TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 17, 2024. – Canada defeated Costa Rica 3-0 (25-4, 25-19, 25-11) on Wednesday, to advance to the semifinals of the Girls U19 NORCECA Continental Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Canada will face Mexico in the first semifinal on Thursday at 6:00 pm. And Costa Rica will play in the classification matches for positions 5 to 8, starting with Cuba at 4:00 pm. In the other semifinal, United States faces Puerto Rico at 8:00pm.
Chloe Bradley CAN – Galia Luconi CRC
Canada’s force over the net was significant, finishing with advantage in attacks (44-14), blocks (9-2), and aces (7-4). Canada made one less error than Costa Rica (14-25).
Outside hitters Sol Henson and Chloe Bradley led Canada with 15 points each. Henson had 11 attacks, one block, and a match-high of three aces. Bradley scored on 13 attacks and 2 blocks. Middle blocker Maya Bukovcan added 11 points.
Costa Rica’s captain María del Sol Venegas finished with 6 points.
Jimena Alfaro CRC
Canada was dominant in the first set, not allowing Costa Rica to respond. In the second set, Costa Rica improved their game, which allowed them to limit errors and force Canada to lose three set points (16-24) with the attacks of Nadia Granados and the serves of Manuela Alcalá. Canada finally closed the set 25-19 with a kill from Sol Henson. In the third, Canada quickly advanced to a large lead to secure the victory.
Avaya Maga, Canada’s captain: “In the first set we started off with really tough serving and they (Costa Rica) were stuck in a rotation that we capitalized on. In the second set we gave them a lot of points off of our unforced errors and then in the third set we were able to limit our errors and control the game. We are excited to be in the semifinals”.
Nadia Granados, Costa Rica’s setter: “I feel that in the second set we trusted ourselves more and improved our attitude. I am satisfied with our performance in the second set. In the first set, we didn’t give one hundred percent of our capability because we were afraid”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 17, 2024. – Puerto Rico defeated Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-21) in quarterfinals to advance to the Girls U19 NORCECA Continental Championship semifinals being held at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Puerto Rico will know their opponent in semifinals depending on the result of the other quarterfinal match between Canada and Costa Rica.
The Puerto Ricans controlled the Dominicans with an advantage of 37-25 in attacks, 10-5 in blocks, and 7-1 in aces. Puerto Rico benefited from 21 Dominican errors compared to 19 on their side.
Puerto Rico celebrated
Three players scored double digits in Puerto Rico’s victory, led by captain Alana Guibert with 14 points (10 attacks, 3 blocks, one ace), followed by outside hitter Pamela Agosto with 12 points (10 attacks, 2 blocks) and outside hitter Cherisse Atilano with 10 points (8 attacks, 2 aces).
The only player with double digits for the Dominican Republic was opposite hitter Julie Arias with 13 points on 12 attacks and one block.
Pamela Agosto PUR
Puerto Rico took a four-point lead (10-6) in the first set with the attacks by Alana Guibert and Cherisse Atilano. Puerto Rico increased the lead (18-10) despite the efforts of Julie Arias, who was Dominican’s top scorer, in addition to Puerto Rico’s errors. The teams tied several times before reaching the first technical timeout. From there forward, Puerto Rico jumped to a five-point lead (11-6), which increased with Pamela Agosto and Jomailee Reyes joining the net control until closing at 25-13. In the third set, the blocking of Guibert and Agosto pushed Puerto Rico to a comfortable four-point lead (12-8), but with consecutive points from Arias and Estel Santos, the Dominicans managed to tie at 13 points and stay close until reaching point 20. Alondra Adorno came to the service line, leading Puerto Rico to a straight set victory.
Alondra Adorno, outside hitter of Puerto Rico: “The blocking helped us a lot to get the positive result, as well as good defense and consistency in serving. For the upcoming matches, we need to practice having a lot of definition to dominate the games and finish strong”.
Virelys Rivera, outside hitter of Dominican Republic: “In the third set, we had more concentration in receiving and blocking, which helped us a lot, along with better control in serving. Puerto Rico had good defense and pressured us with their serves”.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 17, 2024.- United States beat Chile in straight sets 3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-15) in the continuation of the Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup that is held in the “Ricardo Arias” Volleyball Pavilion.
The United States won in attacks 36-28, in blocks 10-2 and in serves 4-2.
Brett Wildman led the Americans’ offense with 10 points accompanied by Cooper Robinson and Gabriel García who contributed 9 apiece. For the Chileans, Vicente Ibarra had 7 points followed by Vicente Parraguirre with 6 and Matías Jadue who added 5.
Brett Wildman USA
Andy Read, coach of the United States: I am very proud of my boys, we had a very intense previous game against Canada and they responded with an excellent game against a very good team like Chile, now we have to focus on the playoffs.
Daniel Nejamkin, coach of Chile: We had a very good first set and then the United States clearly showed superiority, both on the scoreboard and in the game.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 17, 2024.- Cuba continued its victorious path defeating Guatemala in straight sets 3 -0 (25-11, 25-20, 25-20), who finished the preliminary round without victory (0-4), on Wednesday in the Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup that’s being played at the National Volleyball Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.
Cuba led Guatemala in attacks 41-29, in blocks 9-2 and in serves 4-0.
For Cuba, José Romero scored 20 points, Thiago Suárez 14 and Jakdiel Contreras added another 7. For Guatemala, José Pérez finished with 10 points, while Carlos López and Jason Hernández added 6 points each.
Cuba
Mario Izquierdo, coach of Cuba: It was a fairly calm match despite the fact that in the second set the boys got too confident, and it caused us a bit of problems in some aspects of the game, but we also gave our reserve players some time on the court thinking about tomorrow’s match which is the most important one because we will decide the first place in our group against the Dominicans.
Reider Mora, coach of Guatemala: We knew that we were going against a much more solid Cuban team, with a good level of play and we knew that it was a very difficult opponent, but the boys made the effort and without a doubt that this tournament helped us a lot to continue raising our level.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 17, 2024.- Canada had no difficulties in defeatingMexico in straight sets 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-20), in the first match of day four of the XVII Pan American Men’sVolleyball Cup in the “Ricardo Arias” Pavilion.
The Canadians were far superior every skill, in attacks 36-25, in blocks 9-5 and in serves 7-1.
Mauro Fuentes MEX
Jesse Elser and Jackson Howe were the most outstanding players of Canada with 10 points each, followed by Jordan Canham and Isaac Heslinga with 9 and 8 points respectively. Mexico’s offense was led by Axel Tellez with 7 points and Jared Toy who added 6.
Canada (3-0) has to face Chile in its last match of the preliminary round , while Mexico will face Puerto Rico.
Quarterfinals will be played on Friday, Semifinals on Saturday and the Final on Sunday
Belize City, Belize, July 16, 2024. – Belize earned an important first victory over Nicaragua, winning 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-20) in the closing match of the opening day of the 20th Central American U21 Women’s Championship.
Belize did not disappoint their fans at the Belize Civic Center, delivering a strong performance against Nicaragua, which could not do much against their opponent’s momentum.
Individually, Belize found their best offensive player in Nissan Martínez, who scored 22 points, with 18 from attacks, two from blocks, and two from service, supported by Gareth Bruce, who scored 17 points, 15 from attacks, one from blocking, and one from service.
Belize celebrate
For Nicaragua, María José Rivera scored a total of 10 points, eight from attacks and two from blocks. Samantha Vargas also stood out with eight points, five from attacks, one from blocking, and two from service.
As a team, Belize led in attacks 41-27, in service points 8-5, and committed fewer unforced errors 19-24. Both teams were even in blocking points, with seven each.
After their first victory, Belize’s coach José Fontes mentioned: “It was a very tense match despite the 3-0 score. We know the quality of Nicaragua; they never gave up during the match and always stayed close on the scoreboard. For us, this is a very important victory that gives us a lot of confidence for the upcoming matches”.
On the other hand, Nicaragua’s coach Claudia Noguera stated: “Belize is a very difficult team with very tall players, many of whom already have knowledge about our team. The key is not to lower our heads; the tournament is just beginning, and we can still make a difference”.
Belize City, Belize, July 16, 2024.- Guatemala defeated El Salvador in straight sets (25-14, 25-22, 25-21) in the first match of the 20th Central American U21 Women’s Championship of AFECAVOL, held at the Belize Civic Center in Belize City, Belize.
The Guatemalans were superior in collecting attack points, 45-16, and were more effective in service points, 11-6. El Salvador was affected by 32 unforced errors, compared to 16 by the winners.
María Santa Cruz led Guatemala’s attack with a total of 26 points, 21 of which were attacks and five in service. Naomy Monney was also effective offensively with 12 points, ten from attacks and two from service.
Guatemala celebrate
For El Salvador, Araiana Joachin was the best attacker with nine points, two from attacks and blocks, and five from service.
Regarding the first victory in the tournament, Guatemala’s coach William Fernández commented: “The first match of an event is always very difficult; it’s the first step to take, which is why every match is like a final. We must acknowledge that El Salvador fought until the end, especially in the last two sets, which shows that it will be a very close competition.”
On the other hand, El Salvador’s coach Karen Orellana stated: “It was a good match; I feel we had some difficulties closing the sets. As the matches progress, we will adjust as a team to resolve those issues we had in the sets.”
Guatemala will rest on the second day this Wednesday 17th, while El Salvador will face Nicaragua.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 16, 2024.- Dominican Republic remained undefeated on the third day of competition by beating Guatemala 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-22) in the XVII Pan American Men’s Volleyball Cup that takes place in the Volleyball Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.
The Dominicans dominated everything 49-34 in attacks, 5-4 in blocks and 4-3 in serves.
Henry Tapia was the top scorer for the Dominican Republic with 23 points accompanied by Hector Cruz, who scored 13. For Guatemala, Yeferson Zavala and Andy Blanco scored 10 points each.
Hnery Tapia DOM
Henry Tapia, captain of the Dominican Republic: Today’s game was not an easy game, but we achieved the objective we were looking for, which was to maintain the reception as well as the attack and blocking, then with those three objectives we executed the action and achieved the result 3-0.
Carlos López, captain of Guatemala: Well, I think we improved a little compared to yesterday’s game, we knew it was a difficult game, the Dominican Republic has a great team, we knew they were at home and they did things well, we made several mistakes that cost us a lot because the scoreboard opened up a lot, but I think the team’s attitude was different in this match.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 16, 2024. – Mexico defeated the host country Honduras 3-0 (25-10, 25-15, 25-8) in their third consecutive victory to advance directly to the semifinals of the Girls’ U19 NORCECA Continental Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
Mexico finished first in pool B undefeated and without losing a single set, advancing to Thursday’s semifinals. Honduras, winless (0-3), will play in the classification matches for positions 5 to 8.
Mexico celebrate
Mexico dominated Honduras without setbacks, holding a significant advantage of 40 to 12 in attacks and 12 to 1 in service aces. In blocks, Mexico held a slight edge of 3 to 2. Both teams were similar in errors, with Mexico committing 18 and Honduras 20.
The top scorer of the match was Mexico’s Angélica Torres with 15 points. Naomi Cruz and Aylin Ravell added 10 and 9 points respectively. Aitana Rettke scored a match-high of 4 aces.
Outside hitter Sasha Kawas was the leading scorer for Honduras with 10 points.
Sasha Kawas HON – Aitana Retke MEX
Angélica Torres, top scorer for Mexico: “We had the opportunity to try new things on the court to prepare for the upcoming matches. We analyzed plays, some couldn’t be completed, and others could. Everyone played today. In the semifinals, we hope to give more than a hundred percent, which is what Mexico deserves”.
Sasha Kawas, top scorer for Honduras: “Mexico plays very fast, and we didn’t defend well. We couldn’t execute the reception and we should have had more spirit to fight harder. It’s over now, the tournament continues”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 16, 2024.- Canada defeated Cuba 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-21) to take second place in pool A of the Girls’ U19 NORCECA U19 Continental Championship being played at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Canada finished pool-play with a 2-1 record and will compete in the quarterfinals as the second-place team in pool A. Cuba, with a 0-3 record, will play in the classification matches for positions 5 to 8.
Canada dominated every skill, attack (34-23), blocking (9-5), and serving (9-7). Canada committed 18 errors, while Cuba committed a total of 23.
Sol Henson CAN
Chloe Bradley of Canada scored 13 points (8 attacks, 4 blocks, 1 ace) as the top scorer of the match. Sol Henson contributed 10 points, all from attacks, in Canada’s victory.
Yesica Brito and Salet Castillo were the top scorers for Cuba with 11 points each.
Canada and Cuba had a close first set, but the North American team always maintained the lead, taking advantage of the 24 errors conceded by Cuba. Canada dominated set two entirely, closing it with a huge margin of 25-12. Cuba made a comeback in the third set with Yesica Brito and Salet Castillo leading the offense, managing to tie at 18 points, but Maya Bukovac, Sol Henson, and Chloe Bradley pressured and stopped Cuba’s momentum.
Canada
Chloe Bradley, top scorer for Canada: “The second set was really strong, we had the energy going through it and we kept up the whole set, we had no drops. We had a few dips in the first and third sets, I believe our energy went down and maybe we were a bit scared”.
Yesica Brito, captain of Cuba: “We always kept our spirits high, trying to fight. Despite the ups and downs, it was a very good game. I don’t know what happened in the second set, I can’t explain it”.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 16, 2024.- The defending champions Canada overcame United States in a hard-fought match that went to a maximum of five sets with 3-2 (19-25, 25-20, 25 -27, 25-23, 15-9) to improve (2-0) in the XVII edition of the Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup.
Canada took the honors in attacks 62-52, in blocks 9-4 and in serves 6-4.
Canada’s captain Jesse Elser was the top scorer with 21 points, followed by Isaac Heslinga and Jackson Howe with 17 points each. For the Americans, Michael Marshman was the best with 15 points accompanied by Gabriel García who added 13.
Canada
Isaac Heslinga, player from Canada: I think we played with the basic fundamentals, the plan was to keep strong serves and work them well and our offense. For the next matches we must work on some things on our central line but for all the rest we are fine.
Michael Marshman, United States player: It was a classic game between Canada and the United States which are usually very battled on both sides, today I think we came up a little short, but I give all the credit to Canada, they made good adjustments during the game and that gave them this victory.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 16, 2024. – United States topped pool A undefeated and advanced to the semifinals of the Girls U19 NORCECA Continental Championship after defeating Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-22) on Tuesday at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
United States closed the preliminary round with a perfect 3-0 record, without losing a single set and earning a direct ticket to Thursday’s semifinals. Puerto Rico finished with a 1-2 record and awaits the result between Canada (1-1) and Cuba (0-2) to determine their final position.
Henley Anderson USA
The Americans relied on their strength in attacks (40-26) to dominate Puerto Rico. They also had an advantage in blocking (8-5) and serving (8-3). Puerto Rico committed fewer unforced errors (19-24).
Outside hitters Kelly Kinney and Hanley Anderson led the United States with 11 points each. Kinney on 8 kills, one block, and one ace; Anderson on 10 kills and one block.
Puerto Rico’s outside hitter Cherisse Atilano led all scorers with 12 points on 11 attacks and one block. Alana Guibert contributed 9 points.
Cherisse Atilano PUR- Kelly Kinney USA
The first set was very close, with both teams taking turns in the lead until reaching the second technical timeout tied when the attacking efforts of Halle Thompson and Henley Anderson pushed the Americans to close at 25-20. USA reached a comfortable six-point lead (15-9) in the second set with Elena Hoecke leading the offense. In the third, Puerto Rico pushed again, with a 16-14 advantage with strong blocking and attacking by Cherisse Atilano. The teams were tied at 21 points, but Kelly Kinney sealed the match for the United States with a service point.
Kelly Kinney, top scorer for United States: “I think the match challenged us more mentally than it did competition wise. We just stayed strong physically and mentally, and that’s what helped to win. We trusted each other a lot and we supported each one on and off the court. Our team did a good job serving aggressively”.
Cherisse Atilano, top scorer for Puerto Rico: “It was an exciting match. In the second set, the sun affected us, but despite that, we did very well. We gave it our all in the first and third sets, raising our level of play, which we had been striving for. We stood out in our team unity and pushing forward at key moments”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 16, 2024 .- Dominican Republic complete pool-play at the Girls U19 NORCECA Continental Championship with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-20, 25-18) victory over Costa Rica on Tuesday at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
Dominican Republic finished pool B with a 2-1 record, while Costa Rica ended with a 1-2 record. Both teams await their final standings after Honduras (0-2) faces Mexico (2-0) in the last match of the day.
