SANTIAGO, Chile, October 21, 2023. Beach volleyball at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games began this Saturday, October 21, with a large number of fans who filled the Beach Volleyball Center in Peñalolén Park.
On the first day of the day, with four women’s matches and four men’s matches, in women, in group D, Brandie Wilkerson/Melissa Humana-Paredes (CAN) defeated Isabel Bianchi/Sol Acuña, from Uruguay, 2-0 (21-11, 21-6). Erika Mongelos/Michelle Valiente (PAR) won 2-0 (22-20, 21-16) over Julibeth Payano/Bethania Almanzar (DOM).
In group B, Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Murphy, from the USA, beat Lisbeth Allcca/Claudia Gaona, from Peru, 2-0 (21-13, 21-18). Ana Gallay/Fernanda Pereyra (ARG) defeated Natalia Girón/Paola Alvarado (PANAM) 2-0 (21-11, 21-16).
Men’s matches
In group D, the Ecuatorian couple, Dany León/Marcos Tenorio, gave the first surprise of the tournament by beating the Canadians Jake MacNeil/William Russell 2-0 (21-18, 22-20).
Meanwhile, the Argentines Nicolás Capogrosso/Tomás Capogrosso beat Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela, from Costa Rica, 2-0 (21-12, 21-11).
In group B, Hagen Smith/Logan Webber (USA) beat Ruddy Salvatierra/Luis Calvo (BOL) 2-0 (21-15, 21-15). Hans Hannibal/Nicolás Llambías (URU) defeated Andy Blanco/Luis García (PANAM) 2-0 (21-14, 21-13).
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 21, 2023.- Argentina started the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games with a 3-1 (25-17, 25-18, 17-25, 25-19) win over Puerto Rico at the Women’s Volleyball Tournament on Saturday in Arena Parque O’Higgins.
Argentina held back Puerto Rico who recovered from an 0-2 set deficit forcing a fourth set, earning their first tournament win in Pool A.
Argentina had its blocking to thank for, finishing with a 16-8 margin over Puerto Rico. The attacks were balanced, with Argentina leading 45-41. Puerto Rico led in serves 3-0 but handed out 31 points on errors and Argentina 27.
Opposite hitter María Corbalan topped Argentina with 16 points on 14 kills and two blocks, joined by middle blockers Bianca Farriol with 13 points and Avril García with 10 points who scored a match-high of 7 stuff blocks.
Puerto Rico’s leading scorers were middle blocker Neira Ortiz with 13 points on 7 kills and 6 blocks. Outside hitter Stephanie Rivera added 11 points on 10 kills and one ace.
On the second day of competition in Pool A, Argentina (1-0) will play against Brazil (1-0) and Puerto Rico (0-1) faces Cuba (0-1).
“It was a difficult debut! We had just arrived from our clubs and reunited here. It was an important match for us to adjust as a group, and fortunately, the result came”, said Argentina’s captain, Daniela Simian.
“I thought the match went very well; it was our first match with very young girls, of a young age. I believe we will improve a lot as we practice more. I’m very happy with the result because we didn’t give up. We did well!” said Puerto Rico’s captain, Shara Venegas.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 21, 2023.- Brazil opened the Women’s Volleyball Tournament at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games with 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-14) at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
The South American team had a solid debut outperforming the Caribbeans in pool A.
Brazil led in points from attacks 40-21, in blocking points 7-5 and points from serves 6-2. Brazil’s level of play managed to force Cuba to commit 22 unforced errors against 16 of their own.
Brazilian Sabrina Machado led all attackers with 19 points on 11 kills, one block and two aces. Maiara Basso and Lorena Viezel added 10 points each in Brazil’s win.
Brazil celebrates victory against Cuba
Yalain De La Peña was Cuba’s top scorer with 9 points.
On the second day of competition in Pool A, Cuba faces Puerto Rico and Brazil plays Argentina.
“It was great for the debut. We were able to put into practice everything we studied and set out to do. An opening performance always gives us butterflies in the stomach, but we played freely, and Brazilian fans also gave us a lot of strength today,” said Brazil’s captain, Naiane Rios.
Cuba’s captain, Laura Suárez, said, “It was a tough debut; Brazil is a strong rival. Our team is young, and some of us recently joined due to commitments with our clubs. Things didn’t go as well, but we’ll see what tomorrow brings. Today, there were moments of joy with every point we scored, and tomorrow we’ll go for the victory”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 20, 2023.- The Beach Volleyball Tournament at the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 will kick off on Saturday at the Beach Volleyball Center in Parque Peñalolén that features two spectacular courts ready for a high-level competition.
The best pairs from the continent come together in pursuit of coveted medals at the Games.
The schedule and competition system were announced to the 32 pairs representing 16 countries in both men’s and women’s, by Ed Drakich, the International Technical Delegate, along with Mushtaque Mohammed and Glenn Quinlan, and Referee Delegate André Trotier.
In the men’s tournament, the local pair Marco and Esteban Grimalt, gold medalists in the last edition of the Games in Lima, will once again face Mexican Juan Virgen, the silver medalist, and Nicolás Capogrosso of Argentina, the bronze medalist.
In women, the golden duo from Lima 2019, Pardon/Cook of the USA, won’t be defending their title, but Corinne Quiggle and Sarah Murphy will represent the United States. Ana Gallay/Fernanda Pereira from Argentina are the only medalists from the 2019 Pan American Games (silver) aiming for a podium finish again.
Brazilian powerhouse Ana Patrícia/Duda Brazil, 2022 World Champions and silver medalists at the recent 2023 World Championship in Tlaxcala, are determined to carry Brazil back to the top of the podium, a feat the South American country hasn’t achieved since 2011 (Brazil finished third in 2015 and 2019).
The Canadian duo of Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana Paredes appears to be strong contenders. Both competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with different partners. Melissa made her Pan American Games debut in Toronto 2015. Melissa and Brandie are bringing experience and will push win a medal for Canada after many years.
Schedule for Saturday, October 21
Women’s Matches
Brandie/Melissa (CAN) will face Bianchi/Acuña from Uruguay at 10:30 a.m. on Court 1.
Followed by, Quiggle/Murphy (USA) against Allcca/Gaona from Peru on Court 2. Erika/Michelle (PAR) will play against Payano/Almanzar (DOM) on Court 2 at 11:30 a.m.
Gallay/Pereira (ARG) will face N. Girón/Alvarado (PANAM) on Court 1 at 12:00 p.m.
In the second block of women’s matches:
Ana Patrícia/Duda (BRA) will face Soler/Molina (ESA) at 4:30 p.m. on Court 2. Gutierrez/Flores (MEX) will compete against Karelys/Ariana (ECU) on Court 1 at 5:00 p.m.
Gonzalez/Navas (PUR) will face Diana/Margarita G (COL) on Court 2 at 5:30 p.m. The local pair, Rivas Zapata/Chris (CHI), will compete against Williams/Quesada (CRC) on Court 1 at 7:00 p.m.
Men’s Matches
MacNeil/Russell (CAN) will face León/Marcos (ECU) on Court 2 at 12:30 p.m. Smith/Webber (USA) will play against Salvatierra/Calvo (BOL) on Court 1 at 1:00 p.m.
Capogrosso N/Capogrosso T (ARG) will compete against D. Dyner/Varela (CRC) on Court 2 at 1:30 p.m. Hannibal/Llambías (URU) will face Blanco/García (PANAM) on Court 1 at 2:00 p.m.
Later in the day:
Sarabia/Virgen (MEX) will compete against Giuliano/Gonzalo (PAR) on Court 1 at 6:00 p.m.
George/Andre (BRA) will face Guatemala/Flores (ESA) on Court 2 at 6:30 p.m. Diaz/Alayo (CUB) will compete against Noriega/Murray (COL) on Court 2 at 7:30 p.m. Grimalt M./Grimalt E. (CHI) will face Mora/Lopez (NCA) on Court 1 at 8:00 p.m.
Pool Distribution
Women
Pool A: Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Costa Rica
Pool B: United States, Argentina, PANAM SPORT (Guatemala), Peru
Pool C: Brazil, Puerto Rico, Colombia, El Salvador
Pool D: Canada, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Uruguay
Men
Pool A: Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Nicaragua
Pool B: United States, Uruguay, PANAM SPORT (Guatemala), Bolivia
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 20, 2023.- The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) announced that beach volleyball partners Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson will be Team Canada’s flag bearers for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games Opening Ceremony.
In the first year of their partnership, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson are one of the top women’s beach volleyball teams in the world – currently fifth in the FIVB World Rankings. The duo, who were former indoor volleyball teammates at York University, began competing together professionally on the Beach Pro Tour in February. While Humana-Paredes is making her return to the Pan Am Games after debuting in her hometown at Toronto 2015, Wilkerson will be competing at her first Pan Ams in Santiago.
These will be a special Games for Humana-Paredes, whose parents are Chilean. Both women aim to be a positive force on and off the court. Humana-Paredes has been a member of the Panam Sports Athlete Commission since 2019 and Wilkerson is the co-founder of Project Worthy, a scholarship program aimed at increasing BIPOC representation in volleyball.
Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson both made their Olympic debuts at Tokyo 2020 with their former partners. Both pairs finished fifth, matching Canada’s best-ever Olympic result in women’s beach volleyball.
Canada has not won a Pan Am Games medal in beach volleyball since 1999. In the sport’s debut at the Pan Ams, Jody Holden and Conrad Leinemann won gold in the men’s event on home sand in Winnipeg.
The beach volleyball tournaments at Santiago 2023 take place October 21 to 27 (Days 1 to 7) at the Parque Peñalolen. Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson will open play October 21 against Uruguay.
QUOTES:
“I’m extremely excited and honoured to have this role, to share my story as well as the story of my sport and federation. Honestly I’m just overjoyed. I’ve never experienced an Opening Ceremony before so to be able to do this, and with the person I’d want to do it with the most, is exciting. I’m so extremely proud to be Canadian!”
– Brandie Wilkerson, Team Canada Santiago 2023 Opening Ceremony flag bearer
“This is something that as an athlete you want to do one day and you hope you have the privilege of doing. The fact that I can do it in Chile, which is where my family is from, and that my family will be able to witness it, is extremely meaningful. At multi-sport events like this, I think it’s so important to share stories and to be models of different representations and different body types and different sports and different backgrounds and how we all come together and are united here as one. It gives you a lot of perspective and reminds you of why you’re doing this, and the power of sport. We’ve been part of Team Canada a couple of times, and every time it’s extra special to feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself.”
– Melissa Humana-Paredes, Team Canada Santiago 2023 Opening Ceremony flag bearer
“When we decide who will carry the Canadian flag at the Pan American Games, we look not only to athletes’ sporting achievements, but the values they demonstrate and their impact on others. Brandie and Melissa are both incredible athletes and inspirational role models. The way they carry themselves both on and off the field of play makes them the perfect choice for this role. I can’t wait to follow them into the Estadio Nacional as they proudly lead the way for Team Canada in the Opening Ceremony.”
– Christine Girard, Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 Chef de Mission
“These incredible athletes are leaders in all that they do. From their great synergy on the court to their devotion off the field of play as leaders in their community, Brandie and Melissa truly reflect what our delegation stands for. To see them now get to share this experience as teammates will make it all the more special.”
KINGSTON, Jamaica, October 20, 2023.- The Jamaica Volleyball Association (JaVA) was received the donation of an automated external defibrillators (AEDs) by Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB).
The handing over ceremony was held at the University of Technology on October 18. The presentation of the defibrillators was followed by an in-person training session on the usage of the AED and its importance, coupled with training in CPR.
Representatives from JaVA including athletes, coaches and referees attended the training.
President of JaVA, Mrs. Jackie Cowan, stated that she “was grateful for the defibrillator and having emergency resources readily available at volleyball events. Although it is hoped that it will never have to be used, it is reassuring that in a case of an emergency we will be able to respond quickly, which could assist in saving a life”.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 19, 2023.- The Head Coaches of the teams competing at the Women’s Volleyball Tournament of the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games to be held at the Arena Parque O’Higgins, gave their first impressions.
The competition starts on Saturday October 21 with pool-play, with Pool A formed by Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Cuba, and Pool B consisting of defending champions Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico and Chile.
Daniel Jorge Castellani, Head Coach of Argentina: “We are really excited to be at the Pan American Games, an event which all the athletes and coaches wait for. Our team is a combination, with some players that were at the pre-Olympic, some senior players and we introduced five or six U21 players. Our goal will be to battle and play our best possible, to finish among the top three in our pool and then battle for the medals”.
Paulo do Rego Barros Junior, Head Coach of Brazil: “I am proud, happy to be at the Pan American Games here in Chile. An important tournament for Brazil. A great opportunity to develop players and some other ones who are beginning their experience at professional volleyball level and it’s an important competition that we must make the best out of it and have fun. The tea mis a combitnation of young players and some who played at the U21 world championships, others that played in the senior team season and others who are having their first experience with the national team”.
Eduardo Guillaume, Head Coach of Chile: “It’s a great responsibility to play the Pan American Games at home, we are very happy because I’ve been in Chile for 7 years and this is the first time we’ve been playing all over Chile. We played in New Zeland and yesterday we finished playing a tour with Mexico and I liked the response of the fans, they always respond well, they go to support and motivate the team. I see that my players have been taking it with enthusiasm the fact to player her in front of their supporters. When I arrived in Chile, there were some under-18 players, some younger ones, and some veterans who joined the group last year. Then there’s the core, which is very young, a group of girls born between 2003 and 2005. I started working with them when they were 14 years old, and we have a fairly young mixed team. All the teams here faced some difficulties, but thanks to the Federation’s management, we were fortunate to train in a sports complex where we had a very pleasant experience with the people and the facilities. We train every day, and in the past week, we played three matches in three different locations. We will take it one game at a time. Chile is the team with the lowest ranking in this event. The Pan American Games always feature eight high-level teams, and as the host, we automatically qualified. But we know that each of our games will be like a final because our rivals have a higher ranking than ours, and these are typically tough matches”.
Antonio Rizola, Head Coach of Colombia: “We are proud because in 2019, we participated in our first Pan American Games and reached the final, surprising everyone. Today, all of Colombia expects a medal from this team, but that’s not the case because the Games are outside the National team period. We have brought a team with an average age of 20 years, including three 16-year-old athletes, one who is a starter. This means that we have already started our process for 2028. These players have a projection for 8 to 10 years. It is a joy to represent Colombia in such an important competition as the Pan American Games with a young team, always supported by veterans like Juliana Toro and Camila Gómez, the team captain. When we returned from the qualifying tournament in Poland, the main senior players stayed in Europe and did not return to Colombia. After giving the athletes 5 days of rest, we began preparing for the Games. We understand that the Dominican Republic is the strongest team in this championship, as they are the only team with a complete roster in our group. We must fight for the second spot with Chile and Mexico. Mexico also has many problems, and Chile has prepared well, so these will be tough matches”.
Leivis García, Entrenador de Cuba: “Cuba se presenta con un equipos muy joven en donde el 75 % de su composición son jugadoras Sub-21. El objetivo es dar un espectáculos, incursionar a las atletas nuevas a este nivel de voleibol, luchando punto a punto, partido a partido y obtener el resultados de acuerdo con el esfuerzo. Venimos de haber ganado medalla de bronce en los Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe y en el Final Six en Canadá. Es una lástima que este evento coincida con varias jugadoras ya jugando con sus clubes a nivel internacional, porque no podremos darle seguimiento al equipo”.
Marcos Kwiek, Head Coach of Dominican Republic: “We are very excited. Representing the country is always something very important and beautiful, and we hope for a tournament with many successes. The team is practically coming with the complete roster for the Games, which was planned from the beginning. We already had three competitions as a priority this year, and the Pan American Games were one of them. We returned from the Olympic qualifying tournament in China, and the team was already in high spirits because we achieved our goal. Before coming to the Pan American Games, we had a training base in Brazil, and we worked very well. All the players are in good physical shape, prepared to bring a medal to the country.”
Nicola Negro, Entrenador de México: “First of all, we are very happy to be in this important competition. This marks the end of a very long season for us, our seventh competition during the season. Our preparation was somewhat affected because in the last few days, some players had already left to compete with their clubs and have since returned to Europe. Fortunately, we could field the same squad that played in the pre-Olympic tournament in China last month. That tournament allowed us to face high-level teams and served as preparation for a good Pan American Games. Our goal is the same as all the other teams here: to seek a medal. We know that the competition will be tough, and there are clear favorites like the Dominican Republic and Brazil, but I also see a balance, I think the battle for the podium is open”.
Juan Carlos Rodríguez, Head Coach of Puerto Rico: “I am glad to be here. It’s the first time I will be with the team as head coach, I’ve been working this summer as an assistant coach and now I will guide these young players. I am glad because it’s a group of veterans with young players and we expect to play game by game looking for the victory and giving our all. The message is for them to enjoy the game, to play with confidence, with confidence of what they will perform and for them to look for the win. The new members of the team are mostly the ones who play the U19 world championships and one who comes for the NCAA”.
October 18, 2023.- Media, fans and beach volleyball enthusiasts warmly welcomed FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F° during his stay in Mexico for the magnificent FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, showcasing the nations enthusiasm and passion for sport, that concluded on October 15 in Tlaxcala.
While media were interested in getting the FIVB President’s impressions on Mexico’s first ever Beach Volleyball World Championships and the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, local fans and beach volleyball enthusiasts were keen to discuss their favourite teams, take photos and collect autographs as lasting memories.
Reflecting on his experience, the FIVB President said:
“I was extremely pleased to see such a huge interest from both media and fans at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Mexico. I would like to thank them all for their enthusiasm and dedication to making this tournament really special and for joining the celebration of our sport.
“It was a great pleasure for me not only to speak to many media outlets and share my experience of this event, but also discuss the future of beach volleyball and next year’s Olympic Games Paris 2024.
“And of course, I was very touched to meet so many passionate volleyball fans here in Mexico who were cheering for the teams at the venues and talking to us on the streets of Tlaxcala. The whole region celebrated our sport during the World Championships, this was truly amazing and will contribute to the event’s legacy!”
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 17, 2023 – The Beach Volleyball tournament at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games to be held at the Beach Volleyball Center at Peñalolén Park from October 21 to 27 will bring together 32 teams, with 16 pairs per gender.
Teams will compete in a preliminary pool stage, with four groups of four teams in each gender.
The top teams in each pool will advance to the quarterfinals, while the second and third-placed teams will play in the round of 16 to determine the eight best teams in the tournament. From there on, semifinals and medal matches will be played.
Additionally, the teams that finish last in their group will compete for the 13th place, just as the losers in the round of 16 will vie for the 9th place, and those defeated in the quarterfinals will play for the fifth position.
Pool Distribution
Women
Pool A: Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Costa Rica
Pool B: United States, Argentina, Independent Athletes (Guatemala), Peru
Pool C: Brazil, Puerto Rico, Colombia, El Salvador
Pool D: Canada, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Uruguay
Men
Pool A: Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Nicaragua
Pool B: United States, Uruguay, Independent Athletes (Guatemala), Bolivia
Pool C: Brazil, Cuba, Colombia, El Salvador
Pool D: Canada, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador
Pool Stage Schedule
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21
Session 1
Women’s Tournament
10:30. Group D: Canada vs. Uruguay
11:00. Pool B: United States vs. Peru
11:30. Pool D: Paraguay vs. Dominican Republic
12:00. Pool B: Argentina vs. Independent Athletes Team
Men’s Tournament
12:30. Pool D: Canada vs. Ecuador
13:00. Pool B: United States vs. Bolivia
13:30. Pool D: Argentina vs. Costa Rica
14:00. Pool B: Uruguay vs. Independent Athletes Team
Session 2
Women’s Tournament
16:30. Pool C: Brazil vs. El Salvador
17:00. Pool A: Mexico vs. Ecuador
17:30. Pool C: Puerto Rico vs. Colombia
Men’s Tournament
18:00. Pool A: Mexico vs. Paraguay
18:30. Pool C: Brazil vs. El Salvador
Women’s Tournament
19:00. Pool A: Chile vs. Costa Rica
Men’s Tournament
19:30. Pool C: Cuba vs. Colombia
20:00. Pool A: Chile vs. Nicaragua
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22
Session 1
Women’s Tournament
10:30. Pool D: Canada vs. Dominican Republic
11:00. Pool B: United States vs. Independent Athletes Team
11:30. Pool D: Paraguay vs. Uruguay
12:00. Pool B: Argentina vs. Peru
Men’s Tournament
12:30. Pool D: Canada vs. Costa Rica
13:00. Pool B: United States vs. Independent Athletes Team
13:30. Pool D: Argentina vs. Ecuador
14:00. Pool B: Uruguay vs. Bolivia
Session 2
Women’s Tournament
16:30. Pool C: Brazil vs. Colombia
17:00. Pool A: Mexico vs. Costa Rica
17:30. Pool p C: Puerto Rico vs. El Salvador
Men’s Tournament
18:00. Pool A: Mexico vs. Nicaragua
18:30. Pool C: Brazil vs. Colombia
Women’s Tournament
19:00. Pool A: Chile vs. Ecuador
Men’s Tournament
19:30. Pool C: Cuba vs. El Salvador
20:00. Pool A: Chile vs. Paraguay
MONDAY, OCTOBER 23
Session 1
Women’s Tournament
10:30. Pool D: Canada vs. Paraguay
11:00. Pool B: United States vs. Argentina
11:30. Pool D: Dominican Republic vs. Uruguay
12:00. Pool B: Independent Athletes Team vs. Peru
Men’s Tournament
12:30. Pool D: Canada vs. Argentina
13:00. Pool B: United States vs. Uruguay
13:30. Pool D: Costa Rica vs. Ecuador
14:00. Pool B: Independent Athletes Team vs. Bolivia
SANTIAGO, CHILE, October 17, 2023 – The Volleyball competition at the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 will kick off with the Women’s Volleyball tournament from October 21 to October 26 at Parque O’Higgins Arena.
