Peru will play Suriname at 2:00 p.m. (local time) and Mexico will face Colombia at 8:00 p.m.

Mexico celebrated

Mexico dominated in attacks (74-50) and serves (4-3). Peru led in blocks (14-10). Mexico benefited from 40 errors from Peru and gave away 22 points on their own errors.

Grecia Castro was once again Mexico’s top scorer with 27 points (25 attacks, one block, one ace). Uxue Guereca scored 19 points (18 attacks, one ace). Jocelyn Urías added 16 points (12 attacks, 4 blocks), and Karina Flores contributed 15 points (11 attacks, 3 blocks, one ace).

Karina Ortíz was Peru’s leader with 19 points (17 attacks, 2 blocks). Ysabella Sánchez scored 14 points (12 attacks, 2 aces). Kiara Montes, who came off the bench, and Diana De La Peña added 11 and 10 points respectively. De La Peña scored a match-high of 6 blocks.

Grecia Castro MEX

Peru came from behind to take the first set, recovering from a five-point deficit, capitalizing on 9 errors from Mexico, supported on Aixa Vigil and Ysabella Sánchez kills. Mexico took the second and third sets by dominating in attacks with Grecia Castro and Uxue Guereca and scoring on Peru’s errors. The South Americans didn’t give up and stayed ahead in the fourth set from the ninth point, stopping Mexico with 9 blocks to force the tiebreaker. Mexico didn’t give a break to Peru, with Karina Flores stepping up in key moments and winning the match with a block by Jocelyn Urías against Aixa Vigil, who returned as a substitute in the fifth set.

Karina Flores, Mexico’s middle blocker: “I am very proud. We are all going through many processes to grow as players, to improve our volleyball. We give our all for Mexico; we train for this, and we keep fighting and working hard. Seeing that this hard work is paying off is very gratifying. We all feel the pressure to do things well, and we are thrilled with the results and the team we are creating”.

Karina Ortiz, captain of Peru: “We need to close out sets. We haven’t figured out what happens in those moments, but from point 20 on, the ball feels heavier. We need to have the resolve to finish and close out sets. Even though I had a good individual performance, this is a team game, and we depend on everyone”.

Puerto Rico wins against Chile in five thrilling sets 

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 21, 2024.- Puerto Rico (2-2) overcame a tough battle to defeat Chile (1-3) 3-2 (18-25, 25-19, 25-20, 18-25, 15-9) in Pool B of the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup.

It was a crucial match for both teams, as the quarterfinal qualification and ranking position were at stake.

The top scorer of the match was Chile’s Schwartzman with 24 points, and Beatriz Novoa added 18. For the winners, Solimar Cesteros scored 15 points, while Neira Ortiz and Dariana Hollingsworth each contributed 13 points.

CHI Beatriz Novoa spikes

Puerto Rico was better in attack, leading 60-55, and in blocking with a 9-6 advantage; Chile led 5-4 in serving and committed 28 unforced errors compared to 32 from their opponents.

Chile came out determined in the first set, with Petra Schwartzman inspired, scoring six points and taking advantage of seven opponent errors, especially in attacks. However, Puerto Rico responded by comfortably winning the next two sets, despite Chile’s attempts to pressure in the closing moments. In the fourth set, the story shifted back to Chile, who capitalized on 11 points on opponent errors, with Schwartzman scoring five points to extend the match to a fifth set. In the fifth set, Puerto Rico gave no room for Chile, with Diana Reyes and Stephanie Rivera scoring three points each, supported by a strong defense from their team captain Shara Venegas.

Puerto Rico will face Costa Rica on Thursday at 11:00 a.m., while Chile will play against Cuba at 2:00 p.m.

PUR Neira Ortiz spikes

Shara Venegas, Captain of Puerto Rico: “This victory is important, and it helped us regain our confidence. We have a new team, with players who have gradually joined in and haven’t had much practice time, but we are proud of the whole team. I think it’s normal to have ups and downs, but we have managed to push through. We’re not thinking about the standings; we want to play all our matches and then see where we stand. We’re focusing on tomorrow’s game (Costa Rica)”.

Solimar Cesteros, standout player for Puerto Rico: “It feels good that we were able to get the win. At one point, we were strong, and we let it slip, but I’m glad we were able to bounce back. I feel like we let our passing slip a bit, but we managed to recover; I started a little inconsistently, but we improved, and I’m happy we were able to win the match”.

Canada beats Dominican Republic at Final Six

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 21, 2024: Canada won its second match in a row at the NORCECA Men’s Final 6 in Gatineau, Quebec, with a 3-0 (32-30, 25-19, 27-25) win over Dominican Republic.