Caroline Rodriguez DOM
The Caribbean team outscored the Central Americans 41 to 21 in attack points, 12 to 7 in block points, and 6 to 2 in services. Dominican Republic committed 19 errors compared to Costa Rica’s 16.
Three players led the Dominican Republic with double digits. Middle blocker Caroline Rodríguez was the top scorer of the match with 17 points, including a match-high of 7 block points and 9 kills. Outside hitter Thais Cochy added 11 points on 8 kills, 2 blocks, and an ace. Virelys Rivera contributed 10 points.
For Costa Rica, middle blocker and captain María del Sol Venegas, along with outside hitter Mariela Navarro, scored 9 points each.
Maria del Sol Venegas CRC
Dominican Republic quickly took an 11-3 lead in the first set, overpowering Costa Rica with the offensive efforts of Caroline Rodríguez and Thais Cochy. In the second set, Costa Rica kept the score close thanks to the attacks from María del Sol Venegas and opponent errors, tying the set at 17 points before the Dominicans pulled ahead with blocks from Rodriguez and Rivera’s attacks to take the set. Dominican Republic regained control in the third set, never trailing.
Caroline Rodríguez, top scorer of the Dominican Republic: “The coach’s instructions were to be strong in blocking, take risks in serving, and be prepared to defend. In the quarterfinals, we will give our best, continue fighting, and put into practice what we have trained. We are going to represent our country with heart”.
Jimena Alfaro, libero of Costa Rica: “In the second set, we tried to be more organized on the court because that affected us in the first set where we were disoriented and unfocused. We will see what position we end up in, but we will strive to perform at our best against any opponent”.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 16, 2024.- After losing the first set, Cuba made the necessary adjustments to win the other three sets and beat Peru 3-1 (16-25, 25-17-25 -17, 25-19) on the third day of competitions of the XVII Men’s Volleyball Cup.
Cuba led 54-44 in attacks and 11-5 in blocks. Peru did better in serves 5-3.
Cuba’s top scorer was Carlos Santana with 12 points, while Victor Andreu scored 11 and Alexis Wilson 10. Eduardo Romay of Perú led all scorers with 20 points; Maikel Jaramillo contributed 10 points for Peru.
Alexis Wilson CUB
Mario Izquierdo, coach of Cuba: This match is extremely important because it puts us in an advantageous situation compared to the group, a match that allows us to still have the possibility of finishing first in our group and already being within the first four of this competition. This was a tough game in which Peru made it a bit difficult for us in the first set, but the boys made the adjustments, and we were able to obtain the victory.
Juan Carlos Rodríguez, coach of Peru: Cuba is a team that plays very well, they have a lot of strength in their serve and in their attack, we were able to surprise them in the first set, then they got their rhythm of play and did well, it is a young team and very capable.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 16, 2024.- Chile obtained its first victory after defeating Puerto Rico in a well contested match 3-1 (27-25, 28-26, 17-25, 25-22) on the third day of competitions of the XVII Men’s Volleyball Cup at the “Ricardo Arias” Volleyball Pavilion.
Even though they did not obtain the victory, Puerto Rico surpassed Chile in attacks 54-53, in blocks 10-8 and in serves 3-2.
Chile
Chile’s offense was led by Vicente Parraguirre with 16 points, followed by Dusan Bonacic with 15 and Gabriel Araya with 13. Klistan Lawrence was the best for the Puerto Ricans with 17 points, accompanied by Ismael Alomar and Jonathan Rodríguez with 12 and 10 points respectively.
Vicente Parraguirre, player from Chile: The games with Puerto Rico have always been very intense, both teams had come from losses, and this was a very difficult game and I´m very happy with the victory obtained and now moving forward.
Pedro Molina, player from Puerto Rico: It was a difficult match, we have competed with them several times before, they have a good team, well organized and in the key moments of the game they played better than us, but we must keep holding our heads high and focus on tomorrow’s game.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 15, 2024. – Dominican Republic defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-20, 25-11, 25-12) to score their first win in the Girls’ U19 NORCECA Continental Championship on Monday night at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
Dominican Republic improved their record in pool B to 1-1, while Honduras stands at 0-2.
On Tuesday, Dominican Republic (1-1) will face Costa Rica (1-1) at 2:00 pm to determine their final position in pool B. Honduras (0-2) will meet Mexico (2-0) at 8:00 pm.
Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic executed their strategy with a sizeable advantage of 40-19 in attacks and 10-3 in service points. Additionally, the Dominicans dominated blocking 5-3 and committed fewer unforced errors (18-20).
The only player in double digits was Dominican middle blocker Caroline Rodríguez, who scored 13 points on 8 kills, 2 blocks, and 3 service points. Outside hitter Thais Cochy and captain Yalyn Firpo each added 9 points.
Sasha Kawas was the top scorer for Honduras with 8 points.
Sasha Kawas HON
In the first set, Honduras started strong, surprising the Dominicans by keeping the score close. Thanks to the offense of Thais Cochy and Ambar Hernández, the Dominican Republic regained control to finish the set on top. Dominican Republic controlled Honduras the rest of the match with skillful directed serves and powerful attacks.
Ana Patricia Encarnación, setter for the Dominican Republic: “We were in trouble in the first set. I feel that some players, due to inexperience, found it hard to start strong. We executed our game strategy, which is to play intelligently, observe the opponent to always score, and direct our serves”.
Jimena Aguilar, setter for Honduras: “It was difficult to keep up with the Dominican Republic’s pace. The team’s spirit was affected. We started with a lot of energy but didn’t continue fighting. I hope we can all perform better tomorrow than we did today”.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 15, 2024.- Peru won against Guatemala 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-22) on the second day of competitions of the XVII Cup Men’s Volleyball Pan American Championship that takes place in the National Volleyball Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.
Peru was better in attacks 44-34 and in blocks 13-8, while both teams tied at 2 points on serves.
Peruvian captain Eduardo Romay was the best offensively for his team with 14 points, while Benjamín Patrón and Maikel Jaramillo added 12 and 11 points respectively. For Guatemala, team captain Carlos López scored 14 points and Andy Blanco added another 11.
Andy Leonardo GUA
Eduardo Romay, captain of Peru: It has been a super difficult game for us, Guatemala is a team that we have not seen since 2018 so we had lost their game a little, for us the key was finding ourselves playing our game and luckily it did not go well .
Carlos López, captain of Guatemala: We had a game with many ups and downs, there were positive and negative streaks, but the negative ones were more frequent and that was what made the difference in the result of the game in the end.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 15, 2024. – United States downed Canada 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-15) for their second victory in the Girls´U19 NORCECA Continental Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
With a perfect 2-0 record in pool A, the United States will conclude the preliminary round on Tuesday at 4:00 pm against Puerto Rico (1-1). Canada, with a 1-1 record, will face Cuba (0-2) at 6:00 pm in their last pool-play match.
Audrey Flanagan USA – Avaya Maga CAN
The Americans finished with a huge advantage in the statistics: attacking (39-14), blocking (10-4), and serving (7-0); but committed more errors (29-19).
Middle blocker Manaia Ogbechie and outside hitter Audrey Flanagan led the United States with 13 points each. Ogbechie ended with 7 kill points, 3 blocks, and 3 service points. Flanagan recorded 9 kill points, 2 blocks, and 2 aces. Kelly Kinney contributed 10 points.
Abby Wasutik CAN
On the Canadian side, Sydney Bell, Abby Wasutyk, and Alyssa Flack each scored three points.
Manaia Ogbechie, top scorer for the United States: “In the first part of the first set we were figuring out Canada and then we started playing our game, once that happened it was perfect. Our game is consistent, it’s like a snake, we wrap around, and we coil together. We are always cheering one another”.
Kylie Savin, libero for Canada: “We communicated better in the first set, we made less errors and we were disciplined, playing it clean to stay closer to them. Tomorrow, we need to use our pins more, hitting strong and running a few more balls. We must make sure the passing stays strong”.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 15, 2024.- The United States scored its second victory after beating Mexico 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-20, 25-18) in the XVII Pan American Men’s Volleyball Cup.
The United States surpassed Mexico 47-41 in attacks, 7-4 in blocks and 10-4 in serves.
The United States offense was led by Gabriel García with 15 points followed by Ethan Champlin who accumulated 11, while Mauro Fuentes and Juan García stood out for Mexico with 13 and 12 points respectively.
Mauro Fuentes MEX
Quinn Isaacson, captain of the United States: It was a slow game, we knew that Mexico had a good team, we inserted guys from the bench and I’m glad that we had difficult moments during the game and we were able to overcome them, which I like since we have some difficult games ahead of us and I see it well that we have won, although there are things that need to be improved.
Mauro Fuentes, captain of Mexico: The United States appeared very strong in this match mainly on the service line, tactically good in that aspect apart from having a very high block, I think we were able to compete with them in the first three sets; I think we lost the fourth set because we lacked concentration, but without a doubt they are a great rival.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 15, 2024. – Puerto Rico earned its first victory in the Girls’ U19 NORCECA U-19 Continental Championship after defeating Cuba 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-10) on Monday at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Puerto Rico improved its record to 1-1 in pool A, while Cuba remains winless at 0-2.
Puerto Rico (1-1) will conclude pool-play on Tuesday against the United States at 4:00 pm, and Cuba (0-2) will face Canada at 6:00 pm.
Yesica Brito CUB
The Puerto Ricans capitalized their victory with a huge advantage of 35 to 17 in attacks, 10 to 5 in blocks, and 12 to 2 in service aces.
Outside hitter Pamela Agosto of Puerto Rico was the top scorer of the match with 16 points (14 kills, 2 blocks). Middle blocker Jomailee Reyes also contributed to the win with 13 points (5 kills, a match-high of 5 blocks, 3 aces). Team captain Alana Guibert added 10 points (7 kills, 2 blocks, one ace).
Salet Castillo of Cuba scored 8 points as the team’s top scorer.
Puerto Rico
The attacks of Alana Guibert and the serves of Jomailee Reyes pushed Puerto Rico to recover from a four-point deficit (0-4) in the first set. The Puerto Ricans advanced with better control of their serves, gaining a comfortable lead. In the second set, Puerto Rico quickly jumped to a five-point lead (15-10), maintaining it throughout the set. Puerto Rico was dominant in the third set.
Pamela Agosto, top scorer for Puerto Rico: “We were a bit nervous; it’s the second international match for almost everyone on the team. We managed to improve, limit our errors, and did a great job. I think our serving was very good, but the key to our victory was our communication. We know we can advance to the quarterfinals”.
Ashley Simón, setter for Cuba: “We started with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. When we try to do things right, we get nervous, and that causes us to make mistakes. I think there’s a lack of communication among us; there are arguments that hurt us as a team. We’ll see what happens tomorrow against Canada. We need more unity and to be a team”.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 15, 2024.- Cuba achieved its first victory in XVII edition of the Pan American Men’s Volleyball Cup after beating Colombia in straight sets 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-21), at the “Ricardo Arias” National Volleyball Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.
Cuba was better in attacks 42-27 and in serves 6-3, while Colombia dominated in blocks 8-6.
Victor Andreu was the most productive for Cuba with 14 points, while Carlos Charles and Bryan Camino contributed with 13 and 12 points respectively. For Colombia Andrés Piza scored 9 points and Jharold Caicedo added 7.
Carlos Charles CUB
Julio Gómez, captain of Cuba: It was an important match for us since it was the first and we did what we were expecting against Colombia, which was to obtain the victory since the last time we faced them we suffered a loss and thanks to that today things went well for us, and we were able to go out with a 3-0 lead.
Leandro Mejía, captain of Colombia: We knew that Cuba was a very strong opponent, they are very physical, that is why it was very difficult for us to serve them since they come out very hard, we do not come with a good rhythm of play, which is one of the things that we must fix in the future.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 15, 2024. – Mexico defeated Costa Rica 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-15) to remain undefeated in the Girls’ U19 NORCECA U-19 Continental Championship being held at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Mexico has an undefeated record of 2-0 in pool B, while Costa Rica stands at 1-1.
On Tuesday, Costa Rica (0-2) will conclude pool-play against the Dominican Republic at 2:00 pm, and Mexico (2-0) will face Honduras at 8:00 pm.
Naomi Cruz MEX – Manuela Alcala CRC
Mexico set the pace of the match with advantages in every skill of the game, attacking (37-18), blocking (8-5), and service aces (7-1). Mexico committed one less error than Costa Rica (22-23).
Costa Rica managed to contain Mexico up to point ten in all three sets; from then on, the Mexicans dominated with the offensive play of Naomi Cruz, who led all scorers with 16 points on13 attacks, one block, and two aces, supported by Angélica Torres with 14 points on 10 attacks, one block, and a match-high of three aces.
Opposite hitter Dayna Barrantes and outside hitter Mariela Navarro led Costa Rica with 6 points each.
Nadia Granados CRC
Naomi Cruz, top scorer for Mexico: “Costa Rica managed to contain us at the beginning; we started the sets a bit slow. We gave our best, without pressure, to keep the match from getting complicated. As the sets progressed, our confidence and game intensity increased. We all supported each other, just like our coaches, who always help us improve. There is a lot of unity in the team”.
Dayna Barrantes, top scorer for Costa Rica: “We entered the match knowing Mexico is a tough opponent. We gave our best, especially at the start of each set. Mexico is a team with greater physical capabilities than us, and it motivated us to stay close on the scoreboard until almost halfway through each set. We played well against Mexico. We are waiting for the result of Honduras today and the results of tomorrow’s matches in the group to know if we advance to the quarterfinals”.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 15, 2024.- Team Canada battled for three sets with Puerto Rico and at the end won with 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-23) to start the XVII Pan American Men’s Volleyball Cup with a victory at the National Volleyball Pavilion.
The Canadians dominated in attacks 48-30, in blocks 7-4 and in serves 7-1.
Jordan Canham and Jesee Elser were the top scorers for Canada with 17 and 14 points respectively. For Puerto Rico, which now has a record of (0-2), Pedro Molina scored 12 points, while Klistan Lawrence contributed another 10.
Canada
Jesee Elser, captain of Canada: It was a very entertaining match, we had a good performance on the court, there was a small delay in the game, but we knew how to keep the team’s spirits up, no one complained, and I think we showed it with our performance.
Dennis Del Valle, captain of Puerto Rico: I think we had a good match despite the result because we were fighting all the sets but after point 20, they knew how to handle the situation better than us and I think that was the difference in the game, we have a young team and we have to learn from those experiences.
Belize City, Belize, July 15, 2024 – After completing the mandatory preliminary interviews, the five teams participating in the XX Central American U21 Women’s Championship of AFECAVOL have declared themselves ready to take to the court at the Belize Civic Center gymnasium in Belize City, Belize.
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize will compete for the coveted U21 title and a spot in the NORCECA Continental Championship in the contest that will take place from July 16 to 20, with two daily matches.
Before the start of the tournament, each of the coaches leading the participating teams evaluated their squads and shared their goals for the event.
William Fernández, Coach of Guatemala, stated: “We have a U21 team with a lot of experience. We have players who were here two years ago in Belize, and most of the players who were in the U23 team. Our goal is to be on the podium. This will be a very competitive tournament, even though there are only five teams, all have the chance to win a medal”.
José Fontes, Coach of Belize, commented: “We have a very young team with some experienced players. Our expectations are high to be on the podium, and we always aspire to the highest, that is, to fight for the gold medal for Belize”.
Cristiam Rodríguez, Coach of Honduras, affirmed: “We have high expectations with this group that is very young. Many will make their debut, marking a promising future for volleyball in Honduras. We want to perform well in the tournament, and if things go well, make it to the podium”.
Claudia Noguera, Coach of Nicaragua, expressed: “We have a young team. Nicaragua has already presented many of these players in other events such as the Final Four and the U23, where we achieved first place in both. We will fight to be on the podium. We have the team to achieve a good position”.
Karen Orellana, Coach of El Salvador, commented: “Our team is very young. We are looking to make a generational change in El Salvador for future tournaments. For this event, we expect to compete, for the girls to give their best. It’s a good group, and we truly hope to surprise”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 14, 2024. – Costa Rica kicked off the Girls U19 NORCECA Continental Championship defeating host Honduras 3-2 (25-23, 25-27, 25-14, 18-25, 15-13) in pool B of the event, which began on Sunday in Tegucigalpa.