The eight teams participating in the competition are divided into two pools. Pool A consists of Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, while Pool B is composed of Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the host country, Chile.
The Dominican Republic is the reigning champion. The Dominicans secured their second gold medal in the history of the Pan American Games, winning the title in the last edition in Lima 2019 over Colombia, ending a sixteen-year drought since their first gold medal as hosts in 2003. The silver medal was Colombia’s first medal in the history of the event.
Cuba is the team with the most titles, having won eight gold medals. The last time Cuba reached a championship match was in Guadalajara 2011 when they fell against Brazil, the second team with the most gold medals, four in total. Coincidently, Brazil won their last Pan American Games in Guadalajara 2011.
Lima 2019, Women’s podium
The round-robin preliminary pool stage begins on Saturday, October 21. The top team from each pool will advance to the semifinals. The second and third-place teams will compete in the quarterfinals, with the winner completing the semifinal matchups to be held on Wednesday, October 25. The competition ends on Thursday, October 26, with the medal matches, and prior to that, positions five to eight will be determined.
TLAXCALA, Mexico, October 15, 2023 – FIVB President, Dr. Ary Graça, commended the organization of the 2023 Beach Volleyball World Championship in Tlaxcala, Mexico, during a meeting with the President of the Mexican Volleyball Federation, Jesús Perales Navarro.
The highest volleyball world executive made an assessment of what Mexico represents as a Federation which has been highly positive for the FIVB, as it has demonstrated the capacity to successfully host international events, such as the World Junior Championships, stages of the Beach Volleyball World Tour, and, of course, the current World Championship in Tlaxcala, which is the first to be organized outside of the European continent in the past 20 years.
Dr. Graça emphasized the importance of Mexico as one of the six countries that participated in all the World Junior Volleyball Championships this year, highlighting the future and potential of its teams.
Therefore, for Dr. Graça, future events in Mexico are of great interest, with a focus on supporting the Mexican national teams with world-class coaching staff, as well as future international events to be held in Mexico and its Professional Volleyball League, all fueled by Mexico’s passionate fan base.
“Mexico is on the right path”, Dr. Graça commented. “It’s a work that requires a lot of patience, laying the foundation with the youth categories, and it’s of great interest to continue supporting Mexico’s volleyball” he added.
MUMBAI, India, October 16, 2023.- During the 141st International Olympic Committee -IOC- Session taking place in Mumbai, India from October 15 to 17, voted to approve the extension of the terms of office for four years to Luis Mejía Oviedo, President of Centro Caribe Sports, as a Member of the IOC.
During the working Session on October 16, the Session voted to approve the extension of the terms of office for four years IOC Member Mr. Luis Mejía Oviedo, whose age limit, 70, will be reached at the end of 2023, starting from 1 January 2024 and running until the end of 2027.
The decision is due to Oviedo’s position as President of the Organization Centro Caribe Sports and to his pioneering role in promoting the Olympic Movement and its values through a national Olympic Channel.
The news of this extension of terms of office came with great joy by NORCECA President, Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz for Luis Mejia Oviedo’s valuable support to the NORCECA Confederation in towards the development of volleyball in our Continent.
“Luis Mejía Oviedo has been an ally to our sport; his support in various initiatives that our Confederation has undertaken in recent years, even in challenging times, has been unwavering, and we congratulate the extension of his term as IOC Member, which will benefit all sports in our region” expressed Marte Hoffiz.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 16, 2023.- The Arena Parque O’Higgins will be the official competition hall for the Women’s and Men’s Volleyball tournaments at the nineteenth Pan American Games Santiago 2023, that start on October 20.
The venue in the City of Santiago, with a capacity of 12,000 spectators and with over 65 years of history, will be the home of Volleyball for fifteen days.
The Women’s Volleyball tournament will take place from October 21 to 26, and the Men’s Volleyball tournament from October 30 to November 4.
The competition system consists of eight teams, who will compete in a round-robin preliminary round, with four teams in each group. The losers will play the classification for positions five to eight.
The first-place team in each group will advance to the semifinal round. The teams that finish in second and third place will compete in a quarterfinal round to complete the semifinal matchups, leading to the medal matches.
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and hosts Chile are the eight teams competing in both genders.
Defending champions are Argentina in men and the Dominican Republic in women.
SANTIAGO, Chile, October 16, 2023.- The Beach Volleyball double gender tournament at the 2023 Pan American Sports Games will take place at Peñalolén Park in the City of Santiago, Chile, from October 21 to 27.
The Beach Volleyball Center in Peñalolén Park will gather 19 countries competing for seven days.
Beach Volleyball was first introduced to the Pan American Games at the Winnipeg 1999 edition and has been dominated by Brazil in both men and women.
Brazil has won the men’s tournament in two occasions, in Rio De Janeiro 2007 and Guadalajara 2011, of the five times they’ve reached the gold medal match. Emanuel Fernando Scheffler Rego, three-time Olympic medalist, won them both, in 2007 with Ricardo Santos and in 2011 with Alison, both also Olympic medalists.
In the past edition of Lima 2019, Brazil didn’t reach the podium. Canada, Chile, Cuba and Mexico have one gold medal each.
Chilean cousins Marco and Esteban Grimalt won the previous edition, the only medal for Chile and as hosts are targeting to repeat their feat in front of the home crowd.
In women, Brazil won in Winninpeg 1999, Rio De Janeiro 2007 and Guadalajara 2011. Juliana Silva and Larissa França won back-to-back the 2007 and 2011 editions, the duo was world champions in 2011. Argentina, Cuba and the United States have one gold medal each.
USA’s Jace Pardon and Karissa Cook won the previous edition of the Games in Lima 2019.
TLAXCALA, Mexico, October 15, 2023.- The United States are back at the top of the women’s podium at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships after 14 years as Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes triumphed in the 14th edition of the tournament, which came to an end on Sunday in Tlaxcala.
In an exciting gold medal match, Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes dethroned defending champions Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa and Ana Patrícia Ramos of Brazil, who got to the last day of the event undefeated and with no sets dropped, to secure a two-set (21-16, 24-22) victory. Their compatriots Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss took bronze, making the Americans have two teams on the podium for the first time since 1999.
The 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships matches are available on demand on VBTV.
Cheng and Hughes’ world title came in their second stint as partners. The two, who formed the most successful team in the history of American collegiate beach volleyball and took bronze at the 2013 FIVB U21 World Championships, competed together internationally from 2015 to 2018, when they split.
The two reunited at the end of 2022 and have had great success since then, winning four titles in the 12 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour events before the biggest victory of their careers on Sunday in Tlaxcala.
“I’m just so thankful for Sara,” Cheng reacted. “I’m so proud of her and I just thank God for putting us back together. I’m very thankful to be here.”
The 28-year-old Americans became the third different team from their country to triumph at the World Championships, joining three-time winners Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor, who won the 2003, 2005 and 2007 editions of the tournament, and April Ross and Jennifer Kessy, who took the title in 2009. The United States have now five golds, trailing Brazil by just one among the women.
Cheng and Hughes’ victory in Tlaxcala also earned the United States a berth at next year’s Paris Olympics. If the two are confirmed to occupy that spot in the Games, it would be the second Olympic appearance for Cheng, who took ninth in Tokyo 2020 with Sarah Sponcil, and the first for Hughes. The new world champions also get to split the 60,000 dollars prize money offered to the winners.
Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes USA 2023 World Champions
The bronze medal match at the Tlaxcala Bullring saw a battle between Kloth and Nuss and Australian Olympic medalists Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho, which was won by the Americans in three sets (15-21, 21-19, 15-8).
The most relevant result of their professional career so far, the bronze medal won in Tlaxcala marked the sixth podium appearance of the Americans in 2023 – they took gold in La Paz and Uberlândia, silver in Hamburg and Paris and bronze in Gstaad on Beach Pro Tour Elite16 tournaments.
Taryn Kloth and Kristen NussUSA 2023 World Championship Bronze Medalists
“I can’t thank Mexico enough, from the bottom of my heart”, said the 1.73m-tall Nuss, who earned the nickname ‘Chaparrita’ (shorty, in Spanish) from the Mexican fans. “I love my new nickname and we’re definitely going to have a churro and probably a Margherita because it’s Mexico, so why not? We’re also very thankful for all the support we have back home.”
Czechs Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner won the men’s gold to Sweden’s David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig in a fantastic three-set (21-15, 17-21, 15-13) battle at the Tlaxcala Bullring. Poland’s Michal Bryl and Bartosz Łosiak took bronze defeating USA’s Theo Brunner and Trevor Crabb in two sets (21-17, 21-18).
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 15, 2023.- Jammar Cropper from St. Vincent and the Grenadines was named the MVP of the second edition of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Male U23 Championship, that took place at the Multi-Purpose Sports Center, in Road Town, Tortola, from October 11-15.
MVP Jamaar Cropper received the recognition after St. Vincent and the Grenadines won the ECVA U23 Male title in a five-set thriller over St. Kitts and Nevis. Cropper was also the Best Attacker and Best Scorer of the event.
Jamaar Cropper MVP
Here’s the full list of Awardees:
Best Server from St. Kitts and Nevis – Elkreen Morton
Best Receiver from St. Maarten Rajheem Meulens
Best Setter from Dominica Miguel Kyle Fontaine
Joint Best Attackers Jamaar Cropper from St. Vincent and the Grenadines / Rio Jaden Victor from St. Lucia
Best Opposite from St. Kitts and Nevis, Aziel Belle
Joint Best Blockers Shadron Delpesche from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Malcolm Christopher from the British Virgin Islands
Best Digger from Dominica, Mervin Mingo
Best Libero from Dominica, Mervin Mingo
Best Scorer from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaar Cropper
MVP Jamaar Cropper from St. Vincent and the Grenadines
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 15, 2023. – St. Vincent and the Grenadines are the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Champions, after overcoming a pesky St. Kitts and Nevis in a five-set thriller (25-18, 24-26, 27-25, 23-25, 15-6).
With the victory, St. Vincent and the Grenadines also secure a berth to the U23 Pan American Championship.
Both captains led from the front. St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Jamaar Cropper tallied an incredible thirty-four (34) points, to lead all scorers. Captain Zendai Richards of St. Kitts and Nevis amassed twenty (20) points to lead his team.
Both teams were engaged in a mental tug-o-war in the early stages of the first set, with no team able to create any real separation. St. Vincent and the Grenadines squeezed out a two-point lead at the second technical timeout. On resumption of play, St. Vincent and the Grenadines captain, Jamaar Cropper, thundered two serves to extend the advantage. That lead proved sufficient, to secure the first set.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines celebrate the Gold Medal
Cropper was at it again in the second set. He unleashed two serves, one an ace, put St. Vincent and the Grenadines up by two at the technical timeout. Both teams exchanged attacks and St. Vincent and the Grenadines took a one-point lead into the second technical timeout. St. Kitts and Nevis did not fold, though, and they made some critical stops at the net, to level the match at one set a piece.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines stormed out to a 5-point lead by the first technical timeout and were up by as many seven points. St. Kitts and Nevis managed to make inroads via key stops at the net. The lead was cut to two points by the second technical timeout. It was a thrilling back and forth between the two teams, requiring an extra frame before St. Vincent and the Grenadines closed out the set.
Both teams fought doggedly to claim an advantage. There were some nail-biting exchanges and the one-point differential between the teams, at the second technical timeout highlighted the closeness of the set. St. Kitts and Nevis served a couple balls that unsettled the St. Vincent and Grenadines attack and that was the difference maker in the fourth set.
In the fifth set, St. Vincent and the Grenadines were able to create some early separation and force a timeout from St. Kitts and Nevis. That lead grew to four points by the time the teams switched sides. On resumption, St. Vincent and the Grenadines added to their advantage and forced another St. Kitts and Nevis timeout. That lead proved insurmountable.
St. Kitts and Nevis Silver Medal
“We set out to achieve gold and we got it,” an ecstatic Cropper shouted.
“We fought and we fell just short but we will rise up,” Richards promised.
Ten countries, the largest representation to date, competed in the championship.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 15, 2023. – Dominica are the bronze medal winners of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Championship. They dominated St. Maarten in match 23, three straight sets, to claim the hardware 3-0 (25-23, 25-5, 25-20).
Top scorer of the match was Dominica’s outside hitter Sherron Peter Vidal, with 12 points. The leading scorer for St. Maarten was Marcin Kwiatkowski, with 6 points.
Both teams exchanged points in the early stages, in what seemed an exploratory session, to find the right combinations. By the second technical timeout, Dominica had a slight lead and extended it thereafter with a key block, a finesse play by the setter and unforced errors by St. Maarten. St. Maarten fought back but that slight advantage that Dominica had created was enough to get them over the hump and seal the first set.
In the second set Dominica rushed out the gates and established a seven-point lead by the first technical timeout. That lead quickly increased with St. Maarten struggling to pass and make any potent attacks. Two huge blocks from Dominica brought up the second technical timeout and a 13-point lead in hand. A serving error summarized the torrid time St. Maarten had and underscored the dominance Dominica displayed in the second set.
St. Maarten erased the previous set from memory and produced some spirited volleyball to lead at the first technical timeout. The offensive was short-lived, however, as Dominica returned to their aggressive form and took a two-point lead at the second technical timeout. They created some additional space and finished the match with a resounding block.
“We had something to prove tonight. We are a quality team and we wanted to make sure that we showcased that,” captain Keaun Reefe of Dominica stated.
“I am happy that our team was able to capture the bronze medal and this would serve as some encouragement for them as they take the next steps in their volleyball lives. Some may well be preparing for call-up to the senior team,” head coach of Dominica Jeffrey Edmund shared.
“I am proud of my team. Some of these players have been playing volleyball for a very short time and for the team to be in the top four says a lot about our potential,” St. Maarten’s captain Rajheem Meulens said.
“We did well just to be in this position and we can only improve as we go forward,” coach Nicholas Henrietta added.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 15, 2023. St. Kitts and Nevis are through to the final of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Championship, after beating St. Maarten 3 sets to 1, in a keenly contested match 22. The final scores were 25-17, 21-25, 25-21 and 25 15.
St. Kitts and Nevis takes on St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the final later today, at 8 p.m.
Both captains showed tremendous skills to lead their sides and captain Zendai Richards amassed twenty-one (21) points to emerge as the match’s top scorer. Captain Rajheem Meulens of St. Maarten tallied thirteen (13) points for his team.
St. Kitts and Nevis established an early lead by the first technical timeout. St. Maarten showed resilience and fought back. The scenario repeated itself at the second technical timeout, St. Kitts and Nevis in the lead, and St. Maarten clawed back. In the latter portion of the set St. Kitts and Nevis asserted themselves, with some sharp attacks, to close out the set.
St. Maarten held the advantage at the first technical timeout. They piled on the advantage with some tough services, forcing errant passes from their opponent. St. Kitts and Nevis further exacerbated the situation by gifting several points to St. Maarten via service errors. By the second technical timeout, they had built a sizeable lead. St. Maarten staved a furious response from St. Kitts and Nevis at the end of the set to equalize.
Set number three was an exciting tussle between both teams. St. Maarten held the lead at the first technical timeout, but St. Kitts and Nevis strung together several attacks that put them in front at the second technical timeout. St. Maarten responded and reeled off four straight points, led by their captain, to give them a three-point advantage. St. Kitts and Nevis then stormed back with six straight points to build a lead and ultimately take the set.
St. Kitts and Nevis sped out the gates in the fourth set and there was little response from St. Maarten. At each technical timeout St. Kitts and Nevis enjoyed a sizeable lead. The pressure of requiring a herculean effort to rescue the match was too much for St. Maarten and a service error at match point sealed the outcome for St. Kitts and Nevis.
“We executed our game plan of serving tough for the most part of the match and we recognize that there are several aspects that we need to improve on heading into the final. But we will celebrate this victory for the time being,” captain Zendai Richards of St. Kitts and Nevis stated.
“Our passing betrayed us at throughout the match. However, we will resume the fight in the bronze medal match later,” captain Rajheem Meulens of St. Maarten expressed.
The bronze medal match will between St. Maarten and Dominica, at 6 p.m., this evening.
The final between St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines is at 8 p.m.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 15, 2023. – St. Vincent and the Grenadines are into the final of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Championship, after humbling Dominica in three straight sets, in match 21. The match ended 25-17, 25-21 and 25 -9.
Captain Jamaar Cropper stood out, once again, as he blazed spikes from various positions on court. He completed the match with twenty-one (21) points. Dominica’s captain Keaun Reefe top-scored for his team with eleven (11) points.
In the first set, St. Vincent and the Grenadines enjoyed a five-point cushion at the first technical timeout. They kept the opponent off balanced with their serving and because of this Dominica managed only one potent attack. By the second technical timeout it was a seven-point lead to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. They dictated play and maintained that comfortable lead to the end.
Dominica made some adjustments in the second set and created an early three-point lead. St. Vincent and the Grenadines took a quick time and wrestled back the advantage to reach the first technical timeout with the lead. St. Vincent and the Grenadines carried that lead to the second technical timeout. There were some quality exchanges after but St. Vincent and the Grenadines able to distance themselves at the end.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines continued to pile on the attack in the third. Their ability to generate out of system offense ruffled Dominica. They enjoyed sizeable leads at both technical timeouts and it was soon obvious that Dominica conceded. An out of rotation call to end the match was indicative of how unsettled they were.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines await the winner of match 22, St. Kitts and Nevis vs St. Maarten, for the final later this evening, October 15.
“We are so overjoyed! One more match for us to realize our goal,” exclaimed captain Cropper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“We didn’t show up today. The energy level was very low and we needed all parts to be fully functional to have a chance of victory against our opponent,” Dominica’s captain Reefe noted.
TLAXCALA, Mexico, October 14, 2023.- For the seventh time in 14 editions of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships and the first since 2011, beach volleyball powerhouses the United States and Brazil will meet in the gold medal match of the event, on Sunday, in Mexico.
Cheng/Hughes and Duda/Ana Patrícia to play for the world title in Mexico on Sunday
Set to start at 16:00 local time (22:00 UTC) at the Tlaxcala Bullring, the decider of the event will reunite Americans Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes and defending champions Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa and Ana Patrícia Ramos of Brazil. Earlier, at 13:15 local time (19:15 UTC), USA’s Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss and Australia’s Taliqua Clancy/Mariafe Artacho will meet for bronze.
Watch the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships live on VBTV.
The gold medal match in Tlaxcala will be the tie-breaker between the countries when it comes to World Championships finals as each nation has won three of the previous six encounters and also between the two duos, which are even with two triumphs in their four international duels to date. The last final involving South Americans and North Americans was in 2011, when Juliana Felisberta and Larissa França defeated Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor in Rome.
Brazil, with 17 medals (six golds, five silver and six bronze), and the United States, with 11 (four golds, five silver and two bronze), are the top medal-winners among the women at the World Championships. In each of the 14 editions of the event, there was at least one team from one of the two countries at the podium and only once, in 2013, no Brazilians or Americans played in the final.
The all-American semifinal in Tlaxcala was a match full of ups and downs and turnarounds. Cheng and Hughes, who had lost a match in pool play in Mexico, took down the then-undefeated Kloth and Nuss in the tie-breaker (18-21, 21-12, 15-13) to move forward.
The duel in the semifinals in Tlaxcala marked the sixth time the two teams, who are the heavy favorites to represent the United States at next year’s Paris Olympics, met in 2023. It was the fourth time Cheng and Hughes prevailed over Kloth and Nuss, who had triumphed in the last two encounters.
