NARANJITO, Puerto Rico, October 26, 2024: The Cafeteros de Yauco evened their quarterfinal series in the Men’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSM) to one win apiece, as they avenged their previous loss to the Plataneros de Corozal with a four-set victory.
Cafeteros and Plataneros had previously staged a five-set thriller, with Plataneros taking the first match; this time, it was Yauco who came out on top.
The match took place at the iconic Gelito Ortega court in Naranjito, which served as the Plataneros’ temporary home for the night.
The score in favor for Yauco 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-18).
The Cafeteros outperformed the Plataneros in blocks (11 to 6) and aces (5 to 1), while the Plataneros led in attacks (51 to 46), digs (39 to 33), and assists (22 to 17).
The winning offense was led by Eddie Rivera with 15 points, Mark Frazier with 14, Diego Negrón with 13, and Jessie Colón with 11.
For Corozal, Spencer Olivier scored 14 points, followed by Sebastián Negrón with 11, and Julio Mercedes and Ramón Matos with 10 each.
The Quarterfinal Series are best-of-five, with the first team to win three games advancing. The series continues on Monday, October 28, at the Raúl “Pipote” Oliveras court in Yauco at 8:00 pm.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 26, 2024: It started as a battle between the unbeaten teams in Pool A of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
But when the last point was scored, it was Antigua and Barbuda that kept the spotless run intact with a 3-1 (25-13, 20-25, 18-25, 22-25) over Grenada.
Antigua and Barbuda finished top of the pool, with Grenada- second, as both head into the semi- final.
Analysing his team’s performance versus Grenada, Head Coach of the Antigua and Barbuda- Karl Williams, it was that time to make a “statement”.
“We came out to stamp our authority. We came out to make a statement. It started out with the statement but somewhere along the line in Volleyball sometimes things happen, but I am happy for the victory” Williams assured.
The Antigua and Barbuda Head Coach, is looking forward to the new challenge when they play in the semi-finals.
Accepting that his team was beaten on the night, Peer Nasseir- Head Coach of Grenada conceded: “Hats off to Antigua they were able to serve us off the court. We struggled with our service reception and from that they were able to make runs and win the match.
Going into the semi-finals against Dominica Nasseir acknowledged: “We need to be working on our consistency”.
Nasseir underlined though that his team is prepped for their battle with the domineering Dominicans, who won all their matches in Pool B.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 25, 2024: Bermuda completed their sojourn in the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Men’s Championship here at the YMCA Sports Complex, with a 3-0 (26-24, 25-12, 25-13) win over the British Virgin Islands.
It meant that the Bermudans ended the championship with a 2:2 win/ loss ratio.
Summing up his team’s efforts, Head Coach of Bermuda- Michael Smith assessed: “I thought the team played really well. We had a solid game plan coming into the tournament, just wanting to work on the fundamentals, play our game, as a simple game of Volleyball and I think the guys really did that”.
Looking to the future of Volleyball in Bermuda, Smith proffered: “We have a bunch of young guys coming up, their first time here, so they know what they are up against, they can go back, we would look at films and see what we need to improve on”,
On the other hand, the British Virgin Islands, who had no wins from their four matches, but their Head Coach- Stephen Payne believes they can fix that in the very near future.
Payne thumbed, “Technically, we need to be more sound and more consistent”, but believed that in the very short term, and with the right programmes based on analyses, they will be turning the corners.
Meanwhile, Mikey Joseph, the British Virgin Islands’ Co- Captain, also sees positivity ahead.
“What we have to do is have that mindset of a higher level of play. We have been up and down, but now that a lot of the younger guys have had that experience, we will be reminding them to keep that mindset, keep that mindset”, Joseph projected.
Bermuda finished third in Pool A, while the winless British Virgin Islands ended in fifth place in the five- team pool.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 26, 2024: Dominica finished the preliminary round of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex, by topping Pool B.
A painless 3-0(25-7, 25-5, 25-7) win over Saba, saw Dominica ending with a 4:0 win/ loss ratio.
In sheering dominance, Dominica allowed Saba into the match, as they executed their plays with consummate ease.
In his assessment of his team’s final preliminary round match, Dominica’s Head Coach- Brian Galvas said: “We executed, we put a lot of pressure on the team today and that was reflective in the score. If you can control your own side and can execute, you have a really good chance against any side”.
Ahead of the semi-finals, Gavlas added: “Our intention coming here was to make the playoff round and we accomplished that; our intention is to get better after each match”.
But whilst Dominica glowed in all matches in the preliminary round, for Saba, it was the reverse, as they lost all four matches.
This tale left Saba’s Head Coach- Kemaul Lee stating: “Throughout the tournament, we had some patches where we played well, especially against Anguilla, but we were just not consistent with the fundamentals of the game”.
Lee, however, assured that work will be done in Saba to ensure that a better showing is had in ensuing championships.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, October 26, 2024. – Gregory Torres Cruzado, outside hitter for the Guaynabo Mets, was named “Rookie of the Year” for the 2024 season in the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (FPV).
Torres Cruzado, 20 years old and standing 6’4”, led the 2024 Values of the Year voting for this award with 60 votes.
“Wow, you just made my day,” Gregory said after receiving the call notifying him of his accomplishment. He added, “I’m super grateful to the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation, the management of the Guaynabo Mets for giving me the chance to be on the team, and to represent the city of Guaynabo with great pride.”
Gregory also expressed his gratitude to his fans for their support and affection from day one. “I wish my father were here to see me achieve things like this,” he shared, referencing the recent loss of his father due to a heart attack. “I have a lot to say, but I dedicate this to my family and to my father, who, even though he’s not here, I know is watching over me. My heart is racing,” Gregory concluded.
In 61 sets, Gregory Torres Cruzado recorded 171 attacks, 16 blocks, and 16 aces, totaling 203 points, with an average of 3.33 points per set.
Cafeteros de Yauco’s setter, Eli Irizarry, came in second in the voting with 41 votes, followed by Enger Mieses from the Caribes de San Sebastián with 23 votes.
Ignacio Aldevol of the Mayagüez Indians took fourth place with 11 votes, while Alejandro Irizarry (Gigantes de Adjuntas) and Antonio Elías (Mets de Guaynabo) both received 8 votes for fifth place.
Other players receiving votes included Derwin Tapia (Carolina Giants), Diego Negrón (Cafeteros de Yauco), Diego Rosich (Cafeteros de Yauco), Javier Gómez (Mayagüez Indians), Sebastián Obrador (Mayagüez Indians), and William Rivera (Adjuntas Giants).
Gregory Torres and the Guaynabo Mets secured first place in the regular season of the Metro Division with a 15-5 record and 45 points. In the quarterfinals, they currently lead their series 2-0 against the Mayagüez Indians, needing only one more win to advance to the semifinals.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 25, 2024: Efficient execution in all facets of the game, saw Dominica carving out a 3-1(25-23, 25-17, 23-25, 25-20) over St. Lucia, to lead Pool B of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
St. Lucia though pushed Dominica in each of the sets, as neither relented, as they fought for supremacy.
In the end, it was the power of the Dominica hitters, sprinkled with deft touches that made the difference.
Delighted with the win, Dominica’s Head Coach- Brian Gavlas, thumbed his team’s analyses of the St Lucians’ play and strategized accordingly.
“We put them in trouble with our serves. We were pretty disciplined with our blocking and defence. Our guys did a good job. In general, we executed what we wanted to do very well”, Galvas reasoned.
Also, underlining that it was their superior strategy that helped them cross the line, Dominica’s Captain- Yahn Florent commented: “We looked at their games and from photos. We analyzed the game plan, and we stuck to the game”.
Florent though wanted his team to be unblemished.
“It is very nice to have one over their head. It was not the win we wanted. We wanted a 3-nil victory”, Florent insisted.
Accepting defeat, but not throwing in the towel, St. Lucia’s Head Coach- Hervan Brown, thinks it is not all done for them.
“The tournament is not over, we are still going to win”, Brown assured.
His evaluation however, thumbed their service errors that attributed to their loss.
“We had a terrible serving game and I think that is where we lost the game”, Brown pointed out.
Brown iterated that they will fix what needs to be fixed in their upcoming match.
In other Pool B results on day four saw Anguilla having a 3-0 (25-15, 25-9, 25-17) win over Saba and St. Maarten also defeated Saba 3-0(25-10, 25-14, 25-7).
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 25, 2024: Antigua and Barbuda looked out of it after losing the first sets to Bermuda, but found the will in Pool A of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
As such, Match 13 proved to be thus far the most thrilling, as Antigua and Barbuda triumphed 3-2(24-26, 25-27, 25-19, 25-14, 15-9)
Antigua and Barbuda thus levelled with Grenada, who also has three wins from as many matches.
The two will now battle for top spot in the pool, when they square off in Match 19.
Assessing his team’s come from behind effort, Head Coach of Antigua and Barbuda- Karl Willliams was proud of his charges’ response to the Bermudans early dominance.
“I had all the confidence in the world for the guys. What am happy for, is we were pushed, and we showed resilience that is within this team”, Williams related.
Williams revealed that tactically adjustments were made, when the chips were down with them.
“Within our two and a half months of training, we would have tried different systems. Tonight, one wasn’t working and we made the adjustment”, a smiling Williams said.
Adrian Constant- Antigua and Barbuda’s Captain, was also in praise with his teammates recovery after being two sets down.
“We were lackadaisical early in the game. We made some changes which really worked and impacted the game. In the third set we realized that if we sit and play Antigua’s style of Volleyball, they can’t beat us”, Constant reported.
Michael Smith- Head Coach of Bermuda heaped accolades on his players, despite surrendering a two- set advantage, and having only one substitute at his disposal.
“We knew coming in that we didn’t have a lot of subs, so we tried to be as tactical as we could. Our passing was phenomenal. We executed as well as we could. We are holding our heads high after this” Smith said.
He though underscored the extreme heat was also a defining factor in the match.
“We got pretty tired. The guys were pretty sweaty. At the end of the third, it was pretty dangerous. There was sweat everywhere. I am proud of the guys”, Smith commiserated.
The other Pool A result on day three, saw Grenada defeating St Eustacius 3-0(26-24, 25-19, 25-17).
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 24, 2024: The race for the top spot in Pool A of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Men’s Championship here at the YMCA Sports Complex, remains a tight one.
This, as Antigua and Barbuda, as well as Grenada, remain the teams to stay perfect in that pool.
They have both stitched together performances that have led them to dispose of their opponents with some level of ease.
After defeating Bermuda 3-1 on day one of the championships, Grenada added the British Virgin Islands to its list, as they also won 3-1(14-25, 25-12, 25-9, 25-21), to win match six.
Likewise, Antigua and Barbuda, added another 3-0 win, as they too are 2:0 in win/loss ratio, when they saw off the British Virgin Islands, 25-11, 25-19, 25-19 in match nine.
As a consequence of the results, the race for the top position is now on.
Summing up the two wins and ahead to the upcoming matches, Antigua and Barbuda’s Head Coach – Karl Williams gave a philosophical outlook.
“We are nowhere. We have two wins, but we have to get at least four more. We have to play smarter; we have to play stronger, so our next game is our first game”, Williams reasoned.
Grenada’s Head Coach- Karreem Salhab believes his team has rid themselves of the “jitters” that affected them in the two previous matches.
Looking ahead, Salhab said: “We try to take it one step at a time. Next, we have St Eustacius. We have to do our homework and come prepared to play them”.
Other Pool A results saw Bermuda defeating St Eustacius 3-0(25-11, 25-18, 25-14) in match seven.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 24 2024: Dominica and St. Lucia have taken the lead in Pool B of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
This as both have recorded two wins to stay as the unbeaten outfits in Pool B.
Dominica beat Anguilla 3-1(19-25, 25-13, 25-11, 25-11) and versus St Maarten, it was also 3-1 (25-21, 27-25, 19-25, 25- 18).
Meanwhile, St. Lucia has been more efficient, beating their two opponents by 3-0 margins.
Thus, St. Lucia had a 25-10, 25-9, 25-10 win over Saba and versus Anguilla took the match 25-16, 25-19, 25-21.
Reflecting on their sojourn thus far in the championships, Dominica’s Captain- Yahn Florent, pointed to late starts.
“We have been having a late start. We have to warm up in order to get the momentum going”, Florent related.
Despite not being as clinical as they want, Florent said that withstanding the inconsistencies at times, the team is prepared for the battle ahead.
“We know we have more tough matches to come. We have some injury issues, but we are prepared to play through the pain”, a resilient Florent expressed.
Meanwhile, St. Lucia’s Head Coach- Hervan Brown, assessing his team’s output in their two matches, highlighted: “What I have been doing is working my bench getting a feel for what the tournament has to offer. I know what I am doing in the next game”.
The St. Lucia Head Coach said that he used the two matches to mix and match with some of his younger players as well as tighten on some of the errors in an anticipation of stiffer competition in the remaining matches.
The dominant team in the pool will be decided, as Dominica and St. Lucia meet in the two teams’ next match.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 23, 2024: Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda ticked the boxes sufficiently, thus earned wins in Pool A of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Men’s Championship here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
Grenada had a 3-1 (19-25, 25-22, 25-20, 26-24) win over a shorthand Bermuda, while Antigua and Barbuda strode to a 3-0 (25-13, 25-11, 25-21) triumph over St Eustacius.
Before taking charge of the match, Grenada took time to get their passes together, but found their mojo as the match wore on.
Meanwhile, Antigua and Barbuda had it all their way as St Eustacius offered little answer to their relentless spiking from different zones on the court.
Assessing their teams’ first outing in the championships, here are the comments from the Head Coaches and Captain.
Grenada’s Captain- Darron Oxford: “It was a good performance altogether, but there are a couple key aspects of the game that we need to focus on moving on in the tournament, which are our first pass and blocking at the net”.
Oxford revealed that with the new coach, who has implemented a new system, where they have a large squad to cater for the compact nature of the championships.
Bermuda’s Head Coach – Michael Smith: “We tried to play as technical a game as possible… We are really working on the fundamentals. We have a really young team, and these guys played really well… We are going to try to play technically sound throughout the tournament and hopefully come up with some wins”.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Head Coach- Karl Williams: “We have been practicing for a while, running certain plays and executing them and I am happy to see those plans executed tonight”.
Williams said that despite the 3-0 win, they are going to look critically at the match and do further evaluation for their next match.
St Eustacius’ Head Coach- Patricio Bridgewater: “I tip my hat to them (Antigua and Barbuda) … They took over the whole thing, they played a beautiful game. I think (though) that the team (St Eustacius) can do better than this”.
Bridgewater cited fatigue and the presence of one setter at his disposal, proving a deficiency.
The next Pool A match features Grenada versus the British Virgin Islands.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 23, 2024: Ten teams stashed into two pools are chasing after the gold medal and a place in the Continental Championships, in the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Men’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
In Pool A are Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands and Saint Eustatius. Pool B consists of St Lucia, St Maarten, Dominica, Anguilla and Saba.
The championships will see a total of twenty matches in the preliminary round.
Opening day sees three matches set for decision, with six matches carded for day two, three and four.
The playoffs, third place and gold medal match take place on day five, Sunday, October 27.
Commencing are Grenada and Bermuda, who play Match one in Pool A.
MESA, Arizona, October 26, 2024.- Over the first three weeks of the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball season, opposite Brittany Abercrombie has been the only player in the league who has not endured the feeling of a match loss.
Heading into the third set of Friday night’s encounter with Team Member-Meneh, it appeared that nine-match win streak was in jeopardy of coming to an end. But, Abercrombie’s teammates put together a sizzling final frame to end any doubt and send the league leader into the winner’s circle once again with a 67-66 victory at Arizona Athletic Grounds.
The win allowed Team Abercrombie to open the week with a 1-0 record, while Team Member-Meneh dropped to 0-1.
Abercrombie, who secured Match MVP honors for the eighth time this season, posted a match-high 12 kills and added seven digs en route to MVP 3 distinction and 183 leaderboard points.
Outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller added 10 kills and a .375 hitting percentage in the victory, while outside hitter Gia Day earned MVP 2 accolades after posting four kills in the final set.
Outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh received MVP 1 recognition and a match-high 264 leaderboard points in the loss after collecting 12 kills with eight digs, while opposite Khat Bell added 12 kills with five digs and two solo blocks.
Setter Alisha Childress dished out 36 assists with 12 digs in the setback for Team Member-Meneh, while outside hitter Lindsey Vander Weide added a season-high 11 kills.
How it happened:Team Member-Meneh used six kills from Bell to take the opening set by a 25-20 count. The squad extended its match advantage to eight points at 50-42 as Vander Weide slammed down seven kills during the middle frame. Team Abercrombie responded in the final set by hitting .321 and forcing Team Member-Meneh into 11 attack errors, securing the match victory with a 25-16 outcome.
Leaderboard impact:The match victory allowed Abercrombie to remain in the top spot on the leaderboard for the fifth consecutive match day, but her edge over outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía stands at just 78 points heading into Sunday’s twinbill. Member-Meneh holds the No. 3 position with 2,260 leaderboard points.
MESA, Arizona, October 25, 2024. – Week Four of the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball season started off with plenty of flair as Team De La Cruz-Mejía held on for a thrilling 85-81 victory against Team Hentz on Friday night at Arizona Athletic Grounds.
Team De La Cruz-Mejía opens the penultimate week of the season with a 1-0 mark, while Team Hentz dips to 0-1.
Outside hitter Madi Kingdon Rishel led all players with 20 kills and registered 10 digs with four blocks to earn MVP 1 laurels and 305 leaderboard points, while outside hitter Temi Thomas-Ailara put down 18 kills with 12 digs to claim MVP 2 plaudits and 252 leaderboard points.
Libero Nomaris Vélez Agosto finished with a season-high 23 digs and garnered 239 leaderboard points to round out Match MVP honors.
Outside hitter Dani Drews posted 16 digs and eight digs, while outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía put down 15 kills with a season-high 17 digs. Setter Madi Bugg pitched in 43 assists and nine digs in the victory.
Opposite Heydi Casanova registered a league-high 24 digs and pitched in nine kills in the loss for Team Hentz. Setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson also put forth a season-high effort by dishing out 46 assists with 12 digs, while libero and team captain Morgan Hentz picked up 16 digs in the loss.