The match was full of ups and downs, with both teams taking turns in the lead. In the end, Costa Rica emerged victorious, leading in attacking points 52 to 50 and in blocking points 8 to 2. Honduras led in service aces 10 to 8. Both teams committed 40 unforced errors throughout the match.
Mariela Navarro CRC
Outside hitter Mariela Navarro was the top scorer for Costa Rica with 15 points (13 attacks, one block, one ace). She was followed by outside hitter Galia Luconi with 14 points (13 attacks, one ace) and middle blocker María del Sol Venegas with 11 points (6 attacks, a match-high of 4 blocks, one ace).
For Honduras, opposite María Fernanda Merino was the best scorer with 14 points (12 attacks, 2 aces). Outside hitter Sasha Kawas finished with 13 points (12 attacks, one ace). Middle blocker Sofía Ghadesi contributed 10 points.
On the second day of the event, Costa Rica (1-0) will play against Mexico (1-0) at 2:00 pm, and Honduras (0-1) will face the Dominican Republic (0-1) at 8:00 pm.
Galia Luconi CRC- Andrea Schmucker HON
In the tie-break, Honduras tied the score at 10 points after recovering from a five-point deficit (5-10) with the offensive efforts of Andrea Schmucker, combined with Costa Rica’s errors. An attack by Galia Luconi and an error by Honduras put Costa Rica ahead, but Honduras tied again at 13 points. An error by Honduras, followed by a kill from middle blocker Nadia Granados, sealed the victory for Costa Rica.
María del Sol Venegas, captain of Costa Rica: “The match got complicated for us; I feel like we got a little too confident. We achieved the result. There were ups and downs. Costa Rica is very mental, but when we are confident, we play a good game, the best we can. Tomorrow we will face a strong opponent, but we are confident in our game”.
Sofía Ghadesi, captain of Honduras: “I am very proud of my team. I am still euphoric about what we were able to achieve. We had a lot of energy. That’s sports; we had good things and made mistakes. We almost defeated Costa Rica. We supported each other throughout the match, had good energy, and were euphoric. We held our heads high”.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 14, 2024.- The Dominican Republic defeated its counterpart from Peru 3-1 (25-16, 28-30, 25-18, 25-17) scoring its first victory at the XVII Pan American Men’s Volleyball Cup.
The Dominicans had a good performance in every skill, with 51-45 advantage in attacks 51-45, 11-10 in blocks and 6-3 in serves.
Héctor Cruz was the best scorer for the Dominican Republic with 17 points followed by Wilfrido Hernández with 12, while Henry Tapia and Luther Rosario added 10 points each. For Peru, Maikel Jaramillo scored 17 points and Sebastián Blanco 12.
Hector Cruz DOM
José Gutierrez, coach of the Dominican Republic: The first game of this competition is the most difficult, the most complicated, I think we continue to build this team trying to maintain a good level throughout the games, that is the task that we have pending to be able to play with any opponent without complicating our lives without need.
Juan Carlos Rodríguez, coach of Peru: Well, after a year without playing I think the team had a lot of ups and downs and we committed too many foolish errors, the Dominican team worked well and I respect all their work, let’s hope that in this competition we can continue improving game by game.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 14, 2024. – The United States defeated Cuba 3-0 (25-8, 25-11, 25-21) on the first day of competition in the Girls’ U19 NORCECA Continental Championship in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
United States obtained their first victory in pool A with a dominant performance, using all their players over the course of the match and overpowering Cuba 35-5 in attacks and 13-2 in service points. Both teams scored three blocking points. United States gave away more points from errors than Cuba (30-24).
Hazel Alevok and Elena Hoecke led the United States’ offense with 9 points each. Hazel Alevok scored a match-high of 4 aces.
United States
Cuba’s outside hitter and captain, Yesica Brito, was the top scorer for her team with 4 points.
Cuba (0-1) will face Puerto Rico (0-1) on Monday at 4:00 PM, and the United States (1-0) will play Canada (1-0) at 6:00 PM.
The United States controlled the first and second sets with no difficulty, using their powerful serves and strong kills as their main strengths. In the third set, Cuba managed to surprise the Americans by keeping the score tight and tying at 16 points. In the end, the United States finished strong.
Halle Thompson USA
Aniya Warren, captain of United States: “We played strong. We started the first set, we played our game and performed what we knew how to do, being ourselves. We did good keeping up the entire game, despite it getting kind of rocky in the third. But overall, we kept fighting”.
Yesica Brito, captain of Cuba: “It was a tough start, facing one of the best teams in the tournament, a very strong team. This is only the first game, and for some of the players, it’s their first international tournament. We played well at the end of the match. Tomorrow, we will look to start strong like we did at the end today”.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 14, 2024.- In a match that was full of emotions, the United States defeated Puerto Rico 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 29-31, 25 -18), to achieve its first victory in the 27th edition of the Pan American Men’s Volleyball Cup, an event that takes place in the “Ricardo Arias” Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.
The Americans were better in attacks 50-42, in blocks 11-8 and in serves 12-1.
Gabriel García was the most outstanding offensive player for the United States with 19 points followed by Ethan Chaplin and Michael Marshman with 17 and 12 points respectively. For Puerto Rico, the top scorer was Jamal Carballo with 19 points followed by Klistan Vidal with 11.
Ethan Champlin USA
Andy Read, coach of the United States: I am very proud of the way they played, we had a team from Puerto Rico that responded very well in the third set, but we were able to recover in the fourth and take the victory.
Alberto Torres, coach of Puerto Rico: This is the first game of the tournament, and we knew it was going to be tough going against the United States, but I think we showed that we have the potential to compete with the teams that are in the tournament.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 14, 2024. – Canada started the NORCECA U19 Girls’ Continental Championship with a 3-0 victory (25-22, 25-15, 25-21) over Puerto Rico in pool A at Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Canada controlled every skill of the game, attacks (34-26), blocks (7-3), and service points (8-3). Both teams gave away 26 points on unforced errors.
Two Canadian players scored double digits, opposite hitter Sydney Bell with 13 points on 8 attacks, 3 blocks, and 2 service points, and outside hitter Sol Henson with 11 points on 10 attacks and on service point.
Canada celebrate
Outside hitters Cherisse Atilano and Pamela Agosto led Puerto Rico with 9 and 8 points, respectively.
On Monday, Puerto Rico will face Cuba at 4:00 PM, and Canada will play against the United States at 6:00 PM.
The first set was very close, with both teams sharing the lead until they were tied at 22 points. Canada managed to pull ahead thanks to two errors by Puerto Rico and an attack point by opposite hitter Sydney Bell. Canada looked more comfortable in the second set, benefiting from 9 errors by Puerto Rico, in addition to the offense from Bell and Sol Henson. Canada lost four set points before celebrating the straight-set victory when Puerto Rico’s setter Daniella González came to the service line.
Sofia Zabjek CAN – Jomailee Eyes PUR
Avaya Maga, captain of Canada: “For a lot of us it’s our first international tournament, so getting into the competition and our style of plan took some time in the first set. In the second and third sets we capitalized on our game plan. We stayed aggressive the whole match. Credit to Puerto Rico for serving tough in the last points and got us stuck in that rotation”.
Alana Guibert, captain of Puerto Rico: “I think we lacked defense and communication. There are several players on the team who lack experience, and there was a bit of desperation. We put up a good fight at the end. We will do better in the next match.”
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 14, 2024.- Colombia only needed three sets to defeat Guatemala 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-16) on the opening day of the XVII Pan American Cup Men’s Volleyball.
Colombia was superior in all aspects, in attacks 43-28, in blocks 7-2 and in services 5-1.
Gustavo Larrahondo COL
Leandro Mejía was the best offensive player for Colombia with 12 points, while Gustavo Larrahondo added 10. For Guatemala, their captain Carlos López had 12 points and José Pérez added 8.
Carlos Osorio, coach of Colombia: This match was very important for us and we knew how to handle it very well, the boys were tactically synchronized and the truth was that we knew how to take advantage of the opportunities.
Reider Mora, coach of Guatemala: I must congratulate the Colombian team, they knew how to carry the entire game, they were the ones who always had the difference in the game, they were really very offensive and did not let us play, our reception failed a bit and that made the game easier for them.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 14, 2024. – Mexico won the opening match of the NORCECA U19 Girls Continental Championship, which began in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, with a straight-set victory, 3-0 (25-19, 28-26, 25-18) over the Dominican Republic.
In the first match of pool B, Mexico outperformed Dominican Republic 44-26 in attacks, 7-5 in blocks, and 5-4 in serves. The Dominican Republic committed fewer errors (22-28).
Opposite hitter Aylin Ravell led Mexico with 17 points (14 attacks, one block, 2 aces), followed by outside hitter Naomi Cruz with 16 points (14 attacks, 2 blocks) and outside hitter Angélica Torres with 11 points (9 attacks, 2 aces).
Aylin Ravell MEX
Julie Arias was the top scorer for Dominican Republic with 13 points, all on attacks.
On the second day of competition, Mexico will face Costa Rica at 2:00 PM, and the Dominican Republic will play against Honduras at 8:00 PM.
Mexico started a bit slow, with the Dominicans taking an early 3-0 lead in the first set, but Mexico stabilized and closed with a comfortable 25-19 advantage. Mexico imposed their game, reaching 21-18 when three consecutive points from Julie Arias and a precise block from Caroline Rodríguez gave the Dominican Republic a boost. They battled point by point until Mexico continued with the lead. Aylin Ravell and Naomi Cruz led Mexico’s offense to secure the victory in straight sets.
Mexico celebrate
Isabella Ocampo, captain of Mexico: “It was hard for us to start; there were some nerves because it was the first time the team was competing together. We managed to neutralize the Dominican Republic with our strong serves, which helped us control our attack better”.
Yalyn Firpo, captain of the Dominican Republic: “I think everything was a consequence of our attitude. We are a team that sometimes gives up a little when we are behind in the score. Our spirits dropped a lot, and that greatly influenced our performance. I think our blocking was dominant.”
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 14, 2024.- In a disputed match that lasted a maximum of five sets, Mexico had to work hard to defeat Chile 3-2 (25-22, 25-23, 19- 25, 15-25, 15-13) and obtain their first victory in the XVII Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup at the “Ricardo Arias” Volleyball Pavilion.
The Mexicans surpassed the Chileans in serves 4-2, while Chile dominated in attacks 59-56 and in blocks 14-8.
On offense for Mexico, Franky Milantoni had 24 points, while Mauro Fuentes and Victor Parra added 13 and 10 respectively. For Chile Vicente Parraguirre and Dusan Bonacic finished with 20 points each.
Mexico celebrate
Carlos Schwanke, coach of Mexico: Incredible, we are here to develop a group, we remained aggressive every minute on the court, except in the third and fourth sets where we lowered the intensity a little but we returned in the fifth and we were able to capitalize on the victory which is very positive for us.
Daniel Nejamkin, coach of Chile: It was a very challenging match but the team played at a good level because although we couldn’t win, after being down 2-0 we were able to extend it to a fifth and decisive set.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 13, 2024.- The coaches of the eight teams that will compete in the NORCECA Girls’ U19 Continental Championship in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, are ready to face a new challenge from July 14 to 19.
The event, which is part of the qualification process for the age-group FIVB World Championship, will be streamed on Facebook Live Federación Hondureña de Voleibol
Gina Schmidt, Head Coach of Canada: ““Our preparation period was fairly short, but we have a great group of athletes, and it will be just a matter of how quickly we can get used to playing together. I can see us improving with each game of the tournament”.
Comité de Control junto a Arateide Caceres, en el Campeonato Continental Norceca Sub 19 femenino en entrevista preliminar con Canadá, que se realiza en Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Norka Latamblét, Head Coach of Cuba: “We are coming with a very young group, U17 players. We have had problems with training, but we are here to play with a good attitude, hoping that things will turn out as well as possible. We aim for the girls to project themselves for future competitions and for Cuba to achieve a better ranking as in previous years”.
Cuba
Alexandre Ceccato, Head Coach of Dominican Republic: “Some players competed at the U19 continental and others at the U21, they have been training together for two weeks. The goal is to reach the semifinals and we are focused on doing so”.
Dominican Republic
Marcos Sugiyama, Head Coach of Honduras: “Honduras is very pleased to host another international event. The teams from Honduras for the underage categories are made up of players from a previous category. The team is mostly composed of players from last year’s U17 category. We are very eager to participate in the competition. We are motivated to play in front of our home crowd, for the players to be happy playing with the support of their families, which is an advantage for the team. I believe it will be a very important competition for the players”.
Uniform Honduras
Ignacio Ramírez, Head Coach of Mexico: “We are bringing several U17 players, we want them to gain more experience since they will participate at the World Championship soon. Our expectation is to reach the semifinals to compete for a medal. We trained for 21 days before arriving here and the team has gradually improved. In addition, each match will give us a measure of how we are progressing”.
Mexico
Eduardo Galarza, Head Coach of Puerto Rico: “This is a group from a new cycle, and we have only one athlete returning (the team captain). The group is very talented, tall, plays fast, and has great ball control. Our goal is to qualify for the World Championship and win the tournament”.
Puerto Rico
Jamie Morrison, Head Coach of the United States: “This is a learning opportunity for our young athletes that we see having the potential to be in the national team one day. We had a shorter five-day training block during the summer and then a three-day training block leading up to this. I’m proud of our athletes for the amount of dedication they put in this short period of time and how much better they’ve gotten. We’re excited to show the world who we are on the volleyball court in this tournament”.
USA
The arrival of Costa Rica is expected on Saturday night.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 13, 2024.- The ten coaches participating in the XVII Pan American Men’s Volleyball Cup commented on their expectations during the preliminary meeting before starting to compete on Sunday in the “Ricardo Arias” National Volleyball Pavilion of the Juan Olympic Center Pablo Duarte.
Andy Read, United States: I think it is an extremely strong tournament and in an Olympic year, there are 10 well-prepared teams here so the United States will have some very competitive matches in this event that is very well organized, and we are very excited to be here.
Mario Izquierdo, Cuba: The Cuban team brings great expectations after not having qualified for the Olympic Games, we began our preparation for the other Olympic Games and this tournament marks the beginning of our new Olympic cycle, that is why we are giving the possibility to athletes of a second line so that they can be in the not too distant future in the national team for the upcoming international events that we have.
Carlos Schwanke, Mexico: We have high expectations, there are several games that are going to make it difficult for us but the more time we spend on the court the better it will be since we have new guys who need to raise the level, that is the first objective here in this tournament.
Glenn Hoag, Canada: I think it’s going to be a very interesting tournament for us, the group we brought is the next generation of Team Canada so they will have the opportunity to compete with highly competitive teams and I think it’s going to be a great learning opportunity.
José Gutierrez, Dominican Republic: Expectations are good for this tournament because we are going with the full team as we would have wanted in Puerto Rico where we couldn’t have it, so we are going to fight to stay in a good place.
Carlos Goicochea, Peru: We have prepared well, we bring a mix of young and veteran players, and we have high expectations even though we have not participated in any tournament for a year, but the most important thing is to see how the athletes perform since our sights is set for 2027 so this tournament is very good for us because there are high quality teams here.
Reider Lucas, Guatemala: We know that it is a high-level event, one of the best played on the continent, we know that there are teams that come with their second group but what we want is for the boys to play and have a good result and try to do the best possible in this event.
Felipe Ozorio, Colombia: Our country comes with great expectations after coming from some very interesting Pan American Games in our performance and our result, now we are trying to incorporate new players so that they acquire the experience of the veterans and I hope that we can be among the first four places in this Pan American Cup.
Alberto Torres, Puerto Rico: The first thing we want is to maintain the level at which we have been playing since the last competition and of course try to win a medal. We believe that we have the group for that. We have had continuity since last summer and we believe that we have a chance to be among the top three in this event.
Daniel Nejamkin, Chile: This is the second tournament we have played in the year so we come with little preparation, without a doubt that for us the Pan American Cup is a very important tournament, we understand that our pool is complicated with the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, so we expect the best performance in the first games to aspire to reach the medal zone.
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS, July 12, 2024.- The Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association ECVA and the National Volleyball Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis SKAVA will be hosting a Beach Volleyball Coaches Course from August 27th to 31st.