The 28-year-old Cheng and Hughes, who are in their second stint as partners, continue in great form since they reunited, at the end of 2022. Since they joined forces again, the Americans have won four titles in the 12 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour events they played, never finishing worse than ninth.
In the match that ended the day at the Tlaxcala Bullring, Duda and Ana Patrícia continued their strong run to their second-straight world title, claiming their sixth two-set victory in the tournament, downing Tokyo Olympic silver medalists Clancy and Mariafe 2-0 (21-17, 21-14).
In men, Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner of the United States will play for the bronze medal against Poland’s Michal Bryl/Bartosz Łosiak at 12:00 local time (18:00 UTC). The gold medal will be at 14:30 local time (20:30 UTC) between Swedisth Åhman/Hellvig and Czechs Perusic/Schweiner.
The Americanas lost in semifinals to Czechia’s Ondrej Perusic/David Schweiner (15-21, 12-21) in semifinals.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 14, 2023. – St. Lucia cruised past Antigua and Barbuda in a consolation pool B match-up, in match 20 of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Championship. Both teams did not advance out of pool play; St. Lucia won two matches and lost two, while Antigua and Barbuda was winless.The final scores were 25-8, 25-15, 25-8.
Top scorer of the match was St. Lucia’s outside hitter Fabio Lamontagne. He dominated with his spikes and accumulated 13 points. Antigua’s Khaliq Joseph was the only player on his team who troubled the other side. He had 3 points.
Both coaches, Terry of St. Lucia and Michael Hamilton of Antigua and Barbuda, spoke of using the tournament as a platform the continued development of youths in the respective volleyball programs.
In tomorrow’s first semifinal, Dominica come up against St. Vincent and the Grenadines at 9.a.m, and St. Kitts and Nevis engage St. Maarten at 11 a.m. The final takes place later in the evening at 8 p.m. The bronze medal match will be at 6 p.m.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 14, 2023. – St. Maarten are the fourth semifinalist in the ECVA U23 Male Championship after a thrilling five set victory over host the British Virgin Islands. The match 19 win was laced with emotion, stunning turning arounds and nail-biting rallies.
St. Maarten responded after an inspirational move, where their captain was inserted into the match in the latter half of the fourth set. He was sidelined up to that point because of personal reasons but his introduction to the game motivated his team. They took that momentum right into the fifth set.
Top scorer for the match was the British Virgin Islands Kymal Panchoo with 16 points. The leading scorer for St. Maarten was Marcin Kwiatkowski. He tallied 15 points.
The host team British Virgin Islands won the first set behind several key blocks and forcing the opponent to play out of system. The vocal support of the home crowd also provided added incentive to come out firing.
St. Maarten were able to silence the crowd with added hustle and consistent serving and attacks and by the time both teams began trading points in the latter stages of the set, the visitors had established a comfortable lead.
In the third set, St. Maarten rode the momentum from the previous set. They led eight (8) to zero (0) at the first technical timeout. Playing from behind proved too much for the host and they conceded the set.
The host came alive in the fourth set. They reverted to their blocking strategy and it rattled the St. Maarten players. Their captain Panchoo got a whiff of the “Midas touch”; he carried his team. It was a stunning turnaround for the home side.
The fifth set was a full on battle, as both teams fought to gain the advantage. At the point of switching, St. Maarten held a slim lead and they were able to diffuse a last charge to steal the set.
St. Martin’s coach Nicholas Henrietta was beaming with pride. He emphasized how proud he was of his team and noted that they will relish the victory as it provides additional confidence heading into the semifinal.
The British Virgin Islands coach Kwele Williams said he was impressed with the level of play that his team showcased in the loss and noted that it was indicative of a passion to continue their volleyball growth.
The four semifinalists are St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Maarten. Both semifinals will be played tomorrow morning (October 15).
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 14, 2023. – Grenada secured a consolation victory over their pool A counterparts Anguilla, in match 18 of the ECVA U23 Male Championship. It was the sole win for Grenada, in four matches. Anguilla finished the tournament without registering a win. The final scores were 25 16, 25 16 and 25 19.
Top scorer for the match was Grenada’s outside hitter Jamal Collins, with 15 points. Anguilla’s captain Trevon Smith scored 6 points.
Grenada used the period between the first and second technical timeouts to consolidate on their lead and put the first set out of the reach of Anguilla. A huge part of the separation was tough serving.
The second set was a tale of two halves. Anguilla led at the first technical timeout. However, Grenada put together a string of attacks and coupled with some errant passes from Anguilla, they surpassed and built a lead.
Grenada shot out to an early lead in the third and looked to be in cruise control but Anguilla began chipping into their lead. Grenada then took a quick time out and that seemingly disrupted the rhythm of Anguilla’s aggression.
Grenada’s coach Javin Noel revealed that his team’s strategy was to take the game by intervals, first and second technical timeouts, with the goal of reaching each interval first.
Anguilla’s coach Jason Liburd stated that the tournament is a major step in the development of his youths and he envisions a strong future for his volleyball program.
The ECVA U23 Male Championship semifinals are tomorrow morning, October 15. The confirmed semi-finalists are St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica. The fourth contender will be identified later this evening.
Click on the link below for live-streaming of the matches:
ROAD TOWN, Tortola. October 14, 2023. – St. Vincent and the Grenadines are the third team to confirm a spot in the semifinals of the ECVA U23 Male Championship, in match 17. They overwhelmed pool B rivals Saba in three straight sets to finish with a record of three wins and one loss in pool play. The final scores were 25 7, 25 9 and 25 13.
The joint top scorers of the match were St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Shadron Delpesche and captsain Jamaar Cropper, who both had 16 points. Saba’s top scorer was captain Jalen Robinson.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines dominated every offensive category. This was inclusive of aces, with the tally reaching 15.
“We are excited to be in the semifinal, which is one step closer to our objective of securing a podium spot,” captain Cropper stated.
“We didn’t win our matches but it is important to use this platform as a channel for our continued development,” Saba’s captain Robinson said.
Saba’s tournament is ended but St. Vincent and the Grenadines will know their opponent in the semi-final later this evening, when St. Maarten and host British Virgin Islands clash.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola. October 14, 2023. – St. Kitts and Nevis are through to the semifinal of the ECVA U23 Male Championship, after defeating St. Lucia in four sets, in match 15,. The two teams have been perennial rivals and the pool B match produced anxious moments, exceptional defense and commendable offence. The final score was 26 28, 25 14, 25 23 and 25 18. St. Kitts and Nevis boast an unblemished record in their four matches.
Too scorer of the match was St. Kitts and Nevis’ captain Zendai Richards, with 25 points. Rio Jaden Victor led St. Lucia 2ith 11 points.
St. Lucia rallied from four points down late in the first set. They continued to apply pressure forcing St. Kitts and Nevis to make critical attacking errors that eventually led to the set win for St. Lucia.
St. Kitts and Nevis responded with a quick start to the second set, taking a 4 to 0 lead. St. Lucia produced the expected fight-back but they were never able to recover from the early blitz. A service ace ended a comfortable second set for St. Kitts and Nevis.
The third set was a nail-biter, with St. Lucia controlling the lead until the latter half of the set, when St. Kitts and Nevis capitalized on several errors. They were gifted the set when the St. Lucia player served into the net.
In the fourth set, St. Kitts and Nevis maintained the high energy from the previous set and forced some key substitutions from St. Lucia. They sensed victory and seized the opportunity to close out the match.
Captain Zendai Richards said his squad was beaming with pride because of the victory. He noted that they will continue to work on fine-tuning plays for upcoming matches.
St. Lucia’s captain Kernel Remy indicated that his team was unable to execute their game plan because of errant passes and other unforced errors. He expressed disappointment with the loss but said they were keen to work on executing better volleyball in their upcoming match against Antigua and Barbuda.
St. Kitts and Nevis await the results of upcoming matches to know their semifinal opponent. Semifinal matches are tomorrow morning, October 15.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola. October 14, 2023. – Dominica formally secured their spot in the semifinal of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Championship after victory over Anguilla in their pool A clash. Dominica won all four matches that they played. The final scores were 25 19, 25 13 and 25 19.
Dominica featured their secondary unit so their primary players got some rest ahead of the semifinals.
Both teams a bit flatfooted at the start of the first set but as the game progressed, they began to execute plays. Dominica surged ahead to reach the second technical timeout with a comfortable lead. Anguilla fought back but Dominica was able to keep them at bay to finish the set.
The second set was a little lop-sided as Larian Tulloch, the opposite for Dominica, unleashed some crunching jump serves and Anguilla were unable to make the required adjustment. Dominica enjoyed a sizeable lead by the second technical timeout and cruised to the set win.
Anguilla was able to recover and give a better representation in the third set but Dominica managed to stave them off.
Dominica’s coach Jeffrey Edmund indicated that he was very pleased with his second unit’s performance against Anguilla and welcomed the opportunity rest his players.
Coach Jason Liburd of Anguilla expressed disappointment at the loss but he assured that his team is committed to play even more competitively for their upcoming match.
Anguilla, who are winless, play against Grenada later this afternoon.
The results of upcoming matches will determine who Dominica plays in the semifinal.
TLAXCALA, Mexico, October 13, 2023.- The women’s semifinals of the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships will have an All-American duel and a battle between duos from Brazil and Australia on Saturday in Tlaxcala. The matchups were set at the conclusion of the quarterfinal round of the tournament in Mexico, on Friday.
Watch the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships live on VBTV.
USA’s Kelly Cheng/Sara Hughes and Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss will open the semifinals at the Tlaxcala Bullring at 18:00 local time (00:00 UTC, Sunday), with Brazil’s Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa/Ana Patrícia Ramos and Australia’s Taliqua Clancy/Mariafe Artacho meeting two hours later.
The two quarterfinals held in Tlaxcala ended with American duos on top. In the first of them, Cheng and Hughes gave no chance to Brazilians Tainá Bigi and Victoria Lopes, moving forward with a two-set (21-14, 21-16) win.
Prior to the meeting with the Brazilians, Cheng and Hughes had played in tie-breakers in both the Round of 32 and the Round of 16. In the quarterfinals, the two had a stronger start and took control of the match from the beginning.
In the second quarterfinal match of the night in Tlaxcala, Kloth and Nuss dropped their first set in the tournament, but still walked away with a 2-1 (21-17, 19-21, 15-8) over reigning European champions Nina Brunner and Tanja Hüberli of Switzerland.
Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss(USA)
Defending champions Duda and Ana Patrícia get to the semifinals as the only team in the entire tournament to have not dropped a single set yet. In their sixth match in Huamantla, the Brazilians topped Dutch Olympians Raisa Schoon and Katja Stam 2-0 (21-16, 21-16) in the quarterfinals.
Their semifinal opponents, Australians Clancy and Mariafe took bronze at the 2019 World Championship. The Tokyo Olympic silver medalists sealed their return to the semifinals with a sweep (22-20, 21-16) of Canadian Olympians Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson in Apizaco.
TLAXCALA, Mexico, October 13, 2023.- Trevor Crabb and Theodore Brunner of the United States beat Brazilians Pedro Solberg and Gustavo ‘Guto’ Carvalhaes on Friday to make it into the men’s semifinals of the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship.
Watch the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships live on VBTV.
Besides USA’s Trevor Crabb/Theo Brunner, Poland’s Michal Bryl/Bartosz Łosiak, Sweden’s David Åhman/Jonatan Hellvig and Czechs Ondrej Perusic/David Schweiner also advanced to the semifinals, which will be held on Saturday in Tlaxcala.
The Americans will meet Czechs Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner who knocked out defending champions Anders Mol and Cristian Sorum of Norway. The other semifinal feature Bryl/Łosiak and Åhman/Hellvig.
Bryl/Łosiak and Åhman/Hellvig will battle in the first semifinal, set to start at 17:00 local time (23:00 UTC), with Perusic/Schweiner meeting Brunner/Crabb two hours later at the Tlaxcala Bullring.
Brunner and Crabb dominated Brazilians Pedro Solberg and Gustavo ‘Guto’ Carvalhaes in two sets (21-17, 21-14) in Huamantla to book their spots in the semifinals.
Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner (USA) against Brazil
Perusic and Schweiner showed nerves of steel to upset Olympic and world champions Mol and Sørum in the tie-breaker (21-14, 14-21, 15-12) in the quarterfinals.
In the other quarterfinal held in Tlaxcala, Poles Bryl and Łosiak eliminated Americans Miles Partain and Andy Benesh with a straight-set (21-19, 21-16) victory and will both appear in the semifinals of the World Championships for the first time in their careers.
Åhman and Hellvig were pushed to their limits by Dutch Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot in Apizaco but managed to secure a three-set (32-30, 22-24, 15-12) win and advance to the semifinals in the first appearance at the World Championship.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 13, 2023.- St. Vincent and the Grenadines made it clear they are eyeing a berth to the semifinal round of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Championship with a convincing victory Antigua and Barbuda. The victors cruised to a 25-14, 25-13, 25-16 win.
Jamaar Cropper, captain of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines team, was the top scorer of the match with 21 points. Kaliq Joseph had seven (7) points for Antigua and Barbuda.
“We know that if we limited our opponents to as few points as possible, it increases our chances of securing a semifinal spot. We met that objective,” coach of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Daryl Franklyn disclosed.
“Our players are young and this part of their development; match opportunities against a quality field, so we are continuously learning and growing,” Antigua and Barbuda’s coach Michael Hamilton shared.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines play Saba tomorrow morning, October 14, and Antigua and Barbuda play St. Lucia, in the evening.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 13, 2023. – Hosts British Virgin Islands won a thrilling five set encounter against Grenada to keep their hopes of moving out of pool (B) play alive. The final attack from the BVI that drizzled past the Grenada block, then dropping to the ground, sent the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex into a frenzy. The final scores were 17-25, 26-24, 22-25, 25-22 and 17 15.
Top scorer for the British Virgin Islands was their captain Kymal Panchoo, with fifteen (15) points. Top scorer of the match was Jamal Collins, who tallied 17 points.
Grenada sped out to an early lead in the first set and never looked back. The British Virgin Islands made several attempts to level the scores but Grenada held firm to claim a 25-17 first set.
Spurred on by a boisterous home crowd, the British Virgin Islands fought doggedly and stayed neck and neck with their opponent. They sealed a hotly contested second set, 26-24, with a massive block from their captain Panchoo.
Grenada regrouped and disrupted the rhythm of the host and made two crucial stops to secure the third set 25-22.
The British Virgin Islands surprised Grenada with their aggression in the fourth set and quickly extended the scoreline. Their reward was a 25-22 set win.
An emotional captain Panchoo said his team was delighted to have won their second match of the tournament. He praised his teammates for their resilience and said he looked forward to their next match.
Grenada’s captain Jabarie Collins noted that it was a heart-wrenching loss but he was proud of his team’s fight, particularly willing themselves on despite the overwhelming support for the home side.
Grenada play Anguilla tomorrow, October 14, and the British Virgin Islands play St. Maarten, right after.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 13, 2023. – St. Kitts and Nevis have secured their third win at the ECVA U23 Male Championship. The win in match 12 of the championship, also guarantees their advancing out of pool play. Victory came at the expense of Saba. It also means that St. Kitts and Nevis have won all their matches (pool A) without conceding a set. On the flip side, Saba are still seeking their first victory.
Elkreen Morton was the top scorer for St. Kitts and Nevis with eleven (11) points, inclusive of nine (9) aces. Suedaiyer Pemberton had eight (8) points for Saba.
Tough serving was once again the standout feature for St. Kitts and Nevis. The team combined for an impressive twenty-four (24) aces, unnerving the Saba players, en route to the win.
The flat tough serves were complemented by effective attacks from various parts of the court. The first set ended with a score of 25 7.
The serving barrage continued into the second set but Saba made some adjustments and fought formidably, even countering with some tough serves of their own. However, St. Kitts and Nevis were too strong in the end; claiming the set 25 21.
The St. Kitts and Nevis attack was relentless, right through the third set and the match ended with a flurry of aces; 25 14.
Coach Rick Swan emphasized the importance efficient play, especially when the game schedule is loaded.
Captain of Saba team Jalen Robinson indicated that he saw spurts of commendable play from his team and noted that they are using the tournament as tool for development.
St. Kitts and Nevis play St. Lucia tomorrow morning, October 14, while Saba face St. Vincent and the Grenadines immediately after.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 13, 2023. – Dominica is the first to three wins in the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Championship. They rallied from one set down to claim victory over St. Maarten, in match 11 of the championship.
Top scorer for Dominica was Sherron Vidal. He tallied 14 points. St. Maarten’s top scorer was Marshall Leone. He was also the top scorer of the game with 15 points.
St. Maarten remained disciplined to their strategy keeping Dominica off balance with good serves. They also capitalized on several unforced errors at key moments to win the first set 25 to 22.
Dominica responded in the second set with a furious start, jumping out to a ten (10) to one lead and giving no leeway to St. Maarten for recovery. The set ended with St. Maarten serving into the net for Dominica to wrap things up with a 25 to 13 score.
Dominica continued with the momentum into the third set and countered St. Maarten’s resistance. Despite some anxious moments in the last part of the set to secure it 25 to 19.
Both teams traded points in the fourth set; St. Maarten desperately trying to prolong the game and Dominica working to wrap up the match. An errant serve by Team St. Maarten sealed victory for Dominica, 25 20.
“We didn’t play with our usual high energy and it showed but we are still very grateful for the victory,” captain Keaun Reefe admitted.
“We are still aiming to secure a top two spot in our group and advance out of pool play,” St. Maarten captain Rajheem Meulens indicated.
Dominica play Anguilla tomorrow morning, October 14, and St. Maarten (2 wins and 1 loss) play host British Virgin Islands in the evening. You can follow the live stream for the games here: https://www.youtube.com/@ecva.volleyball
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, Ocotber 13, 2023.- Players from St. Kitts and Nevis combined for seventeen (17) aces to register their second win in a row, and dispatch Antigua and Barbuda in straight sets, in match 10, at the Multi-Purpose Sport Complex. St. Kitts and Nevis dominated from the onset to overcome their pool B rival, in the ECVA U23 Male Championship.
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Elkreen Morton was joint top scorer of the match with his captain Zendai Richards. Both had twelve points each, including eight (8) aces from Morton. Outisde hitter Amali Mannix top scored for Antigua and Barbuda with five points.
Team St. Kitts and Nevis utilized tough and consistent float serves to gain the edge in the first set. The team registered seven aces in the first set, ensuring that the opponent remained off balance with their passing. The first set ended 25 to 16.
St. Kitts and Nevis pressed on with the tough serving and continued to stifle any strong resistance from Antigua and Barbuda. They also consolidated with a solid blocking presence at the net to end the set with a score of 25 to 15.
St. Kitts and Nevis maintained a high level of play into the third, while making line-up changes. The third set finished 25 13.
“Winning feels good and doing it efficiently is even more important. So we are going to prepare for our next match this afternoon,” captain Zendai Richards stated.
“Despite the loss, we are seeing improvements. However, we do need to clean up our serve receive,” captain Kemarni Joseph of Antigua and Barbuda said.
St. Kitts and Nevis play Saba later this afternoon (October 13). Antigua and Barbuda engage St. Vincent and the Grenadines this evening.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 13, 2023. — Dominica overwhelmed host British Virgin Islands in three straight sets to add another victory to their tally. The match 8 win was the culminating match of day 2 at the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Championship. The final scores were 25 13, 25 7 and 25 13.
Nester James, with his 11 points, led four players from Dominica who had double digit totals in points.
This was also Dominica’s second win in as many games.
Captain Kymal Panchoo was the only attacker of the British Virgin Islands who troubled the Dominica defense. He had six points.
The British Virgin Islands were undone by aggressive serves, quick attacks and formidable blocking.
Dominica’s captain Keaun Reefe expressed his joy at a second win and noted that it was critical to build momentum as the tournament progresses.
Captain Panchoo of the British Virgin Islands, though humbled by the loss, gave the assurance that his team will muster the energy to rebound for their next game.
Dominica plays St. Maarten this morning, October 13. The British Virgin Islands come up against Grenada later this afternoon.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 13, 2023. — St. Lucia recovered from a sluggish start and trading points with Saba to register a straight sets victory. The match nine (9) victory for St. Lucia, at the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Championship was their first of the tournament, putting their record to one win and won loss. Team Saba is now resigned to two losses.
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The first set ended 25 15, after St. Lucia dominated the latter half of the set.
Saba played even more competitively in the second set, reaching both technical time-outs before St. Lucia, limiting St. Lucia’s attacking options in the first half of that set. However, St. Lucia made several key substitutions to right the ship to close out the set at 25 20.
St. Lucia was more dominant in the third set, stringing together potent attacks to distance themselves from their opponent. The match ended with a cracking spike from St. Lucia, through the middle, 25 13.