How It Happened: Team Hentz held on to take the first set, 28-26, before Team De La Cruz-Mejía fired back with a 25-17 triumph in the second frame to take a 51-45 match lead. A marathon third set saw Team Hentz claim a 36-34 win, but Team De La Cruz-Mejía held on for the four-point match victory.
Leaderboard Impact: De La Cruz-Mejía reclaimed the top spot on the leaderboard with 3,007 points, while Kingdon Rishel vaulted six places into third place with 2,200 points. Hentz and Valentin-Anderson round out the top five spots with 2,180 and 2,079 points, respectively.
SAN SEBASTIÁN, Puerto Rico, October 25, 2024.- The Caribes de San Sebastián kicked off the quarterfinals of the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) on the right foot, hosting the Gigantes de Carolina at the Luis Aymat Cardona court, and winning in straight sets, 25-19, 25-20, and 25-17.
The defending champions, Caribes, dominated Carolina with 37 to 25 in attacks, 30 to 29 in digs, 31 to 30 in passes, and 20 to 13 in assists; both teams had 7 successful blocks.
Carolina struggled with their reception throughout the first set due to Caribes’ powerful serves, falling 19-25.
Changos
In the second set, the champions reached set point first at 24-19 due to a failed attack from the visitors. Pelegrín Vargas sealed it with a strong cross-court attack from zone two, 25-20.
They secured victory early in the third set, pulling ahead 19-14 with a spike by Vargas from zone four. The set was put away 22-17 following a service error by Jan Solivan of the Gigantes. The Caribes reached set point 24-17 with a tip from Jackson Rivera in zone four and closed the set and match with a successful block, 25-17.
The winning offense was led by Pelegrín Vargas and Jalen Penrose, both with 14 points. For Carolina, Kevin López and Jeff Menzel each contributed 8 points.
This Group C action will continue on Sunday, October 27, at 6:00 p.m. at the Guillermo Angulo Coliseum in Carolina.
Mets Guaynabo
One Foot in the Semifinals for Changos de Naranjito and Mets de Guaynabo
Changos de Naranjito claimed their second victory in Group B against the Gigantes de Adjuntas in straight sets. The scores at Rafael Llull Pérez Court were 25-19, 25-20, and 25-23 for Naranjito.
Ángel Rivera, Félix Chapman, and Johansen Negrón scored in double digits for the Changos with 13, 12, and 10 points, respectively.
At the Recreation and Sports Palace, the Mets de Guaynabo had to fight hard to secure a 25-20, 23-25, 25-17, 21-25, and 15-7 victory over the Indios de Mayagüez.
Mayagüez managed to push the match to the fifth set with a 25-21 score, thanks to two failed attacks by Gregory Torres of the Mets from zone two.
The Mets took the side change at 8-1 and didn’t look back. They reached match point 14-6 with a missile from Gregory Torres in zone two; Torres then struck again to finish the match at 15-7.
This marked the Indios’ 22nd loss since the start of the season. With this victory, the Mets are one step closer to the semifinals, achieving their second win in this quarterfinal phase.
Inovel Romero led Guaynabo with 23 points, followed by Jorge Mencía and Hisham Yousri with 20 points each. For the Indios, Zachary Meyer scored 20 points, while Jovany Torres contributed 14.
This series (Group A) continues with the third match on Sunday, October 27, at 5:00 p.m. at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo. IF the Mets win, they will advance to the semifinals.
YAUCO, Puerto Rico, October 24, 2024.- The Cafeteros of Yauco and the Plataneros of Corozal delivered a true thriller in the start of the quarterfinals of Puerto Rico’s Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) in Group D, taking the match to a sudden-death set, where Plataneros secured the victory.
The match took place at Raúl “Pipote” Oliveras court in Yauco.
The final scores for Plataneros were 15-25, 25-23, 19-25, 25-23, and 15-10.
Corozal celebrated
Corozal led Yauco 52 to 51 in attacks and 4 to 3 in service aces, while the Cafeteros performed better in blocks, 12 to 10, defenses 49 to 47, and assists 26 to 24.
With the match tied at one set each in the third set, both teams remained neck-and-neck into the final phase, with the last tie at 17.
Then, an 8-2 run by the Cafeteros, capped off with two service aces by Mark Frazier, ended the set in Yauco’s favor.
The fourth set was as intense as the previous, with Corozal pulling ahead toward the end, stretching the lead to 23-18 with two service aces by Carlos Berlingeri and a successful attack down the right side by Sebastián Negrón against Yauco’s block, holding off the home team’s momentum to close the set 25-23 after a missed attack by Frazier.
Spencer Oliviera (31) of Corozal atack
In the sudden-death set, the Plataneros took control, leading at the court change 8-4, and stretching the advantage to 12-8 with another ace from Berlingeri, sealing the set at 15-10.
Corozal’s offense was led by a double-digit effort from Sebastián Negrón with 20 points, alongside 14 points each from Spencer Olivier and Arnaldo Torres. Luzgardo Liciaga contributed 22 assists.
For Yauco, Mark Frazier stood out with 21 points, while Eddie Rivera and Jessie Colón added 14 each.
The series will continue next Saturday, October 26, when the Cafeteros visit Corozal, this time at the Gelito Ortega court in Naranjito, the provisional home of the Plataneros. The match is set to begin at 8:00 p.m.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct. 24, 2024) – USA Volleyball is pleased to announce that Karch Kiraly will transition to head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team for the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Quadrennial.
Kiraly transfers to the post with the current coach, John Speraw, having been named USA Volleyball’s president and CEO on October 1. Speraw served for 12 years as the Men’s National Team head coach.
“I am thrilled that Team USA’s greatest winner will be moving from the U.S. Women’s Team to lead the U.S. Men into LA 2028,” Speraw said. “I have complete and total trust in Karch’s process. He has a relentless work ethic, brilliant intellect and is a selfless teacher.”
Kiraly transfers to the U.S. Men’s National Team from his role as head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team where he has served since September 2012. Most recently, he led the U.S. Women to the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. In 2021, he helped the U.S. Women win their first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. He also coached the team to an Olympic bronze medal in Rio 2016 and to its first World Championship win in 2014.
“Chances to collaborate with some of the best people and players on the planet – and to represent our country while striving for incredibly difficult goals like Olympic gold medals – are precious beyond words,” Kiraly said. “For one-quarter of my life, I’ve poured everything I have into the U.S. Women’s Team; first as an assistant, then as head coach. Now, it’s time for new adventures and new challenges.”
The U.S. Women have won three Volleyball Nations League trophies (2018, ’19 and ’21) and the 2015 Grand Prix under Kiraly, who compiled a 327-81 record in his 12 years as head coach. Prior to becoming the head coach, he served as an assistant coach for four years under Hugh McCutcheon and helped the U.S. Women win the 2012 Olympic silver medal.
Kiraly takes over a U.S. Men’s Team that won the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and is ranked No. 3 in the world.
“I am thrilled beyond words at the opportunity to coach the U.S. Men’s National Team,” Kiraly said. “I’ve watched with respect and admiration for everyone in the program as they’ve pursued excellence, both in training and in competition. This opportunity shines even brighter as I fondly recall the nine seasons I spent as a player with the program.”
Kiraly is considered one of the greatest volleyball players ever. He won two Olympic gold medals in indoor volleyball (1984, 1988) and one in beach volleyball (1996).
He was selected the greatest volleyball player of the 20th century by the FIVB and has been inducted into several halls of fame, including the International Volleyball Hall of Fame (2001), the United States Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame (2008) and the UCLA Hall of Fame (1992).
“All of us at USA Volleyball recognize that our record of success in the sport began when Karch led Team USA to the gold medal in 1984,” Speraw said. “I think it is fitting that when Karch steps onto the court at the LA Olympics, he will be competing with the men’s team one more time.”
“Karch will not only bring his experience, skills and knowledge of the game to a team riding high going into a new Olympic & Paralympic quad, but he can also be a part of the game where he began his career with USA Volleyball as a Men’s National Team player,” said USA Volleyball Board of Directors Chair Dave Gentile.
Collegiately, Kiraly was an outside hitter who led UCLA to a 124-5 record and three national titles during his four years.
Kiraly and his wife Janna have two adult sons, Kristian and Kory.
More from Karch Kiraly: “Huge thanks to USA Volleyball for all the chances to represent the United States; to the players and staff of the U.S. Women’s Team, too many to name, who did so much of the heavy lifting over the last 16 years; and finally, to the players and staff of the Men’s Team for the chance to work alongside you. Life has a way of humbling us all; the way you responded to adversity, and seized the bronze medal in Paris, should be a model for all to follow.”
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, October 23, 2024.- The Mets of Guaynabo kicked off the quarterfinals of the Puerto Rican Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) with a victory in Group A, defeating the Indios of Mayagüez in four sets at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum.
The scores were 27-29, 25-20, 25-20, and 25-12.
Guaynabo showed its superiority over Mayagüez in several areas: 68 to 44 in attacks, 9 to 7 in blocks, 4 to 1 in aces, 58 to 47 in digs, 56 to 47 in receptions, and 53 to 23 in assists.
In the first set, the Mets and the Indios engaged in a close back-and-forth battle, with the Indios taking the set 29-27 thanks to an attack by Jovany Torres down the left side and a mistake by Gregory Torres of the Mets.
Despite the improvement of Mayagüez, the Mets came back strong in the following sets, led by Inovel Romero and Gregory Torres.
Mets de Guaynabo
In the second set, the Mets reached set point at 24-20 with Gregory Torres attacking well from the right side, and the set was sealed with an ace on the next play.
In the third set, Gianluca Grasso delivered the set point at 24-20 from the left side, and Gregory Torres closed it out from the right side.
In the fourth set, Guaynabo dominated, leading by as much as 11 points, 21-10, with an ace from Inovel Romero. Grasso gave the Mets set point at 24-12 with a powerful spike from the left, and Antonio Elías finished it with a middle attack for a 25-12 win.
The Mets had three players in double digits: Gregory Torres with 26 points, Inovel Romero with 23, and Gianluca Grasso with 13. Kevin Rodríguez provided 49 assists.
For Mayagüez, Zachary Meyer led with 16 points, followed by Jovany Torres with 13 and Jail Santiago with 12.
This series will continue on Friday, October 25, at the Palacio de Recreación y Deportes in Mayagüez at 8:00 p.m.
It was the 21st consecutive loss for the Indios of Mayagüez since the start of the regular season.
Changos Defend Their Nest
In the other match of the night, the Gigantes of Adjuntas faced the Changos of Naranjito in Group B at the legendary Gelito Ortega court.
Naranjito’s victory came with scores of 20-25, 25-23, 25-22, and 25-13.
Naranjito outperformed Adjuntas 53 to 48 in attacks, 8 to 4 in blocks, 42 to 35 in digs, and both teams tied with 25 assists each. Félix Chapman and Jorge López led the Changos with 26 and 11 points, respectively.
For the Gigantes of Adjuntas, Cristian Encarnación stood out with 20 points, and William Rivera contributed 15.
This series continues on Friday, October 25, at the Rafael Llull Pérez court in Adjuntas at 8:00 p.m.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 22, 2024: St Lucia’s Kerin Neptune was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Women’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
Neptune, who helped her team win the championships, was also named one of two Best Outside Hitters. She shared the other Best Outside Hitter accolade with Rayana Regis of Antigua and Barbuda.
Other awardees
Best Opposite – Kayley Hamilton (Bermuda)
Best Middle Blockers – Tyna Williams (St Lucia) and Kwansia Carr (Antigua and Barbuda)
Best Setter- Cindy Wilson (St Lucia)
Best Libero – Rosemarie Simon (Antigua and Barbuda)
Best Scorer – Rayana Regis (Antigua and Barbuda)
Best Receiver – Rosemarie Simon (Antigua and Barbuda)
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 22, 2024: In dominating style, St Lucia stopped Bermuda in their tracks to take the gold medal in the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Women’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
St Lucia, winners of the title in 2022, maintained their hold on the top spot, outlasting the Bermudans 3-0 (25-10, 25-22, 25-19).
Bermuda threatened on occasions in the second and third sets with slender leads, but St Lucia showed their experience and will to win, thwarting the momentums.
Having suffered at the hands of Bermuda in the preliminary phase of the championships, St Lucia avenged the 2-3 loss, by winning in straight sets.
Apart from claiming gold, St Lucia earned the right to be ECVA’s representative at the 2025 Continental Championships.
St Lucia’s Head Coach- Kendell Charlery, while accepting that Bermuda was a formidable foe, believed his team was superior.
“It is a great feeling to win to retain the title. Bermuda gave us a run for our money in the first round, but we were hungrier. They (Bermuda) played pretty good in the final, but we came out with fire”, Charlery opined.
Charlery disclosed that it was a deliberate plan to go hard at Bermuda from the start of the decisive final.
“That was the plan. We stopped their attackers, and we did that from the very first ball. We took a lead from each and every set and we tried to maintain it and that was the game plan”, Charlery revealed.
Winning the title and looking ahead to the next sojourn, Charlery commented: “It means a lot. We have a good group of good players back home who are ready to train for the Continental Championship. We have some pretty young players coming up”.
Losing Coach of Bermuda- Shalae Rae was happy with the overall performance with her team.
“I am proud of the team. Tonight we came up against a good team. We are a young team with a good future. We did a check on the stats with our team and the average age is 19.9 years”, Rae commented.
The Bermuda Head Coach underscored that going back with a silver medal serves as a good fillip for the team as well as Volleyball in her country.
Final Standings: 1. St Lucia 2. Bermuda 3. Grenada 4. Antigua and Barbuda 5. St Maarten 6. Anguilla
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, October 23, 2024. – The quarterfinal series of the Puerto Rico Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) kicks off tonight, with the 8 qualified teams divided into four series.
SERIES A: METS DE GUAYNABO VS. INDIOS DE MAYAGÜEZ
The Mets de Guaynabo (15-5, 45 points), leaders of the metro section, begin their quarterfinal series against the Indios de Mayagüez, who failed to secure any victories in 20 matches during the regular season, finishing in fourth and last place in the island section.
The head-to-head series between the two was dominated by the Mets 2-0, with the Indios managing to win only one set.
Mayagüez needs to improve their serving, as they recorded a staggering 32 service errors, with a negative average of 4.57 per set.
The Mets, with a strong offense with their outside hitters led by Inovel Romero, Hisham Yousri, Gianluca Grasso, and Gregory Torres, guided by setter Kevin Rodríguez, will be tough to beat.
SERIES B: CHANGOS DE NARANJITO VS. GIGANTES DE ADJUNTAS
In the other match of the night, Gigantes de Adjuntas will face the Changos de Naranjito.
The Gigantes, in their head-to-head series with the Changos, committed 39 attack errors, equivalent to almost two sets, with a negative average of 5.57. If they can address this weakness, their chances of victory will improve.
The series was dominated by the Changos 2-0, under the direction of Jamille Torres Rosario, who is also the coach of Puerto Rico’s Men’s National Volleyball Team.
Naranjito finished the regular season in second place in the metro section with a 12-8 record and 37 points. Adjuntas finished third place in the island section with a 5-15 record and 15 points.
MINIMIZING ERRORS, KEY FOR INDIOS AND GIGANTES
To have a chance of victory, both the Indios and Gigantes will need to minimize their errors. Effort and focus on every play will be crucial to competing against the top teams in their respective series.
The matches begin at 8:00 pm tonight, Wednesday, October 23, at the legendary Gelito Ortega court in Naranjito and the Mario Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo.
The Quarterfinal Series will be played in a best-of-five format, where the first team to win three games will advance.
The teams in the 1st position of Series A and C, and the 2nd position teams in Series B and D, will have home-court advantage.
In this phase, the point system will not be used, only wins and losses.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 22, 2024: With a display of consistency, team spirit and sticking to the fundamentals Grenada stitched together a solid performance to beat Antigua and Barbuda and most importantly take the bronze in the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Women’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
Grenada showed intent from the first whistle, winning the first two sets 25-23, 25-19, but Antigua and Barbuda rebounded to win the third set 25- 22.
However, the Grenadians ensured that there was no repeat of their match up in the preliminaries, when Antigua and Barbuda won the five-setter, by taking the third set, 25-19.
In the process, Grenada reversed the 3-2 defeat they suffered earlier in the championships.
It was Grenada’s fourth successive win, whilst Antigua and Barbuda suffered their third loss in succession.
Delighted that his team was able to finish on the podium- Head Coach of Grenada, Raphael Braithwaite said: “Credit must go to my team for coming back from two defeats and win four on the trot and we will be returning to Grenada with bronze and that is good for our Volleyball”.
Brathwaite said that the success can only spur other women to be part of Volleyball in Grenada.
Not deflated that his team faltered when it mattered most, Antigua and Barbuda’s Head Coach- Olsen Joseph, was still high in players for the efforts of his team.
“I think the girls put up a fight but they were a bit nervous, but Grenada wanted it more than we did, so they showed that they wanted it and they claimed it”, Joseph contended.
He thinks though that the youthfulness of the team, is an investment for the future of Antigua and Barbuda’s Volleyball.
“It is a young group of girls so I understand it is a challenge for them and experience for them as well, so they have two years to get it right and keep working on their game, and get themselves ready for pressure”, Joseph claimed.
Before the third place match, St Maarten had a 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-17) win over Anguilla.
Bermuda and St Lucia play next in the gold medal match.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 21, 2024: Bermuda and St Lucia will play in the gold medal match of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Women’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
Additionally, apart from being crowned champion, the gold medallist will get a chance to represent the ECVA at the Continental Championships in 2025.
Both Bermuda and St Lucia earned the right to get a crack at the title, as they finished the six – team preliminary round, with a 4:1 win/loss ratio.
On the other hand, the two enter the title match coming off different results in their last preliminary round matches.
Bermuda was beaten 3-0 (22-25, 23-25, 23-25) by Grenada, while St Lucia had to come from a set down to stave off Antigua and Barbuda, winning 3-1(17-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-17).
St Lucia ended the preliminary round winning 14 sets and lost 4, while Bermuda won 12 sets and 6.
Now, it is all to play for, and the two camps have expressed confidence going into the final.
Putting the loss to Grenada behind them, Bermuda’s Head Coach- Shalae Rae underscored that the final is what counts.