The match was a back-and-forth battle, with Canada ultimately able to close each set for the sweep. Canada led in attack points (54-43), blocks were even at eight each team, and Canada made more errors 23-15.  Canada dominated from the service line with 7-0 in aces.

Isaac Heslinga and Reeve Gingera led Canada’s scoring with 18 points apiece – both including two aces.

Adrián Figueroa Lantigua and Héctor Alexis Cruz each scored 18 points towards the Dominican team total.

Canada is 2-0, and Dominican Republic is 0-2 so far.

Canada’s head coach Glenn Hoag commented: “They played pretty inspired, but we lacked focus a bit today. We didn’t play as well as we did yesterday. So, we need to talk, watch some video and make some improvements. This group is very young and lacks the capacity to adjust quickly to different situations. But this is something we will talk about and work on.”

Dominican Republic Clinch Important Win against Colombia

LEÓN, Mexico, August 21, 2024.- Dominican Republic clinched an important victory over Colombia, putting them in the fight for first place in Pool A at the XXI Women’s Pan American Cup in León, Guanajuato.

Dominican Republic defeated Colombia 3-2 (18-25, 25-17, 28-26, 28-30, 15-10) to improve their record to 3-1. Colombia has the same record but remains in the lead with 17 points; Dominican Republic has 13.

Dominican Republic will close the group stage against Canada on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. (local time), while Colombia will face Mexico at 8:00 p.m.

DOM WINS MATCH AGAINST COL

The Dominican blocking made the difference, with an 18-9 advantage; they also led in attacks 69-60 and committed fewer errors (25-36). Colombia had a slight advantage in service (3-2).

Outside hitter Yonkaira Peña scored an impressive 30 points, the highest so far in the event. Opposite Gaila González followed with 27 points, while middle blocker Candida Arias added 10 points.

Opposite hitter Dayana Segovia and outside hitter Ana Karina Olaya led Colombia with 19 points each. Middle blocker Melissa Rangel contributed 10 points.

Colombia won the first set, making an impact with their serving, which gave them a comfortable four-point lead (19-15), which later extended through consecutive errors by the Dominican Republic and Valerin Carabali’s blocking. The Dominicans responded strongly by winning the second set, the first set that Colombia had lost in the tournament, thanks to the excellent performance of Yonkaira Peña and Florangel Terrero. Dominican Republic denied Colombia two set points in a tight finish (28-26) with Gaila González’s decisive play in the third set. In the fourth, the Dominicans came from behind (15-19) thanks to Colombia’s errors, along with Peralta’s attacks and Marte’s blocking, to tie at 19, but it extended to a dramatic 30-28 for Colombia, forcing a tiebreaker. The Dominicans started the fifth set 5-0 and maintained a five-point lead throughout to secure the victory.

GAILA GONZALEZ ATTACKS BUT FACES WITH COLOMBIA’S BLOCK FROM ANA KARINA OLAYA

Niverka Marte, captain of the Dominican Republic: “There was a lot of drama. This victory was important for us today and for them as well. Colombia played extremely well; they are a team that brings a lot of intensity and doesn’t give up. We played better. I’m happy with the victory; we really needed it”.

María Alejandra Marín, captain of Colombia: “It was a very good match for us. You could see our fatigue; we have trained a lot these days with little preparation for this Cup. We gave our best today. Tomorrow, we finish against Mexico, but we know that the result still leaves us in the lead, and we hope to reaffirm what we have executed in this tournament”.

Canada improves 2-2 in Pool A

LEÓN, Mexico, August 21, 2024. – Canada improved its record in Pool A (2-2) after defeating Suriname 3-0 (25-16, 25-9, 25-13) in the 21st Women’s Senior Pan American Volleyball Cup being held in León, Guanajuato.

Canada had no trouble securing advantages in every skill: attacks (45-6), blocks (5-3), and serves (14-2), but they conceded 27 points from errors compared to 11 from Suriname.

KATERINA GEORGIADIS RECEIVES FOR CANADA

Middle blocker Emma Boyd and outside hitter Raya Surinx each scored 15 points for Canada. Middle blocker Nyadholi Thokbuom and outside hitter Gabrielle Attieh also finished with double digits, scoring 13 and 12 points respectively.

Jose Ruth Tammenga scored three points for Suriname.

On the final day of Pool A, Suriname will face Peru at 2:00 p.m. (local time), and Canada will play against the Dominican Republic at 5:00 p.m.

