TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 22, 2023. – Puerto Rico defeated Nicaragua 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-17) to remain undefeated in the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The event, taking place from November 21 to 26, grants three berths for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.
Puerto Rico maintains an undefeated 2-0 record in Pool A and will finish the preliminary round on Thursday against the hosts Honduras. Nicaragua holds a 1-1 record and will face Mexico to advance to the next round.
After a strong start in the first set, Nicaragua surprised Puerto Rico with effective blocks, jumping to a four-point advantage (13-9) in the second set. Puerto Rico regrouped, took better control of the game, and closed it in three straight sets.
Puerto Rico celebrates
Puerto Rico dominated every skill of the game, kills (40-22), blocks (9-7), and aces (10-6); in addition to committing one less error (15-16) than Nicaragua.
Puerto Rico’s top scorers were Sara Lozano with 18 points on 17 kills and point from serves, Diangelie González with 10 points on 5 kills, 4 blocks, and one ace, and Kaila Alvarado with 9 points from attacks.
Keyling Olivas and Francehsca Viera, each with 9 points, were the top scorers for Nicaragua.
Sara Lozano from Puerto Rico said, “In the second set when Nicaragua took the lead, we had to communicate better to regain our game rhythm. I believe our unity has been crucial to staying undefeated. We will give our all to win tomorrow and finish with a strong attack”.
Keyling Olivas from Nicaragua mentioned, “We needed to be more effective in reception to maintain the advantage we had in the second set. We got a bit discouraged. We hope to advance to the next round”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 22, 2023. – Dominican Republic defeated Cuba 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 25-15), dominating with a 15-6 advantage in serves and maintaining their undefeated record at the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship being held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
With the victory, Dominican Republic has a 2-0 record in Pool B and will face Canada (2-0) on Thursday to advance directly to Saturday’s semifinals. Cuba (0-2) will go against Costa Rica (0-2) for the third place in pool and a spot in the quarterfinals.
The tournament qualifies the top three teams for the FIVB World Championship in 2024.
In addition to dominating in serves, Dominican Republic outperformed Cuba 39 to 25 in attacks and 6-5 in blocks. Cuba limited their errors to 17, while the Dominicans committed 21.
Caroline Rodriguez and Virelys Rivera de DOM block
Three Dominican players scored double digits, outside hitter Virelys Rivera leading with 16 points (12 attacks, 4 aces), opposite Rayni Mondesi with 13 points (9 attacks, one block, 3 aces), and team captain Estel Santos with 12 points (10 attacks and 2 aces).
Cuban outside hitter Salet Castillo Valdes was the only player with double digits, scoring 14 points on 12 kills, one block, and ace.
Dominican team captain, Estel Santos, said, 2The first set was very close; I think we were too confident. We were able to press with the serve, as we did in the previous game; that’s what has kept us going, along with our friendship and good spirit”.
Cuba’s top scorer, Salet Castillo, said, “Our reception failed us a lot. I think we put too much pressure on ourselves because this is our first international competition. The attack went well, and I think we could have won the match”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 22, 2023. – Canada triumphed 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 21-25, 25-16) over Costa Rica to remain undefeated in the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
This is the first Continental Championship in the category and grants three slots to the FIVB World Championship to be held in 2024.
Canada holds a 2-0 record in Pool B and will face the Dominican Republic on Thursday in the last day of the pool-play. Costa Rica has two losses and will conclude Pool B against Cuba.
Costa Rica pressed in the first set, forcing Canada to lose seven set points (24-12) before securing the victory at 25-19. Costa Rica won the third set, taking the lead 19-16 and forcing a fourth set that Canada ultimately won.
Canadá
Canada comfortably outperformed Costa Rica 60-33 in attacks and 7-5 in blocks. Costa Rica finished with an 8-6 margin in service points. Canada benefited from Costa Rica’s 32 errors and committed 23 of their own.
Middle blocker Ella Hope contributed 19 points to Canada’s victory, with 13 kills, 3 blocks, and 3 aces. Outside hitters Natalie Wahlgren and Beatrice Pengelly contributed with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Middle blocker Amanda Campos and outside hitter Nicole Leiva, with 11 points each, were the top scorers for Costa Rica.
Ella Hope, leading scorer of Canada expressed “Both teams fought really well and we came together as a team, communicating better. In the third set, it was a good game, it was back and forth, both teams were fighting really hard”.
Amanda Campos, top scorer of Costa Rica said “We fought every point. We counterattacked Canada in the third set with a good attitude, despite being taller than us. We didn’t get the result, but we never gave up”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 21, 2023. – Nicaragua defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-17, 25-7, 25-14) on the first day of the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship that began on Tuesday at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The event, taking place from November 22 to 26, qualifies the top three teams for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.
On the second day of competition in Pool A, Nicaragua (1-0) will face Puerto Rico (1-0), and Honduras (0-1) will play against Mexico (0-1).
Ana Rodriguez NCA
From the second set onward, Nicaragua had no major difficulty in defeating Honduras, with a 29-13 superiority in attacks and 13-2 in aces. Both teams scored 5 points on blocks. Nicaragua scored 28 points from Honduras’ unforced errors and committed 18.
Nicaragua’s middle blocker Karen Bird led all scorers with 12 points (6 kills, 3 blocks, 3 aces), followed by Franchesca Viera with 10 points (5 kills, one block, 4 aces).
For Honduras, middle blocker Lila Madrid topped with 6 points.
Lucía Columna, captain of Nicaragua, said, “We knew how to adapt well and avoided making many mistakes. The spirit was what I liked the most about my team.
“I think our attitude failed us; we came in strong in the first set, but then we faded. We hope to have more spirit tomorrow and hold our heads high to represent our country” said the captain of Honduras, Camila Figueroa.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 21, 2023.- Canada defeated Cuba in a tie-break 3-2 (26-28, 25-18, 16-25, 25-11, 15-9) to open their campaign in Pool B at the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship in Tegucigalpa, Honduras at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
This is the first edition of the event that runs from November 21 to 26 and grants three slots to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.
In Pool B action on day two, Canada (1-0) will face Costa Rica (0-1) and Cuba (0-1) plays against Dominican Republic (1-0).
It was a roller coaster performance for both teams, where Canada started leading all five sets. Canada forced the fifth set capitalizing on their effective serves.
Canada led in every skill of the game, kills (50-35), blocks (8-5) and aces (19-13). Cuba scored on 28 Canadian errors and gave away 30.
Beatrice Pengelly CAN block
Outside hitter Beatrice Pengelly was Canada’s top scorer with 21 points on 15 kills, one block and a match-high of 5 aces. Outside hitter Natalie Wahlgren added 12 points on 8 kills, one block and three aces, joined by opposite Dasia Smith with 11 points on 5 kills, two blocks and four aces.
On Cuba’s side, outside hitter Salet Castillo scored 21 points on 15 kills, two blocks and four aces, and team captain Yesica Brito contributed 12 points on 8 kills and four aces.
“This match was amazing even though we came out not strong on serves. We came out strong in the end and the fifth set was so live; we were so hype and it was a great win. Our communication can be better” said Beatrice Pengelly.
Yesica Brito, captain of Cuba indicated “Honestly, I think the nerves contributed to performing with ups and downs, because it’s the first time we travel outside to represent Cuba. Tomorrow we will recover with our attacks which are our best weapon”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 21, 2023.- Dominican Republic beat Costa Rica 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-18) to get the first edition of the Girls’ U17 NORCECA Continental Championship underway on Tuesday at Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The event that runs from November 21 to 26 will qualify the top three finishers to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.
On Wednesday, the Dominican Republic will play Cuba and Costa Rica goes up against Canada.
Costa Rica took an early three-point lead in the first two sets, leveling the scores to 20 points in the first and 17 in the second. Dominican Republic managed to stabilize their rhythm of play until the third set where they jumped quickly to a six-point lead (10-4) to grab their first Pool B victory.
Dominicans 11 to 4 advantage in serves were too much for Costa Rica. Dominican Republic also held advantage in blocks 7-4 and committed fewer unforced errors (25-28). Both teams leveled in 29 points from attacks.
Dominican Republic celebrates
Dominican outside hitter Virelys Rivera led her team with 13 points on 9 kills, a match-high of 5 blocks and 4 aces. Opposite hitter Rayni Mondesi followed with 11 points on 7 kills and 4 aces.
Middle blocker Amanda Campos led Costa Rica with 13 points on 8 kills, 2 blocks and 3 aces. Outside hitter Dayna Barrantes and opposite Lilliam Vargas added 7 points each.
Estel Santos, captain of Dominican Republic said “Our serves were weak in the first and second sets, that’s why the scores were too close. We started to push with serves in the third and we improved our receiving. We are glad to open with a win”.
Nadia Granados, captain of Costa Rica said “I think attitude marked the difference from the third set to the first two. We had more energy in the first and second sets, and we turned it off in the third. We fought strong against a good opponent. We will correct some tactical aspects for our next match”.
San José, Costa Rica, November 21, 2023.- Six countries will gather on Costa Rican soil at La Sabana sand courts to compete from November 24-26 in the first edition of the Central American Beach Volleyball Under-17 Championship and, for the second time, in Costa Rica, in the Under-19 Central American Championship, both double-gender events.
The national teams of El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, and Costa Rica will hit La Sabana sand courts in San José, aiming to become Central American champions in the inaugural Under-17 category. Meanwhile, Guatemala women and Costa Rica men will defend their titles in the second edition of the Under-19 category.
The first Under-19 Central American Championship took place in 2018 in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, and was also a qualifying event for the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the same year.
During a press conference held on Tuesday, at the National Stadium facilities, the Organizing Committee, led by Carlos Echandi, president of the Costa Rican Volleyball Federation (FECOVOL), along with the Costa Rican Sports Institute (ICODER) and the Costa Rican Ministry of Sports, provided details about this significant event for the country.
“We are very proud to organize this important event, hosting the Under-19 Championship for the second time and the Under-17 Championship for the first time. This is a joint effort with ICODER, from whom we have received support, as well as the support of the Minister of Sports, Mr. Royner Mora”, said Carlos Echandi, president of FECOVOL and a member of the Organizing Committee.
The round-robin competition will start on Friday. The pairs in both categories that earn the most ranking points will be crowned champions at the conclusion of the event on Sunday.
1st Central American Under-19 Beach Volleyball Championship:
-Champions
Women: GUATEMALA – Paola Alvarado and María Juárez
Men:COSTA RICA – Alexandre Lezcano and Criforth Fallas
-Final Standings
Women: 1. Guatemala, 2. Nicaragua, 3. Costa Rica, 4. Honduras, 5. El Salvador, 6. Belize, 7. Panama
Men: 1. Costa Rica, 2. Nicaragua, 3. El Salvador, 4. Guatemala, 5. Belize, 6. Honduras, 7. Panama
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 21, 2023. – Puerto Rico defeated Mexico in straight sets 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-19) to start the first NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The top three teams in the tournament will earn a spot to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.
Puerto Rico (1-0) will face Nicaragua on Wednesday, while Mexico (0-1) will play against the host team, Honduras.
Puerto Rico earned its first victory in Group A coming from behind (11-15) in the first set and dominating Mexico in the next two, despite Mexico’s efforts to extend the match.
Puerto Rico finished with a lead of 44 to 38 in attacking points, 7 to 4 in blocking points, and 5 to 2 in points from serves. Both teams committed 20 unforced errors.
Puerto Rico celebrates
The top scorer of the match was Puerto Rican Diangelie González with 21 points on 18 attacks, one block, and two aces. Outside hitter Sara Lozano ended with a record of 14 points on 13 attacks and one ace. Team Captain Kalia Alvarado contributed 11 points on 10 attacks and one ace.
Mexico’s captain, Aitana Tanguma, scored 15 points on 14 attacks and one ace, accompanied by middle blocker Brenda Esquivel with 11 points on 10 attacks and one block.
“We recovered from being behind in the first set by improving concentration, communication, and passing. We also gained confidence. It feels great to represent the country and secure a first victory”, said Puerto Rico’s captain, Kalia Alvarado.
“I know we have the team to have won the match. Confidence failed us a bit; confidence in the teammate beside us. We will bounce back because we have the goal of winning the gold medal”, said Mexico’s captain, Aitana Tanguma.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 20, 2023.- Eight national teams will battle in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, at the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ Under 17 Continental Championship to earn three tickets to the inaugural FIVB Age-Group World Championship to be held in 2024.
The head coaches had the chance to give their first statements on the eve of the competition.
Amy Wilson, Head Coach of Canada: “Our team prepared by coming together and practicing, we also did some sessions on zoom for team bonding as we are spread out from across the country. What I expect from this event is some self-growth, self-improvement within our athletes as well as our coaching staff, to continue to work hard and to get to the play-offs”.
Nicolás Docquier, Head Coach of Costa Rica: “We have prepared very well, the girls have been in competition in our local tournaments and that gives us an advantage. We haven’t had many days together, nevertheless, the athletes are committed to the team, it’s a new experience for them and for me as head coach. We are excited, happy and we will give our all on the court”.
Rogelio Goytizolo, Head Coach of Cuba: “It’s really good that we are going to inaugurate a competition that had never been held before in the area. We are seeking an improvement in the performance of the women’s team in Cuba, and it is very important to do it from the bases, creating a higher level of competitiveness. We hope to gain the best results from the competition. We are here to book a ticket to the World Championship; the girls are coming with high hopes to accomplish it”.
Wilson Sánchez, Head Coach of Dominican Republic: “Being the first edition of this age-group event and considering that the players are younger, there will be a lot of pressure among them, but we hope to have a nice tournament regardless of that. Since there are no preparation matches, we will solve any difficulties that arise along the way. In this age-group, players want to show their abilities, so it will be a very nice tournament, and we are asking them to enjoy it, doing their best. The goal as a country, given the level of the Dominican Republic has shown, is to reach the finals”.
Marcos Sugiyama, Head Coach of Honduras: “The team has been training hard for the past month and a half, and we are making changes so that the athletes stop thinking like they do in school training, to that of training in a national team; it has been positive to change the story we are building. The goal is to battle every day, play well every day, and be close to those national teams that win championships, the journey is long, but we are ready to battle”.
Ignacio Sánchez, Head Coach of Mexico: “We are coming well, we have worked hard. We have selected players from all across the country, doing scouting during our national festivals. We think the team is strong enough to compete for a berth for Worlds and a medal”.
Claudia Noguera, Head Coach of Nicaragua: “Like everyone in this tournament, the team is new, but we have four players who have competed in Central American events, in addition to their growth they have undergone in our national Under-19 league, and that brings a bit of experience. All of them are enthusiastic to represent the country in a first event of this age-group, which is important for the development of young athletes in Central American and NORCECA”.
Juan Carlos Nuñez, Head Coach of Puerto Rico: “This is a valuable opportunity to be here at this tournament, it’s the first time we call this age-group in Puerto Rico. It is a valuable opportunity to be in a tournament like this; its is the first call in Puerto Rico for this age-group. We are bringing talented girls, but due to the timing of the tournament, there were difficulties in gathering them and training for such an event. The athletes come from playing in the school tournament in Puerto Rico and have been active individually. As a team, we were together for a month, but not every day. I always set high goals, so we will aim to be in the top three positions”.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 18, 2023. – Mr. Félix Ambrosio Sabio González of Honduras was reelected President of the Association of Central American Volleyball Federations AFECAVOL for the 2024-2028 term during the 2023 Ordinary and Election General Assembly held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on November 18.
The seven National Volleyball Federations of Central America chose Félix Sabio for a second term as the President of the Zonal Association, a member of the NORCECA Volleyball Confederation.
The AFECAVOL Executive Committee is composed as follows:
President: Félix Sabio González, Honduras
First Vice President: Bertha Cuadra Cuadra, Nicaragua
Second Vice President: Allan Sharp, Belize
General Secretary: Carlos Enrique Santis Rangel, Guatemala
Treasurer: Shean Jyh Liou, El Salvador
First Vocal: Carlos Echandi, Costa Rica
Second Vocal: Marco Pérez, Panama
To the center Lic. Cristobal Marte President of NORCECA and Felix Sabio President of AFECAVOL, others members of the Board of Directors AFECAVOL
The Ordinary General Assembly had the active participation of NORCECA President, Mr. Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, who addressed the assembly, commending AFECAVOL’s work in 2023, stating, “Among the three Zonal Associations of NORCECA, AFECAVOL is an example of development and organization in our region. Its members have faced and overcome adversities in each of their countries, and with the work and assistance of NORCECA, they have managed to overcome them”.
President Marte Hoffiz emphasized congratulating AFECAVOL for fulfilling its competition schedule and ensuring the development of volleyball in Central America.
“AFECAVOL is an institution that has looked after the development of the zone and not just an individual country. In that sense, the evaluation by NORCECA is positive”, added Marte Hoffiz.
During the working session, the 2023 reports from the Presidency, Treasury, and Administrative Secretariat of AFECAVOL were approved. Additionally, working commissions presented reports for 2023 and proposals for 2024.
President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz also presented the NORCECA Presidency report and informed the assembly that he would run for the NORCECA Presidency in the upcoming 2024 Congress for his last four-year term according to the FIVB constitution.
One of the highlights during the session was President Sabio´s new initiative and approval to create the AFECAVOL Women’s and Men’s Volleyball Final Four senior events, where the top four countries in the AFECAVOL ranking will compete.
In the 2024 plans, is the effort to organize the Central American Beach Volleyball Tour and incorporate it into the NORCECA Tour.
The host countries for the 2024 Competitions were also decided (dates to be confirmed).
Volleyball:
– VI Central American Women’s U-23 Championship *rescheduled* (born in 2002) – El Salvador
– I Central American Girls’ U17 Championship (born in 2008) – Nicaragua
– I Central American Boys’ U17 Championship (born in 2008) – Costa Rica
– XV Central American Women’s U19 Championship (born in 2006) – Honduras
– XV Central American Men’s U19 Championship (born in 2006) – El Salvador
– XX Central American Women’s U21 Championship (born in 2004) – Belize
– XX Central American Men’s U21 Championship (born in 2004) – Panama
– I Central American Men’s Final Four Championship – Guatemala
– I Central American Women’s Final Four Championship – Costa Rica/Nicaragua/Honduras
Beach Volleyball:
– The AFECAVOL Executive Committee will session in a future date to decide dates, integrate events into the NORCECA Tour, and determine the host countries and dates for U17 and U19 Central American Championships.
President Félix Sabio expressed his gratitude for the commitment and support of all members in January 2020, just two months after the global Covid-19 pandemic declaration.
President Félix Sabio’s message was of gratitude for the AFECAVOL members’ commitment to support and contribute to his presidency when he took the position in January 2019, just two months before the global Covid-19 Pandemic was declared.
“We took on challenges and overcame them. We will continue to be a reference in NORCECA as the most active, organized, and forward-thinking Zonal Association. A lot of events are scheduled for 2024, where we will add four new events to our competition calendar, which I am convinced will be a success”, said Félix Sabio.
He also informed the assembly that AFECAVOL’s upcoming Assemblies will take place in November and concluded the session by thanking the trust and support of NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte and NORCECA General Director Arateide Cáceres”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 12, 2023.- Maximiliano Aponte, outside hitter for Puerto Rico, was selected the Most Valuable Player “MVP” of the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship that concluded on Sunday at Manuel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
Aponte was handed the award during the closing ceremony after Puerto Rico was crowned champion. Aponte was also awarded as the Second Best Spiker.
Also from team Puerto Rico, Fernando Castello was selected the Best Blocker, Erick Vazquez the Best Opposite, outside hitter Adrian Carrillo the Best Receiver and Ignacio Cruz the Best Libero and Best Digger.
Emi Diaz of Mexico received the awards for Best Spiker, Best Server and Best Scorer. His teammate middle blocker was granted the Second Best Blocker award.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 12, 2023.- Puerto Rico defeated Mexico 3-1 (25-23, 24-26, 25-16, 25-20) to win the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship on Sunday at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico.
Puerto Rico finished the event with a 5-0 record and Mexico with 5-1. Both teams, along with Cuba, qualified to the 2024 FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship, as the three top finishers of the NORCECA U17 Championship.
Puerto Rico’s 14-7 advantage in blocks were crucial in winning the gold medal match, as well as their 30 points on Mexico’s errors. Both teams leveled in 51 kill points. Mexico held a 7-4 margin in aces and scored on 20 opponent errors.
Opposite hitter Erick Vazquez of Puerto Rico scored a match-high of 25 points on 23 kills and two blocks. Middle blocker Fernando Castello contributed to the win with 15 points on match-high of 9 stuff blocks and 6 kills. Outside hitter Adrian Carrillo added 11 points.
Puerto Rico Campeon
Outside hitter Emi Diaz led Mexico with 21 points on 17 kills, 5 blocks and a match-high of 4 aces. Opposite hitter Ricardo Gonzalez contributed 18 points on 17 kills and one ace.
Puerto Rico dominated the first set mainly with their tough kills, but Mexico managed to tie at 23 points with González’s attack and Villalobos’ block. However, Puerto Rico closed the set with an ace from Aponte. Mexico leveled the match winning the second after losing a set point to Castello’s block. Puerto Rico controlled the third set, establishing a significant lead from the beginning (11-6), against an erratic opponent, and sealed the victory in the fourth set led by Vazquez and Castello, this last one secured the gold medal point with a stuff block”.
Gustavo Alvarez, captain of Puerto Rico said “It’s really exciting to win in front of the fans, a gym at its full capacity and it’s an honor to win the tournament, I really liked the tournament. I believe our serves and defense were very effective to take the win”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 12, 2023.- Cuba took the final berth for the 2024 FIVB World Championship winning the bronze medal 3-0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-22) over Costa Rica at the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship on Sunday at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
Cuba finished the tournament with 3-2 record and qualified to the first edition of the Under-17 Boys’ FIVB World Championship as one of the top three finishers. Costa Rica ends 3-3.
