Tag: Volleyball

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, December 17, 2024.- USA Volleyball is embarking on an exciting new chapter as legendary coach and three-time Olympic gold medalist Karch Kiraly announces two key additions to the U.S. Men’s National Team coaching staff. Luka Slabe and Javier Weber will join Kiraly in his quest for Olympic success at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. 

The announcement comes just ahead of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Convention, where both Kiraly and Slabe will lead educational sessions for coaches and volleyball professionals. 

“We are fortunate to have these two good men and great coaches join our program,” Kiraly said. “My mission is to help this team play this game better than it has ever played it before. Both Luka and Javi embody that pursuit of excellence—through their passion, expertise, drive to help others, and strong work ethic. They will be indispensable as we aim to set new standards on the road to LA28.” 

Luka Slabe: A Return to USA Volleyball 

Slabe, who returns to USA Volleyball after five successful years as head coach of the NC State women’s volleyball team, previously worked with Kiraly as an assistant coach on the U.S. Women’s National Team from 2018-2021. There, he played an integral role in the team’s historic achievements, including three consecutive Volleyball Nations League titles and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medal—the first in U.S. women’s volleyball history. 

During his tenure at NC State, Slabe led the Wolfpack to a 78-55 overall record and a 50-39 record in ACC play. 

“Luka’s coaching prowess and passion were key to our staff’s success in securing the first-ever Olympic gold medal for the U.S. Women’s Team,” Kiraly said. “When I think about the people I’d want on our side in battle, there’s nobody better. His experience at the highest level, combined with his time as head coach of a European men’s national team, will be invaluable in our pursuit of mastery.” 

A native of Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slabe played as an outside hitter for BYU from 2000-03, contributing to the Cougars’ 2001 NCAA Division I-II Men’s National Collegiate Championship title. After graduating, he played professionally in Europe before transitioning to coaching in 2008. From 2008-15, Slabe coached four different European men’s pro teams and spent two years as head coach of the Slovenian men’s national team. He also served as an assistant coach with the BYU men’s volleyball team from 2015-18. 

“I am thrilled to be back with Karch and USA Volleyball,” Slabe said. “My family and I have incredible memories from our journey with the Women’s National Team and the Tokyo Olympics. I am ready and excited to conquer all the challenges ahead of our Men’s National Team, leading to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.” 

Javier Weber: Continuing His Legacy with U.S. Men’s National Team 

Weber, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, returns for his fourth season with the U.S. Men’s National Team after joining in 2022 under head coach John Speraw. During Weber’s time with the team, the U.S. Men earned two silver medals in the Volleyball Nations League and a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

A former Olympic medalist and setter for Argentina, Weber represented his country in three Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal in 1988. His distinguished playing career also included five World Championships, as well as successful stints in professional leagues in Argentina and Italy. 

“Javi has earned exceptional praise from players and staff alike for the huge impact he’s had on the men’s program since joining in 2022,” Kiraly said. “In the past few months, I’ve gotten to know much more about Javi and his innovative volleyball concepts – the more I learn, the more I like and respect. It was imperative to secure his involvement for another Olympic cycle.” 

With extensive professional coaching experience, Weber began his coaching career in 2002 with Brazilian club Unisul. He has since coached several teams internationally, including Indykpol AZS Olsztyn in Poland, Panathinaikos Athens in Greece, Bolívar Voley in Argentina, and Dynamo Krasnodar in Russia. He served as head coach of the Argentine men’s national team from 2009-13 and is currently the head coach of the JT Thunders Hiroshima in Japan. 

“It’s a great honor to continue as coach in this incredible family that is USAV,” Weber said. “I am very excited to work with Karch in this huge challenge that is Los Angeles 2028. All together everything is possible. Let’s go, USA!” 

The Road to LA28 

The U.S. Men’s National Team will kick off the 2025 season in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 11-15 for the first round of the Volleyball Nations League. Under the leadership of Kiraly, Slabe and Weber, the team will continue its pursuit of excellence on the road to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. 

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, December 13, 2024. – The Guaynabo Mets of the Women’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSF), led by Fernando Morales, have set clear goals, particularly to improve their performance as a team compared to the last two seasons.

Morales, making his debut as a coach in the women’s league, was chosen to lead the metropolitan team due to his close friendship with the team’s owners. “Last year, as the new owners, I knew them, they’re family friends, and I’ve known them since I was a kid, so I helped out from the sidelines. This year, I was already planning to transition into professional coaching, and they approached me, so I accepted,” Morales explained.

First Tasks and Goals

The first task for Fernando and his assistant, Jesús Echevarría, was to build a roster of reserves. “When we took over the team this year, we barely had any reserves. Three of our reserves were out: Valeria León, Stephanie Rivera, and Nayka Benítez. That’s why, during the draft, we traded one player and two picks to acquire three players. We’re making changes, and we brought in Valeria Flores to add another reserve. That was our first job. Now, we’re building a team. Our goal is to reach the semifinals. This team has finished last in the past two years, but we believe that with the reinforcements we’ve signed and those joining us later, we can compete to reach the top four,” said Morales.

The Mets Sign Their First Reinforcement

Rebecca Latham (Becca) arrived on the island Thursday as the Mets’ first of three reinforcements. Latham is a 6’2” opposite hitter with experience in leagues in Greece, Italy, the United States, and South Korea.

In addition to Latham, the Mets expect their other two reinforcements in the coming weeks, a middle blocker and a setter.

Native Roster

Guaynabo’s native roster for the upcoming season, which begins in January, includes Bárbara López, Norian Ceballos, Legna Hernández, Jaylibeth García, Jenselyn Morales, and Nelmarie Cruz. They are joined by players selected in the draft, such as Noami Santos Lamb, Natalie García, Paola Santiago, Rocío Moro, and Madison Cruzado, who arrives via trade from Juncos.

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico, December 12, 2024.- The Caguas Criollas continue their preparation for the 2025 season in the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF).

A Solid and Competitive Roster

The players retained for the 2025 season include Stephanie Enright, Alba Hernández, Alejandra Argüello, Paulina Pérez, Diana Reyes, Raymariely Santos, Kathia Sánchez, Sofia M. Victoriá, and their youth reserve, Chareika Carrión, in addition to the players selected in the draft. Caguas displays four top-level middle blockers and six outside hitters vying for spots in the starting lineup.

Intense and Positive Preparation

The squad, once again led by Juan C. Núñez and assisted by Juan Albarrán, has held five training sessions at the Roger Mendoza Coliseum. The team’s atmosphere and chemistry are reportedly excellent. Núñez shared: “We’ve had perfect attendance since we started with 10 players. This week, Sofía joined as the 11th player, and today, Thursday, Alejandra joins, making it 12. Great atmosphere, great chemistry, and the new players have adapted very well.”

A Promising Season

Fans of the Criollas are thrilled, as this season promises to bring back a Caguas team similar of past years, featuring many high-caliber players. Núñez added: “Last year, we had a roster with many young players; this roster has veteran, mature players who have been on big stages.”

December 11, 2024.- The host cities for the highly anticipated FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship 2025 have been announced. Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Phuket and Nakhon Ratchasima are set to welcome the Global Volleyball Movement next year from 22 August to 7 September 2025, as teams battle it out for a place on the podium.

In what is a volleyball-loving country, the selected host cities are set to offer world-class facilities and an unforgettable experience for the teams and fans alike. There will be 32 women’s national teams competing in Thailand next year – three from Africa, four from Asia, 16 from Europe, six from the NORCECA region and three from South America.

Pool play will take place across the four host cities: Bangkok, Nakhon Ratchasima, Phuket, and Chiang Mai. From this stage, the top 16 teams will emerge to compete in the high-stakes direct elimination rounds. The action then shifts to Bangkok, where the Round of 16 will see teams fight for a coveted quarter-final spot.

The quarter-final victors will advance to the final stage, where the remaining teams will battle for the ultimate prize: the prestigious title of World Champions.

The Drawing of Lots ceremony for the competition will take place on 17 December 2024 at 3 pm local time in Bangkok. This will determine the eight pools of four teams that are set to battle it out for world championship glory!

Volleyball fans around the globe will be able to watch the event live on VBTV or Volleyball World’s YouTube Channel.

PONCE, Puerto Rico, December 7, 2024 – The Caribes of San Sebastián achieved the highly coveted “back-to-back” championship on Saturday night, December 7, in a thrilling Game 7 of the Men’s Volleyball Superior Leagues (LVSM) Finals against the Mets of Guaynabo at the Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium.

It was an intense and dramatic series, decided in five dramatic sets, 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 25-23, 23-25, 15-13).

This marks the third championship for the Caribes franchise, with their first title dating back to the 1999 season.

Following the victory and during the celebration, Dr. Angelo Ferrante, owner of the Caribes de San Sebastián, addressed the fans: “We promised you the ‘back-to-back,’ and here it is. Now we’re going for the three-peat.”

Jalen Penrose led the Caribes with 28 points, followed by Pelegrín Vargas with 20, Pablo Guzmán with 14, and Pedro Nieves with 11.

For the Mets of Guaynabo, Inovel Romero scored 24 points, Gregory Torres 23, and Gianluca Grasso 16.

San Sebastián outperformed Guaynabo in attacks (73 to 64), aces (6 to 2), and passes (64 to 54). However, the Mets excelled in blocks (13 to 8), defenses (58 to 57), and assists (28 to 23).

Outside hitter Pablo Guzmán was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the final series. After the win, he said: “We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy victory. Guaynabo has an incredible team, a great team. I respect them, and we respect them, but we had to come out determined and focused on the victory, with a lot of patience.”

He added: “Winning a ‘back-to-back’ isn’t easy, especially when teams make big signings like Guaynabo. As I said, composure was key and staying united. Chamo (the team’s coach) did an excellent job rotating the players. Honestly, it was a collective victory that will mean a lot for our careers and for Pepino.”

On being named MVP, Guzmán concluded: “It means so much. This is a team effort, but since 2021, I’ve worked hard. I’ve been through injuries, played while hurt, but thanks to God, I was healthy enough to play this final series and help my teammates win this championship. Thanks to God.”

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, December 4, 2024.- The Mets de Guaynabo defended their home court at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum for the third time, leveling the final series of the Men’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSM) at three wins apiece against defending champions Caribes de San Sebastián. The Mets secured a 3-1 victory in Game six (22-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-19).

As a result, the series will be decided in a maximum of seven games, with the championship trophy up for grabs this Saturday, December 7, scheduled at 8:00 PM at the Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium in Ponce, known as the Ciudad Señorial.

For the second consecutive year, the men’s tournament final series will culminate in a decisive seventh game. Last season, the Caribes de San Sebastián were crowned champions against the Changos de Naranjito.

The Mets’ top scorer in the sixth game of the series was Gregory Torres, who tallied 20 points (16 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 aces). He was followed by Inovel Romero with 17 points, all from attacks, and Gianluca Grasso with 9 points.

For San Sebastián, Pelegrín Vargas led the offense with 12 points, while Pablo Guzmán, Ezequiel Cruz, and Jalen Penrose each added 11 points.

The Mets outperformed the Caribes in blocks (13-8) and aces (4-3), while the Caribes had the upper hand in attacks (52-49), digs (55-45), receptions (58-52), and assists (30-22).

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, December 4, 2024.- The four FIVB Volleyball Youth World Championships set to take place in 2025 started taking shape on Wednesday, when the drawing of lots for the tournaments were held in Lausanne, Switzerland, determining the start of the journey of each of the 96 national teams set to compete for medals next year.

The Drawing of Lots replay is available onYouTube.