Canada

Emma Boyd, top scorer of Canada: “We did a really good job taking care of our side and playing our game, respecting our opponents and focusing on the parts we wanted to execute, such as controlling the first contact, thinking about deep shots while attacking. We did a good job taking care of the simple things”.

Claudius Straal, Head Coach of Suriname: “They performed better than the previous days. But we lack experience. We are not playing at this level continuously. Hopefully we’ll improve, maybe we’ll play Costa Rica in our last match and try to get the win”.

USA Remains Undefeated with 3-0 Win Over Costa Rica

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 21, 2024. –  United States (4-0) continues its perfect run in pursuit of the top spot in Pool B to advance to the semifinals after defeating Costa Rica (0-4) with a 3-0 (25-8, 25-12, 25-15) victory in the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup.

With one match remaining against Argentina on Thursday at 5:00 p.m., the United States leads Pool B, although they dropped a set to Cuba, a team that Argentina will face in today’s last match.

CRC Tatiana Sayles defense, USA Samedy attack

United States outperformed Costa Rica in attack 42-15, in blocking 9-3, and in serving 7-1, with 16 unforced errors compared to Costa Rica’s 17.

Amber Igiede was the top scorer for the United States with 12 points, Claire Hoffman and Jaali Winters contributed 11 points each, while Breland Morrissette stood out in blocking with five. Tatiana Sayles scored 10 points for Costa Rica.

Costa Rica will finish their preliminary round schedule this Thursday at 11:00 a.m. local time.

USA Breland Morrissette defense

Amber Igiede, USA’s top scorer: “I feel very happy. The win made us go into the next round. I think we worked hard as a team and had a lot of fun . We had a lot of smiles and laughs; for me that’s the best way to play, having fun. Volleyball is my happy place, which makes me looser and be more confident with my teammates. We had a great win for team USA”

Brad Rostratter, USA Coach: “It was nice for us to have some specific focuses for us heading into this match and with specific players. Having these matchups helps us to continue to develop, to grow as a team; so, it was good to be able to see us grow in those specific phases, execute a little bit better and hopefully that will translate later on in the tournament”.

USA wins five-set contest at Final Six

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 21, 2024:  United States prevailed in five-set match over Mexico this afternoon at the Men’s Final 6 in Gatineau, Quebec.

Both teams had the momentum at different key moments in the match, until USA came through in a fiery fifth set, that also saw Mexico’s head coach Carlos Eduardo Schwanke receive a red card late in the contest.  

Overall, USA dominated in attack points (73-46) and held the advantage in blocking (11-7). Mexico had a couple more aces than USA (6-4), and also made fewer errors (20-39).

Mexico defense

Cooper Robinson led all scoring with 25 points – 22 attack points, two blocks and an ace – and teammate Grant Sloane contributed 15 points to USA’s win.

Mauro Fuentes Rascón was Mexico’s top scorer with 16 points (4 from successful blocks).

USA now is 2-0 in the round robin, while Mexico is 1-1 after sweeping Cuba yesterday.

USA Attack

USA outside hitter Cooper Robinson said: “We had a pretty rough third set, but I thought our fourth-set energy was fantastic in the beginning.  We had some new guys come in and bring some energy and they did a great job. Overall, we just passed really well and then toward the end we were just making scrappy plays that made the difference. 

“We have only been training together for three weeks, so every game we are getting so much better. Each game we progress well, and I’m really excited to see what we can do in these next games.”

USA Coach Andy Read said: “I think what made the difference today was our team composure and guys who were ready to come in off the sideline. It takes a team to beat a good team like Mexico. I’m super proud of every guy today; it was a great team effort.”

International Beach Volleyball Coaching Course Begins in Hato Mayor 

HATO MAYOR, Dominican Republic, August 21, 2024. – The NORCECA/FIVB Regional Development Center in Santo Domingo, opened the International Beach Volleyball Coaching Course at Doña Callita Recreational Center in Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic. 

 For five days, 19 coaches from Aruba, Colombia, United States, Spain, Costa Rica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic will receive training from instructor Mauro Hernández of Venezuela. 

 The opening ceremony was attended by the president of the Dominican Volleyball Federation, Ramón A. García, who addressed the participants, expressing his pleasure in welcoming them to the best Volleyball Development Center, according to the NORCECA Confederation and the FIVB, and wishing that everyone successfully completes the course.

Cuba sweeps Puerto Rico for first Final Six win

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 21, 2024:  Cuba earned its first win today at the NORCECA Men’s Final 6 in Gatineau, Quebec, with a 3-0 (25-23, 26-24, 25-20) victory over Puerto Rico.