Cuba outperformed Costa Rica 45 to 27 in attacking points, 6 to 2 in points from blocks and 6-0 in aces. Cuba scored on 18 opponent errors and handed out 13.
Yosdani Medina led Cuba scoring 16 points on 13 kills, one block and two aces. Middle blocker Julio Acosta added 10 points and team captain Byron Herrera tallied 9.
Julian Soto CRC
On Costa Rica’s side, middle blocker Julian Soto De Franco led with 13 points, while opposite Ignacio Morales and middle blocker Derek Farley registered 6 points each.
The most contested set was the third, when Costa Rica trailed from a three-point deficit (19-22) on effective serves and Cuban errors for a close finish.
Byron Herrera Cuba’s captain said “Costa Rica played good volleyball and so did we. We achieved our goal of qualifying to Worlds and we also wanted the gold medal, but it didn’t happen; it will be next time”.
Costa Rica’s captain Gabriel Córdoba said “We gave our best during the tournament, we never were an easy opponent, this is a historic fourth place for Costa Rica. We need to collect more experience to win a medal in the future”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 12, 2023. – Honduras closed the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship in eighth place over Suriname 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-23, 25-22) on Saturday at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
Honduras finished with a 1-4 record for position eight and Suriname 1-5 for position nine. In the preliminary round, Honduras had lost to Suriname in five sets.
Honduras was better in attacks (41-38) and in aces (7-3), while Suriname led in blocks (9-6). Honduras committed one error less than Suriname (40-41).
Honduras
Honduras’ team captain Saul Coca, was the top scorer of the match with 20 points on 17 attacks and 3 blocks, followed by the outside hitter Esdras Ramírez with 13 points.
Three players from Suriname scored double digits, led once again by opposite Javier Nasibdar with 14 points, and outside hitters Issaiah Olijfveld and Mathew Lie Ten with 13 and 11 points respectively.
After losing the first set, Suriname quickly took a 17-9 lead to tie the match, winning the second set, but Honduras wasn’t surprised and managed to win the next two sets with advantages from the start.
Saul Coca, captain of Honduras, commented on the previous match against Suriname, “We were able to learn from our mistakes, we noticed that Suriname’s high balls ended in touches, so we adjusted to defend better. We are happy to take the victory”.
Roberto Benschop, captain of Suriname said “It was a fun tournament, a great learning experience for me and my team. The match could have gone better, I think compared to the previous one, we had too many mistakes”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 11, 2023.- Mexico beat Cuba 3-1 (22-25, 28-26, 27-25, 25-20) to play for the title of the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
Mexico will face Puerto Rico in the gold medal match; both qualified to the 2024 FIVB World Championship. Cuba goes against Costa Rica for bronze and the last berth for Worlds according to FIVB regulations.
Mexico prevailed on points from serves 11-3 and scoring 31 points on Cuba’s errors. Cuba held advantages in kills 52-48 and a slight 13-12 margin in blocks. Mexico gave away 28 points on unforced errors.
Opposite hitter Ricardo Gonzalez of Mexico scored a match-high of 22 points on 20 kills, one block and one ace. Outside hitters Emi Yanixan Diaz and Oskar Gonzalez contributed 17 and 15 points respectively. Diaz on 15 kills and two aces, and Gonzalez on 10 kills, two blocks and two aces.
Daniel Fajardo MEX
Cuba’s top scorers were middle blocker Julio Acosta with 17 points on 11 kills, 5 blocks and one ace, captain Byron Herrera with 16 points on 13 kills and 3 blocks, and outside hitter Andy Marrero with 14 points.
Despite Mexico’s efforts trailing on four points (16-21), Cuba won the first set benefiting from Mexico’s errors, in addition to Marrero and Acosta attacks.
México won the second and third sets in a dramatic fashion. Closing set two on a kill by Emi Diaz and an ace by Tomás Villalobos; and the third set, after losing two set points, was sealed with a powerful attack from Oskar Gonzalez.
The teams tied at 12 in the fourth, but from there on, Mexico remained on top, closing on a service error from Cuba.
Mexico’s coach, Denis Omar Rivera, said about the victory, “It was a nail-biting game. Mexico adjusted, pressured Cuba with the serves, and played with heart, which was the team’s defining characteristic. The support from the fans was spectacular; it gave us goosebumps. We are very grateful for that”.
Cuba’s coach, Mario Izquierdo, expressed, “It was all about tactical errors; the team made a lot of mistakes in the tactical approach we had planned to face Mexico. Mexico knew how to exploit our weaknesses and secured the victory. Now we have to fight for the bronze and the berth for the World Championship because there are only three slots available”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 11, 2023.- Puerto Rico beat Costa Rica 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-19) in semifinals to reach the gold medal match of the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship in Gymnasium Miguel Hidalgo of Poza Rica, Mexico.
Puerto Rico will face the winner between Mexico and Cuba for the gold medal, while Costa Rica goes against the loser for the bronze medal.
Four players led Puerto Rico with double digits, outside hitter Maximiliano Aponte (15), middle blockers Fernando Castello (11) and Jorge Suarez (11), and opposite hitter Erick Vazquez (10).
Derek Farley led Costa Rica with 10 points, Ignacio Morales added 9 points.
Fernando Castello PUR
Puerto Rico was superior to Costa Rica in every skill of the game, kills (43-31), blocks (7-4) and aces (6-4). Costa Rica committed one less error than Puerto Rico (19-20).
The first set had a quicker pace. Puerto Rico closed the second set after missing five set points (25-14). Costa Rica in the third set rallied from seven points (10-22) with good defense and opponent errors.
Puerto Rico’s libero, Ignacio Cruz, said after the victory, “We had a faster game at the beginning. Our attitude declined, and that affected our rhythm. We were always putting pressure on Costa Rica, even though they recovered at some point. I think for tomorrow, we need to improve our passing and blocking; I believe we can win the gold medal”.
José Gutiérrez, libero of Costa Rica, said, “We had many ups and downs because we faced a tough opponent; at times, we did very well. I think we had too many errors in defense and reception. We are still going to fight for the bronze”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 11, 2023.- Guatemala with a five-set comeback 3-2 (23-25, 14-25, 27-25, 25-21, 15-9) victory of Dominican Republic finished fifth place at the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship on Saturday at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
Guatemala finished the event with 3-2 record and Dominican Republic with 1-3 for positions five and six respectively.
Guatemala recovered from a two-set deficit to control Dominican Republic 49-46 in kills and 10-5 in blocks. Dominican Republic held a significant 13-3 advantage in aces. Guatemala ended with one unforced error less than Dominican Republic (41-42).
Luis Mendizabal, Guatemala’s team captain, led his team with 19 points on 16 kills and 3 aces. Also contributing to the win, outside hitter Juan Carlos Menendez and middle blocker José Quintana added 12 points each.
Daniel Fernandez DOM
Dominican outside hitter Malik Britton was the leading attacker in the match with 25 points on 22 kills, two blocks and one ace, accompanied by middle blocker Marvin Rodriguez with 17 points and team captain Allen Baldera with 14 points.
Dominican Republic snatched the first set from Guatemala recovering from a seven-point deficit (4-11). Britton and Rodriguez took charge of Dominican Republic’s offensive in winning a comfortable second set. Guatemala forced another set, winning a contested third set. The Central Americans kept on strong with Mendizabal and Asencio up to the tie-break win.
Edvin López, head coach of Guatemala said, “We neutralized their most powerful player (Britton). The athletes were able to analyze the game after losing the first two sets and applied themselves well. There were players we had to motivate to keep them from losing concentration”.
Victor Bermudez, head coach of Dominican Republic, said, “I think our physical condition took a toll on us. We started very well, but we couldn’t keep the pace. They (Guatemala) were more consistent, and that’s why they took the victory”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 11, 2023.- Nicaragua defeated Suriname 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-12) to finish seventh place at the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship on Saturday at Gymnasium Miguel Hidalgo in Poza Rica, Mexico.
Nicaragua ends the event with 1-3 record and seventh place. Suriname will face Honduras on Sunday for positions 8-9.
Nicaragua’s huge 41-12 advantage in attacks was to thank for in its straight set victory over Suriname. Nicaragua also led 9-2 in aces, while Suriname held a slight 3-2 advantage in blocks. Both teams committed 23 unforced errors.
Suriname
Outside hitter Bradley Cordon from Nicaragua led all scorers with 21 points, on 19 kills and two aces. Joshuan Rivas and Ismael Martinez added 9 and 8 points respectively.
Javier Nasibdar topped Suriname with 9 points.
Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua said, “Developing this age-group is very beneficial, and it was a nice tournament. Unfortunately, we were in a tough group. We fought hard, and each match was a learning experience for the boys. We were confident in winning this match based on what we had observed from Suriname. We hope to work more with this new generation and age-group, getting fully involved in Central America for the upcoming tournaments”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 10, 2023.- Mexico defeated Guatemala 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-21) to win Pool A undefeated and Costa Rica finished second in the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship on Friday at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
On Saturday, Mexico faces Cuba in semifinals and Costa Rica (3-1) goes up against Puerto Rico. Guatemala (2-2) will play for fifth place against Dominican Republic.
Mexico held a 43-25 advantage in kills and a 7-3 margin in aces. Both teams were leveled to 7 points in blocks. Guatemala committed fewer unforced errors 18 to 23.
Outside hitter Emi Yanixan Diaz led Mexico with 19 points on 17 kills and two aces, joined by opposite hitter Ricardo Rivera with 12 points on 9 kills, one block and two aces.
Guatemala’s top scorer was outside hitter Jose Asencio with 10 points.
Ricardo Gonzalez GUA
Mexico comfortably took the first set and then closed a tight second set after losing two set points. Guatemala capitalized on Mexico’s errors and with good defense jumped to a seven-point lead (11-4) in the third set, however gained momentum leveling the score to 12 with strong kills and sealed the win.
Manuel Delgado, setter of Mexico, said, “We recovered from being seven points down in the second set because we couldn’t score on kills; our passing failed. I feel that today we played relaxed because yesterday we secured a spot in the World Championship. Guatemala pressured us; I think they were the toughest team we faced. In the end, we got the result. We need to improve our attitude for the semifinal and start strong”.
Guatemala’s top scorer, José Asencio, said, “We made a great effort against a great opponent. I believe we could have done more; we failed in reception. Tomorrow, we want to win fifth place”.
POZA RICA, M3xico, November 10, 2023.- Costa Rica beat Suriname 3-0 (25-7, 25-10, 25-10) and waits to determine its final position in Pool A at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship being held at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
Costa Rica with 3-1 record in Pool A will wait for the result between Mexico and Guatemala to see if they advance to semifinals.
Suriname (1-3) finished fourth in Pool A to face Nicaragua on Saturday for seventh place; the loser will play for positions 8 to 9 against Honduras on Sunday.
Costa Rica outperformed Suriname in kills (47-11), in blocks (6-0) and aces (5-2), committing 14 errors against 17.
Julian David Soto de Franco CRC
Costa Rica’s middle blocker Julian Soto topped all scorers with 16 points on 15 kills and one block. Jean Carlo Vega and Derek Faley added 11 points each.
Costa Rica was dominant over Suriname, maintaining a sizable lead throughout the entire match.
Julian Soto, Costa Rica’s top scorer, said, “We came with a plan to play with quick balls and open the sides and today we executed it well, achieving a good result. We’ll wait to see what position we end up in. Thankfully, things have gone well”.
Isaiah Olijfveld from Suriname expressed, “We didn’t block, the defense fell apart”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 10, 2023.- Guatemala won 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-12) against Suriname to keep its hopes alive to move into the NORCECA Boys’ U17 semifinals at Poza Rica, Mexico and qualify to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.
Guatemala stands 2-1 in Pool A and will finish pool-play against Mexico (3-0), while Suriname (1-2) goes against Costa Rica (2-1). There is still one spot for semifinals and a slot for the FIVB 2024 World Championship up for grabs.
Guatemala prevailed over Suriname with a 37-18 advantage in kills and a 6-4 margin in blocks. Suriname held a 9-6 advantage in aces. Guatemala scored on 25 opponent unforced errors and committed 17 of their own.
Luis Mendizabal GUA
Opposite hitter and team captain Luis Mendizabal scored a match-high of 17 points on 14 kills, one block and four aces. Outside hitter Juan Menendez chipped in 10 points on 8 kills and two aces.
Suriname’s leading attacker was opposite hitter Javier Nasibdar with 9 points, followed by outside hitter Roberto Benschop with 8 points.
Guatemala started off strong with an 8-0 lead in the first set. Guatemala won a roller coaster second set pressured by a more settled Suriname, but finally took the win in straight sets.
Guatemala’s coach, Edvin López, said, “We are very happy; we came in with a positive mindset to achieve the 3-0 victory, and we succeeded. The boys rested well and recovered for today. We hope to have a good match against Mexico tonight and fight for qualification. Today, we improved in reception, which was a factor against Costa Rica. The team is progressing, and we will give our all against Mexico”.
Carlos Orta Fellove, Suriname’s coach, expressed, “Guatemala is a team with more experience than Suriname, better man-to-man, dominating more technical elements. We did everything possible to try to win and preserve the players’ strength because we have another match tonight, so I made several changes. In my opinion, we played well”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 10, 2023. – Costa Rica defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-13, 25-9, 25-10), improving their record to 2-1 in the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship taking place at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
Costa Rica (2-1) in Pool A, will face Suriname tonight, aiming to reach the semifinals and winning the last slot to the FIVB 2024 World Championship.
Honduras finished fifth place in Pool A and will play for positions eight and nine on Sunday.
Costa Rica had control throughout the entire match, finishing with a sizable 35-15 lead in kills, 7-1 in blocks, and 4-2 aces. Costa Rica scored 29 points from Honduras’ errors and handed out 14.
Derek Farley CRC
Two middle blocker led Costa Rica, Derek Farley with 16 points (15 attacks, one ace) and Julian Soto with 14 points (11 attacks, 3 blocks). Opposite hitter Ignacio Morales contributed 9 points.
From Honduras, outside hitter Esdras Ramírez ended with 6 points.
Derek Farley from Costa Rica said, “At first, it was challenging for us because we didn’t know the opponent. We were able to settle in and secure a comfortable victory. Costa Rica’s determination was evident today, as well as in previous matches; that defines us as a country”.
“Yesterday’s match was thrilling, emotional, and exhausting; we thought we could win it. Costa Rica has an advanced level, and my boys are still processing yesterday’s loss. We are still in competition, and we will give our all. The team is learning to be resilient, and I am proud of how they are embracing the process”, said Honduras coach Alejandro Castillo.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 9, 2023. – Mexico swept Costa Rica 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-15), securing their spot in semifinals of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship and qualifying for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.
Mexico with a perfect 3-0 record in Pool A, secured their spot in Saturday’s semifinals and one of the four berths to the World Championship next year.
Mexico ends the preliminary round against Guatemala in Friday’s second session matches. Costa Rica with 1-1 record will play in Friday’s first session against Honduras (0-3) and Suriname (1-1) in the second session.
Mexico’s powerful 47 to 25 lead in attacks, was the key to dominating Costa Rica; they were also better in points from serves 5-3. Both teams scored 7 blocking points and committed 16 unforced errors.
Mexico celebrates
Mexican Emi Yanixan Díaz led all scorers with 21 points on 18 kills, one block, and two aces. Opposite hitter Ricardo González contributed to the win with 13 points, and outside hitter Sebastián Melesio added 10 points.
Costa Rica’s leading scorer was central player Ángel Monge with 8 points. Costa Rica suffered the loss of middle blocker Deniz Vargas in the first set.
Mexico’s coach, Denis Omar Rivera, said, “We’ve already achieved the goal of qualifying for the World Championship. Now, we need to focus on what’s ahead, finish the tournament well, and aim for a medal. We studied the opponent well statistically, worked on it in the morning, and were able to control Costa Rica, which is a good team. Our attack was decisive”.
Felipe Jenkins, Costa Rica’s coach, stated, “Mexico is a good team. However, when we were gaining momentum, we lost a crucial piece in the team (Deniz Vargas), one of our best players who contributes to both defense and offense. Things didn’t go our way. It’s a great experience, and the players are gaining valuable experience. Tomorrow, we have the opportunity to keep fighting, and the chance to qualify for the World Championship is still on the table”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 9, 2023. – Puerto Rico won a five-set thriller 3-2 (20-25, 26-24, 25-17, 22-25, 18-16) against Cuba for the top spot in Pool B at the NORCECA U17 Men’s Continental Championship in Poza Rica, Mexico. Both teams advanced to the semifinals.
Puerto Rico won Pool B undefeated with a 3-0 record, while Cuba took second place with a 2-1 record. Both teams advanced to Saturday’s semifinals and also qualified for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.
In the match statistics, Puerto Rico led in kills 61-57 and service points 12-2, while Cuba had an advantage in blocks 11-7. Puerto Rico scored 31 points on Cuban errors and gave away 37 points.
Outside hitter Adrian Carrillo led Puerto Rico with 17 points on 11 kills, one block, and a match-high of 5 aces. Opposite hitter Erick Vazquez and middle blocker Jorge Suarez also contributed with 16 points each.
Andy Marrero CUB Jose Andres Soriano PUR
The leading scorer of the match was Cuban Yosdani Medina with 21 points on 19 kills and two blocks. He was joined by captain Byron Herrera with 12 points and outside hitter Andy Marrero with 11 attack points.
Puerto Rico recovered from losing the first set, evening the score after winning the second set with a six-point consecutive rally and recovering from a eight-point deficit (9-17).
Before celebrating the victory in the tie-break, Puerto Rico lost two match points (14-12) to Cuba’s block but in the end won in a dramatic finish 18-16 with a block by Erick Vazquez.
Puerto Rico’s coach, Carlos De Sevilla, commented on the historic win over Cuba, saying, “This is history. Cuba is a volleyball powerhouse in all categories. We are proud and happy for our program and the work we are doing. The boys had great motivation to win, without taking away credit from Cuba, who made us sweat until the end. We gave a great game to the people of Poza Rica, who deserve it”.
Cuba’s coach, Mario Izquierdo, said, “We had many ups and downs during the match. The boys knew how to recover and put up a fight. We let our guard down in receiving-passing-attacking when we almost had secured the second set; it’s natural in this age group, due to emotions. They have to experience and learn from it. The goal of qualifying for the World Championship was achieved, but we are going for the gold medal”.
POZA RICA, México, November 9, 2023.- Dominican Republic dominated Nicaragua 3-1 (29-27, 16-25, 25-21, 25-21) in its first win at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship being held at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
Dominican Republic (1-2) finished third place in Pool B and will play for the fifth and sixth place of the event on Saturday. Nicaragua (0-3), fourth in the pool, will compete for the seventh place on Saturday, and the loser will have an additional game on Sunday for positions eight and nine.
Jael Rivas HON
Dominican Malik Britton was unstoppable, scoring 31 points (29 kills, one block, one ace), a tournament-high so far. Team captain Allen Baldera contributed 14 points (11 kills, one block, two aces), and middle blocker Marvin Rodríguez added 13 points (8 kills, 4 blocks, one ace).
Nicaragua’s middle blocker Ismael Martínez scored 23 points (22 kills, one block), and outside hitters Bradley Cordon and Joshuan Rivas contributed 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Dominican Republic held advantages in attacks (55-45) and blocks (10-5), while Nicaragua led in aces (7-5). Dominican Republic committed more unforced errors than Nicaragua (37-25).
Before Dominican Republic won the first set, Nicaragua lost two set points and then outperformed the Dominican team in the second set. Dominican Republic recovered from a three-point deficit (16-19) to win the third set and from a six-point deficit (8-14) to win the fourth set.
Michael Ramírez, setter of Dominican Republic, said, “We started the game to slow, into Nicaragua’s rhythm. The coach made the necessary changes for us to recover. We all worked together to achieve the victory”.
Ismael Martínez, Nicaragua’s top scorer, said, “It was a tough match, and we didn’t do a good job throughout the game. This has been our best match so far because we are more in sync. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the victory”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 9, 2023. – Suriname edged past Honduras 3-2 (25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 15-9) in their first victory at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
Suriname holds a record of one win and one loss; on Friday morning, they will face Guatemala (1-1), and in the evening, they will play against Costa Rica. Honduras, with a record of 0-3, will compete against Costa Rica in the morning in their last pool-play match.
Suriname led in service points 11-9, while Honduras had the advantage in attacks 48-40 and blocks 9-7. Suriname scored 52 points from Honduras’ errors and gave away 37.
Three players of Suriname scored double digits, led by opposite hitter Javier Nasibdar (15), followed by outside hitter Mathew Lie Ten (14), and team captain Roberto Benschop (13).
Isaiah Olifveld SUR
Saul Coca, captain of Honduras, was the top scorer of the match with 28 points, on 23 kills and a match-high of 5 aces.
Suriname won the first set after overcoming three set points (24-19). In the second set, the Caribbean team rallied from behind (12-17), had a tight finish tied at 22, and maintained the lead on the scoreboard. The roles switched in the third set as Honduras came from behind (6-12) to force a fourth set, closing it with a spectacular block from middle blocker Max Rubio.
Honduras forced a tie-break by winning the fourth set, leading from point 11. Despite Honduras’ efforts to recover from a two-set deficit, it was not enough to secure the victory.