Top scorer for the match was St. Lucia outside attacker Rio Jaden Victor with 16 points. Suedaiyer Pemberton was the top scorer Saba with 7 points
Coach Terry Verdant of St. Lucia indicated that he used the match against Saba to get some of his secondary players involved in the game but he admitted that he had to make some key substitutions to effectively close the game out.
Coach Patricio Bridgewater of Saba noted that he was content with the improved level of play from his team. He highlighted the need for continued work on maintaining leads at critical junctures but emphasized that this is part of the developmental stage of the team.
Saba next plays St. Kitts and Nevis later today (October 13) then St. Lucia plays St. Kitts and Nevis tomorrow morning, October 14.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola. October 13, 2023. — St. Vincent and the Grenadines downed their neighbours St. Lucia in a five set thriller, at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex yesterday, October 12. The pool B clash was match seven (7) of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Championship.
Captain Jamaar Cropper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines took his team on his shoulder and launched a barrage of attacks on his opponents. He finished the game with a mammoth 34 points. His heavy hitting is what led his team to come back from two sets down to claim the epic encounter. Ironically, it was a calculated dink from Cropper that ended the match, a stark contrast to his thunderous spikes.
Outside attacker Lamontagne was the top scorer for St. Lucia with 20 points.
St. Lucia won the first set 25 22, took the second set 25 23 and then Cropper and his team went into overdrive, roaring back 25 15, 25 22 and 15 13.
The match had all the elements of an instant classic. St. Vincent and the Grenadines overcame a red card, a yellow card, the scare of injury to their captain and persistent attacks from St. Lucia in the latter part of set two to turn the tide of the match.
“We needed this win and my teammates came through,” the St. Vincent and the Grenadines captain exclaimed.
His coach, Daryl Franklyn, indicated that the game plan was to improve on several aspects of the game that they felt failed them in their earlier match and he saw a significant improvement.
“It was a tough loss but a great match, nonetheless. We will just have to regroup for our next match,” the St. Lucia captain Remy indicated.
“We did not execute several fundamentals and that cost us dearly. However, the game was very competitive and I applaud both teams,” the St. Lucia Coach Terry Verdant stated.
It was the second match of the championship for St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the first one for St. Lucia.
St. Lucia plays Saba this morning (October 13) while St. Vincent and the Grenadines play Antigua and Barbuda later in the evening.
TLAXCALA, Mexico, October 12, 2023.- Kloth/Nuss, Hughes/Cheng from the United States and Melissa/Brandie of Canada move into the women’s quarterfinals of the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship after the Round of 16 was completed across four Mexican cities on Thursday.
Watch the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships live on VBTV.
Americans Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss continued their march to the medal rounds with a two-set (24-22, 21-14) victory over Brazilians Agatha Bednarczuk and Rebecca Cavalcanti in Tlaxcala.
Competing at the World Championships for the first time, the Americans have eliminated two world champions in the last two days – Canadian Sarah Pavan in the Round of 32 and Agatha in the Round of 16.
In the quarterfinals, Kloth and Nuss will meet reigning European champions Nina Brunner and Tanja Hüberli of Switzerland, who overcame another American duo in the Round of 16, beating Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles in straight sets (21-17, 27-25).
Sara Hughes USA
The second American team in the quarterfinals, Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes had a tougher path on Thursday, coming from behind to defeat Latvian stars Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova in the tie-breaker (19-21, 21-16, 15-11).
Their quarterfinal opponents, Tainá Bigi and Victoria Lopes also had a dramatic Round of 16 victory in Tlaxcala. The Brazilians got the better of Germans Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann, who had defeated them in pool play, winning a tight three-set (21-19, 22-24, 15-13) match and eliminating last year’s bronze medalists.
Canadians Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson also kept their record clean in Mexico, getting their fifth straight-set (21-14, 21-11) victory in the event against Swiss Esmée Böbner and Zoé Vergé-Dépré. They will now face Tokyo Olympic silver medalists Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho of Australia, who needed the tie-breaker (21-18, 15-21, 15-11) to handle Italians Marta Menegatti and Valentina Gottardi.
Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes CAN
Cheng/Hughes and Tainá/Victoria will play in the first quarterfinal, in Tlaxcala, at 17:00 local time (23:00 UTC). One hour later, Clancy/Mariafe and Melissa/Brandie will clash in Apizaco. Tlaxcala will host the third duel of the day, between Kloth/Nuss and Brunner/Hüberli, at 19:00 local time (01:00 UTC, Saturday). The match between Duda/Ana Patrícia and Stam/Schoon will end the day, at 21:00 local time (03:00 UTC).
TLAXCALA, Mexico, October 12, 2023.- Theo Brunner/Trevor Crabb and Miles Partrain/Andy Benesh of the United States made into the men’s quarterfinals of the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship winning thier Round of 16 matches on Thursday.
Watch the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships live on VBTV.
Theo Brunner and Trevor Crabb topped Australians Thomas Hodges and Zachery Schubert in two sets (21-17, 21-17).
In the quarterfinals, Theo and Trevor will face Brazilians Pedro Solberg/Gustavo ‘Guto’ Carvalhaes who overcame compatriots Evandro Gonçalves/Arthur Lanci in a tie-break (15-21, 24-22, 15-11).
Miles Partain and Andy Benesh beat Italians Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula in straight sets (21-14, 21-17).
Theo Brunner and Trevor Crabb USA
Partrain and Benesh will meet Poles Michal Bryl and Bartosz Łosiak in Friday’s quarterfinals. The Poles eliminated Germans Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler in two sets (21-18, 21-16).
Also advancing, reigning Olympic and world champions Anders Mol and Christian Sørum of Norway beat Italians Paolo Nicolai and Samuele Cottafava 2-0 (21-19, 21-17) in the Round of 16 and will now play Czechs Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner, who prevailed over Italians Daniele Lupo and Enrico Rossi in two sets (21-15, 21-17).
Stefan Boermans/Yorick de Groot of the Netherlands obtained a three-set (21-18, 16-21, 15-13) victory over compatriots Matthew Immers/Steven Van de Velde, and will now face David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig of Sweden who eliminated Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen of the Netherlands with a two-set (21-13, 21-11) victory.
The men’s quarterfinals will start in Tlaxcala, at 16:00 local time (22:00 UTC) and will continue with matches in Tlaxcala at 18:00 local time (00:00 UTC, Saturday) and Apizaco at 19:00 local time (01:00 UTC, Saturday) before concluding with an encounter in Huamantla at 20:00 local time (00:20 UTC, Saturday).
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 12, 2023.- It is two wins in one day for St. Maarten at the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Championship. Both wins came on day 2 of competition for the pool A team.
The match 6 win came at the expense of Anguilla, who have now lost both their games so far.
Both teams jostled for the upper hand in a marathon first set before St. Maarten claimed a 30 28 set win. Anguilla kept pecking at the St. Maarten defense but Team St. Maarten eventually found a way to claim sets two and three, 25 20 and 25 21, respectively.
Top scorer of the match was St. Maarten’s captain Rajheem Meulens, who scored twenty-one (21) points. The bulk of Anguilla’s offense came from outside hitter Aidin Richardson. He had ten (10) points.
The St. Maarten captain Meulens and their coach Nicholas Henrietta both commended Anguilla for the tenacity shown. They indicated that they utilized the match against Anguilla to fine tune some offensive strategies, in hopes of using them in future games.
Anguilla captain Trevon Smith, visibly disappointed with the loss, pledged a strong rebound for the upcoming games. Coach Jason Liburd extracted the positives from the match and indicated that he saw significant improvements in several categories, compared to the first match.
St. Maarten next plays Dominica tomorrow morning, October 13. While Anguilla rests on Friday and resume on October 14.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola. October 12, 2023. -Antigua and Barbuda were able to overcome some stubborn resistance from Saba to win their pool B match in four (4) sets; 25-21, 18-25, 25-23 and 25-14.
The victors distributed their attacking around the various positions and were also able to edge Saba in the defensive categories. Miguel Lugo of Antigua and Barbuda was the joint top scorer of the match with nine (9) points. On the other side of the net, Tyreke Hassell led Saba with nine (9) points.
This was match 5 of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Championships.
“It was really reassuring to hear my teammates being vocal. We understand that communication is very important in the game and I am proud of how much they displayed good communication,” Antigua and Barbuda’s captain Kermani Joseph stated.
“It is always good to win but it is even more satisfying when you improve as you win,” his coach, Michael Hamilton explained.
“We lost yes but I am so proud of this moment. We would have faced several challenges in getting wholesome training sessions before coming here but I am proud of how we have grabbed this opportunity to play,” captain of the Saba team Jalen Robinson related.
“This is the kind of competition that Saba needs to be exposed to accelerate the development of the young players. I always say we either win or we learn, and we are learning,” Saba coach Patricio Bridgewater emphasized.
Saba’s second match is against St. Lucia tomorrow morning, October 13, while Antigua and Barbuda play St. Kitts and Nevis.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 12, 2023. – Team St. Kitts and Nevis scored a straight sets victory over St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as both teams opened their match accounts at the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Championship. St. Kitts and Nevis won 25-22, 25-16 and 25-22. This was a pool B encounter (match 4).
Aziel Belle spearheaded the attack for St. Kitts and Nevis with eleven (11) points. However, captain Jamaar Cropper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines was the top scorer of the match with fifteen (15) points.
St. Kitts and Nevis produced some services that proved problematic to St. Vincent and the Grenadines and this in turn impacted their opponent’s ability to mesh consistent potent attacks.
“We are happy to have gotten the win. This is important as we work towards achieving our goals. The first match jitters are over with and we are expecting an even higher level of volleyball from our ranks,” Zendai Richards, the captain for St. Kitts and Nevis, shared.
“We have been training for a few weeks now and we are working concertedly to execute the various strategies we have adapted in practice,” Coach Rick Swan Coach of St. Kitts and Nevis added.
“It is important that we do not panic and we regroup for our second match,” captain Cropper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines advised.
“We were having challenges with our attacks this morning but we will focus on rebounding,” the St. Vincent and the Grenadines coach Daryl Franklyn added.
Next up for St. Kitts and Nevis is Antigua and Barbuda, on October 13, in the morning, then St. Vincent and the Grenadines have the same opponent later in the evening.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola. October 12, 2023. – St. Maarten started their Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male championship campaign with a win, at the expense of Team Grenada, in match three of the championship. St. Maarten won in three straight sets; 25-19, 26-24 and 25-7.
Captain of St. Maarten Rajheem Meulens was the top scorer of the match with 15 points. Grenada’s attack was led by outside hitter Jamal Collins, who had 10 points.
The loss was the second straight defeat for Team Grenada, less than 24 hours after playing in match one (1).
Team St. Maarten was able to absorb the shock of a quick start from Grenada through precision serving and set plays that unsettled the opponent. They also managed to stifle brief spurts of aggression by Team Grenada.
“We are thrilled to have overcome nervousness and register our first victory. The team’s confidence increased after every set,” team captain Meulens of St. Maarten said.
“Our expectation is to always win and I am confident that our level of play will improve even more as the championship progresses,” his coach Nicholas Henrietta added.
“Of course, we wanted this victory and we are disappointed but the message to my teammates is to regroup and play with even more confidence,” Grenada’s captain Jabarie Collins said.
“It is frustrating that we are not seeing the full potential of our players. Hopefully we can decrease the number of unforced errors and string together some winning sets,” Grenada’s Coach Javin Noel offered.
Grenada is scheduled to engage host British Virgin Islands tomorrow evening (October 13). St. Maarten will face Dominica in the morning.
October 12, 2023.- NORCECA and the FIVB is deeply saddened by the passing of Mark Tennant from Canada, whose contributions to the sport of volleyball spanned over four decades, encompassing roles as a player, coach, technical leader and international representative.
Tennant was a cherished and prominent figure within the global Volleyball Family. His knowledge and expertise were invaluable contributions to various NORCECA and FIVB Commissions, in addition to his role as a Technical Delegate at several volleyball and beach volleyball events.
His legacy in the development of volleyball in Canada includes his key role in staging international events, such as the 1999 Women’s Junior World Volleyball Championship among others. While leading the women’s programme at the University of Saskatchewan, Tennant pioneered Supervolley, one of Canada’s largest and most prestigious open tournaments. Over its 20-year history, it evolved into the biggest tournament in North America, drawing teams from across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
NORCECA, the FIVB and global Volleyball Family extend their heartfelt condolences to the Canada volleyball community, as well as his family and loved ones, at this difficult time.
TLAXCALA, Mexico, October 11, 2023.- Seven NORCECA teams remain in competition at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship in Tlaxcala, advancing into Thursday’s Round of 16.
Watch the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships live on VBTV.
USA’s Theo Brunner and Trevor Crabb eliminated an Australian duo and will now face another one from the same country in the Round of 16. They defeated Chris McHugh and Paul Burnett in two sets (21-15, 21-17) on Wednesday and will now meet Thomas Hodges and Zachery Schubert, who overcame Canadians Sam Schachter and Dan Dearing 2-0 (21-16, 24-22).
Another American duo, Andy Benesh and Miles Partain triumphed over Poles Piotr Kantor and Jakub Zdybek in straight sets (21-17, 21-16) and will face Italians Adrian Carambula and Alex Ranghieri in the Round of 16 who beat China’s Ha Likejiang and Wu Jiaxinin 2-0 (21-17, 25-23).
Trevor Crabb USA
In the women’s field, Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss of the United States, still undefeated in Mexico, advanced to the next round with a sweep (23-21, 21-12) of Canadians Sarah Pavan and Molly McBain. They will now face Brazilians Agatha and Rebecca.
The United States will have another team in the Round of 16, in Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft, who advanced with a three-set (22-24, 24-22, 15-12) win over Brazilians Andressa Cavalcanti and Vitoria Rodrigues. Their next opponents will be Dutch Raisa Schoon and Katja Stam, who knocked out the European Championship silver medalists, Daniela Álvarez and Tania Moreno of Spain, in straight sets (34-32, 23-21).
Americans Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, who overcame the Austrian Klinger sisters Ronja and Dorina in the tie-breaker (27-25, 19-21, 15-9) will face Latvians Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova, who topped China’s Jie Dong/Fan Wang 2-0 (21-14, 21-17).
Kelly Cheng USA attacks against Austria
Another American team, formed by Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles, also made it to the Round of 16 with a two-set (23-21, 21-8) win over Czechs Barbora Hermannová and Marie-Sara Štochlová. Their next opponents will be reigning European champions Nina Brunner and Tanja Hüberli of Switzerland, who topped Poland’s Jagoda Gruszczynska/Aleksandra Wachowicz in two sets (21-16, 21-14).
Brandie Wilkerson/Melissa Humana-Paredes and Esmée Böbner/Zoé-Vergé-Dépré will meet in the last Round of 16 duel. The Canadians advanced with a sweep (21-17, 21-17) of Finland’s Taru Lathi/Niina Ahtiainen while the Swiss knocked out French Lézana Placette and Alexia Richard also in two sets (26-24, 21-16).
The eight Round of 16 duels will be held on Thursday, during the afternoon, in Mexico, with Tlaxcala hosting half of the matches per gender and Huamantla and Apizaco welcoming two encounters each per gender.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 11, 2023. – The British Virgin Islands (BVI) started off their ECVA U23 Male Championship campaign with victory, as they subdued Anguilla in three straight sets 25-23, 25-22, 25-13, in Match 2.
Outside hitter Javin Wattley and captain Kymal Panchoo navigated the home side to the win with thirteen (13) and twelve (12) points, respectively, in the Pool A match.
Outside hitter Je’Vaunti Sasso was the most prolific attacker for team Anguilla. He tallied 10 points, inclusive of two aces.
Despite BVI asserting themselves with their blocking early in the first set, Anguilla were determined to frustrate the home side with scrappy play. Pivotal attacks by Wattley and a crushing block on set point secured the first set for the host, 25 to 23.
The second set had a similar pattern to the first and with the home crowd cheering them on loudly, the BVI was able to secure the set at 25 to 22.
The BVI obliged their fans with a more convincing third set, wrapping up the match with the score of 25 to 13 in set three.
Coach Kwele Williams and captain Panchoo, of the BVI, both lauded the efforts of Wattley. They also expressed a commitment to improving their level of play even more for their next match.
Anguilla’s Coach Jason Liburd and captain Trevon Smith were disappointed with the loss but found solace in overcoming the nervousness of a first match and gaining experience from their first match.
Anguilla next plays St. Maarten on Thursday (tomorrow) while the BVI plays Grenada (October 12).
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, October 11, 2023. – In match 1 (one) of the ECVA U23 Male Championship, Dominica registered a first victory with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-23) win over Grenada, in a Pool A encounter at the Multi-Purpose Sporting Complex.
Middle blocker Nester James led the scoring for Dominica with nine (9) points. The leading scorer of the match was outside attacker Jamal Collins, with ten (10) points, including two aces.
Dominica was able to overcome a very slow start in the first set, trailing eight (8) to one (1) at the first technical timeout, before clinching the set by a score of 25 to 19. This was a result of effective top spin serves, execution of key plays at crucial times and a string of unforced errors by team Grenada.
The second set was a competitive back and forth, until Dominica was able to create some distance between the two teams, eventually making a defensive stand to end the second set at 25 to 21.
Set number three was even more competitive. A service error and final block by Dominica was the defining stand, as they wrapped up the match 25 to 23, in the third.
Captain of Team Dominica Keaun Reefe expressed his excitement to register a first championship victory.
His coach Jeffrey Edmund was also content with his team’s win. He applauded their confidence, despite challenges with training sessions in the lead-up to the tournament.
Captain of Grenada Jabarie Collins noted that his team was frustrated with the loss but they are hopeful of more positive outcomes in upcoming matches.
Grenada’s coach Javin Noel blamed a string of unforced errors for his team’s loss but encouraged his players to regroup and grab the next opportunity to execute plays better.
Grenada play St. Maarten tomorrow morning (October 12) while Dominica play host British Virgin Islands later in the evening.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, BVI. October 11, 2023. – The two zones of play have been confirmed ahead of the start of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) U23 Male Volleyball Championship, which commences today, October 11.
Pool A comprises the host the British Virgin Islands (BVI), St. Maarten (SXM), Grenada (GRN), Dominica (DMA), and Anguilla (AGU).
Pool B consists of Antigua and Barbuda (ANT), St. Lucia (LCA), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (VIN), St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN) and Saba (SAB).
Today features two matches. Grenada plays Dominica at 6 p.m., in the opening encounter and Anguilla compete against host British Virgin Islands at 8 p.m.
Premier of the British of the Virgin Islands Hon. Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley expressed excitement at his government’s partnering with the Virgin Islands Volleyball Association (VIVA) to host the second edition of the ECVA U23 Male Championship, during a press conference yesterday, October 10.
“Volleyball is a sport that requires commitment, dedication and lots of practice and it is only fitting that these are some of the qualities that we look for in our young men. I am also pleased to see that persons associated with volleyball have taken on the opportunity to mentor our youngsters, through the sport,” the Premier noted.
ECVA Delegate Brenda Allen indicated that her association is pleased with preparations for the tournament and gave the assurance that every effort will be made to use volleyball to positively impact the development of young people.
Today’s (October 11) matches precede the official opening ceremony which is scheduled for tomorrow, October 12.
TLAXCALA, Mexico, October 10, 2023.- Canadians Sarah Pavan and Molly McBain and USA’s Miles Evans and Chase Budinger earned a second chance at the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships on Tuesday by winning their ‘lucky loser’ matches in Mexico and remaining alive in the tournament.
With 32 of the 48 teams that started the tournament in contention, the Round of 32 will be played on Wednesday across the cities of Tlaxcala, Apizaco and Huamantla, opening the elimination rounds of the event, which will continue until Sunday, when the medal matches will be held.
Reuniting the eight lower-ranked third-placed teams from the pool stage, the ‘lucky loser’ round featured four matches per gender on Tuesday.
In the women’s field Olympian Sarah Pavan with partner Molly McBain defeated Ariana/Karelys of Ecuador 2-0 (21-13, 21-10) in Tlaxcala.
Mexicans Atenas Gutiérrez and Abril Flores were eliminated after falling 1-2 (18-21, 21-19, 10-15) against Klinger D./Klinger R. from Austria.
In Apizaco, Americans Miles Evans and Chase Budinger eliminated the last Mexican team in the event, defeating Juan Virgen and Miguel Sarabia 2-0 (24-22, 21-19).