It was a tight match, with Cuba leading in attack points (38-35) and serves (7-3), but Puerto Rico holding the advantage in blocking points 12-9, and Puerto Rico making more errors 22-17.

Middle blocker Thiago Suarez Mendoza was Cuba’s top scorer with 13 points (9 attack points, 3 blocks and an ace).

Outside hitter Klistan Lawrence Vidal led Puerto Rico and all scorers with 18 points – 15 attack points, two blocks and an ace.

Cuba is now 1-1 after a loss to Mexico yesterday. Puerto Rico is winless, as the team also fell to host Canada yesterday.

Cuba’s head coach Jesus Angel Cruz Lopez said in the post-match interview:  “This was a very important game; yesterday we lost 3-0 against Mexico. This was the second match, and it was extremely important to come out with a victory that would keep us alive and give us a chance to compete for a medal at the end of the tournament.”

Mexico Advances to the Quarterfinals at Girls’  U17 World Championship

LIMA, Peru, August 20, 2024.- Mexico defeated Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-16) to advance to the quarterfinal round of the Girls’ U17 World Championship in Peru.

Mexico dominated in attacks 39-19 and in serves 11-5, while the Dominican Republic was superior in blocks 10-5. Yliana Rubi Zuñiga was the top scorer for Mexico with 16 points, supported by Karen Alejandra González with 11 points. For the Dominican Republic, Caroline Rodríguez was their best attacker with 8 points.

Yliana Vargas MEX (Photo FIVB)

FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship: match schedule

On Wednesday, August 21, Mexico will face China at 10:30 am local time for a spot in the semifinals.

Puerto Rico atack (Photo FIVB)

Canada lost 0-3 to Italy (19-25, 17-25, 17-25), and Puerto Rico could not overcome Turkey, losing 0-3 (18-25, 7-25, 18-25).

Also, on Wednesday (local time), the Dominican Republic will face Croatia at 11:00 am, and Canada will play Puerto Rico at 2:00 pm in the matches to determine positions 9 to 16.

Mexico Locks Second Win in a 5-Set Thriller over Canada

LEÓN, Mexico, August 20, 2024. – Mexico locked its second victory in Pool A with an exciting five-set match (19-25, 25-19, 23-25, 26-24, 15-12) against Canada in the XXI Women’s Pan American Cup in León, Guanajuato.

Mexico improved its record to 2-1, while Canada fell to 1-2.

On the third day of the event, Canada will face Suriname (0-3) at 2:00 p.m. (local time), and Mexico (2-1) will play against Peru (1-2) at 8:00 p.m.

Grecia Castro MEX

The statistics were balanced, with Mexico leading in attacks (58-53) and blocks (11-10). Both teams scored 7 direct service points. Mexico committed fewer errors (32-25).

Mexican Grecia Castro was the top scorer in the match with 27 points (the highest so far in the tournament). Uxue Guereca added 16 points, and Jocelyn Urías scored a match-high of 6 blocks out of her 15 points.

Four players scored in double digits for Canada, led by Avery Heppell (17 points), Jasmine Rivest (14 points), Nyadholi Thokbuom (13 points), and Abagayle Guezen (12 points).

Abagayle Guezen CAN

Canada took control of the first set, quickly jumping ahead (10-6); the blocking by Nyadholi Thokbuom and Avery Heppell neutralized Mexico’s offense. The roles reversed in the second set, with the home team taking a comfortable lead (17-8) thanks to Grecia Castro, along with Jocelyn Urías and Uxue Guereca, but Canada managed to contain and reduce the lead. In the end, with a block by Urías on Thokbuom, Mexico tied the match. Mexico came from behind (0-4) in the third set to turn it around (11-7) once again with their block-defense, but Canada was patient and tied the set at 22 points, eventually winning it with a block by Heppell and on two opponent errors. Mexico won the fourth set to force the tiebreak, which they closed with an advantage in attacks (9-6) and scored on five points from Canadian errors.

Nicola Negro, Head Coach of Mexico: “It was hard-fought, especially after giving away a third set that we had in our hands. We are not playing our best volleyball, but today the girls showed great character and heart. We managed to win an important match to continue our goal of finishing among the top three”.

Shannon Winzer, Head Coach of Canada: “It was an exciting game. I thought that they were moments in the game we could have just given up. We scraped through in the third set and that kept us alive. We’re still making errors in key moments and sometimes move away from the game plan when we need to sink through into the game plan”.