Each tournament will feature 24 national teams, which are now allocated into four pools of six. After the conclusion of pool play, the best four teams in each pool will move forward, advancing to the eighthfinals. Teams ranked fifth and sixth in their pools will continue in action, playing in the playoffs to determine the final positions from 17th to 24th.

FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U19 World Championship

The 2025 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U19 World Championship will be held from 3 to 13 July in Osijek, Croatia and Belgrade, Serbia.

Pool A: Croatia, Thailand, Egypt, Canada, Mexico, Germany

Pool B: Serbia, Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Chinese Taipei

Pool C: USA, Türkiye, Bulgaria, Poland, Peru, Spain

Pool D: Italy, Japan, China, Tunisia, Belgium, Chile

FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship

The 2025 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship will be held from 24 July to 3 August in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Pool A: Uzbekistan, Belgium, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Pakistan, Türkiye

Pool B: France, Bulgaria, Japan, China, Algeria, Canada

Pool C: Iran, Italy, Egypt, Tunisia, Poland, Spain

Pool D: USA, Korea, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Finland

FIVB Volleyball Women’s U21 World Championship

The 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s U21 World Championship will be held from 7 to 17 August in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Pool A: Indonesia, Argentina, Serbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Vietnam

Pool B: China, USA, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Korea, Croatia

Pool C: Italy, Türkiye, Egypt, Poland, Algeria, Czechia

Pool D: Brazil, Japan, Tunisia, Thailand, Chile, Bulgaria

FIVB Volleyball Men’s U21 World Championship

The 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s U21 World Championship will be held from 18 to 31 August in Jiangmen, China.

Pool A: China, Egypt, USA, Thailand, Morocco, Türkiye

Pool B: Iran, Poland, Canada, Korea, Puerto Rico, Kazakhstan

Pool C: Bulgaria, Brazil, Czechia, Colombia, Japan, Cuba

Pool D: Italy, Argentina, Tunisia, France, Ukraine, Indonesia

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 3, 2024).- USA Volleyball is pleased to announce the hiring of accomplished sports and entertainment executive Jaime Weston as Chief Commercial Officer.

At USA Volleyball, Weston will lead the commercial and brand strategy of the organization as it heads into the LA 2028 Olympic Games. 

 Along with a passion for volleyball, Weston brings extensive experience in business operations, partnerships, marketing and experiential events, and creative strategy to her new role.

Previously, Weston was the senior vice president of marketing at the National Football League, where she was responsible for setting the brand vision and growth marketing strategies. She was also the executive vice president of global consumer marketing for Universal Music Group and the executive vice president, chief marketing officer for On Location, Endeavor’s premium live event events company.

“I’m confident that Jaime’s leadership and passion for the sport will be a valuable asset to our organization,” said USA Volleyball President and CEO John Speraw. “I look forward to the fresh perspectives and strategic insights she will bring to our team.”

Weston will be based in Southern California, home to the national training centers of both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams in Anaheim and the U.S. Beach National Team in Torrance.

“Volleyball has been a cornerstone of my life as a player, competitor, and parent,” said Weston. “Joining a mission-driven organization like USA Volleyball, the pinnacle of our sport in the U.S., is a true honor. With John at the helm as CEO, we have a unique opportunity to celebrate the sport’s rich history and help shape its bright future on the global stage.”

SAN SEBASTIÁN, Puerto Rico, December 2, 2024 – The Caribes de San Sebastián are just one victory (3-2) away from completing their “back-to-back” championship in the Men’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSM) after sweeping 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-20) the Mets de Guaynabo in the fifth game of the Finals at the Luis Aymat Cardona Coliseum,

This marks the second time Caribes have successfully defended their home court, dominating the Mets de Guaynabo in straight sets.

The Caribes outperformed the Mets 40-36 in attacks, 12-5 in blocks, and 19-16 in assists. Guaynabo had the upper hand in aces (3-0), digs (39-34), and receptions (44-31).

San Sebastián’s offense was led by Ezequiel Cruz, who scored 14 points with 12 kills and 2 blocks. He was followed by Pedro Nieves with 10 points, while Jalen Penrose and Pelegrín Vargas contributed 8 points each.

For the Mets de Guaynabo, Gianluca Grasso and Inovel Romero each tallied 11 points.

After the victory, Ezequiel Cruz, the outside hitter for the Caribes de San Sebastián, who earned his coach Marcos Liendo Sivira’s trust after the first set, said: “It was a night full of emotions, but with one goal in mind. I think we came out with the right attitude tonight and, thank God, we came away with the win”.

This Finals series has been marked by the dominance of home teams, with each winning their respective matches. The Mets de Guaynabo now have the opportunity to continue this trend in Game 6 on their home court.

Caribes, however, have a different objective: to close out the series. Cruz believes that mental preparation is key to achieving this, and the more focused they are on the court, the better they will perform.

Ramón Burgos, captain of the Mets de Guaynabo, said: “It was a good win for Caribes. It’s always tough playing in this arena; thank God we don’t have to come back here. Now, it’s our turn to protect our home court, stay focused, and improve in every facet of the game to force Game 7 in Ponce”.

The series continues on Wednesday, December 4, at 8:00 PM for Game 6 at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo.

The Finals is a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games claiming the championship. If the Mets win Game 6, the decisive Game 7 will be held at the Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium in Ponce on Saturday, December 7, starting at 8:00 PM.

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, November 29, 2024.- The Guaynabo Mets, showing their resilience, defeated the defending champions, Caribes de San Sebastián, 3-1 (25-20, 25-16, 15-25, 25-20) in the fourth game of the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) Final Series at their home court, Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum.

In the fourth set, leading the match 2 sets to 1, the Mets secured victory by pulling ahead 19-14 with a strong back-row attack. They reached set point at 24-19 with a triple block against Jalen Penrose and clinched the win at 25-20 due to a service error by Penrose.

The Mets outperformed the Caribes in several categories: 51-47 in attacks, 13-5 in blocks, 3-2 in aces, and 36-32 in digs. Meanwhile, San Sebastián led in passing (60-52) and assists (24-17).

The Mets’ top offensive contributors were Inovel Romero with 23 points (20 attacks, 2 blocks, and 1 ace), followed by Egyptian player Hisham Yousri with 17 points, and Gianluca Grasso with 7 points. For Caribes, Jalen Penrose scored 21 points, and Pelegrín Vargas added 11.

After the win, Inovel Romero, the outside hitter for the Guaynabo Mets, stated: “We were down 2-1 in the series and knew it would be a tough match, so we gave it our all. We made adjustments, stayed united, and thanks to God and the team’s effort, we came out with the victory. We must keep going because the series isn’t over yet. They’re a great team defending their championship. Now, we need to go there, try to steal a game, and come back home to close it out. But we know it’s going to be tough, and we’re ready for whatever comes.”

This series has seen home teams come out victorious in every game so far. To turn things around, Romero added: “We need to stay focused when we play there. Their fans are really involved, but we must block that out. We’ll keep making adjustments because the series is still on, and we’re moving forward.”

Enger Mieses, libero for the Caribes de San Sebastián, commented: “We couldn’t pull off the win. It’s tough because, remember, at this stage, it’s all mental. The difference will be which team can steal a game on the road. It’s a mental game. When they play at home, they feel the same pressure some of our players might feel when we come to Guaynabo.”

Regarding the key to defending their home court in the next game, Mieses concluded: “I think it’s about focus, starting from the beginning with the claws that define us, bringing them into our style of play and not playing at their rhythm. I think focus is the most important thing.”

The series continues on Monday, December 2, at Luis Aymat Cardona Coliseum in San Sebastián for Game 5.

The Final Series is played as a best-of-seven format, with the first team to win four games claiming the championship.

SAN SEBASTIÁN, Puerto Rico, November 27, 2024.- The third match of the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) Final Series at the Luis Aymat Cardona Coliseum went to the Caribes of San Sebastián, with a decisive 3-0 victory (25-17, 25-17, 25-20) over the Mets of Guaynabo.

Both teams entered the game tied with one win apiece after the Mets overcame the Caribes in a five-set thriller in the second match of the series. Tonight, San Sebastián showed why they are the defending champions.

Caribes outperformed the Mets in attacks (43-29), blocks (7-0), aces (9-4), and sets (25-24). Both teams ended tied in digs with 27, while the Mets had the edge in assists (9-8).

After the commanding win, Pelegrín Vargas Jr. of the Caribes stated: “Well, I’m not going to lie to you; this game showed a lot of character from us. They had a great match in Guaynabo, and without taking anything away from them, I think we were able to do better tonight. We made the necessary adjustments, came focused, and used our home crowd to our advantage. They were our seventh player, and I think that made the difference. That’s what series are all about.”

When asked if this result signaled the end of the series, Vargas added: “No, sir, no, sir. This is the third game, and it’s the best of seven. We haven’t accomplished anything yet. We have to keep moving forward, stay united, and make the necessary adjustments game by game.”

Gregory Torres of the Mets commented: “We didn’t expect this result, especially after the great match we had at home. But credit to the other team, they played really well. Even though we’re not an easy team to beat, they played quite well.”

Regarding the difference between this game and the last, Torres pointed out: “I think it was a lack of focus. We were a bit unfocused, arrived late, and didn’t have enough time to prepare calmly or follow our usual pregame ritual. These are things you face traveling to different venues, and not all trips are the same.”

The top scorers for Caribes were Pelegrín Vargas with 24 points (17 attacks, 2 blocks, 5 aces), followed by Jalen Penrose with 13 points, and Pablo Guzmán and Pedro Nieves, each with 7 points.

For the Mets, Inovel Romero scored 10 points, and Gianluca Grasso added 8.

Before the match, Dr. César H. Trabanco, President of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation, presented plaques to the players awarded this season’s individual honors.

The series moves to the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo this Friday, November 29, for the fourth match. The best-of-seven series will continue, with the game scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM.

FINAL SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1: Friday, November 22, 2024: Guaynabo at San Sebastián (8 PM) 1-3 (18-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-19)
Game 2: Sunday, November 24, 2024: San Sebastián at Guaynabo (5 PM) 2-3 (25-22, 20-25, 20-25, 28-26, 18-16)
Game 3: Wednesday, November 27, 2024: Guaynabo at San Sebastián (8 PM) 0-3 (25-17, 25-17 y 25-20)
Game 4: Friday, November 29, 2024: San Sebastián at Guaynabo (8 PM)
Game 5: Monday, December 2, 2024: Guaynabo at San Sebastián (8 PM)*
Game 6: Wednesday, December 4, 2024: San Sebastián at Guaynabo (8 PM)*
Game 7: Saturday, December 7, 2024: Guaynabo vs. San Sebastián (8 PM)*+

If necessary. +To be held at Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium in Ponce (neutral venue).

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, November 24, 2024. – The Mets of Guaynabo stepped up in the second match of the Puerto Rican Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) Finals, delivering a hard-fought 3-2 victory (25-22, 20-25, 20-25, 28-26, 18-16) against the defending champions, Caribes de San Sebastián, at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum. They tied the series at one game apiece.

Guaynabo also ended the Caribes’ impressive 18-game winning streak, which had been unbroken since September 7.

Coming off a four-set loss in the opening game, the Mets held their ground this evening, resisting a late push by the Caribes in the fourth set and triumphing in extra points during the fifth, silencing a packed crowd of Caribes fans that filled the Quijote Coliseum.

In the fourth set, San Sebastián launched an 11-2 run to take a 20-18 lead and reached set point at 24-23 with Penrose striking effectively from zone two. However, they failed to close, allowing the Mets, led offensively by Inovel Romero, to secure the set in extra points, 28-26.