Noting that her team used the Grenada match strategically, Rae disclosed that it should serve them in good stead in the gold medal match.
“We found this to be a learning experience because we know who our best servers/ receivers are going to be, so what we have learned from this game is how we can use this opportunity to our strategic advantage in our gold medal match”, Rae explained.
St Lucia’s Head Coach – Kendell Charlery: We have a score to settle… We lost to Bermuda in the preliminary round, but we are better now, as we have tidied up some of our mistakes and I think we have a good show up, in defending our title”.
When the two teams met in the preliminary phase, Bermuda trumped 3-2.
Preceding the gold medal match, Anguilla and St Maarten play for fifth and sixth places, while Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda rumble for the bronze medal.
MESA, Arizona, October 21, 2024. – After Team Abercrombie and Team De La Cruz-Mejía closed Week Two with an exciting result, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if the two squads fashioned another match to remember in Monday night’s Week Three finale.
Not only did the two teams deliver in the rematch, but they sent the fans at Arizona Athletic Grounds home with a match they won’t soon forget as Team Abercrombie thwarted a comeback bid by Team De La Cruz-Mejía to secure a 75-72 Golden Set win in Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball action.
The memorable victory allowed Team Abercrombie to close Week Three with a perfect 3-0 record, while Team De La Cruz-Mejía dropped to 2-1.
Libero Morgan Hentz posted an AU Pro Volleyball season-high 22 digs to capture MVP 1 laurels and 318 leaderboard points, while outside hitter Temi Thomas-Ailara smashed 14 kills on a .385 hitting percentage with seven digs and a solo block in route to MVP 2 honors and 293 leaderboard points.
Captain Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía garnered MVP 3 plaudits with 19 kills, including eight kills in the third set to help force the Golden Set, while adding seven digs, a service ace and a block to collect 216 points.
Outside hitter Lindsey Vander Weide pitched in eight kills and eight digs for Team Abercrombie, while setter Alisha Childress added 36 assists and 15 digs in the victory.
Outside hitter Claire Hoffman downed 10 kills, including nine in the third set, with 11 digs for Team De La Cruz-Mejía and setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson guided the offense with 36 assists in the loss.
Four players finished with 11 digs for Team De La Cruz-Mejía.
How It Happened: Team Abercrombie edged Team De La Cruz-Mejía, 25-21, in the opening set and needed a few extra points in the second frame to open up a 51-45 match advantage. Team De La Cruz-Mejía battled back in the third set, 25-19, to tie the match at 70-all and send the match to a Golden Set where Team Abercrombie secured the victory.
Leaderboard Impact: Abercrombie remains in the top spot through three weeks with 2,914 points, while De La Cruz-Mejía stays in second with 2,709 points. Hentz jumped four spots in the Week Three finale and sits in third with 2,021 points to return to the captain’s seat in Week Four.
MESA, Arizona, October 21, 2024.- Team Member-Meneh built a commanding lead in the first two sets and withstood a third-set rally from Team Drews to secure a 76-59 victory in the opening match of Monday night’s Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball doubleheader at Arizona Athletic Grounds.
Team Member-Meneh closes Week Three at 1-2 with the three-set sweep, while Team Drews ends the week winless in its three contests.
Outside hitter Madi Kingdon Rishel put down 14 kills with 15 digs and a pair of solo blocks to claim MVP 1 honors and a season-high 399 leaderboard points, while setter Marlie Monserez pitched in 30 assists and a match-high 18 digs for MVP 2 plaudits and a season-best 392 leaderboard points.
Middle blocker Kayla Haneline smashed nine kills on a remarkable .643 hitting percentage and matched the AU Pro Volleyball single-match record with seven solo blocks to claim MVP 3 laurels and 353 leaderboard points. She also dropped in a service ace and recorded three block assists in the victory.
Opposite Willow Johnson struck at a .300 clip and added 13 kills with seven digs for Team Member-Meneh, which hit .267 as a team.
Captain Dani Drews downed 11 kills for her squad in the loss, while outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller chipped in 10 kills. Libero Mary Lake collected a season-high 17 digs to anchor the Team Drews defensive effort.
How It Happened: Team Member-Meneh opened up a 25-16 lead after the first set and increased the advantage to 50-35 through two frames. Team Drews kept things close in the final frame, but Team Member-Meneh claimed the third set, 26-24, to secure the victory and the win points sweep.
Leaderboard Impact: Outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh slid into the third spot on the leaderboard with 1,996 points while Kingdon Rishel vaulted seven positions into fourth place with 1,895 points ahead of the Week Three finale between Team Abercrombie and Team De La Cruz-Mejía. Drews also maintained a top-10 position, standing seventh in the league standings with 1,730 points.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 21, 2024: Grenada and St Lucia, both were in winners’ row during the morning session, on day four of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Women’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
However, their wins were in contrasting styles, as Grenada was taken the distance by St Maarten, while St Lucia had a straightforward win over Anguilla.
For Grenada, it was second time lucky, as they came out on the better side of their five- setter duel with St Maarten, as they both battled to the end.
Grenada trumped 3-2(20-25, 25-17, 21-25, 25-16, 16-14), while St Lucia won 3-0 925-17, 25-13, 25-9).
Day four results placed the championships in a tough battle for the other spot, as St Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda will be seeking to join Bermuda in the title match.
St Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda, thus are in a must win scenario in Match fifteen, the final encounter in the preliminary round.
Preceding them will be Grenada and Bermuda, in the penultimate Match fourteen.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, October 21, 2024. – Luis “Luismi” Beltrán, player of the Gigantes de Carolina, was selected as the Most Valuable Player and Best Libero in Week #12 of the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) of Puerto Rico.
In this week, the last of the tournament, Beltrán, a graduate of Purdue University Fort Wayne, accumulated 69 digs in 17 sets played, for an average of 4.06.
Additionally, he made 81 receptions with an average of 4.76. Luis Beltrán, MVP of the week, finished first with 264 digs in 75 sets, for an average of 3.52.
In reception, he was also number one, with an average of 4.97, and the best libero with 264 positive digs and 373 positive receptions, for an average of 8.49.
Luismi and the Gigantes de Carolina finished in fourth place in the Metro section with a record of 8-12 and 25 points, advancing to the quarterfinals to face the Caribes de San Sebastián, defending champions and leaders of the Island section.
MESA, Arizona, October 20, 2024. – Led by middle blocker Molly McCage, Team Abercrombie outlasted Team Member-Meneh to claim a 73-71 verdict in a back-and-forth contest in the finale of Sunday’s Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball doubleheader at Arizona Athletic Grounds.
With the result, Team Abercrombie moves to 2-0, while Team Member-Meneh sinks to 0-2 in Week Three.
McCage, the match’s MVP 1 selection, swung at a .400 clip and smashed eight kills in the victory while matching her career high with six solo rejections to secure a season-high 329 leaderboard points.
League newcomer Madi Kingdon Rishel tied her season high with 17 kills and added nine digs to claim MVP 2 plaudits and 217 points, while teammate Willow Johnson tallied a double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs on her way to MVP 3 accolades and 155 leaderboard points.
Captain Brittany Abercrombie finished with 10 kills, seven digs, a service ace and a solo block to guide her team to the victory, while setter Alisha Childress dished out 35 assists. Libero Morgan Hentz chipped in a match-high 12 digs to pace the Team Abercrombie defense.
Outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh put down nine kills with six digs and a pair of blocks in the setback, while setter Marlie Monserez registered a season-high 40 assists and 10 digs for her third double-double of the season.
How It Happened: The teams battled to a 48-all tie through two sets before Team Abercrombie rallied to secure the match win with a 25-23 verdict in the final set. McCage led the charge by tallying five kills and three solo blocks in the final frame. Leaderboard Impact: Abercrombie owns the top spot for another day with 2,649 points, while teammate Morgan Hentz slides into the sixth spot. Member-Meneh is the only member of her squad in the top 10, holding fourth place with 1,756 points.
MESA, Arizona, October 20, 2024. – A trio of players finished with double-digit kills as Team De La Cruz-Mejía fended off a third-set push from Team Drews for a 66-64 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball victory on Sunday afternoon at Arizona Athletic Grounds.
Team De La Cruz-Mejía stays perfect in Week Three at 2-0, while Team Drews drops to 0-2.
Opposite, Khat Bell finished with a season-high 15 kills on a .351 hitting percentage with eight digs and a pair of solo blocks to garner MVP 1 honors and a season-high 361 leaderboard points.
Outside hitter Claire Hoffman struck at a .435 clip with a season-high 12 kills and eight digs for Team De La Cruz-Mejía to claim MVP 2 honors and 309 leaderboard points, while middle blocker Tori Dixon put down five solo blocks with two block assists, four digs and a pair of kills to receive MVP 3 plaudits and 261 points.
Captain Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía finished with 13 kills and four digs in the victory, while setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson dished out 38 assists with eight digs. Libero Manami Kojima chipped in a match-high 14 digs in the victory for Team De La Cruz-Mejía.
Outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller led the way for Team Drews with 10 kills, while setter Sydney Hilley pitched in 30 assists in the setback. Libero Mary Lake paced the squad with 11 digs.
How It Happened: Team De La Cruz-Mejía opened up a seven-point advantage with a 25-18 triumph in the opening frame before upping the lead to 50-39 after two sets. Team Drews avoided being swept by picking up a 25-16 win in the final frame, but Team De La Cruz-Mejía held on for a 66-64 match victory.
Leaderboard Impact: De La Cruz-Mejía rose back into the top spot on the leaderboard but holds a slim 63-point edge over opposite Brittany Abercrombie pending Sunday’s nightcap between Team Member-Meneh and Team Abercrombie. Bell, meanwhile, surged six spots up the leaderboard into eighth place.
MESA, Arizona, October 18, 2024.- Team Abercrombie used strong performances from opposite Brittany Abercrombie, libero Morgan Hentz, setter Alisha Childress and outside hitter Temi Thomas-Ailara to move past Team Drews, 75-68, in the second match of Friday night’s Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball doubleheader at Arizona Athletic Grounds.
Team Abercrombie moves to 1-0 after winning its Week Three opener, while Team Drews slides to 0-1.
Abercrombie dialed up a match-high 15 kills on a .324 hitting percentage with 14 digs to claim MVP 1 plaudits and 355 leaderboard points. Hentz, meanwhile, garnered MVP 2 honors following a 17-dig performance to receive 272 points.
Childress, who made her first start of the season, earned MVP 3 distinction and 274 leaderboard points after a season-best performance that saw her dish out 40 assists with 10 digs, three blocks and a pair of kills.
Thomas-Ailara posted her first double-digit kill effort of the season with 13 kills while contributing six digs and a pair of blocks in Team Abercrombie’s victory, while outside hitter Lindsey Vander Weide put down seven kills with a pair of service aces, 10 digs and a solo block.
Middle blocker Molly McCage chipped in five solo blocks, four block assists and seven kills for Team Abercrombie.
Outside hitter Dani Drews paced her squad with 11 kills and seven digs in the loss, while libero Mary Lake registered a team-high 15 digs.
How It Happened: Team Abercrombie opened up a 25-21 lead in the opening frame and advanced the lead to 50-41 after the middle frame. Team Drews took the final set, 27-25, but could not overcome the deficit.
Leaderboard Impact: Abercrombie remains in the top position on the leaderboard following the opening night of Week Three with 2,430 points, while Childress and Thomas-Ailara each jumped six places in the standings.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, October 20, 2024.- In an exciting Sunday action of the Superior Men’s Voleibol League (LVSM) of Puerto Rico, the Caribes de San Sebastián, Mets de Guaynabo, and Gigantes de Carolina wrapped up the regular season with convincing victories in their respective matchups, setting high expectations for the postseason series.
At the Raúl “Pipote” Oliveras court in Yauco, the national champions Caribes de San Sebastián defeated the Cafeteros in four sets 25-19, 25-21, 18-25, and 25-15.
The combined offense of Pelegrín Vargas, Jalen Penrose, Pablo Guzmán, and Pedro Nieves with 19, 18, 12, and 10 points respectively, was more than enough to secure their 17th win of the season, finishing with an impressive 17-3 record and 51 points, solidifying their lead in the island region.
Carolina celebra
For the Cafeteros, who ended the regular season with a 12-8 record and 34 points, Mark Frazer and Jessie Colón stood out with 12 and 10 points respectively.
San Sebastián outperformed Yauco in all facets of the game: 55 to 35 in attacks, 8 to 7 in blocks, 6 to 4 in aces, 41 to 33 in digs, and 27 to 16 in assists.
The Mets de Guaynabo closed the regular season of the LVSM with a straight-set victory over the Changos de Naranjito. The set scores were 25-22, 31-29, and 25-23.
Jorge Mencía led the Mets’ offense with 18 points, followed by Gregory Torres with 14. For the Changos, Adrián Iglesias contributed 12 points, and Johansen Negrón added 8.
The match took place at the legendary Gelito Ortega court in Naranjito, where Guaynabo outperformed Naranjito in attacks (43 to 34), digs (27 to 20), and assists (28 to 16).
The Mets finished in first place in the metro section with a 15-5 record and 45 points, while the Changos ended in second place with a 12-8 record and 37 points.
Guaynabo celebra
Gigantes Get Revenge on Plataneros
At the Guillermo Angulo Coliseum, the Gigantes de Carolina defeated the Plataneros de Corozal in five sets, avenging their loss from Saturday.
The set scores were: 17-25, 19-25, 28-26, 25-23, and 15-9. Pedro Pastrana led the Gigantes’ victory with 23 points, while Luis Pabón contributed 17. For the Plataneros, Joseph Cuevas stood out with 13 points.
Thus, the Gigantes de Carolina concluded the regular season with an 8-12 record and 25 points in fourth place in the metro section, while the Plataneros de Corozal occupy third place with an 11-9 record and 31 points.
Both teams finished with 55 attacks each; Corozal outperformed Carolina in blocks (16 to 9) and aces (6 to 4), while Carolina was better in digs (69 to 58). In passing, Corozal was superior (63 to 56), and they also led in assists (29 to 14).
Expectations are high for the LVSM quarterfinals, where the top teams will battle to continue their way to the championship.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 20, 2024: Bermuda shut out the cacophony of noise and the shenanigans and focused on what was before them on the court, to beat Antigua and Barbuda 3-1(25-20, 25-23, 21-25, 25-16) in the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Women’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
In a clash of the two unbeaten teams, as this was reflected in the competitive nature of the first three sets, before Bermuda closed out the contest in the fourth.
Hence, Bermuda marched to their fourth straight win, and with a match in hand, has all but booked a place in the final.
Revealing that they were well prepared for what the Antiguans had to throw at them, Bermuda’s Head Coach- Shalae Rae, in an expression of accomplishment, said, “The mood is ecstatic…We know Antigua was the team to beat… We prepared for it and we are thrilled that we pulled it off”.
She shared that they were mentally prepared for the battle, given the home support for the Antiguans.
“We had a lot of team talk… We talked about strategies to overcome the crowd… There is going to be heckles. It is gonna be loud … It is gonna be annoying … We need to overcome that, bring your energy to overcome that”, Rae related.
Joining Rae in assessing the big effort by the Bermudans was team Captain- Kaylee Trott, who confirmed: “We didn’t think it will be easy by any means … We had to make a big effort to keep our energy up… Our bench really helped with that”.
On the other hand, reviewing his team’s first loss, Antigua and Barbuda’s Head Coach- Olsen Joseph summed up, “It was a little hard one … It was a lot of mistakes on our end, we need to work on improving that”.
Joseph disclosed that although they had strategized against the technically strong Bermuda team, they were not able to execute as planned.
“We tried to put the taller blockers on the main attackers but we were unable to get it stop”, the Antigua and Barbuda Head Coach conceded.
For Rosemarie Simon, the Antigua and Barbuda Captain: “I am a little disappointed that we lost the game … I have seen Bermuda play throughout the tournament and I know that they are a technically inclined team, so I knew it would have been a fight but I knew that our team could have played a little bit better”.
A confident Simon believes her team can and will rebound in their remaining matches.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 20, 2024: A rejuvenated Grenada team was in a no -nonsense mood when they faced off against Anguilla in match nine of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Women’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
Bent on making amends for their two previous defeats, Grenada was switched on from the first whistle, and at the close of the match, was celebrating their 3-0 (25-16, 25-9, 25-19) win.
Grenada’s attacks and defenses could not be matched by the Anguillans.
The win for Grenada was welcomed by their Coach- Raphael Brathwaite and Outside Hitter-Thornia Mitchell.
For Brathwaite, he owes the win to his team being well rested and putting behind the losses in their two previous matches.
“We had a very good game against Antigua and
As a team we had one motive so we came here with the motivation to win… We came to execute and we executed
Personally, for Mitchell, who was a standout in the match, joined in Brathwaite’s assessment of the team being well rested, hence their output against the Anguillans.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 20, 2024. Antigua and Barbuda extended their unbeaten run, but not without a bump on the way in the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Women’s Tournament here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
Facing the ever- improving St Maarten team, the Antiguans had to dig deep at times to eke out the 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 23-25, 25-14) win.
In the process, Antigua and Barbuda notched up their third successive win, joining Bermuda who also has three wins.
On the other side of the court, it was St Maarten’s third straight defeat, but had the consolation of winning their first set.
Antigua and Barbuda’s success thus far, was embraced by Head Coach Olsen Joseph, although cautioning that it was “one match at a time”.
In his assessment of the win, Joseph admitted: “This one was a bit challenging because one of my main players that I would have come in as a sub, got injured before coming to the court, so I had to mix and match”.
Joseph is riding the positives coming from the three wins, hoping that the momentum will take them to the title match.
Not disgraced by his team’s string of losses, St Maarten’s Head Coach- Dimitri Beauperthuy, lauded his charges for their continued improvements.
“I am extremely proud of the performance… This is what I expected from the team… I believe in the first and second sets, we missed the opportunity based on our service”.
Likewise in high spirit was St Maarten’s Captain- Chelsey Augustine, who said, “I am pleased how my teammates came out; I mean really came out, when they really needed to”.
Augustine strongly holds the view that the continued improvements in the championships shown by the team augurs well for the sport of Volleyball in St Maarten.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, October 21, 2024.- The final positions for the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) of Puerto Rico have been determined for the Quarterfinals, which begin on Wednesday, October 23. The Quarterfinals will feature the 8 teams that qualified from the Regular Series, divided into four exciting matchups.