United States Battles to Secure a 3-1 Win against Cuba

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 20, 2024. – United States (3-0) had to battle after losing the first set to secure a 3-1 (21-25, 25-12, 25-21, 25-10) victory against Cuba (1-2) to close out the third day of Pool B in the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup.

It was the first set that the United States dropped in three matches.

The Americans managed to overcome Cuba’s game with their serving, earning 11 direct points, and strengthening their play on the sides through Kendall Kipp and Verónica Perry, as well as quick plays by the middle with Serena Gray and Tia Jimerson.

Verónica Perry led the United States with 15 points, followed by Serena Gray with 13 and Kendall Kipp with 11. For Cuba, Yalain de la Peña scored 16 points.

USA winner

United States outperformed Cuba in attacks 53-39, in blocks 7-5, and in serving 11-4, with 20 unforced errors compared to Cuba’s 25.

United States (3-0) will face Costa Rica (0-3) on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. local time, while Cuba (1-2) will play against Argentina (3-0) at 8:00 p.m. at the Inforum in Irapuato.

Verónica Perry, captain of United States: “It was a great match. Cuba is a tough team. It was a fun challenge for us to settle back into our good and stay strong as a team. Cuba is a team that obviously is very physical and very emotional, so they really pushed us in a lot of ways, and I think that we responded really well. We just had to press back and play our volleyball. We started the second set really strong and that just kept us going for the rest of the match. We learned a lot tonight and I think that having that pressure from another team is going to be good for us going forward in this tournament”.

Brad Rostratter, Head Coach of United States: “Every match is good for us, we need to keep playing because we’ve only been together for three weeks. Every opportunity to compete against great teams like Cuba is great for us. It was good for us to play some adversity; they forced us to step up, which is what we want to see. We had some difficulties in the first two sets with serves, trying to be a little bit too aggressive and they passed really well (especially #17 from Cuba). Serving on made a big difference”.

Leivis García, Head Coach of Cuba: “From the analysis and preparation at the hotel, we decided to focus on our own team’s objectives, to let the girls feel free on the court, to perform their individual specialties, and to get the most out of their abilities to address the elements of the game. It was interesting because the United States has a great level; the mistakes you make or the balls you hand over, they turn them into points. They have great effectiveness. We are happy with the girls”.

With a Dramatic Finish, Colombia Defeats Peru to Remain Undefeated

LEÓN, Mexico, August 20, 2024. – With a dramatic finish, Colombia defeated Peru 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 35-33) to maintain their undefeated record in Pool A of the 21st Women’s Pan American Cup being held in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. 

Colombia has a 3-0 record in Pool A and Peru is now 1-2.

Colombia (3-0) and the Dominican Republic (2-1) will face off on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. (local time), and at 8:00 p.m., Peru (1-2) will play against Mexico. 

Colombia secured the victory with a 62-43 advantage in attacks. Peru held a slight margin in blocks 6-5. Both teams scored one ace. Peru conceded fewer points from errors (17-21). 

Colombian Ana Karina Olaya was the top scorer in the match with 21 points (19 attacks, one block, one ace). Laura Grajales added 19 points, all from attacks. Valerin Carbali contributed 11 points, and Dayana Segovia 10. 

Ysabella Sánchez led Peru with 14 points (13 attacks, one block), and Karina Ortiz finished with 13 points (12 attacks, one ace). 

Ana Karina Olaya COL

Colombia started the first set strong, gaining a comfortable lead (5-1) with effective kills from Ana Karina. Dayana Segovia joined the Colombian offense, overcoming the Peru’s efforts with  Aixa Vigil, Karina Ortiz, and Ysabella Sánchez. Once again, in the second set, Colombia stayed ahead, with Laura Grajales as the top scorer, contributing to the significant lead over Peru. In the third set, Peru recovered from a four-point deficit to tie the score at 16 points with the offense led by Ysabella and María Rojas. What followed was a point-for-point battle, where Peru capitalized on 11 Colombian errors, but in the end, Colombia sealed the set with a dramatic 35-33 finish. 

Hernan Osorio, Head Coach of Colombia: “The finish was dramatic because they are a strong opponent who always challenges and demands a lot from us. Peru has experienced and competitive players. We knew it was going to be tight, but we had to stay calm and resolve it well. We have very good players who are maturing with these challenges, and that allows us to stabilize our game and gain confidence to fulfill our task in the competition”.

Walter Lung, Head Coach of Peru: “In the third set, we tried to get the team to click, we moved pieces around, and the team was bolder in their play. In yesterday’s match, the injury to our setter had a negative impact on us mentally, so we had to change the lineup today, and the team is coming together”.