The Beach Volleyball Coaches course is sponsored by Olympic Solidarity and conducted by FIVB Instructor Rick Bevis.
Participants arrival is scheduled on Monday August 26th and the course will be held from August 27th to August 31st.
The registration fee is US$100.00, and if participants require accommodations, meals, and local transportation, the total cost is US$1,000.00.
For further information contact: Glenn Quinlan President +1 (869) 662-4567 GQ@SISTERISLES.KN
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 11, 2024. – Belize City will once again host the AFECAVOL U21 Women’s Central American Championship, this time in its twentieth edition, to be held from July 16 to 20 at the Belize City Civic Center in Belize City, Belize.
Two years ago, the Belize City Civic Center was also the venue for this age-group Central American Championship, where Guatemala was crowned champion in five thrilling sets 3-2 (25-19, 20-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-11) over hosts Belize.
The XX AFECAVOL U21 Women’s Central American Championship will feature teams from Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, who will compete for the AFECAVOL title and qualification for the NORCECA Continental Championship.
Guatemala returns to defend its title, having won the event six times overall. The most successful team in the history of the competition is Costa Rica with nine titles. Panama has won twice, and Honduras once. Costa Rica and Panama will not participate in the event.
July 9, 2024.- All final volleyball rosters for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 have now been released. A total of 312 volleyball players are already set to travel to the French capital, where the most prestigious multi-sport event in the world will spark top-caliber volleyball excitement from 27 July to 11 August.
Wide rosters of up to 25 athletes per team were announced in June, but now the number has been narrowed down to 13 (12 + 1). Some of the final squads had already been revealed, but now all 24 stellar line-ups have been unveiled.
NORCECA will be represented by four teams, United States in both women and men, Dominican Republic women and Canada men.
Find the final team rosters for women here and for men here*.
For the first time in the history of the Olympic volleyball competition, each participating team will be entitled to include one non-competing athlete to serve as a last-minute replacement, if an athlete is unable to compete due to injury or illness. That is why the team rosters have been extended from 12 athletes at previous editions of the Olympic volleyball tournaments to 13 at Paris 2024.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 8, 2024. – Canada is set to defend its title at the seventeenth edition of the Men’s Senior Pan American Volleyball Cup from July 14 to 21 at the “Professor Ricardo Gioriber Arias” Volleyball Palace in Santo Domingo.
Last year, Canada won the title for the first time in the Pan American Cup history after defeating Brazil in the gold medal match 3-1 (26-24, 25-20, 25-23, 25-22) in Guadalajara. In the history of the event, Canada had lost the title match three times (2008, 2009, 2022).
Chile achieved its first-ever Pan American Cup medal last year by defeating Mexico in straight sets 3-0 (25-22, 27-25, 25-22) for the bronze medal.
The Men’s Senior Pan American Cup is part of the qualification process for the 2025 NORCECA Continental Championship, the next edition of the Pan American Cup in 2025, and the 2027 Pan American Games.
Ten teams will take part in the competition, divided into two groups. The winner of each group will advance directly to the semifinals. The second and third placed teams in each group will compete in the quarterfinals.
Group A consists of the current champion Canada, Chile, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United States. Group B includes Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Peru, and the host nation, the Dominican Republic.
United States has won the Pan American Cup on five occasions, Cuba four times, Brazil three times, Argentina twice, and Mexico once.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 8, 2024. – The NORCECA U19 Girls’ Continental Championship will take place at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, from July 14 to 19, an event that is part of the qualification process for the age-group World Championship.
The participating national teams are eligible to compete in the 2025 NORCECA U19 Pan American Cup; both events are part of the qualification process for the 2025 FIVB U19 Girls’ World Championship.
The last edition of the championship was held in 2018, also in Honduras, when the age-group was classified as U18. The United States won the championship for the eighth time, Canada claimed its first silver medal, having previously won its first bronze medal in 1998, and Cuba made history by securing their first medal since the creation of the event, taking the bronze medal.
The United States has also dominated the U19 Pan American Cup, winning the last two editions (2023, 2022).
Eight teams will compete in the event, divided into two groups. Group A includes Canada, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and United States. Group B consists of Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the host Honduras.
FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F° received a very special recognition during the XXVII NORCECA Congress in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
The special plaque was presented on behalf of NORCECA and the Dominican Republic Volleyball Federation in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the development of volleyball during his presidency from 2012-2024.
The award was presented by NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, the NORCECA Executive Committee and Board of Administration, as well as former Dominican Republic national team player and Olympian Milagros Cabral.
During his emotional speech, the NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz said:
“From 2012 to today, during these 12 years, we received the necessary know-how, and we received the necessary support. But above all, President Ary Graça taught us how to work! He made us believe in ourselves and you have now seen the NORCECA financial results which speak for themselves. All the NORCECA National Federations and all of our big NORCECA family would like to thank you and share our deepest appreciation for everything you have done for all of us during these 12 years.”
“Thank you so much for such an honorable award, I am extremely touched. NORCECA is fully independent and works very hard, we recognize this and my congratulations go to all of you for changing your mentality and adapting to face the future.
“I am very proud of the extraordinary team of professionals working at the FIVB today. This recognition is a testament to the great work done by the FIVB team under my leadership! I am sure that they will continue to do a remarkable job in the years to come.”
The NORCECA family members congratulated both FIVB President Ary Graça and NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz for their incredible achievements in the development of volleyball in the world and in the respective Continental Confederation.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, July 7, 2024. – The leaders of the Mexican Volleyball Federation and the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation assume significant roles in the North, Central America, and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA.
In a notable announcement for the volleyball community, Jesús Perales Navarro from Mexico and Dr. César Trabanco from Puerto Rico have been appointed as Executive Vice Presidents of the NORCECA Executive Committee during the 27th NORCECA Congress. This appointment highlights the ongoing commitment of these federations to the development and promotion of volleyball in the region.
Jesús Perales Navarro, President of the Mexican Volleyball Federation, and Dr. César Trabanco, President of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation, have played fundamental roles in the organization and success of numerous competitions over the years. Their federations are not only regular hosts of NORCECA events but have also significantly contributed to the growth of volleyball in their respective countries.
Jesús Perales Navarro has led the Mexican Volleyball Federation with vision and dedication, positioning Mexico as a center of excellence for volleyball in North America. Under his leadership, Mexico has hosted major international tournaments, strengthened its sports infrastructure and providing vital platforms for Mexican athletes to develop and compete at the global level.
Jesus Perales Naverro
Dr. César Trabanco, at the helm of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation, has been equally instrumental in promoting volleyball in the Caribbean. Puerto Rico has stood out as a host for high-level events, consistently demonstrating its capability to organize successful competitions and promote volleyball at all levels, from youth development to professional competition.
The appointment of Perales Navarro and Dr. Trabanco as Executive Vice Presidents is a recognition of their contributions and an opportunity for them to bring their extensive experience and knowledge to the highest level of governance within NORCECA. In their new roles, both leaders are expected to work closely with NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz and other committee members to continue driving the growth and excellence of volleyball in the region.
Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, President of NORCECA, expressed his enthusiasm for these appointments, “The inclusion of Jesús Perales Navarro and Dr. César Trabanco in the NORCECA Executive Committee as Executive Vice Presidents strengthens our leadership capacity. Their contributions and experience will be invaluable as we continue to advance our development goals and achieve success in regional volleyball.”
With the designation of these two experienced and dedicated leaders, NORCECA is well-positioned to move forward with its ambitious development plans. Organizing high-quality events, supporting national federations, and creating more opportunities for athletes and coaches will be key priorities under the leadership of Perales Navarro and Dr. Trabanco.
The commitment of Mexico and Puerto Rico to NORCECA is evident in their history of collaboration and success in hosting competitions. This appointment further reinforces the close relationship between these federations and NORCECA, ensuring that the region will continue to shine on the global volleyball stage.
The inclusion of Jesús Perales Navarro and Dr. César Trabanco as Executive Vice Presidents of the NORCECA Executive Committee marks an exciting new chapter for the Confederation. With their leadership and vision, NORCECA is poised to achieve new milestones and maintain its position as a dominant force in volleyball across North, Central America, and the Caribbean. The volleyball community eagerly anticipates the contributions and positive impact they will bring to their new roles.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, July 7, 2024.- During the last day of sessions of the 27th NORCECA Congress, Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz was re-elected as the President of the North, Central America, and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA. This re-election underscores the confidence and respect he commands within the regional volleyball organization.
Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, a pivotal figure in the volleyball world, has been at the helm of NORCECA since 2001. His leadership has seen remarkable growth and development in the sport across the region. Under his guidance, NORCECA has expanded its reach and influence, promoting volleyball and beach volleyball through numerous programs and competitions aimed at nurturing young talent and enhancing the sport’s popularity.
The esteemed volleyball leader retains position for another term (2024-2028).
Lic. Cristobal Marte Hoffiz
Marte Hoffiz’s tenure is marked by several key initiatives, including the enhancement of grassroots development programs and the successful organization of high-profile tournaments. His commitment to fostering talent and providing opportunities for athletes to excel has significantly contributed to the region’s vibrant volleyball culture.
The announcement of Marte Hoffiz’s re-election has been met with widespread acclaim. Most notably, Dr. Ary Graça, President of the International Volleyball Federation FIVB, extended his heartfelt congratulations. In his message, Dr. Graça emphasized the remarkable progress NORCECA has made under Marte Hoffiz’s stewardship and expressed confidence in an even brighter future ahead.
Dr. Graça stated, “Under Cristóbal’s visionary leadership, NORCECA has reached new heights. I have no doubt that the work they will continue to do will surpass even the outstanding achievements we see today. His dedication and strategic vision are invaluable to the volleyball community”.
As he embarks on another term, Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz has laid out a forward-looking agenda focused on innovation and excellence. He aims to continue building on the solid foundation established over the years, with a particular emphasis on leveraging technology to enhance training and competition.
Marte Hoffiz also plans to strengthen the cooperation with national federations and their zonal association bodies to create more opportunities for athletes and coaches. This approach is expected to further elevate the standard of volleyball and beach volleyball in the region, ensuring that NORCECA remains a powerhouse in the global volleyball landscape.
Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz’s re-election as President of NORCECA signals a continued era of progress and development for volleyball in North, Central America, and the Caribbean. With his proven leadership and the support of the global volleyball community, NORCECA is poised to achieve even greater heights in the years to come. NORCECA members eagerly anticipate the innovations and successes that this new term will bring.
NORCECA’s Executive Committee and Board of Administration was also confirmed unanimously.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, July 5, 2024.- In a significant event for the North, Central America, and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA convened its Executive Committee and Board of Administration for an extraordinary meeting on the eve (July 6-7) of to the 27th NORCECA Congress in Punta Cana.
This session marked a pivotal moment as new members were appointed to the executive committee and the board of administration for the 2024-2028 period, and crucial discussions took place, including a proposed amendment to the NORCECA constitution and the presentation of a new working commissions composition.
The meeting chaired by NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, with special guest FIVB President Dr. Ary Graça, saw the appointment of several new members to the NORCECA Executive Committee and Board of Administration. These appointments are expected to bring fresh perspectives and drive to the organization, as it continues its mission to promote and develop volleyball across the region.
NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz and FIVB President Dr. Ary Graça
These distinguished sports leaders bring a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to advancing NORCECA’s objectives. Their diverse backgrounds in volleyball administration, and business are expected to enrich the leadership of the confederation.
One of the critical agenda items was a proposed amendment to the NORCECA constitution, whereas the proposal presented by the Legal Commission, which contains an amendment to the NORCECA Constitution establishing that the President and the Board of Administration may appoint four (4) members to integrate the NORCECA Board of Administration, to adopt a similar amendment to that of the FIVB in NORCECA, and both the President and the board members have the ability to propose individuals to be appointed to the board.
The amendment will be put to a final vote scheduled for the NORCECA Congress.
Another highlight of the meeting was the proposal for the new composition of the NORCECA working commissions. These commissions play a vital role in the operational aspects of the confederation.
Each commission is tasked with specific objectives aligned with NORCECA’s strategic goals, and their composition reflects a balance of expertise and representation from the member countries.
As NORCECA looks to the future, these changes signal a strong commitment to evolving and improving the organization’s governance and operational efficiency.
The extraordinary meeting concluded with a sense of optimism and determination to build on NORCECA’s rich legacy while embracing innovation and progress.
NORCECA President Cristobal Marte Hoffiz concluded, “ As the confederation moves forward, the volleyball community can look forward to exciting developments and continued growth in our region. This meeting’s outcomes set the floor for a successful NORCECA congress which robust agenda reflects a forward-thinking approach to governance and a renewed focus on advancing volleyball throughout its National Federation members”.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 1, 2024.- Dominican Republic triumphed in thrilling Five-Set showdown against the United States at Ricardo Arias Volleyball Pavilion, Olympic Center Juan Pablo Duarte in Santo Domingo, which drew a record-breaking crowd of 7,000 enthusiastic spectators on Sunday night.
In a remarkable display of volleyball prowess and passionate support, the Dominican Republic captured the gold medal in a nail-biting five-set match against the United States during the fourth edition of the NORCECA Women’s Final Six tournament.
This historic encounter, which drew a record-breaking crowd of 7,000 enthusiastic spectators, highlighted the growing popularity of volleyball in the region and set a new standard for the tournament’s atmosphere and excitement.
The gold medal match, played at the iconic Ricardo Arias Volleyball Pavilion, was a roller-coaster of emotions and athletic excellence. The Caribbean Queens, known for their powerful offense and defensive tenacity, faced off against a resilient United States team that had shown exceptional form throughout the tournament.
Dominican Republic beat the United States 3-2 (25-15, 17-25, 23-25, 25-16, 15-11) where the Dominicans came out strong, leveraging their home-court advantage. The crowd’s energy was palpable as every point was fiercely contested.
The United States responded with determination, adjusting their strategy to neutralize the Dominican attack, which set the stage for a fiercely competitive match.
The match not only showcased the high level of competition but also marked a significant milestone for volleyball in the Dominican Republic and the NORCECA Women’s Final Six tournament. The attendance of 7,000 fans set a record, surpassing previous tournaments and demonstrating the sport’s growing appeal in the Caribbean.
Fans filled the Ricardo Arias Volleyball Pavilion, creating an atmosphere that was both electric and supportive. The vibrant energy of the crowd played a crucial role in boosting the home team’s morale and underscored the community’s passion for volleyball.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 30, 2024.- The Dominican Brayelin Martínez won the Most Valuable Player award this Sunday in the fourth edition of the NORCECA Final Six tournament that was played in the “Ricardo Arias” Volleyball Pavilion of the Olympic Center Juan Pablo Duarte.
Martínez concluded the event with 70 points from 58 attacks, 9 blocks and 3 serves, helping the Dominican Republic team win the gold medal.
Individual Awards
Canada’s Abagayle Guezen won the distinction of Best Spiker, while Brayelin Martínez also won the award for Second Best Spiker.
Puerto Rican Neira Ortiz was the Best Blocker, while also from Puerto Rico Sarah Venegas was the Best Libero, Paola Santiago Best Receiver and Grace López Best Scorer.
Dominican Lisvel Eve Mejía was the second Best Blocker and her compatriot Alondra Tapia was the Best Opposite.
The best in the serves department was Canadian Emoni Busch and American Kamerynn Miner finished as Best Setter.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 30, 2024.- Led by a great offensive attack by Brayelin Martínez, the Dominican Republic defeated the United States in a close match that extended to a maximum of five sets with a score of 3-2 (25 -15, 17-25, 23-25, 25-16, 15-11) to win the gold medal in the fourth edition of the NORCECA Final Six Women’s Volleyball that took place at the “Ricardo Arias” National Volleyball Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.
The Dominicans were superior in all aspects: in attacks 55-54, in blocks 13-10 and in services 5-2.
USA Silver medal
Martínez led the Queens of the Caribbean with 25 points as the leading scorer of the match, followed by Alondra Tapia with 13, while Bethania De La Cruz and Jineiry Martínez added 11 each. For the United States Merritt Beason had 15 points, followed by Sarah Franklin and Khori Louis who added 11 each.
Brayelin Martinez DOM
Marcos Kwiek, coach of the Dominican Republic: It was a close match, a technically ugly match, we went to the maximum of five sets but at the end the girls did what they had to do, and we won, which is the most important thing, now we have to continue our preparation for the Olympic Games.