Evans/Budinger (USA) v Sarabia/Virgen (MEX)
NORCECA teams still in competition: WOMEN Kristen Noth/Taryn Kloth USA, Sara Hughes/Kelly Cheng USA, Melissa Humana-Paredes/Brandie Wilkerson CAN, Julia Scoles/Betsi Flint USA, Terese Cannon/Megan Kraft USA, Sarah Pavan/Molly McBain CAN. MEN Miles Partrain/Andrew Benesh USA, Trevor Crabb/Theodore Brunner USA, Jorge Luis Alayo/Noslen Diaz CUB, Samuel Schachter/Daniel Dearing CAN, Miles Evans/Chase Budinger USA.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, October 10, 2023 – Dominican Women, “The Queens of the Caribbean”, current Central American and Caribbean champions, NORCECA champions, and already qualified for the Paris Olympics, departed for Brazil on Tuesday, where they will undergo a training camp in preparation to successfully defend their crown at the upcoming 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, starting on October 20.
The information was provided by the president of the National Team Project, Cristóbal Marte, who was accompanied by Milagros Cabral, the project’s general director.
The Dominican team won their second medal at the 2019 Lima Pan Am Games by defeating Colombia in the final, and they will be training until October 18.
“The team is traveling today to Brazil to begin their final preparation to successfully defend the gold medal they won in the previous edition of the Pan Am Games in 2019 in Lima, Peru” stated Marte and Cabral.
The team is composed of Brayelin Martínez, Brenda Castillo, Niverka Marte, Gaila González, Yonkaira Peña, Madeline Guillén, Yokaty Pérez, Yaneirys Rodríguez, and Jineirys Martínez.
Cándida Arias, Lisvel Eve Mejía, Alondra Tapia, Geraldine González, Larismel Martínez, and Vielka Peralta are also traveling. Bethania de la Cruz is fulfilling commitments in the United States and will join the team.
The coaching staff is led by Marcos Kwiek with the support of his assistants Wagner Pacheco and Wilson Sánchez, along with the team therapist and the fitness trainer.
Road Town, Tortola BVI. October 10, 2023. – Ten countries are confirmed for the historic second edition of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Male U23 Championship, at the Multi-Purpose Sports Center, in Road Town, Tortola, from October 11-15.
Participating countries include hosts British Virgin Islands (BVI); St. Lucia (LCA), gold medalists in the inaugural event in 2016; Antigua and Barbuda (ANT), silver medalists in 2016; Sint Maarten (SXM), Dominica (DCA); Grenada (GRN); Anguilla (AGU); St. Vincent and the Grenadines (VIN); St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN) and Saba (SAB).
The winner of the ECVA U23 tournament gets a berth to the 2024 NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup.
Teams will be placed in two zones and will engage each other in preliminary round play running from Wednesday 11th to Saturday 14th. The semifinal matches will be on Sunday morning and the podium matches will be played later that evening.
Coaches from the various teams have expressed excitement ahead of this qualifier, during the preliminary inquiry, which was held via virtual platforms- a nod to the continued integration of technology to grow the sport.
“We are confident that our standout players will mesh well during this tournament to allow us to be successful,” Coach Daryl Franklyn of Team St. Vincent and the Grenadines intimated.
“We have had our challenges with team cohesion happening but our players are committed to giving their best during this tournament,” Coach Patricio Bridgewater of Saba offered.
“The team has been training and working hard over the last couple of months. We have a great bunch of young men who are ready to compete and are looking forward to playing some competitive matches,” noted Coach Richard Swan of St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Our expectation for the team is to compete and play hard. We are also focusing on the development of the team and giving these young athletes the exposure,” stated Coach Michael Hamilton of Antigua and Barbuda.
“This tournament will showcase the results of the hard work we have been putting into our youth, through school programs and we believe that they will be great volleyball ambassadors for St. Maarten. We are ready!” said a confident Nicholas Henrietta, Coach of Team St. Maarten.
“Our goal as always is to win the final match of the tournament. We anticipate that it will be a tough but fun tournament as all the team would be having high expectations,” Coach Jason Liburd of Anguilla offered.
“We are looking forward to being a competitive team and gaining valuable experience at this tournament. At the same time, we are going in with aspirations of being in the top 3 at the conclusion of these games,” Coach Kwele Williams of the host country, British Virgin Islands, explained.
Coaches from St. Lucia, Grenada and Dominica were also confident of stellar representation by their players throughout the tournament.
The ten confirmed teams eclipse the seven participants from the first edition of the competition in 2016.
TLAXCALA, Mexico, October 10, 2023.- Cuba’s Jorge Alayo/Noslen Diaz and Canada’s Sam Schachter/Daniel Dearing advanced to the Round of 32 at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship in Tlaxcala, Mexico.
Watch the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships live on VBTV.
Jorge Alayo and Noslen Diaz topped pool I with two victories and one loss, after beating Mexico’s Ricardo Galindo and Oziel Aguirre 2-0 (21-18, 21-11) on Monday.
Sam Schachter/Daniel Dearing beat Abicha/El Azhari of Morocco 2-0 (21-19, 21-10) to claim second place in pool L with a 2-1 record.
Mexico’s Miguel Sarabia and Juan Virgen finished third place in pool L after falling 0-2 (24-26, 17-21) to Vitor Felipe/Renato of Brazil.
Sarabia and Virgen will play the ‘lucky loser’ round on Tuesday against Miles Evans and Chase Budinger of the United States for another chance to make it into the Round of 32, which will be held on Wednesday.
In the women’s field, Americans Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft (2-1) also advanced winning pool I after beating Xue/X.Y. Xia of China 2-0 (22-20, 21-14).
Making it into the ‘lucky loser’ round are Canadians Sarah Pavan and Molly McBain, and Mexicans Atenas Gutierrez and Abril Flores. Pavan/McBain beat Allanis Navas and Maria Gutierrez of Puerto Rico 2-0 (21-19, 21-12) to finish third in pool H. Gutierrez/Flores, third in pool L after falling to Swiss Vergé-Depré A./Mäder.
On Tuesday, Pavan and McBain will face Ariana/Karelys of Ecuador, while Gutierrez and Flores play Klinger D./Klinger R. of Austria, for a spot in the Round of 32.
TLAXCALA, Mexico, October 9, 2023.- American duos Andy Benesh/Miles Partain, Theo Brunner/Trevor Crabb, and Chase Budinger/Miles Evans, became on Sunday one of the first men’s teams to advance to the elimination rounds in the Tlaxcala 2023 Beach Volleyball World Championship.
Benesh and Partrain, with three wins in their three Pool C matches in Tlaxcala, the winners of this year’s Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Gstaad Elite16 finished in first place in the pool and completed the first round of the tournament undefeated.
Watch the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships live on VBTV.
On Sunday, at the Tlaxcala Bullring, the 28-year-old Benesh and the 21-yer-old Partain trailed for the first time in the event but raised their game to beat French Youssef Krou and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat 2-1 (16-21, 21-15, 15-10) in a rainy match to keep their clean record.
Ranked fourth in the FIVB Beach Volleyball Men’s World Rankings, the Americans now focus on the Round of 32, which begins on Wednesday.
One of the toughest pools in the event, Pool D had a lot of turnarounds on Sunday before ending with Americans Theo Brunner and Trevor Crabb in first place and Ukrainians Sergiy Popov and Eduard Reznik in second place. Last-minute entrants Chase Budinger and Miles Evans of the United States finished third and continue in the tournament.
Pool play will be completed on Monday, when 16 men’s matches will be played and the remaining eight pools will be set. The ‘lucky loser’ round will be played on Tuesday, ahead of the Round of 32, on Wednesday.
Results:
Benesh/Partrain 2-0 (21-9, 21-14) v Peter/Hernan (FIVB); 2-0 (23-21, 21-17) v Mol H./Berntsen (NOR); 2-1 (16-21, 21-15, 15-10) v Krou/Gauthier-Rat (FRA).
Crabb Tr/Brunner 1-2 (20-22, 21-18, 7-15) v Popov/Reznik (UKR); 2-0 (21-18, 21-18) v Evans/Budinger (USA); 2-1 (19-21, 21-19, 15-12) v George/Andre (BRA).
Evans/Budinger (USA) 0-2 (17-21, 22-24) v Geroge/Andre (BRA); 0-2 (18-21, 18-21) v Crabb Tr/Brunner (USA); 2-0 (21-15, 21-11) v Popov/Reznik (UKR).
TLAXCALA, Mexico, October 9, 2023.- With two wins, Americans Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss, Sarah Hughes/Kelly Cheng and Julia Scoles/Betsi Flint, and Canadians Brandie Wilkerson/Melissa Humana-Paredes are guaranteed a spot in the Round of 32 in the 2023 Tlaxcala 2023 Beach Volleyball World Championship.
With two wins in their first matches in Tlaxcala, the four teams are one of the 12 women’s duos that clinched a spot in the elimination rounds of the event one day ahead of time, on Sunday.
Watch the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships live on VBTV.
With still one match left to complete the preliminary round, Nuss/Kloth and Hughes/Cheng, the numbers 2 and 3 ranked team of the event, lead pool B and Ce respectively. Melissa/Brandie are on top of pool D and Scoles/Flint of pool J.
Pool play concludes on Monday, with the last 24 matches (two in each pool) completing the schedule for the opening round of the tournament. At the end of the day, the 28 teams that will advance directly to the Round of 32 and the eight that will have to play the ‘lucky loser’ round will be known. The ‘lucky loser’ round will be played on Tuesday, ahead of the Round of 32, on Wednesday.
XI’AN, China, October 8, 2023.- Canada’s men’s team defeated Mexico 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-15) on Sunday at the Olympic Qualification Tournament (OQT) Pool C in Xi’an, China, earning a berth to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Canada led in attack (39-33), dominated in both blocking (13-5) and aces (8-1), but did concede more error points to Mexico (17-15).
Eric Loeppky of Canada led scoring with 16 points; followed by Stephen Maar with 12 (including two aces). Josué López Rios led Mexico with 11 points.
This decisive win, along with Belgium falling to Bulgaria earlier today, put Canada into second place in the pool and booked the team’s ticket to Paris 2024.
It was a dramatic turn of events for Canada as yesterday the team had the opportunity to close the deal against Belgium, but lost 1-3, leaving the second spot in Pool C undecided until today. Then Belgium, in a high-pressure position, struggled in a 2-3 loss to Bulgaria earlier on Sunday. Poland had already secured the top spot in the pool based on its record (undefeated with one match to go today vs. China.)
Canada celebrates Olympic Qualification to Paris 2024
“It was an important game after yesterday,” said Team Captain Nicholas Hoag, a two-time Olympian. “It was disappointing and scary to be in that position, but we got another opportunity today and we took it. We stepped up and we had also beat the teams we needed to earlier in the tournament. I’m really happy with the way the guys performed; we got the job done. The celebration starts and we will have the year to prepare for Paris!”
Canada ended with a 5-2 recording, its losses coming from a five-set match with number-one ranked Poland and the loss to Belgium yesterday. Argentina, who finished third and outside qualification, also had a 5-2 record but fewer points than Canada.
“It’s unbelievable,” said head coach Tuomas Sammelvuo. “I’m just so happy for volleyball in Canada, and the history of what people have done for many years with this program to now consistently be in the Olympics (third consecutive appearance). I would like to thank the players, not only the ones here in China, but also those that given so much effort to this program during the summer, as well as the coaching staff that have been part of the program. It’s an unbelievable moment and being in the Olympics is huge, as it represents the country”.
TOKYO, Japan, October 7, 2023.- One day before the end of the FIVB Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifiers Pool B tournament in Tokyo, United States qualified for next year’s Olympic Games. USA will compete in the men’s volleyball Olympic tournament for the 13th time in history.
On Saturday, United States delivered their sixth straight victory in the pool, a shutout of Serbia, to become the first team to secure a spot at Paris 2024, along with hosts France. So far in the history of the Olympic Games, the Americans have earned three gold and two bronze medals.
Hammering out Saturday’s 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-17) win over Serbia, United States, now on a 6-0 win-loss record and 18 points, made sure they will finish among the top two teams in the pool at the end of Sunday’s last competition day in the Japanese capital when they face Japan who also claimed a ticket to Paris beating Slovenia 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-18).
United States celebrates win over Serbia
The match was a one-sided affair, in which the Serbians managed to take short-lived leads only early into each of the first two sets. The Americans clearly outplayed the opponents in all scoring elements, most notably in serving, with 12 aces against two. Middle blocker Maxwell Holt produced four of those aces and raised two kill blocks towards a match-high 13 points. The other middle, Jeffrey Jendryk, and opposite Matthew Anderson added 11 points, including two aces, each, while outside hitter Aaron Russell scored 10 times. His counterpart Miran Kujundzic and opposite Aleksandar Atanasijevic led Serbia with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
“I feel really good about this victory. I think one of the hardest parts about this job are the intensity and focus on getting qualified for the Olympic Games,” USA’s head coach John Speraw told Volleyball World. “So in the back of your mind there is always that quest to make sure you have that opportunity at the end. So for us, to get past that is exciting; it’s a relief and I’m so happy and proud of the guys, because they’ve really had an outstanding tournament, steady the whole way through. It’s a well deserved victory.”
October 6, 2023.- United States earned a big win over Slovenia to remain undefeated, Canada swept Bulgaria and Cuba fell in a critical match to Brazil on Friday at the FIVB Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifiers.
Watch the FIVB Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifiers live on VBTV
Unites States remained the only undefeated team in Pool B and are getting closer and closer to snatching one of the two Olympic tickets from Tokyo to Paris.
With star opposite Matthew Anderson leading the way, The U.S. handed Slovenia their first loss of the tournament, as the two teams got into a head-to-head battle for the top of the current pool standings on Friday.
The Americans registered a 3-1 (25-18, 21-25, 25-20, 25-19) victory over Slovenia to improve to a 5-0 win-loss record and full 15 points. The U.S. led Slovenia in kills (53-44) and blocks (10-3). The two teams were even on aces at three each. The U.S. scored 30 points off opponent errors while giving up 28.
Matt Anderson produced two aces and 14 spike kills at a 56% success rate in attack to top the scorers’ chart of the match. Outside Torey Defalco added another 13 points, including a kill block, while the two middle blockers, David Smith and Jeffrey Jendryk, finished with 10 points each towards the victory.
United States against Slovenia
On Saturday, the U.S. Men (5-0) will play Serbia (3-2)
Canada made quick work of Bulgaria3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-18) early Friday in Pool C in Xi’an, China.
Canada led in attacking (39-26), blocking (10-5) and service points (6-5), but errors were equal at 20 apiece.
Stephen Maar scored 16 points for Canada (on 12 attacks, 3 blocks and an ace). Teammate Eric Loeppky was next with 13 points (including a block and 2 aces) and Arthur Szwarc added 11 points.
Canada against Bulgaria
The Canadian team, sitting at 4-1 and in the running for the top-two qualifying positions, plays Belgium in less than 24 hours. The final match for Canada is against Mexico on Sunday.
Cuba fell to Brazil 1-3 (25-23, 18-25, 20-25, 20-25) in Pool A. Now Cuba is 3-2 and will need to beat Italy on Saturday and Iran on Sunday, and count on favorable results in other encounters involving Brazil, Germany and Italy to advance.
Outside hitter Marlon Yant led the way for Cuba with 19 points (16 kills, two aces, one block), followed by opposite Jesus Herrera, with 13.
October 4, 2023.- The United States leads Pool B, Canada and Cuba improve 3-1 after their victories on Wednesday at the FIVB Road to Paris Olympic Qualifiers.
Watch the FIVB Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifiers live on VBTV
United States took a quick sweep (25-11, 25-12, 25-14) over Tunisia in Tokyo, to lead the group (4-0) ahead of second place Slovenia (4-0). After getting Thursday off, the two teams will play each other on Friday.
The U.S. led Tunisia in kills (40-22), blocks (13-3) and aces (6-0). The U.S. scored 17 points on Tunisia’s errors while giving up 12 points on errors.
Kyle Ensing led all scorers with a match-high nine kills and a match-high four blocks. Thomas Jaeschke added 10 points on eight kills, one block and one ace.
United States against Tunisia
Canada dashed China’s hopes of a home-court win 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 26-24) in Pool C in Xi’an, China.
Stephen Maar scored 20 points for Canada, with four coming from the service line. Teammate Eric Loeppky was again strong offensively with 17 points, and middle blocker Jordan Schnitzer made an impact with 10 points.
Canada led in attacks (49-46) and serves (5-2), but China held an advantage in blocking points (5-3).
Canada is 3-1, currently sitting in second in Pool C will have a day off and next play Bulgaria.
Canada against China
Cuba in Rio De Janeiro, secured their third win and passed Italy, moving up to second place with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-16) sweep of Qatar.in Pool A.
Star outside hitter Miguel Angel Lopez produced 12 points, three more than middle blocker Javier Concepcion.
Cuba’s tough serves (7-0) and 43 to 34 advantage in attacking points were key, with both teams scoring on eight blocks.
Cuba will also have a day off and will play Brazil next.
Poland beat Mexico 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-14). Mexico still has no wins in Pool C and will face Belgium next.
October 3, 2023.- United States beat Türkiye in four sets, Canada lost a five-set thriller to Poland, Cuba swept Czechnia and Mexico lost to China at the FIVB Road to Paris Olympic Qualifier on Tuesday.
Watch the FIVB Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifiers live on VBTV
The tournament runs until October 8. The top two teams from each pool will qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games.
United States lost its first set, but the team outlasted Türkiye 3-1 (25-17, 26-28, 32-30, 25-20) to stay undefeated.
On Wednesday morning, USA (3-0) will play Tunisia (0-3) The U.S. and Slovenia are currently the only two undefeated teams in Pool B.
USA led Türkiye in kills (63-49), blocks (13-7) and aces (9-3). The United States scored 23 points on Türkiye errors but gave up 36.
Outside hitter Aaron Russell led all scorers with 25 points on 20 kills, two blocks and three aces. DeFalco scored 21 points on 15 kills, one ace, a match-high five blocks and team-high 10 digs. Middle blocker Max Holt had 10 points on seven kills and three aces.
In a five-set showdown with the world-ranked number-one team, Canada came up short in the tight tie-break set for the team’s first loss in Pool C in Xi’an, China. Poland won 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 25-20, 20-25, 17-15).
Canada against Poland
Though Poland led in attack points (62-51), Canada had the slight advantage in blocking (13-12) and service aces (6-5). Poland lost more points to errors (35-29) as they attempted to put pressure on Canada.
Stephen Maar was again strong for Canada with 20 points followed by teammates Eric Loeppky with 16 points, Arthur Szwarc (11) and Jordan Schnitzer (10).
Next, Canada plays host China on Wednesday, who beat Mexico, the other NORCECA team in Pool C, 25-21, 25-9, 25-19. Mexico remaines without wins (0-3) and faces Poland next.
Cuba improved 2-1 in Pool A in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, beating Czechia 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-21).
Cuba against Czechia
On Wednesday, Cuba plays Qatar (0-3). Italy leads the group 3-0
Cuba led in kills 49-28 and in serves 5-2. Czechia held an 8-4 advantage in blocks. Cuba benefited from 28 opponent errors and committed 18.
Cuban Jesús Herrera led all scorers with 16 points from kills. Miguel Angel Lopez and Marlon Yant contributed 14 and 13 points respectively.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, October 3, 2023.- The pool phase of the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Champions is fully set to start with 96 teams representing 40 different countries to compete in Mexico from October 6-15.
Marking the return of the event to Latin America for the first in two decades, the 14th edition of the World Championship will be played across four venues in the cities of Tlaxcala, Huamantla and Apizaco and will include as many as 216 matches – half in each gender.
Watch the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship live on VBTV.
The men’s and women’s winners will each earn a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympics for their countries as well as a share of the $ 1 million prize money.
During the first phase of the tournament, teams in each of the 12 pools will play in a round-robin format. The top two teams in each pool and the best four teams that rank third in their respective pools will move directly to the Round of 32.
The remaining eight third-placed tandems will play a four-match lucky loser round to fill the last four spots in the elimination rounds. From the Round of 32 forward, the tournament continues on a single elimination format, with the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and medal matches.
These are the teams representing NORCECA:
MEN
Miles Partrain/Andrew Benesh (3) USA, Miguel Sarabia/Juan Virgen (12) USA, Chaim Schalk/Tri Bourne (19) USA, Trevor Crabb/Theodore Brunner (21) USA, Jorge Luis Alayo/Noslen Diaz (33) CUB, Samuel Schachter/Daniel Dearing (36) CAN, Ricardo Galindo/Isaias Oziel Aguirre (40) MEX, Jorge Barajas/Gabriel Cruz (41) MEX, Andy Alexis Blanco/Luis Garcia (42) GUA, Ruben Mora/Dany Lopez (44) NCA.