“We made a lot of mistakes, we got a bit lazy, and Honduras took advantage. Our attacks and serves were better than Honduras. We must improve our passing for our next matches” said Suriname’s top scorer Javier Nasibdar.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 8, 2023.- Mexico won its second match of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship with a 3-0 (25-14, 25-8, 25-14) victory over Honduras on Wednesday at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
Mexico stands 2-0 in Pool A while Honduras is 0-2. The first and second placed teams of each pool advance to semifinals. The tournament offers four slots for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.
On Thursday, Mexico (2-0) will face Costa Rica (1-0) and Honduras (0-2) goes against Suriname (0-1).
Mexico’s strength in attacks was too much for Honduras to handle. The home team held a 41-9 advantage in kills, a slight 4-3 margin in blocks and 8-1 in aces. Both teams committed a similar number of unforced errors, Mexico 23, and Honduras 22.
Ricardo Gonzalez MEX
Mexican opposite hitter Ricardo Gonzalez led with a match-high of 20 points on 17 kills, one block and two aces. Outside hitter Emi Diaz added 17 points on 13 kills, one block and three aces.
Daniel Fajardo, the captain of Mexico, said, “In our second victory, we feel very happy. We have a clear understanding of what we are doing and where we are heading. Today was a good match, just like yesterday. We know that tomorrow will be a great match against Costa Rica. We watched them today, and with the support of the fans, we hope to secure the win”.
Angel Ellner, libero of Honduras, expressed, “It’s our first international tournament for the team. We are proud to be participating in the tournament. We lack experience, but little by little, we are improving, and tomorrow we will give our all”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 8, 2023. Costa Rica won a roller-coaster battle 3-2 (23-25, 25-7, 23-25, 25-19, 15-8) against Guatemala at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship taking place at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
This was Costa Rica’s first match, while Guatemala has a 1-1 record in Pool A. The first and second-place teams in the pool advance to the semifinals and qualify for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.
On Thursday, Costa Rica will face the host Mexico, and Guatemala (1-1) has a rest day.
Costa Rica celebrate
Costa Rica’s service (15-6) was a key skill for their victory over Guatemala. Costa Rica also had an advantage in attacks (59-43) and made fewer unforced errors (28-30). Both teams scored 7 points from blocks.
Costa Rica had three players with double digits, led by the middle blocker Julian Soto with 19 points, on 14 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 aces. Outside hitter Deniz Vargas scored 18 points on 15 kills and 3 aces, while opposite hitter Ignacio Morales added 12 points.
Guatemala was led by their captain Luis Mendizabal, the top scorer of the match with 23 points, on 19 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 aces.
Gabriel Córdoba, captain of Costa Rica, said, “We had very consistent preparation, training for seven months, every weekend, and I believe our physical condition was a decisive factor in today’s victory. Tomorrow, we face Mexico, and we’ll give it our all”.
Guatemala’s setter, Juan David Zúñiga, said, “I think our reception failed and there was also an excess of confidence. Tomorrow, we will study and rest to face Mexico on Friday”.
POZA RICA, México, November 8, 2023.- Cuba beat Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-17) to set up battle against Puerto Rico for first place in Pool B at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship that runs from November 7 to 12 at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
Cuba and Puerto Rico, both undefeated at 2-0, have already secured their spots in semifinals and two of the four tickets to the 2024 FIVB World Championship. Dominican Republic, with 0-2 record, will face Nicaragua (0-2) for the third place in the group.
Cuba’s blocking (11-3) stopped Dominican Republic’s intentions, who started the second and third sets with a four-point advantage. Cuba also finished with a 35-29 advantage in attack points and a 9-5 lead in service points. Cuba scored 20 points on Dominican errors while giving away 15.
Iverson Manuel Toledano CUB
Yosdani Medina was Cuba’s leading scorer with 16 points, on 9 kills, 2 blocks, and a match-high of 5 service points. Middle blocker Iverson Toledano and team captain Byron Herrera contributed 10 points each to Cuba’s victory.
For Dominican Republic, Malik Britton scored 13 kill points, the only player with double digits.
Yosdani Medina of Cuba said, “It was a match of ups and downs; there was a lack of focus. We managed to elevate our game by working as a team, which is our best quality; we are very united. We’re already in the semifinals and want to advance to the gold medal match”.
“During the start of the sets, we had more concentration and motivation, but our team’s morale dropped towards the end, and we lost. We have all the qualities to play better”, said Dominican Malik Britton”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 8, 2023. – Puerto Rico remains undefeated in the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship after a 3-0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-13) victory over Nicaragua at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
Puerto Rico has a 2-0 record in Pool B and will face Cuba on Thursday to conclude the preliminary round. Nicaragua, with a 0-2 record, will finish the pool-play against Dominican Republic. The first and second-placed teams in each group advance directly to the semifinals and qualify for the 2024 FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship.
Puerto Rico’s coach, Carlos De Sevilla, used all his players to finish with advantages of 46-20 in kills, 11-3 in blocks, and 10-2 points from serves, while limiting their errors to 8 points compared to Nicaragua’s 14.
Maximiliano Aponte PUR
Maximiliano Aponte from Puerto Rico was the only player with double digits, scoring 20 points from 14 kills, one block, and a match-high of 5 aces. Adrian Carrillo and Fernando Castello, who only played two sets each, contributed 9 and 8 points respectively.
Bradley Cordón was Nicaragua’s leading scorer with 8 points.
Maximiliano Aponte from Puerto Rico spoke about tomorrow’s match against Cuba, “There’s always something to improve; we need to communicate better and be more effective in blocking. Cuba is a strong team, and we hope to fight until the end. I’m proud of my team, for my country”.
Bradley Cordón from Nicaragua said, “Honestly, today we lacked communication; the team played unfocused and made too many mistakes”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 7, 2023. – Mexico was dominant against Suriname 3-0 (25-10, 25-8, 25-9) in the inaugural edition of the NORCECA U-17 Boys’ Continental Championship, that started on Tuesday at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico.
The tournament grants four slots for the FIVB Boys’ U-17 World Championship to be held next year.
Mexico had no trouble jumping to a significant lead in all three sets. Their powerful attacks (39-9), unstoppable serves (10-0), and effective blocking (8-0) prevented Suriname from executing their game plan. Mexico committed 18 unforced errors, while Suriname ended with 23.
Silva MEX attacks
Mexican outside hitter Emi Diaz was its leading scorer with 16 points on 10 successful attacks and 6 aces. Opposite hitter Ricardo Gonzalez contributed 11 points from 10 successful attacks and one block.
On day two of competition, Mexico (1-0) goes up against Honduras (0-1) and Suriname (0-1) will have the day off.
Daniel Fajardo, captain of Mexico said “It’s an impressive victory, the people who came to support us are incredible. We were nervous at the beginning, but we managed to control the match, dominate in every set, and the result came through. We were able to execute everything we’ve worked on. Emi Yanixan did really well.”.
Roberto Benschop, captain of Surinam said “It’s not that bad. This is our first international tournament and the first time some of the players have played for Suriname. Facing the home crowd wasn’t easy. We weren’t afraid”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 7, 2023.- Guatemala topped Honduras in straight sets 25-20, 25-18, 25-12 in opening day at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship in Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium of Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico.
Guatemala and Honduras compete in Pool A, the top two teams of each pool will move directly into semifinals and qualify to the FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship to be held in 2024.
Guatemala slowly gained more control over Honduras after the first set, to finish with advantages in kills (34-20), blocks (7-4) and aces (8-6). Guatemala scored 26 points on Honduras’ errors and handed out 20.
Angel David Ellener HON
The top scorers on both teams, outside hitter Juan Menendez of Guatemala and team captain Saul Coca of Honduras, scored 13 points each. Menendez had 8 kills, 2 blocks and 3 aces, while Coca scored 12 kills and one ace.
Also contributing to Guatemala’s victory were José Asencio and Luis Mendizabal added 12 and 11 points respectively.
On Wednesday Guatemala will face Costa Rica and Honduras plays against host Mexico.
Guatemala’s captain, Luis Mendizábal, said, “It’s important to start the tournament with a 3-0 victory, it was pretty good for the first game, but we need to be more consistent for the upcoming matches. I’m proud of my team. We need to improve our serving, which was our biggest weakness today”.
Saul Coca, captain of Honduras stated, “I expected more from us; we were nervous and couldn’t control it, leading to many errors. Unfortunately, the game slipped away from us. We’re going after the victory in the next match”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 7, 2023.- Cuba used a 15-3 serve advantage to defeat Nicaragua 3-0 (25-6, 25-18, 25-13) in their opening match at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
The first edition of the continental championship qualifies four NORCECA teams to the 2024 FIVB age-group championship.
Besides points from serves, Cuba also led Nicaragua 32-15 in kills and 9-3 in blocks. Cuba committed 16 unforced errors and Nicaragua 19.
Setter Yosdani Medina scored 16 points for Cuba, on 9 kills, 2 blocks and a match-high of 5 aces. Outside hitters Andy Marrero and Samuel Rodriguez added 9 and 7 points respectively.
Yothuel Vergara CUB
Nicaragua’s opposite hitter Axel López scored 8 points, joined by middle blocker Ismael Martínez with 5 points.
Cuba’s (1-0) next match in Pool B is against Dominican Republic (0-1) and Nicaragua (0-1) faces Puerto Rico (1-0).
Regarding the victory, Cuba’s captain, Byron Herrera, said, “It was a very intense start for the team; it’s our first match representing our country, and we are very satisfied with the win. The attitude we had in the game was the team’s best skill. We need to stay strong throughout the championship and make fewer errors”.
Nicaragua’s captain, Axel Arbizu, said, “We started off weak because we were aware of Cuba’s strength and height, while we lack height. But in the second set, we managed to calm our nerves, and in the third, we adapted better. We need to improve our communication and understanding on the court”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 7, 2023.- Puerto Rico opened the first edition of the Boys’ U17 Championship defeating the Dominican Republic 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-12, 25-16) at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium.
The tournament will run from November 7 to 12 and will qualify four teams for the FIVB 2024 U17 Men’s World Championship.
Puerto Rico recovered from a slow start after losing the first set, earning their first victory in Group B with a 55-33 advantage in attacks, a sizable 11-5 margin in blocks, and 9-2 in points from serves. Dominican Republic scored 34 points from Puerto Rico’s errors and gave away 21.
Vazquez PUR attacks
Outside hitter Maximiliano Aponte led Puerto Rico with 16 points, on 14 attack points and two direct service points. Additionally, opposite hitter Erick Vazquez, contributed 14 points, on 10 attack points, one block, and 3 direct service points, followed by outside hitter Adrián Carrillo, with 13 points, on 10 attack points and 3 direct service points.
Dominican Malik Britton led all scorers with 21 points, on 18 attack points, two blocks, and one direct service point.
On Wednesday, Puerto Rica meets with Nicaragua and Dominican Republic with Cuba.
Gustavo Alvarez, captain of Puerto Rico, expressed, “In the first set, our problem was anxiety, emotions took control a bit. In the following sets, we found our rhythm, and we performed much better”.
Allen Baldera, captain Dominican Republic, said, “In the first set, we had a very good reception, which helped us with our attacks. After the first set, our reception failed a bit, and we ran out of options”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 6, 2023. – Nine teams are ready to take on a new challenge in the first edition of the Boys’ U17 Volleyball NORCECA Continental Championship from November 7 to 12 at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.
The continental tournament will grant the top four teams a ticket to the 2024 FIVB World Championship, marking the debut of this new category on a global level.
Coaches have given their first statements ahead of the competition.
Dom Preliminary Inquiry
Felipe Jenkins, Head Coach of Costa Rica: “We have been working for seven months because the event was originally scheduled for May. We have a valuable group of parents who supported us throughout the year to conduct training camps every 15 days across the country because we have players from different parts of Costa Rica. Our national tournament served each player as practice. We come very well prepared. All the teams here aim to qualify for the World Championship”.
Mari Izquierdo, Head Coach of Cuba: “We bring a 2008 generation with a lot of technical talent and height. These are young players from various provinces that we have been tracking for some time, and they have demonstrated their competitive quality. We hope to qualify for the World Championship, especially when it is the first opportunity to evaluate players for 2030. There is talent, hard work, and a strong desire to reach the goal”.
Victor Bermudez, Head Coach of the Dominican Republic: “We have a lot of faith that the team will have a good result; we will give our best and play good volleyball. This is a new category, and we want the young players to enjoy it without pressure, gaining experience. We’ve had the opportunity to train, and the conditions are optimal for the competition.”
Obed López, Head Coach of Guatemala: “We come excited to compete in this new category. We bring a lot of energy and a positive attitude to perform well while representing Guatemala. The first goal is to qualify for the World Championship, and the second would be to win a medal”.
Alejandro Castillo, Head Coach of Honduras: “The team comes with enthusiasm, passionate about this tournament. We trained for four months, and the team is in good shape. We dream of competing for a fourth place in the tournament”.
Denis Omar Rivera, Head Coach of Mexico: “The team is made up of players who are in high school, and many of them haven’t even competed at a national level, let alone at international level. We are happy and excited about the tournament. Our number one goal is to qualify for the world championship, and we are prepared to accomplish the result”.
Jorge Mena, Head Coach of Nicaragua: “It’s a new challenge, the first time an event in this category. There were difficulties in passport procedures, which is why several players couldn’t make it here. Nicaragua will give their best as always. In addition to our coaching roles, we also serve as mentors in the age category, providing a learning experience for the players in all aspects. We have the advantage that the athletes play in our first division league, which has contributed to their development”.
Carlos Sevilla, Head Coach of Puerto Rico: “Like in all NORCECA tournaments, strong teams are coming, and even though we haven’t been training for long, this is a group of players who typically play in their clubs, some together and others against each other, so they are quite unified despite the short preparation time. Our goal is to finish among the top two teams in Pool B and then make a big effort to reach the final”.
Furgil Ong-A-Fat, Assistant Coach of Suriname: “We’ve prepared for the tournament for several months, and we came to have a good competition, we’re going to give it our best shot. Most of the players are 14-15 years old and a few of them have already competed internationally in our CAZOVA event”.
POZA RICA, Mexico, November 5, 2023.- The Inaugural Boys’ Volleyball U17 NORCECA Championship will take place in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico from November 7-12, with nine teams competing to qualify to the first ever U17 World Championship.
The U17 NORCECA Championship comes in compliance to the qualification process towards the inaugural edition of the FIVB U17 World Championship to be held in 2024, announced in March.
The event grants four berths to the 2024 FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship.
The nine teams competing have been divided in two pools, in Pool A: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Suriname; Pool B: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Puerto Rico.
Preliminary poo-play will qualify the first and second places directly to the semifinals, while third and fourth placed teams will compete in the quarterfinal round.
The preliminary inquiry will take place on November 6, the competition starts on November 7 at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium.
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 4, 2023.- Enrique Honorato was awarded the Most Valuable Player award of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th Pan American Games Santiago 2023 after leading Brazil to the gold medal in the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Brazil claimed their fifth gold in the history of the Pan American. The last time Brazil won the Pan Am Games title was twelve years ago in Guadalajara 2011.
Joining Honorato during the awarding ceremony were his teammates Darlan Ferreira as Best Opposite and Best Server, Matheus Silva the Best Setter of the tournament and Maique Nascimento the Best Receiver.
From Argentina, Mauro Zelayeta was awarded the Second Best Spiker and Gustavo Maciel the Second Best Blocker.
Bronze medalist, Leandro Mejía of Colombia, was handed the award for Best Blocker.
Cuban Miguel López was recognized as the Best Spiker and Best Scorer. And Dominican Enger Mieses was named the Best Libero and Best Digger.
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 4, 2023.- Brazil claimed the Pan American Games gold medal defeating Argentina 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-22) in the final of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th edition of the Games Santiago 2023 that concluded on Saturday at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
This is Brazil’s fifth gold in the history of the Pan Am Games and the first silver medal for Argentina. The last time Brazil won the Pan Am Games title was twelve years ago in Guadalajara 2011.
Brazil outperformed Argentina 40-31 in kills, 6-5 in blocks, and 7-1 in service points. Brazil committed one less error than Argentina (21-22).
Brazil’s top scorer was the middle blocker Judson with 13 points on 10 kills, 2 blocks, and one ace. Opposite hitter Darlan added 12 points on 10 kills and 2 aces, while Adriano contributed 9 points on kills.
Argentina defense
Argentina’s captain, Facundo Conte, led his team with 13 points, on 10 kills and 3 blocks, joined by opposite player Bruno Lima with 11 kill points.
Brazil won the first set coming from behind (16-19) in a tight finish. In the second set, Brazil quickly surged to a 5-0 lead, with effective attacks and capitalizing on Argentina’s errors. Brazil once again prevailed in the third set, sealing the victory in consecutive sets.
Giuliano Ribas, the coach of Brazil, spoke after the victory, “The guys were spectacular from the first day they showed up back in Brazil. They understood the proposal despite the limited time. They were fully aware that they would have to give their best in this short training period we had. This championship is for them to launch into a deeper and longer-term evaluation so that we can shape the future of Brazilian volleyball with these talented youngsters. They understood it, took on the responsibility, and gave their all. There was no lack of commitment; they came together, and the coaching staff as well. We had little time, but we did quality work here in Santiago”.
Argentina’s coach, Martin López, indicated “It’s very difficult to make an assessment at this moment. It would have been fantastic if we had played as we did in the first set. We knew we didn’t have control of the match; we are a young team, young in every way. The amount of training, the mix of players, three of them continuing to write the history of volleyball in Argentina’s national team and others who are just starting to write it now. We must value this. In fact, I am happy; we cannot maintain this last image, but we can with our performance in the first set and throughout the tournament. Here we faced challenges, we fought, and that is the most important thing”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 4, 2023. – Colombia made history winning their first-ever medal in the history of the Pan American Games, after defeating Cuba 3-1 (32-31, 15-25, 29-27, 25-17) for the bronze medal at Santiago 2023 in the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Both teams finished the Santiago Games with a record of three games won and three lost. Colombia had lost to Cuba previously in pool-play in straight sets .
Colombia’s blocking made a difference, dominating Cuba 16-9, and leading in attacks 56-54. Cuba led in aces 7-2 and scored 29 points from Colombia’s errors compared to 27.
Colombia’s offense was led by their middle blockers; team captain Leandro Mejía with 19 points on 13 attacks and a match-high of 6 stuffed blocks, and Daniel Aponza with 17 points on 12 attacks and 5 blocks. Outside hitter Andrés Piza added 12 points.
Cuban team captain Miguel Angel López was its leading scorer with 19 points (16 attacks, 3 aces). Miguel Gutiérrez added 18 points (14 attacks, 3 blocks, one ace), and Alejandro González contributed 12 points (9 attacks, one block, 2 aces).
Miguel Gutierrez, CUB, attacks.
An exciting first set won by Colombia marked the start of the bronze medal match, with both teams missing set points. In the second set, Cuba’s offense and serves outperformed Colombia, and benefited from eleven Colombian errors.
In the third set, Colombia made a comeback from a four-point deficit (17-21), leveling the score to 21 and eventually securing a dramatic 29-27 victory. With solid blocking, Colombia dominated Cuba in the fourth set.
Colombia’s coach, Jorge Schmidt, expressed, “The first word I want to say is merit. We worked for this, we aimed for this, and it’s not arrogance on my part, those who know me well are aware of that. It’s a result of dedication. We deserve this outcome. We faced some setbacks in this game, but this is all part of a team that wants to establish itself on the global stage”.
On the other hand, Cuba’s coach, Jesus Angel López, stated “The team was put together in a hurry, it wasn’t possible to have some players here at the Pan American Games. We have the feeling that we could have won a medal in this tournament despite the team’s flaws in terms of the roster. But for many players, this was their first Pan American Games, so a fourth-place finish is a good result. We certainly have a bitter taste for not winning the medal and returning home without it”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 4, 2023.- Dominican Republic beat Mexico 3-1 (31-33, 25-22, 25-18, 25-22) for fifth place at the Men’s Volleyball tournament of the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Since 2013 of not competing at the Pan American Games, when they hosted the event, Dominican Republic concluded with 2 wins and 3 losses, for position five. Mexico ended with 1-4 record and position six.
Dominican Republic recovered from falling in a dramatic first set, to prevail over Mexico with a 6-2 margin in aces and scoring 37 points on opponent errors. Mexico had a slim 61-60 advantage in kills, 5-3 in blocks and scored on 27 Dominican errors.
Jorge Hernandez, MEX, defense
Dominican outside hitter Alexis Cruz scored on a match-high of 25 points, all on kills. Opposite Wilfrido Hernández contributed 18 points (16 kills, 2 aces) for the win, followed by outside hitter Henry López with 10 points on 6 kills and 4 aces.
Opposite Luis Hernandez led Mexico with 20 points on 19 kills and one ace, while outside hitter Mauro Fuentes produced 14 points on 13 kills and one block.
Dominican Republic’s coach, Alexander Gutiérrez, spoke after the victory, “The first thing I have to say is that it’s been 40 years since the Dominican Republic took part in the Pan American Games through qualification. We did play in 2013 in Santo Domingo because we were the host. Within our goals, we knew we could be among the top five, and we are confirming that aspiration we had. This is a group with future, and we need to be calm and have patience because it’s a young group that continues to strive. The fact that we were able to play on par with Argentina shows that we are on the right path, and I hope that in the future, the men’s Dominican Republic volleyball team will be talked about”.
Jorge Azair, coach of Mexico said, “We had many ups and downs, starting half through the season with the withdrawal of our setters. At the last moment, I called up a fourth setter, a young player who did very well, and I congratulate him. In the end, we had some injured players, Axel Rodríguez and Josué López, but I am at ease with the team’s work. They developed well and fought until the end”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 4, 2023 – Chile defeated Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-18) for seventh place at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Chile finished the tournament with a 3-3 record, while Puerto Rico with 1-5.