Brad Rostratter, coach of the United States: The Dominican Republic has a great team, there is no doubt that they are going with a magnific team for the Paris Olympics, it is a team that works and battles hard. When the United States plays like that with a team of this caliber and in a country like this with this great atmosphere it makes me feel proud.
TORONTO, Canada, June 30, 2024 – USA’s outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NORCECA Women’s U21 Continental Championship, which concluded this Sunday at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
In addition to winning the MVP award, Brooklyn was also recognized as the Best Spiker of the event. Also from the United States, Ramsey Gary was named the Best Receiver.
Individual Awards
From Canada, Verónica Dickson received the award for Second Best Blocker. The Best Setter award went to Ella McVittie, and Delaney Watson was honored as the Best Libero and Best Defense.
Chareika Carrion of Puerto Rico was awarded as the Second Best Spiker and the Best Scorer.
Mexican Aylin Ravell received the award for Best Opposite, and the recognition for Best Server went to Dominican Ariana Rodríguez.
The award for Best Blocker went to Krystal Eddy of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 30, 2024.- In a well disputed match, Mexico defeated Puerto Rico 3-1 (26-24, 25-23, 23-25, 25-21) to win the bronze medal of the NORCECA Final Six Women’s Volleyball tournament 2024.
Mexico dominated in attacks 58-54, in blocks 11-7 and in serves 6-5.
Karina Flores was the best offensive player for the Mexicans with 18 points, while Sofía Maldonado and Uxue Guereca added 16 and 11 respectively. For Puerto Rico, the most outstanding offensively was Grace López with 29 points, followed by Paola Santiago with 10 and Stephanie Rivera with 9.
Uxua Guereca MEX
Nicola Negro, Coach of Mexico: We are very happy because the girls wanted to win that medal and it was an important game since it awarded ranking points and this will allow us to play important competitions next year with strong teams and thus continue our growth.
Juan Carlos Núñez, coach of Puerto Rico: It was a match in which we had our options, we had our opportunities in that first and second set, but we couldn’t close them. Throughout the tournament we had sets with 3 and even 4 points ahead but we didn´t have that person who at given moments could carry the group and we did not close at the end. For example, in today’s match we depended on a single player offensively and the second person who could have done it wasn’t with us in the last two games and that’s what happened.
Toronto, Canada. June 30, 2024: The United States won the gold medal of the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
The USA swept the final 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-16) over Puerto Rico today.
USA dominated in attacking points 46-24, blocks 9-2, aces 7-3, but USA made two more errors 15-13 than its opponent.
Middle blocker Andi Jackson scored a match-high 14 points; Brookly DeLeye, who was also tournament MVP, contributed 11 points.
Outside hitter Chareika Carrión contributed 13 points for Puerto Rico.
This win is also significant as it gives USA a NORCECA berth to the 2025 U21 World Championships (Women).
Team USA’s head coach, Heather Olmstead, said: “I think our team has done a great job; everyone has been ready to play at any time. Our offense was great all the tournament. It was exciting to see us play well against Puerto Rico. Also, congrats to Puerto Rico, I thought they played a great tournament.
“I’m happy for the USA U21 team to win the gold and get the bid for the World Championships. All these players are eligible for next year’s U21 and they set a great tone. They worked hard and did everything that we asked them to – they were all-in for the team all the time.”
Andi Jackson, USA player, said: “We just did an amazing job coming together and working with our differences … . Our week of training before the tournament was very rigorous but I think everyone handled it really well. I think the relationships that we built at the training before this really helped lead us to victory. We were one on the court. The relationships that we have and how we support each other as teammates are our foundations.”
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 30, 2024.- Canada defeated Cuba in three sets 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-22) to finish in fifth place in the NORCECA Final Six tournament which was played in the “Ricardo Arias” National Volleyball Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.
Canada outscored Cuba in attacks 40-35 and in blocks 9-4, while in serves Cuba had the advantage 10-8.
Abagayle Guezen CAN
For the Canadians, Abagayle Guezen stood out offensively, who also led all scorers of the match, with 18 points, Emoni Busch added 9, while Raya Surinx and Madison Saris contributed with 8 points each. For Cuba, the most outstanding was Dezirett Madan with 14 points, while Alejandra Gómez and Laura Suarez added 9 each.
Carolyn O’Dwyer, coach of Canada: I think it was good that our team was playing better in each game we played, I think that is positive for such a young group, obviously we wanted to play much better and at least advance to the semifinals, but I am satisfied with the experience obtained.
Leivis García, coach of Cuba: I think it was a very well balanced tournament, the countries participated with good teams, some very different in terms of the game system, but the reality is that the Final Six event has been gaining quality.
Toronto, Canada. June 30, 2024: Dominican Republic won the third-place match today over host Canada at the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
After two very close set battles, Dominican Republic took control of the third set, sweeping Canada 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-16).
Dominican Republic led in attack points, 38-30, blocking was even at 7, serving favored the winning side 11-4, but Dominican Republic made a couple more errors 21-19.
Ariana Rodriguez Fung led all scoring with 17 points, five of those coming from ace serves.
Sophia Hansen, Claire Carter, Ella Piskorz, and Maëli Cormier added 8 points each to Canada’s effort.
Head coach of Dominican Republic’s team, Cristian Cruz, was satisfied with the outcome today: “I’m very happy with the medal, but we could have done even better. We lost to Puerto Rico and in the semifinals, we had to play the United States. But I am happy with third place, and I am proud of this team’s performance today.”
Dominican opposite Ariana Rodriguez Fung said after the match: “I felt we really concentrated on our serve receive and our efficiency on attack. We knew they were a tall team and we wanted to aim high. They blocked us a few times but what mattered is how we recuperated from the point. We stayed concentrated throughout the whole game and came out with the victory. This win means a lot because we’re a small country and we used all our volleyball skills get the job done and represent our country.”
Canada head coach, Olivier Faucher, said: “Dominican Republic team’s profile is one that we haven’t faced in this tournament so far. They are more physical than Puerto Rico and Mexico, so it was a different match-up for us. It was a good battle in the first two sets – we came to play. Block defense was good, but we just couldn’t convert some opportunities. It’s something we have to learn – finding ways to put the ball away when we have the chance. .. We gave them too many opportunities…. It’s part of the learning process for these athletes in their pathway to competing at a higher level.”
Toronto, Canada. June 30, 2024: Mexico finishes fifth overall at the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
It was a straight set win for Mexico 3-0 (25-10, 25-16, 25-16) today over Costa Rica.
Mexico was more aggressive in their offense leading to 51 versus 19 attack points for Costa Rica. Mexico also dominated in its service points: 7 to 1. Blocks were tied at 4 apiece. Mexico made more errors 18-13.
Aylin Ravell Iglesias contributed 16 points to the Mexican side, and teammate Michelle Lizarraga added 15 points. Amanda Campos Monge of Costa Rica scored 9 points (including a block and ace her total).
Head coach of Mexico, Luis Leon Lopez, said post-match: “We played well as a team today. We played Costa Rica already in this tournament, so we had some information on them and that helped us today. … We had hoped to be in the semifinals and make it further in this tournament, but with an injury and other issues we were not able to achieve this goal.”
Outside hitter (Mexico) Michelle Lizarraga said: “I was feeling good the entire tournament and the team was very united. We enjoyed the game played as a team the whole time to win. We trusted in ourselves and stuck together.”
Toronto, Canada. June 30, 2024: The US Virgin Islands finishes seventh after a victory over Suriname today the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
The final score was 3-0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-16) between these two young teams in the match for places 7 and 8.
US Virgin Islands came out on top in attack points 39-16, blocks 4-5, and ace serves 13-3, but also made more errors 25-18.
US Virgin Islands team captain and outside hitter Anna Gillens topped the scoresheet with 25 points (21 attacks, 2 blocks, 2 aces).
Chontelle Lisse was Suriname’s top scorer with 8 points.
Head coach US Virgin Islands, Isaac Raphael: “I thought we performed well, we have a young team. Of the 12 girls, eight of them qualify for the U19 category… so it was a good experience for them and I’m excited for them, and for the future. I’m glad they had a fun final match.
“The competition is high and every game we got a little better… we played Mexico twice and played a lot better the second time. I like to see the development of the team as a whole.”
Anna Gillens #9 US Virgin Islands player: “I think the game went really well. We did very well on offense and we tried to hone in on serve receive. The key to our victory was our teamwork. Throughout the whole tournament we were coming together, trying to figure things out and after figuring things out we were able to get the win.”
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 29, 2024.- Nicaragua’s setter, Norma Brenes, was selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 6th Central American Women’s U23 Championship.
Brenes received the award during the closing ceremony after Nicaragua won the gold medal, emerging as the undefeated champion of the tournament. They topped the standings, followed by 2nd place Costa Rica, 3rd place Belize, 4th place Guatemala, 5th place Honduras, 6th place El Salvador, and 7th place Panama.
Biz Bronce, NCA gold, CRC Silver
Other individual performance awards, based on statistical data from the event, were also presented.
From Costa Rica, the team that finished in second place, Ana Victoria Rojas was awarded Best Opposite, and Rashanny Solano was named Best Libero. Additionally, Nhya Barley from Costa Rica was recognized as the 2nd Best Blocker.
Individual awards
Belize’s Fatuomata Camara received honors as the tournament’s Top Scorer and Best Spiker, while Nissan Martínez was recognized as Best Blocker.
For Guatemala, María Andrea Santa Cruz was named the 2nd Best Spiker, Ana Granados received the award for Best Receiver, and Jimena Castellanos was honored as Best Setter.
Honduran Natalia Reyes was awarded Best Server, and Salvadoran Mónica Portillo was recognized as Best Defense.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 29, 2024. – Costa Rica defeated Honduras 3-1 with set scores of 25-21, 25-14, 19-25, and 25-13 to secure the Silver Medal at the 6th Central American Women’s U-23 Championship, which concluded at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
With the victory, Costa Rica tied with Belize with 4 wins and 2 losses, accumulating 21 points. However, Costa Rica finished in second place with a better set ratio (2.000 to 1.875) and a better points ratio (1.230 to 1.206). Guatemala finished in fourth place with the same number of wins and losses but with 19 points.
Costa Rica dominated the game in attacks, leading 55-32 against Honduras. The teams were tied in blocks with 7 each, while Honduras led in serves, surpassing Costa Rica 8-4.
Costa Rica
Ana Victoria Rojas of Costa Rica was the top scorer of the match with 21 points. Lakysha Thompson added 13, and Krystel Vargas contributed 10 to support the Costa Rican attack. Rocío Duron led the Honduran offense with 20 points.
This was the last match of the 21 played in the 6th Central American Women’s U-23 Championship.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 29, 2024. – The Dominican Republic defeated Mexico in the semifinal match 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-22) to secure their place in the final of the 2024 NORCECA Final Six, taking place at the National Volleyball Pavilion at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The top scorer for the Caribbean Queens was Lisvel Eve Mejía with 12 points, followed by Bethania De La Cruz with 10 and rising star Alondra Tapia who added 9 points. For Mexico, Sofía Maldonado contributed 11 points, while Uxue Guereca and Gracie Castro added 9 and 7 points, respectively.
Mexico outperformed the Dominican Republic in attacks with 32-31, while the Dominicans were superior in blocks with 8-7 and in serves with 6-2.
Bethania de la Cruz DOM
Niverka Marte, captain of the Dominican Republic: I am happy because we achieved today’s goal, and I believe the team has been gradually improving, all of this is part of our team cohesion process. The coach is trying to give all the girls a chance to play as much as possible, so I’m happy we achieved this 3-0 victory.
Jocelyn Urías, captain of Mexico: The Dominican team is well-prepared, they have been improving for many years, showing a higher level each time, this is the result of their participation in numerous tournaments, meanwhile, we are a team with many new players and we managed to recover a bit in the last set but couldn’t close it out.
The NORCECA Final Six concludes this Sunday. In the 5th-6th place match, Cuba will face Canada. Puerto Rico and Mexico will compete for the bronze medal, while the Dominican Republic and the United States will battle for the gold.
Toronto, Canada. June 29, 2024: Puerto Rico will play in the gold-medal final after beating the host country today the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
After a tight first couple of sets, Puerto Rico managed to sweep Canada 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-16). Puerto Rico led in attack points 42-29, and aces 5-2. Canada led in blocking points 6-2. Canada also made more errors 27-24.
Outside hitter Chareika Carrión had a match-high 19 points and teammate Camila Soto contributed 12 to the winning side.
Opposite Maëli Cormier was Canada’s top scorer with 8 points.
Puerto Rico’s Captain, Chareika Carrión said: “We played united as a team, our passes were always there and we were mentally ready. This team is all about players that are younger than the norm. I’m very happy because we’re going to the finals with such a young and great team. We’re ready for the next game because we’ve already played against the USA and we’re ready to play them again.”
Head coach Puerto Rico, Jose Ricardo Rivera: “We are really happy we won. Our goal when we came to this tournament was to finish in the top four. This is the first time we have been in the U21 Norceca championship final, so we’re happy and proud we are in the final against USA. They are a really strong, tall team with a lot of discipline.”
Head coach of Canada, Olivier Faucher : “I think tonight we had a lot of missed opportunities. We were right there in the first two sets, we had our chances and we just couldn’t convert. The message I told the players is that they have to learn from this and get ready for the bronze medal match tomorrow. We need to deliver our best performance tomorrow.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 29, 2024.- Nicaragua defeated Guatemala 3-1 with set scores of (11-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-19) to claim the title of the 6th Central American Women’s U-23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
The Nicaraguan team finished the tournament with a perfect record of 6 wins and no losses. Guatemala ended with a 4-2 record. With this result, Belize reached the podium, and both teams are now waiting for the outcome of the match between Costa Rica and Honduras to determine their final standings.
Guatemala outperformed Nicaragua in blocks (8-5) and serves (10-3), while both teams were tied in attacks with 37 points each. The difference in the game was that Guatemala committed 41 unforced errors compared to Nicaragua’s 29.
Nicaragua
Brittany Forbes of Nicaragua led all scorers with 16 points. Samantha Vargas and María José Rivera also scored in double digits for Nicaragua with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
For Guatemala, María Andrea Santa Cruz finished with 14 points, Naomi Monney with 12, and Andrea Michelle Mendizábal with 10.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 29, 2024.- The United States defeated Puerto Rico in their semifinal match 3-1 (25-21, 21-25, 25-23, 25-16) becoming the first team to advance to the final of the Women’s NORCECA Final Six Volleyball tournament that is being played at the “Ricardo Arias” Pavilion in Santo Domingo.
The Americans were better in attacks 57-53 and in blocks 9-6, while in serves both teams were tied at 6. In terms of errors, the United States committed the most 24-20.
Sarah Franklin led the United States’ offense with 15 points, while Merritt Beason and Sophia Fischer added 14 and 13 respectively. For Puerto Rico Grace López scored 23 points followed by Diana Reyes with 11 and Paola Santiago with 10.
Sarah Franklin USA
Sarah Franklin from the United States: I think the game was fantastic, we had good communication between us although there were ups and downs but that’s what volleyball is all about and if we are consistent in the game and stay together, we can achieve the goal.
Grace López from Puerto Rico: It was not our best match, we could have played better but the United States closed the sets better and achieved the victory, now we have to prepare to see how we do tomorrow.
This Sunday starting at 3:00 pm (local time) the matches for positions 5-6, followed by the bronze medal match and the grand final will be played.
Toronto, Canada. June 29, 2024: The United States U21 team defeated Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-12) in the semifinals of the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
USA led in attack points 42-21, blocks 7-4, ace serves 11-3, but made more errors 17-15 than its opponent.
Dominican player Ariana Rodríguez was the match top scorer with 13 points.
Outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye, who led her team in scoring with 12 points (10 attack points and 2 aces), said: “We knew they were going to come in strong since we played them once before this tournament. We were expecting their best and I think we just really had to fine tune some things and then work together as a team to come out on top. I’m really excited for the finals. It will be a great game and I think we’re ready for it.”
Coach Heather Olmstead of team USA said: “We’re just trying to play our best style of volleyball. We’re still working on rotations and fighting hard together. I like that we got a lot of players in the match and we just keep working on our system, as it’s a new group. I thought we did some really good things – we served well, got them in some tough spots and our offense was good, and Bergen (Reilly) set a good match.
“We’re really excited about advancing and we feel grateful for the opportunity to play tomorrow.”