Series A will consist of the team that finished first in the Metro Section and the team that finished fourth in the Island Section: METS DE GUAYNABO VS. INDIOS DE MAYAGÜEZ.
Series B will be composed of the team that finished second in the Metro Section and the one that finished third in the Island Section: CHANGOS DE NARANJITO VS. GIGANTES DE ADJUNTAS.
Series C will feature the team that finished first in the Island Section and the team that finished fourth in the Metro Section: CARIBES DE SAN SEBASTIÁN VS. GIGANTES DE CAROLINA.
Series D will consist of the team that finished second in the Island Section and the one that finished third in the Metro Section: CAFETEROS DE YAUCO VS. PLATANEROS DE COROZAL.
The Quarterfinal Series will be played in a best-of-five format, with the first team winning three games advancing. The teams in the 1st position in Series A and C, and the teams in the 2nd position in Series B and D, will have home-court advantage.
In this phase, the points system will not be used, instead, it will be based on wins and losses.
Quarterfinals Schedule:
Wednesday, October 23:
Mayagüez at Guaynabo (8 pm)
Adjuntas at Naranjito (8 pm)
Thursday, October 24:
Corozal at Yauco (8 pm)
Friday, October 25:
Guaynabo at Mayagüez (8 pm)
Carolina at San Sebastián (8 pm)
Naranjito at Adjuntas (8 pm)
Saturday, October 26:
Yauco at Corozal (8 pm) at the “Gelito” Ortega Coliseum
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 19, 2024: Bermuda again showed why they have emerged as one of the favourites to go all the way in the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Women’s Tournament here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
A straightforward 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25 -21) over Anguilla left Bermuda perfect from three matches, and in pole position for one of the two top places at the end of the preliminaries.
On the other hand, Anguilla, after three matches, has a solitary win, but has conceded twice.
Smarting after their hard- fought win over St Lucia in their previous match, the Bermudans were all round better than their opponents, showing prowess and poise especially whenever Anguilla sought to take the upper hand.
The overall effort of the Bermuda team, pleased their Head Coach- Shalae Rae.
“We keep positioning ourselves well… We came here wanting to win and that hasn’t changed and having a three- nil record can only help us going into the final games”, Rae stated.
Despite the win, Bermuda’s Captain- Kaylee Trott said there were some anxious moments.
“We were not playing our true game at the beginning… It took a little while to find our footing and when we found it, we were in a grove and we are hoping to start the next game right off the bat, playing our game”, Trott related.
Coach of Anguilla- Jason Liburd, thumbed, “passing” and “setting”, for his team’s demise.
“We had issues passing… The setting was (also) really the problem why we couldn’t really get over the hump, but not being able to fix the passing in the situation, was our downfall”, Liburd bemoaned.
A dejected Anguilla’s Captain Rikiesha Leveret, acknowledged that losing the match, left her “down”.
This as she felt, “I feel we could have played a better game… We just needed the passes and that’s a crucial part of the game… To get the passes up to get the play going; if there are no passes, there is no play”.
Despite the disconsolateness, Leveret still has faith in her players, to rebound in the remaining matches.
Match eight pits Antigua and Barbuda against St Maarten.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 19, 2024: In a thrilling match, Antigua and Barbuda triumphed in five sets, 3-2 (18-25, 25-18, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10), in the sixth encounter of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Women’s Tournament, held at the YMCA Sports Complex.
On several occasions, both teams tied and exchanged leads, alternating set wins, but it was Antigua and Barbuda who prevailed over Grenada in this exciting five-set match.
Antigua and Barbuda was indebted to the crowd support that rallied around them when the chips were down, as Grenada clawed back ever so often in the contest.
However, the two teams were guilty of incurring errors at critical points of the match, giving advantage to each other.
Antigua and Barbuda thus, after two matches is unbeaten, while Grenada remained winless, also after the same number of outings.
Following the nerve wracking, energy sapping match, Olsen Joseph, the triumphant coach on the night, said that nerves on the part of the younger players, allowed Grenada back in the match.
“The younger players that we have, the nerves got the better of them as they tried not to make any mistakes and that caused them to make mistakes”, Joseph opined.
Meanwhile, Rosemarie Simon, Captain and Libero of the Antigua and Barbuda team commented, “We did not expect to play five sets, but the mode of the game changed… I think we weren’t settled enough, then we (eventually) found our footing, and tried to work together as a team”.
Simon said that they will be drawing on the match as a fillip to condition themselves to go to five sets, so “we can know what the strengths and weaknesses are, with the combinations we have”.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 19, 2024: In a match that had all the elements of a true duel, Bermuda came from set down to register an epic win over pre – championship favourites St Lucia.
When the last ball dropped, it was Bermuda that had improved their status with a 3-2 (15-25, 25-19, 18-25, 25-21, 15-9) win in the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Women’s Championships here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
The win put the Bermudians to a 2: 0 win/ loss ratio in the six- team championships, whilst St Lucia goes 1:1.
The humdinger of a contest, saw both teams not giving much, neither asked for any benevolences, fighting tooth and nail, to gain ascendancy and supremacy.
Bermuda’s Head Coach- Shalae Rae, who was smiling from ear to ear, in a post- match remarked: “Nothing like a win that you really had to work for …We came in pretty blind, but watched the warm up and adjusted the game as we went along”.
Rae added, “We had a team that was really, really tired… St Lucia was giving us a run for our money, they had big blocks, strong attacks and we had to adjust and when they scored points they earned those points, so it was our job to clean up our mistakes, clean up our serves and we also had to make some strategic adjustments”.
Rae thought that the timely insertion of 15- year-old Olivia Gazzard, a setter, was one of the turning points of the match to their advantage.
Delighted with the historic win, Bermuda’s Captain- Kaylee Trott said of team mates, “They held their ground and were able to get back up out of our rot fast after that first set and am really proud of them …We plan to keep the same momentum for the rest of the championships”.
Contrarily, the countenance of St Lucia Head Coach- Kendell Charlery was glum.
A disappointed Charlery apportioned blame on the defeat to “a procession of errors” on his team’s part.
“Defensive errors cost us many points at crucial times in the game…The game exposed many areas that we need to tighten up on moving forward in the competition”.
Whilst congratulating Bermuda on a “job well done”, St Lucia’s Captain- Cindy Wilson “We played our game very slowly… At times we became very complacent but we look forward to doing a better job in our upcoming games”.
The championships continue with Grenada facing Antigua and Barbuda.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 18, 2024: Antigua and Barbuda recorded a workmanlike 3-0 (25-8, 28-26, 25-18) to get the home crowd going, in match two of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Women’s Tournament, here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
After winning the first set with some ease, Antigua and Barbuda met a roadblock in the second set, as the Anguillans displayed character and intent.
However, the Antiguans recalibrated in the third set to hold on to win and set themselves in good stead for the remainder of the tournament.
Buoyed by the win, it was a happy Head Coach of Antigua and Barbuda- Olsen Joseph.
“It was a nice little experience for the first game, we have some little things that we have to work out but all in all it was okay”, Joseph stated.
Joseph however disclosed that the issue of communication on the court among players will be addressed, as according to him, “We need to be more focused on what we are doing”.
Meanwhile, Antigua and Barbuda’s Captain- Rosemarie Simon proffered: “I am excited, because over the years, Anguilla has been a team that fights to the end and we expected, however, with our rounded team, we had service going for us and we were working together”.
“In the second set, we got a little bit flustered, committing little errors, but we came out in the third set adamant that we were going to execute and that was exactly what we did”, Simon added.
In his commiseration, Head Coach of Anguilla, Jason Liburd believed that had the nervy second set gone their way the outcome could have been different.
“The first set was like a warm up; the second I think we should have won and the third set was not out of hand… It was a disappointing end to the match, but I think we would learn from here”, Liburd assessed
Reflecting on her team’s overall performance, Anguilla’s Captain – Rikiesha Leveret, commented, “After we lost the first set, our coach was on the side encouraging us …So for the second set we were prepared, as we saw who were serving, who were attacking and we were able to talk about it on the sideline and become better”,
Both Liburd and Leveret assured that they possess the attributes to play better and get positive results in their ensuing matches.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, October 18, 2024: St Lucia completed an uncomplicated 3-0(25-20, 25-9, 25-10) dismantling of Grenada, in match one of the 2024 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Women’s Tournament, here at the YMCA Sports Complex.
St Lucia though had to fight hard to ward off a busy Grenada team in the first set, but found their groove thereafter, whilst Grenada’s energy dropped appreciably.
As such, St Lucia made the full use of the court attacking the Grenadians from different areas, forcing them into errors.
Commenting on his team’s win, St Lucia’s Head Coach- Kendell Charlery assessed:” We were a little bit cold but all in all in the end, we showed our muscle and at the same time, maintained our composure”.
Despite winning the contest with some ease in the end, Charlery thought a “better start” was needed by his players.
Joining Charley in the assessment of the opening match, St Lucia’s captain Cindy Wilson, whilst commending the overall performance of the team, noted, “It feels good; we came prepared, we stuck to our game plan, and gained the victory”.
The sentiments from the Grenada camp were understandably different.
Conceding that his team did not play their best Volleyball on the night, Head Coach of the Grenada outfit- Raphael Brathwaite related, “There is not much to be said because of the standard at which these girls could play, it is hard to find some positive…Not that we are making excuse, but it was a case of tiredness… Having said that, I expect a better showing in the next match, because we are a better team than what was put out here tonight”.
Similarly, Grenada’s Captain- Ezia Paul concurred, “The thing about the ladies, is when we are up there, we are up there but once we go down it is hard to bring back the team”.
Paul promised to lead from the front and endeavour to motivate her team mates in the remaining matches.
Match two pits Antigua and Barbuda versus Anguilla.
PUERTO CORTÉS, Honduras, October 19, 2024. – The two teams from the United States will face off in the semifinals of the sixth stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, ensuring a spot in the final, while the other semifinal will feature Costa Rica against Canada.
Katie Lindstrom/Tifanny Svenssohn from the United States defeated Shana Rivera/Cecille Johnson from Honduras 2-0 (21-6, 21-9) in quarterfinals and advanced to the semifinals, where they will face the other U.S. team Rachel Kramer/Jade Race, who beat Guatemala’s Natalia Girón and Paola Alvarado 2-0 (21-18, 21-19).
The other semifinal will feature Costa Rica’s Sofía Vega/Eugenia Ramírez, who won 2-1 (18-21, 21-18, 16-14) against Sarah Penner/Melanie Valenciana from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Their opponents will be Amy Ozee/Kaylee Glagau from Canada, who defeated Nicaragua’s Nahima Silva/Lolette Rodríguez 2-0 (21-18, 21-13) in quarterfinals.
The tournament had a delay of a little over two hours due to bad weather, which left the municipal courts in Puerto Cortés in poor condition. However, the Organizing Committee did an excellent job restoring them, ensuring the athletes’ safety and maintaining the quality of the event.
The semifinals will take place at 9:45 a.m. with the Canada vs. Costa Rica match, followed by the U.S. teams facing off at 10:30 a.m.
Tiffany Svensshn y Katie Lindtrom USA
Sunday Matches
Dyer/Gumbs (SKN) vs. Rodríguez/Cardona (HON) – 09:00
SF Ozee/Glagau (CAN) vs. Sofi V/Ramírez (CRC) – 09:45
SF Lindstrom/Svenssohn (USA) vs. Kramer/Race (USA) – 10:30
5-8 Classification N. Girón/Alvarado (GUA) vs. Penner/Valenciana (ISV)
5-8 Classification Silva/Lolette (NCA) vs. Rivera/Johnson (HON) – 12:00
7th-8th Place Match
5th-6th Place Match
Third-Place Match and Final
Pool-play Results, Saturday
Pool A: Rivera/Johnson (HON) vs. Silva/Lolette (NCA) 0-2 (16-21, 13-21)
Pool B: Smith/Lumsden (JAM) vs. Rodríguez/Cardona (HON) 2-1 (18-21, 21-18, 15-6); Lindstrom/Svenssohn (USA) vs. Sofi V/Ramírez (CRC) 2-0 (21-8, 21-14)
Pool C: Kramer/Race (USA) vs. Dyer/Gumbs (SKN) 2-0 (21-10, 21-7); Ozee/Glagau (CAN) vs. Penner/Valenciana (ISV) 2-0 (21-12, 21-16).
PUERTO CORTÉS, Honduras, October 19, 2024. – Three teams have already secured their spots in the semifinals of the sixth stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour: U.S. Virgin Islands, Nicaragua, and the United States, while the final ticket will be decided on Sunday.
The match between Lev Priima/David Wieczorek from the United States and Irvin Reyes/Wilfredo Vega from Honduras was suspended at the teams’ request due to poor visibility, as the day’s start was delayed by weather conditions.The Organizing Committee significantly improved the condition of the municipal courts in Puerto Cortés to ensure athletes safety and maintain the event’s quality.
The winner of this match will face the U.S. pair Diego Pérez/Ryan Ierna, who defeated Costa Rica’s Justin Solano/Esteban González 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) in the quarterfinals.
In the other quarterfinal matches, Bryce Mayer/Tyler Penberthy from the U.S. Virgin Islands won 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) against Guatemala’s Edgar Maldonado/Luis García and will face Nicaragua’s Rubén Mora/Dany López in the semifinals, who beat fellow Nicaraguans Axel Gutiérrez and Denis López 2-0 (21-18, 21-10).
Diego Pérez y Ryan Ierna USA
Sunday Matches
QF Priima/Wieczorek (USA) vs. Reyes/Vega (HON) – 8:00 a.m.
SF Mayer/Penberthy (ISV) vs. Mora/López (NCA) – 09:00
SF Pérez/Ierna (USA) vs. QF Winner – 10:30
5-8 Classification Maldonado/García (GUA) vs. Gutiérrez/López (NCA) – 9:45
5-8 Classification Solano/Esteban (CRC) vs. QF Loser – 11:15
9-10 Classification Rahnavard/Gannett (CAN) vs. Fernández/Moreira (HON) – 12:00 p.m.
7th-8th Place Match and 5th-6th Place Match
Third-Place Match and Final
Pool-play Results, Saturday
Pool A: Reyes/Vega (HON) vs. Maldonado/García (GUA) 0-2 (18-21, 18-21)
Pool B: Rahnavard/Gannett (CAN) vs. Mora/López (NCA) 0-2 (15-21, 17-21)
Pool C: Gutiérrez/López (NCA) vs. Fernández/Moreira (HON) 2-0 (21-12, 21-13); Mayer/Penberthy (ISV) vs. Pérez/Ierna (USA) 0-2 (19-21, 14-21).
MESA, Arizona, October 18, 2024. – The duo of outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía and opposite Khat Bell combined for 29 kills as Team De La Cruz-Mejía downed Team Member-Meneh, 72-64, to start Week Three of Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball action on Friday night at Arizona Athletic Grounds.
Team De La Cruz-Mejía begins the week at 1-0, while Team Member-Meneh falls to 0-1.
De La Cruz-Mejía amassed a match-high 17 kills with a service ace and eight digs to claim MVP 1 honors and 356 leaderboard points, while libero Manami Kojima added 20 digs for MVP 2 plaudits and 300 points.
Outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh set a season high with 16 kills and chipped in 10 digs to earn MVP accolades and 183 leaderboard points in the defeat.
Bell tallied 12 kills with seven digs and a pair of solo blocks for Team De La Cruz-Mejía, while setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson finished with 35 assists and 16 digs in the victory.
Outside hitter Madi Kingdon Rishel recorded nine kills and nine digs in the loss for Team Member-Meneh and setter Marlie Monserez added 30 assists with a team-high 15 digs.
How It Happened: Team De La Cruz-Mejía took the opening set by a 25-18 count before Team Member-Meneh trimmed the match deficit to 47-43 with a 25-22 score in the second frame. Team De la Cruz-Mejía secured the match victory with a 25-21 triumph in the final set.
Leaderboard Impact: De La Cruz-Mejía returns to the top spot on the leaderboard with 2,277 points, while Kojima and Valentin-Anderson each moved up one spot into fourth and fifth places with 1,611 points and 1,522 points, respectively.
MANAMI KOJIMA
Notes of Interest
Member-Meneh and De La Cruz-Mejía faced each other as opposing captains for the first time in their Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball careers.
Member-Meneh, the 25th player in AU Pro Volleyball history to serve as a team captain, made her debut as a team leader on Friday night.
De La Cruz-Mejía moved her AU Pro Volleyball career captain’s record to 25-12 … She is the second player in all Athletes Unlimited sports to reach 25 victories as a team leader … Attacker Sam Apuzzo, the 2024 AU Pro Lacrosse champion, is the all-time leader with 27 wins as a captain.
Teams wearing the Orange jersey have won five straight matches after Team Abercrombie went 3-0 in Week two, while teams donning the Blue top have now lost their last six contests.
Outside hitter Paige Briggs-Romine suffered the first loss of her Athletes Unlimited career after opening the season at 6-0 … Opposite Brittany Abercrombie is the only remaining player in the league with a perfect match record this season.
Monserez lost her sixth straight contest after being on the winning side in the league’s first match day of the season.
Valentin-Anderson posted her seventh double-double of the season, which tops the league … It marked her 26th career AU Pro Volleyball double-double, extending her all-time lead.
Member-Meneh surpassed 15 kills for the first time in her AU Pro Volleyball career with her season-high 16 kills … She also posted her second double-double of the season.
Bell finished with double-digit kills for the fifth time this season, including the fourth outing in a row.
Kojima is the second player to record 20 or more digs in a single match this season, joining Morgan Hentz (October 11 vs. Team Caffey) … She is the ninth player in league history to achieve the mark.
Libero Nomaris Vélez Agosto secured her 42nd match with 10 or more digs to increase her existing league record.
De La Cruz-Mejía became the first player in the 2024 AU Pro Volleyball season to reach 100 kills … She is the league’s all-time leader in the category with 694 kills.
De La Cruz-Mejía surpassed 15 kills for a league-record 23rd time in her AU Pro Volleyball career, including her fourth instance this season.
Monserez piloted her second double-double performance of the season … She also finished with 15 or more digs for the first time this season.