Chile’s blocking was the most effective skill, with a 13-3 advantage over Puerto Rico. Chile also led in attacks 41-38. Chile scored 21 points from Puerto Rico’s errors and gave away 14.
In the Chilean victory, opposite Tomás Parraguirre and captain Dusan Bonacic each scored 12 points. Outside hitter Vicente Parraguirre added 11.
Jamal Ellis, PUR, spikes
Opposite Jamal Ellis was Puerto Rico’s top scorer with 10 points, followed by middle blocker Jonathan Rodríguez with 9 points.
Tomás Parraguirre addressed the crowd “I sincerely thank you for always supporting us, whether we played at night or early in the morning; you were there. It was amazing, we had never received so much affection. Thank you very much”.
Puerto Rico’s middle blocker Jonathan Rodríguez said “All the players who made up the team came from abroad, from their leagues in Europe, from their universities in the United States, and others playing in our league with a heavy workload. Our preparation together was limited. We need to prepare better, have greater awareness of what happens on and off the court to perform better. Chile did a tremendous job today in front of their fans, and they didn’t want to end with a defeat in front of them. It was a well-deserved victory”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 3, 2023 – Brazil won in the semifinals against Colombia 3-0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-15) and will face Argentina on Saturday for the title in the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th Pan American Games Santiago 2023 at the Parque O’Higgins Arena.
Brazil hadn’t reached a final since Toronto 2015 when they lost to Argentina, who is now seeking its third consecutive title. This is the eleventh time that Brazil has reached the gold medal match in the history of the Pan American Games, having won four titles (Sao Paulo 1963, Caracas 1983, Río de Janeiro 2007, Guadalajara 2011).
Colombia will face Cuba in the bronze medal match, the first time in the history of the Pan American Games they will compete for a medal.
This was the second time in the tournament that Brazil defeated Colombia, they faced in pool-play in the opening match of men’s volleyball at Santiago 2023.
Roosvuelt Ramos, COL, defense
Despite a strong performance by Colombia in the first set, Brazil managed to win with a 43-31 advantage in attacks and 4-0 in serves. Both teams scored 4 blocks. Brazil committed 22 unforced errors, while Colombia had a total of 24.
Two players from Brazil reached double digits, with opposite Darlan scoring 18 points and middle blocker Judson adding 10 points.
Colombia’s opposite, Gustavo Larrahondo, led with 13 points and outside hitter Andrés Piza contributed 9 points.
Brazil’s libero, Maique Nascimento, said, “We have the South American Championship stuck in our throats, and it’s going to be a rematch. This game is a classic, and this court will be on fire! I hope we can present our best game, regardless of the result; the team will focus on this achievement, and this victory will surely be ours. We are working hard, and we will go after Argentina to secure this gold. This is Brazil, and God willing, everything will be fine!”
Colombia’s libero, Roosvuelt Ramos, commented, “My team is a young team with not much experience, but a lot of enthusiasm to be in the Pan American Games. We knew it would be a tough match, we tried, but we couldn’t beat Brazil. Tomorrow is another day, against Cuba, for the bronze medal, and heads up, we will reach the Pan American podium!”
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 3, 2023.- Argentina beat Cuba 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-18) in semifinals to defend their Pan American title in the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th Pan American Games Santiago 2023 at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Argentina will seek its third consecutive gold medal, their fourth gold overall (Mar del Plata 1995, Toronto 2015, Lima 2019). Argentina has won every time it has reached the title match at the Pan American Games. Argentina also has four bronze medals.
The defending champion, Argentina, will face the winner of the other semifinal between Brazil and Colombia in the Santiago 2023 title match on Saturday, while Cuba will vie for its fourth bronze medal in the history of the Games against the loser.
Miguel Lopez, CUB, spikes
After recovering from losing the first set, Argentina outscored Cuba 50 to 47 in attacking points, 13 to 7 in blocking points, and 3 to 2 in points from serves. Additionally, they scored 30 points from Cuban errors and handed out 27.
Argentina’s opposite Bruno Lima was the top attacker of the match with 24 points on 19 kills and 5 blocks. Contributing to the victory were captain Facundo Conte with 16 points, on 14 kills and 2 blocks, and middle blocker Gustavo Maciel with 10 points, including a match-high of 6 blocks, 3 attacks, and one ace.
Cuba’s captain, Miguel Angel López, led his team with 20 points, on 18 kills and two aces, joined by opposite Alejandro González with 18 kill points and middle blocker José Israel Masso with 12 points, on 8 kills and 4 blocks.
Argentina’s middle blocker Gustavo Maciel said, “We knew it would be tough because historically Cuba is a very strong team. We had to rotate the serve as fast as we could, in this case López’s serve, and we did it very well, and that’s what we had to aim for… and the victory came. We’re in the final!”
Cuban libero Yonder García, said “The beginning of the match was very good for us, but in the second set, things didn’t go as we expected, and the opponent surpassed us. We didn’t get the victory as we wanted to, but we’re going for the bronze medal. When we face Argentina and Brazil, the show is on!”
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 3, 2023.- Mexico defeated Puerto Rico in five sets 3-2 (25-21, 22-25, 25-21, 28-30, 16-14) in the classification match to face the Dominican Republic for the fifth place of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at Santiago 2023.
On Saturday, Mexico and the Dominican Republic will play for fifth place of the tournament, while Puerto Rico and host Chile will compete for seventh place.
Mexico outperformed Puerto Rico in attacks (68-59), blocks (10-7), and serves (5-2), but gave away more points on errors than Puerto Rico (43-33).
Outside hitter Mauro Fuentes led Mexico’s offense with 24 points, alongside opposite Luis David Hernandez with 23 points and outside hitter Jorge Hernandez with 14 points.
For Puerto Rico, team captain Pelegrin Vargas was their top scorer with 21 points. Opposite Jamal Ellis and outside hitter contributed 18 and 11 points, respectively.
Jamal Elis, PUR, attacks
Puerto Rico forced the tie-break in a dramatic fourth set, leading by three points (23-20), which Mexico extended to a 30-28.
In the tie-break, Puerto Rico lost the match point to Mauro Fuentes, who carried Mexico from a three-point deficit (11-14) with four consecutive kill points and Miguel Garcia closed it with a block.
Mauro Isaac Fuentes, Mexico’s top scorer, said about the dramatic finish “I think it was a moment of high adrenaline, and all my teammates were willing to do what we had to do, it wasn’t just me. We combined the four actions, offensive, defensive, blocking, where all my teammates were involved. I believe it was a good team effort, and this is what I would like to leave for everyone”.
Puerto Rico’s captain, Pelegrin Vargas, said, “In sports, there are moments of agony and moments of happiness. It could have been us, but today Mexico won a tight tie-break. I think we must use this to learn, to improve for the future. These are things that happen in sports, and that’s why everyone competes and always gives their best, and we certainly did the same. We go with our heads held high, but I am sad about the result”.
November 3, 2023.- The FIVB organized the fourth Zonal Association Presidents’ seminar on October 26, providing the Zonal Associations with an opportunity to share their latest achievements and updates.
Following presentations by a number of Zonal Association Presidents during the previous seminar, the remaining leaders have now shared details on their ongoing activities, achievements and future plans, which included Zonal members of our NORCECA Confederation
· Association of Central American Federations of Volleyball (AFECAVOL) President Felix Sabio Gonzalez
· North and Central Volleyball Zonal Association (NCVA) President Mark Eckert
· Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) President Mushtaque Mohammed.
Additionally, the FIVB President updated the Zonal Associations on the FIVB’s achievements since the last meeting. These achievements include the highly successful Olympic Qualification Tournaments, which saw six teams per gender secured tickets to next year’s Olympic Games Paris 2024, the latest results of the Volleyball Empowerment and Development programmes, and the recent election of FIVB Board of Administration member Cecilia Tait as an IOC member.
The discussions also focused on the successful conclusion of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships earlier this month.
Highlighting the tournament, FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F° said:
“Just earlier this month, we concluded a 10-day celebration of beach volleyball – the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships. For the first time in the event’s history, it was hosted in Mexico. Mexico did a remarkable job hosting these World Championships. From the very start of the event, they showcased warm hospitality as well as commitment to delivering one of the best events ever. From the Opening Ceremony and throughout the 10 days of exciting matches across three cities in the Tlaxcala region, Mexico once again proved its strong hosting credentials with full venues, passionate fans and an incredible atmosphere.”
FIVB General Director Fabio Azevedo, also highlighted some of the FIVB’s notable achievements through the Volleyball Empowerment and Development programmes:
“We are very proud of the results our programmes achieve all around the world. Just to share some examples with you, the Canada women’s national volleyball team has moved up to 11th place in the Senior World Rankings while fighting for a place at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Meanwhile, the France women’s national team has qualified for the VNL 2024, while their men’s beach volleyball teams have greatly improved and are hoping to potentially qualify two teams to Paris 2024. Mexico’s beach volleyball teams won gold in the men’s and bronze in the women’s events at the Central American and Caribbean Games 2023.
“The Belgium men’s national team took the OQT by surprise with their impressive performance, coming very close to qualifying for the Games and beating strong national teams. Gambia men’s beach volleyball team qualified for the World Championships 2021 and 2023 and is now fighting to be in Paris next year. In addition, the beach volleyball national teams of Thailand have greatly improved their performance and saw good results at the Asian Games. The Dominican Republic women’s team qualified for Paris 2024, topping their pool at the competition. And of course, our pilot project, the Kenya women’s national team were this year crowned African Nations Champions for the first time since 2015.”
The Presidents of the Continental Confederations and members of the FIVB Development and Volleyball Empowerment Commissions were also invited to join the seminar.
The next Zonal Association Presidents’ Seminar will be scheduled for the beginning of next year.
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 3, 2023.- Dominican Republic beat Chile in Tie-Break 3-2 (22-25, 25-19, 21-25, 26-24, 16-14) and on Saturday they’ll play for fifth place at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
On the last day of competition, Dominican Republic will play the winner between Mexico and Puerto Rico for fifth place; Chile goes up against the loser for seventh place.
It was a closely contested rematch for the Dominican Republic, who lost to Chile in four sets during pool-play.
Dominican Republic held one point in kills (74-73). Chile led in serves (5-0) and committed less errors (22-29). Both were leveled in 7 blocks.
Emger Mieses, DOM, defense
Dominican Wilfrido Hernández with 27 points led all scorers. Alexis Cruz finished with 21 points, while team captain Henry Tapia added 19 tallies all on kills.
Opposite Tomás Parraguirre led Chile’s attackers with 21 points, followed by sibling Vicente and team captain Dusan Bonacic with 20 points each.
The tie-break was leveled from point 10 until the final point. Chile was the first to reach match point on a serve error from Dominican Republic and then they lost a serve point as well. Henry Tapia with a kill reached match point once again and Alexis Cruz on a stuff block stopped captain Bonacic for the win.
Wilfrido Hernández, the top scorer of Dominican Republic, commented, “First, I want to thank God and congratulate the Chilean team. They are a strong opponent who always plays until the last ball. Today, the team that was in better physical condition won. We focused on making fewer mistakes than they did, and in the end, things went better for us than for them”.
Daniel Nejamkin, Chile’s coach, said after the loss, “Clearly, this was not the goal we were aiming for. We couldn’t make our dream come true of reaching the medal zone. Today, we lost in the tie-break, in a very closely contested match”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 2, 2023 – Cuba needed five sets, 3-2 (25-16, 25-21, 13-25, 22-25, 15-11), to overcome Puerto Rico and advance to the semifinals of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Cuba will face defending champions Argentina in Friday’s semifinals, while Puerto Rico will compete in classification matches for positions five to eight, starting against Mexico.
Cuba outperformed Puerto Rico in every element of the game, including attacks (62-52), blocks (14-9), and serves (9-5). Puerto Rico scored 32 points from Cuba’s errors while limiting their own errors to 15 points.
Cuban Miguel Angel López led all scorers with 28 points (23 kills, one block, 4 aces). Also contributing to Cuba’s victory was opposite hitter Miguel Gutiérrez, who added 18 points (17 kills, one ace), and Alejandro González, with 15 points (12 kills, 3 blocks).
Ismael Alomar, PUR, serves
For Puerto Rico, team captain Pelegrín Vargas and opposite hitter Jamal Ellis led with 16 points each. Vargas contributed 13 points on kills, one block, and 2 aces, while Ellis all on kills. Outside hitter Kevin López added 11 points, on 8 kills, one block, and two aces.
Puerto Rico came from a two-set deficit, winning the third set with Vargas, Ellis, and López, jumping to a seven-point lead, and dominated Cuba without difficulty. In the fourth set, they tied at six points, but Puerto Rico quickly took a 15-9 lead and reached a sizable lead (21-16) to force a tie-break.
With a quicker game, the fifth set was tied at 9, despite Puerto Rico’s precision in blocking, Cuba closed with strength.
Miguel Gutiérrez of Cuba said, “We played a great match and made it to the semifinals. After winning two sets, we lacked concentration, but we were able to adjust and win”.
Jonathan Rodríguez of Puerto Rico stated, “We know that Cuba is a strong opponent, a team with a lot of height and strength. We have our own advantages in terms of reception and passing. They clearly dominated us with their power, serving, and blocking. I’m proud of my team and what we’ve accomplished and to move forward”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 2, 2023. – Colombia advanced to the semifinals of the Men’s Volleyball Tournament at the Pan American Games with a 3-1 victory (25-20, 21-25, 25-19, 25-23) over host Chile, on Thursday at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Colombia will await the result of the other semifinal between Cuba and Puerto Rico to determine their opponent in the Friday semifinal (Argentina or Brazil). Chile will play classification matches for positions five through eight.
Colombia’s blocking (13-6) and serves (7-3) were key skills for their victory, they also finished with a slight advantage in kills (58-57). Chile benefited from 21 Colombian errors but committed 18 of their own.
Opposite hitter Gustavo Larrahondo and middle blocker Daniel Aponza each closed with 17 points for Colombia. Larrahondo on 10 attacks and a match-high of 4 points on blocking and on aces, while Aponza scored on 14 kills and 3 blocks. Outside hitter Andrés Piza added 14 points on 7 attacks, 4 blocks, and 3 service points.
Vicente Parraguire, CHI, attacks
Chilean Vicente Parraguirre scored 19 points on 18 attacks and one ace. He was joined by team captain Dusan Bonacic with 18 points on 17 attacks and one ace, and middle blocker Tomás Gago with 14 points on 11 attacks and 3 blocks.
Colombia, with the support of Andrés Piza’s blocking and attacks along with Daniel Aponza and Gustavo Larrahondo, dominated Chile in the first set, which seamed pressured by committing unforced errors, despite the offensive efforts of Vicente Parraguirre and Dusan Bonacic.
Despite Colombia’s efforts to recover from a four-point deficit (11-15) in the second set, Chile leveled the match with Tomás Parraguirre and Matías Jadue’s serves.
Colombia’s blocking upset Chile’s intentions in the third set, and they celebrated victory after winning a battling fourth set, thanks to their offense from Larrahondo and Daniel Medina, who came off the bench in the third set.
Daniel Aponza of Colombia said, “Honestly, I feel very happy because that was our goal from the beginning of the year. We prepared for this moment, to be in the semifinals and compete for a medal. The match was always very close; Chile has always been a formidable opponent, we’ve been playing against them for a while, and we know each other well. We put on a great show and were able to win this match!”
Chile’s middle blocker, Tomas Gago, said after the defeat, “It hurts, it hurts a lot! Trying not to think too much about the repercussions of the loss, we always said that our goal was a medal, and we couldn’t achieve it. We need to question ourselves. For what remains, we will eat well, rest, and be physically fit, but the emotional aspect will be difficult to overcome”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 1, 2023 – Argentina claimed the top spot in Pool B after defeating Chile 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-21) on Tuesday in front of a packed Arena Parque O’Higgins. Argentina earned a direct ticket to the semifinals of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at Santiago 2023.
Defending champion Argentina advanced to Friday’s semifinals with an undefeated 3-0 record. Chile, second-place team in Pool B, will face Colombia in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Argentina led Chile with a 41-37 advantage in attacks and a 7-2 margin in blocks. Both teams leveled with 2 aces. Argentina benefited from 25 errors by Chile while committing 15.
Opposite hitter Bruno Lima and captain Facundo Conte scored double digits for Argentina, with 18 and 10 points, respectively. Outside hitter Mauro Zelayeta added 8 points.
Vicente Parraguirre, with 17 points, once again was Chile’s top scorer. Middle blocker Tomás Gago contributed 7 points.
Gabriel Araya, CHI, attacks
With the offensive contributions of Lima and Conte, Argentina comfortably took the first set. The second set was a different story, with Vicente Parraguirre’s efforts preventing Argentina from advancing comfortably. They were tied at 10 points, but Argentina resolved the set with precise blocking and capitalizing on Chile’s errors.
The third set was the most contested, with Chile making a comeback on consecutive points from Tomás Gago, resulting in the score being tied on several occasions. Argentina managed to close in straight sets, benefiting from Chile’s errors and attacking efforts from Lima and Zelayeta.
Bruno Lima from Argentina said, “We played a good match where everything worked well. Today, we found our best game. We are here to defend the title, and we hope to continue showing our best volleyball in the semifinal”.
Middle blocker Tomas Gago of Chile commented, “It’s a shame that we didn’t find our game. We come from two exciting victories. We need to figure out what happened with the team, analyze where we went wrong, and gather the motivation so that tomorrow we can secure a spot in the semifinals”.
Daniel Nejamkin, coach of Chile congratulated Argentina, “They played very well, showed their class, and have players who are Olympic medalists. We were beaten by a team that played better. We need to analyze the situation. I spoke briefly with the players, and we all agreed that we need to turn the page and focus on tomorrow’s match, which will determine who qualifies to the medal zone”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 1, 2023. – Puerto Rico’s 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 25-19, 25-20) victory over Dominican Republic puts them in the quarterfinals of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games, taking place at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Puerto Rico finished third place in Pool B and will face Cuba, who finished second in Pool A, in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The Dominican Republic will compete for positions five to eight in the event.
The winners came from behind in all sets, to end the match in control of attacking points 60-48 and service 5-4. Dominican Republic outperformed Puerto Rico 11-5 in blocks. Puerto Rico committed 24 errors, while Dominicans had 23.
Hector Cruz, DOM, spikes
Opposite Jamal Ellis led Puerto Rico with 20 points, including 19 kill points and one ace, accompanied by captain Pelegrin Vargas with 14 points, on 12 kills and two aces. Middle blocker Jonathan Rodríguez recorded 11 points, on 9 kills and two blocks.
Dominican Alexis Cruz led all scorers with 22 points, on 16 attacking points, a match-high of 4 blocking points, and two aces. Captain Henry Tapia added 20 points, on 17 kills, 2 blocks, and one ace. Outside hitter Wilfrido Hernández contributed 10 attacking points.
Puerto Rico’s setter Kevin López spoke after the victory, saying, “What a beautiful atmosphere! We had to adjust because we started 5 or 6 points behind and didn’t recover quickly. We talked about it during the timeout, and things started to flow slowly. We closed the gap on the scoreboard, and that’s how we took the sets. From there, we knew what each one had to do, and the job was completed with joy”.
Francisco Arredondo, Dominican Republic’s setter, commented, “It was a very tough match for us because Puerto Rico has always been our rival, and they are a team that constantly challenges us. The match became complicated for us when we failed in receiving-passing, a simple skill, and it affected our attack percentage, which was not positive, not high, less than 50%. The other team did a better job; that’s how the game goes, one team wins, and the other team loses”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 1, 2023. – Brazil won a five-set thriller 3-2 (25-23, 25-16, 18-25, 25-27, 18-16) against Cuba, locking a direct berth in the semifinals of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
With three victories, Brazil claimed the top spot in Pool A and a direct ticket to Friday’s semifinals. Cuba, with 2-1 record, will compete in quarterfinals on Thursday.
Brazil scored 37 points from Cuba’s errors while conceding 30. Cuba held a slight edge in every skill of the game, attacks (60-59), blocks (11-10), and service points (6-5).
Brazilian opposite hitter Darlan led all scorers with 29 points (27 attacks, one block, one ace). Also contributing to the victory were outside hitter Honorato with 13 points (8 attacks, two blocks, three aces), as well as middle blocker Judson and the outside hitter Adriano, each with 12 points.
Adriano Fernandes, BRA, attacks
Miguel Angel López led Cuba with 23 points (19 attacks, two blocks, two aces). Alejandro González added 18 points (16 attacks, 2 blocks), and José Masso contributed 15 points (10 attacks, 4 blocks, one ace).
Despite an impressive comeback from two sets down, Cuba couldn’t close the tie-break after losing two match points while committing two defense errors on Darlan’s kills.
Cuba managed to slow down Brazil in the third set, playing at a slower pace and imposing their rhythm of play, forcing the fourth set.
In a heart-pounding fourth set, with ups and downs on both sides, Cuba extended the match to a fifth set.
Otávio, captain of Brazil, expressed, “It was a great match. The team managed to lead 2-0, but then we lost our rhythm, and as a result, Cuba grew. Without a doubt, what made the difference was our spirit. The team had a lot of desire in the end, confidence, and we need to carry that into the next matches as well”.
Cuban captain Miguel Angel López said, “I think we lacked decision at a crucial moment; we lost concentration in the tie-break and also a bit of clarity in what was left. I believethat this is what defined the game for them, but the tournament is not over yet”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, November 1, 2023. – Colombia defeated Mexico 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-19) on Tuesday in their last match of pool-play to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Pan American Games being held at the Parque O’Higgins Arena.