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 26, 2024.- Belize defeated El Salvador 3-0 (25-15, 25-10, 25-20) and could become the runner-up of the 6th Central American Women’s Under-23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
Belize’s comfortable victory leaves them awaiting the results of the matches Guatemala vs. Nicaragua and Costa Rica vs. Honduras to determine their position in the Championship. A loss for Guatemala and Costa Rica could place Belize as the tournament’s runner-up.
Belice
Belize finished the tournament with a record of 4 wins, 2 losses, and 21 points. Guatemala, with one match remaining, is at 4-1 and 18 points, while Costa Rica, playing later tonight, stands at 3-2 with 17 points.
Belize was superior to El Salvador in all aspects: 32-16 in attacks, 11-2 in blocks, and 10-2 in serves.
Fatoumata Camara once again led the Belizean team to victory, scoring 16 points. She was supported in the attack by Blessed Omamurhe and Nisaan Martínez, who each scored 10 points. For El Salvador, their best attacker was Allison Naomi Méndez with 9 points.
Nisaan Martinez BIZ
Fatoumata Camara from Belize said after the match, “I think this has been a very good tournament, despite us starting off really slow because we lost our first two games. But then we ended up winning all the rest of our games which is a good thing. We just decided to finish the tournament strong and for me personally I think I had a great tournament; my team depends on me, so I need to make sure I am aggressive on the court”.
Daniela López, captain of El Salvador, expressed, “I congratulate the Belize team; it was a good game for them. They are quite tall and strong, and we don’t have those qualities. We hope that for the upcoming tournaments, our team can be better prepared; I think that’s what we were missing.”
Toronto, Canada. June 29, 2024: Mexico will have the chance to play for fifth place in the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
On Saturday, the Mexican team defeated the US Virgin Islands 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-17) in their classification match.
Mexico held the advantage in attack points 42-20 and serves 10-3, while USVI had a slight advance in blocking 4-3. Errors were 20-19 in favor of Mexico.
Mexican outside hitter Michelle Lizárraga had a match-high 15 points, followed by opposite Aylin Ravell Iglesias with 13 points. Anna Gillens reached 10 points for the US Virgin Islands.
Head coach of Mexico, Luis Leon Lopez, commented after the match: “This was an important match and the players came ready to play and in the moment. Tomorrow we’re going to try and win and just play our game like we’re supposed to.”
Isabella Annie Ocampo, Mexican player, said: “Today when they started to push back a little, we came together as a team and talked about what was open on the court and how to help each other with receiving. They are a good blocking team, so we also tried to help each other when it came to hitting and covering and we talked about who to go to. What worked for us was coming together as a team and talking and making sure we kept our energy high.
Tomorrow our mindset is to come out with everything, play our hardest, and to play together as a team.”
Toronto, Canada. June 29, 2024: Costa Rica defeated Suriname in the first classification match of the day at the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
Costa Rica will get the opportunity to play for positions 5 and 6 on Sunday.
The score was 3-0 (25-18, 25-11, 25-15) with Costa Rica leading in attack points 38-22, block points 5-3 and ace serves 9-2. Costa Rica also made the most of Suriname’s errors by 23-17 points.
Amanda Campos of Costa Rica led scoring with 9 attacks, 3 blocks and an ace. Mariela Navarro and Amelie Jenkins Cruz each had 10 points for the winning side.
Avaira Sengwai of Suriname was that team’s lead scorer with 9 total points.
Costa Rican player Manuela Alcalá Martinez said: “We stuck together as a team and tried to follow our coaches’ instructions. We tried to keep our movement up and not let ourselves down. … We came together really well as a team, we managed to communicate well. We’re really happy with how we played and we’re really excited for the game tomorrow.”
Head coach of Costa Rica, Kareem Richards, said: “Suriname came out strong. We told the girls we needed to reduce the unforced errors that we were committing. The girls were very tactical with their serves and that’s what gave us a little advantage over the game. As I said last time, these are awesome girls, once they’re on the court they give their everything.”
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 28, 2024.- In a nail-biting match that went to a maximum of five sets, the Dominican Republic beat Puerto Rico 3-2 (25-22, 25-21, 28- 30, 23-25, 16-14) on the third day of the 2024 NORCECA Final Six Women’s Volleyball tournament.
Although the Dominicans committed more errors than Puerto Rico 117-112, they were better in attacks 65-62 and in blocks 16-13, while in serves the Puerto Ricans were much superior 12-4.
Brayelin Martínez led the Queens of the Caribbean with 24 points, while Bethania De La Cruz and Lisvel Eve Mejía added 14 and 12 points respectively. For Puerto Rico Stephanie Rivera and Paola Santiago added 21 points each and Neira Ortiz collected 18.
Brayelin Martinez DOM
With the victory, the Dominicans finished first in group B in the preliminary round and will face Mexico which finished second in group A in Saturday’s semifinals starting at 7:00 pm (local time).
Marcos Kwiek, coach of the Dominican Republic: For the fans it was a good game, a close game but clinically it was a bad game, analyzing the numbers it was an ugly game, I think we relaxed in some important moments we believed we were going to win the time that we wanted but it was not like that, on the other side there are also people who play and who study, who work hard, the good thing was that at the important moment the relevant players came out and were able to achieve victory.
Juan Carlos Nuñez, coach of Puerto Rico: We were able to come from behind being down 2-0, we were able to regroup in the game, we extended the game, it was convenient for us to play, it was convenient for us to pick up the pace in the game, we brought some new players from the reserve who could do their job and well we didn’t achieve victory but we are not out and I appreciate the effort the girls made.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 26, 2024: Nicaragua defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-20), putting them in a commanding position to win the VI Central American Women’s U23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
Nicaragua started the game with complete dominance over Honduras. Honduras’ coach, Marcos Sugiyama, called the first technical timeout when they were trailing 2-13. The Honduran team managed to close the gap but couldn’t do enough to win the first set.
Nicaragua will face Guatemala on Saturday, and with their victory over Honduras, they are now just one step away from the title. Even losing to Guatemala 3-1 would still secure them the U23 Central American Championship, thanks to the points system in the standings.
Meanwhile, Honduras has a record of 2-3 and will play against Costa Rica in the final match of the tournament.
Nicaragua outperformed Honduras in all aspects of the game: 37-20 in attacks, 10-2 in blocks, and 6-5 in serves.
Brittany Forbes NCA
Masiel Brenes of Nicaragua was the top scorer of the match with 16 points, including 5 blocks. Brittany Forbes added 12 more points to the victory. For Honduras, Andrea Duarte was the top scorer with 8 points.
Nicaragua’s coach, Claudia Noguera, said, “We had many ups and downs during the game, but in the end, the team managed to focus and made fewer mistakes to secure the victory. Tomorrow, we will give our all on the court and try to play at our highest level in the final game.”
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 26, 2024: Costa Rica defeated Guatemala 3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 26-24), re-entering the race for medals at the VI Central American Women’s U23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
The victory keeps Costa Rica’s hopes alive and puts Guatemala in a tough spot, as they now no longer solely control their path to the Gold medal match. A loss to Nicaragua tomorrow could even push them off the podium.
Costa Rica improved their record to 3-2 and will face Honduras on Saturday. Guatemala now stands at 4-1 and will face Nicaragua.
Costa Rica surpassed in serves, leading 6-0, while Guatemala missed 7 serves. The differences in attack and blocking were small, yet still in favor of Costa Rica, at 37-35 and 8-5, respectively.
Ana Victoria Rojas from Costa Rica dominated the game, being the most effective scorer with 19 points. Nhya Barley assisted with 12 points, including 4 on serves and 2 on blocks. For Guatemala, Ivana Sopegno was their best attacker with 12 points, and Naomi Monney contributed 9.
Nhya Barley CRC
Ana Victoria Rojas of Costa Rica said, “Thank God we were able to win 3-0 today. This result puts us back in the competition. We now have the chance to fight for the Silver medal, and that’s what we’ll aim for tomorrow when we play against Honduras. Today, the team had great energy; we worked together, and that helped us secure the victory.”
Guatemala’s coach, William Fernández, commented, “The team did not meet the expectations for this game. They started well in the first set, but after Costa Rica came back, they couldn’t recover psychologically, losing confidence in themselves. Now we have to fight back tomorrow.”
Toronto, Canada. June 28, 2024: Dominican Republic secured its spot in the semifinals of the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
The Dominican team defeated Mexico 3-0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-23) in Friday’s quarterfinal match.
The winning side led in attack points (38-32), blocks 4-2 and ace serves 11-1. Mexico also made more errors 22-13.
Dominican player Ariana Rodriguez contributed 18 points, which included 3 aces; and teammate Selanny Puente scored 14 (also including 3 aces).
Middle blocker Arleth Marquez Ceja was the Mexican team’s top scorer with 12 points.
This U21 Dominican team now faces the challenge the United States in tomorrow’s semifinal at 4:30 pm ET.
Head coach of the Dominican Republic, Cristian Cruz, was pleased his team fought off Mexico’s late comeback attempt: “In the last set we were a little bit confused, but I trusted in the girls, and I knew they would adjust. Our attitude played the biggest role in the game.”
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 28, 2024.- The United States continues on the victorious path and only needed three sets on Friday to easily dominate the Canadian team with a score of 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-13) in the fourth edition of the NORCECA Women’s Volleyball Final Six that is being held at the National Volleyball Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in Santo Domingo.
United States led 35-27 in kills, 5-3 in blocks and 6-1 in aces. Canada committed more errors (29-18).
For the United States, which now has a record of (2-0), Sarah Franklin was the most outstanding offensively with 12 points, while Carter Booth added another 9. For the Canadians (0-2), the best was Abagayle Guezen with 12 points followed by Emonia Busch with 6.
On Saturday the United States will face Puerto Rico in the semifinals at 5:00 pm (local time).
Brad Rostratter, coach of the United States: It was a good match for us since we played well and were more relaxed regarding the issue of pressure, which in this environment is amazing and obviously it was a great match in which we were able to develop the strategies well and achieve good momentum for the semi-finals.
Carolyn O’Dwyer, coach of Canada: I think we had some good moments in the game, it’s just a matter of keeping our spirits high all the time because during the game we went down a little, but we also had positive things, several good starts that are one of the things we should do more often.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 26, 2024.- El Salvador won 3 sets to 0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-18) against Panama in the VI Central American Women’s U23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
The Salvadoran team secured their first victory on Thursday at the start of the penultimate day of the tournament, bringing their record to 1-4, while Panama concluded their participation in the Central American Women’s Championship with 6 losses and no wins.
El Salvador will face Belize on Saturday, in the first game of the final day; Belize had a rest day today.
The Salvadorans dominated the match with 35 attack points compared to Panama’s 24. In blocks and serves, El Salvador also led 6-1 and 5-2, respectively.
El Salvador’s captain, Daniela López, was the top scorer of the match and the only player with double digits, scoring 15 points for her team, including 2 from serves. For Panama, Krisleen González scored 8 points, including 1 block and 1 serve.
Panama’s coach, Donaldo Ureña, commented, “This tournament was a great learning experience. We faced challenges due to our lack of preparation and the technical and tactical aspects we need to improve. These are part of our plan for future tournaments”.
“It was a very good match. We played as a team, and our goal was to win this game, so we are very happy we achieved it. Tomorrow, we aim to give it our all again. We know Belize is a strong and tall team, so we must give it our best with enthusiasm and the right attitude”, said Daniela López, captain of El Salvador.
Toronto, Canada. June 28, 2024: Puerto Rico advances to the semifinals of the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto, Ontario, after a decisive win over Costa Rica today.
Puerto Rico dominated the scoresheet 3-0 (25-6, 25-10, 25-11).
The winning team led in attack points 39-10, blocks 9-3, and serves 10-0. Costa Rica also lost more points to errors 17-14.
Puerto Rico’s Chareika Carrión again led her team’s offense with 18 points, including 3 aces.
Puerto Rico will face host Canada in the semifinal on Saturday.
Head coach of Puerto Rico, Jose Ricardo Rivera, said post-match: “In this game we were focused on passing and serving. That was our strategy in practice. For the next game against Canada, we’re focused on doing the same things and the little things so we can move on to the final and play for a medal.”
Opposite player Mariajose Vazquez said: “We played united. The key to this game was to play a happy game with a lot of communication and to do the little things: passing, setting, spiking, and good serving with a lot of enthusiasm. … I’m feeling good (about the semifinal) I bet the girls are feeling great, too. The next game is going to be harder; it’s going to be a better game. I hope we get the win and go to the finals.”
The 24 duos in each gender were distributed into six pools for the start of the Olympic tournament
Having the iconic Eiffel Tower in the background, the 24 men’s and women’s teams that will take part in the beach volleyball tournament of the Paris 2024 Olympics found out who will be their first opponents in the event, which is set to begin in less than a month.
The Drawing of Lots for the Paris Games was held at the 14,000-seat Olympic beach volleyball stadium at Champ-de-Mars Park, which will host the matches from July 27 to August 10.
Here are the pools for both genders:
Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball Men’s Pools
Pool A: David Åhman/Jonatan Hellvig (Sweden), Paolo Nicolai/Samuele Cottafava (Italy), Cherif Younousse/Ahmed Tijan (Qatar), Mark Nicolaidis/Izac Carracher (Australia)
Pool B: Anders Mol/Christian Sørum (Norway), Matthew Immers/Steven van de Velde (the Netherlands), Alex Ranghieri/Adrian Carambula (Italy), Marco Grimalt/Esteban Grimalt (Chile)
Pool C: Nils Ehlers/Clemens Wickler (Germany), Michal Bryl/Bartosz Łosiak (Poland), Thomas Hodges/Zachery Schubert (Australia), Julien Lyneel/Rémi Bassereau (France)
Pool D: Andre Loyola/George Wanderley (Brazil), Andy Benesh/Miles Partain (USA), Noslen Diaz/Jorge Alayo (Cuba), Mohammed Abicha/Zouheir Elgraoui (Morocco)
Pool E: Ondrej Perusic/David Schweiner (Czechia), Evandro Gonçalves/Arthur Lanci (Brazil), Julian Hörl/Alexander Horst (Austria), Sam Schachter/Dan Dearing (Canada)
Pool F: Youssef Krou/Arnaud Gauthier-Rat (France), Stefan Boermans/Yorick de Groot (the Netherlands), Pablo Herrera/Adrián Gavira (Spain), Miles Evans/Chase Budinger (USA)
Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball Women’s Pools
Pool A: Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa/Ana Patrícia Ramos (Brazil), Marta Menegatti/Valentina Gottardi (Italy), Liliana Fernández/Paula Soria (Spain), Doaa Elghobashy/Marwa Abdelhady (Egypt)
Pool C: Kelly Cheng/Sara Hughes (USA), Cinja Tillmann/Svenja Müller (Germany), Clémence Vieira/Aline Chamereau (France), Barbora Hermannová/Marie-Sára Štochlova (Czechia)
Pool D:Brandie Wilkerson/Melissa Humana-Paredes (Canada), Tina Graudina/Anastasija Samoilova (Latvia), Esmée Böbner/Zoé Vergé-Dépré (Switzerland), Michelle Valiente/Giuliana Poletti (Paraguay)
Pool E: Carol Salgado/Bárbara Seixas (Brazil), Raisa Schoon/Katja Stam (the Netherlands), Monika Paulikiene/Aine Raupelyte (Lithuania), Miki Ishii/Akiko Hasegawa (Japan)
Pool F: Alexia Richard/Lézana Placette (France), Nina Brunner/Tanja Hüberli (Switzerland), Daniela Álvarez/Tania Moreno (Spain), Laura Ludwig/Louisa Lippmann (Germany)
Competition formula
The competition formula for beach volleyball at the Paris Games will be the same as that of Tokyo 2020, with the 24 teams in each gender being split into six pools. The first round of the tournament will be completed after teams face each of their three pool opponents once.
At the end of pool play, the six pool winners, the six pool runners-up and the two best-ranked third-placed teams will qualify directly to the Round of 16, occupying 14 of the 16 spots available.
The remaining four third-placed teams will play a “lucky loser” round, composed of two matches, from where the last two teams to play in the Round of 16 will emerge. Starting at this round and continuing through the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal matches, the men’s and women’s tournaments will progress in a single-elimination format.