WOMEN
Kristen Noth/Taryn Kloth (2) USA, Sara Hughes/Kelly Cheng (3) USA, Melissa Humana-Paredes/Brandie Wilkerson (4) CAN, Atenas Gutierrez/Abril Castro (12) MEX, Julia Scoles/Betsi Flint (15) USA, Terese Cannon/Megan Kraft (16) USA, Sarah Pavan/Molly McBain (32) CAN, Alexandra Klineman/Hailey Harward (38) USA, Kianny Araya Quesada/Angel Williams (39) CRC, Susan Torres/Ivanna Rivera (40) MEX, Allanis Navas/Maria Gonzalez (41) PUR, Bethania Almanzar/Julibeth Payano (44) DOM, Esperanza Albarran/Yeray Vidaurrazaga (46) MEX.
PARIS, France, October 2, 2023.- For a second consecutive time, after the Hamburg Elite16 in August, Taryn Kloth & Kristen Nuss of the United States lost to top-seeded Duda/Ana Patricia of Brazil in the women’s final to settle for silver, their second on the Tour.
The second-seeded Americans also have four gold and one bronze medal in their showcase.
The Paris Elite16 Beach Por Tour took place at Roland-Garros Stadium from September 27 to October 1.
The Paris bronze went to last year’s Paris Elite16 winners Katja Stam & Raisa Schoon of the Netherlands, who won 2-0 (21-17, 22-20) over Gottardi & Megegatti of Italy.
Taryn Kloth & Kristen Nuss
In Sunday’s gold medal game, Ana Patricia & Duda and Nuss & Kloth engaged in a three-set battle at the end of which the Brazilians celebrated a 2-1 (21-10, 18-21, 15-13) victory. The South Americans were really convincing during the first set to win it by a wide margin, but the North Americans came back to gain control in the second, level the match and push it to a tie-breaker.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, October 1, 2023.- In a match that went to the maximum of three sets, the United States couple Timothy Brewster/Kyle Friend took top honors in the Punta Cana Volleyball Classic for the second consecutive year, defeating the Canada duo Jake MacNeil/William Russell 2-1 (21-14, 16-21, 15-11).
The bronze also went to the United States with the Hagen Smith/Logan Webber duo that defeated the Mexicans Ricardo Galindo/Isaías Aguirre 2-0 (22-20, 21-13).
Fifth place was occupied by the Canadian pair Arran Chambers/Liam Kopp who beat the Guatemalan duo Andy Blanco/Luis García 2-0 21-15, 21-11).
The Dominicans Hayerling De Jesús/Oscar Martínez finished seventh by dispatching Eddy Toro/Gregory De La Cruz of Aruba in two sets (21-19, 21-19), while Robert Cronshaw/Bryce Mayer of the Virgin Islands finished ninth after winning their match against the Dominicans Jorge Rosario/Rolvin Maldonado 2-0 (21-16, 21-15).
Timothy Brewster/Kyle FriendUSA
Eleventh position went to the Costa Ricans Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela who defeated Zendai Richards/Shawn Seabrookes from Saint Kitts 2-0 (21-16, 21-16).
The other results of the day were:
Jake MacNeil/William Russell (CAN) d Ricardo Galindo/Isaías Aguirre 2-0 21-16, 21-15), Timothy Brewster/Kyle Friend USA) d Hagen Smith/Logan Webber 2-0 (21-9, 21-16 ), Daneil Williams/Fabien Whitfield (TTO) d Christopher Oxford/Isaac Nelson (GRN) 2-0 (21-6, 21-14), Arran Chambers/Liam Kopp (CAN) d Eddy Toro/Gregory De La Cruz (ARU ) 2-0 (21-16, 21-15), Andy Blanco/Luis García (GUA) d Hayerling De Jesús/Oscar Martínez (DOM) 2-1 (19-21, 21-16, 21-15).
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, October 1, 2023.- The Puerto Rican duo Allanis Navas/María González won the gold medal this sunday at the Fourth Stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour 2023 after beating the team of USA Lexy Denaburg/Molly Turner 2-0 (23-21, 21-11).
The bronze was won by the other pair from the United States Corine Quiggle/Sarah Murphy who defeated the Dominican Republic duo Bethania Almanzar/Julibeth Payano 2-0 (21-15, 21-19).
In fifth position were the Canadians Dana Roskic/Calinda Kok who defeated the Mexicans Esperanza Albarrán/Yeray Vidaurrazaga 2-0 (21-17,21-18).
The Costa Ricans Angel Williams/Kianny Quesada finished seventh, defeating Guatemala Natalia Girón/Paola Alvarado 2-1 (18-21, 21-17, 15-12).
Allanis Navas of Puerto Rico digs
The other Canadian duo Lea Monkhouse/Marie-AlexBelanger finished ninth, beating the Virgin Islands Melanie Valenciana/Taylor Buckner 2-0 (21-10, 21-8), while the eleventh position was occupied by the Dominicans Crismil Paniagua/Nallelin Taveras who they beat Suraya Chase/Phylecia Armstrong 2-0 21-17, 21-5).
September, October 1, 2023.- Canada upset one more favorite defeating Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medalist and reigning South American champions Argentina, the United States swept Finland and Cuba first beat Ukraine and then fell to Germany in the FIVB Paris 2024 Qualifiers.
Watch the FIVB Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifiers live on VBTV
As with the opening match against Netherlands, which Canada won in five sets, Canada’s top producers on offense were Stephen Maar (16 points), Arthur Szwarc (16 points) and Eric Loeppky (15 points, which included two blocks and two aces). Overall, Argentina led in attack points 51-47 and aces 6-5, but gave up more points to errors (38-25). Canada’s block was more effective (10-5).
Canada plays its next match on Oct. 03 against the number-one ranked Poland.
In Tokyo, USA improved to 2-0 in Pool B after a sweep (25-17, 25-14, 25-17) against Finland, leading in kills (43-27), blocks (7-1) and aces (8-2). The U.S. scored 17 points on Finland errors and gave up 19.
Outside hitter T.J. DeFalco led all scorers with 14 points on seven kills, two blocks and 5 aces. Opposite Matt Anderson added 12 points on nine kills, two blocks and one ace. Jeff Jendryk had 10 points on eight kills, one block and one ace.
On Tuesday, the United States will play Türkiye.
United States against Finland
In opening day, Cuba took Ukraine down 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-18) to also start with a win in Pool A. Opposite Jesus Herrera (13 points), outside hitter Marlon Yant (11) and middle blocker Javier Concepcion (ten) all reached double digits in scoring.
On Sunday, Cuba fell 1-3 (25-21, 14-25, 22-25, 15-25) to Germany. Cuba led 6-5 in serves and both teams finished with 8 points on blocks. Outside hitter Miguel Angel Lopez and Marlon Yant scored 13 points each.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 30, 2023.- The United States pairs formed by Timothy Brewster/Kyle Friend and Hagen Smith/Logan Webber, the Canadians Jake MacNeil/William Russell and the Mexicans Ricardo Galindo/Isaías Aguirre advanced this Saturday to the Semifinal of the fourth stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour 2023.
Timothy Brewster/Kyle Friend defeated the Canadians Arran Chambers/Liam Kopp 2-0 (21-11, 21-19) in the Quarterfinals, while Hagen Smith/Logan Webber defeated the Dominicans Hayerling De Jesús/Oscar Martínez 2- 0 21-14, 21-16).
The Canadian duo Jake MacNeil/William Russell dispatched Andy Blanco/Luis García of Guatemala in two sets (21-17, 21-15), while the pair of Ricardo Galindo/Isaías Aguirre of Mexico defeated Eddy Toro/Gregory De La Cruz of Aruba 2-0 (21-11, 21-11).
The two United States teams will meet in one of the Semifinals and Mexico and Canada will collide in the other.
The Semifinals will be played this Sunday in the morning.
The other results of the day were:
Ricardo Galindo/Isaías Aguirre (MEX) d Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela (CRC) 2-0 (21-17, 22-20), Hagen Smith/Logan Webber (USA) d Zendai Richards/Shawn Seabrookes (SKN) 2-0 (21-6, 21-11), Andy Blanco/Luis García (GUA) d Robert Cronshaw/Bryce Mayer (ISV) 2-0 (21-12, 21-19), Arran Chambers/Liam Kopp (CAN) d Christopher Oxford/Isaac Nelson (GRN) 2-0 (21-14, 21-9), Jake MacNeil/William Russell (CAN) d Daneil Williams/Fabien Whitfield (TTO) 2-0 (21-15, 21-10), Timothy Brewster/Kyle Friend (USA) d Jorge Rosario/Rolvin Maldonado (DOM) 2-0 (21-14, 21-9), Robert Cronshaw/Bryce Mayer (ISV) d Zendai Richards/Shawn Seabrookes (SKN) 2-0 (21-11, 21-18) and Jorge Rosario/Rolvin Maldonado (DOM) d Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela 2-0 (24-22, 21-14).
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 30, 2023.- Corine Quiggle/Sarah Murphy and Lexy Denaburg/Molly Turner from USA, accompanied by the Dominicans Bethania Almanzar/Julibeth Payano and Allanis Navas/María González from Puerto Rico are in the Semifinals of Women of the fourth stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour 2023 in Punta Cana.
The two couples from USA will face each other this Sunday in the first Semifinal, while in the other Semifinal, the Dominican Republic will clash with Puerto Rico.
Corine Quiggle and Sarah Murphy advanced to the Semifinals by beating Katherine Albarrán and Yerai Vidaurrazaga of Mexico 2-0 (21-13, 21-15), while Lexy Denaburg and Molly Turner dispatched Canadians Dana Roskic and Calinda Kok 2-0 ( 21-15, 21,17).
The Dominicans Bethania Almanzar and Julibeth Payano achieved their place by defeating the Costa Ricans Angel Williams and Kianny Quesada in the Quarterfinals 2-0 (23-21, 21-13), while Allanis Navas and María Gonzalez from Puerto Rico advanced by beating Natalia Girón and Paola Alvarado of Guatemala 2-0 (21-10, 21-15).
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 30, 2023 – Setter Daniel Ralón was declared the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s Under 23 Central American Championship, which concluded Saturday at the La Basita Sports Center in David.
Ralón also won the award for the Best Setter of the tournament and was a key piece in Guatemala’s fifth gold medal out of a total of six editions of this tournament. Thanks to his game vision and composure in facing challenges, he managed the offensive plays well with José Pablo Pérez, Jason Hernández, Javier Lucero, Carlos Caballeros, and Leonardo Molina.
In addition to Ralón, his teammate Jason Hernández was awarded Second Best Blocker.
Daniel Ralon of Guatemala MVP AFECAVOL U23
Nicaragua received five individual awards. Jordan Carcache took home the honors for Best Defense, Best Reception, and Best Libero; Evans Solís received the award for Best Server, and Rafael Hernández was named Best First Blocker.
For Belize, Kaelen Ingram was the Best Opposite and the Best First Spiker was Juan Delgado from Costa Rica.
The Second Best Spiker was handed to Gherson Ortiz of Panama, who was also the Best Scorer with 137 points, including a record of 39 points in a single match, achieved against El Salvador on the last day of the event.
The previous record for the highest total points in a game belonged to Bryton Codd of Belize, with 29 points achieved on July 31, 2016. José Pablo Pérez of Guatemala broke the record in this tournament with 30 points against Nicaragua, and then Gherson Ortiz achieved 32 points also against Nicaragua and closed with 39 points against El Salvador.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 30, 2023 – Guatemala defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-12) to finish undefeated with six victories at the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central Championship at the La Basita Sports Center in David.
Guatemala’s gold medal was decorated by their undefeated performance in the tournament, overcoming tough matches, especially against Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Belize, in which they came from behind with courage.
José Pablo Pérez confirmed his effectiveness scoring 16 points in the victory over Honduras. Jason Hernández led in blocks with four points, and Daniel Ralón had three direct service points. Jonathan Mendoza was the best for Honduras with six points.
Guatemala led in attacks 33-19, blocks 11-3, and services 5-4, and committed fewer unforced errors than Honduras (20-26).
José Pablo Pérez, Guatemala’s top scorer: “We feel good because we reached our goal. It was a tough championship; the teams were evenly matched. Attitude and staying united were the key to success. It was quite exhausting and stressful for me. On the day we got here, we had to play, and we weren’t yet in sync. But gradually, we came together, and everything worked out well”.
Josué González, Guatemala’s libero: “Sometimes defense doesn’t get much attention. Thanks for the opportunity. At my young age of 16, I’m very happy to have played a good role with the U23 national team. I had previously played in a U19 Pan American Championship, and thanks to the coaches, they gave me this opportunity. I also thank my teammates who supported me to keep going and lower my head. I dedicate this victory to my parents and my great-grandparents who passed away this year”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 30, 2023 – Panama closed with an exciting victory over El Salvador 3-2 (15-25, 25-22, 27-29, 26-24, 15-11) at the VI AFECAVOL Men’s Under-23 Central American Championship, which ended this Saturday at La Basita Sports Center in David.
In a match that lasted over two and a half hours (2:36), with both teams trying to secure their position in the middle of the standings, Panama managed to prevail in five sets with the support of their fans and the outstanding performance of Gherson Ortiz, who set a Central American record with 38 points.
Ortiz scored 34 points in attack and four in blocking, accompanied by Victor Perez with 16 points and Victor Arauz with 13. For El Salvador, Julio Hunter scored 21 points, and Abner Cano contributed 19.
Panama was superior in attack 67-55 and in blocking 12-10. El Salvador had a 5-2 advantage in serves and committed fewer unforced errors (21-41).
Panama concluded the event with a record of three wins and three losses, the same as Costa Rica and Belize, but with 11 points. El Salvador finished 2-4 , also with 11 points.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 30, 2023 – Nicaragua defeated Belize 3-0 (25-13, 26-24, 25-20) and won the Silver Medal at the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at the La Basita Sports Center in David.
With the victory in straight sets, Nicaragua finished the event with a 4-2 record and 21 points. Costa Rica, which had already completed all its games a day earlier, benefited from Nicaragua’s victory to take home the bronze medal with a 3-3 record and 19 points. Belize finished in fourth place, also with a record 3-3 but with 17 points.
After completely dominating the first set, Nicaragua recovered from a three-point deficit (21-24) in the second set to win it 26-24. In the third set, despite Belize’s resistance, Nicaragua managed to close it with a victory in straight sets.
Evans Solís led Nicaragua with 17 points, including 14 on attacks, two on blocks, and one ace. Lennin Gómez added 14 points, and Denis Espinoza contributed 10. For Belize, Ernest Broaster scored 12 points.
Nicaragua outperformed Belize in attacks 40-34, in blocks 8-3, and 4-2 in service points, capitalizing on Belize’s 24 unforced errors compared to 18.
Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua: “We knew that this match was do or die. My players were focused and fought hard, and we worked with them psychologically. We made some changes with the setter (Victor Cruz) that worked for us, as did Denis Espinoza, who started today. As always, there are setbacks, injured players, or injuries on the first day of the tournament that made us change the game plan, but that’s how it goes”.
Evans Solís, top scorer of Nicaragua: “We feel super proud after securing this victory. We came to the tournament with different expectations, but second place is very acceptable because we knew the tournament would be tough. And this match against Belize was also challenging because we had several five-set matches, and we were a bit tired. The fighting spirit and the desire to win helped us. It also holds a special meaning for me because my uncle passed away two years ago, and I dedicate this victory to him”.
September 30, 2023.- Canada came out on the winning side of a five-set battle with Netherlands and United States beat Egypt on opening day at the FIVB Men’s Olympic Qualification Tournament.
Canada came out of the winning the end 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 24-26, 25-18, 15-12) against the Netherlands in Pool C at Xi’an, China.
Netherlands came out swinging hard, leading in attack points (69-57), but also gave up more points to errors (34-25). Canada led in blocking (13-5) and service aces (8-3).
Dutch star opposite Nimir Abdel-Aziz led the attack, with 29 points; followed by Maarten Van Garderen with 19. For Canada, it was more of team effort, Arthur Szwarc (19 points – including 2 blocks), Stephen Maar (18 points total, with 2 blocks and an ace) and Eric Loeppky (15 total, with a block and an ace).
Canada’s next opponent is Argentina who earlier mastered a 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-19) win against Mexico. Argentina held a 48-29 advantage in kills, 13-3 in blocks and both teams scored three points on aces. Diego González was Mexico’s best scorer with 11 points.
Mexico will face Netherlands in their second outing.
United States against Egypt
In Pool B United States scored a 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-19) victory over Egypt, leading 40-29 in attacking points, 5-4 in blocks and 8-2 in service aces.
Torey Defalco led all scorers with 17 points (11 kills, 2 blocks, 4 aces), Matt Anderson scored 13 points (11 kills, 2 aces) and Aaron Russell added 11 points (10 kills, one block).
United States will play next against Finland, in Tokyo.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 29, 2023.- The Costa Rican couples of Angel Williams/Kianny Araya, Guatemala’s Natalia Girón/Paola Alvarado and the USA couple Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Murphy achieved two wins at the start of the fourth stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour 2023 that is played on the courts located on Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana.
The Costa Rican duo Angel Williams/Kianny Araya achieved their two wins after beating Keshanice Mitchell/Thornia Mitchell of Granada 2-0 (21-10, 21-6) and Suraya Chase/Phylecia Armstrong of Trinidad Tobago 2-0 (21 -8, 21-21-11).
The Guatemalan duo of Natalia Girón/Paola Alvarado defeated Suraya Chase/Phylecia Armstrong of Trinidad Tobago 2-0 (21-15,21-14) and in their second game Keshanice Mitchell/Thornia Mitchell of Granada 2-0 (21- 5, 21-10).
Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Murphy of the United States defeated Crismil Paniagua/Nallelin Taveras of the Dominican Republic 2-0 (21-11, 21-7) and Canada’s Dana Roskic/Calinda Kok 2-0 (23-21, 21-10)
The results of the other matches of the day were:
Bethania Almanzar/Julibeth Payano (DOM) d Melanie Valenciana/Taylor Buckner (ISV) 2-0 (27-25, 21-11), Esperanza Albarrán/Yeray Vidaurrazaga (MEX) d Britney Choon/Tsyan Selvon (TTO) 2-0 (21-6, 21-10), Lexy Denaburg/Molly Turner (USA) d Lea Monkhouse/Marie-Alex Belanger (CAN) 2-1 (21-18, 20-22, 15-9), Dana Roskic/Calinda Kok (CAN) d Kathya Vasquez/Sofía Velásquez (ESA) 2-0 (21-10, 21-15), Allanis Navas/María González (PUR) d Melanie Valenciana/Taylor Buckner (ISV) 2-0 (21-8 , 21-9), Lea Monkhouse/Marie-Alex Belanger (CAN) d Britney Choon/Tsyan Selvon (TTO) 2-0 (21-7, 21-7), Lexy Denaburg/Molly Turner (USA) d Esperanza Albarrán/ Yeray Vidaurrazaga (MEX) 2-0 (21-10, 21-19) and Crismil Paniagua/Nallelin Taveras d Kathya Vasquez/Sofía Velásquez (ESA) 2-0 (22-20, 21-16).
The competition continues this Saturday with the continuation of the Preliminary Round, the Quarterfinals and the losers’ round.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 29, 2023.- The Guatemalan pair of Andy Blanco/Luis García, as well as Timothy Brewster/Kyle Friend and Hagen Smith/Logan Webber from the USA and Ricardo Galindo/Isaías Aguirre from Mexico remained undefeated on the first day of competition of the fourth stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour 2023.
The American duo of Timothy Brewster/Kyle Friend won their two matches of the day, the first against Jake MacNeil/William Russell of Canada by 2-0 (21-13, 21-11) followed by another 2-0 against Daneil Williams/Fabien Whitfield of Trinidad Tobago (21-9, 21-14), while the pairing of Hagen Smith/Logan Webber, also from USA defeated Eddy Toro/Gregory De La Cruz of Aruba 2-0 (21-13, 21-8 ).
The duo of Andy Blanco/Luis García of Guatemala also won their two games, disposing of the Canadians Arran Chambers/Liam Kopp 2-1 (21-11, 19-21, 17-15) followed by a 2-0 victory over Christopher Oxford /Isaac Nelson of Granada (21-6, 21-11).
Hagen Smith/Logan Webber(USA)
The Mexicans Ricardo Galindo/Isaías Aguirre remained undefeated on this first date of the tournament, winning their only match against the Dominican duo of Hayerling De Jesús/Oscar Martínez 2-0 (21-17, 23-21).