Argentina Remains Undefeated by Defeating Puerto Rico 3-0 

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 20, 2024. – Argentina remains undefeated (3-0) after defeating Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-16) in Pool B of the XXI Pan American Volleyball Cup. 

Argentina resisted the pressure from Puerto Rico at the start of the first set, but gradually settled in, building an initial two-point lead that grew to five by mid-set, ensuring a calm finish, especially with the performances of Elina Rodríguez and Bianca Farriol, who each scored 6 points. 

ARG Mayer and Farriol attack

In the second set, Argentina used different lineups, with Candelaria Herrera standing out as the best player with 5 points, including two blocks, alongside three points from Rodríguez, who was the leading scorer of the match with 18 points, while Daniela Bulaich contributed 11. For Puerto Rico, Stephanie Rivera scored 11 points. 

Argentina was superior in attack (44-28), blocking (8-2), and serving (5-2), committing 19 unforced errors compared to 18 by their opponents. 

Puerto Rico will play Chile on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. (local time), while Argentina will face Cuba at 8:00 p.m. 

PUR defense Cestero and Reyes on the net, ARG Cugno attack

Victoria Mayer, captain of Argentina: “We are very happy with the victory. Puerto Rico is an opponent that has become very competitive over the years, so a win against them is very important for our consolidation. We are building set by set, and you can see how we’ve been gradually improving on the court, taking it match by match”.

Facundo Morando, Coach of Argentina: “In these tournaments, it’s always important not to drop sets, for several reasons, including fatigue and points. Puerto Rico plays volleyball very well, fully utilizing all their skills, but the girls handled it in the best way possible. One of the team’s greatest strengths is patience; when Puerto Rico was applying pressure, there came a point where we broke through, either with blocking or serving”.

Canada beats Puerto Rico at Men’s Final Six

GATINEAU, CANADA. August 20, 2024: Canada’s next generation of talent defeated Puerto Rico today at the Men’s Final 6 in Gatineau, Quebec, at the Slush Puppie Centre arena.

The final score was 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-19).

Canada dominated in attack points (47-26), held a slight advantage in blocking (7-6), and serves were also in Canada’s favor 4-0.  Canada, however, made more errors 27-17.

Outside hitter Isaac Heslinga led scoring for Canada with 17 points, followed by teammate Skyler Varga with 14 points.

Klistan Lawrence Vidal of Puerto Rico led his team with 14 points.

Canada’s head coach Glenn Hoag said: “We have a lot of things to work on as it’s the first official match with this group. We’ve only been practicing, so I think the guys were a bit nervous and really wanted to do well. The video of this match will be helpful – we can look at different aspects of the game. There are certain things that we did ok – we did well on receive and serving was ok. But we were rushing things a bit, so we needed to calm things down. Overall, I’m pretty satisfied.”

USA earns first win at Final Six

GATINEAU, CANADA. August 20, 2024: The United States recovered from a slow start to defeat the Dominican Republic 3-1 (28-26, 22-25, 25-19, 25-16) on the first day of the NORCECA Men’s Final 6 in Gatineau, Quebec.

Team USA led in attack points 62- 41, blocking points 13-7, and aces 5-3.

Dominican Republic capitalized on USA’s errors 34-20.

USA outside hitter Cooper Robinson topped the score sheet with 23 points; while teammate Nolan Flexen added 17 points. Adrián Figueroa Lantigua contributed 16 points to the Dominican team effort.

USA Player #20 (middle blocker) Tobenna Ezeonu commented: “We are a team that has been together for no more than a few weeks, so we had to get everything situated in a small amount of time, which was very hard, but we pulled it off – our mindset was to have fun and play with integrity…. We were all playing with heart. We now are more comfortable on this court and I’m proud of my teammates. We’re looking forward to the rest of the tournament.”

Chile Secures First Victory by Defeating Costa Rica 3-0 

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 18, 2024. – Chile defeated Costa Rica 3-0 (25-09, 25-22, 25-20) to secure their first victory in Pool B of the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. 

After a first set that was completely dominated by Chile, Costa Rica tightened up in the second with quick attacks through the middle and outside, especially with Tatiana Sayles, taking the lead 17-14. However, Chile responded after a timeout requested by their coach Eduardo Guillaume and turned the set around to win it 25-22. 

CHI captain Novoa spikes

In the third set, Costa Rica pressured until point 7, but Chile took a 9-5 lead that their opponents couldn’t recover from. 