Colombia, with a 1-2 record, finished third in Pool A and will face the winner between Argentina and Chile in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Mexico with 0-3 record, will play for positions five to eight.
The South Americans outscored Mexico 46 to 39 in attacking points and 9 to 6 in blocking points. Both teams scored three points from serves and committed 17 unforced errors.
Daniel Aponza, COL, spikes
Colombia’s team captain Gustavo Larrahondo led all scorers with 24 points, including 21 kills, one block, and two aces. Outside hitter Andrés Piza added 10 attack points for the victory.
Opposite Luis Hernández scored 13 points for Mexico, with 12 attack points and one service point. Middle blocker Axel Tellez contributed 10 points, including 7 attack points and 3 blocks.
Colombian captain Gustavo Larrahondo said, “This victory gives the team and the coaching staff confidence as we enter the quarterfinals. It will boost our self-assurance. We know that the course can change, but the victory motivates us to give our best, 100% committed to doing better than today. We will analyze what we did wrong and what we did right to improve tomorrow”.
Mexico’s middle blocker Axel Telez commented, “Both teams wanted to win because this match determined who would advance to the next round, and what we really saw was that Colombia was hungrier. Colombia played better, was a better team, and fought well. This is the reality as it is, and now we await the next opponent”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, August 31, 2023. – Argentina defeated Dominican Republic 3-1 (20-25, 30-28, 25-17, 25-20) to remain undefeated and advance into the next round in the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th Pan American Games Santiago 2023 taking place at the Parque O’Higgins Arena.
Defending champs Argentina, came back from losing the first set to maintain a 2-0 undefeated in Pool B. They will end pool-play on Wednesday against the host team Chile. Dominican Republic, with a 0-2 record, finishes with Puerto Rico.
Argentina held advantage in attacks (59-47) and blocks (7-3). Dominican Republic held advantage in service points (7-5). Argentina scored 29 points from Dominican errors but gave up 33.
Argentina’s outside hitter Mauro Zelayeta led with 19 points, all on attacks. Team captain, Facundo Conte, contributed 17 points, including 11 attacks, 3 blocks, and 3 aces. Opposite hitter Bruno Lima added 12 points from attacks.
Mauro Zelayeta, ARG, attacks
Dominican Héctor Cruz scored 17 points, on 16 kills and one ace. In his debut at Santiago 2023, team captain Henry Tapia contributed 16 points, including 15 kills and one ace. Outside hitter Wilfrido Hernández, also added 16 points, on 14 kills and 2 aces.
In the first set, Dominican Republic, led by Wilfrido Hernández and captain Henry Tapia, earned a significant seven-point lead (11-4) that Argentina’s offense couldn’t overcome.
Mauro Zelayeta was crucial in Argentina’s comeback from a 4-point deficit (11-15) in a battling second set. Numerous failed serves on both sides extended the set, with Argentina eventually winning on a kill point from Facundo Conte for the 30-28 victory.
In the third set, Argentina quickly jumped to a seven-point lead (10-3), putting the Dominican Republic off balance to comfortably win and persevere in the fourth set.
Argentina’s leading scorer Mauro Zelayeta said “We started the first set badly, under our game level, a bit unfocused in the beginning, but we adjusted the problem we had, fixed things. Then we learned how to move forward, win, and play fluidly”.
Henry Tapia, Dominican captain added “I think the first and second sets were a good game, then we fainted in some skills, failed in receiving and attacks and weren’t able to take the win”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 31, 2023 – Chile bounced back after losing the first set to Puerto Rico 3-1 (26-28, 25-18, 25-21, 25-23) in their second victory in the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th edition of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, taking place from October 30 to November 4 at the Arena Parque O’Higgins Arena.
Chile and Argentina, both with a 2-0 record, will determine first place in Pool B on Wednesday. Both teams are guaranteed to advance to the next round, but the pool winner will move directly to Friday’s semifinals. Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, both with 0-2 records, will face each other to stay alive in the tournament.
Chile led in attacking points (57-50) and service points (3-2). Both teams scored 9 points on blocks. The home team scored 32 points on Puerto Rico’s errors and gave away 29.
Ismael Alomar, PUR, attacks
Outside hitter Vicente Parraguirre once again led Chile with a match-high of 28 points (25 kills, 2 blocks, one serve). Captain Dusan Bonacic contributed 16 points (13 kills, 2 blocks, one serve), and outside hitter Matías Jadue added 9 points.
Opposite hitter Jamal Ellis led Puerto Rico with 18 points (15 kills, 3 blocks), followed by team captain Pelegrin Vargas with 16 points (14 kills, 2 blocks), and outside hitter Omar Hoyos contributed 9 points.
Puerto Rico closed a dramatic first set after losing two set points. Chile recovered taking control of set two from the start, with a comfortable five-point lead (16-11) that later extended to seven. In the third set, teams were tied on several occasions, but Chile prevailed, pushed by Vicente Parraguirre, along with team captain Bonacic and Puerto Rico’s errors. Bonacic’s powerful serves prevented Puerto Rico from performing comfortably in the fourth, but the Chileans lost five match points (25-18) before securing the victory.
Vicente Parraguirre, Chile’s top scorer, said, “Playing at home gives us that extra energy to seek victory in these tougher matches. We’ve had two very challenging games that gave us a hard time at some crucial moments, but we came through; I’ll stick with that. Obviously, we have things to improve and work on, but we achieved our initial goal, which was to finish the group stage with Argentina”.
Jamal Ellis, Puerto Rico’s top scorer, said, “In my opinion, what made things harder for us was the lack of consistency in our passing at the beginning; in the sets, you could see it drop. Additionally, if we had maintained our morale, which dropped from what we showed in the first set, it would have been different. But overall, it was a solid game; it was just a minor detail that can be addressed and improved”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 31, 2023. – Brazil defeated Mexico 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-20), improving their record 2-0 in Pool A of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
Brazil remains undefeated 2-0, is guaranteed to move into the next round and will play their final Pool A match on Wednesday against Cuba, who is also undefeated. The winner of the pool will advance directly to Friday’s semifinals. Mexico, with two losses, will compete for a spot in the quarterfinals against Colombia.
This was the second straight-set victory for Brazil, who had control of the game with the offense of opposite hitter Darlan and middle blocker Judson Nunes, the top scorers with 18 and 11 points, respectively.
Axel Tellez, MEX, attacks
Mexico, despite their defensive efforts, especially in the second set, and effective kills in the third set, suffered their second loss. Outside hitter Mauro Fuentes led Mexico with 9 points.
Brazil ended with a total of 38 attack points against Mexico’s 20. They also had advantages of 6-3 in blocks and 8-2 in direct service points. Both teams committed 23 unforced errors.
Darlan of Brazil, after the win said “We came with a very strong playing proposal, very consistent. In the third set, we fell short; we were very proactive in the first and second sets, but reactive in the third. We need to be patient. Now, we must analyze the errors we made and study tomorrow’s opponent. We take it one day at a time, and there’s no time for regrets, it’s all part of the process”.
Mexico’s top scorer, Mauro Fuentes, said, “I think the difference between yesterday’s match and todays was the quality of their service. They served very well and we weren’t able to respond and that was the skill which gave us a hard time”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 31, 2023 – Cuba defeated Colombia 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-23) in their second victory in the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, held at the Parque O’Higgins Arena.
Cuba secured their spot in the next round with 2-0 record in Pool A and will face Brazil (10:30am) on Wednesday in their last pool-play match. Colombia is 0-2 and faces Mexico (1:30pm).
It wasn’t easy for Cuba; in the first set they were carried by the offensive efforts of Alejandro Gonzalez and Miguel Angel López. However, in the second set, Colombia managed to push harder after recovering from a 5-point deficit (12-17) with Leandro Mejía’s serves and Gustavo Larrahondo and Andrés Piza offense, in addition to Cuba’s errors. The third set was tied at 21 points, with visible improvements in blocking from Colombia, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Cuba’s strength in attacks.
José Masso, CUB, attacks
Cuba outperformed Colombia in attacks 36-25 and in service points 7-5. However, Colombia made fewer errors, 24-30. Both teams scored 8 points on blocks.
Cuban captain, Miguel Angel López, led all scorers with 20 points, on 13 kills, 3 blocks, and a match-high of 4 aces. Opposite Alejandro González contributed 16 points, also on 13 kills, one block and 2 aces.
For Colombia, the opposite Gustavo Larrahondo led with 12 points, on 10 kills, one block, and one service. Followed by outside hitter Andrés Piza, who had 9 points.
Cuban opposite Alejandro Gonzalez, stated, “The team’s performance was very good. I arrived last night to join the team, but I felt very comfortable with the setter, and I was able to do my job well. We did everything we needed to do and won the match. I’m very happy and satisfied!”
Andrés Piza of Colombia said, “I think we fell a bit short. Colombia has much more to offer than what we showed. We want a medal in these Pan American Games, where the team has grown. Maybe we’re not disappointed, but rather frustrated because we know we can play at a higher level. It’s important to keep growing and training more to secure these sets in the future.”
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 30, 2023.- Host Chile got the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games off to a strong start with a 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-22, 25-21) victory over Dominican Republic on Monday at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
On day two of competition in Pool B, Chile (1-0) will face Puerto Rico (0-1), and the Dominican Republic (0-1) will go up against Argentina (1-0).
Chile didn’t disappoint its fans in their first victory in Pool B, which started with a strongly contested first set that was tied at 14 points, and Chile managed to pull through on opponent errors and the offensive efforts of Vicente Parraguirre and Dusan Bonacic, which ultimately disrupted the Dominicans, led by Luther Rosario and Héctor Cruz.
Despite losing the second set, when the Dominican Republic made a comeback with consecutive points from Héctor Cruz, and supported by Rafael Burgos and Wilfrido Hernández, Chile managed to win the third set, maintaining a strong offense, and holding the lead from the beginning. Finally, Chile closed the victory in the fourth set.
Tomas Gago, CHI, defense
Chile led in attacks 52-46 and in service points 5-2, benefiting from 31 opponent errors against 26. The Dominican Republic dominated in blocks 14-8.
Chile’s outside hitter, Vicente Parraguirre, led all scorers with 29 points on 22 attacks, 4 blocks, and 3 aces. Chile’s captain, Dusan Bonacic, scored 14 points, all on attacks.
Héctor Cruz led the Dominican Republic with 22 points on 20 kills and two blocks. Wilfrido Hernández added 11 points on kills and Henry López contributed 10.
“Playing in an arena like this, with so many people who even after the match keep cheering, it fills my soul! It makes me love my country and our flag even more. We are very grateful for this packed arena; it was a dream come true”, said Chile’s captain, Dusan Bonacic. About the match, he commented, “It was very tough; the first set was challenging for us with good counterattacks, and we put pressure with serves. In the second set, after point 20, the Dominican Republic put a lot of pressure on us with their serve and counterattacks. But the second and third sets were really point by point; it was really beautiful to play, and we gave it our all to win. Now, it’s late, and we have to rest because Puerto Rico is up next”.
Dominican top scorer, Héctor Alexis Cruz, commented, “The match was very closely contested. We did a good job, there was little that we didn’t adjust well. We’re moving forward because it was only the first game, and we can continue to make adjustments”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 30, 2023.- Defending champions Argentina outlasted Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-23, 26-24,25-15) in their first outing in the Men’s Volleyball tournament of the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games that runs from October 30 to November 4 at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
On Tuesday, Argentina’s next opponent is the Dominican Republic, while Puerto Rico will face the host, Chile.
Both teams first Pool B match of the competition was a closely contested duel in the first two sets. In the first set, they reached a tied score of 22, closed with a block of Argentina’s middle blocker Gustavo Maciel and a kill from Facundo Conte. In the second set, Argentina lost a set point due to a direct attack by Puerto Rican Jonathan Rodríguez, extending to 26-24 with a kill from Bruno Lima and an error by Puerto Rico. Argentina comfortably dominated the third set.
Pelegrin Vargas, PUR, defense
Argentina held advantages in every skill of the game, iattacks (42-35), blocks (6-1), and service points (5-0). Puerto Rico made fewer unforced errors (23-26).
Argentina’s captain Facundo Conte, scored 12 points, followed by middle blocker Gustavo Maciel and the opposite Bruno Lima with 11 and 10 points respectively.
Puerto Rico was also led by their team captain, outside hitter Pelegrin Vargas, with 11 points. Omar Hoyos added 10 points.
Argentina’s captain, Facundo Conte, said, “I think it was a very exciting game for everyone. Some of the guys are playing with the senior team for the first time. Yesterday, we all got together; it was the first practice we did all together. Daniel González, our former setter for the national team, is returning after seven years, and I imagine it was a very emotional moment for him too. I’m very happy to be here, to be part of this group. Without a doubt, after each set, we will continue to improve. We will find coordination among us, which is the most important thing in volleyball. But today, the most important thing was achieving our first goal, which was to win”.
Pelegrin Vargas, captain of Puerto Rico, explained, “It was a very important match for us, at a big stage. We have a group with a mix of young players and some older, more experienced ones, and we came here to learn and grow with this tournament. I don’t think it was bad for a first time; we had opportunities to do better things. Overall, I’m quite happy and grateful for the guy’s commitment. It has been a challenging journey because one of our players couldn’t enter the game, and for many young ones, this is their first experience. I am calm and looking forward to continuing to grow”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 30, 2023. – Cuba began the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games with a five-set thriller victory 3-2 (25-20, 24-26, 19-25, 27-25, 15-10) against Mexico at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
After winning a hard-fought second set, Mexico comfortably secured the third. Cuba came from behind in the fourth, recovering from a four-point deficit (17-21) in a dramatic 27-25 finish, forcing a tie-break. Cuba and Mexico were tied up to point 9 in the fifth set when Cuba capitalized on Mexico’s errors to claim their first win in Pool A.
Cuba dominated in attack, leading 59-49, and in blocking 15-8. Mexico had a slight 5-4 margin in service points and gave away fewer points on unforced errors 32-44.
Miguel Gutierrez, CUB, attacks
With 21 points, Cuban opposite hitter Miguel Gutiérrez was the leading scorer of the match. Gutiérrez scored on 19 attacking points, one block, and one ace. Team captain Miguel Angel López added 17 points on 13 attacks, 2 blocks, and 2 aces. Additionally, Yusniel González contributed 14 points with 9 attacks and a match-high of 4 blocks.
Mexico’s outside hitter Isaac Fuentes led his team with 19 points, on 17 attacks, one block, and one ace. Followed by opposite hitter Luis Hernández with 18 points on17 attacks and one block, and middle blocker Axel Tellez with 11 points, on 7 attacks, 2 blocks and 2 aces.
On Tuesday, Cuba (1-0) will face Colombia (0-1), and Mexico (0-1) will take on Brazil (1-0).
Cuban captain, Miguel Angel López, said, “We really fought until the end; the goal was to come out with the victory. Our team didn’t have much time to train together, only two days, because several players were abroad with their clubs, and we never played together. Still, we gave it our all on the court, and the result came out. We believed we had the volleyball to win the match. That’s it. We went after the opponent!”
Mexico’s captain, Hiram Said Bravo, commented, “We lacked concentration at the end. I think we played a good game overall, but we made some small mistakes, especially in the last set, failing receptions, which were the most crucial”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 30, 2023 – Brazil beat Colombia 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-10) in the opening match of the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games in Santiago, at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Colombia’s performance in the first two sets managed to keep the scores balanced, even in the second set where they took an early four-point lead (2-6) and held it until point 13. In the third set, Brazil prevailed convincingly with a significant lead.
Brazil earned their first victory in Group A with a 35-25 advantage in attacking points, 9-3 in blocking points, and a sizable 12-1 lead in points from serves. Unforced errors were similar, with Brazil committing 18 and Colombia 19.
Reis Nascimento, BRA, defense
Brazil’s top scorer was opposite player Darlan Ferreira with 16 points on 9 attacks, 2 blocks, and a match-high of 5 aces. Outside hitter Adriano Fernandes contributed 10 points on 7 attacks and 3 aces. Team captain, middle blocker Otávio Rodrigues, added 9 points, including 4 attacks and a maximum of 4 blocking points.
For Colombia, opposite Gustavo Larrahondo scored 9 points on 7 attacks, one block, and one direct service point. Outside hitter Andrés Piza and team captain Leandro Mejía each scored 8 points.
On the second day of competition, Brazil will face Mexico, while Colombia will take on Cuba.
Brazil’s captain, Otávio Rodrigues, said, “The team did really well; the debut comes with a context, a feeling of “butterflies in the stomach”, its anxiety, but the team behaved well. At the beginning, kept held off Colombia who played well, but little by little, we loosened up, and in the third set, we stayed strong and managed to open with a good lead. It’s an important debut, and I hope we continue to grow throughout the competition”.
Colombia’s captain, Leandro Mejía, said, “I saw the group in good shape; we had some good moments. Unfortunately, we lost a bit of concentration, and Brazil is a very strong team; we struggled with serving. The positive thing is that I see the team in good shape. It’s the first match, and we have a lot ahead of us, and we hope to continue like this”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 28, 2023.- Head coaches spoke ahead of the Men’s Volleyball Tournament at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games that kicks off on Monday at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
The competition that runs from October 30 to November 4 will start with three days of pool-play. Pool A consisting of Brazil, Colombia, Cuba and Mexico, and Pool B composed of defending campions Argentina, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and host Chile.
Presentation of Mexico uniforms, Santiago 2023
Ariel López Martin, Head Coach of Argentina: “As defending champions, we have a responsibility. Certainly, this time we haven’t arrived in the best training conditions, considering the schedules and commitments of the top players competing in Europe. However, we come with the same expectation of trying to have a great tournament. We set short-term goals, one match at a time. Argentina’s goal has always been to be a leading contender, and hopefully, the competition allows us to contend for a medal. Our primary focus today is our debut against Puerto Rico”.
Giuliano Ribas “Juba”, Head Coach of Brazil: “We expect to have balanced games. In our group, there are teams we have already faced this season, in the South American Championship. Colombia even played a very tough match against us. We have prepared as much as possible to have a good debut. Then, the sequence also affects the team in terms of the volume of play, a lot of defenses. Cuba has a very strong attacking power, so we must prepare well in this group qualification phase and then the crossovers that come from the other group. The matches will be balanced from start to finish, and we have to be well-prepared to neutralize the opponent’s qualities”.
Jorge Schmidt, Head Coach of Colombia: “We come to this tournament opened to learn. Colombia is in a process of evolution, and we see that the Federation, the Olympic Committee, and the Ministry of Sports are showing a lot of interest and have given us a few extra days of training. However, like all teams, we face the reluctance to release our athletes from their clubs, but we don’t complain. Our team is competitive, and we’re giving it our all”.
Daniel Nejamkin, Head Coach of Chile: “We are proud and excited to know that all the tickets to enjoy volleyball are sold out. We are aware that the tournament will be very tough, highly competitive because almost all the countries brought their top teams, and those who haven’t have brought four or five key players. We hope to play for a medal, thrilled to play at home and with the thought that with the support of the fans, we can achieve a medal”.
Jesús Ángel Cruz, Head Coach of Cuba: “For many of the athletes on the team, these are their first Pan American Games, so the competition has twice the importance. Many of them are quite young, because it was challenging to put a team together due to club season, but those who are here wish to show their quality of play and abilities, seizing the opportunity to be part of the national team. The primary goal, like all the teams here, is to be among the top four”.
Alexander Gutiérrez, Head Coach of Dominican Republic: “It’s been more than 40 years since the Dominican Republic last qualified for the Pan American Games. Our intention is to enjoy and continue to benefit from acquiring experience because this is a group for the future. We’ve had an incredible season, and we’ll try to do our best to keep showing that we are still growing”.
Jorge Azair, Mexico Coach: “I’m happy to be at another Pan American Games. The team is motivated, with the expectation of pursuing a medal. We know that all the teams have the same goal, so we’ll take it step by step. We’ve been working hard, and there have been some changes due to injuries and retirements”.
Oswald Antonetti, Puerto Rico Coach: “Half of the players are playing with their universities in the United States and some clubs in Europe, while the other half has been competing on the island in our professional league. We’re coming together for this tournament. It’s a very intriguing competition, and we see real opportunities to achieve victories. We have a special spirit to represent our island with dignity here at the Games, and that’s how we will approach the tournament”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 28, 2023. – It’s the turn for the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th Pan American Games Santiago 2023, to be held from October 30 to November 4 at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Following the conclusion of the Women’s Volleyball tournament in which the Dominican Republic clinched the championship for the second consecutive time, Argentina Men will seek their third consecutive gold medal, fourth overall of the event (Mar del Plata 1995, Toronto 2015, Lima 2019).
Cuba is the most successful team in the history of the Pan American Games, with five titles, closely followed by Brazil with four.
The eight competing teams are divided into two pools, with Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico in Pool A, and Argentina, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and the host, Chile, in Pool B.
The competition begins with three days of poo-play, where the top team from each pool advances to the semifinal round. The second and third-place teams from each group will compete in the quarterfinals to complete the semifinalists. Medal matches and final standings will be held on Saturday, October 4.
Argentina Gold Medal Lima 2019
Pool Stage Schedule
Monday, October 30
10:30 – Pool A: Brazil vs. Colombia
13:30 – Pool A: Cuba vs. Mexico
17:30 – Pool B: Argentina vs. Puerto Rico
20:30 – Pool B: Chile vs. Dominican Republic
Tuesday, October 31
10:30 – Pool A: Cuba vs. Colombia
13:30 – Pool A: Brazil vs. Mexico
17:30 – Pool B: Argentina vs. Dominican Republic
20:30 – Pool B: Chile vs. Puerto Rico
Wednesday, November 1
10:30 – Pool A: Brazil vs. Cuba
13:30 – Pool A: Mexico vs. Colombia
17:30 – Pool B: Puerto Rico vs. Dominican Republic
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 26, 2023 – Brazilians Ana Patricia and Duda secured a 2-0 victory (22-20, 21-18) over Canadians Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes in the Women’s Beach Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
The bronze medal went to Corine Quiggle and Sarah Lewis of the United States, who defeated Argentina’s Ana Gallay and Fernanda Pereyra 2-0 (21-18, 21-10).