The other results from the first day of competition were:
Daniel Dyner/Jhostin Varela (CRC) d Hayerling De Jesús/Oscar Martínez 2-0 (21-17, 21-10), Eddy Toro/Gregory De La Cruz (ARU) d Zendai Richards/Shawn Seabrookes (SKN) 2-0 (21-18, 21-17), Robert Cronshaw/Bryce Mayer (ISV) d Christopher Oxford/Isaac Nelson (GRN) 2-0 (21-13, 21-13), Jorge Rosario/Rolvin Maldonado (DOM) d Daneil Williams/Fabien Whitfield (TTO) 2-0 (21-13, 21-18), Arran Chambers/Liam Kopp (CAN) d Robert Croshaw/Bryce Myers (ISV) 2-1 (13-21, 21-10, 15 -11) and Jake MacNeil/William Russell (CAN) d Jorge Rosario/Rolvin Maldonado (DOM) 2-0 (21-16, 21-11).
This Saturday the Preliminary round will continue and in the afternoon the Quarterfinals and the losers’ round will be played.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 29, 2023 – Guatemala defeated Panama 3-1 (25-16, 20-25, 25-17, 25-17) and won its fifth title in the AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Championships with still one match left in the sixth edition of the tournament.
Guatemala has only stumbled once in the six editions of Age-group, which was last year against Nicaragua. Even though they faced tough matches this year, they showed courage to earn victories in games that seemed lost.
With a strong defense that allowed setter Daniel Ralón to distribute the ball effectively to his attackers, Guatemala forged their crown and put the final gem in the fourth set with a convincing 25-17.
José Pablo Pérez was once again the leading attacker for Guatemala with 22 points, and Carlos Caballeros contributed 11. Gherson Ortiz was the top scorer for Panama with 27 points, and Denzel Arboine added 12.
Guatemala had led 50-48 in attacks, 7-5 in blocks and 7-3 in aces, while committing 19 unforced errors compared to Panama’s 31.
Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala: “This is a very interesting competition; in every country, we have very talented athletes, and they demand that we come well-prepared. This is a competitive tournament, not just participative, and it helps us continue to improve the level of play. In fact, this category is the foundation of the senior national teams. It is played at a high level and is very demanding, with intense rivalry in Central America. We have a bright future; that’s why we give the younger players the opportunity to take on responsibility”.
Javier Lucero, captain of Guatemala: “We dedicate the first photo to our physiotherapist who always accompanies us, for the work he does with us, but this time he couldn’t be here. We are very happy with the result; that’s what we came here for, to be champions, and we continue to collect more gold medals for Guatemala and raise its name high”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 29, 2023 – Nicaragua battled to defeat Honduras 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-20) and reached three wins with two losses at the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at Centro Deportivo La Basita.
Honduras, which has no victories in this tournament, started by winning the first set due to Nicaragua’s passiveness, who couldn’t respond. Leonardo Villegas of Honduras scored 11 points in that first set.
Nicaragua managed to recover to lock the win in four sets but struggled to overcome Honduras’ persistent offense.
Lenín Gómez and Josué Blandón led Nicaragua with 15 points each. Leonardo Villegas from Honduras led all scorers with 28 points, and his teammate Javier Díaz added 15 points.
Nicaragua scored 38 points on Honduras’ unforced errors, while Honduras held a 52-50 advantage in attacks, 10-7 in blocks, and 5-1 in aces. Nicaragua gave away 19 points on errors.
Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua: “Now, everything is getting complicated for us because we should have won in three sets. The tournament is becoming challenging for us due to our setters (one of the starters got injured before the tournament), and we had to use an opposite player to secure the match, and we did it”.
“We don’t see tomorrow’s game (against Belize) as difficult or impossible. We must bring out the best from the entire team to try to defeat Belize and have a chance at the medal, but it will be tough. My team knows that tomorrow is do or die, and it will depend on the attitude we bring to the game”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 29, 2023 – Costa Rica concluded the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship defeating El Salvador 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-19) on the penultimate day of the event at Centro Deportivo La Basita.
Costa Rica finished the tournament with three wins and three losses, awaiting the results of the other teams to determine their final position. El Salvador has a record of 2-3 and will play against Panama on Saturday at 7:30 PM (Panama time).
Yulius Brown finished strong with 17 points, Juan Diego Delgado with 13, and Andru Jones with 12 for Costa Rica. Abner Cano of El Salvador was the top scorer of the match with 19 points.
Costa Rica held a 41-38 advantage in the attacks and led El Salvador by a significant 12-2 margin in blocks, with four effective blocks from Alessandro Signini and three from Jones. Additionally, Costa Rica had a 2-1 advantage in serves. El Salvador committed 20 unforced errors compared to 14 by the winners.
Johan Morales, coach of Costa Rica: “Obviously, I would have liked to finish in the top three. Now, I must wait for the results, but I am very happy with the boys. This is a new process that is just beginning. It’s the first time I have a junior national team, and I am very proud of them. In the end, we closed as we had to. We had the opportunity to beat Nicaragua and Guatemala, but these are the things that come with experience, like Guatemala has, they know how to finish”.
“That’s what we are looking for in Costa Rica, to have that experience against high-level teams because in Central America, we are very evenly matched in men’s volleyball. I’m going back home, maybe not happy, but content because we have grown with these new players.”
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 28, 2023 – Belize had no trouble defeating Honduras 3-0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-13) and reach three victories at the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.
Belize controlled every skill of the game, with a 40-16 advantage in attacks, 9-2 in blocks, and 4-3 in service points. Belize committed 21 unforced errors, one less than Honduras (22).
Kaelen Ingram with 15 points (11 attacks, 4 blocks), and Ernest Broaster with 12 points (9 attacks, one block, 3 aces) were the top scorers for Belize. Jonathan Meza scored 8 points for Honduras.
Belize has a rest day on Friday, while Honduras will face Nicaragua at 5:00 p.m. (Panama time) on the penultimate day of the tournament.
Kaelen Ingram, top scorer of Belize: “It feels really good to get this victory. We came in with a mindset that we had to win today, but I think the execution was much better. We came in and wanted it to finish and be able to leave. We also have many new players, and they had the opportunity to be on the court, and that was something great to encourage them and for them to be successful”.
Thomas Garbutt, outside hitter of Belize: “I simply went in, did what I can do for the team, and then the performance was good. We achieved one more victory. I always do my job, train, but we have taller guys on the team. Now I finally proved to myself that I can. I’ve been in the United States for two years and didn’t train as much with the other guys, but I think I could contribute something today. The game was amazing”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 28, 2023 – Guatemala (4-0) continues its dominant performance after defeating Costa Rica 3-1 (22-25, 28-26, 25-16, 25-21) on day five of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.
After losing the first set, Guatemala responded in the second by focusing on their defense, allowing them to recover from a four-point deficit (16-20) and then a two-point deficit (20-22) to close with a dramatic 28-26 and tie the match.
In the third and fourth sets, Costa Rica maintained the pressure, but setter Daniel Ralón distributed Guatemala’s attack between Carlos Caballeros and Yefeson Zavala, who each finished with 16 points, Jason Hernández with 15, and Leonardo Molina with 14.
For Costa Rica, Juan Diego Delgado scored 18 points, and Yulius Brown finished with 11.
Guatemala led in attacks 69-47 and in blocks 8-5. Costa Rica had a slim advantage in service points 4-3 but gave away 32 unforced errors compared to Guatemala’s 20.
Costa Rica plays against El Salvador on Friday at 2:30 p.m. (Panama time), and Guatemala faces Panama at 7:30 p.m.
Leonardo Molina, middle blocker of Guatemala: “It was difficult for us to adapt and find our rhythm, but once we started, we didn’t stop, and we managed to improve. The good thing is that we are more than a team; we are a family because we have a strong friendship, and that helps us. If someone can’t solve a situation, the other steps in and does it. Attitude was crucial today; we didn’t give up, and that helped us”.
Carlos Caballeros, opposite hitter of Guatemala: “I’m happy to contribute to the team and reach our goal. There are two important matches left, and we will try to do our best. I feel that we are a team that knows what we’re here for, and each one tries to do their best. Today, we had a good attitude, and that was important”.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, September 27, 2023 – The action of the 2023 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour is back in action with its fourth stage at Playa Los Corales in Punta Cana from September 29 to October 1.
This is the seventh consecutive year that Punta Cana has hosted the most important Beach Volleyball event in the region, bringing together teams for important ranking points.
Fifteen teams per gender have completed a pre-registration for the event, representing fourteen countries of the NORCECA Volleyball Confederation.
Canada, Costa Rica, Grenada, Guatemala, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad & Tobago, the United States, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will compete in both genders. Canada, the United States, and the host country Dominican Republic, will each have two teams in each division.
El Salvador and Puerto Rico are fielding in women, Aruba, Dominica, St. Kitts, and Nevis in men. Trinidad & Tobago registered two women’s teams.
Teams will go through the preliminary interview on Thursday, and the competition will start on Friday, with the medal matches on Sunday.
The first three stages of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour were held in Aguascalientes (Mexico), Varadero (Cuba), and Grand Cayman (Cayman Islands).
Women’s Teams CAN Dana Roskic/Calinda Kok, Lea Monkhouse/Marie-Alex Bélanger; CRC Angel Williams Paniagua/Kianny María Araya Quesada; DOM Bethania Almanzar/Julibeth Payano Veras, Crismil Paniagua Hinojosa/Yari Manuela Cleto Rosario; ESA Kathya Vásquez/Sofía Velásquez; GRN Keshanice Mitchell/Thornia Mitchell; GUA Natalia María Girón Boesche/Paola Marie Alvarado Franco; MEX Esparanza Albarrán Castro/Yeray Vidaurrazaga Blanco; PUR Allanis Navas Sánchez/María González; TTO Britney Choon/Tsyan Selvon, Danielle Noel/Apphia Glasgow; USA Lexy Denaburg/Molly Turner, Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Murphy; ISV Melanie Valenciana/Taylor Buckner
Men’s Teams ARU Eddy Toro Maldonado/Gregory A.J. De La Cruz Tavera; CAN Arran Chambers/Liam Kopp, Jake MacNeil/Alexander William Russell; CRC Daniel Dyner Villa/DMA Ray Robinson/Yahn Florent; DOM Hayerling Francisco De Jesus Goris/Rolvin Maldonado Sánchez, Jorge Isaac Rosario Cabrera/Oscar Jose Martinez Lopez; GRN Darron Christopher Oxford/Isaac Nelson; GUA Andy Alexis Leonardo Blanco/Luis Augusto Garcia Betancourt; MEX Ricardo Galindo/Isaias Oziel Aguirre Gallegos; SKN Zendai Richards/Shawn Seabrookes; TTO Daneil Williams/Fabien Whitfield; USA Timothy Brewster/Kyle Friend, Hagen Smith/Logan Webber; ISV Robert Cronshaw/Bryce Mayer
September 27, 2023.- NORCECA teams, Canada, Cuba, Mexico and the United States are all set to compete for a spot for Paris 2024 at the FIVB Men’s Olympic Qualifiers taking place in Brazil, Japan and China from September 30-October 8.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 27, 2023 – Belize secured a straight-set victory over Panama 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-22) in the closing match of the fourth day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.
Belize improved to two wins and two losses, while Panama holds one victory and two losses.
Belize’s blocking made a difference with an 11-4 advantage, where Ernest Broaster and Kaelen Ingram contributed three blocks each. Belize also led in attacks with 44-35 and in serves 3-1. Panama committed 17 unforced errors compared to 22 from Belize.
For Belize, Broaster finished with 15 points, Ingram added 14, while Kerwin Palacio and Eleazar Mejía each scored 12 points. Denzel Airbone was Panama’s leading scorer with 14 points.
Belize will play against Honduras on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. (Panama time), and Panama will face Nicaragua at 7:30 p.m.
Albert Humes, coach of Belize: “This game was very important for us because we can still stay close to the podium. So, we talked to the guys and told them we had to be fully focused. We’ve been in situations where we won the first two sets and then failed, like against Guatemala, so today we had to be more focused in the final set”.
Ernest Broaster, captain of Belize: “It feels good to win after losing yesterday and the day before. We needed to win today. We needed to show the guys that we can finish in three sets. We started slow, but we picked up and closed the set, which is what we’ve needed for a long time. Now, we just need to keep it up in the coming days”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 27, 2023 – Nicaragua rallied twice in the match to overcome Costa Rica 3-2 (22-25, 31-29, 19-25, 25-18, 15-12) on the fourth day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.
In the second set, Nicaragua was trailing 12-18 but managed to tie the score, taking the action to a dramatic 31-29 finish, where both teams showed their thirst for victory.
Costa Rica seemed on track for victory as they dominated the third set, jumping to a 10-point lead that Nicaragua tried to recover from. In the fourth set, Nicaragua had complete control, securing a 20-12 lead and forcing a fifth set after closing it out 25-18.
In the fifth set, with Josué Blandón contributing six points and Evan Solís adding three, along with great team defense, Nicaragua improved their tournament record to 2-1, while Costa Rica stands at 2-2.
Evan Solís scored 24 points in Nicaragua’s victory, Yader León added 17, and Josué Blandón contributed 15.
Yulius Brown from Costa Rica was the top scorer of the match with 25 points. Harold Rodríguez contributed 20 points for Costa Rica, and Octavio González recorded 14, seven of them through blocks.
Nicaragua led in attacks 71-64 and in serves 5-3, but Costa Rica excelled in blocks 17-11. Both teams gave up 25 points on unforced errors.
Costa Rica plays against Guatemala on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (Panama time), and Nicaragua faces the host team from Panama at 7:30 p.m.
Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua: “Another bittersweet victory because we had two players injured, and we’ll see how we manage to finish the tournament. The other guys who came in did their job and showed a lot of heart and courage to recover from a good lead that Costa Rica took from us. We will keep working to recover them and try to be on the podium because I believe we still have many possibilities”.
Jordan Carcache, libero of Nicaragua: “We are super happy; it was a victory that really cost us. Everyone did their job, both those on the court and those who came in because we have players with a high level. We managed to recover from a big disadvantage, and that helped us regain some confidence”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 27, 2023 – Guatemala reached three victories with zero losses after prevailing over El Salvador 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-21) on the fourth day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.
Guatemala was trailing from the beginning set with a four-point deficit 8-12 but managed to take the lead when they reached the technical timeout at 16-12 without any response from El Salvador, maintaining the advantage until the end.
Guatemala capitalized on scoring 30 points from El Salvador’s errors and gave up 18. The match was balanced with a 36-34 advantage in attacks for Guatemala, both teams tied at 6 in blocks and 3 in points from serves.
José Pablo Pérez was Guatemala’s top scorer with 12 points, followed by Jason Hernández who added 10. For El Salvador, Julio Hunter scored 12 points, while Abner Cano and Douglas Gómez each scored 10 points.
Guatemala remains the only undefeated team in the tournament, while El Salvador holds a 2-2 record. On Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (Panama time), Guatemala will face Costa Rica, while El Salvador will have a rest day.
Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala: “El Salvador put us in a tight spot; they started playing a more effective game, but once again, we managed to balance, come back, and win the match. The truth is that these five points help us a lot in the standings. We still have half of the championship left, and we want to take it one game at a time to see how we progress in the competition”.
Jason Hernández, middle blocker of Guatemala: “We reached the goal of winning in three sets, which leaves us quite satisfied because it was our main objective. Now, we need to make the most of the rest day because we have another demanding match ahead, and we need to be in the best condition. We must be very aware of what we do in each game and make the most of the rest periods. We already have 13 sets under our belt halfway through the tournament”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 26, 2023 – Costa Rica defeated Panama 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-16) to secure their second victory qt the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.
Costa Rica (2-1) faced resistance from Panama (1-1) in the early points of each set, but with consistent attacking and good defense, they took a lead that proved impossible for their rivals to overcome.
Costa Rica led in attacks 46-30, blocks 9-3, and serves 4-3. Both teams committed a similar number of unforced errors, Costa Rica with 15 and Panama with 16.
Yulius Brown with 19 points (15 attacks, two blocks, two aces) was Costa Rica’s top scorer, while Juan Delgado finished with 17 points, and Harold Rodríguez with 12. For Panama, Denzel Airbone led with 13 points, and Gherson Ortiz contributed 11.
On Wednesday, Costa Rica (2-1) will face Nicaragua (1-1) at 5:00 p.m. (Panama time), while Panama (1-1) will take on Belize (1-2) at 7:30 p.m.
Yulius Brown, top scorer of Costa Rica: “This result helps us a lot to have a good point difference. I am very proud and happy for this victory. I think the key today was consistency, not missing serves, maintaining the attack, and continuing to work together.”
Juan Delgado, outside hitter of Costa Rica: “We are very happy because in this tournament, we have been improving gradually. In the first match, we were a bit nervous, for some of the players it’s their first time in the national team, but thanks to God, we have been able to adapt a bit more, and with the work of our coaches and all the teammates, coming together as a group, we have been able to win matches”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 26, 2023 – Demonstrating determination and courage, Guatemala once again came from behind to defeat Belize 3-2 (29-31, 19-25, 25-12, 25-22, 15-8) on the third day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.
It was the second consecutive victory and the second in five sets for Guatemala, who is aiming to reclaim the title lost last year and reach five titles in this age-group.
José Pablo Pérez was once again the inspiration for Guatemala with 24 points (22 attacks, one block, one ace). Javier Lucero contributed 12 points (10 attacks, one block, one ace).
Three players led Belize’s scoreboard, with Kaelen Ingram scoring 21 points (16 attacks, 2 blocks, 3 aces), Ernest Broaster with 20 points (17 attacks, one block, two aces), and Kerwin Palacio with 11 points (8 attacks, 3 blocks).
Guatemala led in attacks 56-49 and in serves 6-5. Belize maintained a significant advantage in blocks at 12-5 but committed 46 unforced errors compared to Guatemala’s 32.
On Wednesday, Guatemala will face El Salvador at 2:30 p.m. (Panama time), while Belize will take on Panama at 7:30 p.m.
Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala: “Belize has a great group, a good team. They started with super good rhythm, that first set could have gone either way, in the second we couldn’t, in the third we made some adjustments. In the end, the guys managed to concentrate and adapt to the game because Belize couldn’t keep up that pace of play; it was very difficult”.
Javier Lucero, captain of Guatemala: “It was a quite competitive match, but we are very happy because we got the results we expected. I think we came in very anxious, desperate to win the match, and that’s where other teams take advantage. But we know how to recover, play coming from behind because that’s what we always train for”.
Albert Humes, coach of Belize: “We knew that Guatemala was a force to reckon with in the tournament, yesterday when we saw their game, we noticed a weak point and tried to work on that with our resources. I think our focus disappeared in the game, and we deviated from the strategy we had planned. This is one of our problems, focus, and I believe the mental aspect will come as we play more at this level, as our boys haven’t been together, some are away. In the end, we know we played very well”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 26, 2023 – El Salvador secured its second victory of the event after defeating Honduras 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-10) at the beginning of the third day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at La Basita Sports Center.
Honduras still hasn’t seen victory in three outings, and on Tuesday, they couldn’t overcome a focused El Salvador that did edged with its serves and was effective in blocking.
El Salvador (2-1) led in attacks 33-23, blocks 10-5, and serves 8-1. Oscar Martínez stood out with four effective blocks, Abner Cano and Julio Hunter with 4 and 3 aces respectively for El Salvador, which committed only 15 unforced errors compared to 24 by their opponents.
Abner Cano scored 13 points for El Salvador, and Leonardo Villegas from Honduras scored 11.
On Wednesday, El Salvador will face Guatemala at 2:30 p.m. (Panama time), while Honduras has a rest day.
Fernando Navarro, libero of El Salvador: “After the first game, we have gained confidence and improved as a team, which has been important. We always prepare to face strong teams; the mindset changes a lot when you come in focused and prepared for what you’ve been training for. We have the goal of defending the bronze from the last edition, and God willing, we can change the color of the medal”.
Ricardo Mira, middle blocker of El Salvador: “I’m happy that the team is starting to come together. The first day was a bit strange, as we were getting the team focused, but today we looked better and getting in better shape as a team”.
September 26, 2023.- Canadian duos swept both gold medals at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures event in Halifax last week. They pocketed the men’s bronze as well, while the remaining three podium spots were occupied by pairs from neighboring United States.
On Sunday, coach Josh Nichol’s expertise paid off with a Halifax Futures trophy for Samuel Schachter and Daniel Dearing and bronze for Jacob Van Geel and Zach Van Geel. The USA’s Hagen Smith and Logan Webber also climbed the men’s podium with silver.
In their first match of the tournament, top-seeded Schachter and Dearing suffered an unexpected 2-1 (12-21, 23-21, 16-14) upset from compatriots Zechariah Johnson and Jordan Deshane, who had made the main draw through the qualifiers. After that, however, the 33-year-old Canadians went on a five-match winning streak, losing only a set on the way to their first Beach Pro Tour medal. In the semifinals, Dearing and Rio 2016 Olympian Schachter came back against Johnson and Deshane with a 2-0 (21-10, 22-20) sweep, before producing a hard-fought 2-0 (21-17, 27-25) victory over second-seeded Smith and Webber in the final.