Chile was superior in attack (42-24), blocking (10-6), and serving (10-1), committing 20 unforced errors compared to 11 from Costa Rica.

Beatriz Novoa finished with 18 points for Chile, Petra Schwartzman with 15, and Dominga Aylwin with 14. For Costa Rica, captain Tatiana Sayles scored 14 points. 

Costa Rica will face the United States on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. (local time), and Chile will play Puerto Rico at 5:00 p.m. at the Inforum in Irapuato. 

CHI Winer

Petra Schwartzman, standout player for Chile: “It got a little complicated, but in the end, we managed to maintain our rhythm. We tried to do things right and minimize errors because Costa Rica is a team that pressured us the entire time. I’m very happy that the game is improving each time. We are aiming for as many victories as possible in this tournament, so we’re happy to add another one. We know that there are tough teams left in our pool and that the playoffs will also be challenging, but we will do our best.” 

Beatriz Novoa, captain of Chile: “I think we played an organized match; each of us did our job well. In the end, we managed to put pressure on them with our serve and were smarter with our attacks, trying to secure the difficult balls. They (Costa Rica) did a good job, causing more damage through the middle with their middle blockers, but we managed to close out strong; it was a good match.”

Dominican Republic gets Second Victory

LEÓN, Mexico, August 20, 2024. –  Dominican Republic secured their second victory in the XXI Women’s Senior Pan American Cup after defeating Suriname 3-0 (25-7, 25-13, 25-14) in Pool A, held in León, Guanajuato. 

The Dominican Republic improved their record to 2-1, while Suriname remains winless (0-3). 

On Wednesday, Suriname (0-3) will face Canada at 2:00 pm (local time), and the Dominican Republic (2-1) will go up against Colombia. 

Alondra Tapia DOM

Dominican Republic used their youth team, dominating every skill of the game: in attack (48-10), blocking (4-3), and serving (10-0). The Dominicans committed 11 unforced errors, while Suriname committed 13. 

Outside hitter Samaret Caraballo led the Dominican Republic with 15 points (14 attacks, one block), and opposite hitter Alondra Tapia contributed 10 points, all from kills. 

Middle blocker Avaira Sengwai led Suriname with 7 points (5 attacks, 2 blocks). 

Janneke Tammenga SUR

Before the end of the second set, Suriname scored six consecutive points (7-23) thanks to their strong blocking. 

Samaret Caraballo, top scorer of Dominican Republic: “The coach had the opportunity to use the younger players since this was the match to do it, keeping in mind the future of the senior team. I am very happy; we did very well and will keep moving forward.”

Avaira Sengwai, top scorer of Suriname: “I think we could do better, but we are still improving. We tried our best, the second set was exciting. We are going to be positive for our next performance and just play”.

Mexico has a strong start at Final 6 

GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 20, 2024: The NORCECA Men’s Final 6 kicked off today in Gatineau, Quebec, at the Slush Puppie Centre, with Mexico sweeping Cuba in the tournament’s opening match.

The final score was 3-0 (25-22, 25-9, 25-21).

Mexico led in attack points 36-32, blocks 9-4, aces 4-2 and made significantly fewer errors than Cuba 26-14.

Mexico’s captain Mauro Fuentes Rascón led all scoring with 14 points; followed by teammate Ridl Garay Nava with 11 points.

Cuban opposite Daniel Guillermo Martinez Campos was that team’s top scorer with 10 points.

Mexico’s head coach Carlos Schwanke commented: “We put our strategy to work, and I’m happy with the 3-0 win. We know Cuba technically, so we tried to get some positive points with our service.  After that, our block and defense worked well and we were brave in our attack. They have a good, high block, so we have to work around that. We had to play strong and smart….  We expect to play at the same level tomorrow (against USA).”

Round of 16 Matches Set at the Girls’ U17 World Championship

LIMA, Peru, August 19, 2024. – The group stage of the Girls’ U17 World Championship has concluded, with NORCECA teams Mexico finishing 2nd in Pool C, Puerto Rico 3rd in Pool D, and the Dominican Republic and Canada in 3rd and 4th place in Pool A, respectively.

The round of 16 will be played on Tuesday August 20.

Gabriela Garza MEX block (Photo FIVB)

Mexico defeated Egypt 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-13) and advanced to the round of 16 as the second-place team in Pool C, behind Italy, with 2 wins and one loss. The Mexicans will face the Dominican Republic at 4:30 p.m. (local time).

For Mexico, the top scorer was Aitana Rettke with 15 points, followed by Karen Alejandra González with 11 points and Yliana Rubi Zúñiga with 10 points.