In a closely contested match, the Brazilians showcased their experience, with Duda’s strong serving and Ana Patricia’s well-timed blocks to stop the efforts of Brandie and Melissa.
This marked Brazil’s the fourth gold medal in the history of the Pan American Games, with their first win dating back to 2011. For Canada, this was their first medal ever at these Games.
Mexico’s Atenas Gutiérrez and Abril Flores finished in fifth place after a 2-0 victory (21-9, 12-18) over Peru’s Claudia Gaona and Lisbeth Allcca.
Puerto Rico’s María González and Allanis Navas secured seventh place with a 2-1 victory (21-19, 18-21, 15-9) over Chile’s María Rivas Zapata and Chris Vorpahl in Women’s Beach Volleyball at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 27, 2023 – George and André of Brazil clinched the gold medal by defeating Cubans Noslen Díaz and Jorge Alayo 2-1 (21-12, 19-21, 15-13) in the Men’s Beach Volleyball Tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
Chile’s Marco Grimalt and Esteban Grimalt won the bronze medal with a 2-1 (21-14, 18-21, 15-12) victory over Hagen Smith and Logan Webber of the USA.
After a slow start, with nerves affecting the young Cuban pair (22 and 21 years old), they gradually gained confidence, thanks to Alayo’s blocking skills, which improved Noslen’s position in defense.
In the second set, Cuba came out strong, displaying solid defense and strong blocking, while Brazil struggled to overcome the net defense. This pushed the match to the third set, where George once again showcased his impressive defense, and André contributed with defensive plays and strong blocks that limited their opponents’ actions.
Brazil is the most successful team in the history of the Pan American Games, with three gold medals, while Cuba now has one gold and one silver.
Canada’s Jake MacNeil and William Russell secured fifth place with a 2-0 victory over Mexico’s Miguel Sarabia and Juan Virgen, and Argentina’s Nicolás and Tomás Capogrosso won 2-0 against Ecuador’s Dany León and Marcos Tenorio for seventh place.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 26, 2023.- Dominican team captain Niverka Marte selected the Most Valuable Player -MVP- of the Women’s Volleyball Tournament at the 19th Pan American Games Santiago 2023 held from October 21 to 26 at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Niverka Marte was handed the MVP Award after the Caribbean Queens, Dominican Republic, beat Brazil 3-0 (26-24, 25-16, 25-19) to win their second consecutive Pan American Games gold medal.
Dominicans Brayelin Martinez and Yonkaira Peña received the awards for Best Spiker and second-Best Spiker respectively. Yonkaira Peña also received the recognition for Best Server.
From Brazil the silver medalist team, Lorena Viezel was granted the second-Best Blocker award and Sabrina Machado the Best Opposite award.
Individual Awards Women’s Volleyball
Mexican Ivone Martínez, bronze medalist of the event, received the award for Best Setter.
The Best Blocker award was for Neira Ortiz of Puerto Rico and her teammate Shara Venegas the Best Receiver.
Colombian Camila Gomez was the Best Libero award. Chile’s Carla Ruz and Beatriz Novoa were recognized as Best Digger and Best Scorer respectively.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 26, 2023. Cuba and Brazil will feature in a dream final with a taste of revenge in the Men’s Beach Volleyball Tournament of the Pan American Games Santiago 2023, to be held on Friday at Parque Peñalolén.
Noslen Díaz/Jorge Alayo from Cuba and George/André from Brazil will face each other again here in Santiago. Cuba defeated Brazil in three sets in pool-play.
To reach the final, Díaz/Alayo defeated Logan Webber/Hagen Smith from the United States 2-0 (21-15, 21-13). Alayo’s net reach and Diaz’s defense made the difference against the Americans who progressed to semifinals undefeated.
Meanwhile, George/André won 2-0 (21-13, 21-17) against cousins Marcos and Esteban Grimalt from Chile, the current champions. A great defense from George and André’s blocking kept the Grimalts under control, and they won’t be able to defend the title they earned four years ago in Lima, Peru.
George/André BRA
Cuba will seek its second gold medal in the history of the Pan American Games, while Brazil is the most successful with two gold medals, the last one in 2011.
In matches for positions 5-8, Miguel Sarabia/Juan Virgen from Mexico battled to win 2-1 (21-14, 16-21, 16-14) against Dany León and Marcos Tenorio from Ecuador. Meanwhile, Jake MacNeil/William Russell from Canada won 2-0 (21-15, 21-17) against the Capogrosso brothers, Nicolás and Tomás (ARG). Mexico and Canada will play for fifth place.
Matches Friday October 27
For 7th place: Capogrosso N./Capogrosso T. (ARG) vs. Leon/Marcos (ECU)
For 5th place: Sarabia/Virgen (MEX) vs. MacNeil/Russell (CAN)
For the bronze medal: Grimalt M./Grimalt E. (CHI) vs. Smith/Webber (USA)
For the gold medal: Diaz/Alayo (CUB) vs. George/Andre (BRA)
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 26, 2023. – Dominican Republic won its second consecutive Gold Medal at the Pan American Games after defeating Brazil 3-0 (26-24, 25-16, 25-19) in the final of the Women’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th edition of the Games Santiago 2023, held at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
The Dominican Republic has now earned three gold medals in the history of the Pan American Games (Santo Domingo 2003, Lima 2019, and Santiago 2023) and also holds a bronze medal from Toronto 2015. For Brazil, this is their third bronze medal (Mexico 1955, San Juan 1979, Santiago 2023).
Dominican Republic finished the event undefeated 5-0 and Brazil with a 4-1 win-loss record.
In the first set, the Dominican Republic came from behind 14-17 as Brazil, led by outside hitter Sabrina Machado and middle blocker Lorena Viezel, had the lead. However, thanks to the offensive efforts of the Martinez sisters, Brayelin and Jineiry, along with Candida Arias, the Dominicans tied the score at 17 points, and went on to win a thrilling 26-24 finish.
In the second set, opposite hitter Gaila González and outside hitter Yonkaira Peña joined the Dominican offensive, neutralizing Brazil and building a significant lead of 15-7, which proved unbeatable.
Despite Dominicans offensive errors, Sabrina Machado and Tainara helped Brazil recover from a four-point deficit (6-10) in the third set. Lorena, with precise blocking, contributed to keeping the score tied at 13 points. Eventually, the Dominican Republic regained control, sealing the gold medal with a direct serve point from Brayelin Martínez and a comfortable 25-19 lead.
Brazil
The Dominicans outperformed Brazil in every skill of the game, kills (43-31), blocking (11-8), and serves (3-1). Both teams committed 19 unforced errors.
Outside hitter Yonkaira Peña led the Dominican offense with 13 points, followed by opposite Gaila González with 12 points and outside hitter Brayelin Martínez with 11 points.
The top scorer of the match was Brazilian Sabrina Machado with 14 points. Middle blocker Lorena Viezel scored a match-high of 5 points on blocks.
Niverka Marte, captain of the Dominican Republic, said, “Brazil is a team that plays very well at every level. We are happy to have kept control of the entire game. It has been a beautiful year for all of us, and ending the year like this is the best. We close the year literally with a golden seal against a great rival”.
Marcos Kwiek, coach of the Dominican Republic mentioned that it was a very tough year, “We had many commitments, very important competitions, and we achieved all the goals we set. We came here as favorites, knowing our quality, and I believe we didn’t disappoint. Mission accomplished”.
Naiane Rios, captain of Brazil, expressed, “Unfortunately, today we couldn’t impose our game rhythm as we did in yesterday’s match. We knew it would be a tough game, but it also depended on us. We move forward!”
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 26, 2023 – Brandie Wilkerson/Melissa Humana-Paredes from Canada and the 2023 world runners-up Ana Patricia/Duda from Brazil will face off in the Women’s Beach Volleyball final of the nineteenth Pan American Games Santiago 2023 at Parque Peñalolén on Friday.
Both pairs looked unstoppable from in pool-play and in the semifinals, securing their spot in the finals undefeated, without obstacles.
Canadians Brandie Wilkerson/Melissa Humana-Paredes defeated Ana Gallay/Fernanda Pereyra from Argentina 2-0 (21-15, 21-15). For Canada, this is their first medal in the Pan American Games since beach volleyball was introduced in the event in 1999.
Ana Patricia/Duda BRA
Meanwhile, Brazil, returning to a final since 2011, will seek its fourth gold medal (they also have three bronze medals). Ana Patricia/Duda won 2-0 (21-11, 21-18) against Corine Quiggle/Sarah Lewis from the United States.
Ana Gallay and Fernanda Pereyra who silver medal in Lima 2019, four years ago. In addition, Gallay won gold in Toronto 2015. The Argentinians will compete for the bronze medal against the American pair Quiggle/Lewis.
The United States won the gold medal in the Lima 2019 edition.
In other matches, Atenas Gutiérrez/Abril Flores from Mexico won 2-1 (17-21, 21-12, 15-11) against María González/Allanis Navas from Puerto Rico, and they will face Lisbeth Allcca/Claudia Gaona from Peru for the fifth place. Allcca/Gaona won 2-0 (21-18, 22-20) against María Rivas Zapata/Chris Vorpahl from Chile.
Matches for Friday, October 27:
For 7th place: González/Navas (PUR) vs. Rivas Zapata/Chris (CHI)
For 5th place: Gutiérrez/Flores (MEX) vs. Allcca/Gaona (PER)
For the bronze medal: Gallay/Pereyra (ARG) vs. Quiggle/Murphy
For the gold medal: Brandie/Melissa (CAN) vs. Ana Patricia/Duda (BRA)
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 26, 2023 – After 48 years, Mexico won a medal at the Pan American Games by defeating Argentina in five sets 3-2 (22-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-18, 15-13) for the bronze medal in the Women’s Volleyball tournament at the 19th Santiago 2023 Games.
The last time Mexico reached a Pan American Games podium was in 1975 when they won the bronze medal against Canada. Mexico also won bronze medals in Cali 1971 and Sao Paulo 1955. Their first-ever medal was gold in 1955.
Mexico recovered from an unstable start in the first set. Argentina, led by their captain Daniela Bulaich and outside hitter Candela Salinas, took a 6-point lead (14-8). However, Mexico managed to stabilize their attack with Grecia Castro and Karen Rivera. Argentina’s blocks stopped them from recovering and led them to commit consecutive errors.
Despite Argentina resistance to Mexico’s pressure evening the score to 19 in the second set, Mexico, led by opposite hitter Karen Rivera and captain Jocelyn Urías, evened the match to one set each.
Opposite hitter María De La Paz Corbalán, along with middle blockers Bianca Farriol and Avril García, helped Argentina win the third set. But in the fourth set, Mexican outside hitter Aimé Topete played a crucial role in forcing a tie-break by scoring three consecutive attack points.
Candela Salinas, ARG, defense
Mexico won the fifth set and the bronze medal with a 78-65 advantage in attacking points and 6-0 in service points. Argentina dominated in blocking 12-8 and made fewer unforced errors 17-27.
Grecia Castro of Mexico led all scorers with 26 points (22 attacks, one block, 3 aces). Karen Rivera also contributed to the victory with 23 points (19 attacks, one block, 3 aces), and Aimé Topete scored 20 points from direct attacks.
Daniela Bulaich and María De La Paz Corbalán scored 15 points each from direct attacks for Argentina. Avril García added 14 points, including a match-high of 8 blocks.
Nicolás Negro, Mexico’s coach congratulated his team, saying, “My players achieved a historic result. It has been 48 years since Mexico won a medal at the Pan American Games. We know that the best teams were not here, and we never had a complete team throughout the season. I believe that the pre-Olympic tournament in China prepared us to compete at this level. We arrived with great confidence, had a good tournament here, and I hope this medal marks the beginning of a new journey”.
Daniela Bulaich, captain of Argentina said “I think that at times, we couldn’t control their attackers. We struggled a bit in blocking and defense, and our serving level dropped significantly”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 26, 2023.- Chile defeated Colombia 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-17) to take fifth place in their first ever Pan American Games while hosting the nineteenth edition of the event in the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Chile finished the event with a 3-3 win-loss record and Colombia with 1-4. This was the second time that Chile beat Colombia at Santiago 2023.
Chile came out on top leading 41-36 in kills, 14-7 in blocks and 5-0 in points from serves. Both teams committed 15 unforced errors.
Chilean team captain Beatriz Novoa produced 21 points in the win, on 15 attacks, 3 blocks and one ace. Middle blocker Elisa Sandrock contributed 12 points on 7 kills and a match-high of 5 blocks. Opposite Petra Schwartzman added 10 points.
Colombia was led by middle blocker Maira Ospino with 11 attacking points. Sofia Cuartas and Doris Manco both scored 7 points.
Camila Gomez, COL, defense
Beatriz Novoa, captain of Chile, said after the victory, “We are very pleased with the performance of our team throughout this championship. We had a great performance, but we always want more. We were on the same level with teams like Argentina, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and now Colombia. We know we have a long way to go because we are a young team, but we will continue to move forward”.
Maira Montero from Colombia said, “We are happy because our team has an average age of 18, so there are many girls who are in their first international tournament, so it’s an evolution. We are pleased with the young players’ performance at the Pan American Games”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 26, 2023.- Puerto Rico swept Cuba (25-23, 26-24, 25-19) for seventh place in the Women’s Volleyball tournament at the nineteenth Pan American Games Santiago 2023 at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Puerto Rico finished the event with a 2-4 record and Cuba 0-5. Puerto Rico also beat Cuba in pool-play.
Despite Cuba’s 13-5 huge margin in blocking, Puerto Rico earned the win leading 43-42 in attacks, 6-1 in aces and scoring on 22 opponent errors against 10 of their own.
Ivania Ortiz topped Puerto Rico’s scorers with 15 points all on kills. Destiny Skerrett followed with 13 points all on kills as well and Neira Ortiz registered 12 points on 8 kills, 2 blocks and 2 aces.
Ivania Ortiz, PUR, defense
Ivy Vila led Cuba with 14 points all on kills. Dayana Martinez added 11 points on 6 kills, 4 blocks and one ace and Yalain De La Peña contributed 10 points on 7 kills and 3 blocks.
Wilmarie Rivera, setter of Puerto Rico, said about the match “This was the second victory against Cuba in the tournament, and there wasn’t much of a difference because the important thing was to focus on our side of the court and make the girls feel comfortable”. Regarding the tournament, she expressed, “It wasn’t the position we wanted, although finishing with a win makes us feel a bit better. The group is very young, the girls fought hard, and we will continue learning to improve. I’ pleased with the performance of the young players; we will improve”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 25, 2023.- In women’s Beach Volleyball semifinals at Santiago 2023, Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Murphy from the United States will face Ana Patricia/Duda from Brazil, while Brandie Wilkerson/Melissa Humana-Paredes from Canada will play Ana Gallay/Fernanda Pereyra from Argentina.
Quiggle/Murphy (USA) won 2-0 (21-18, 21-16) against María Rivas/Chris Vorpahl from Chile, who had the support of hundreds of fans at the Parque Peñalolén Beach Volleyball Center.
Melissa/Brandie (CAN) had no trouble defeating María González/Allanis Navas from Puerto Rico, winning 2-0 (21-11, 21-14).
On the other hand, the world runners-up Duda/Ana Patricia (BRA) won 2-0 (21-12, 21-9) against Lisbeth Allcca/Claudia Gaona from Peru.
Gallay/Pereyra (ARG), silver medalists in the previous edition of the Games in Lima, advanced to the semifinals after winning 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) against Abril Flores/Atenas Gutierrez from Mexico. The Mexican team put up a strong fight until point 15, but from there, the Argentine pair Gallay/Pereyra managed to pull away.
Sarah Murphy y Corinne Quiggle USA
Games on Thursday, October 26:
Classification 5/8
Allcca/Gaona (PER) vs Rivas Zapata/Chris (CHI)
Gutierrez/Flores (MEX) vs González/Navas (PUR)
Position 11: Karelys/Ariana (ECU) vs Erika/Michelle (PAR)
Position 9: Payano/Almanzar (DOM) vs Diana/Margarita G. (COL)
Semifinals
Ana Patricia/Duda (BRA) vs Quiggle/Murphy (USA)
Gallay/Pereyra (ARG) vs Brandie/Melissa (CAN)
Wednesday’s results, October 26:
Position 13
Williams/Quesada (CRC) 2-1 (21-18, 15-21, 15-8) N. Girón/Alvarado (GUA)
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 24, 2023. – Hagen Smith/Logan Webber of the United States and JorgeAlayo/Noslen Díaz of Cuba, the current champions Marco Grimalt/Esteban Grimalt of Chile, and George/Andre of Brazil, will feature in the Men’s Beach Volleyball semifinals oat the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
Hagen Smith and Logan Webber of the United States won 2-0 (21-18, 21-15) against Juan Virgen and Miguel Sarabia of Mexico. Juan Virgen won’t be able to repeat the silver medal he earned four years ago in Lima, Peru.
Meanwhile, Jorge Alayo/Noslen Diaz of Cuba performed at a high level, prevailing 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) against Dany León/Marcos Tenorio of Ecuador.
George/Andre of Brazil won an exciting 2-1 (21-17, 15-21, 17-15) match against Nicolás and Tomás Capogrosso of Argentina. It was an intense game, with the Capogrosso brothers making things difficult for George/Andre in a battle of strong offense and good defense from Tomás and solid blocking by Nicolás.
The current champions, cousins Marco and Esteban Grimalt of Chile, won 2-0 (23-21, 21-18) against Jake MacNeil and Williams Russell of Canada, after a highly contested match,
especially in the first set, with Russell’s blocks on one side and Marco on the other.
Esteban Grimalt y Marco Grimalt CHI
Games on Wednesday, October 26:
Classification 5/8:
Leon/Marcos (ECU) vs Sarabia/Virgen (MEX)
MacNeil/Russell (CAN) vs Capogross N./Capogrosso T (ARG)
For 11th place: Giuliano/Gonzalo (PAR) vs Salvatierra/Calvo (BOL).
For 9th place: Hannibal/Llambías (URU) vs Noriega/Murray (COL);
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 25, 2023 – Brazil advanced to the final match of the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games with a tie-break victory 3-2 (25-17, 22-25, 27-25, 22-25, 15-13) over Mexico on Tuesday night at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Brazil will face reigning champions, the Dominican Republic, in the gold medal match. Both teams are undefeated, with Brazil seeking its fifth title in the history of the Games, while the Caribbean Queens are aiming for their second title.
Brazil hadn’t reached a final since 2015 when they lost to the United States in Toronto. Meanwhile, Mexico will compete for their fourth bronze medal in Pan American Games, facing Argentina, who won the bronze in Lima 2019, their only medal in the history of the Games.
Karen Rivera, MEX, spikes
Mexico didn’t make it easy for Brazil, especially in the third set when Brazil came from behind with a six-point deficit (8-14) for a dramatic 27-25 win.
In battled fourth set, Mexico lost two set points (24-20) before forcing the tie-break, where the Brazilians were the ones to fail three match points (14-10) before their thrilling victory.
Brazil dominated in blocking, with a significant 20-10 advantage, and committed fewer unforced errors, 34 to 38. Mexico held advantage in attacks, 53 to 50, and in service points, 8 to 3.
Brazilian Sabrina Machado was the leading scorer in the match with 27 points (20 attacks, 4 blocks). Lorena Viezel contributed 17 points in the win, including a match-high of 7 points in blocks, and Maira Basso added 10 points.
Grecia Castro and Karen Rivera led Mexico with 16 points each, and Aimé Topete added 15 points.
Sabrina Machado from Brazil said, “Mexico is a highly skilled team, they play very fast, we know their quality, they have a lot of volume. We had to be patient, we started well in the first set, we had to come from behind in the second and third sets, and I believe that patience was crucial in today’s match. Now, we need to lower the adrenaline and study because tomorrow will be a very tough match for us”.
Paola Rivera from Mexico expressed, “I’m very excited to be here. We were thrilled to face such a formidable opponent. Brazil has a lot of quality, so we knew it would be very challenging.”
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 2023.- Reigning champions Dominican Republic defeated Argentina 3-1 (16-23, 25-19, 25-20, 25-17) in semifinals and is headed to the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games title match undefeated at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
This is Dominicans second consecutive semifinal win over Argentina at Pan American Games to progress into the gold medal match. Dominican Republic remains undefeated with a 4-0 record.
Dominican Republic will face the winner of the semifinal between Brazil and Mexico. Argentina will play their second consecutive bronze medal match at the Games against the loser.
In addition to Argentina’s consistent offense in serves, alongside effective serves, they took advantage of Dominican Republic’s defense errors to win the first set.
Dominicans visibly improved in blocking to stabilize their defense and then charged over Argentina into the next three sets for the final four-set win.
Lisvel Eve, DOM, attacks
Outside hitter Brayelin Martinez guided Dominican Republic with 20 points on 18 kills and two blocks. Opposite Gaila Gonzalez joined in with 15 points on 11 kills and a match-high of four blocks. Outside hitter Yonkaira Peña collected 13 points on 11 kills, one block and one ace.
Team captain Daniela Bulaich topped Argentina with 14 points on 13 kills and one ace. Candela Salinas and Maria De La Paz Corbalan contributed with 11 points each.