France, Slovenia, Canada and Serbia go in Pool A; Poland, Italy, Brazil and Egypt compete in Pool B; Japan, USA, Argentina and Germany appear in Pool C
The first round of the Paris 2024 men’s volleyball tournament took shape on Wednesday, exactly one month before the Opening Ceremony, when pools for the Olympic event were drawn ahead of the start of the 2024 Volleyball Nations League Finals, in Łódź, Poland.
The 12 qualified national teams were distributed into three pools of four, with hosts France topping Pool A, FIVB World Ranking leaders Poland spearheading Pool B and second-placed Japan appearing as the first team in Pool C.
Pool A: France, Slovenia, Canada, Serbia
Pool B: Poland, Italy, Brazil, Egypt
Pool C: Japan, USA, Argentina, Germany
In pool play, teams will face each of their three opponents once. Those ranked first and second in each pool will advance, as well as the two best third-placed teams. Teams will be seeded in the Final Phase bracket according to the Teams Combined Ranking System and starting at the quarterfinals, the tournament continues in single elimination format.
The Paris 2024 men’s volleyball tournament will feature 26 matches (18 pool play encounters, four quarterfinals, two semifinals and two medal matches) at the South Paris Arena, from July 27 to August 10. The men’s match schedule will be released shortly.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 26, 2024. – Guatemala defeated Honduras in straight sets (25-19, 25-19, 25-20), continuing their undefeated streak in the VI Central American U-23 Women’s Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
The Guatemalans won their fourth consecutive match and remain unbeaten. Alongside Nicaragua, they are the only two national teams yet to lose. This Thursday, Guatemala will face Costa Rica and will conclude their participation on Saturday against Nicaragua.
With this loss, Honduras has a 2-2 record. They will play against Nicaragua on Friday and finish the tournament on Saturday against Costa Rica.
Guatemala outperformed Honduras in attacks (36-22) and serves (9-3), with 5 aces by Andrea Mendizábal. Honduras led in blocks, 7-3.
Naomi Monney and Andrea Mendizábal were the top scorers of the match with 13 points each, with Mendizábal scoring 5 aces. María Andrea Santa Cruz added 11 points. For Honduras, the top scorers were Rocío Duron with 7 points and Shantte Siliezar with 6.
Gabriela Gómez HON – Ivana Sopegno GUA
Andrea Mendizábal commented after the game, “Today, we had a great attitude. From the start of the tournament, our goal was to win all the games, and so far, we’re doing well. Today, we defeated the host team, which makes us very happy. I feel confident that we can win the title”.
Reizel Dunechka Bruhier from Honduras said, “The game required a lot of focus. We started the sets well but lost concentration midway through. We got anxious when it came to scoring points.”
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 27, 2024. – The Puerto Rican team needed the full five sets to defeat Cuba 3-2 (25-18, 25-21, 20-25, 16-25, 15-6) in their debut at the NORCECA Women’s Final Six tournament being held at the “Ricardo Arias” Pavilion.
The Puerto Ricans (1-0) were led offensively by Grace López, who was the top scorer of the match with 23 points, along with Neira Ortiz and Stephanie Rivera, who each added 14 points. For Cuba, which now holds a 0-2 record, the best performers were Jessica Aguilera with 11 points, and both their captain Laura Suarez and Ivy Vila contributing 10 points each.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico outperformed Cuba in attacks (61-54) and in serves (10-1), while Cuba had a slight edge in blocks (9-8).
Shara Venegas, captain of Puerto Rico: What I can tell you is that we started with a lot of intensity in the first two sets, then Cuba raised their level and won the third and fourth sets because we let our guard down a bit. This happens to the best teams in the world, and we need to go through these things to keep improving as a team.
Laura Suarez, captain of Cuba: I think we started playing too confident, without the fighting spirit. We played better in the third and fourth sets, but the anxiety to win played against us in the fifth set. It didn’t go our way, and Puerto Rico took advantage of that moment.
Toronto, Canada. June 27, 2024: In the first five-set match of the tournament, Canada managed to close the tie-break and now advances directly to the semifinals of the NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto, Ontario.
The score was Canada 3 Mexico 2 (25-21, 27-25, 15-25, 24-26, 15-10).
Canada led the attack 57-48 and won more blocking points 14-10, but Mexico had 12 aces, compared with Canada’s four. Canada also made more errors (37-31).
Ella Piskorz scored 17 points (including five blocks and two aces) for Canada as that team’s lead scorer, which was equaled by Mexico’s Isabella Ocampo, who had 17 points for her team.
Canadian player Veronica Dickson, who scored 13 points in this match, said: “There was definitely some adversity to overcome in the last couple sets but I believe in each and every single one of our team. I knew we could do it and we get a day off tomorrow so it’s nice to get some rest and be ready for the semifinals.”
Canada’s head coach Olivier Faucher was happy with his team’s performance: “It’s good to have this experience. After two sets, it was a hard battle and we were on top, but then Mexico started to play a lot better. A match like this is an opportunity for us to learn and battle to that fifth set. A 3-0 would have been nice to get more rest. But with this win, we get the day off tomorrow. The important thing is that we got the win, and we will learn from this. There are two big matches coming up and so it was important for us to face this challenge.”
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 27, 2024.- Keisy Janeth Fuentes, born in the province of Veraguas in the Atlantic region of Panama, made her debut for the Panamanian national team at just 13 years old. Today, on June 27, she celebrates her 14th birthday while participating in the VI Central American Women’s Championship, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Keisy had never defended Panama’s colors in indoor volleyball before, and her debut at any level in national teams is at the U23 level. She had previously represented Panama in a beach volleyball event in Costa Rica.
Keisy Fuentes PAN
We spoke with her, and through tears of joy, she shared:
“This is my first time on the indoor volleyball national team. I’m much younger than the rest of my teammates, but I feel very happy, and they have all supported me a lot. I am thrilled to represent Panama in a Central American championship.
I started playing volleyball when I was very young because my mom (Janeth Gallardo) played on a court where they would put up a net. Being so little, they wouldn’t let me play, but I loved watching my mom play and decided that I wanted to learn this sport.
Keisy Fuentes PAN
Soon after, my mom began teaching me. Thanks to her academy and her connections in the volleyball community, people saw me play and invited me to train.
Playing in this category with the national team made me a bit nervous at first, but after my first game, my first point, and with the support of the coaches and my teammates, those nerves disappeared.
I want to thank my mom and my dad (Ronald Fuentes) very much for supporting me and giving me the opportunity to be here, to fulfill my dream of playing volleyball, and to represent my country”.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 27, 2024.- Mexico beated the Canadian team 3-1 (25-21, 25-14, 20-25, 26-24) to achieve its first victory in the Women´s Final Six Volleyball Pan American Cup that is being played at the “Ricardo Arias” National Volleyball Pavilion.
The best offensive players for Mexico were Uxue Guereca with 16 points, Sofía Maldonado added 14 and Marian Ovalle another 11. For the Canadians Emoni Busch and Madyson Saris scored 20 and 16 points respectively.
Mexico dominated Canada in attacks 52-45 and in serves 13-7, while Canada was better in blocks 7-1.
Mexico
Jocelyn Urías, captain of Mexico: The truth is we knew it was not going to be an easy game, we couldn’t go in at all weak, I feel like we started well only in the third set, maybe we slowed down a little bit and lost that one because the Canadians pushed and we have to learn from it so that the same thing doesn’t happen to us in the next game.
Averie Allard, captain of Canada: I think we started playing well, we have trained very hard, we executed our game plan very well but it is a game of intensity so I think a lot of us need to have more momentum as the game goes on moving forward to overcome bad moments in the match, we came prepared to play a long game which did not go as we expected but I think that tomorrow we will come back stronger and we will learn from this.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 26, 2024. – Belize secured a quick victory over Panama 3-0 (25-14, 25-9, 25-20), extending their winning streak in the VI Central American U-23 Women’s Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
After starting the tournament with two losses, the Belizean team has been undefeated since their third match, winning their next three games. Belize now holds a 3-2 record. Meanwhile, Panama suffered its fifth consecutive defeat, remaining winless in all five of their matches.
Belize
Belize will rest this Friday, while Panama will face El Salvador in the opening match of the day.
Belize outperformed Panama in all aspects of the game, leading in attacks (47-20), blocks (3-1), and serves (9-1). It was a match with few unforced errors, with Belize committing 16 and Panama 12.
Avianka Avila BIZ
Avianka Ávila, setter of Belize said, “Our win today was a very important one because we won it in three sets, and it helps us get a step closer to hopefully being able to bring a medal home. Tomorrow, we have a rest day so we are going to take that time very wisely, we’re going to rest and prepare ourselves for our last game against El Salvador, which we will work very hard to win. A medal for third place is possible”.
Lurianis González of Panama stated, “Belize is a very good team, and their players are quite tall. We played a good game, but we didn’t get the desired results. However, we know that with a lot of training, we have great potential. We still must play against El Salvador, and we have high hopes that we can secure the victory.”
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 26, 2024.- Nicaragua defeated Costa Rica 3-1 (25-23, 14-25, 25-21, 25-20), maintaining their unbeaten record and strong chances of winning the VI Central American U-23 Women’s Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
The Nicaraguan team rebounded after a challenging second set, where they were overpowered by Costa Rica’s offensive, to secure a victory that edges them closer to a medal.
Brittany Forbes – Masiel Brenes NCA
The match was closely contested. Nicaragua narrowly led in attacks, outscoring Costa Rica 48-47. Costa Rica, however, led in blocks (9-6) and serves (5-2). The 33 unforced errors by Costa Rica significantly contributed to their defeat.
With this win, Nicaragua now has a 4-0 record. They are set to play against Honduras on Friday and will wrap up their schedule on Saturday against Guatemala. Costa Rica, with a 2-2 record, will face Guatemala on Friday and conclude their participation against Honduras on Saturday.
Brittany Forbes led Nicaragua with 13 points, while Brisa Pérez contributed 12 points. The top scorer of the match was Costa Rica’s Ana Victoria Rojas, who scored 14 points, followed by Ester Abarca with 11 points.
Melina Ester Abarca CRC
Reflecting on the game, Brittany Forbes from Nicaragua said, “Costa Rica is a very tough opponent. We knew they were coming strong, but we were determined to win, and in the end, we did it. We still have two games left, and we know they will be tough, against Guatemala and Honduras”.
Ester Abarca of Costa Rica remarked, “It was a very challenging game for both teams. I feel we gave our best, but we made too many mistakes which weakened us. However, I am confident that we will go all out in the next matches and aim to climb back up the standings”.
Toronto, Canada. June 26, 2024: USA remained in control of Group A with another win at the NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto, Ontario.
The score was 3-0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-15) today over Puerto Rico.
USA has not dropped a set so far in the tournament and advances directly to the semifinals. Puerto Rico’s record is 2-1.
Against Puerto Rico today, it was 42-14 in attack points; 6-1 in block points and USA shut out Puerto Rico in service aces 7-0.
Middle blocker Andi Jackson had a match-high 13 points for USA.
Setter and captain Bergen Reilly said post-match: “Puerto Rico’s a good team and they proved it yesterday against Dominican, they had a really good game. We came in ready for them to be firing on all cylinders and we just executed our side but they played a really good match.”
Head coach USA, Heather Olmstead said: “I love the energy and focus we came out with at the beginning of the match. I thought we stuck to the game plan. I thought we had a lot of fun. I think we put pressure on Puerto Rico. Our offense was fantastic, and our defense did a good job at holding them to a low number.”
Toronto, Canada. June 27, 2024: Costa Rica defeated US Virgin Islands in their final group match today at the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto, Ontario, at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.
The score was 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-20). This was Costa Rica’s first win and US Virgin Islands is still winless in this tournament.
US Virgin Islands led in attacking 33-27 and blocks 6-4. But Costa Rica’s service pressure was effective 12-5 and the Virgin Islands’ team made more errors – 32-16.
Amanda Maria Campos Monge led the winning team in scoring with 13 points; and Anna Gillens also had 13 points, but for US Virgin Islands.
Head coach of Costa Rica, Kareem Richards, expressed his views on today’s game: “It was a very interesting game against a difficult team. The girls were awesome. We gave them a strategy and they followed it perfectly. We knew it would be a game with a lot of errors, so we tried to keep our unforced errors to a minimum. I’m thankful for this wonderful group, the coaches I have with me and we’re looking forward to continuing in this tournament.”
Toronto, Canada. June 27, 2024: Dominican Republic overwhelmed Suriname today at the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto, Ontario.
It was the final group A match for both teams – and the score was 3-0 (25-9, 25-3, 25-5).
Attack points were 40-3, blocking at 2 each and serving at 17-2. Errors were 16-10 in favor of the winning team.
Opposite Julie Arias led all scoring with 13 points for the Dominican team.
Teammate Crismeily Paniagua Hinojosa, who served during a 20-0 run for her team in the second set, said: “I felt really good about my serve. We were practicing serves in our practice last night, that’s what we were concentrating on and that’s what I executed today.”
Suriname is winless, while the Dominican squad is 1-2 after pool play and awaits to see who they will play in the next round.
Head coach Dominican Republic Cristian Cruz said: “Today’s game was good. Our team also had a good game with the United States but a bad game with Puerto Rico so going into the playoffs could be a little difficult for us, but I believe in my team. We’re waiting for Canada and Mexico’s game to know who we will face but I know we can get a medal.”
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 26, 2024.- The United States beated the Mexican team 3-0 (33-31, 27-25, 25-15), thus achieving its first victory in this fourth edition of the Pan American Cup Final Six held at the “Ricardo Arias” National Volleyball Pavilion.
The United States attack was led by Jessica Mruzik with 15 points, while Sophia Fischer and Eva Hudson contributed 14 and 11 points respectively. For Mexico, the best were Uxue Guereca with 19 units and Marian Ovalle with 9.
Jessica Mruzik USA
The Americans outnumbered the Mexicans in attacks 47-44 and in blocks 14-5.
Brad Rostratter, coach United States: This was the first international event for this group of girls, unfortunately not all of them were able to play today but those who had the chance did excellent which is wonderful.
Nicola Negro, coach of Mexico: We played the first two sets very well, the serve, block and defense phase, we had a chance to win them since they were well fought but we lacked lucidity in the attacks. In the third set the quality of our serve fell and that allowed the United States to play more calmly since they have an enormous attacking capacity that was very difficult for us to control.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 26, 2024.- Belize defeated Honduras 3 sets to 1 (25-19, 22-25, 25-21, and 25-22) in the final match of the fourth day of the VI Central American U23 Women’s Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
In the second set, Honduras made a comeback from a 13-21 deficit to win the set 25-23. In the third set, history almost repeated itself as Honduras quickly closed the gap with Belize, but the Belizeans managed to secure the final points to close out the set.
Belize found their rhythm and secured their second consecutive victory, now holding a record of 2 wins and 2 losses. Meanwhile, Honduras lost their undefeated record and ended the day with 2 wins and 1 loss.
This Thursday, Belize will play against Panama, and Honduras will face Guatemala.
Belize outperformed Honduras in all areas of play, 52-33 in attacks, 9-6 in blocks, and 9-3 in serves.
For Belize, three players scored in double digits, Fatoumata Camara with 23 points, Nisaan Martínez with 18 points, and Gareth Bruce with 13 points. For Honduras, Rocío Duron and Andrea Aceituno each scored 10 points.
“In the second set I think we got comfortable the game, we were up a lot, we had it in the bag and that’s why we lost in the second set. Our coaches talked to us very well and told us we shouldn’t lose our confidence in ourselves no matter what is happening. We’ve trained so hard for a good outcome and that was what motivated us to come back in the third and fourth set and fight really hard”, said Gareth Bruce of Belize.
Rocío Duron from Honduras expressed, “We lacked that extra push in the game; we were giving it our all, but we still fell short. We have tough matches ahead, and we’re going to fight and achieve our goal”, she emphasized.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 26, 2024.- The Dominican Republic team dominated the Cuban team 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-18), to begin their participation undefeated in the Final Six Pan American Cup of Women’s Volleyball that takes place in the “Ricardo Arias” Volleyball Pavilion.
After a very disputed first set, the Dominicans led by Brayelin Martínez and Alondra Tapia with 13 and 11 points respectively, easily dominated the Cubans who had their captain Laura Suarez as the best scorer with 8 points, while Ivy Vila added 7.
Bethania de la Cruz DOM
In attacks both teams were equal with 39, while the Dominican was better in blocks, beating Cuba 7-3.