Puerto Rico defends

Puerto Rico couldn’t overcome Chinese Taipei and ended up losing 0-3 (23-25, 16-25, 20-25), finishing in third place in Pool D with one win and two losses. Sara Lozano was Puerto Rico’s top scorer with 8 points. Puerto Rico will face Türkiye at 2:00 p.m.

Canada lost their third match in the World Championship, this time to Brazil, who defeated the Canadians 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-16), leaving them in last place in Pool A. Canada will face Italy at 10:30 a.m. Brooke Fermaniuk was the top scorer for the North Americans with 9 points.

Mila Kosoric CAN (Photo FIVB)

Dominican Republic fell to Peru 1-3 (12-25, 19-25, 30-28, 23-25) and finished in third place in Pool A.

FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship: match schedule

Dominican Republic preserves against Mexico in First Win

LEÓN, Mexico, August 19, 2024. – Dominican Republic defeated Mexico 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 26-28, 25-16)  in Pool A on Monday at the XXI Women’s Pan American Cup at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

Dominican Republic (1-1) continues the pool-play against Suriname (0-2) at 2:00 pm (local time), while Mexico (1-1) faces Canada (1-1) at 8:00 pm.

The Dominicans dominated in attacks (47-43) and blocks (19-11). Mexico led in serves (7-2), committing 33 unforced errors compared to 24 by Dominican Republic.

Madeline Guillen DOM

Dominican outside hitter Madeline Guillen was the top scorer with 17 points (15 attacks, 2 blocks). Middle blocker Candida Arias and opposite hitter Gaila González also contributed to the victory with 11 points each. Arias recorded a match-high of 9 blocks.

Outside hitter Grecia Castro led Mexico with 15 points, supported by Uxue Guereca and middle blocker Jocelyn Urías with 12 points each.

After tying at 16 points in the first set, the Dominican Republic pulled ahead with attacks from Madeline Guillen and Gaila González. Mexico’s María Rodríguez neutralized with her serve, but Florangel Terrero sealed the set for the Dominican Republic through the middle. The Caribbean team doubled Mexico’s score in the second set (12-6), but Mexico fought back offensively, narrowing the gap, but not enough. Mexico forced a fourth set by applying pressure with their serves, needing three set points before Urías blocked Guillen to close it out. The Dominicans dominated the fourth and final set, scoring 11 points off Mexico’s errors and controlling the match with their blocking.

Dominican Republic

Madeline Guillen, top scorer for Dominican Republic: “They served very well, and we had problems with reception. We were able to come back and win the match by focusing better. Our weakness is reception, and we need to improve in that area, as well as try to be more aggressive in blocking and defense”.

Nicola Negro, Head Coach of Mexico: “It was exciting because both teams fought hard on the court. It wasn’t a good game for us because we lacked tactical discipline, had poor defense, and attacked poorly. Now we need to focus on Canada, which is a strong team”.

United States Unstoppable, Defeats Puerto Rico 3-0

IRAPUATO, Mexico, August 19, 2024 – The United States remains unstoppable (2-2) after defeating Puerto Rico (1-1) 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-15) to conclude day two in Pool B of the XXI Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup in Irapuato, Guanajuato.

Kendall Kipp was flawless with 18 points, including 16 kills and two blocks, joined by team captain Veronica Perry with 16 points.

For Puerto Rico, Neira Ortiz scored seven points.

USA captain Veronica Perry spikes

United States significantly outperformed Puerto Rico in attacks (47-21), blocks (9-6), and serves (6-3), with 19 unforced errors compared to Puerto Rico’s 13.

The United States will face Cuba (1-1) at 8:00 p.m. local time, while Puerto Rico (1-1) will play against Argentina (2-0) at 5:00 p.m. at the Inforum in Irapuato.

Kendall Kipp, top scorer for the United States: “I think the team played really well. We are still getting used to playing together in competition. We did a good job adjusting to what Puerto Rico was doing, they played a good game. It’s fun to get all the nerves out and play some volleyball. We have so many talented players and it’s so good to finally play with them all in one gym; I’ve played against them in college so it’s fun to get to be on the same side of the net”.

Brad Rostratter, Coach of the United States: “It was cool to see a different group and a little bit different mixture of athletes, just continue to play well as a group and utilize our depth to our advantage. Kipp had a nice match. Jenna Gray did a really good job as setter and we did have a bit of advantage offensively at the center against their blocks, definitely part of our plan; she’s a bit taller and we used to our advantage”.

en_USEnglish