Brayelin Martínez, of Dominican Republic “We started the first slow, lazy, even our serves and Argentina took advantage of our serves and passing. Then we regained our serve and eliminated their middle blockers. We did what we came to do, which is to be in the final”.
“In the first set, we applied a lot of pressure with our serves, which was a fundamental tool to get the Dominican Republic out of system. In the second set, we made more errors and struggled to defend some challenging balls due to their power. We played according to our plan and had a good match”. said Candela Salinas of Argentina.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 25, 2023. – Chile beat Cuba 3-0 (25-15, 28-26, 25-17) and will face Colombia for the fifth place at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games. The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, was present at the Parque O’Higgins Arena, cheering on the hosts.
Chile will compete against Colombia for the fifth place of the event, while Cuba will face Puerto Rico for the seventh position.
Chile dominated the first and third sets by blocking Cuba’s offense, but in the second set, they recovered from a five-point deficit (15-20) and even snatched a set point (23-24) from Cuba for a dramatic 28-26 finish.
Beatriz Novoa, CHI, celebrates
The hosts led in attacks 47-37, in blocks 10-7, and in serves 5-3. Chile scored 16 points from Cuba’s errors and handed out 11.
Three Chilean players reached double digits in scoring, with Petra Schwartzman (17), Beatriz Novoa (14), and Karen Morales (11).
Yalain De La Peña was the top scorer for Cuba with 12 points.
The President of the Republic of Chile, Gabriel Boric, was present at the Parque O’Higgins Arena, cheering on the hosts
Eduardo Guillaume, coach of Chile, said, “We are used to beating Cuba. At the beginning, playing against Cuba was probably superior, but now Cuba is a bit down, and there are indicators that show we’ve grown. The team has a good temper and always fights. The players give their all in every match; they don’t back down. That gives us confidence and hope to keep growing. Another indicator is that 8 players are going to play abroad, even in Brazil. It’s becoming interesting!”
Leivis García, coach of Cuba, stated, “Today’s match was very interesting. We couldn’t win due to a lack of experience, but it’s a strengthened team that starts strong at the beginning of the sets but eases up in the final quarter of the set due to pressure and inexperience. Also, today, facing the host with the support of the crowd added certain pressure to the team. The players are young and gaining experience”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 25, 2023 – With impressive 39 points from Sofía Cuartas, Colombia defeated Puerto Rico 3-2 (19-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 15-8) and will battle for the fifth place in the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 being held at Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Sofía Cuartas’ 39 points pushed Colombia to recover from a two-set deficit and clinch the victory in a thrilling five-set match against Puerto Rico. Cuartas improved the 32 points scored by Amanda Coneo in the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima when Colombia defeated Peru.
Colombia awaits the winner of the match between Cuba and Chile for the fifth place in the Games.
Camila Gomez, COL, defense
Cuartas’ 39 points included 34 attacks, 3 blocks, and 2 aces. Juliana Guardado contributed 20 points on 19 attacks and one block.
Neira Ortiz was the top scorer for Puerto Rico with 21 points on 13 attacks, 7 blocks, and one ace. Destiny Skerrett Walker and Ivania Ortiz added 19 and 18 points, respectively.
Colombia ended with an advantage of 69 to 64 in attacks, 11 to 10 in blocks, and committed fewer errors, 18 against 22. Puerto Rico prevailed in direct serves, 9 to 4.
17 year old Colombian Juliana Laguado, commented on the victory, “We had the fighting spirit and came with a clear goal, which was to win this match to contend for the fifth place. Our goal is to stay united from the beginning to the end, whether winning or losing, and fighting to win. We recovered and achieved the victory today”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 23, 2023 – With the qualification of Puerto Rico, Argentina, Peru, and Chile, an exciting quarterfinal round of the Women’s Beach Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago are expected on Wednesday.
Maria Gonzalez and Allanis Navas from Puerto Rico defeated Karelys Simisterra and Ariana Vilela from Ecuador 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) and will face Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes from Canada in the quarterfinals.
Ana Gallay and Fernanda Pereyra from Argentina also secured their spot in the quarterfinals by defeating Julibeth Payano and Bethania Almanzar from the Dominican Republic 2-0 (21-18, 21-15). They will now face Atenas Gutiérrez and Abril Flores from Mexico.
Lisbeth Allcca and Claudia Gaona from Peru won 2-0 (21-19, 21-19) against Erika Mongelos and Michelle Valiente from Paraguay, setting up a quarterfinal match against Ana Patricia and Duda from Brazil.
Maria Rivas Zapata and Chris Vorpahl from Chile won 2-0 (21-18, 21-16) against Diana Rios and Margarita Guzman from Colombia. The Chilean team will compete in quarterfinals against USA’s duo of Corinne Quiggle and Sarah Murphy.
Erika Mongelos PAR
Results Classification 13-16 round:
Bianchi and Acuña (URU) 1-2 (21-17, 16-21, 8-15) Williams and Quesada (CRC)
N. Girón and Alvarado (GUA) 2-1 (21-16, 11-21, 15-12) Soler and Molina (ESA)
Matches on Wednesday, October 25:
Position 13
N. Girón and Alvarado (GUA) vs. Williams and Quesada (CRC)
Position 15
Bianchi and Acuña (URU) vs. Soler and Molina (ESA)
Quarterfinals:
Quiggle and Murphy (USA) vs. Rivas Zapata and Chris (CHI)
Ana Patrícia and Duda (BRA) vs. Allcca and Gaona (PER)
Brandie and Melissa (CAN) vs. Gonzalez and Navas (PUR)
Gutierrez and Flores (MEX) vs. Gallay and Pereyra (ARG)
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 24, 2023 – Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Ecuador advanced to the Men’s Beach Volleyball quarterfinals at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games after winning their respective qualifying matches.
Canada’s Jake MacNeil and William Russell defeated Uruguay’s Hans Hannibal and Llambías 2-0 (21-14, 21-16) to qualify for the quarterfinals, where they will face Chile’s cousins Marcos and Esteban Grimalt.
The Mexican duo of Miguel Sarabia and Juan Virgen had to battle hard and push themselves to the limit to win 2-0 (23-21, 21-19) against Colombians Juan Noriega and Johan Murray, setting up a quarterfinal clash with Hagen Smith and Logan Webber of the United States.
Meanwhile, Brazil’s George and André won 2-0 (21-14, 21-14) against Paraguay’s Giuliano Massare and Gonzalo Melgarejo and will now face Nicolás and Tomás Capogrosso from Argentina.
Ecuador’s Dany León and Marcos Tenorio won 2-0 (23-21, 21-10) against Bolivia’s Ruddy Salvatierra and Luis Calvo and will have Cubans Noslen Díaz and Jorge Alayo as their quarterfinal opponents.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 24, 2023 – Argentina defeated Chile 3-2 (25-19, 25-9, 21-25, 23-25, 15-7) and won their ticket at the semifinals of the Women’s Volleyball tournament at the nineteenth Pan American Games Santiago 2023, which is taking place at the Parque O’Higgins Arena.
Argentina will face the reigning champions, the Dominican Republic, in the semifinals, just as they did in the previous edition of the 2019 Lima Games, where they lost in four sets and then went on to defeat Brazil in the bronze medal match, marking their first-ever Pan American Games medal.
Chile staged a remarkable comeback from a two-set deficit, especially after Argentina’s complete dominance in the second set.
The match extended to a tie-break, won by Argentina who controlled the actions with a 75-56 advantage in attacks, a 6-5 margin in blocks, and an 8-1 lead in aces. Chile scored 23 points from Argentina’s errors and gave away 20.
Chile defense
Argentina’s top scorer was team captain Daniela Bulaich, with 21 points on 18 attacks, one block, and one ace. Also contributing to the victory were opposite María De La Paz Corbalan and middle blocker Avril García, with 17 points each. García registered a match-high of 4 blocks.
Chile’s captain, Beatriz Novoa, scored 21 points, all from attacks. Opposite Petra Schwartzman added 16 points on 15 attacks and one block.
Daniela Bulaich of Argentina said, “We knew this was a game that determined our qualification. If Chile started playing well, it would be a tight match. We managed to get back to our game and pull through. Now, we’ll enjoy this victory a bit and study the semifinal match”.
Dominga Aylwin of Chile expressed, “We were coming from a loss. We fought hard, and in the end, we couldn’t capitalize on the win. We left everything on the court”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 24, 2023. – Mexico became a semifinalist in the Women’s Volleyball Tournament of the nineteenth Pan American Games Santiago 2023 by defeating Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-14) in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at the Parque O’Higgins Arena.
Mexico hasn’t won a medal in the Pan American Games since 1975 when they took bronze. In the semifinals, Mexico will face either Brazil or the Dominican Republic, pending the outcome of the match between Argentina and Chile.
Mexico’s 57-23 huge advantage in attacking points was crucial in advancing to the tournament’s finals. Mexico also led in blocks 9-4, and both teams scored 4 points from serves. Puerto Rico gave away fewer points from unforced errors (10-12).
With 22 points, outside hitter Grecia Castro once again led Mexico’s offense. Opposite hitter Karen Rivera and outside hitter Aimé Topete contributed 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Puerto Rico’s leading scorer was outside hitter Ivania Ortiz with 14 points.
Karina Flores, MEX, celebrates
Mexico’s coach, Nicola Negro, expressed, “First of all, I congratulate my girls. This is a very important result for us because we’ve only been together for 5 months. It’s been a challenging journey because we were missing some of our team members. We had several weeks in competition with only 8 or 9 players, so it wasn’t easy to develop our work. We arrived here in good shape, with enthusiasm, and I believe we’ve played well. Now we’re in a semifinal, and it’s time to dream of winning a medal”.
Juan Carlos Morales, Puerto Rico’s coach, said, “Our service was too comfortable, and our offense wasn’t our strong skill, and they (Mexico) blocked well. The counterattack worked well. We also lacked energy. Mexico has been together for several months, they are well-coordinated, and we have a relatively new team with young players, and we’re still working. This is for the future”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 23, 2023 – Brandie Wilkerson/Melissa Humana-Paredes of Canada, Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Murphy of the United States, Atenas Gutiérrez/Abril Flores of Mexico, and Ana Patricia/Duda of Brazil advanced directly to the quarterfinals of the Women’s Beach Volleyball tournament at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
Brandie/Melissa finished undefeated in Group D, after beating Erika Mongelos/Michelle Valiente of Paraguay 2-0 (21-13, 21-8) on day three of competition.
In the other group match, Julibeth Payano/Bethania Almanzar (DOM) prevailed 2-0 (32-30, 21-19) against María Bianchi/Sol Acuña (URU) after a long battle in which both teams saved five set points in the first set.
In Group B, Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Murphy of the United States won 2-0 (24-22, 21-17) against Ana Gallay/Fernanda Pereyra of Argentina, securing the top spot and advancing to the quarterfinals. Lisbeth Allcca/Claudia Gaona (PER) defeated Natalia Girón/Paola Alvarado (GUA) 2-0 (22-20, 21-10).
In Group A, Atenas Gutiérrez and Abril Flores of Mexico defeated Chilean pair Chris Vorpahl/María Rivas 2-0 (21-14, 21-15), securing their ticket to the quarterfinals. The local team will play an elimination match against Diana Ríos/Margarita Guzmán of Colombia, who finished third in Group C.
Karelys Simisterra/Ariana Vilela of Ecuador won 2-0 (21-15, 21-18) against Angel Williams/Kianny Quesada of Costa Rica, taking third place in the group.
In Group C, Ana Patricia and Duda of Brazil claimed the top spot after a 2-0 (21-15, 21-11) victory over María González/Allanis Navas (PUR), while the Colombian pair Diana/Margarita defeated Yvone Soler/Laura Molina (ESA) 2-0 (21-13, 21-10).
Brandie Wilkerson y Mellisa Humana-Paredes CAN
These are the Round of 12 matches scheduled for Tuesday; the winners will advance to Wednesday’s quarterfinals:
Gallay/Pereyra (ARG) vs. Payano/Almanzar (DOM); the winners will face Mexico.
González/Navas (PUR) vs. Karelys/Ariana (ECU); the winners will go against Canada.
Erika/Michelle (PAR) vs. Peru (Allcca/Gaona); the winners will face Brazil.
Rivas Zapata/Chris (CHI) will compete against Diana/Margarita G (COL); the winners will take on the United States.
Classification for 13th-16th place:
Bianchi/Acuña (URU) vs. Williams/Quesada (CRC)
N. Girón/Alvarado (GUA) against Soler/Molina (ESA)
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 23, 2023. – Logan Webber/Hagen Smith of the United States, Noslen Díaz/Jorge Alayo of Cuba, Argentina’s pair Nicolás and Tomás Capogrosso, and cousins Marcos and Esteban Grimalt of Chile advanced to the quarterfinals of the Men’s Beach Volleyball tournament at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
In Group B, Smith/Webber of the United States defeated Hans Hannibal/Nicolás Llambías of Uruguay 2-1 (21-16, 19-21, 15-12) to secure the top spot in the group. Ruddy Salvatierra/Luis Calvo of Bolivia won 2-0 (21-15, 21-14) against Andy Leonardo/Luis García from Guatemala.
In Group C, Diaz/Alayo (CUB) triumphed 2-1 (21-16, 18-21, 15-8) against George/André of Brazil to advance to the quarterfinals. Ruddy Salvatierra/Luis Calvo (BOL) won 2-0 (21-16, 21-18) against the duo of Armando Guatemala/Frankñin Flores from ESA.
In Group D, Nicolás and Tomás Capogrosso (ARG) defeated Jake MacNeil/William Russell of Canada 2-0 (21-14, 21-12) and secured the first place in the group and their ticket to the quarterfinals. Dany León/Marcos Tenorio of Ecuador won 2-0 (21-19, 21-14) against Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela (CRC) and finished second in the group.
In Group A, M.Grimalt/E. Grimalt (CHI) won 2-0 (21-17, 21-16) against Mexico’s tandem Miguel Sarabia/Juan Virgen. Giuliano Massare/Gonzalo Melgarejo (PAR) won 2-0 (21-13, 21-17) against Rubén Mora/Dany Lopez (NCA).
Esteban Grimalt y Marco Grimalt CHI
These are the Round of 12 matches scheduled for Tuesday, with the winners advancing to the quarterfinals on Wednesday:
MacNeil/Russell (CAN) vs. Hannibal/Llambías (URU); the winner will face Grimalt M./Grimalt E. (CHI)
George/André (BRA) vs. Giuliano/Gonzalo (PAR), and the winner will go against Capagroso N/Capagrosso T (ARG)
León/Tenorio (ECU) will face Salvatierra/Calvo (BOL), and the winner will face Diaz/Alayo (CUB)
Sarabia/Virgen (MEX) vs. Noriega/Murray (COL), with the winner going against Smith/Webber USA.
SANTIAGO, Chile, 23 de octubre de 2023.- Mexico upset Chile in front of the home crowd winning second place of Pool A with a 3-1 (24-26, 25-21, 25-15, 25-18) victory on Monday night at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games in the Arena Parque O’Higgins on Monday at Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Mexico finished the preliminary round with a 2-1 record for second place in Pool A. Chile with 1-2 took third place.
In Tuesday’s Quarterfinals, Mexico will face Puerto Rico and Chile plays Argentina. The winners advance to Wednesday’s semifinals.
Mexico recovered from losing the first set, snatching two set points (22-24) before the thrilling 26-24 win for Chile.
Mexico held a 64 to 39 advantage in attacking points and with a 9-8 margin in blocks. Chile scored 6 points from serves against 5 and committed fewer unforced errors (20-28).
Petra Schwartzman, CHI, spikes
Mexican outside hitter Grecia Castro scored a tournament-high of 27 points so far, on 25 kills, one block and one ace. Opposite Karen Rivera contributed 17 points on 16 kills and one block, followed by middle blocker Jocelyn Urias with 14 points including a match-high of four stuff blocks.
Outside hitter Beatriz Novoa led Chile with 21 points on 17 kills, two blocks and two aces. Opposite Petra Schwartzman added 11 points on 8 kills and three blocks.
Grecia Castro of Mexico spoke excitedly, “What can I say? I’ve got the adrenaline pumping. From the beginning we really wanted to win this match, and we knew it would be a tough game against the world, with 12,000 people around us. I confess we enjoy playing with the crowd against us, we have much more fun. It was a very crucial match!”
Petra Schwartzman of Chile said, “We knew it was a tough match, we gave it everything we had, and sometimes things just didn’t work out. We needed to be a bit more organized, especially in our serves. These are aspects of the game, and now we’ll see what comes next”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 23, 2023.- Dominican Republic advanced to the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games Women’s Volleyball tournament semifinals after defeating Colombia 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-20) on Monday at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Defending champions Dominican Republic won Pool B undefeated to advance to Wednesday’s semifinals. Colombia finished fourth place and will play for positions five to eight.
Colombia put up a better battle in the second and third sets, taking advantage of several Dominican unforced errors.
Dominicans dominating serves (14-4) were too much to handle for Colombia, in addition to finishing with advantages in kills 33-28 and in blocks 6-4. Dominican Republic capitalized 22 points on Colombian errors and gave away 16.
Bethania De La Cruz and Gaila Gonzalez, DOM.
Outside hitter Yonkaira Peña led Dominican Republic with 13 points on 9 kills and 4 service points. Opposite hitter Gaila González added 10 points on 6 kills and 4 aces.
Colombian opposite Sofía Cuartas scored 12 points on 10 kills, one block and one ace.
“I think it was a good match where Colombia took advantage of every opportunity, they are a young team that played very well. We started a bit slow. We hope to be in the final and be champions!”, said Dominican Gaila González.
Sofia Cuartas, of Colombia said “They are an opponent who we admire. Colombia is a young team and we’ve always watched them play and performing so nicely against them makes me proud of our work. We know that soon we will face them again in a better way”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 23, 2023 – Argentinians Nicolás and Tomás Capogrosso and the United States duo of Logan Webber and Hagen Smith have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Men’s Beach Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
Nicolás and Tomás Capogrosso defeated Canadians Jake MacNeil/William Russell 2-0 (21-14, 21-12), finishing first-place in Group D and their ticket to the quarterfinals scheduled for Wednesday.
In Group B, Smith/Webber from the United States won 2-1 (21-16, 19-21, 15-12) against Hans Hannibal/Nicolás Llambías from Uruguay, securing the top spot in the group.
In the other match in Group D, Dany León/Marcos Tenorio of Ecuador won 2-0 (21-19, 21-14) against Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela of Costa Rica, earning the second-place in the group.
Meanwhile, Ruddy Salvatierra/Luis Calvo of Bolivia won 2-0 (21-15, 21-14) against Andy Leonardo/Luis García of Guatemala in Group B.
In the elimination matches scheduled for Tuesday, León/Tenorio (ECU) will face Salvatierra/Calvo (BOL), who finished third in Group B, and MacNeil/Russell (CAN) will face Hannibal/Llambías (URU), the second-place team from Group B.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 23, 2023 – Brandie Wilkerson/Melissa Humana-Paredes from Canada and Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Murphy from the United States advanced directly to the quarterfinals of the Women’s Beach Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games.
Brandie and Melissa finished undefeated in Group D, beating Paraguay’s dúo of Erika Mongelos/Michelle Valiente, 2-0 (21-13, 21-8) on day three of competition.
In Group B, Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Murphy from the United States defeated Ana Gallay/Fernanda Pereyra from Argentina, 2-0 (24-22, 21-17), for first-place and advancing to the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Lisbeth Allcca/Claudia Gaona from Peru prevailed over Guatemala’s Natalia Girón/Paola Alvarado, 2-0 (22-20, 21-10) in Group D.
In the elimination matches scheduled for Tuesday to determine the teams advancing to the quarterfinals, Gallay/Pereyra (ARG) will face Payano/Almanzar (DOM), and Erika/Michelle (PAR) will compete against Allcca/Gaona (PER).
The quarterfinal round will take place on Wednesday at the Beach Volleyball Center in Parque Peñalolén.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 23, 2023 – Argentina defeated Cuba 3-0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-15) to clinch the second position in Pool A of the Women’s Volleyball tournament at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Argentina, with a record of two wins and one loss, advanced to the quarterfinals as the second place team in Pool A, where they will face either Chile or Mexico. Cuba will compete in the matches for positions 5 to 8.
Argentina and Cuba battled closely in the first set, but the South Americans celebrated a straight set victory with a 45-38 advantage in attacks, 9-5 in blocks, and 4-2 in service points.
Daiana Lopez, ARG, attacks
Argentina’s Nicole Pérez led in scoring with 13 points (10 attacks, 3 blocks). Daniela Bulaich and Bianca Farriol contributed 11 points each.
Ivy Vila was once again the top scorer for Cuba with 12 points (10 attacks, 2 service aces).
Tatiana Rizzo, Argentina’s libero, said, “We prepared to reach the next round of the tournament and now we are focused on what we need to do tomorrow to advance to the semifinals. In the first set, there was some anxiety, and we didn’t put in the necessary effort to avoid some errors that kept the score close. We had confidence in winning the match”.
Leivis García, Cuba’s coach, explained “With the team we brought, we see small steps of progress. There are young players who took on the responsibility in a very strong setting for them. I am happy, but not satisfied; we must work a lot, and we have the material to do it, with athletes with a lot of talent, dedication, and above all, the right attitude on the court. The players responded today, but inexperience made the difference”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 23, 2023 – Brazil defeated Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-21), winning Group A undefeated and advancing to the semifinals of the Women’s Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
Brazil secured a direct spot in Wednesday’s semifinals with a 3-0 record, while Puerto Rico finished the group stage at 1-2 and will compete in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Puerto Rico gave Brazil a tough time on several occasions, especially in the second set, where they scored a seven-point rally coming from behind (15-23).