Marcos Kwiek, coach of the Dominican Republic: It was the first game of the tournament in which one is always more nervous but I think the girls did excellent, they worked well, we managed to establish our rhythm of play, we started strong and we did not lose concentration, that is the most important.
Leivis García, coach of Cuba: As always, you cannot give balls to the Dominican, you cannot make many mistakes, and regardless of the third touches or the balls that you cross to your court without any strong point intention, they recover it and turn it into point I think it was basically more delivery than errors.
Toronto, Canada. June 26, 2024: Canada swept its second Pool B match in a row at the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship on home ground in Toronto, Ontario.
The score was 3-0 (25-18, 25-11, 25-7) over the US Virgin Islands.
Attacking favored Canada 40-11, as well as blocks 3-2, and aces 18-3. Canada, however, did make more errors 20-14.
Mary Healy of Canada had a match-high 17 points; followed in scoring by teammates Veronica Dickson (10) and Claire Carter (8).
US Virgin Islands opposite Mya Brown led her team with 7 points (4 attacks, 2 blocks and an ace)
“The main thing is that all the players have had a chance to be involved in these two first games, so obviously the rust is gone. Since everyone has had a chance to see the court it gives us more options moving forward, and that’s very important in preparing us for the next round,” said Canada’s head coach, Olivier Faucher.
Pool action continues on Thursday, with playoffs on the weekend.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 26, 2024.- The Costa Rica National Team returned to the victory path after defeating El Salvador 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-22) in the second match of the fourth day of the VI Central American U23 Women’s Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
Following yesterday’s painful defeat against Belize, Costa Rica is back on track and remains in contention for the top position in the tournament. The Ticas now have a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. On the other hand, El Salvador suffers its fourth consecutive defeat, remaining winless with a 0-4 record.
This Thursday, Costa Rica will face Nicaragua in the first match of day five, a crucial game for the tricolor team if they want to keep their title hopes alive. El Salvador will rest on that day.
Costa Rica outperformed El Salvador in attacks 34-18 and was much more effective in serving with a 14-3 advantage. El Salvador held their ground well at the net and was better in blocking with a 5-4 edge.
Allison Méndez ESA
Ester Abarca of Costa Rica was the top scorer of the match with 11 points, two of them from serves. Ana Victoria Rojas and Bennet Blackwood supported the attack with 10 points each. For El Salvador, their captain Daniela López was the top scorer with 8 points, and Silvia Inés Juárez assisted with 7 points.
“Today, the team was very good. After yesterday’s match, it brought us closer together and motivated us to focus on each game and keep winning the remaining matches to achieve our ultimate goal, which is the title,” said Bennet Blackwood from Costa Rica after the match.
Meanwhile, Daniela López, the captain of El Salvador, commented: “We congratulate Costa Rica on the victory. In the first sets, we were a bit unfocused and weren’t fulfilling our roles on the court. It wasn’t until the third set that we started scoring points. I hope we can continue like this for the rest of the tournament.”
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 26, 2024.- Guatemala secured a 3-0 victory over Panama a score of 25-22, 25-15, and 25-12, kicking off the fourth day of the VI Central American U23 Women’s Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
With this win, Guatemala achieves its third consecutive victory, remaining undefeated. In their next match, they will face the host team, Honduras. Meanwhile, Panama is still searching for its first win, with a 0-3 record, and will play against Belize on day five.
Guatemala outperformed Panama in attacks, blocks, and serves. They were dominant in attacks with a 42-20 lead, had a comfortable 4-0 advantage in blocks, and also led in serves 5-3.
María Andrea Santa Cruz was the top scorer of the match with 12 points, followed by Andrea Mendizábal with 10 points. For Panama, Ekaterina Ureña was the leading scorer with 6 points.
Guatemala
“We are very united and have worked hard to aim for the title. We are strong and determined. Panama is a team that defends a lot and well, and we had to adapt to their game,” said Ivana Sopegno from Guatemala.
Breyska Pinzón, Panama’s libero, commented, “It was a very close game. We gave it our all on the court. Our biggest strength is our defense, and that’s what we’ve been focusing on to improve as a team. We’re going to keep giving our best; we want to win and we are working towards that.”
Toronto, Canada. June 26, 2024: USA earned its second group phase win today at the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship with a 3-0 (25-10, 25-5, 25-9) victory over Suriname.
USA led in attack points 36-7, blocks 11-2 and blanked its opponent with 19-0 points from the service line. Errors were 15-14 in favor of Suriname. Middle blocker Favor Anyanwu led all scoring with 18 points for USA.
USA’s head coach Heather Olmstead said: “Suriname did a great job… We’re always just looking at how we can play USA volleyball, how we can play within our systems, and how we can communicate and get better playing with each other as the tournament goes on. That’s what we are looking forward to – how we can be our best.”
Suriname’s head coach Miquel Misidjang was realistic about the match: “We knew upfront that it was going to be a difficult game and what we’ve learned is that we need to work on physicality and skills, as well as the mindset of the game. The girls are young and it’s a learning process for them. I am proud of them.”
Toronto, Canada. June 26, 2024: Puerto Rico had a strong start and was able to maintain momentum to defeat Dominican Republic today at the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship tournament at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
The score was 3-0 (25-10, 25-23, 25-23).
Puerto Rico was particularly strong from the service line, leading 7-1 in aces, they also led in attack points 43-30 and blocking points 7-4.
Chareika Carrion led all scoring with 16 points for Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico’s head coach Jose Ricardo Rivera was very pleased with his team’s performance: “For me it was a good and important game, to be able to meet the goals we have and fight for a medal with the aim of staying among the best four in the tournament. We previously had some matches against the Dominican team where we were not able to close the sets and lost the advantage, but today they came focused, and we were able to win the match in three sets.”
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 25, 2024.- Honduras earned a huge win over El Salvador 3-0 (25-15, 25-19 y 25-12) on Tuesday, to remain undefeated in two matches at the VI U23 Women’s Central American Championship at Gimnasio Jorge Galeano in Tegucigalpa.
Honduras fought every point against El Salvador, who continued to show their great defense. With this result, Honduras has 2 wins and no losses, while El Salvador lost their third match and has yet to know victory.
Honduras dominated every area of the game, they led El Salvador in attacks 35-17, i blocks 4 to 1 and in serves 8 to 6.
Andrea Aceituno of Honduras led all scorers, with 15 points, on 2 blocks and three serves. Also from Honduras, Andrea Duarte and Marcela Laguardia supported Aceituno and their team with 7 points each.
From El Salvador, Daniela Lopez was their top scorer with 9 points and Monserrat Joachin reached 5 points.
Daniela Lopez ESA
Andrea Zúñiga, libero of Honduras commented, “We ended up winning the match, but we were a bit low, I think we can perform better on court, we can play better, more successful. I hope tomorrow will go differently and have better results”.
Gabriela Portillo, libero of El Salvador said “We started off slow, we got together, but in the third set we lost focus and Honduras took advantage of our mental errors. In the next matches we are going to try more unity and work as a team to improve in each match”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras. June 24, 2024.- Nicaragua defeated Panamá 3-0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-20) in the second match of day three at the VI U23 Women’s Central American Championship at Gimnasio Jorge Galeno in Tegucigalpa.
Once again Panama showed to have one of the best defenses in the tournament, Nicaragua prevailed thanks to their experience and smart play on the court. In the last set, Nicaragua had to make a great effort to finish the match in three sets.
Nicaragua benefited from Panama’s unforced errors (28) to finish the match in their favor, in addition to dominating every skill of the match, 32-24 in attacks, 5 to 2 in blocks and 10 to 3 in service aces.
Ekaterina Ureña of Panama led all scorers with 11 points, among them one block and one ace. Six players led Nicaragua’s offense, with 8 points Masiel Brenes and Marcela Martínez; and Norma Brenes, Samantha Vargas, María José Rivera and Brittany Forbes with seven points each.
Lurianis González PAN – Valentina Martínez NCA
Masiel Brenes of Nicaragua explained “Panama worked hard in defense and receiving, that made the match difficult, but we were able to reach the result we were aiming for, not like we expected, but we won. We think we are still on time to keep improving and doing things better in every match”.
Ekaterina Ureña of Panama said “the match was well disputed, but our errors didn’t allow us to win sets. Little by little we are improving. Nicaragua is a great team; we have good players”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 24, 2024.- Belize surprised Costa Rica at the start of the third day of the VI Central American U-23 Women’s Championship, winning 3-1 (25-23, 25-19, 21-25, 25-16).
The Belizean team showed strength in blocking and serving throughout the game. After taking a 2-0 set lead, they relaxed, allowing Costa Rica to take one set. In the fourth set, Belize again displayed their attacking and serving power and blocking skills to secure the match.
Belize dominated Costa Rica in blocks, 9 to 5, and slightly edged them in serves, 11 to 10. Although Costa Rica led in attacks, 45-40, Belize capitalized on the 36 unforced errors committed by the Costa Rican team.
Nisaan Martínez of Belize was the top scorer of the game with 18 points, including 2 blocks and 1 ace. She was supported offensively by Gareth Bruce with 16 points, who also contributed significantly with 5 service aces, and by Fatoumata Camara with 13 points.
For Costa Rica, the top scorers were Ana Victoria Rojas with 16 points and Nhya Barley with 12 points.
Lakysha Thompson CRC
After the game, Nisaan Martínez of Belize said, “Honestly, I am super proud of my team for the win. Ultimately what we did was watch the blocking because they are around the same height as us, so we just tried to get around the block and make block touches. Our service-receive was what got us through the game. Overall, I am very excited about what we have in store because we started the tournament slowly, but we have the potential to finish this tournament very strongly. We are a strong team; we are a big blocking team, and I am excited to show what we have in store for this tournament”.
Ana Victoria Rojas of Costa Rica explained, “Belize is a very tall team and quite strong in attack and blocking. At the beginning, we were a bit low in attitude, but we managed to take the third set as our attitude improved. We have the mentality to defend the championship. We need to keep preparing; maybe we didn’t win today, but the tournament is not over yet, and we still have a chance”.
Toronto, Canada. June 25, 2024.- In the opening match of the Women’s U21 Continental Championship at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto, Puerto Rico dominated Suriname 3-0 (25-10, 25-4, 25-11) in 46 minutes.
Captain and outside hitter Chareika Carrión was the match’s top scorer with 22 points for the winning side. Included in her total were eight aces.
Puerto Rico dominated in attacking 38-8; and had an impressive 14-0 ace record. Blocking was 3-4 in favour of the losing side.
Suriname has a very young squad, looking to gain experience, with an average age of around 16 years old.
Toronto, Canada. June 25, 2024: Canada impressed its home crowd in its opening match of the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship tournament beating Costa Rica 3-0 (25-10, 25-13, 25-17).
Canada led in attack points (42-18), blocks (7-1) and aces (10-4). Megan Hawkins and Mary Healy tied as top scorers with 10 each for Canada.
“We’re still figuring out how we’re working together as a team. We have a lot of new faces and we’re really excited about that. And I think we did a good job of taking care of the little things and we’re just really excited to see how it plays out in the next few matches,” said Mary Healy, also Canada’s team captain.
Danna León Gamboa and Joselyn Fernanda Moraga Arroyo contributed five apiece for Costa Rica.
Canada next plays US Virgin Islands on Wednesday night at 7 pm ET in its next Group B match at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.
Toronto, Canada. June 25, 2024: Mexico saw early success at the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship with a decisive 3-0 (25-13, 25-7, 25-15) win over US Virgin Islands.
Mexico dominated in attack (34-15) points, blocking (7-2) and aces 9-1. As well, Mexico made fewer errors (25-17).
Mexico’s Isabella Ocampo was the match top scorer with 12 points; Anna Gillens of Virgin Islands contributed nine points to the losing effort.
“I liked the match. It’s always good to start a competition with a victory and we did it today. We don’t have a lot of information on ISV, but we played well. We had a job to do for Mexico and I like the hard work from my players,” said head coach of Mexico, Luis Leon Lopez.
Toronto, Canada. June 25, 2024: The United States had a solid start to the Women’s NORCECA U21 Continental Championship tournament beating the Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-18, 25-11, 25-11).
USA led in all skills: Attacking 44-24, blocking 12-7, and serving 6-1. Dominican Republic did make fewer errors 13-18.
USA’s Brooklyn DeLeye had a match-high 20 points (17 attacks, 2 blocks and an ace.)
“I just think it was a great match… first match of the tournament to play together, get some people in and I thought Dominican played well and pushed us and we really got challenged and that was good,” said Heather Olmstead, USA’s head coach.
“Bergen [Reilly] did a great job setting the right people at the right time. I thought our middles were great, I thought they took great swings. Brooklyn played fantastic; she really took big rips on the outside. I thought our passing was pretty settled after the first couple points. Ramsey [Gary] did a good job in the back row helping our passers set up early.”
Ariana Rodriguez Fung was the top scorer on the Dominican side with 13 points.
USA in in Group A and plays Suriname next on Wednesday.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 25, 2024.- This Tuesday the preliminary meeting of the Women’s Final Six Tournament was held and during it the coaches of the six participating teams commented on their expectations for the event.
Leivis García, coach of Cuba:
In this specific tournament we made some modifications to the roster and now we have a greater interrelation between experience and youth, we bring girls from a new cycle in projection for the next four years and we see a well-focused team where motivation is the greatest success that they have had until now.
Brad Rostratter, United States coach:
We bring a young and promising team, it is a group of athletes that will hopefully represent the United States with dignity in the future and I am excited that this group of girls will have their first experience in a senior competition.
Juan Carlos Núñez, Puerto Rico coach:
We are going to take the tournament very seriously in the sense that it will be the preamble to next week in which we have to go to the Philippines to try to qualify for the Nations League next year, we have just played a tournament in Puerto Rico to try to pick up the pace again with the young group we have for this tournament.
Marcos Kwiek, coach of the Dominican Republic:
We have just arrived from a difficult trip but we have very high expectations because it is the tournament prior to the Olympic Games so we have to try a few players, give them the opportunity to win their position and obviously we are at home so we are going to fight for a medal.
Nicola Negro, coach of Mexico:
Expectations to continue our preparation in this season, which is a transition because we have not had major events and we want to guarantee our participation in the 2025 World Cup. In this tournament, the first two games do not count for us in the ranking, but we hope to be able to reach the semifinals. and have the chance to play games that give us points and thus guarantee that participation.
Carolyn O’Dwyer, Canada coach:
Our expectations are high since although we brought a young team there are many players who have already participated before so we hope to fight for medals and demonstrate the talent that is rising in Canada.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. June 24, 2024. – Guatemala defeated El Salvador 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, and 25-23) in the final match of the second day of the VI Central American Women’s U23 Championship, at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.
The Salvadoran team maintained strong defensive play, forcing the Guatemalans to give their maximum effort to secure the victory.
Daniela López ESA
Guatemala outperformed El Salvador in attacks, with a 32-24 advantage, and in serves, leading 6-1. However, El Salvador excelled in blocking, leading 5-2.
Daniela Alexandra López from El Salvador was the top scorer of the match with 12 points, including 2 blocks and 1 service ace. For Guatemala, Naomi Monney and Andrea Mendizábal both reached double digits, each scoring 10 points.
Naomi Monney GUA
William Fernández, the coach of Guatemala, said “Today, we weren’t perfectly in sync, but we gave the new players an opportunity, and I believe all of them managed to score at least one point, which was our goal for this game. Tomorrow, we rest, then we face Panama, and we finish with tough matches against Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua”.
Noe Fabian, the coach of El Salvador, expressed “Congratulations to Guatemala, they are a very strong opponent and made it a great match for us. We started a bit nervous, but we improved our reception and by the end, we were playing much better. There is still some inexperience among our players, as this is their first tournament, but we hope to continue improving throughout the rest of the tournament”.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 24, 2024. – The fourth edition of the NORCECA Women’s Final Six Tournament is about to begin at the “Prof. Ricardo Gioriber Arias” Volleyball Palace in the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center, in Santo Domingo, from June 26 to June 30.
The NORCECA Women’s Final Six Tournament is a competition that is part of the qualification process for the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Pan American Cup and the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Continental Championship.
Dominican Republic has won the event twice and will aim to recover the title after losing it to the United States in 2023.
The six competing teams are divided into two groups, with the top two from each group advancing to the semifinals scheduled for June 29.
Pool A consists of Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Pool B includes Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
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