In the fifth set, the Caribes were once again on the brink of victory, reaching match point at 14-13 with Penrose attacking from zone two. Yet again, Romero stepped up for the Mets, leading them to an 18-16 victory.

Carlos Rodríguez, assistant coach for the Mets, reflected: “I think sometimes we get too relaxed during the match and assume we have the advantage, but in volleyball, there’s no room for that. You have to play point by point, especially against a team like the Caribes de San Sebastián, who have a knack for comebacks. I believe from point 20 to 25, we played with more confidence and energy in the fourth set, and that made the difference. It carried over into the fifth set, where we held strong in extra points, and our side-out (K1) dominated in the crucial phases”.

On plans for the next game, Rodríguez added: “We need to keep controlling Pelegrín and Penrose, their two key players. It’s crucial to continue working on how we handle their serves”.

Jackson Rivera, outside hitter for the Caribes, acknowledged the challenge: “We knew it was going to be a tough game since they couldn’t afford to go down 0-2 in a final series. It’s very hard to face that record going back to San Sebastián. We expected them to make every possible adjustment. Unfortunately, we couldn’t close the match despite having control and momentum. It just wasn’t our night”.

To defend their home court in the next match, Rivera emphasized the importance of playing their style of volleyball, serving well, and maintaining solid reception, which faltered at times during the match. “We’re heading home to defend our court. The team will make the necessary adjustments to secure that win”,  Rivera concluded.

Inovel Romero led the Mets with 25 points, supported by Hisham Yousri with 24. On the Caribes’ side, Jalen Penrose shone with 29 points.

The series now moves to the Luis Aymat Cardona Coliseum in San Sebastián on Wednesday, November 27, at 8:00 PM.

Guaynabo outperformed San Sebastián 8-5 in aces, while San Sebastián excelled in attacks (65-59), passes (59-52), and assists (30-24). Both teams tied in blocks (16) and digs (44).

FINAL SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1: Friday, November 22, 2024: Guaynabo at San Sebastián (8 PM) (1-3: 18-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-19)
Game 2: Sunday, November 24, 2024: San Sebastián at Guaynabo (5 PM) (2-3: 25-22, 20-25, 20-25, 28-26, 18-16)
Game 3: Wednesday, November 27, 2024: Guaynabo at San Sebastián (8 PM)
Game 4: Friday, November 29, 2024: San Sebastián at Guaynabo (8 PM)
Game 5: Monday, December 2, 2024: Guaynabo at San Sebastián (8 PM)*
Game 6: Wednesday, December 4, 2024: San Sebastián at Guaynabo (8 PM)*
Game 7: Saturday, December 7, 2024: Guaynabo vs. San Sebastián (8 PM)*+

If necessary. +To be held at Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium in Ponce (neutral venue).

SAN SEBASTIÁN, Puerto Rico, November 22, 2024. – The opening match of the Finals series in the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) was claimed by the defending champions, Caribes de San Sebastián, with a 3-1 victory (18-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-19) over the Mets de Guaynabo at the Luis Aymat Cardona court.

This marked the 18th consecutive win for the Caribes de San Sebastián, who have remained unbeaten since September 7.

The winning offense showed a balanced double-digit performance, led by Jalen Penrose with 22 points, including 17 kills, 2 blocks, and 3 aces. He was followed by Pelegrín Vargas with 19 points and Pedro Nieves with 10.

For the Mets de Guaynabo, Inovel Romero and Gianluca Grasso each tallied 15 points, while Gregory Torres added 14.

Howard García, setter for the Caribes de San Sebastián, commented: “We knew it was going to be a tough night. Guaynabo has a great team, but I think we kept our composure, executed the game plan, and came out with the victory.”

Regarding the Caribes’ winning streak, García added: “This is all about hard work and dedication, lots of practice, training, hours spent analyzing stats and studying opponents. Thanks to God, we’ve been able to achieve all these victories up until tonight.”

The series continues on Sunday at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo. García concluded: “We know it won’t be an easy night. Guaynabo has strong fan support, and it’s an away game for us. But we know that if we execute the game plan, we can secure the win.”

Gerardo “Gerry” De Jesús, coach of the Mets de Guaynabo, reflected on the match: “We lost our composure a bit, especially in the second set. We didn’t play well in the second and third sets. San Sebastián did their job, but statistically, it was more about what we didn’t do than what they did. We made 11 errors in the second set and 12 in the third, which cost us confidence and execution. It made us doubt, and that was the key factor.”

Regarding their plans for Game 2, De Jesús said: “We need to play cleaner volleyball, reduce errors, especially on serves, and stay calm. It’s all about execution. This game is won by executing.”

In team stats, San Sebastián outperformed Guaynabo in blocks (8-7), assists (14-13), and receptions (39-30). Guaynabo led in attacks (49-48) and digs (37-27).

FINALS SCHEDULE:

• Game 1: Friday, November 22, 2024: Guaynabo at San Sebastián (8 PM) – 1-3 (18-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-19)
• Game 2: Sunday, November 24, 2024: San Sebastián at Guaynabo (5 PM)
• Game 3: Wednesday, November 27, 2024: Guaynabo at San Sebastián (8 PM)
• Game 4: Friday, November 29, 2024: San Sebastián at Guaynabo (8 PM)
• Game 5: Monday, December 2, 2024: Guaynabo at San Sebastián (8 PM)*
• Game 6: Wednesday, December 4, 2024: San Sebastián at Guaynabo (8 PM)*
• Game 7: Saturday, December 7, 2024: Guaynabo vs. San Sebastián (8 PM)*+

(*If necessary. +Match to be held at the Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium in Ponce, neutral court.)

Nov. 22, 2024: Head coach Tuomas Sammelvuo has announced his departure as head coach of the senior men’s program.

“It is with a heavy heart that I’ve made the decision to step down as head coach of Team Canada,” said Sammelvuo. He and his wife welcomed a new baby into their family last month, which precipitated the decision.

Sammelvuo thanked the players and staff for their dedication to improvement since he took over the program.

“We’ve had two great years together… you have been a fantastic team to coach. I never needed to coach attitude or energy levels. That’s why it was so great to be in the gym with this team. Wins and losses fade away, but relationships last forever, and that’s what made this decision so difficult.”

Sammelvuo was named the men’s team head coach in 2022, and quickly helped the team in its bid to qualify for Paris 2024, coming second in its pool at the Qualification Tournament in 2023. Canada finished 10th overall at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The team also progressed to the Volleyball Nations League quarterfinals in 2024.

“Tuomas demonstrated great leadership and passion for Team Canada during his time with the senior program,” said Julien Boucher, Volleyball Canada’s high-performance director (indoor). “He worked very hard on and off the court, showing the players what was possible and succeeding in guiding the men’s team to its third Olympic Games in a row. We wish him the best as he takes this time to be closer to his family.”

Originally from Finland, he is currently the head coach of the Polish professional team, Asseco Resovia. Sammelvuo was previously the head coach of the Finnish national team and led Russia to 2019 Volleyball Nations League gold and a silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Volleyball Canada will begin the process of hiring a replacement immediately.

YAUCO, Puerto Rico, November 18, 2024. – The Guaynabo Mets secured their spot in the finals of the Puerto Rico Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) by defeating Yauco Cafeteros 3-1 (25-21, 25-14, 24-26, 25-19) in Game 6 of the Semifinal Series at the Raúl “Pipote” Oliveras court. 

Guaynabo was powered by double-digit performances from Gregory Torres, Inovel Romero, and Gianluca Grasso, who contributed 22, 17, and 11 points, respectively. 

For Yauco Cafeteros, Diego Negrón and Mark Frazier also posted double-digit scores with 18 and 15 points, respectively. 

Guaynabo outperformed Yauco 54-39 in attacks, 41-30 in digs, 8-3 in aces, and 23-16 in assists. Both teams tied with 8 blocks each, while Yauco had the edge in receptions, 55-46. 

The Mets will now face the defending champions, Caribes of San Sebastián, in the final series. 

Guaynabo returns to the finals after falling in four games in the 2023 semifinals against the Caribes of San Sebastián. The Mets have lifted the championship trophy in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2022. The 2017 season was canceled due to Hurricanes Irma and María, and the 2020 tournament was called off due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. 

Meanwhile, the Caribes of San Sebastián’s first title prior to their 2023 championship was back in 1999. 

The final series will be played in a best-of-seven format, with the first team to win four games claiming the championship. 

SEMIFINAL SERIES A

Game 1 – Wednesday, November 6, 8:00 PM – Yauco at Guaynabo / 2-3 (21-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-20, 15-11) 

Game 2 – Friday, November 8, 8:00 PM – Guaynabo at Yauco / 2-3 (28-30, 14-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-13) 

Game 3 – Sunday, November 10, 5:00 PM – Yauco at Guaynabo / 0-3 (25-22, 25-15, 25-23) 

Game 4 – Wednesday, November 13, 8:00 PM – Guaynabo at Yauco / 2-3 (18-25, 26-24, 18-25, 25-19, 15-8) 

Game 5 – Friday, November 15, 8:00 PM – Yauco at Guaynabo / 1-3 (25-20, 19-25, 25-18, 25-13) 

Game 6 – Monday, November 18, 8:00 PM – Guaynabo at Yauco / 3-1 (25-21, 25-14, 24-26, 25-19) 

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, November 15, 2024.- The Mets de Guaynabo took control of their semifinal series against Cafeteros de Yauco with a 3-2 lead, positioning themselves just one victory away from the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) finals after defeating them 3-1 (25-20, 19-25, 25-18, 25-13) at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum. 

Following the win, Mets libero Arnel Cabrera said: “As I’ve said before, I believe we’re playing this series against ourselves. Yauco has shown an incredible level of play, but whenever we manage to focus on our strengths and control our emotions a bit, we execute very well. It’s been challenging because we’re such a complete team; everyone wants to give their best, which sometimes works against us. We make mistakes at critical moments, and Yauco, credit where it’s due, has executed extremely well and given us an incredible series.”

This semifinal has seen the home team prevail in every game. Addressing this trend, Cabrera added: “Of course, going to Yauco requires responsibility and a clear mindset. It’s an emotional venue, with a passionate crowd, and we know they play very well at home and defend their court effectively. On our end, I’d say we’ve had some erratic games at times in Yauco, which has shaken our confidence a bit when playing away. But we have a day to clear our minds and head there as focused as possible.”

The Mets outperformed Cafeteros 50-36 in attacks, 11-9 in blocks, 51-39 in digs, and 9-4 in aces, while Yauco held the edge in receptions (52-44) and assists (25-20). 

The winners’ offense was led by Inovel Romero with 20 points, Gregory Torres with 18, and Gianluca Grasso with 11. For Yauco, Diego Negrón contributed 16 points, and Mark Frazier added 10 in the losing effort. 

The series returns to the Pipote Oliveras Coliseum in Yauco for Game 6 on Monday, November 18, at 8:00 PM. 

The winner of this series will face the defending champions, Caribes de San Sebastián, who became the first finalists after sweeping the runners-up, Changos de Naranjito, in four matches. 

The semifinal series are played in a best-of-seven format. The KIA Cup Grand Final begins two days after the last semifinal concludes. 