De La Cruz-Mejía claimed her 33rd career Match MVP award, including the 17th MVP 1 certificate … Both marks stand as league records.
Kojima earned the first Match MVP honor of her AU Pro Volleyball career … She is the 69th different player in league history to receive a Match MVP award.
PUERTO CORTÉS, Honduras, October 17, 2024.- The sixth stop of the 2024 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour will begin this Friday, October 18, in Puerto Cortés, featuring 21 teams, 11 women’s pairs and 10 men’s pairs, competing for a spot on the podium.
In the women’s competition, Pool A includes Nicaragua (Nahima Silva/Lolette Rodríguez), Guatemala (Natalia Girón/Paola Alvarado), and Honduras (Shanna Rivera/Cecille Johnson).
In Pool B are Costa Rica (Sofía Vega/Eugenia Ramírez), Jamaica (Petal Smith/Kristina Lumsden), USA (Katie Lindstrom/Tiffany Svenssohn), and Honduras (Valery Rodríguez/Greisy Cardona).
Pool C features the U.S. Virgin Islands (Sarah Penner/Melanie Valenciana), St. Kitts and Nevis (Shanicia Dyer/Shajunee Gumbs), Canada (Amy Ozee/Kaylee Glagau), and USA (Rachel Kramer/Jade Race).
Honduras
The matches will kick off at 9:00 a.m. with Silva/Rodríguez (NCA) facing Girón/Alvarado (GUA), followed by Sofía Vega/Ramírez (CRC) versus Smith/Lumsden (JAM), and Lindstrom/Svenssohn (USA) against Rodríguez/Cardona (HON) at 10:40 a.m., in a total of 10 matches of the preliminary round.
On the men’s side, 10 pairs will compete to make history in Honduras.
Pool A includes Guatemala (Edgar Maldonado/Luis García), Costa Rica (Justin Solano/Victorio), and Honduras (Irvin Reyes/Wilfredo Vega).
In Pool B are Nicaragua (Rubén Mora/Dany López), USA (Diego Pérez/Ryan Ierna), and Canada (Rouzbeh Rahnavard/Tynan Gannett). Group C consists of USA (Lev Priima/David Wieczoreck), Nicaragua (Axel Gutiérrez/Denis López), Honduras (Kenny Fernández/Germán Zelaya), and U.S. Virgin Islands (Bryce Mayer/Tyler Penberthy).
Maldonado/García (GUA) will play against Solano/Esteban (CRC) at 9:00 a.m. on court 2, followed by Mora/López (NCA) vs Priima/Wieczorek (USA) and Pérez/Ierna (USA) against Gutiérrez/López (NCA), in a total of eight pool-play matches.
Jamaica
In both divisions, the quarterfinals will feature first-place from Pool A facing the third place from Pool B/C. The other matchups will see the second place from Pool B face the second from Pool C. The first place from Pool C will play against the second from Pool A, and the first from Pool B will take on the third from Pool A/C, as the two best third-place teams will advance.
Women’s Teams: Shanna Rivera/Cecille Johnson HON, Katie Lindstrom/Tifanny Svenssohn USA, Amy Ozee/Kaylee Glagau CAN, Sarah Penner /Melanie Valenciana ISV
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 17, 2024.- Adolfo Rivas of Guatemala was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Central American Championship, held from October 11 to 17 at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Adolfo Rivas, from the undefeated champion Guatemala, received the MVP award at the conclusion of the event. Rivas was also recognized as the tournament’s Best Setter. Additionally, from Guatemala, Yeferson Zavala received the award for Second Best Spiker, and Josué González was named Best Digger.
Christian Flores of silver medalist Panama was honored as Best Server.
Eleazar Mejía of Belize was named Best Spiker, and his teammate Kaelen Ingram earned the recognitions of Best Opposite and Best Scorer (144 points). Belize won the bronze medal.
Fernando Navarro of El Salvador took home two awards: Best Libero and Best Receiver.
Jeremy Vanegas of Costa Rica was recognized as the Best Blocker, and Edwin Humphreys as the Second Best Blocker.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 17, 2024.- Panama won the silver medal at the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship after defeating Costa Rica 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-16), while Belize claimed the bronze.
This is Panama’s fourth silver medal out of a total of 10 medals, which also include 2 gold medals and 4 bronze. Panama finished the tournament with a 5-1 record and 21 points.
Belize won the bronze medal, their first medal in the history of the event, with a 4-2 record and 19 points.
Victor Perez PAN
Panama bounced back after losing the first set, finishing the match with advantage in attacks (53-33) and serves (8-6). Costa Rica outperformed Panama in blocking (14-8). Panama committed 29 errors, while Costa Rica had 28.
Three players led Panama in the win, with Víctor Pérez scoring 20 points, David De León adding 15, and Víctor Araúz contributing 11.
For Costa Rica, Denzel Jiménez was the top scorer with 13 points.
Despite Panama rallying from a four-point deficit (16-20) in the first set to tie at 22 points, Costa Rica dominated with Sheydrian Wilson blocking to secure the lead. In the second set, Panama gained a three-point advantage (20-17) and took control with a block from Christian Flores and a serve from David Della, leveling the match. Panama started strong in the third set (6-0) with blocks from Víctor Araúz and effective serves from Christian Flores, maintaining their lead throughout. With Pérez, supported by David De León, Panama sealed the match in the fourth set to win the silver.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 17, 2024.- Guatemala defeated Nicaragua 3-2 (24-26, 25-14, 25-19, 26-28, 15-11) in their final match of the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship to celebrate their ninth title in the history of the event.
Guatemala had already secured the championship after their victory over Panama one day before. The champions finished the tournament with a 6-0 record and 26 points. Nicaragua finished 2-4 with 14 points.
The champions led in attacks (58-55) and aces (6-3) and benefited from 36 points from Nicaraguan errors compared to their 24. Nicaragua led in blocks (16-15).
Jerry Duran GUA
Guatemala’s captain, Yeferson Zavala, was the top scorer of the match with 23 points (18 attacks, 4 blocks, one ace). Opposite hitter Jerry Durán and middle blocker Christian Alvarez contributed 18 and 11 points, respectively.
Nicaragua’s middle blocker Edwin Humphreys scored 23 points, including a match-high of 7 blocks. Outside hitters Kenneth Martínez and Evans Solís recorded 17 and 14 points, respectively.
After losing the first set, Guatemala dominated the second, mostly due to their blocking (4-0) and the 24 points that Nicaragua gave away on errors. Guatemala won the third set, coming back from a seven-point deficit (4-11) with efforts from Yeferson Zavala and Christian Alvarez. Guatemala reached match point in the fourth set (24-22), but Nicaragua tied the score with an error and a kill from Kenneth Martínez, winning it 28-26 with an advantage in attacks and blocks. In the tie-break, from point five onwards, Guatemala stayed ahead, losing a match point on a kill from Edwin Humphreys. Guatemala earned the victory with a kill from Daniel Delgado.
Edwin Humphreys NCA
Jerry Durán, opposite hitter of Guatemala: “We feel happy to have won the championship undefeated. However, we are left with a bitter taste from the results of the last two matches because we couldn’t play our usual game, and it wasn’t our best performance. Still, we managed to face the challenge and get the win”.
Reider Lucas, Coach of Guatemala: “Since we started our preparation, this was our goal. We came with a team that wasn’t very experienced and without a strong bench, but we believed the boys could handle the responsibility. We divided the competition into two phases. In the first phase before the day off we played very well, winning the first three matches in three sets. After the day off, the second phase included the match against Costa Rica, which was easy and without much pressure. In the last two matches, Panama played very well and had a chance to win, but we closed the game, which was very satisfying for us. We’re happy; we accomplished our goal and defended the title”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 17, 2024.- Belize defeated El Salvador 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-22, 25-18) to secure a medal at the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship in the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
With the win, Belize secured a medal, finishing 4-2 with 19 points and now awaits the completion of the day’s matches to determine their final position in the tournament. El Salvador finished with a 1-5 record and 10 points.
Eleazar Mejia BIZ
Belize held an advantage of 50-39 in attacks and 15-4 in blocks. El Salvador performed better in serves, 8-4, and committed fewer errors, 27-30.
Belize’s opposite hitter Kaelen Ingram led all scorers with 24 points (22 attacks, 2 blocks), followed by team captain Eleazar Mejía with 20 points (16 attacks, 3 blocks, one ace).
El Salvador’s captain, Abner Cano, led his team with 14 points (10 attacks, 2 blocks, 2 aces).
Yamill Herrera, Coach of Belize: “From the beginning, I said it would be a tight competition due to the level of most teams. It was a tough tournament. We won four matches, falling short in key games, but the goal was to win a medal”.
Eleazar Mejía, Captain of Belize: “With the result we are possibly winning the bronze medal, maybe the silver medal depending on the result of Panama”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 16, 2024.- Guatemala is the undefeated champion of the 20th AFECAVOL Men’s Central American U21 Championship with one day remaining in the event, after defeating Panama 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 19-25, 25-22, 15-10) at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Regardless of the result of their match against Nicaragua on the last day of the event, Guatemala has already claimed the title with a 5-0 record and 23 points.
This is Guatemala’s second consecutive title, and their ninth overall. Panama holds a 1-4 record and 17 points.
On the final day of competition, Guatemala (5-0) will face Nicaragua (2-3) at 4:30 pm, and Panama (1-4) will play Costa Rica (3-2) at 7:00 pm.
Yeferson Zabala GUA
This was Panama’s third consecutive five-set match, having previously defeated Belize and Nicaragua in five sets.
Guatemala held the advantage in attacks (64-61) and blocks (10-9), while Panama dominated in serves (8-2). Guatemala committed 27 errors, while Panama had 31.
In Guatemala’s victory, Yeferson Zavala scored 20 points (19 attacks, one block), Roberto Recinos tallied 19 points, all from attacks, and Jerry Durán added 15 points (10 attacks, a match-high of 5 blocks).
Víctor Pérez led Panama with 21 points (20 attacks, one ace), followed by David De León with 20 (19 attacks, one block), Víctor Aráuz with 13 (10 attacks, 3 blocks), and Kendrieck Newby with 12 (9 attacks, 2 blocks, one ace).
Yeferson Zavala, along with Roberto Recinos, kept Guatemala ahead in the first set from point 12 onwards. Guatemala rallied in the second set (15-19) to tie at 23 points but conceded their first set of the tournament after an attack from Panama’s David De León. Panama took a five-point lead in the third set (17-12) with David Della and Víctor Serra joining the offense alongside De León, putting them ahead 2-1. Guatemala forced the tie-break by maintaining control from point five of the fourth set. After a tie at seven points in the fifth set, Guatemala stayed ahead to celebrate the victory.
Victor Perez PAN
Yeferson Zavala, captain of Guatemala: “We are very happy to win a back-to-back championship for Guatemala. The tournament isn’t over yet, but we are already champions. Today’s win was hard-fought and difficult because Panama is a high-level team. We knew that the team that won today would remain undefeated. We managed to get the result”.
Reider Lucas, Coach of Guatemala: “It was a very interesting match. We knew the top spot was on the line. I congratulate Panama for playing very well and working hard. We reached the end with both teams having many chances. Perhaps what helped us was our determination and a bit more experience. We are aware that we didn’t play a great match, but sometimes, even without playing well, you need to know how to win, and we managed to do sotoday”.
Horacio Angulo, Coach of Panama: “Today we demonstrated that our work was focused. Guatemala is a team with a lot of international experience, well-organized, and Coach Reider has done a great job. We pushed them to the limit. We showed we could make Guatemala struggle, but they proved their capability with a more established game structure and displayed their quality. I’m very happy with my team’s effort; it’s their first time together. We have worked to reach the podium, and tomorrow, against Costa Rica, we will reinforce what we’ve been aiming for”.
October 16, 2024.- The American Athletes Unlimited women’s volleyball 2024 season enters week three. This is the fourth season and it’s being held in Mesa, Arizona over the course of five weeks.
In partnership with USA Volleyball, Athletes Unlimited launched its professional women’s indoor volleyball league in the U.S. in 2021.
With international stars and American national team players on the court, a unique competition system and every match available for international subscribers on VBTV.
The teams are set for the third week of the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball season, which gets underway on Friday, October 18, at Arizona Athletic Grounds.
Opposite Brittany Abercrombie, who paced the league with 1,013 leaderboard points in Week Two, climbed into the top spot in the league standings and will guide the Gold team into the middle week of the campaign. The former USC standout paces the league with 94 kills through two weeks and has earned Match MVP distinction in all six matches, including a league-best four MVP 1 certificates.
Brittany Abercrombie
Outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz-Mejía earned her league-record 13th stint as a team captain after closing Week Two in second place with 1,933 leaderboard points. De La Cruz-Mejía, the 2022 AU Pro Volleyball champion, will lead the Orange squad into Week Three after piloting her teams to a 5-1 record in the first two weeks.
Outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh, who has been on De La Cruz-Mejía’s side in the season’s first two weeks, will now be on the opposite side of the court after earning her first career stint as a team captain. The AU newcomer is tied for fifth in the circuit with 59 kills and owns a 5-1 match record through two weeks.
Outside hitter Dani Drews returns to the captain’s chair for the first time since 2022 after vaulting into fourth place on the leaderboard after Team Abercrombie’s 71-54 victory over Team De La Cruz-Mejía in Monday night’s Week Two finale. Drews, who has accumulated 1,383 leaderboard points, was a three-time captain in 2022 and will serve as the Purple team leader in Week Three.
Week Three begins with Team Member-Meneh vs. Team De La Cruz-Mejía on Friday, October 18, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT followed by Team Abercrombie vs. Team Drews on Bally Sports and Volleyball TV.
The Athletes Unlimited volleyball league has a unique format, unlike any other tournament, as players earn points individually for every action they make on the court and accumulate them over the five weeks of the season. At the end of the fifth week, the one with the most points will be crowned as the champion.
The league has a 44-player roster, which is used to form four different teams every week – four players are designated as captains each week and get to draft their teammates a few days before the start of the matches of that week.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 16, 2024.- Costa Rica overcame Nicaragua 3-2 (16-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-17, 15-6) on the penultimate day of the 20th AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Championship at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Costa Rica improved their record to 3-2, while Nicaragua fell to 2-3.
This was Costa Rica’s third five-set match. Nicaragua also lost in five sets last night against Panama.
Ignacio Morales CRC
Nicaragua’s final opponent is the reigning champion Guatemala, with their match set for Thursday at 4:30 pm. The tournament’s 20th edition will conclude with Costa Rica facing Panama at 7:00 pm.
Costa Rica’s significant advantage in blocking (17-8) was crucial to their victory, and they also outperformed Nicaragua in serves (6-1). Nicaragua held advantage in attacks (59-54) and made fewer errors (23-26).
Four players led Costa Rica’s offense, scoring double digits: Denzel Jiménez (18), Johan Cerdas (16), Ignacio Morales (16), and Jeremy Vanega (11), the latter recording a match-high of 6 blocking points.
Nicaragua’s Edwin Humphreys was the game’s top scorer with 22 points, while Evans Solís contributed 13 points.
The match was a rollercoaster, with Costa Rica forcing a fifth set after taking control of the fourth set with 4 blocks and 3 aces, while Nicaragua had none in both skills. Costa Rica dominated the tie-break, capitalizing on 6 Nicaraguan errors and attacks from Johan Cerdas and Ignacio Morales.
Edwin Humphreys NCA
Gabriel Ventura, captain of Costa Rica: “I feel like we gave away the first set too easily, but in the second, with some changes, we found ourselves as a team. It helped that we finished very strong in the fourth and fifth sets. I had to leave the game because my knee started hurting during a play, but my teammate who replaced me did an amazing job”.
Félix Palacios, captain of Nicaragua: “It was a tight game. We started off strong, but in the end, the team’s energy dropped. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result, but we gave it our all on the court. Tomorrow, we face Guatemala, and we hope to beat them”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 16, 2024.- El Salvador captured their first win in the 20th AFECAVOL Central American Men’s U21 Championship by defeating Honduras 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-14) at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
With the victory, El Salvador improved their record to 1-4 and will face Belize (3-2) on the final day of competition at 2:00 pm. Honduras finished the tournament with a 6-0 record.
El Salvador celebra
In just over an hour (1:08) El Salvador outscored Honduras in attacks 28-26 and in serves 9-1. Both teams scored 4 blocking points. El Salvador capitalized on 34 points from Honduran errors, while committing 14.
In El Salvador’s victory, Ricardo Alegría, Abner Cano, and Julio Jiménez contributed 9, 8, and 7 points, respectively.
Outside hitter Fernando Herrera led all scorers with 12 points, all from kills, followed by team captain Jonathan Meza with 11 points.
Abner Cano, captain of El Salvador: “We haven’t performed well in this tournament. Today, we managed to win against Honduras, which is a good team. We won 3-0, and we’re happy. Tomorrow we’ll finish the tournament facing Belize, and we’ll try to win so we don’t leave with only one victory”.
Jonathan Meza, captain of Honduras: “Unfortunately, we couldn’t win. We didn’t accomplish our goals. From the beginning of the tournament, we had some issues with certain players, and our plan didn’t work. This is the result of each player not fulfilling their responsibilities”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 15, 2024.- Panama remains undefeated with a dramatic 3-2 (25-16, 21-25, 25-27, 25-20, 19-17) victory over Nicaragua in the XX AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship, held at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Panama holds an undefeated 4-0 record with 15 points and will face defending champion Guatemala, also unbeaten but with 20 points, on Wednesday at 8:00 pm.
Nicaragua and Costa Rica, both with a 2-2 record and 10 points, will play on Wednesday at 5:30 pm.
Victor Arauz PAN
Panama led in attacks (69-64), blocks (13-11), and serves (6-1), but gave away more points from errors (29-27).
Panama had five players scoring in double digits, led by Víctor Pérez (22), followed by Víctor Araúz (19), David De León (16), David Della (15), and Kendrieck Newby (11).
Nicaraguan Evans Solís led all scorers with 23 points. Edwin Humphreys added 22 points.
After Nicaragua lost the first set by a significant margin, the dynamic of the match changed dramatically. Both teams battled, exchanging leads. The intense fifth set went to Panama with two attacks from Víctor Pérez, after the team had lost three match points.