Lais Vasques, BRA, defense
Brazil outclassed Puerto Rico with a 39-29 advantage in attacking points, 10-9 in blocking points, and 3-2 in direct service points. Brazil committed 18 unforced errors, while Puerto Rico finished with 23.
Opposite hitter Sabrina Machado led Brazil with 18 points, on 15 attacks, one block, and two aces. Outside hitter Maira Basso and middle blocker Lorena Viezel contributed 9 points each.
Middle blocker Neira Ortiz and outside hitter Stephanie Rivera led Puerto Rico with 10 points each.
Brazil’s outside hitter Helena Wenk expressed her happiness for reaching the semifinals, saying, “Today, the team was a bit slow, and the cold also influenced our game a bit. The good thing is that we managed to come back when the match was tight, and we were behind on the scoreboard. We will rest and train to prepare well for the semifinal”.
Puerto Rico’s middle blocker Neira Ortiz highlighted, “In the second set, we put up more of a fight because we started to believe more in ourselves. We managed to get closer, with a bit more confidence, and entered our game. We have a very young team, and sometimes facing a world-class team can be intimidating. We are already in the next round, and I hope we can develop better cohesion as a team, continuing to nurture the young talent so they gain experience because this group of players is the future, and if we’ve done well now, imagine what they will become. We will enjoy the journey, the process, and be patient”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 21, 2023 – The Men’s Beach Volleyball Tournament at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games has reached a point of maximum anticipation where the top positions in each group will be decided on Monday will determine the top positions in each group.
In Group A, Mexicans Miguel Sarabia/Juan Virgen prevailed 2-0 (21-15, 21-17) against Rubén Mora/Dany Lopez (NCA), while Chile’s Marco Grimalt/Esteban Grimalt defeated Giuliano Massare/Gonzalo Melgarejo (PAR) 2-0 (21-18, 21-13).
On Monday, Sarabia/Virgen will clash against the Grimalt cousins, champions of the last edition of the Pan American Games held in Lima in 2019, for first place of group A,
In Group B, Hagen Smith/Logan Webber (USA) had to dig deep to win 2-1 (21-15, 18-21, 15-10) against Andy Leonardo/Luis García (PANAM), while Hans Hannibal/Nicolás Llambías (URU) won 2-0 (21-16, 23-21) against Ruddy Salvatierra/Luis Calvo (BOL).
In Group C, George/Andre (BRA) continued without complications and prevailed 2-0 (21-15, 21-10) against Juan Noriega/Johan Murray (COL). Meanwhile, Noslen Diaz/Jorge Alayo (CUB) comfortably won 2-0 (21-13, 21-12) against Armando Guatemala/Franklin Flores (ESA), setting the stage for Brazil and Cuba to decide the group’s top spot.
In Group D, Canadians Jake MacNeil/William Russell achieved a 2-0 victory (21-11, 21-14) against Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela of Costa Rica. Argentinians Nicolás Capogrosso/Tomás Capogrosso won 2-0 (21-17, 21-13) against Dany León/Marcos Tenorio of Ecuador.
This is the most challenging group, as Ecuadorians León/Tenorio’s victory over Canada on the first day of competition, has left Argentina, Canada, and Ecuador with chances of qualification.
George of Brasil
Monday’s Matches:
MacNeil/Russell (CAN) vs Capogrosso N./Capogrosso T. (ARG) 12:30
Smith/Webber (USA) Hannibal/Llambías (URU) 13:00
D. Dyner/Varela (CRC) Leon/Marcos (ECU) 13:30
Blanco/Garcia (GUA) Salvatierra/Calvo (BOL) 14:00
Giuliano/Gonzalo (PAR) Mora/Lopez (NCA) 18:00
George/Andre (BRA) Diaz/Alayo (CUB) 18:30
Noriega/Murray (COL) Guatemala/Flores (ESA) 19:30
Grimalt M./Grimalt E. (CHI) Sarabia/Virgen (MEX) 20:00
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 22, 2023 – Eight pairs secured their second consecutive victory in the Women’s Beach Volleyball tournament at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games, and on Monday they will compete for a spot in the quarterfinals.
The leaders of each group will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the second-place teams will face the third-place teams for the remaining quarterfinal spots.
In Group A, Chile’s María Rivas/Chris Vorpahl defeated Karelys Simisterra/Ariana Vilela (ECU) 2-1 (21-17, 16-21, 18-16), snatching three match points for the Ecuadorian team. On Monday, they will face the Mexican pair of Abril Flores/Atenas Gutierrez, who also won their Sunday match against Angel Williams/Kianny Quesada (CRC) by a 2-0 (21-12, 21-9) score.
In Group B, Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Murphy of the United States obtained their second victory by defeating Natalia Girón/Paola Alvarado (PANAM) 2-0 (21-13, 21-11); while Ana Gallay/Fernanda Pereyra (ARG) defeated Lisbeth Allcca/Claudia Gaona of Peru 2-0 (21-16, 21-15).
In Group C, the Brazilian pair Ana Patrícia/Duda won 2-0 (21-13, 21-10) against Diana Ríos/Margarita Guzmán (COL). Meanwhile, María Gonzalez/Alanis Navas of Puerto Rico triumphed 2-0 (21-16, 21-11) against Yvonne Soler/Laura Molina (ESA).
In Group D, Brandie Wilkerson/Melissa Humana-Paredes (CAN) won their second match defeating Julibeth Payano/Bethania Almanzar (DOM) 2-0 (22-20, 21-16). Erika Mongelos/Michelle Valiente (PAR) won 2-0 (21-8, 21-15) against Isabel Bianchi/Sol Acuña of Uruguay.
Angela Williams y Kianny Araya of Costa Rica
Monday’s Schedule:
Brandie/Melissa (CAN) vs Erika/Michelle (PAR) 10:30
Quiggle/Murphy (USA) vs Gallay/Pereyra (ARG) 11:00
Payano/Almanzar (DOM) vs Bianchi/Acuña (URU) 11:30
N. Giron/Alvarado (GUA) vs Allcca/Gaona (PER) 12:00
Ana Patrícia/Duda (BRA) vs Gonzalez/Navas (PUR) 16:30
Karelys/Ariana (ECU) vs Williams/Quesada (CRC) 17:00
Diana/Margarita G (COL) vs Soler/Molina (ESA) 17:30
Rivas Zapata/Chris (CHI) vs Gutierrez/Flores (MEX) 19:00
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 22, 2023 – Chile achieved a historic victory at Pan American Games by defeating Colombia 3-0 (29-27, 25-23, 25-7) in the Women’s Volleyball tournament of Santiago 2023 at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Chile delighted the home crowd coming from behind in the closing moments of the first two sets. Chile took the first set from Colombia (23-24) in a dramatic finish that extended to 29-27, and in the second set, they made a comeback from a four-point deficit (18-22) to finish 25-23.
Chile completely outplayed Colombia in the third set, jumping to a 12-1 lead and dominating the set 25-7.
Chile, with a 1-1 record in Group B, will conclude the preliminary stage against Mexico (1-1), while Colombia, with a 0-2 record, will face the undefeated defending champions, Dominican Republic.
Chile outperformed Colombia 50-29 in attacks, 6-3 in blocks, and 9-3 in service points. Colombia made fewer unforced errors than Chile (14-22).
Petra Schwartzman, CHI attacks
The top scorer of the match was Chile’s Beatriz Novoa with 24 points (20 attacks, 3 blocks, one service ace), the highest in the tournament so far. She was accompanied by Petra Schwartzman with 15 points (13 attacks, 2 service points).
Colombia’s leading scorer was Maira Ospino with 10 points (9 attacks, one block).
Beatriz Novoa, the captain of Chile, expressed with excitement, “For me, it was insane to play in this venue, to see all my people here, cheering us point by point. The truth is that it has been beautiful, and I am super happy. As a team, everything just ran well; we were very united, and that was something we were looking for, and that’s why I’m very happy, for my teammates and for all what we did today”.
Colombia’s coach, Antoni Rizola, said, “My team deserves no criticism. It’s a young team that played at a very high level of volleyball in the first two sets, and with only two starting players, they had the opportunity to close them. Without any experience, it was difficult for them to find their rhythm in the third set”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 22, 2023.- Defending champions Dominican Republic beat Mexico 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-19) to improve 2-0 at the Women’s Volleyball Tournament of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games on Sunday at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Dominican Republic stands undefeated in Pool B and Mexico after suffering their first loss are with a 1-1 mark. Dominicans will finish the preliminary round on Monday against Colombia and Mexico will face hosts Chile.
The Dominicans dominated the first and second sets with strong defense from Brenda Castillo and coordinated attacking.
In the third set, Mexico gave more competition after recovering from being down 16-19 and tying the score at 19 points. However, Dominican Republic closed it with a rally of six consecutive points.
Grecia Castro, MEX, defense
Dominicans dominated in attacking 41-30, in blocking 7-2 and in serving 2-1, benefiting from 24 opponent errors and giving away 18.
Dominican Outside hitter Yonkaira Peña led all scorers with 19 points on 15 kills and a match-high of 4 blocks. Brayelin Martinez contributed 10 points on 8 kills, one block and one ace.
Outside hitter Aimé Topete led Mexico with 9 points all on kills. Outside hitter Grecia Castro and team captain Jocelyn Urias added 6 points each.
Yonkaira Peña, the top scorer for the Dominican Republic, said, “The matches against Mexico are always tough because we know each other well. We’re happy that everything went well. We lost a bit of concentration in the last two sets, but we were able to push through and get the victory”.
Aimé Topete of Mexico stated, “I thought it was a good match. Dominican Republic is a great team, and I’m very proud of my teammates because we fought until the last point, and we’re going to keep going like this”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 22, 2023.- Brazil captured its second win at the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 beating Argentina 3-0 (25-13, 25-20, 25-18) on Sunday at Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Brazil is unbeaten in Pool A while Argentina has one win and one loss. The preliminary round finishes tomorrow with Brazil (2-0) facing Puerto Rico (1-1) and Argentina (1-1) against Cuba (0-2).
Brazil prevailed with a huge 43-28 advantage in attacking points and 11-2 in blocks. Both teams scored two aces and committed 19 unforced errors.
Sabrina Machado BRA attacks
Three Brazilians scored double figures, led by Sabrina Machado with 15 points (14 kills, one block), followed by Maiara Basso with 10 points (9 kills, one ace) and Lorena Viezel contributed 10 points (6 kills, 3 blocks, one ace).
Maria De La Paz Corbalan was Argentina’s leading scorer with 11 points all on kills. Dalma Nicole Perez followed with 9 kill points.
“This was a very different match because these are teams that are in the process of forming, we’re all rookies, and we all need to have the same pace in the game. I think we were able to assess the match, feel how the girls over there were doing, and finally, we were able to get started a bit and then we could be more relaxed” said Brazil’s middle blocker, Lorena Giovana.
Opposite player María De La Paz from Argentina said, “We knew that Brazil was a tough opponent, and we tried to give our best in the match. It worked out for us at times, but at other times, it didn’t. So, we’re preparing for tomorrow, continuing to do our best in this tournament to represent Argentina at its best”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 22, 2023.- Puerto Rico claimed their first win after beating Cuba 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-18) in Pool A at the Women’s Volleyball Tournament of the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Puerto Rico improved their record to 1-1, taking a significant step toward advancing into the next round of the event. Cuba, on the other hand, is still without victories (0-2).
On the last day of the preliminary round, Puerto Rico will play against Brazil and Cuba goes up against Argentina.
Puerto Rico celebrates
Puerto Rico outperformed Cuba with a 44-32 advantage in attacks and a slight 2-1 margin in direct service points. Both teams tied with seven points in blocks. Puerto Rico capitalized on 22 points from Cuba’s errors while conceding 14.
Outside hitter Stephanie Rivera led Puerto Rico with 13 points, on 10 attacks, two blocks, and one ace. Middle blocker Neira Ortiz contributed 12 points, including 9 from attacks and three from blocks.
On Cuba’s side, outside hitter Ivy Vila led with 10 points, all from attacks.
Stephanie Rivera, Puerto Rico’s top scorer, said, “We stayed united; today there was better communication than yesterday, and we were able to achieve our goal of winning with good passes and minimizing errors. Our defense stopped Cuba from scoring; we upset their plays because they didn’t know where to attack. We hope to do a good job against Brazil, our next opponent, hoping for victory”.
Cuba’s top scorer, Ivy Vila, explained, “Puerto Rico defended better than us, and we couldn’t make a comeback; you must be mentally strong against a team that defends so well. Tomorrow we must go out to win, fighting for every point”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 22, 2023 – The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, had the opportunity to congratulate the Dominican Republic Women’s team for their qualification to the Paris 2024 Olympics during a meeting with athletes competing in the 19th Pan American Games in Santiago 2023.
President Bach had a conversation in Santiago, Chile with Dominican team “Las Reinas del Caribe” Niverka Marte, with whom he made a commitment following his visit to the Caribbean Island in March.
President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach with Iverka Marte of Dominican Republic
“President Bach is a wonderful person and an exceptional sports leader who has been known for reaching out to us athletes” said Niverka. “He gave me a personal pin when he visited us in the Dominican Republic, a very important moment for me as an athlete, as a token for good luck and made an agreement with me that I would return it to him personally in Paris to motivate me and my team to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics”.
After Las Reinas del Caribe won their ticket to the Olympics at the FIVB qualifying tournament last September, Niverka contacted President Bach to inform him that she would be able to return the pin as they had agreed.
“The bond we have established with Mr. Bach is surreal”, Niverka expressed. “I wrote to him to inform him of our qualification and that I would be in Paris to fulfill our pact. He congratulated me and the entire team in a beautiful letter and to my surprise, I was going to have the opportunity to meet with him at the Pan American Games”.
“I thanked him in person! But he told there was no need for me to return the pin, congratulating Las Reinas del Caribe enthusiastically for their direct qualification to the Olympic Games”.
The Dominican team, ranked 8th in the world, earned their direct spot in Paris 2024 in the FIVB qualifying tournament last September in Ningbo, China, after a hard-fought five-set victory over the Netherlands (25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-12).
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 21, 2023.- The women’s beach volleyball tournament of the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 kicked off on Saturday, October 21, with the top-ranked pairs securing their victories without much trouble.
In Group A, the local duo Maria Rivas/Chris Vorpahl defeated Angel Williams/Kianny Quesada (CRC) with a 2-0 (21-12, 21-17) victory. After a closely contested start, Rivas/Vorpahl capitalized on their strong service to pull ahead, supported by a crowd of fans who filled the Beach Volleyball Center at Peñalolén Park.
Meanwhile, Atenas Gutierrez/Abril Flores (MEX) had to step up the pace against their opponents, ending with a 2-0 (21-19, 21-17) win over Karelys Simisterra/Ariana Vilela (ECU).
In Group B, Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Murphy from the United States overcame Lisbeth Allcca/Claudia Gaona from Peru with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-18) victory. Ana Gallay/Fernanda Pereyra (ARG) won 2-0 (21-11, 21-16) against Natalia Girón/Paola Alvarado (PANAM).
In Group C, Ana Patricia/Duda (BRA) had no difficulties as they easily defeated Yvonne Soler/Laura Molina (ESA) with a 2-0 (21-9, 21-6) win. The Central American and Caribbean champions, María Gonzalez/Alanis Navas from Puerto Rico, secured a 2-0 (21-15, 21-10) victory over Diana Ríos/Margarita Guzmán (COL).
In Group D, Brandie Wilkerson/Melissa Humana-Paredes (CAN) won 2-0 (21-11, 21-6) against Isabel Bianchi/Sol Acuña from Uruguay. In an intense match, especially in the first set, Erika Mongelos/Michelle Valiente (PAR) emerged victorious with a 2-0 (22-20, 21-16) result against Julibeth Payano/Bethania Almanzar (DOM).
Alanis Navas PUR
The group stage matches will continue on Sunday:
Brandie/Melissa (CAN) vs Payano/Almanzar (DOM) at 10:30
Erika/Michelle (PAR) vs Bianchi/Acuña (URU) at 11:30
Quiggle/Murphy (USA) vs N. Giron/Alvarado (GUA) at 11:00
Gallay/Pereyra (ARG) vs Allcca/Gaona (PER) at 12:00
Ana Patrícia/Duda (BRA) vs Diana/Margarita G (COL) at 16:30
Gutierrez/Flores (MEX) vs Williams/Quesada (CRC) at 17:00
Gonzalez/Navas (PUR) vs Soler/Molina (ESA) at 17:30
Rivas Zapata/Chris (CHI) vs Karelys/Ariana (ECU) at 19:00
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 21, 2023.- The men’s Beach Volleyball tournament of the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 kicked off on Saturday, October 21, with some tightly contested matches and others that ended quickly.
In Group A, the pair Miguel Sarabia/Juan Virgen (MEX) staged a comeback after losing the first set to win 2-1 (19-21, 21-14, 15-13) against Giuliano Massare/Gonzalo Melgarejo (PAR). The Mexians were trailing 10-12 in the third set but managed to tie it up and secure the set and the victory.
Meanwhile, the hosts Marco Grimalt/Esteban Grimalt (CHI) closed the day with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-17) victory over Rubén Mora/Dany Lopez (NCA).
In Group B, Hagen Smith/Logan Webber (USA) overcame Ruddy Salvatierra/Luis Calvo (BOL) with a 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) win. Hans Hannibal/Nicolás Llambías (URU) defeated Andy Blanco/Luis García (GUA) with a 2-0 (21-14, 21-13) result.
In Group C, George/Andre (BRA) had no trouble securing a 2-0 (21-7, 21-13) victory over Armando Guatemala/Franklin Flores (ESA). Noslen Diaz/Jorge Alayo (CUB) also won without difficulties, 2-0 (21-8, 21-14), against Juan Noriega/Johan Murray (COL).
In Group D, the Ecuadorian pair, Dany León/Marcos Tenorio, delivered the first surprise of the tournament by defeating the Canadian team of Jake MacNeil/William Russell with a 2-0 (21-18, 22-20) score.
Meanwhile, Argentineans Nicolás Capogrosso/Tomás Capogrosso won 2-0 (21-12, 21-11) against Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela from Costa Rica.
Hagen Smith celebrate
Sunday’s matches for the second day:
MacNeil/Russell (CAN) vs D. Dyner/Varela (CRC) at 12:30
Capogrosso N./Capogrosso T. (ARG) vs Leon/Marcos (ECU) at 13:30
Smith/Webber (USA) vs Blanco/Garcia (GUA) at 13:00
Hannibal/Llambías (URU) vs Salvatierra/Calvo (BOL) at 14:00
Sarabia /Virgen (MEX) vs Mora/Lopez (NCA) at 18:00
George/Andre (BRA) vs Noriega/Murray (COL) at 18:30
Diaz/Alayo (CUB) vs Guatemala/Flores (ESA) at 19:30
Grimalt M./Grimalt E. (CHI) vs Giuliano/Gonzalo (PAR) at 20:00
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 21, 2023.- Defending champions Dominican Republic celebrated their first victory at the nineteenth edition of the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 after defeating hosts Chile in straight sets (25-18, 25-17, 25-11) at Arena Parque O’Higgins on Saturday night.
Despite a high-level of resistance from Chile in the first two sets and the support of the home crowd, Dominican Republic prevailed in their first pool B outing in three consecutive sets.
Dominican Republic held advantage in every skill of the game, 39-22 in kills, 10-1 in blocks and 5-1 in aces. Both teams committed 21 unforced errors.
Outside hitter Yonkaira Peña and Brayelin Martinez led Dominicans offense with 13 points each. Opposite Gaila Gonzalez contributed 11 points.
Chilean team captain Beatriz Novoa scored 10 points and outside hitter Dominga Aylwin added 7 points.
Beatriz Novoa CHI, attacks
On Sunday, Dominican Republic (1-0) will face Mexico (0-1) and hosts Chile (0-1) go up against Colombia (0-1).
Niverka Marte, captain of the Dominican Republic, said, “It was very important to start with a victory. This stadium is incredible, the audience came to support their team, and we knew we had to play with a lot of concentration. Chile is playing very well. We recently faced them in the Pan American Cup and could see that they have improved. The atmosphere is beautiful and we are happy to be here”.
Chilean team captain, Beatriz Novoa expressed “For us, it’s a dream, and now we’re here enjoying it in this great stage, and honestly, it was a really nice match. I think we knew it would be a tough match. We still lack a couple of things, but that’s why we’re here, to gain experience and grow”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, 21 de octubre de 2023.- Mexico took down Colombia 3-0 (25-22, 25-13, 25-14) at the opening day of the Women’s Volleyball Tournament of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games in Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Mexico gained more confidence as the match developed to finish with a 39-24 advantage in attacking points and an 8-1 margin in blocks in their first Pool B win. Both teams scored four points from serves and committed a similar number of errors, Mexico with 20 and Colombia with 23.
Opposite Karen Rivera scored 16 points as Mexico’s leading attacker and outside hitter Grecia Castro contributed with 11 points.
Mexico celebrates
Leading Colombia was middle blocker Paulina Agudelo with 9 points.
On day two of the event, Mexico faces the Dominican Republic and the hosts Chile play against Colombia.
“The match was very good. We knew that Colombia had a strong defense. They have players who defend well, but we managed to adjust and take the victory,” said Mexico’s captain, Jocelyn Urías.
Camila Gómez, the captain of Colombia, said, “We knew it would be difficult. We didn’t perform as we usually do, as we showed in the friendly matches. I think our girls need to gain experience. Although we didn’t win this match, I’m happy with what this new generation of Colombia has demonstrated”.
English 
Spanish