SEMIFINAL SERIES  A

Game #1 – Wednesday, November 6 – 8:00 PM, Yauco ag Guaynabo / 2-3 (21-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-20, 15-11) 

Game #2 – Friday, November 8 – 8:00 PM, Guaynabo at Yauco / 2-3 (28-30, 14-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-13) 

Game #3 – Sunday, November 10 – 5:00 PM, Yauco at Guaynabo / 0-3 (25-22, 25-15, 25-23) 

Game #4 – Wednesday, November 13 – 8:00 PM, Guaynabo at Yauco / 2-3 (18-25, 26-24, 18-25, 25-19, 15-8) 

Game #5 – Friday, November 15 – 8:00 PM, Yauco at Guaynabo / 1-3 (25-20, 19-25, 25-18, 25-13) 

Game #6 (if necessary) – Monday, November 18 – 8:00 PM, Guaynabo at Yauco 

Game #7 (if necessary) – Thursday, November 21 – 8:00 PM, Yauco at Guaynabo 

NARANJITO, Puerto Rico, November 14, 2024. – The reigning champions of the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM), the Caribes de San Sebastián, completed a sweep of the runner-up Changos de Naranjito in Semifinal B on Thursday, November 14, winning the series in four matches. 

The Caribes dropped only two sets throughout the series and eliminated the Changos with nine straight set wins, sealing their victory at the legendary Gelito Ortega court in this municipality. 

Dr. Angelo Ferrante Cruz, owner of the Caribes, shared after the win: “I’m very happy. I thought it would be tougher. The Changos are a great team and a strong opponent, but the Caribes have been inspired and focused. There’s no doubt we’re aiming for that back-to-back championship, and with God’s favor, we’re just four games away from achieving it.” 

Regarding the other semifinal between the Mets de Guaynabo and the Cafeteros de Yauco, which is guaranteed to reach at least six games and considering that the final series would begin just two days after the conclusion of that series, Dr. Ferrante added: “Well, there’s not much time to rest. Tomorrow, Friday (today), we’ll rest, but by Saturday, we’ll be back on the court practicing and preparing for both potential opponents. That series seems to be going long, and we need to be ready for either contender to ultimately win the championship as we aspire to.” 

“We encourage the fans of San Sebastián and the fans of the other team that advances to the final to support us, to support volleyball. We rely on that support, on that ‘seventh player’ in the stands. Without a doubt, all of Puerto Rico knows that San Sebastián has the best volleyball fans, thanks to God,” concluded Ferrante Cruz. 

The scores in San Sebastián’s victory were 25-21, 27-25, and 25-21. 

The Caribes outperformed Changos 44-34 in attacks, 9-5 in blocks, 6-1 in aces, and 26-25 in digs. Both teams tallied 37 receptions each, while the home team led in assists 22-17. 

Caribes’ offensive leaders in double digits included their import Jalen Penrose with 22 points, all from attacks, followed by Pelegrín Vargas with 16 points and Pedro Nieves with 7. 

For the Changos de Naranjito, Félix Chapman scored 10 points, Ángel Rivera had 9, and Adrián Iglesias contributed 7. 

SEMIFINAL B SERIES

GAME #1 – Thursday, November 7 – 8:00 PM

Naranjito at San Sebastián – 2-3 (25-20, 25-18, 17-25, 22-25, 15-12). 

GAME #2 – Saturday, November 9 – 8:00 PM

San Sebastián at Naranjito – 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 27-25). 

GAME #3 – Tuesday, November 12 – 8:00 PM 

Naranjito at San Sebastián – 0-3 (25-23, 25-20, 25-21). 

GAME #4 – Thursday, November 14 – 8:00 PM

San Sebastián at Naranjito – 3-0 (25-21, 27-25, 25-21). 

YAUCO, Puerto Rico, November 13, 2024.- Playing at home in the Raúl “Pipote” Oliveras Coliseum, Yauco Cafeteros rallied to secure a win in a decisive fifth set, defeating the Guaynabo Mets to even the series at two wins apiece.

The Mets, who had previously swept Yauco 3-0, stumbled with 12 service errors and 19 attack errors, crucial factors that ultimately influenced the outcome.

The Cafeteros took the win 3-2 (18-25, 26-24, 18-25, 25-19, 15-8).

With the match tied at two sets each, Cafeteros opened the fifth set with a 5-1 lead thanks to a block by Mark Frazier, a lead they would not hand over. Eddie Rivera then extended the advantage with an ace, pushing the score to 12-7. This set the stage for Diego Negrón, who scored three consecutive points, one from the left wing and two from the opposite corner, to seal the victory at 15-8.

Yauco outperformed Guaynabo 63 to 62 in attacks, 53 to 42 in digs, and 70 to 61 in receptions, though Guaynabo led 14 to 5 in blocks and 21 to 20 in assists.

The Cafeteros’ double-digit scorers were Diego Negrón with 21 points, Eddie Rivera with 17, and both Mark Frazier and Jessie Colón with 11 each.

For the Mets, Gianluca Grasso led with 24 points, followed by Inovel Romero with 15, and Hisham Yousri with 11.

Yauco’s two wins came in five-set matches, while Guaynabo’s wins were one in straight sets and the other in five.

This competitive series guarantees at least a sixth game, meaning that at least six of the potential seven games will be played.

The series resumes on Friday, November 15, at Mario Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo and returns to Pipote Oliveras on Monday, November 18. Both games are scheduled for 8:00 PM.

The other semifinal between San Sebastián Caribes (3-0) and Naranjito Changos will take place on Thursday, November 14, at 8:00 PM at the legendary Gelito Ortega court.

The semifinals are best-of-7 series, and the KIA Cup Grand Final will begin two days after the last semifinal concludes.

SEMIFINAL A SERIES

GAME #1 – Wednesday, November 6 – 8:00 PM, Yauco at Guaynabo / 2-3 (21-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-20, 15-11) 

GAME #2 – Friday, November 8 – 8:00 PM, Guaynabo at Yauco / 2-3 (28-30, 14-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-13) 

GAME #3 – Sunday, November 10 – 5:00 PM, Yauco at Guaynabo / 0-3 (25-22, 25-15, 25-23) 

GAME #4 – Wednesday, November 13 – 8:00 PM, Guaynabo at Yauco / 2-3 (18-25, 26-24, 18-25, 25-19, 15-8) 

GAME #5 (IF NECESSARY) – Friday, November 15 – 8:00 PM, Yauco at Guaynabo 

GAME #6 (IF NECESSARY) – Monday, November 18 – 8:00 PM, Guaynabo at Yauco 

GAME #7 (IF NECESSARY) – Thursday, November 21 – 8:00 PM, Yauco at Guaynabo

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, November 10, 2024.- The Mets de Guaynabo defended their home court at Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum to take control of Semifinal A in the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) of Puerto Rico, leading the series 2-1 over Cafeteros de Yauco.

The previous two games went to overtime, but this time was the opposite: the home team has won all three matches.

After the victory, outside hitter Gianluca Grasso of the Mets said, “We served better, defended a little better on the court, and played with a bit more heart and awareness. You know, we used our blocking and coverage effectively, and thanks to all the hard work we’ve put in these last two weeks, we finally came out with a three-set win.”

Grasso, recognized as “Comeback Player of the Year” in this season’s awards, emphasized that the key to advancing to the final series is sticking to their established plan. He added, “We need to keep doing what we did today, focusing on our serves, keeping the pressure on, and playing our game. I think in the last two games, we lost sight of the game plan a little, which made things difficult, but now we know what we need to do to carry today’s approach into the next two games.”

The scores in favor of the Mets were 25-22, 25-15, and 25-23.

Guaynabo outperformed Yauco with a 49-35 advantage in attacks, 41-24 in digs, and 37-36 in passes. Both teams tied in blocks with five each and in service aces.

Gianluca Grasso led the Mets with 19 points (17 in attacks, one block, and one ace), followed by Egyptian Hisham Yousri with 15 points and naturalized Cuban Inovel Romero with 12. Kevin Rodríguez contributed 18 assists.

For the Cafeteros de Yauco, Mark Frazier was the only player to score in double digits with 18 points.

The series returns to Raúl “Pipote” Oliveras Coliseum in Yauco next Wednesday, November 13, for the fourth game of the series. The match is scheduled to start at 8:00 PM.

The semifinal series is best-of-seven. The Kia Cup Grand Final will begin two days after the conclusion of the last semifinal.

SEMIFINAL SERIES A

GAME #1 – Wednesday, November 6 – 8:00 PM Yauco at Guaynabo / 2-3 (21-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-20, 15-11)

GAME #2 – Friday, November 8 – 8:00 PM Guaynabo at Yauco / 2-3 (28-30, 14-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-13)

GAME #3 – Sunday, November 10 – 5:00 PM Yauco at Guaynabo / 0-3 (25-22, 25-15, 25-23)

GAME #4 – Wednesday, November 13 – 8:00 PM Guaynabo at Yauco

GAME #5 (IF NECESSARY) – Friday, November 15 – 8:00 PM Yauco at Guaynabo

GAME #6 (IF NECESSARY) – Monday, November 18 – 8:00 PM Guaynabo at Yauco

GAME #7 (IF NECESSARY) – Thursday, November 21 – 8:00 PM Yauco at Guaynabo

NARANJITO, Puerto Rico, November 9, 2024.– The defending champions of the Puerto Rico Men’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSM), Caribes de San Sebastián, led by double-digit offense from Jalen Penrose and Pelegrín Vargas with 23 and 15 points respectively, as well as 10 team blocks, quickly left the legendary Gelito Ortega court in Naranjito with a three-set win over the Changos. This victory put them up 2-0 in Semifinal Series B.

The scores were 25-16, 25-22, and 27-25.

Regarding the straight-sets result, Pablo Guzmán, outside hitter for Caribes de San Sebastián, commented, “Well, we knew they were coming to play; all three sets were hard-fought. I think there’s still a lot of series to play; we must take it game by game, and they are a very tough team that always brings their best against us.”

Guzmán credited the victory to their serving and added, “The rotation was key; Chamo alternated me and Pelegrín on the outside, and our serve was much more effective than in the previous game.” He continued, “And to our fans, I say keep coming; we have a great team, and all fourteen of us are going to give everything on the court.”

San Sebastián outperformed Naranjito with 44-34 in attacks, 10-7 in blocks, 4-2 in aces, 30-27 in digs, 36-35 in receptions, and 15-13 in assists.

For Changos, top scorers included Jonathan Rodríguez with 11 points, Luis Vega with 9, Félix Chapman with 8, and Jorge López with 7.

The series returns to the Luis Aymat Cardona Coliseum in San Sebastián next Tuesday, November 12, for the third game, scheduled to start at 8:00 PM.

The semifinal series is best-of-seven. The KIA Cup Grand Final will begin two days after the last semifinal concludes.

SEMIFINAL SERIES B

GAME #1 – Thursday, November 7 – 8:00 PM 

Naranjito at San Sebastián – 2-3 (25-20, 25-18, 17-25, 22-25, 15-12)

GAME #2 – Saturday, November 9 – 8:00 PM 

San Sebastián at Naranjito – 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 27-25)

GAME #3 – Tuesday, November 12 – 8:00 PM 

Naranjito at San Sebastián

GAME #4 – Thursday, November 14 – 8:00 PM 

San Sebastián at Naranjito

GAME #5 (IF NECESSARY) – Saturday, November 16 – 8:00 PM 

 Naranjito at San Sebastián

GAME #6 (IF NECESSARY) – Tuesday, November 19 – 8:00 PM 

San Sebastián at Naranjito

GAME #7 (IF NECESSARY) – Friday, November 22 – 8:00 PM 

Naranjito at San Sebastián

YAUCO, Puerto Rico, November 8, 2024. – Cafeteros de Yauco came from behind at the Raúl “Pipote” Oliveras Coliseum to even the Semifinal A series of the Men’s Superior Volleyball League  (LVSM) at one win apiece against the Mets de Guaynabo in a match that extended to five sets.

In the series opener, the Mets overcame a 0-2 deficit to claim victory in the full five sets. This time, Yauco returned the favor by mounting a comeback to secure their own revenge.