David de Leon PAN
Horacio Angulo, Coach of Panama: “We take it game by game, knowing that no team is easy. The whole team came to do their job. Nicaragua improved a lot in the second set, using their attack against our block. Their defense is very good, which complicated our high ball attacks in zone four. Nicaragua did an excellent job. We made a series of adjustments, and we managed to secure the victory”.
Jorge Luis Mena, Coach of Nicaragua: “It was a good match. I’ve always said that details define the game; when it’s time to attack, you have to attack; when it’s time to play the ball, you have to play it. In the fourth set, we were ahead and couldn’t regain control of the game. The fifth set is pure luck; the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins, and we had two players who couldn’t handle the ball in zone four, which is where matches are decided. We’ll keep moving forward.”
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 15, 2024.- Belize edged Honduras 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-20) to improve their record to 3-2 in the XX AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship that’s being held at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Belize holds a record of three wins and two losses, with 15 points. Honduras remains winless with a 0-5 record.
On Wednesday, October 16, Honduras (0-5) will play their final match of the tournament against El Salvador (0-4) at 3:00 pm. Belize (3-2) has a day off.
Belize
Despite giving up more points from errors (26-16), Belize controlled the game in attacks (39-24), blocks (11-2), and serves (8-6).
Three Belizean players scored in double digits: Kaelen Ingram (17), Eleazar Mejia (16), and Preston Smith (10).
Fernando Herrera, with 9 points, was Honduras’ top scorer.
From the point 9 in the first set, Belize never trailed. Their blocking was key in fully controlling the second set. The third set was the most competitive, reaching a 13-point tie, but Mejia’s offense, along with Smith and Ingram led Belize to victory.
Brayden Richardson BIZ
Yamill Herrera, Coach of Belize: “In this tournament, every game is like a final. They (Honduras) haven’t had a victory, but they show up on the court and play. We didn’t start well, but we knew how to come back. The attack was strong. Our reception didn’t work, but we managed to face the match and resolve it in three sets, which was essential to earn five points and stay in contention for a medal. We have one match left, and we hope to come out on top to finish 4-2 and go for a medal”.
Carlos Funez, Coach of Honduras: “The team showed very little attitude, little desire to win. Given the results we’ve had in previous matches, it’s hard to lift morale. There was little drive to want to win. Although it’s true that Belize is a strong team, it wasn’t impossible. We played far from what we had planned. We missed serves that were crucial since we complicated their reception, especially with player #2. We have one match left, and hopefully, things will be different tomorrow”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 15, 2024.- Guatemala swept Costa Rica 25-13, 25-14, 25-16 to remain unbeaten in the XX AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship on Tuesday at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
After five days of competition, defending champion Guatemala remains unbeaten with a perfect 4-0 record and 20 points, without dropping a set. Costa Rica holds a 2-2 record with 10 points.
Costa Rica will face Nicaragua on Wednesday at 5:30 pm, while Guatemala will play Panama at 8:00 pm.
Yeferson Zabala GUA
Guatemala was dominant and had no complications in controlling Costa Rica with advantages of 45-20 in attacks, 7-5 in blocks, and 3-1 in serves. Guatemala scored 20 points from Costa Rica’s errors, against 20.
Guatemala’s opposite hitter Jerry Durán scored 16 points (13 attacks, 3 blocks), as the top scorer of the match. Outside hitter Yeferson Zavala added 12 points, all on attacks. Roberto Recinos finished with 10 points.
Denzel Jiménez and Ignacio Morales each scored 6 points for Costa Rica.
Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala: “I thought the match would be a bit more difficult, but it was one-sided. Fortunately, the boys knew how to stay focused and did their job on the court. We are very happy with the positive attitude within the team, and the boys are very focused on the competition. We still have two matches left, and we hope to achieve the results we came here for”.
Roberto Argüello, coach of Costa Rica: “I feel like nothing we planned worked. We knew where Guatemala’s serves were going. We tried to build a foundation for our game, but Guatemala pressured us with their serve, and we couldn’t set in the middle. It was also very difficult to play on the outside of the net. Of the three matches we’ve played, two went to five sets, and the load has been heavy. It’s not an excuse, but we’ve been working to help the boys. We really struggled with reception and decision-making while attacking”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 14, 2024. – Panama is undefeated with a five-set victory, 3-2 (24-26, 25-22, 20-25, 25-23, 18-16), against Belize at the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship on Monday night at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Panama stands unbeaten at 3-0 after four days of competition, while Belize holds a 2-2 record.
On the fifth day of competition, Belize (2-2) will face Honduras (0-4) at 5:30 p.m., and Panama (3-0) will play against Nicaragua (2-1) at 8:00 p.m.
Panama
Panama secured the win by capitalizing on 40 errors from Belize compared to their 23, and with an 8-6 advantage in aces. Belize dominated in attacks 69-53 and in blocks 14-11.
Four Panamanian players scored in double digits, with David De León leading with 20 points. Víctor Araúz and Víctor Pérez each added 13 points, and David Della Sera contributed 10.
The top scorer of the match was Belize’s Kaelen Ingram with 31 points, followed by his teammate Eleazar Mejia with 27, including a match-high of 4 aces. Preston Smith and Ryan Usher scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, with Usher recording a match-high of 6 blocks.
Kaelen Ingram BIZ – David Della Sera y Yuslin Gantes PAN
The game was a back-and-forth battle, with each team taking turns winning sets, and each rally full of energy. The match ended dramatically, as Belize recovered from a two-point deficit (12-14), saving two match points against Panama, both on errors. Belize tied the score at 14 with a block by Preston Smith against David De León. Panama once again reached match point (16-15) thanks to De León’s offense, but Belize tied it at 16 with a spike by Kaelen Ingram. Víctor Pérez then scored two consecutive attack points to secure the win for Panama.
Jesús Moreno, libero of Panama: “From the start, we knew the game wouldn’t be easy, and Belize proved it. We were able to win thanks to the coaching staff and the team’s effort”.
Daunte Gill, libero of Belize: “We were technically together as a team. We made some simple mistakes, but we couldn’t keep the momentum for the team. We’ll just have to play hard for our next two games and try to win a medal”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 14, 2024. – Costa Rica defeated El Salvador in a remarkable comeback, 3-2 (20-25, 26-28, 25-16, 26-24, 15-9), on the fourth day of the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
With the win, Costa Rica improved to a 2-1 record, while El Salvador remains winless at 0-4.
Costa Rica (2-1) will face the current champion Guatemala (3-0) on Tuesday, October 15, at 3:00 p.m., and El Salvador (0-4) will have a rest day.
Johan Cerdas CRC
Costa Rica recovered from a 0-2 set deficit with an 11-7 blocking advantage and committed fewer errors, 27-39. El Salvador led in attacks 61-59 and in serves 7-3.
Denzel Jiménez led Costa Rica with 16 points, all on kills. Jeremy Vanega scored 15 points (9 attacks and a match-high of 6 blocks). Johan Cerdas and Kevin Parra contributed to the win with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Abner Cano from El Salvador led all scorers with 22 points (19 attacks, 3 aces), followed by Ricardo Alegría with 20 points (16 attacks, 2 blocks, 2 aces). Julio Jiménez added 13 points, and Andrés Reyes contributed 10.
El Salvador started strong and fought hard to win the second set, which was tied several times before a tight 28-26 finish, thanks to an opponent error and a powerful attack from Ricardo Alegría. Costa Rica was dominant in winning the third set, and in the fourth, they had another close finish, closing it out with an attack from Ignacio Morales and an error from El Salvador to force the fifth set. Costa Rica sealed the tie-break with a 9-5 advantage in attacks, benefiting from five errors by El Salvador.
Oswaldo Chacón, libero of Costa Rica: “It was a very tough match against El Salvador. We were down 2-0, but by working as a team, we were able to achieve anything. I’m very happy with the whole team because it’s not easy to come back like that. For the rest of the championship, we’ll give it our all to try and reach the podium and, if possible, win the championship”.
Fernando Javier Navarro, libero of El Salvador: “We have a new team with several new players, and we lacked the sporting maturity to close out the match, making mistakes on several points”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 14, 2024.- Nicaragua blocked Honduras (21-7) all the way, earning 3-1 victory (27-29, 25-23, 25-19, 25-15) in their second win at the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship on Monday at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
After four days of competition, Nicaragua has a 2-1 record, while Honduras is 0-3.
On Tuesday, October 15, Honduras will face Belize at 5:30 p.m. and Nicaragua will face Panama at 8:00 p.m.
Josue Leon NCA (2)
Nicaragua’s blocking was crucial (21-7) in securing the victory, building a wall that prevented Honduras from scoring easily. Nicaragua also outperformed Honduras in serves, 5-3. Both teams scored 49 attacking points and committed 27 errors.
Six Nicaraguan players contributed to blocking points, with middle blocker Edwin Humphreys leading the way with a match-high of 8 blocks. Outside hitter Evans Solís was the top scorer of the match with 22 points. Edwin Humphreys added 17 points, opposite hitter Yader León scored 14, and outside hitter Kenneth Martínez contributed 10 points.
For Honduras, Fernando Herrera led with 19 points, followed by Leonardo Villegas and Jonathan Meza, each with 14 points.
Osmar Peralta, libero of Nicaragua: “The game was very tough, but we managed to pull through with the help of the coaches. At the beginning, things weren’t going well, but we knew how to take control of the team. We are thankful to God for the victory”.
Alejandro Funez, libero of Honduras: “Today we had a good match against Nicaragua. We lost our momentum, couldn’t finish, and in the end, we lost. We made mistakes that cost us the second set, and we couldn’t get out of certain rotations to close the game”.
October 13, 2024.- With four editions of the Age Group Volleyball World Championships scheduled for next year, excitement is building as the participating teams for the U19 Boys’ and Girls’ events have been confirmed and the Drawing of Lots date has been set.
The Drawing of Lots for the U19 and U21 World Championships 2025 to be held on 4 December 2024
Participating teams for the U19 World Championships
In 2025, a record number of 24 teams per gender from all five Continental Confederations, including the host nation(s), will battle it out for the prestigious title of world champions in the age group categories.
Since the African qualifier for the girls’ tournament featured only two teams, falling short of the required minimum of four, an exception was approved by the FIVB Board of Administration to allocate one qualification place to the champion of the African girls’ qualifier to ensure the principle of universality. The remaining two places were awarded to the highest-ranked teams not yet qualified which, as per the U19 Girls World Ranking, are Egypt (ranked #11) and Chile (ranked #20).
Consequently, the teams participating in the FIVB Boys’ and Girls’ U19 World Championships have been confirmed.
Meanwhile, the teams qualified for the U21 World Championships 2025 will be announced next month.
Drawing of Lots: The Drawing of Lots to determine the composition of the pools for the U19 and U21 World Championships 2025 will be held on 4 December 2024 and streamed live on Volleyball World YouTube.
The FIVB Girls’ U19 World Championship will be staged from 3 to 13 July 2025 in Osijek, Croatia and Belgrade, Serbia, with the preliminary phase (3-8 July) followed by 1/8 Finals and playoffs (9-13 July). The bronze and gold medal matches will be held in Osijek, Croatia on 13 July. At the hosts’ request, the event dates have been moved up by one week.
Hosted in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the FIVB Boys’ U19 World Championship will take place from 24 July to 3 August with the preliminary phase from 24-29 July, and 1/8 Finals and playoffs between 30 July and 3 August. The winners will be decided on 3 August with the gold and bronze medal matches.
The FIVB Women’s U21 World Championship will be hosted in Jakarta, Indonesia from 7-17August 2025 with the preliminary phase from 7-12 August, followed by the 1/8 Finals and playoffs starting on 13 August. The event will culminate with the finals on 17 August.
Meanwhile, China will stage the FIVB Men’s U21 World Championship 2025 during the weeks of 18-31 August. The confirmed competition schedule and host cities will be announced shortly.
The FIVB Age Group World Championships provide an incredible opportunity for the sport’s rising stars to compete at the top level and showcase their talent on the international stage. Held biennially, these championships have played an important role in the journeys of many Olympic and World Champions.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 13, 2024.- With a 13-3 blocking advantage, Costa Rica dominated Honduras 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-17) for their first victory in the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship on Sunday night at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Costa Rica improved their record to 1-1, while Honduras remains winless at 0-3.
On the fourth day of the event, Honduras (0-3) will face Nicaragua (1-1) at 3:00 pm, and Costa Rica (1-1) will play against El Salvador (0-3) at 5:30 pm.
Hector Duarte HON – Keylor Rodriguez y Johan Cerdas CRC
In addition to their superiority in blocking, Costa Rica also held a 38-33 margin in attacks. Honduras outperformed in service points, 6-1. Costa Rica committed 16 errors, while Honduras had 23.
Outside hitter Johan Cerdas led Costa Rica with 16 points (14 attacks, 2 blocks). Middle blocker Jeremy Vanega added 9 points, including a match-high of 5 blocks.
Fernando Herrera scored 16 points for Honduras (13 attacks, one block, 2 aces), and Leonardo Villegas contributed 13 points (8 attacks, 2 blocks, 3 aces).
Costa Rica tied the first set at 11 points after recovering from a four-point deficit (7-11) with the offensive efforts of Jeremy Vanega, Dennis Jenher, and Johan Cerdas. From point 15 onwards, Costa Rica pulled away from Honduras to win the set. Although Honduras led the second set up to point 21, thanks to the attacks of Fernando Herrera and Leonardo Villegas, Costa Rica came from behind again to take a 2-0 lead, relying on their strong blocking. Costa Rica controlled the third set with their effective blocking, with Venega scoring 5 of the team’s 9 total blocks.
Kevin Parra CRC
Johan Cerdas Badilla, top scorer Costa Rica: “We started off a bit slow, but fortunately, we managed to lift our spirits and improve our technique. We achieved a great result, finishing as a strong and united team. If we continue like this, staying strong and confident, I expect us to win a medal”.
Leonardo Villegas, outside hitter of Honduras: “It was a very dynamic and entertaining match for the crowd. It was definitely a back-and-forth game; each team had their moments. Costa Rica was better than us, more consistent, but we’re still eager to win tomorrow”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 13, 2024.- Nicaragua defeated El Salvador 3-1 (27-25, 25-16, 22-25, 25-20) on Sunday, earning their first victory in the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Nicaragua now holds a 1-1 record, while El Salvador remains winless at 0-3.
On the fourth day of competition, Nicaragua will face Honduras at 3:00 pm, followed by El Salvador taking on Costa Rica at 5:30 pm.
Diego Navarrete NCA – Fernando Ortiz y Abner Cano ESA
Nicaragua clinched the victory with a 58-45 advantage in attacks and 12-9 in blocks. El Salvador had a better performance in serves with a 7-2 advantage but committed more errors, 27-25.
The top scorer of the match was Nicaragua’s Evans Solís with 21 points, followed by Kenneth Martínez with 18. Yader León contributed 14 points.
For El Salvador, Ricardo Alegría led with 17 points, while Abner Cano and Julio Jiménez each added 14.
Nicaragua dominated the first set until El Salvador came from behind to tie at 21 points and reached set point (24-22) with an attack by Andrés Reyes. Evans Solís, alongside Yader León, put Nicaragua ahead 25-24, and despite El Salvador tying again (25-25), two attacks from Solís gave Nicaragua a 1-0 lead. Nicaragua controlled the second set, but El Salvador fought back to extend the match by winning the third set, leading in attacks (12-9) and serves (2-0). Nicaragua used its blocking strength to close the match in the fourth set.
Kenneth Martinez NCA – Gabriel Vargas y Andres Reyes ESA
Evans Solís, top scorer of Nicaragua: “We knew it would be a tough match, but we stayed focused after the loss. The team is coming together more, and that’s helping us a lot. We’re moving forward because nothing is set in stone. In the third set, there was some miscommunication, maybe we got overconfident, but we got the result, and that’s what matters”.
Ricardo Alegría, top scorer of El Salvador: “We prepared a lot for the tournament, but unfortunately, we’re not getting the results we expected. All the effort we’re putting in will pay off at some point. We’ll keep our heads up and move forward. Most of the time, we’ve only lost by two points; we just need to push harder at the end to get the win and show what El Salvador is made of”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 13, 2024.- Guatemala defeated Belize 3-0 (25-19, 27-25, 25-14) to remain undefeated in the 20th Central American U21 Men’s Championship at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
After three days of competition, the defending champions hold a 3-0 record and 15 points. Belize now has a 2-1 record and 8 points.
On Monday, Guatemala (3-0) will have a rest day, while Belize (2-1) will face Panama at 8:00pm local time.
Jerry Duran GUA – Preston Smith BIZ
Guatemala led in attacks (41-31) and in serves (7-3), while Belize was stronger in blocks (9-8). Guatemala benefited from 21 errors by Belize, compared to 15.
Yeferson Zavala scored 21 points (15 attacks, 3 blocks, 3 aces) in Guatemala’s victory, and Roberto Recinos contributed 12 points (10 attacks, one block, one ace).
Eleazar Mejía and Kaelen Ingram led Belize with 16 and 15 points, respectively.
Guatemala came back from a five-point deficit (16-21) in the second set with the offense of Roberto Recinos and Yeferson Zavala; Belize then reached set point (24-19) with Brayden Richardson serving, but an attack by Daniel Delgado (who came off the bench), along with a Belize error, allowed Guatemala to tie at 24. Delgado brought Guatemala to set point, and Belize tied at 25 with an attack by Eleazar Mejía. Finally, an attack by Delgado and a block by Recinos on Belize’s Kaelen Ingram secured the set for Guatemala.
Jerry Durán, opposite hitter for Guatemala: “The game started off very tight, with both teams scoring good points. In the second set, things got a bit complicated at the start, but we were able to take advantage of our strength in blocking and won the set. In the third set, we came in with a lot of confidence to win the match”.
Kaelen Ingram BIZ
Reider Lucas, coach of Guatemala: “In the second set, we were down by five points, and we had already used both timeouts. We had to make a substitution to hold the score, and it worked. We replaced our opposite hitter, and Daniel Delgado came in and helped with two serves that disrupted Belize’s first line of defense. This contributed to our serve getting stronger, and we ended up blocking very well, allowing us to tie the game. Our attitude improved, and both our offense and defense started to perform, allowing us to win the match”.