The silver was also the first Beach Pro Tour medal for the pairing of 28-year-old Smith and 27-year-old Webber. They also took the detour route to the final, after losing the Pool B winners’ match to Canada’s Rouzbeh Rahnavard and Tynan Gannett in three sets. To reach the gold medal match, the Americans mastered a 2-0 (21-17, 21-18) semifinal win over Van Geel and Van Geel.
22-year-old Jacob and 20-year-old Zach marked their Beach Pro Tour debut with a medal. The Canadians started their Halifax campaign from the qualifiers and proceeded undefeated to the semifinals. Seeded 13th in the main draw, the Van Geels managed a 2-1(21-17, 16-21, 15-12) victory over 16th-seeded Johnson and Deshane for the bronze.
Canada’s Heather Bansley and Sophie Bukovec claimed the women’s gold in Halifax. The podium was completed by two American pairs, Kimberly Hildreth and Teegan Van Gunst with silver, and Carli Lloyd and Kylie Kuyava-DeBerg with bronze.
Earlier this year, 36-year-old two-time Olympian Bansley came out of retirement to join forces with 28-year-old FIVB World Championship 2022 silver medalist Bukovec. At their third Beach Pro Tour appearance together, they secured their first medal as a team. The top-seeded Canadians lived up to their status and cruised through their five games of the tournament without dropping a single set. In the semifinals, they delivered a 2-0 (21-15, 23-21) win over 16thth-seeded US qualifiers Kahlee York and Mariah Whalen and followed up with a 2-0 (21-16, 25-23) victory over fifth-seeded Hildreth and Van Gunst in the final.
It was the second consecutive Beach Pro Tour silver for the team of 32-year-old Hildreth and 28-year-old Van Gunst, after their second place finish at their previous appearance at the Brno Futures last month. In between, Van Gunst squeezed in one more silver, with Katie Lindstrom at the Miguel Pereira Futures earlier in September. The Americans also reached the Halifax final undefeated, crowning a four-match winning streak with a 2-0 (21-14, 23-21) victory over 11th-seeded Lloyd and DeBerg in the semifinals.
Former indoor star of the United States national volleyball team Carli Lloyd marked her international debut on the beach with a bronze. The 32-year-old Rio 2016 bronze medalist and her 24-year-old partner DeBerg managed a battled 2-1 (21-15, 19-21, 15-13) win over York and Whalen in the all-American third-place duel. The bronze was also DeBerg’s first medal on the Tour.
A total of 38 teams representing eight different countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America took part in the Halifax Futures.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 25, 2023 – Guatemala staged an impressive comeback to defeat the reigning champion, Nicaragua, 3-2 (14-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-13, 16-14) in the closing match of the second day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at the La Basita Sports Center.
Guatemala recovered from a two-set deficit to debut with a victory, while Nicaragua holds a 1-1 win-loss record, while playing over two hours and thrilling the fans in this city.
José Pablo Pérez led Guatemala’s victory with 30 points, on 27 attacks and 3 blocks. Carlos Caballero and Jason Hernández contributed 14 and 10 points, respectively, to the win.
Evans Solís was Nicaragua’s top scorer with 25 points, including 19 attacks, two blocks, and 4 aces. Lenín Gómez added 11 points.
Guatemala displayed great attacking strength with 64 points compared to Nicaragua’s 44. Nicaragua did better in blocking, 12-11, as well as in serves 6-4. Nicaragua committed fewer unforced errors (24-35).
Guatemala will face Belize at 5:00 p.m. (Panama time), while Nicaragua has the day off.
Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala: “It was challenging for us to find our rhythm. Four players arrived from Mexico at noon today, and they didn’t train with the team, so it was tough for them initially. Nicaragua set a good pace, and gradually, the guys found their level. It was a great match from both teams; they both gave their all on the court. I’m very proud of my players who never let their guard down despite being down by two sets; that says a lot about them and their determination”.
José Pablo Pérez, top scorer for Guatemala: “Despite the fatigue from the trip, what characterizes Guatemala is the determination we always show, never giving up even when we were down 0-2. Although the situation looked very difficult, we gave it our all and managed to get the result. What we always think and do is not to give up and give everything for our country”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 25, 2023 – Costa Rica defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-18) to lock their first victory in the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at the La Basita Sports Center.
Costa Rica outperformed Honduras in attack 38-27, blocking 12-6, and serving 6-3. Both teams committed 19 unforced errors.
Juan Diego Delgado with 19 points was the top scorer for Costa Rica, with Harold Rodríguez and Yulius Brown contributing 12 points each. Leonardo Villegas with 11 and Jonathan Mendoza with 10 were the top scorers for Honduras.
Honduras will play against El Salvador on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. (Panama Time), and Costa Rica will face Panama at 7:30 p.m.
Johan Morales, coach of Costa Rica: “After yesterday’s match, the team needed this victory because they seemed very nervous, very tense. We also started a bit tense in this match, but we managed to turn the circumstances around with a very important 3-0 win. Credit must be given to the opponent as they also made their effort”.
Luis Solano, captain of Costa Rica: “Today, we were better as a team. Honduras played a good game, but with confidence, we managed to gain an advantage, especially in the closing moments. We always stayed very close, even coming from behind in some sets to come back and win”.
Héctor Duarte, captain of Honduras: “I think we could have done much better, but we had lapses in concentration, and the emotional aspect affected us quite a bit. In the first and third sets, we started well and then dropped, and we couldn’t recover. We can improve so we can show a better version of us”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 25, 2023 – El Salvador managed to recover after losing the first set and overcome a three-point deficit in the fourth set to defeat Belize 3-1 (12-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-22) on the second day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at the La Basita Sports Center.
Belize was dominant in the first set, establishing an overwhelming lead over El Salvador, scoring five aces and three blocking points. From the second set onward, things changed, with Belize committing 10 unforced errors and limited to just one block, without scoring points on service. In the third set, El Salvador led the attack, just as they did in the fourth set when they rallied from being down 18-21 to finish with a 25-22 victory.
El Salvador led the attack 49-48. Belize performed better in blocking 9-2 and in serving 8-3, but they committed 33 unforced errors compared to 27 from El Salvador.
Julio Hunter scored 18 points, followed by Abner Cano with 15 for El Salvador. Kaelen Ingram from Belize was the top scorer of the match with 22 points, accompanied by Kervin Palacio with 13 points and Ernest Broaster with 12.
El Salvador will play against Honduras on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. (Panama Time), and Belize will face Guatemala at 5:00 p.m.
Andrea Genova, coach of El Salvador: “The fatigue from the first day was important because it didn’t allow the boys to concentrate. Today, we were more relaxed, more rested, and we found some changes that went in our favor during the game. Now, it’s evident that we’re a better team, as we didn’t have much training this year. Our team is good, and we know we have a lot to develop, but it’s a matter of gaining confidence and reacting”.
Abner Cano, captain of El Salvador: “We feel happy, proud of what we’ve accomplished because we improved a lot compared to the first game, and we enjoyed the match. We came with the desire to win, and we showed it on the court. The team couldn’t quite click at first, but then we did, and we turned it into a good match”.
Albert Humes, coach of Belize: “We have to go back to the drawing board and try to make the players understand the importance of every point in the game. It wasn’t that the other team was better in serving or attacking; it was our focus on the game. El Salvador scouted us well, and our team couldn’t recover quickly. The sets were close, and at the last moment, we got nervous. The lack of matches to get our team in good shape and better prepared was evident in this game”.
EDMONTON, Canada, September 24, 2023: Patrick Gasman, captain of the United States that won the gold medal at the NORCECA Men’s Final Six Pan American Cup, was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament, held from September 19 to 24 at the Flair Airlines Hangar (Expo Centre) in Edmonton, Alberta.
This was the third edition of the tournament and the first gold medal for the United States, who defeated Canada in the final match. Canada won their third consecutive silver medal, while Mexico secured their first bronze medal.
Middle blocker Patrick Gasman also received the award for Best Blocker.
NORCECA Men’s Final Six Individual Awards
Also from team USA, Jordan Ewart and Ethan Champlin were selected as the Best Spikers; Ewart also was recognized as the Best Server. Andrew Rowan earned the Best Setter award.
From Puerto Rico, Klistan Lawrence was awarded Best Scorer, and Joniel Albaladejo received the Best Libero award.
Luis Ricardo from Cuba won the awards for Best Receiver and Best Defense, while his teammate Alejandro Miguel González was named the Best Opposite.
Dominican middle blocker Moises Ortiz received the distinction of Second Best Blocker.
Sept. 24, 2023: USA beat Canada today at the NORCECA Pan American Cup Men’s Final Six, held September 19 to 24 at the Flair Airlines Hangar (Expo Centre), in Edmonton, Alberta.
The final gold-medal match score was 3-0 (25-21, 25-14, 25-16).
USA dominated in attack points 40-29, blocking 13-1, and serving 6-1. Canada made fewer errors – 16 to 20.
Ethan Champlin was USA’s top scorer at 16 points (including two blocks and two aces), Camden Gianni and Patrick Gasman added 13 points each.
Isaac Heslinga and Christopher Byam led Canada with nine points each.
Earlier Mexico won bronze over Cuba; and Puerto Rico beat Dominican Republic for fifth place.
United States gold medal match
Andy Read, head coach of USA, “I think we played a really complete tournament. Our goal was to be better every day and we did that. The standard was ‘let’s be the best we can be.’ I am super proud of our guys…. It was a great tournament, thanks to the organizers and volunteers.”
Patrick Gasman, captain of Team USA, “We have a lot of experience on our team helped us out and it came down to effort and energy and we played within our system and got the job done. It was a good tournament for us; we wanted to build upon every game, and I think we showed that.”
Isaac Heslinga, captain of Team Canada, “I go to school at University of Alberta (in Edmonton), so seeing friends and family in the crowd, it means a lot to us. The whole atmosphere brings such life to the game and it makes it more fun for us. .. Each game we improved bit by bit. Overall, it was a good experience and we really wanted to play the U.S. again (in round robin and final), it was lot of fun to test ourselves against them”.
EDMONTON, CANADA: Sept. 24, 2023: Mexico won the bronze medal after a sweep of Cuba today at the NORCECA Pan American Cup Men’s Final Six, held September 19 to 24 at the Flair Airlines Hangar (Expo Centre), in Edmonton, Canada.
Mexico defeated the Caribbean nation’s team 3-0 (26-24, 25-17, 25-18).
Though Cuba led in attack points (38-37), Mexico led in blocking 12-5, service aces 2-0 and made fewer errors (16-25)
Luis Hernández Baca (18 points) and Josué López Rios (14 points) led Mexico’s effort.
Alejandro González Rodríguez and Yohan Armando Léon Napoles each scored 13 for the Cuban side.
Mexico blocks Cuba
USA and Canada play in the match for gold.
Jorge Azair, head coach of Mexico: “Compared with yesterday, our performance was better – our side out, our block and my setter was covering a lot of areas of the court. For us, the tournament helps in our preparation for the Olympic Qualification tournament coming up in China. It was good preparation for some of the players and I’m happy with what we achieved here.”
Manuel Espinosa, head coach of Cuba: “The Mexican team was superior to ours; they fought for the medal and won it. We made many mistakes, and the game was very scattered, focusing on other tasks outside the playing area, and that’s why we lost the opportunity to compete. Congratulations to Mexico”.
EDMONTON, CANADA. Sept. 24, 2023: Puerto Rico made a comeback to beat Dominican Republic today 3-2 (19-25, 15-25, 25-23, 25-17, 16-14) at the NORCECA Pan American Cup Men’s Final Six, September 19 to 24 at the Flair Airlines Hangar (Expo Centre), in Edmonton, Alberta.
This match determined fifth and sixth place of the tournament.
Dominican Republic led in attack points (66-62), blocking (15-9); Puerto Rico had one more ace (3-2) and gained more points from their opponent’s errors (26-21).
Outside hitter Klistan Lawrence led all scorers with 28 points for Puerto Rico. Team captain Gerson Ezequiel Toribio Martinez was top scorer for the Dominican Republic with 24 points.
Sadly, the match was delayed with a serious injury to player Luis David Reinoso Soto of the Dominican Republic late in the fifth set. He was assessed and taken to a hospital and the match resumed.
Gerardo de Jesus Sanchez, head coach of Puerto Rico: “I made some changes and brought in #4 Lorenzo Rivera, he’s the 17-year-old son of Victor Rivera who played for Puerto Rico’s national team, and that made a difference in our comeback.
“I am very happy for my team, but I am also very sad about the injury of the Dominican player, which was very bad. It is not how we wanted to the tournament. The tournament was good experience for this young group, so I’m happy for that.”
Klistan Lawrence, player from Puerto Rico: “I felt I could have been better today, but I’m very happy with the win for my team. We adjusted and played much better the third and fourth sets.”
ROSEAU, DOMINICA, Sept 24, 2023: St. Lucia’s Captain Amalia Louis pouched the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, in the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Under-23 Women’s Championships, here at the Massacre Indoor Facility.
Louis’ all -round input and astute leadership on the court, played a great part in helping St. Lucia to win the title.
Other awardees
Best Server- Jassania Joseph(Antigua and Barbuda)
Best Receiver- Nyla Edmund ( Dominica)
Best Setter- Kyla Jacinto (British Virgin Islands)
Best Spikers- Jassania Joseph and Grace Vidal (Dominica)
Best Opposite- Chenoa Evans ( St Lucia)
Best Blockers- Anna Gordon and Kristin Abraham( British Virgin Islands)
Best DiggerandBest Libero- Aman Bispham – (British Virgin Islands)
Best Scorer- Jassania Joseph
The championship was held from September 20 to 24.
ROSEAU, DOMINICA, Sept 24, 2023: St Lucia added another Volleyball title to their listless trophy cabinet, by taking gold in the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Under-23 Women’s Championships, here at the Massacre Indoor Facility.
St Lucia showed their prowess and dominance in the sport in the region, with a commanding 3-0 (25-11, 25-23, 25-8) over St Maarten.
To underscore the St Lucians, command of the champions, they won all six matches; four in the preliminaries and two in the play offs, to finish perfect, and the lone unbeaten unit in the nine team championships.
However, St Lucia’s win was considered by their Head Coach – Stuart Albert, as a normal programming.
“We expected St Maarten to do their homework on us, but they didn’t which made it a bit easier for us”, Albert said.
The Head Coach gave his charges an “A” for their performance in the championships, but moreover, feels that most of them are ready for transition to the senior St Lucia team.
According to Albert: “I am satisfied that this team can move on and play at a higher senior level and provide that continuity to St Lucia’s Volleyball”.
Although defeated, St Maarten’s Head Coach- Leonardo Romeo was satisfied that his team’s efforts would have propelled the sport in his country.
“St Maarten Volleyball on a whole, this has opened up the doors… So most younger persons now know what can come out of this”, Romeo advanced.
The push going forward is that St Maarten wants to be in every final of ECVA, hence, from now we will endeavour to participate in all ECVA championships at all levels”, Romeo proposed.
Final standings: 1. St Lucia 2. St Maarten 3. British Virgin Islands 4. Dominica 5. Grenada 6. St Vincent and the Grenadines 7. Antigua and Barbuda 8. Anguilla 9. Saba.
ROSEAU, DOMINICA, Sept 24, 2023: With a commanding 3-0 ( 25-14, 25-21, 25-21) victory over Dominica, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) won the bronze medal of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association( ECVA) Under-23 Women’s Championships, here at the Massacre Indoor Facility.
A purposeful and focused BVI team, came out from the sound of the whistle and with an instant was all over Dominica.
In the end, the score-line reflected the disparity between the two teams, who both played in Pool B of the preliminary round.
Dominica had topped the pool, with the BVI, the runner-up.
The BVI and Dominica thus ended their sojourns in the championships with a 3:2 win/ loss ratios.
An elated Captain of the BVI team- Makaila Powell, thought the bronze meant a lot to her team and Volleyball in the BVI.
“It feels amazing that we got the third place… As a group, we are proud of ourselves because we worked hard to get to third position… More so, the win makes a proud captain and is an inspiration for young Volleyballer in the BVI”, Powell related.
Reflecting on the match, Powell said that it was a good revenge for her team, as they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Dominica in the preliminary round.
“When we played them first, we were all nervous and mentally we were not there, but all those nerves have gone as we progressed in the tournament”, Powell underscored.
Similarly, over the moon with the third place, was BVI’s Head Coach- Jackie Weekes, who though her charges belied their status as minnows in the championships.
“It is a great feeling to get the bronze , because we came in as underdogs, but we put in a lot of work while we have been here and it paid off tonight”, Weekes reiterated.
St Lucia and St Maarten next play in the gold medal match.
ROSEAU, DOMINICA, Sept 24, 2023: Grenada finished fifth place and Antigua and Barbuda seventh, in the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-23 Women’s Championships, here at the Massacre Indoor Facility.
Grenada docked in fifth, after a 3-1 ( 25-22, 18-25, 22-25, 23-25) triumph over St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The fifth and sixth places play off featured the two outfits that finished third in the preliminary round.
Grenada contested Pool B, while St Vincent and the Grenadines was in Pool A.
Overall, Grenada had two wins and two losses, while sixth place St Vincent and the Grenadines registered two wins, to go with three losses.
Meanwhile, in the play off for the seventh and eighth spots, Antigua and Barbuda outlasted Anguilla 3-2( 25-20, 23-25, 25-23, 23-25, 15-9).
Antigua and Barbuda had placed fourth in Pool A, with Anguilla finishing in the corresponding position in Pool A.
Antigua and Barbuda ended their campaign with two wins and three defeats. Eighth placed- Anguilla was winless from their four matches.
Saba, the ninth -place team in the championships, was also without a win from their four matches in Pool A play in the preliminaries.
The British Virgin Islands and Dominica play next for the bronze medal.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 24, 2023 – Panama displayed strength in their 3-1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-11, 25-13) victory over Honduras in the closing match of the opening day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at the La Basita Sports Center.
Despite losing the second set, the home team excelled in attack and blocking, especially with Gherson Ortiz scoring 19 points (18 attacks, one block) although suffering an ankle injury in the fourth set. Victor Arauz added 17 points (13 attacks, 3 blocks, one service), and Denzel Airbone contributed 15 points (14 attacks, one block).
Honduras’ top scorer was Leonardo Villegas with 15 points.
Panama dominated with a 55-35 advantage in kills and an overwhelming 12-0 lead in blocks, closing with a 6-3 edge in serving. Honduras committed 25 unforced errors compared to Panama’s 28.
Honduras will play against Costa Rica on Monday at 5:00 p.m. (Panama time), and Panama has a rest day.
Eric Lucero, coach of Panama: “It’s super important to start with a win, especially as hosts. The second set was a bit complicated for us, but we managed to regroup, evaluate, and win the match. It’s positive how the guys reacted; we can’t be overconfident when we have the upper hand. They need to know that other teams also prepare”.
Daniel Andrade, captain of Panama: “I feel very happy; thanks to God, we got the victory. It wasn’t easy; we fought for it as a team. One important thing is that we didn’t lose our spirit after losing the second set. We kept fighting and climbing to win the match”.
José Reyes, coach of Honduras: “Honestly, I’m pleased; the guys did a good job against the host team. We have experienced players and many young ones who need that experience, and there are several scenarios where you can give them the opportunity, hoping they gain experience. Overall, I liked how they performed and faced the first game”.
David, Chiriquí, Panama, September 24, 2023 – Nicaragua began with a 3-0 victory (25-19, 25-16, 25-18) over El Salvador in the second match of the opening day of the VI AFECAVOL Men’s U23 Central American Championship at the La Basita Sports Center.
Defending champion Nicaragua was strong in blocking with a 9-3 advantage, they also led 5-2 in service points and 28-25 in attacks. El Salvador committed 33 unforced errors, while Nicaragua had 23.
Josué Blandón scored 10 points for Nicaragua, while Gustavo Ortiz secured eight for El Salvador.
El Salvador will face Belize on Monday at 2:30 p.m. (Panama time), and Nicaragua will go up against Guatemala at 7:30 p.m.
Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua: “Today is a bittersweet day because we don’t know if our opposite player (Yerick García) who got injured today will continue, and we had to win the match, and that was the objective. Let’s see what awaits us tomorrow; we can only take it one game at a time”.
Rafael Hernández, captain of Nicaragua: “We did well today; the team achieved the objective even though El Salvador put up a fight. I think the best thing we had and what helped us a lot was our reception, which allowed us to have a strong attack”.
Andrea Genova, coach of El Salvador: “Our team had a long journey; they even canceled our flight, and we arrived yesterday with little rest. I believe this is normal with a young team that needs more time to improve. As the tournament progresses, we will see a better team”.