Abel Franceschi Ibarrondo, coach of the Cafeteros de Yauco, said, “This is truly a series in which Guaynabo has great depth. As for us, Diego Rosich came off the bench and did his job. If we look back, this series has been saved by the substitute player each time, and that’s very important for both teams. The important thing is that we were able to get our revenge today, tie the series, and defend our home court.”

Regarding what Cafeteros need to do to secure a lead in their next home game, Franceschi Ibarrondo added, “We’re just staying focused on the game plan. This is a young team, and it’s hard to keep them on the game plan for long stretches. We continue working on that aspect with them, and this series will be won by whichever team makes fewer mistakes.”

The scores were 28-30, 14-25, 25-17, 25-22, and 15-13.

In the third set, with two sets down, Cafeteros regrouped and took control. Mark Frazier attacked well from zone four to secure the set at 21-14, and they closed the set at 25-17 with a successful attack from Diego Negrón in zone four.

In the fourth set, Yauco broke away 16-12 and eventually won the set 25-22 following a missed serve from Guaynabo’s Juan C. Ribas, forcing a decisive fifth set.

In the fifth set, after seven ties, Cafeteros took the lead at the court switch with a middle attack from Iván Fernández. The teams stayed tied until point 11; then Diego Negrón scored an ace, and Jessie Colón blocked Gianluca Grasso, pulling Yauco ahead at 13-11. They reached match point at 14-12 with an attack from Rosich in zone four and sealed the win at 15-13 after a missed serve by Grasso.

Yauco outperformed Guaynabo in defense, 46 to 42, while both teams tied with 58 kills and 31 assists. The Mets led in blocks, 11 to 10, and in receptions, 62 to 58.

For Cafeteros, top scorers were Mark Frazier with 26 points, Diego Negrón with 17, and Jessie Colón with 9 points. For the Mets, Gianluca Grasso led with 18 points, followed by Rafael Burgos and Inovel Romero with 15 points each.

The series returns to the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo this Sunday, November 10, for Game 3, scheduled to begin at 5:00 PM.

The semifinal series are best of 7-4. The Grand Final KIA Cup will begin two days after the final semifinal concludes.

SEMIFINAL A SERIES

GAME #1 – Wednesday, November 6 – 8:00 PM Yauco in Guaynabo / 2-3 (21-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-20, 15-11)

GAME #2 – Friday, November 8 – 8:00 PM Guaynabo in Yauco / 2-3 (28-30, 14-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-13)

GAME #3 – Sunday, November 10 – 5:00 PM Yauco in Guaynabo

GAME #4 – Wednesday, November 13 – 8:00 PM Guaynabo in Yauco

GAME #5 (IF NECESSARY) – Friday, November 15 – 8:00 PM Yauco in Guaynabo

GAME #6 (IF NECESSARY) – Monday, November 18 – 8:00 PM Guaynabo in Yauco

GAME #7 (IF NECESSARY) – Thursday, November 21 – 8:00 PM Yauco in Guaynabo

SAN SEBASTIÁN, Puerto Rico, November 7, 2024.- In a match with the intensity of a final series, the champions and runners-up of the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) faced off in a thrilling encounter that was decided in the maximum number of sets. The home team, Caribes of San Sebastián, emerged victorious.

The match took place at the Luis Aymat Cardona Coliseum in San Sebastián. The scores in favor of Caribes were 25-20, 25-18, 17-25, 22-25, and 15-12.

Marcos Liendo Sivira, head coach of Caribes de San Sebastián, commented: “Even though we were contenders during the regular season, the semifinals are a different step. You see the atmosphere here; nothing is given, and nothing will be easy. We know facing Naranjito is no walk in the park. At one point, there was provocation, and we became part of it, which completely changed the match for us and distracted us from our game plan. To steal a game in the Gelito Ortega, we must stay focused on what we’ve done and what we need to do, follow the plan regardless of situations, and understand that these things are bound to happen.”

Naranjito managed to recover from a two-set deficit. In the third set, by playing fast through the outside hitters and improving their reception, they managed to extend the match to a fourth set. They reached set point at 24-16 with a block by Luis Candelario; the set ended 25-17 with a red card issued to the home team.

The fourth set was intense and animated for both teams. With the score at 15-10, Jalen Penrose of Caribes and Luis Candelario of Changos were sent off due to a red/yellow card, allowing the visitors to go on a 13-5 run with strong blocking, taking the lead at 23-21. An ace by Luis Vega closed the set in favor of Changos at 25-22.

In the fifth set, Jalen Penrose returned to the court, taking charge of the Pepino offense. With an attack down position two and two consecutive aces, he gave Caribes a definitive lead over Changos, setting the score at 9-4. Penrose himself sealed the victory at 15-12 with his 30th point of the match, attacking effectively down position two.

In addition to Jalen Penrose’s 30 points, the San Sebastián offense was led by Pelegrín Vargas with 19 points and Pablo Guzmán with 10. For Naranjito, Félix Chapman scored 26 points, Johansen Negrón added 13, and Luis Vega contributed 11.

San Sebastián outperformed Naranjito 65 to 55 in attacks, 50 to 47 in digs, 50 to 37 in passing, and 21 to 10 in assists, while Naranjito led in blocks, 14 to 5.

This series will continue on Saturday, November 9, at the legendary Gelito Ortega court in Naranjito, starting at 8:00 PM.

The semifinal series are best-of-7.

The KIA Cup Grand Final begins two days after the last semifinal game.

SEMIFINAL B SERIES SCHEDULE

GAME #1 – Thursday, November 7 – 8:00 PM 

Naranjito at San Sebastián – 2-3 (25-20, 25-18, 17-25, 22-25, and 15-12) 

GAME #2 – Saturday, November 9 – 8:00 PM 

San Sebastián at Naranjito 

GAME #3 – Tuesday, November 12 – 8:00 PM 

Naranjito at San Sebastián 

GAME #4 – Thursday, November 14 – 8:00 PM 

San Sebastián at Naranjito 

GAME #5 (IF NECESSARY) – Saturday, November 16 – 8:00 PM 

Naranjito at San Sebastián 

GAME #6 (IF NECESSARY) – Tuesday, November 19 – 8:00 PM 

San Sebastián at Naranjito 

GAME #7 (IF NECESSARY) – Friday, November 22 – 8:00 PM 

Naranjito at San Sebastián

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, November 6, 2024. – In the opening match of Semifinal A of the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM), the Guaynabo Mets successfully defended their home turf, Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum, rallying from behind in five sets against a tenacious Yauco Cafeteros.

“A very tough game. We hadn’t played in over a week, so finding our rhythm took some effort, but our team is so experienced that they did everything they could to win in five,” said team captain Ramón Burgos after the match.

Reflecting on being down two sets to none, he added, “The truth is, we’ve been in situations like this before, maybe not this year, but in previous years. We have a roster with players who’ve won two, three, four, five championships, so we have the experience, the calm, and we played better volleyball toward the end”.

Asked if the series was over after this result, the Mets’ captain concluded, “No, this series promises a lot, and we need to bring our best game every day”.

The scores were 21-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-20, 15-11.

Guaynabo, who had not lost in three sets since October 15 against Carolina Giants, tightened up and extended the game to a decisive set with teamwork and strong offensive performances by Gregory Torres, Gianluca Grasso, and Inovel Romero. They claimed sets three and four with scores of 25-16 and 25-20.

In the fifth set, the home team started with a 5-0 lead, crossed the court side switch at 8-4 by tightening the net defense, and reached set point at 14-10 with an attack from the back row by Gianluca Grasso; they closed the victory with a 15-11 score.

Gianluca Grasso led the Mets with 20 points, closely followed by Gregory Torres with 18 and Inovel Romero with 10.

For Yauco, Mark Frazier scored 21 points, Diego Negrón contributed 11, and Jessie Colón added 10.

Guaynabo surpassed Yauco in attacks 59 to 46 and in digs 58 to 43, while Yauco had the advantage in blocks, 13 to 10.

The series continues this Friday in Yauco, with the match scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM.

The semifinal series are best-of-seven (4). The Grand Final for the KIA Cup begins two days after the last semifinal ends.

Semifinal B starts this Thursday, November 7, at Luis Aymat Cardona Stadium, where San Sebastián Caribes will host Naranjito Changos at 8:00 PM.

SEMIFINAL SERIES A

GAME #1 – Wednesday, November 6 – 8:00 PM Yauco at Guaynabo / 2-3 (21-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-20, 15-11)

GAME #2 – Friday, November 8 – 8:00 PM Guaynabo at Yauco

GAME #3 – Sunday, November 10 – 5:00 PM Yauco at Guaynabo

GAME #4 – Wednesday, November 13 – 8:00 PM Guaynabo at Yauco

GAME #5 (IF NECESSARY) – Friday, November 15 – 8:00 PM Yauco at Guaynabo

GAME #6 (IF NECESSARY) – Monday, November 18 – 8:00 PM Guaynabo at Yauco

GAME #7 (IF NECESSARY) – Thursday, November 21 – 8:00 PM Yauco at Guaynabo

November 4, 2024.- Brittany Abercrombie, one of 23 newcomers this season, took Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball by storm. She rose to the top and never relinquished No. 1, winning the 2024 AU Pro Volleyball Championship. She finished with 4,521 leaderboard points, leading in all three leaderboard categories.

Abercrombie is not only the first opposite to earn the title but the first non-outside hitter to be crowned champion.

“It was a lot of hard work and I also have to thank my teammates for doing so well throughout the whole thing, but it feels kind of unbelievable,” Abercrombie said. “I wasn’t expecting this when I came here to AU.”

Never before has the league seen an opposite cruise through the five weeks of competition with dominance. Abercrombie finished second in the league in kills with 232 in 15 matches. She was one of the most efficient athletes in the circuit, taking smart shots and rarely making errors in her 582 attempts. She recorded a .255 hitting percentage on the season.

She took over the Gold team captain spot in Week Two and never wore a different color uniform. Abercrombie closed out the season with a captain’s record of 10-2. She began her captaincy with an eight-match win streak, tied for the best mark for a captain across all AU sports. Abercrombie was the go-to for her teams nearly every game and earned an MVP nod in 11 out of 15 matches.

Each of her teams expressed a togetherness and composure that trickled down from the calm demeanor of their captain. They continuously overcame deficits and won matches that extended to a “Golden Set.” Abercrombie is the winningest player of the season with 2,020 win points; she only lost two games.

“That’s how I stay focused. My baseline is pretty even,” Abercrombie said. “I get more excited for my teammates’ blocks or points than I do about my own, but I think that’s how I’m able to stay focused throughout the whole match is to stay super calm.”

Second-place medalist: Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía

Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía continues to cement herself as one of the best players in AU Pro Volleyball history, earning a second-place medal.

De La Cruz-Mejía has competed with the league since its inception and was crowned the 2022 Champion. This year she was third in the league in kills with 201,  in the top 10 for digs (126), and had one of the best positive reception percentages. In her 253 reception attempts, De La Cruz-Mejía passed well 60% of the time. Her top-spin jump serve continued to be lethal; she led the league with 17 aces.

The outside hitter is the only AU Pro Volleyball player to record more than 10,000 leaderboard points. Her name is scattered across the AU record books for single-game and single-season offense and serving statistics.

Third-place medalist: Madi Kingdon Rishel

Madi Kingdon Rishel found a way to the top of the leaderboard with consistently elite play. The AU newcomer led the league in kills with 232. She averaged 5.04 kills per set and contributed 131 digs, good for ninth-best in the circuit. She finished the five-week competition just one kill shy of the single-season record held by De La Cruz-Mejía from the 2022 season.