Kaelen Ingram, opposite hitter of Belize: “It really comes down to who wants it the most. We wanted to win but you have to stick to the plan and that’s what Guatemala did, they had more consistency. Guatemala is a really good team. It’s a loss but it’s not over for us as yet for the gold. We’re going to come out strong again and we’re going to give a good competition as we always planned to do”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 12, 2024.- Panama took a hard-fought victory over El Salvador, 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-23), on Saturday night in the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship, at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
The host team remains undefeated with a 2-0 record and 9 points, while El Salvador stands at 0-2.
Panama bounced back after losing the first set, finishing with a slight advantage in attacks (51-50), dominating in blocks (11-7) and serves (5-3), but conceding more points on errors (35-32).
Victor Arauz PAN
David de León led Panama with 25 points (20 attacks, 4 blocks, one ace). Víctor Pérez and Víctor Arauz contributed 15 and 13 points, respectively.
El Salvador’s Ricardo Alegría was the top scorer of the match with 27 points (25 attacks, one block, one ace). Julio César Jiménez added 11 points, all on kills.
Before winning the third set, Panama lost two set points due to attacks from Jiménez and Alegría of El Salvador. A block by Carlos Mejía denied Panama a match point in the fourth set, but Víctor Pérez sealed the victory with a kill.
Panama (2-0) will rest on Sunday, while El Salvador (0-2) will face Nicaragua (0-1) at 5:30 PM.
Horacio Angulo, Coach of Panama: “This was a tough match, with pressure from El Salvador. They lost to Guatemala yesterday but played well, so we knew they could make the match difficult for us today. We made the necessary adjustments in the second set and were able to win it, along with the next two sets. We are taking it match by match because we know the teams are prepared to reach the podium, and we’re aiming for that as well”.
Andrea Genova, Coach of El Salvador: “Both teams were always close, battling through all four sets. In the first set, we had a bit more luck, with several balls going our way, and we managed to win it. We kept fighting in the following sets, but Panama deserved more. It was a high-level match, with both teams playing strong and evenly. This is the second match where we’ve experienced this”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 12, 2024.- Defending champion Guatemala earned a dominant victory over Honduras 3-0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-15) on the second day of action at the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship in Chitré, Panama.
Guatemala earned its second straight-set victory, improving its record to 2-0 with 10 points. Honduras remains winless at 0-2.
Guatemala used their entire roster, finishing with a 41-25 advantage in kills, 9-2 in blocks, and 4-2 in service points, while giving away 15 points from errors compared to 21 by Honduras.
Fernando Delgado GUA
Jerry Durán of Guatemala was the top scorer in the match with 14 points. Guatemala’s team captain finished with 10 points. Roberto Recinos and Christian Álvarez also contributed to the win, each scoring 9 points.
Fernando Herrera led Honduras’ scoring with 12 points, followed by Jonathan Meza with 9.
On the third day of the event, Guatemala (2-0) will face Belize (2-0) at 3:00pm, and Honduras (0-2) will play against Costa Rica (0-1) at 8:00pm.
Fernando Herrera HON – Jareth Duran GUA
Yeferson Zavala, captain of Guatemala: “My impressions of the match are very positive. We were able to close with a good 3-0 result. Every day we aim to win all our matches with better outcomes. There is still a long way to go. We are going to give it our all to achieve a good result in the competition”.
Jonathan Meza, captain of Honduras: “We’ve faced several challenges. Our main middle blocker got injured in the first training, and we had to improvise a bit with the rest of the players. This has caused difficulties that we’ve been trying to address in morning practices, but we haven’t been able to fully execute and be solid in our game. Tomorrow will be better”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 12, 2024.- Belize secured its second win at the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship after a five-set victory, 3-2 (25-20, 25-20, 17-25, 25-27, 25-13) over Costa Rica, on Saturday at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Belize improved its record to 2-0, outperforming Costa Rica 58-40 in attacks and 8-6 in serves. This was Costa Rica’s (0-1) first match in the tournament, leading in blocks 18-10 and committing fewer errors (31-41) than Belize.
Eleazar Mejia BIZ
Kaelen Ingram from Belize led all scorers with 31 points (26 attacks, 3 blocks, 2 aces). Eleazar Mejía also contributed to the win with 21 points (19 attacks, 2 aces).
Dennis Jenher and Johan Cerdas led Costa Rica with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Jeremy Vanega added 11 points. Keylor Rodríguez had a match-high of six blocks among his 9 points.
On day three of the competition, Belize will play against Guatemala and Costa Rica will face Honduras.
Gabriel Obando CRC
Eleazar Mejía, Captain of Belize: “Once again today we were victorious over Costa Rica. We went to a hard battled five sets. Like I said yesterday, it’s a hard tournament so we have got to play hard, if you want to win you have got to play at your best and that’s what we’re doing, me and my teammates. All we have to do is execute and hope for the best”.
Gabriel Ventura, setter and captain of Costa Rica: “We struggled in the first two sets, our serve was off, and we made many errors. In the following sets, we improved our serve and reduced the errors, extending the match to a fifth set, where we missed a couple of key details that cost us the win. I’m proud of the team for tying the match and almost pulling off the victory”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 11, 2024.- Panama defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-20) on the opening day of the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium.
The host team led in attacks (29-24), blocks (10-1), and aces (7-2). Panama committed 26 errors, while Honduras had 29.
Kendrieck Newby PAN
Panamanians David León and Kendrieck Newby each scored 11 points, with Víctor Pérez adding 8.
Fernando Herrera led Honduras with 8 points, followed by Leonardo Villegas with 7.
On the second day of the event, Honduras (0-1) will face Guatemala (1-0), and Panama (1-0) will play against El Salvador (0-1).
Honduras recibe
Horacio Angulo, Coach of Panama: “The first set seemed complicated to me due to Honduras’ serves and organized defensive line. Taking advantage of the setter’s short height, we were able to align our defense and successfully take the first set. After that, the game became easier because we showed what we could do with our blocking, and we secured the victory. This is the first win, and we’ll take it step by step because we know that all teams are here to fight for a medal”.
Rodolfo Funez, Coach of Honduras: “During the morning practice, our main middle blocker got injured. We had been working with another middle blocker who couldn’t travel, so without our key players, we had to rearrange the team, and it wasn’t enough. Tomorrow, we’ll work on other tactics to improve the team. Today, the boys fought until the end, gave it their all, and never gave up.”
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 11, 2024.- In a dramatic finish, Belize defeated Nicaragua 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 29-27) to start the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship at Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
Nicaragua lost three set points in the third set on a kill from Kaelen Ingram and a Belizean error. Despite Kenneth Martínez managing to tie the set at 27 points for Nicaragua, Ingram, along with Eleazar Mejia, sealed the victory for Belize with their attacks.
Belize dominated every skill of the game: attacking (40-29), blocking (8-5), and serving (8-0). Nicaragua committed fewer errors (23-29).
Belize
Belizean Kaelen Ingram was the top scorer of the match with 26 points (22 attacks, 3 blocks, one ace). Eleazar Mejía contributed 13 points to the victory.
Yader León led Nicaragua with 13 points, while Kenneth Martínez added 11.
On the second day of the event, Belize will face Costa Rica at 3:00 pm (local time), while Nicaragua has a rest day.
Eleazar Mejía, captain of Belize: “I felt we played today’s game very well, exceptional. Nicaragua is a very tough team. We hope to move forward in this tournament, working on the little mistakes and go for a gold medal”.
Felix Palacios, captain of Nicaragua: “The game was not easy. The team gave it their all, but the result didn’t go our way. However, I know we will improve, and we will push through in the remaining matches because we have a good team, and I know we can do it”.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 11, 2024.- Guatemala kicked off the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship with a straight-set victory 3-0 (25-23, 26-24, 25-22) over El Salvador at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium.
Guatemala topped in attacks (45-39) and serving (3-2), benefiting from 24 opponent errors compared to their 18. El Salvador dominated in blocking (10-4).
Outside hitters Roberto Recinos and Yeferson Zavala led Guatemala with 17 and 16 points, respectively.
Roberto Carlos Recinos GUA
Three players from El Salvador scored in double digits: Ricardo Alegría (16), Abner Cano (14), and Julio César Jiménez (11).
On the second day of competition, Guatemala (1-0) will face Honduras (5:30 pm local time), while El Salvador (0-1) will play Panama (8:00 pm local time).
After reaching a 17-point tie in the second set, El Salvador stayed ahead and reached set point (24-23), but Guatemala didn’t give in and with two attacks maintained control of the match, leading 2-0.The defending champion managed to recover from a four-point deficit (11-15) in the third set, tying the game at 19 points before maintaining the lead to secure the victory.
Ricardo Arnoldo Alegria ESA
Yeferson Zavala, captain of Guatemala: “It was a very exciting match against El Salvador to start the tournament. It’s just the beginning, and thanks to God, we took a good step by closing the match 3-0. El Salvador has a good, competitive team. What helped us was being able to close the sets and bring emotional stability to the team because at times we lost it.”
Abner Cano, captain of El Salvador: “We didn’t get a good result against Guatemala. Our inability to close the sets and the lack of experience of many players cost us the match. We will keep moving forward because we came here to win, and we won’t leave this tournament empty-handed.”
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 10, 2024. – The seven Central American countries are aiming for a medal at the AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Championship, set to take place from October 11 to 17 at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium in Chitré, Panama.
In their first interviews, the coaches agreed that it will be a tough competition, as is customary in AFECAVOL men’s events, and that their goal is to win a medal.
Yamil Herrera, Coach of Belize: “The tournament will be very interesting due to the roster each team is bringing and the competition system, every day is like a final. The seven regular players on our team have experience in this type of event. We believe the athletes will follow the tactical plan we have set for each match and earn good results.
Andrea Genova, Coach of El Salvador: “At the moment, we are preparing for this U21 AFECAVOL competition, which we know will be very good because there are teams with a lot of skill. In recent years, our results have been around fifth place, and we are looking to improve and climb a bit higher since the team we are bringing has more credentials”.
El Salvador
Roberto Argüello, Coach of Costa Rica: “We have a great commitment in this tournament because in the last two editions, we haven’t been able to make it to the podium. We know we have a good team, and our intention is to work hard, stay organized, and achieve a podium finish”.
Costa Rica
Reider Lucas, Coach of Guatemala: “Our goal in the competition is to try to achieve a good result. We have prepared well for this type of event. We know the matches will be tough, as they have been in AFECAVOL and all Central America. We believe we can have a good competition, and we are hoping for those results.
Guatemala
Carlos Funes, Coach of Honduras: “Honduras has been in a preparation process since mid-January. We trained hard. Given our recent placements in the younger categories, the players are committed and determined to give their all. We are focused, we have studied the teams we have been playing against, and we hope to finish in a position that reflects our preparation”.
Honduras
Jorge Luis Mena, Coach of Nicaragua: “Nicaragua’s expectations are the same as always, to finish among the medalists. We know the tournament won’t be easy, as there are several strong teams. We will aim to bring a medal to our country, that’s the goal for all the players, who are well-prepared for this moment. We know all our close rivals, and we are going to give it our all in this tournament”.
Nicaragua
Horacio Angulo, Coach of Panama: “Our expectation as a team is to try to be on the podium. We’ve worked very hard with this team. We know that all the teams are coming to fight for a top spot in this tournament. We’re here to take it one game at a time and try to play in a way that benefits us to secure a podium finish”.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, October 9, 2024. – The USA pair Isabella Martínez/Ella Connor defeated the Dominican duo Crismil Paniagua/Darlenys Olivo 2-0 (21-8, 21-15) to win the gold medal at the NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Continental Tour held at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana.
Martínez and Connor (USA) advanced to the gold medal match after defeating the Cuban duo Amanda Drik and Mileidy Paret 2-0 (21-17, 21-11) in the semifinals, while Paniagua and Olivo (DOM) overcame Costa Rica’s Laura Molina and Aliza Aguilar 2-0 (21-19, 21-19).
The Cuban pair Drik/Paret won the bronze medal over Costa Rica’s Molina/Aguilar 2-1 (19-21, 24-22, 16-14).
Mens and Womens winner
Fifth place went to Emma Cudmore/Sophie Hancock from Canada after defeating Ana Arévalo/Danna Aguilar from Guatemala 2-0 (21-9, 22-20). Seventh place was claimed by Daniela Vigil/Karla Tovar from El Salvador, who defeated Trinidad and Tobago’s Adalia Badroe/Shanice Cottoy 2-0 (21-17, 21-2).
In ninth place were Maya Boutanos/Kate Chipman from Canada, who beat Kaylee Trott/Hailey Trott from Bermuda 2-0 (21-14, 21-14).
Nicaragua’s Ella Resau and Norma Brenes took 11th place by defeating Reanna Robinson and Nayelli Fergus from Saint Vincent 2-0 (21-6, 21-6), while Joanna Robinson and Luna Ebanks from the Cayman Islands secured 13th place by winning their match against Kirra Lambert and Sophia Peifer from the US Virgin Islands 2-1 (19-21, 21-16, 15-1).
Other results:
Arevalo/Aguilar (GUA) d Vigil/Tovar (ESA) 2-1 (21-19, 15-21, 15-9) and Cudmore/Hancock (CAN) d Badroe/Cottoy (TTO) 2-0 (21-10, 21-9).
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, October 9, 2024. – Ayden Keeter and Carson Barnes from the United States claimed the top honors by defeating Cuba’s Damián Gómez and Eblis Veranes 2-0 (21-18, 21-18) in the championship match of the NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Tour, held on the sand courts of Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana.
The bronze medal went to El Salvador, with the twin duo Yoel and Christopher Guardado, who defeated the Dominican pair Alexander Wilmore and Rolvin Maldonado
2-0 (21-9, 21-17).
Americans Keeter and Barnes had no trouble defeating Wilmore/Maldonado from the Dominican Republic 2-0 (21-10, 21-15) in the semifinals, while the Cuban duo Gómez/Veranes fought hard to overcome the Guardado twins from El Salvador 2-1 (21-12, 19-21, 15-10) in the other semifinal.
Podium Men and Women
Fifth place went to Julián/Stanley Grant from Costa Rica, who defeated Canadians Connor Dorsey/Aiden Hilkowitz 2-1 (18-21, 21-14, 15-10).
Seventh place went to Josué Meneses/Jesy Umaña from Nicaragua, who beat Ramón De Jesús/Melvin De Jesús from the Dominican Republic 2-0 (21-17, 23-21), while ninth place was claimed by the Guatemalan duo José Izaguirre/Mario Ventura, who defeated Canadians Cole Linskill/Henry Heider 2-0 (21-17, 21-19).
Eleventh place went to Stephen Watson/Alexander Finnikin from the Cayman Islands, who defeated Julian Bristol/Clerique Ward from Saint Kitts and Nevis 2-0 (21-12, 21-19), while Shadron Delpesche/John Jaimion from Saint Vincent finished in thirteenth after defeating Kymani Greenidge/Cole Sommer from the US Virgin Islands 2-0 (25-23, 21-13).
In fifteenth place was the duo Luiyi Morales/Emmanuel Montenegro from Bonaire, who defeated Alexander Southern/Braedon Cooke from Bermuda 2-0 (21-14, 21-16).
Other results:
Gomez/Veranes (CUB) d Y. Guardado/C. Guardado (ESA) 2-1 (21-12, 19-21, 15-10); Keeter/Barnes (USA) d Wilmore/Maldonado (DOM) 2-0 (21-10, 21-15); Dorsey/Hilkowitz (CAN) d R. De Jesus/M. De Jesus (DOM) 2-0 (21-15, 21-17) and Araya/Stanley (CRC) d Meneses/Umaña (NCA) 2-1 (21-17, 16-21, 15-7).
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, October 8, 2024.- During the 62nd General Assembly of Panam Sports, held on October 2 and 3 in Asunción, Paraguay, the Pan American Volleyball Union (UPV) conducted an important session to discuss key issues concerning the development of volleyball in the Americas.
The session was attended by the President of the UPV, Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, and UPV Vice President Marco Tullio Teixeira, along with FIVB Treasurer Roberto Escobar and UPV Director General Arateide Cáceres.
One of the main points discussed was the planning for the second edition of the Junior Pan American Games Asunción 2025, a crucial event for the development of young talent in both indoor and beach volleyball.
Members of UPV
The event will provide new generations of athletes with the opportunity to compete on an international stage, aligning with the efforts of the regional federations from the North, Central America, and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) and the South American Volleyball Confederation (CSV) to promote the sport in their respective countries.
Regarding indoor volleyball, it was confirmed that the competition will feature eight teams per gender, equally divided between NORCECA and CSV (4 teams per gender from each confederation). This ensures fair representation of both regions, giving the teams a high-level competitive platform.
NORCECA teams qualified for the Junior Pan American Games for indoor volleyball are the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba, and Costa Rica in women, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Guatemala in the men’s division.
Another highlight of the session was the progress in discussions to secure broader participation for beach volleyball in the Junior Pan American Games. The proposal aims to increase the number of teams to 16 per gender, representing significant growth for the sport. Of these 16 teams, equally divided between NORCECA and CSV (8 teams per gender from each confederation).
This expansion in the number of teams will allow more countries to compete in beach volleyball, fostering its development in more territories across the Americas.
NORCECA teams that will compete in beach volleyball will be determined based on the final ranking of three stops in the NORCECA Under-23 Tour (Punta Cana 2023, Juan Dolio 2023, and Punta Cana 2024).
Finally, the review of the infrastructure for these sporting events was addressed. Emphasis was placed on the need to ensure top-quality facilities that meet international standards, thereby guaranteeing that athletes can compete in optimal conditions and that both indoor and beach volleyball events run smoothly.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, October 7, 2024. – Teams from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, El Salvador, the United States, Costa Rica, and Canada won both of their matches on the first day of competition at the NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Continental Tour in Punta Cana.
Josué Meneses/Jesy Umaña from Nicaragua and the Dominican duo R. De Jesús/M. De Jesús defeated the team from Saint Vincent, Shadron Delpesche/John Jaimion, and Canada’s number 2 team, Cole Linskill/Henry Heider.