She was a consistent force for her teams despite the final score of her matches. Kingdon Rishel finished second on the leaderboard in stat points (1,880), second in MVP points (460), but 41st in win points (1,060).

Fourth-place medalist & Defensive Player of the Year: Morgan Hentz

Morgan Hentz made league history last year when she was named the two-time Defensive Player of the Year and now she’s in a category of her own as a three-peat winner. The libero paced the league in digs with 242 in 15 matches — a new league record.

Hentz owns the records for digs in every league category. Her name is also in the books for single-game digs (25, set in the 2023 season).

She is the only player in the league’s four years to record multiple seasons with 200 or more digs, which she has now done in each of her first three campaigns.

She was voted an MVP in five matches with the fifth-most points in that category.

Blocker of the Year: Molly McCage

Molly McCage owned the front row this season and has been named Blocker of the Year; she earned the nod in back-to-back seasons. McCage led the league in blocks with 40, which broke the record for single-season blocks formerly held by Lauren Gibbemeyer who had 33 in the 2021 season. McCage also added 24 block assists.

McCage became the career rejections leader when she passed the 84 mark; she now has 115 all-time.

Teammate of the Year: Taylor Bruns Tegenrot

Setter Taylor Bruns Tegenrot was named the Teammate of the Year. Bruns Tegenrot was largely utilized as a serving substitution throughout the season but provided invaluable insight to her teams. During time outs and throughout the match she was often seen collaborating with the other setters on her teams and helping her squad make adjustments.

The award is given to the player who has exemplified great leadership skills, is of good character, and has been a positive influence on their teams regardless of personal performance.

2024 All-Position Team

Eight athletes were also named to the 2024 All-Position Team earlier this weekend:

Outside Hitter: Betty De La Cruz-Mejía; Madi Kingdon Rishel

Opposite: Brittany Abercrombie

Middle Blocker: Molly McCage; Tori Dixon

Setter: Natalia Valentin-Anderson

Libero: Morgan Hentz; Manami Kojma

AU Pro Volleyball also announced that it will continue with its fifth season in 2025. Details regarding timing and location will be announced at a later date.

YAUCO, Puerto Rico, November 2, 2024.- Cafeteros de Yauco secured their spot in the semifinal series of the Men’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSM) on Friday night, November 1, defeating their archrivals, the Plataneros de Corozal, in a do-or-die match that went to the full five sets.

This series saw three of the five matches go to five sets, with Plataneros winning twice, but Cafeteros managed to get revenge in the final showdown. Yauco will now face Mets de Guaynabo in one of the two semifinal series; on the other side, the defending champions, Caribes de San Sebastián, will meet Changos de Naranjito.

The Cafeteros’ victory came with scores of 23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 19-17.

The fifth set was once again a nail-biter. Plataneros took the court side change by the minimum, 8-7, due to a net violation by Yauco’s Eli Irizarry. There were ties at eight, nine, and from 12 all the way to 17. This set the stage for Mark Frazier to successfully attack from zone two against Corozal’s blocks, and in the following play, Spencer Olivier made an error attack from zone four, sealing the victory for the home team.

The match took place at the Raúl “Pipote” Oliveras court in Yauco.

Mark Frazier stood out as the top player for Yauco’s win, while Spencer Olivier shined for Corozal with 26 points.

Both teams ended tied in attacks at 63-63 and aces at 4-4. Yauco outpaced Corozal in assists, 38 to 27, while Corozal led in blocks, 10 to 7, and in digs, 73 to 64.

October 31, 2024.- The race for the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball Championship could not be tighter coming out of Week Four.

The crown is up for grabs between Brittany Abercrombie and Betty De La Cruz-Mejía while the third- and fourth-place medals could be anyone’s game.

Here’s how each team shook out the win points in Week Three to create the most contentious finish in league history:

• Team De La Cruz-Mejía: 3-0, won six sets (420 Win Points)
• Team Abercrombie: 2-1, won five sets (320 Win Points)
• Team Hentz: 1-2, won five sets (260 Win Points)
• Team Member-Meneh: 0-3, won two sets (80 Win Points)

Mover of the Week: Madi Bugg

While challenging, it’s never too late to make a run up the leaderboard and Madi Bugg made an 11-spot leap breaking into the top 25. She took advantage of her first consistent opportunity as the starting setter for a team and led them to victory. Captain De La Cruz-Mejía selected Bugg with her sixth pick and the first setter on her Week Four orange roster, indicating we’d see more of Bugg.

Bugg played in all nine sets, dishing 116 assists in three games, second-most of any setter in Week Four. She also tacked on 31 digs and facilitated her offense to a 3-0 week to stack her win-point earnings. Her offensive weapons hit .349 and averaged less than five hitting errors as a team per game. Bugg earned an MVP 2 vote, totaling 772 points for her on the week.

Her draft stock rose too. Bugg was taken with Brittany Abercrombie’s third overall pick at the Week Five draft.

First-time and second-chance captains

Making what could be two of the most crucial moves on the leaderboard after Week Four are Madi Kingdon Rishel and Dani Drews.

Kingdon Rishel will lead a team for the first time in her AU career, despite being one of the top performing athletes in the 2024 season. Kingdon Rishel desperately needed Win Points. She stands third in the league in Stat Points, second in MVP Points but 37th in win points.

She also had her best match of the season on Monday night, earning 405 leaderboard points in a single game. She had 20 kills with only four errors and seven digs. Kingdon Rishel rose four spots to be the Blue team captain for the final weekend.

On the other hand, Drews re-enters the captain’s spot after struggling her first go-round back in Week Three. Team Drews was 0-3 last time and only won two sets, dropping Drews to ninth place. Playing alongside De La Cruz-Mejía, Drews was the top point earner of the week, amassing 885 total points. It pushed her up eight spots and now she’ll have a chance to redeem her role with a new team as the purple squad’s captain.

Who will take home the hardware?

Simply put, either Abercrombie or De La Cruz-Mejía will wear the 2024 AU Pro Volleyball crown. They separated themselves from the rest of the pack early and have only widened that margin through their consistently elite play. Not only do Abercrombie and De La Cruz-Mejía rarely lose, but they also don’t have a bad night. They have been the ultimate foes throughout the season and will have to battle for each point in the last three games to earn the top spot.

Abercrombie, an opposite, would be the first player to earn the title who is not an outside hitter. De La Cruz-Mejía would also make history as the first AU Pro Volleyball player to win the championship twice (and only the second AU Pro Sports athlete to do so across all leagues).

The third and fourth-place medals are wide open for the taking. Only 242 points separate 10th place from third place on the current leaderboard. Fumbling the win points as a team could create major waves on how the leaderboard shuffles in the last three competitions of the season.

Week Five Schedule

Week Five competition begins on Friday, Nov. 1. Team Kingdon Rishel will take on Team De La Cruz-Mejía at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on FanDuel Sports Network and VBTV. Then, Team Drews will face Team Abercrombie at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, November 1, 2024. – “I’m very grateful to receive this award. I just try to play my best and work as hard as I can, so I truly appreciate the recognition from those who voted for me,” said 6-foot-5 Spencer Olivier from the Plataneros de Corozal upon learning that he was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the 2024 Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) tournament of Puerto Rico.

“I dedicate this award to my parents. Throughout my volleyball career, they have always supported me no matter the circumstances, so I am very lucky to have them by my side every time I compete. I hope to achieve more victories dedicated to them,” Olivier said after dominating the MVP votes with 42 votes.

This is the third award received by the Plataneros de Corozal in this season’s LVSM awards; earlier this week, Ramón “Monchito” Hernández and Eliud Ortiz were recognized as Coach and Team Owner of the Year, respectively.

During the regular season, Spencer scored a remarkable 330 points, divided into 274 kills, 42 blocks, and 14 aces across 80 sets, averaging 4.13 points per set.

He was also included in the All-Star Team for Best Attacker in weeks #4, #5, #8, and #12, and in the fourth week, he was named Player of the Week. He finished with 145 digs (1.81 average) and 302 receptions (3.78).

General information about Oliver, a native of Tustin, California

2021 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention

2021 All-Big West First Team

2020 All-Big West Honorable Mention

Additional Info: Competed with the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team at the NORCECA U21 Men’s Continental Championship in Havana, Cuba, during the summer of 2018.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, October 31, 2024.- The Plataneros of Corozal have accumulated their second award in the 2024 Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) Awards with the appointment of Eliud Ortiz as “Manager of the Year.”

“First of all, I am grateful to God; it was a tough year from the U23 process until now. I’m happy, and above all, I thank my work team. Last year was our first, and our vision was to build a team with a young core that would produce results within five years. But, my friend, we achieved it sooner,” Ortiz said upon receiving the good news.

The young manager also acknowledged the efforts of Ramón “Monchito” Hernández, the team’s head coach, and his assistant, Raúl Papaleo, for their work with the players.

Plataneros of Corozal finished the regular season with a record of 11-9, accumulating 31 points and securing third place in the Metro section. They are currently competing in the quarterfinals against the Yauco Cafeteros in a series tied at two wins each, with a do-or-die match set for Friday, November 1, as they aim to advance to the semifinals.

Ortiz’s efforts were recognized with a total of 55 votes, earning him the title of “Manager of the Year 2024.”

Regarding the decisive match against the Yauco Cafeteros and what they must do to advance to the semifinal series against the Guaynabo Mets, Ortiz added, “We need to keep focusing on our serve, but with precision, and continue blocking, which is one of our strengths. I dedicate this award to my children, who are my driving force,” Eliud concluded.

Dr. Angelo Ferrante Cruz, manager of Caribes of San Sebastián, the league’s reigning champions, came in second place with 49 votes. Ferrante Cruz was named Manager of the Year in 2023, receiving 30 votes.

Third place went to Ramón Rosado of Guaynabo Mets, with a total of 21 votes.

Others receiving votes included Salvador Henry Pérez, who debuted this year as manager (Gigantes of Adjuntas); Jorge Báez (Yauco Cafeteros); and Alexis Aponte (Naranjito Changos), who last season received enough votes to place second. Karimar Brown (Mayagüez Indios) also received votes.

LARES, Puerto Rico, October 30, 2024.- The Yauco Cafeteros managed to extend their quarterfinal series in the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) against the Corozal Plataneros, defeating them in four sets at the Félix Méndez Acevedo court.

Another nail-biting match saw three of the four sets going into extra points. The scores were 26-24, 16-25, 26-24, and 26-24.

With no tomorrow for the team led by Abel Franceschi Ibarrondo, trailing 1-2 in the series, they made adjustments to overpower the Plataneros 54-50 in attacks, 14-9 in blocks, 62-58 in digs, 63-50 in receptions, and 28-21 in assists, coming out on top as the visiting team.

In the third set, Yauco held off a late push from Plataneros, who tied the set at 24. However, two consecutive points from Diego Rosich, one in an attack from position two and another block against Sebastián Negrón, cut the breath from the home team as the Cafeteros claimed the set.

In the fourth set, after both teams split technical timeouts, Yauco reached set point first at 24-23 with a strong attack from Diego Negrón through position four. The score tied once more, but the visitors clinched the win with a middle hit by Iván Fernández and a successful block from Eli Irizarry, sealing the victory at 26-24.

Diego Negrón and Mark Frazer led the winning offense with 18 points each, followed by Diego Rosich with 11 points. Eli Irizarry added 22 assists.

For Plataneros, Spencer Olivier once again stood out with a double-digit performance, adding 24 points, with Sebastián Negrón contributing 10.

This series shifts on Friday, November 1, to the Raúl “Pipote” Oliveras court in Yauco, where a do-or-die match will determine who advances to the semifinal series against the Guaynabo Mets.

In the other semifinal matchup, last year’s finalists, the San Sebastián Caribes, the reigning champions, and the Naranjito Changos, last year’s LVSM runners-up, will face off.

FEDPURVOLI  

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico. Wednesday, October 30, 2024.- In a landslide vote in the 2024 Year-End Awards of the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM), Plataneros de Corozal head coach Ramón “Monchito” Hernández Cruz was awarded the “Coach of the Year” title.

The Bayamón native earned 70 votes to claim the honor. In second place was Marcos Liendo Sivira, head coach of the defending champions Caribes de San Sebastián, with 45 votes, while Gerardo “Gerry” De Jesús of the Mets de Guaynabo took third with a total of 36 votes.

“I’m thankful to the Federation, but this year has been a collective effort by the management, coaching staff, and, above all, the players; that’s the most important thing. And secondly, we are very focused on this series against Yauco. We continue to prepare well because we know it’s a tough series, and we’re constantly looking for ways to improve our game for the best results”,  Hernández Cruz commented.

He added, “I’m grateful to management for letting me return; I played for Corozal for 10 years, and representing this franchise is something special, which I’ve made sure the players understand. This isn’t about Ramón, but rather a team effort from many people. I have an excellent coaching staff, and I’d dare say it’s one of the best”.

Monchito also expressed his deep gratitude to his players for believing in the philosophy of the coaching staff and management.

This is the fourth time Hernández has won Coach of the Year; he recalls receiving it with the Plataneros roughly 10 years ago.

Tonight, the Plataneros, under his direction, are vying for a semifinal berth when they face the Cafeteros de Yauco in the fourth game of the series. Speaking about the matchup, Ramón concluded, “It’s been a very tough series, and we’re preparing. Both teams are giving their all, and we expect another hard-fought game tonight”.

Hernández was a three-time All-American while playing collegiate volleyball for Penn State from 1991 to 1994. He led Penn State to the NCAA Championship in 1994 and earned the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player award. Penn State was the first non-California team to win the championship.

In 2014, he was inducted into the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Hall of Fame.

Hernández also won the bronze medal in men’s beach volleyball at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, partnered with Raúl Papaleo, who currently serves as his assistant with the Plataneros de Corozal in the LVSM. He represented Puerto Rico in beach volleyball at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Hernández was the head coach of the Puerto Rico men’s volleyball team in 2017.

Other coaches receiving votes included Jamille Torres (Changos de Naranjito), Abel Franceschi Ibarrondo (Cafeteros de Yauco), and Juan Lacen (Indios de Mayagüez).

MESA, Arizona, October 28, 2024.- There’s an old adage in sports that says it’s tough to beat a team three times in a season. The latest example has developed during the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball season between opposite Brittany Abercrombie and outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía. 

Abercrombie had guided her team past De La Cruz-Mejía’s squad to close out each of the past two weeks. But, a comeback in the second set on Monday night allowed Team De La Cruz-Mejía to surge ahead and hold on for a 71-65 victory to complete the Week Four schedule at Arizona Athletic Grounds. 

The win allowed Team De La Cruz-Mejía to end the penultimate week of the season with a perfect 3-0 record, while Team Abercrombie slipped to 2-1. 

Opposite Willow Johnson led Team De La Cruz-Mejía to the victory with a season-high 18 kills while hitting .429 with six digs, earning MVP 1 distinction and 352 leaderboard points. 

Outside hitter Dani Drews followed with a 14-kill performance to garner MVP 2 laurels. The former Utah standout also chipped in eight digs with a blistering .444 hitting percentage to finish with 336 leaderboard points. 

Setter Madi Bugg added a double-double with 38 assists and 10 digs, while De La Cruz-Mejía contributed seven kills with eight digs. 

Abercrombie, the match’s MVP 3 honoree, paced her team in the loss with 17 kills and eight digs, while outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller tallied eight kills with 12 digs. Setter Sydney Hilley nearly registered a double-double with 34 assists and nine digs. 

How It Happened: Team Abercrombie trailed by five points in the first set before rallying to claim a 25-21 triumph for the early match advantage. But, Team De La Cruz-Mejía stormed back in the middle frame with a 25-20 decision to claim a one-point match edge at 46-45. 

Leaderboard Impact: Drews climbed up the leaderboard seven spots to move into the No. 4 position and earn the right to be a captain for the final week of the season. Abercrombie and De La Cruz-Mejía will remain as the Gold and Orange team leaders, respectively.

MESA, Arizona, October 28, 2024.- Outside hitters Madi Kingdon Rishel and Temi Thomas-Ailara combined for 37 kills as Team Hentz swept Team Member-Meneh for a 75-66 victory in the opening match of Monday night’s Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball action at Arizona Athletic Grounds.

Team Hentz picks up its first win of Week Four and improves to 1-2, while Team Member-Meneh closes out the penultimate week of the season at 0-3.

Kingdon Rishel, the match’s MVP 1 recipient, totaled a season-high 20 kills on a .364 hitting percentage while adding seven digs and a solo block en route to a season-high 405 leaderboard points. 

Thomas-Ailara added a season-best 17 kills on an impressive .500 hitting clip while tying her season high with 12 digs to earn MVP 2 distinction with a season-best 411 points.

Middle blocker Kaz Brown took MVP 3 plaudits to complete the Match MVP sweep for Team Hentz after downing six kills with three solo blocks and two block assists, gaining a season-high 270 points towards the standings.

Setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson pitched in 42 assists and a match-high 14 digs, while opposite Heydi Casanova added five kills, four digs and three solo blocks in the victory.

Outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh finished with a season-high 18 kills in the loss, while opposite Khat Bell chipped in 10 kills. Setter Alisha Childress guided the Team Member-Meneh offense with 35 assists while contributing 10 digs. 

How It Happened: Team Hentz came out on top after a back-and-forth opening frame by a 25-23 count before doubling its lead to 50-46. Team Hentz completed the match sweep with a 25-20 count in the final set. 

Leaderboard Impact: Kingdon Rishel surged into third place with 2,654 points after rising five spots in the league standings, while libero Morgan Hentz holds the fourth spot on the leaderboard with 2,549 points. 

SAN SEBASTIÁN, Puerto Rico, October 29, 2024. – In an impressive display of power and strategy on the Luis Aymat Cardona court, the Caribes swept the Gigantes de Carolina 3-0 in the quarterfinal series.

The scores in this third game were 25-14, 25-23, and 25-22, once again showcasing the team’s dominance.

Opposite hitter Jalen Penrose was the undisputed star of the night, scoring an astonishing 24 points and being the only player to reach double digits.

For the Gigantes de Carolina, Jeff Menzel fought hard, contributing 20 points, but it wasn’t enough to stop the unstoppable advance of the Caribes.

In the third set, the Caribes sealed it at 24-21 thanks to a service error by Jeff Menzel and Penrose’s flawless offensive play from Zone Two. Although Carolina tried to rally, Jalen Penrose came back and, with a decisive attack in the same zone, secured the victory with a final score of 25-22.

San Sebastián outperformed Carolina in blocks (8-4) and assists (19-9), while Carolina led in attacks (38-33), aces (4-3), and digs (44-27).

This series marks the third quarterfinal sweep where a team didn’t allow any leeway to its opponent.

The Guaynabo Mets also dominated the Mayagüez Indios 3-0, while the Naranjito Changos did the same against the Adjuntas Gigantes.

Now, the defending tournament champions Caribes de San Sebastián are preparing for an exciting semifinal showdown against last year’s runner-up, the Changos de Naranjito.

Semifinal and Final Series Format

In the Semifinal Series, the winner of Quarterfinal Series A (Guaynabo Mets – Winner) will face the winner of Series D (Yauco Cafeteros vs. Corozal Plataneros). The winner of Quarterfinal Series B (Naranjito Changos – Winner) will face the winner of Series C (San Sebastián Caribes – Winner).

The Semifinals will be played as best-of-seven games, where the first team to win four advances.

The Final Series will begin on the home court of the finalist with the higher position in the Regular Season, regardless of whether they belong to the Island or Metro Section.

Both series will follow a wins-losses system rather than the prevailing points system.

FEDPURVOLI 

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, October 29, 2024.- Kevin Rodríguez Cintrón, setter for the Mets de Guaynabo, has been selected as the 2024 “Setter of the Year” in the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) in Puerto Rico.

Rodríguez Cintrón dominated the LVSM’s Values of the Year voting, held by the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (FPV), receiving 77 votes to secure the honor. The runner-up was Eli Irizarry of the Cafeteros de Yauco with 25 votes, followed by Oscar Fiorentino from the Changos de Naranjito with 13 votes, and Howard García with 9 votes.

Kevin ended the regular season as the leader in sets, amassing 472 sets over 65 sets played, averaging 7.26 per set. He was included in the following All-Star Teams during the regular season: Week #2: Player of the Week; Week #3: Best Setter; Week #6: Best Setter; and Week #11: Best Setter.

Throughout the regular season, Rodríguez showcased some outstanding performances, including matches where he delivered 41 assists against the Plataneros de Corozal and 38 assists against the Indios de Mayagüez.

In the postseason, during the first game of the quarterfinals, he provided 49 assists; in the second game, he went even further with 54 assists, and in the final game of the series against the Indios de Mayagüez, he contributed 45 assists.

His average during the quarterfinals was 11.4 assists per set across 13 sets.

“”’m happy with this recognition; it’s been a great year for the Mets. I believe the management did everything possible to form a solid team, and thanks to my teammates, I was able to excel in the game and receive this acknowledgment”, said the 30-year-old setter.

Before voting, fans on social media weighed in on who they thought would be the Setter of the Year, posting comments like: “Kevin, the king of the court”… “It’s Kevin’s for sure”… “Kevin Rodríguez Cintrón by a mile”… “I’m a Changos fan, but definitely Kevin Rodríguez”… “No need to look any further! Kevin Rodríguez Cintrón, 100%.”

To this, Rodríguez responded, “Thank you for the fans’ support. I’ve been in the league for 12 years, and this is the first time I’ve received this kind of recognition. I’m really happy”. He also took the opportunity to acknowledge the work of other setters, including Howard García (Caribes de San Sebastián) and Oscar Fiorentino (Changos de Naranjito).

“I remember starting out when legends like Juanmi Ruiz, Edgardo Goas, Ángel Pérez, and Fernando Morales were active setters. Looking back, I knew this moment was coming, and I made the most of it”,  Rodríguez added.

For the newly named Setter of the Year, despite the 20-game season, the schedule didn’t feel too grueling. He enjoyed the segmented approach, though he misses the round-robin format. “It was something different, and it worked well. Above all, it was very competitive.

“I firmly believe we could add another foreign player, which would allow some teams to strengthen and be more competitive”.

“I thank my family because they’ve allowed me to keep training and doing what I love. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to keep fighting for my dreams”, Rodríguez Cintrón concluded.

Kevin and the Mets de Guaynabo now await the outcome of the series between the Cafeteros de Yauco and Plataneros de Corozal to begin the Semifinal Series.

YAUCO, Puerto Rico, October 28, 2024.- Yauco and Corozal faced off in another five-set thriller in the quarterfinals of the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) at the Raúl “Pipote” Oliveras court in this municipality, with the visiting Plataneros of Corozal emerging victorious once again.

This was the third match in the series.

Corozal won the first in five sets, Yauco took the second in four; now the Cafeteros are under pressure to win to force a decisive fifth match to determine who will move on to the semifinal series against the Mets of Guaynabo.

The scores were in favor of Corozal: 25-20, 22-25, 25-23, 17-25, and 21-19.

The sudden-death set was a heart-stopping affair. Plataneros managed to close the set and secure the victory on their fourth match point. Thanks to an error by Mark Frazier of the Cafeteros, the Plataneros took the set to match point at 20-19, and in the next play, Julio Mercedes blocked Diego Rosich to seal the victory at 21-19.

Plataneros outperformed Cafeteros 4-2 in direct serves, while Cafeteros led in attacks 60-58, defenses 60-58, and passes 69-58.

Both teams evened in blocks and assists, with 15 and 28, respectively.

Spencer Olivier led the Plataneros’ offense with 36 points, followed by Sebastián Negrón with 12 and Ramón Matos with 10.

For Cafeteros, Diego Rosich stood out with 20 points, Mark Frazier with 18, Diego Negrón with 17, and Jessie Colón with 13.

The series continues next Wednesday, October 30, at the Félix Méndez Acevedo court in Lares. The match is scheduled for 8:00 pm.

It was the only game on the calendar for tonight.

Semifinal and Final Series Format

In the Semifinal Series, the winner of Quarterfinal Series A (Mets of Guaynabo – Winner) will face the winner of Series D (Cafeteros of Yauco vs. Plataneros of Corozal). 

The winner of Quarterfinal Series B (Changos of Naranjito – Winner) will compete against the winner of Series C (Caribes of San Sebastián vs. Gigantes of Carolina). 

The Semifinals will be a best-of-seven format, with the first to win four games advancing. 

The Final Series will begin on the court of the finalist team with the highest ranking in the Regular Season, regardless of whether they belong to the Island or Metro Section. 

Both series will use a wins-and-losses system instead of the prevailing points system.

FEDPURVOLI

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, October 28, 2024.- Gianluca Grasso, outside hitter for the Guaynabo Mets, was named the “Comeback Player of the Year” for the 2024 season in the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (FPV).

Grasso, who was an All-American hitter with USC’s men’s volleyball program before graduating in 2019, played four years of professional volleyball. He spent three years in Puerto Rico, starting with the Mulos de Juncos. In 2021, he continued with the Caribes de San Sebastián and with the Dallas-based Texas Tyrants. His most recent season was with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel in 2023.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 28-year-old native of São Paulo, Brazil, plays as a domestic player in Puerto Rico. He was recruited by the Guaynabo Mets management for this season, receiving a total of 46 votes to secure first place.

In 38 sets, Gian accumulated 129 attacks, 12 blocks, and 19 aces, totaling 160 points with an average of 4.21. He also registered 65 digs, averaging 1.71, and 104 receptions, averaging 2.74.

“I didn’t expect it since I only played a few games and was coming off an injury, so I really wasn’t expecting it. But I’m very happy with the recognition,” said Gian after receiving the good news.

Coming off a season in Israel from August 2022 to May 2023, Grasso made the wise decision to take a break. In May of last year, he received the joyful news of his wife’s pregnancy, and as a priority, they moved to the United States to await the birth of their daughter.

“We need to keep working on our physical health; a healthy and complete team is the one that wins. We’ve had a great regular season. We keep fighting and are prepared for the results from Yauco and the Plataneros,” added the newly crowned Comeback Player of the Year.

As for returning to Europe to play volleyball, it’s something he’s still considering and has discussed with his agent. “I dedicate this award to my daughter and wife, and to my family,” Gian concluded.

Close behind Gianluca, Oscar Fiorentino from the Changos de Naranjito and Luzgardo Liciaga from the Plataneros de Corozal tied for second with 42 votes each.

They were followed by Francisco Pomar of the Gigantes de Adjuntas and Ramon Burgos of the Guaynabo Mets with 10 votes each, and Erick Ramos (Gigantes de Adjuntas) with 7 votes.

Others who received votes included Jovany Torres (Indios de Mayaguez) and Yassiel Cruz (Gigantes de Carolina).

CAROLINA, Puerto Rico, October 27, 2024.- While the Mets de Guaynabo and Changos de Naranjito completed their third quarterfinal victories to advance to the next stage of the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM), the Caribes de San Sebastián had to dig deep to defeat Gigantes at the Guillermo Angulo Coliseum in this municipality.

At the Mario Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo, the Mets triumphed 3-1 over the Indios de Mayagüez, closing out the quarterfinal series in three games and advancing to the LVSM semifinals. 

The set scores were 27-25, 22-25, 25-19, and 25-12. 

Hisham Yousri led Guaynabo’s offense with 19 points, while Ignacio Aldebol was the standout for Mayagüez with 23 points.

At the Gelito Ortega Coliseum in Naranjito, the Changos also advanced to the semifinals by defeating the Gigantes de Adjuntas 3-1. 

The set scores were 21-25, 25-17, 25-14, and 25-17. 

Félix Chapman led the victory with 18 points, while Heriberto Maldonado stood out for Adjuntas with 14 points. Both series ended with a 3-0 sweep by the winners.

Caribes Dig Deep 

Meanwhile, Caribes de San Sebastián fought hard and prevailed in a fifth set to put their series against the Carolina Giants on the verge of completion, with a 2-0 lead. 

The set scores were 25-19, 25-22, 22-25, 25-27, and 15-10. 

With the match tied at two sets apiece, Caribes sealed the final set by pulling ahead 12-9 with a block from Ezequiel Cruz. They reached match point at 14-10 following a missed attack by Jan Solivan from position four and secured the 15-10 victory with another block, this time by Anthony Negrón on Kevin López. 

Pelegrín Vargas led Caribes with 17 points, while Kevin López also contributed 17 points for Carolina. San Sebastián outblocked Carolina 12 to 11. 

This series will resume on Tuesday, October 29, at the Luis Aymat Cardona arena, home of the Caribes de San Sebastián. The game is set to start at 8:00 pm.

Semifinal and Final Series Format 

In the Semifinal Series, the winner of Quarterfinal Series A (Mets de Guaynabo – Winner) will face the winner of Series D (Cafeteros de Yauco vs. Plataneros de Corozal). 

The winner of Quarterfinal Series B (Changos de Naranjito – Winner) will play against the winner of Series C (Caribes de San Sebastián vs. Carolina Giants). 

The Semifinals will be played in a best-of-seven format, with the first team to win four games advancing. 

The Final Series will begin on the court of the finalist team with the highest position from the Regular Season, regardless of whether they belong to the Island or Metro Section. 

In both series, the prevailing point system will not be used; instead, a win-loss system will apply.

FEDPURVOLI

MESA, Arizona, October 27, 2024.- The triumvirate of outside hitters Claire Hoffman and Brooke Nuneviller and opposite Brittany Abercrombie combined to post 46 kills with a .421 hitting percentage to propel Team Abercrombie to a convincing 77-53 victory over Team Hentz in the finale of Sunday’s Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball doubleheader at Arizona Athletic Grounds. 

The win lifted Team Abercrombie’s Week Four record to 2-0, while handing Team Hentz its second consecutive loss in the season’s penultimate week. 

Hoffman, the match’s MVP 1 recipient, erupted for a season-high 15 kills while hitting .419 with 11 digs to collect a season-high 429 leaderboard points. 

Abercrombie, meanwhile, received her league-leading ninth Match MVP commendation of the campaign with an MVP 2 selection. The first-year AU performer slammed down a match-high 18 kills and hit .432 en route to 380 leaderboard points. 

Nuneviller completed the Match MVP sweep after nearly recording a double-double with 13 kills and nine digs, giving the Chandler, Ariz., product a season-best 335 leaderboard points. 

Setter Sydney Hilley dished out 39 assists in the victory, while libero Manami Kojima chipped in 11 digs. 

Team Hentz was paced by outside hitter Madi Kingdon Rishel, who tallied 11 kills with six digs. Setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson added 32 assists, while team captain Morgan Hentz garnered a match-high 18 digs. 

How It Happened: Team Abercrombie hit a blistering .533 with just one attack error in the opening set to surge ahead with a 25-12 advantage. Team Abercrombie upped its match cushion to 52-37 after holding off a fierce second set rally from Team Hentz to claim a 27-25 triumph. The squad completed the three-set sweep with a 25-16 verdict in the final frame. 

Leaderboard Impact: Hoffman climbed six spots on the leaderboard into third place after her season-high performance, giving her 2,384 leaderboard points. Abercrombie, meanwhile, will carry a 199-point advantage into Monday’s Week Four finale against Team De La Cruz-Mejía. 

MESA, Arizona, October 27, 2024.- Team De La Cruz-Mejía coasted to a 75-52 victory against Team Member-Meneh to begin Sunday’s Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball doubleheader at Arizona Athletic Grounds.

The victory moves Team De La Cruz-Mejía to 2-0 in Week Four, while Team Member-Meneh falls to 0-2.

Opposite Willow Johnson totaled a match-high 14 kills on a .429 hitting percentage with five digs and a solo block to garner MVP 1 honors and a career-high 357 leaderboard points. Setter Madi Bugg authored the first Match MVP performance of her AU Pro Volleyball career with 35 assists and 12 digs, securing MVP 2 plaudits and 347 points.

Middle blocker Tori Dixon completed the Match MVP sweep for Team De La Cruz-Mejía with MVP 3 recognition with an all-around performance. She tallied seven kills on a .583 hitting clip to go with a pair of digs, two solo blocks and four block assists en route to 298 leaderboard points.

Outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía tallied nine kills in the victory, while libero Nomaris Vélez Agosto contributed 10 digs.

Outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh led her squad in the setback with 12 kills and added eight digs, while opposite Khat Bell paced the team with 10 digs. Setter Alisha Childress chipped in with 29 assists and eight digs.

How it happened: Team De La Cruz-Mejía jumped out to a 25-14 advantage after the first set and moved the lead to 50-35 after the second frame. The squad completed the sweep with a 25-17 verdict in the final set.

Leaderboard impact: The win allowed outside hitter Dani Drews to rise four spots on the leaderboard and into fourth place with 2,279 points. De La Cruz-Mejía, meanwhile, holds the top spot with 3,266 leaderboard points pending the result of Sunday’s nightcap between Team Hentz and Team Abercrombie.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, October 27, 2024: William Rivera, outside hitter for the Gigantes de Adjuntas, was selected on Sunday, as the “player with Most Improvement” of the 2024 season of the Men’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSM) by the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (FPV).

Rivera, who stands 6 feet tall and recently turned 24 in September, led the 2024 season awards with 49 votes.

Over 65 sets, Rivera recorded 195 kills, 15 blocks, and 10 aces, totaling 220 points with an average of 3.38 points per set.

“I have no words; I’m trembling with emotion. It’s been a tough year with ups and downs for my team, but the hard work on and off the court has paid off. I’m excited and grateful to receive this news and to be chosen for this award,” William said when he received the news.

“There’s nothing more valuable than this, and I dedicate the award to my family and my volleyball teammates who have always believed in me,” Rivera concluded.

Ismael Alomar, middle blocker for the Gigantes de Carolina, placed second in the voting with 35 points.

Heriberto Maldonado, also of the Gigantes de Adjuntas, came in third with 22 votes, followed by Noah Meléndez of the Indios de Mayagüez in fourth place with 19 votes.

In fifth place, with 13 votes, was Diego Negrón of the Cafeteros de Yauco, while Julio Mercedes of the Plataneros de Corozal finished sixth with 9 votes.

Others who received votes included Guillermo Moya and Ramón Matos (Plataneros de Corozal), Rafael Cora (Indios de Mayagüez), and Willie Varela (Cafeteros de Yauco).

Tonight, the Gigantes will play their third quarterfinal match against the Changos de Naranjito. Although they face elimination, William, now the Most Improved Player, told us that the Gigantes are focused on extending the series with a crucial win.