Meneses/Umaña defeated Delpesche/Jaimion 2-0 (21-12, 21-8) and Linskill/Heider 2-1 (21-14, 22-24, 18-16). R. De Jesús/M. De Jesús overcame Delpesche/Jaimion 2-0 (21-12, 21-8) and Linskill/Heider 2-1 (21-18, 16-21, 15-10).
Tean Canada
Cubans Damián Gómez/Eblis Veranes won their matches against George Wilmore/Rolvin Maldonado (DOM2) 2-0 (21-19, 21-14) and Alexander Southern/Braedon Cooke from Bermuda 2-0 (21-8, 21-5).
Other pairs that remained undefeated on the first day included the Guardado twins from El Salvador, who beat José Izaguirre/Mario Ventura from Guatemala 2-0 (21-15, 21-19) and Kymani Greenidge/Cole Sommer from the U.S. Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-3, 21-7). Ayden Keeter/Carson Barnes from the United States defeated Greenidge/Sommer 2-0 (21-6, 21-3) and the Guatemalan duo Izaguirre/Ventura 2-0 (21-14, 21-12).
Julián Araya/Stanley Grant from Costa Rica triumphed over Stephen Watson/Alexander Finnikin from the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-10, 21-9) and Luiyi Morales/Emmanuel Montenegro from Bonaire 2-0 (21-7, 21-10). The Canadian team of Dorsey Connor/Aiden Hilkowitz defeated Morales/Montenegro 2-0 (21-9, 21-12) and Watson/Finnikin 2-0 (21-7, 21-10).
Other Results:
Julian Bristol/Clerique Ward (SKN) d Southern/Cooke (BER) 2-0 (21-8, 21-17); Wilmore/Maldonado (DOM2) d Bristol/Clerique 2-0 (21-17, 21-14).
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, October 7, 2024. – Seven women’s pairs began the 2024 NORCECA U23 Beach Volleyball Continental Tour undefeated, which started on Monday on the sand courts at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana.
Cuba’s Maykalin Drik/Mileidy Paret defeated team number 2 of the Dominican Republic, Zoe Paniagua/Anicaury Báez, 2-0 (21-19, 21-11), and Guatemala’s Ana Arévalo/Danna Aguilar 2-0 (21-10, 21-15).
The other Dominican duo, Crismil Paniagua/Darlenys Olivo, beat Reanna Robinson/Nayelli Fergus from Saint Vincent 2-0 (21-10, 21-8), while their other match was a bye. Adalia Badroe/Shanice Cottoy from Trinidad and Tobago also defeated Robinson/Fergus 2-1 (21-13, 17-21, 16-14), with their other match being a bye as well.
Team of El Salvador
Daniela Vigil and Karla Tovar from El Salvador overcame Joanna Robinson/Luna Ebanks from the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-14, 21-12) and Canada’s team number 2, Maya Boutanos/Kate Chipman, 2-0 (21-9, 21-15). Meanwhile, Isabella Martínez/Ella Connor from the United States secured victories against Joanna Robinson/Luna Ebanks 2-0 (21-6, 21-5) and Boutanos/Chipman 2-0 (21-9, 21-13).
The other undefeated pairs are Laura Molina/Aliza Aguilar from Costa Rica, after beating K. Trott/H. Trott from Bermuda 2-0 (21-8, 21-8) and Kirra Lambert/Sophia Peifer-Del Valle from the U.S. Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-10, 21-14). Emma Cudmore/Sophie Hancock from the United States defeated Lambert/Peifer-Del Valle 2-0 (21-12, 21-10) and K. Trott/H. Trott 2-0 (21-4, 21-10).
Other Results:
Arévalo/Aguilar (GUA) d Resau/Brenes (NCA) 2-0 (21-18, 21-16); Resau/Brenes (NCA) d Paniagua Báez (DOM2) 2-0 (21-9, 21-6).
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, October 7, 2024. – With the participation of 23 coaches, a Level 2 International Volleyball Coaching Course concluded, held from October 1 to 5 at the NORCECA-FIVB Regional Volleyball Development Center in Santo Domingo.
Dominican coach Jorge Guillen Rodríguez had an outstanding performance among participants from Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. Coach Guillen achieved the highest scores in both theoretical and practical evaluations.
The course was led by FIVB Instructor Francisco Hervas from Spain, along with speakers Bernardo Mesa, Dr. Victor Figueroa, Rusber Campos from Venezuela, and Dennis Céspedes.
Bernardo Mesa addressed topics related to the physical preparation of athletes. Dr. Figueroa covered medical aspects and doping. Rusber Campos shared his expertise in statistics and team analysis. Meanwhile, Dennis Céspedes, FIVB international referee, discussed the latest rule changes implemented by the FIVB.
In his closing remarks, instructor Francisco Hervas congratulated all participants for their high level of volleyball knowledge and encouraged them to continue learning about the new techniques of the game.
Mr. Cristobal Marte Hoffiz, via video conference, also congratulated all the participating coaches, urging them to continue working in their respective countries to strengthen volleyball within the NORCECA Confederation. Marte Hoffiz indicated NORCECA’s commitment to supporting training sessions and seminars organized by the Regional Development Center in Santo Domingo.
The closing ceremony was also attended by Mr. Nelson Eddy González Montilla, Technical Director of the National Institute of Physical Education.
CHITRÉ, Panama, October 7, 2024.- The city of Chitré, Panama, will host the 20th AFECAVOL U21 Men’s Central American Championship, to be held at the Papa Francisco Gymnasium from October 11 to 17.
Guatemala was crowned champion in the last edition, held in 2022 in Nicaragua, securing its eighth title in the history of the event. Nicaragua and Panama completed the medal standings, winning the silver and bronze medals respectively.
Costa Rica and Nicaragua have each won the U21 title three times, while El Salvador and Panama have been champions twice. Honduras holds one gold medal.
The seven member countries of AFECAVOL will arrive in Chitré on October 9, with the preliminary meeting scheduled for October 10, and the competition starting on the 11th, with three daily matches.
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, October 4, 2024. – Americans Xolani Hodel and Alexis Durish defeated the Canadian tandem of Amy Ozee and Kaylee Glagau 2-0 (21-7, 21-16) on Friday to claim the gold medal at the fifth stop of the 2024 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, held at Los Corales beach in Punta Cana.
The U.S. team of Mariah Whalen/Molly Phillips took bronze by defeating T’ara Austin/Taylor Buckner of the U.S. Virgin Islands 2-0 (21-6, 21-13)
In fifth place, Canada’s Sophia Hladyniuk/Abbey Thorup overcame the Dominican duo of Darlenys Olivo/Crismil Paniagua 2-0 (21-8, 21-13), while seventh place went to Costa Rica’s Laura Molina/Aliza Aguilar, who defeated Daniela Vigil/Karla Tovar of El Salvador 2-1 (21-17, 18-21, 15-8).
Nicaragua’s Nahima Silva/Lolette Rodríguez beat Dominicans Karla Ramírez/Nallelin Taveras 2-1 (22-20, 17-21, 15-13) to finish in ninth place, while Cubans Amanda Drik/Mileidy Paret secured eleventh place by defeating Amanda Robinson/Joanna Robinson of the Cayman Islands 2-0 (21-19, 21-15).
Thirteenth place went to Guatemala’s Ana Arévalo/Danna Aguilar, who triumphed over Jamaica’s Kristina Lumsden/Petal Smith 2-0 (21-14, 21-11).
Other Results:
Olivo/Paniagua (DOM) d Molina/Aguilar (CRC) 2-0 (21-19, 23-21); Hodel/Durish (USA) d Whalen/Phillips (USA) 2-0 (21-15, 21-17); Hladyniuk/Thorup (CAN) d Vigil/Tovar (ESA) 2-0 (21-10, 21-9); Ozee/Glagau (CAN) d Austin/Buckner (ISV) 2-0 (21-16, 21-17).
ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay, October 2, 2024.- On the first day of the 62nd Panam Sports General Assembly, the election for President for the 2024-2028 term took place. The candidates were the current President of the Organization, Neven Ilic, and the second Vice President of Panam Sports, Keith Joseph.
The vote was held shortly after 5 p.m. (Paraguay time), with the current Panam Sports President, Neven Ilic, emerging victorious with a total of 37 votes. Keith Joseph received 16 votes. Thus, Neven Ilic will lead Panam Sports for the next four years in his third consecutive term as President.
“I want to thank everyone who supported me, for allowing me to finish this project. These elections have ended, and I can say that we are a great team. Everyone is part of this project. Of course, I also thank my friend Keith Joseph. We will continue working to ensure that the Americas remain a stellar continent”, said Panam Sports President Neven Ilic after the vote.
However, the election for President was not the only item on the agenda at the Pan American Sports Organization Assembly. Vice Presidents and members of the new Executive Committee were also elected.
As a result, Sarah Hirshland (USA), Veda Bruno Victor (Grenada), and Camilo Pérez (Paraguay) were elected Vice Presidents in their respective groups.
Below are the results of the Panam Sports President and Executive Committee elections (2024-2028):
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, October 2, 2024.- The U.S. women teams of Mariah Whalen/Molly Phillips and Xolani Hodel/Alexis Durish, along with the Canadian pairs of Amy Ozee/Kaylee Glagau and Sophia Hladyniuk/Abbey Thorup, won their respective matches on the first day of competition to kick off the Fifth Stop of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour 2024 on the right foot. The event is being held on the sands of Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana.
Whalen/Phillips (USA) defeated Cuba’s Maykelin Drik/Mileidy Paret 2-0 (21-11, 21-16) in their first match, with their second win coming via BYE. Meanwhile, the other U.S. duo, Hodel/Durish, overcame Guatemala’s Ana Arévalo/Danna Aguilar 2-0 (21-7, 21-11) and Nicaragua’s Nahima Silva/Lolette Rodríguez 2-0 (21-13, 21-4).
USA
Canada’s Ozee/Glagau beat Dominicans Nallelin Taveras/Karla Díaz 2-0 (21-8, 21-15) and Jamaica’s Kristina Lumsden/Petal Smith 2-0 (21-4, 21-8), while the team of Hladyniuk/Thorup defeated Silva/Rodríguez (NCA) 2-0 (21-16, 21-11) and Guatemala’s Arévalo/Aguilar 2-0 (21-7, 21-9).
The preliminary round will conclude on Thursday morning, followed by the quarterfinals and the losers’ bracket in the afternoon.
The other results of the day were:
Daniela Vigil/Karla Tovar (ESA) d Amanda Robinson/Joanna Robinson (CAY) 2-0 (21-13, 21-13); T´ara Austin/Taylor Buckner (ISV) d Maykelin Drik/Mileidy Paret (CUB) 2-0 21-12, 21-11); Laura Molina/Aliza Aguilar (CRC) d Kristina Lumsden/Petal Smith (JAM) 2-0 (21-8, 21-9); Darlenys Olivo/Crismil Hinojosa (DOM) d Vigil/Tovar (ESA) 2-1 (13-21, 21-10, 15-13); Molina/Aguilar (CRC) d Nallelin Taveras/Karla Díaz (DOM) 2-0 (21-18, 21-15).
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, October 1, 2024. – The action of the 2024 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour returns with the Fifth Stop, to be held from October 2 to 4 at Los Corales Beach in Punta Cana.
This marks the eighth consecutive year that Punta Cana hosts the most important Beach Volleyball event in the region, bringing together teams that earn significant ranking points.
During Tuesday’s preliminary meeting, the participation of 14 teams per gender was confirmed, representing thirteen member countries of the NORCECA Volleyball Confederation.
Preliminary team Canada
The participating countries are Canada, Costa Rica, Bermuda, Jamaica, Guatemala, Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Cayman Islands, and Cuba. Both Canada and the host country, the Dominican Republic, will participate with two teams per gender.
Preliminary team United States
Men’s Teams: CAN Tynan Gannett/Rouzbeh Rahnavard, Martin Licht/Robert Kemp; JAM Ryck Webb/Mark Martin; ISV Garrett Bucklin/William Clements; BER Benjamin Barnett/Sean Tucker; USA Lev Priima/David Wieczorek; GUA Jose Miguel Izaguirre Solis/Mario Rodolfo Daniel Ventura Padilla; DOM Hayerling Francisco De Jesus Goris/Jorge Isaac Rosario Cabrera, Rolvin Maldonado Sanchez/George Alexander Wilmore; ESA Yoel Alejandro Guardado Rivas/Christopher A. Guardado Rivas; NIC Josué Alejandro Meneses/Dany Antonio Lopez Alavarado; TRI Joel Issac Theodore/Stephen Enile; CAY Jesario Ebanks /Stephen Watson; CUB Damian Gomez Limonta/Eblis Veranes Kens.
Women’s Teams: CAN Sophia Hladyniuk/Abbey Thorup, Amy Ozee/Kaylee Glagau; JAM Kristina Lumsden/Petal Smith; ISV T’ara Austin/Taylor Buckner; USA Peri Brennan/Molly Phillips, Xolani Hodel/Alexis Durish; GUA Ana Sofía Arévalo Barillas/Danna Mariela Aguilar Hernández; DOM Darlenys Olivo Rodriguez/Crismil Paniagua Hinojosa, Nallelin Taveras Taveras/Karla Magdalena Diaz Ramirez; ESA Daniela Sofia Vigil Catillejos/Karla Jamileth Tovar; CAY Amanda Robinson/Joanna Robinson; NIC Nahima Nickole Silva Velasquez/Lolette Eleonor Rodriguez; CUB Maykelin Drik Cardona/Mileidy Rosario Paret Pacheco; SUR Zoureena Koningverander/Chelleney Soedamah; CRC Crystell Arce Picado/Aliza Aguilar Delgado.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, October 1, 2024. – With the participation of 23 coaches representing Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, a Level 2 International Volleyball Coaches Course was inaugurated at the NORCECA-FIVB Regional Development Center.
The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Amos Anglade, Technical Vice President, accompanied by José Francisco Fernández, Treasurer of the Dominican Volleyball Federation, Mr. Franklin De La Mota, Deputy Minister of Sports, Bernardo Mesa, Technical Director of Centro Caribe Sports, Francisco Hervas, course director assigned by the FIVB, and lecturers Wilson Sánchez and Enrique Pacheco.
Mr. Amos Anglade welcomed all participants, encouraging them to apply the knowledge they will acquire during the course to benefit their national federations and ensure the development of volleyball.
Deputy Minister Franklin De La Mota expressed that the Development Center is considered one of the best in the country and worldwide for training, thanks to the excellent work of the Center’s Director, Prof. Nelson José Ramírez, and that the Ministry of Sports, led by Minister Kelvin Cruz, fully supports the Center’s continued success in training programs.
FIVB Instructor Francisco Hervas from Spain acknowledged the high quality of the Development Center in Santo Domingo, therefore the FIVB appoints experienced instructors. He added that the five days of training will feature speakers presenting the latest advancements in modern volleyball coaching.
To close the ceremony, Prof. Nelson José Ramírez expressed great satisfaction with the participation of coaches from various countries, which will strengthen volleyball within the NORCECA Confederation. He also thanked NORCECA President Mr. Cristóbal Marte for his ongoing support of the development programs through the Regional Development Center.
The course will last five days, with both theoretical and practical classes, and takes place at the National Training Center located in the Volleyball Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 28, 2024.- Nicaragua won 3-1 (25-18, 15-25, 25-14, 25-17) against Guatemala to claim the second place in the First AFECAVOL U17 Girls’ Central American Championship.
Costa Rica became the champion of this inaugural edition undefeated, while Nicaragua secured the silver medal with a 4-1 record. Belize finished third with a 3-2 record and 14 points. Guatemala was fourth with a 2-3 record, followed by El Salvador with 1-4 and Honduras with 0-5.
For Nicaragua, the top scorer was Luisa Ríos with 10 points, Karen Bird with nine, and Brisa Bermúdez with seven. For Guatemala, Melissa Guerra had nine points, followed by Natalia Pérez with eight and Andrea Garcés.
Fernanda Ríos NCA
Nicaragua outperformed Guatemala in blocking 9-7, with four blocks from Karen Bird, and had an advantage in serving 11-7. Guatemala was stronger in attacks 33-26, though they committed 44 unforced errors compared to 27 from their opponents.
Claudia Noguera, Head coach of Nicaragua: “Today, and throughout the tournament, we saw a team full of determination, determination, attitude, and great resolve, and I believe their fight for every point to represent their country was key. The support from the crowd that cheered us on day by day motivated them and encouraged their growth. We’ve been working with these girls since they were in mini categories, in some cases, and I believe we have a good group for future national teams. This year has been wonderful for us with two gold medals and two silver medals”.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 28, 2024.- Costa Rica was crowned the first U17 Central American Girls’ Volleyball champion after defeating Honduras 3-1 (25-15, 25-20, 20-25, 25-16).
After battling against a determined Honduran team, Costa Rica secured the gold medal undefeated, showing resilience in every match.
Amanda Campos CRC
Amada Campos once again led Costa Rica with 15 points, while Nicole Leiva added 10. For Honduras, Ruth Villegas scored 16 points, and Luna Janania contributed 9.
Costa Rica outperformed in attack, 40-26. Both teams tied with 5 blocks, but Honduras had the advantage in serves, 10-5, with Villegas scoring five direct points. However, they committed 43 unforced errors, compared to Costa Rica’s 35.
Jimena Alfaro, Costa Rica’s libero: “This tournament means so much to me. It’s my last U17 competition, and I feel it was our tournament to win because of all the work we’ve put in. I can’t explain the pride I feel for my teammates, who always kept us motivated. From day one, we had our low points, but we learned that we could rise from our mistakes. Everyone taught us, our coaches guided us, the bench players, the parents, they all helped us mentally”.
Kareen Richard, Head coach of Costa Rica: “The level of the tournament was very good; we had elite matches, and that’s why we thank God that Costa Rica won the first U17 Central American Championship. I feel the tournament was a success. AFECAVOL promotes high-level competition from a young age, and I leave satisfied. Beyond the sport, we saw the girls grow.”
Cristiam Rodríguez, Honduras’ coach: “I think it was a good match. Even though we started losing 0-2, we won the third set and fought hard in the fourth, but we lacked that characteristic Honduran grit. This is something that develops over time, with scrimmages and tournaments, and that’s why this age group is so important.”
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 28, 2024.- Belize (3-2) ended with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-8, 25-22) win over El Salvador (1-4) on the final day of the First AFECAVOL U17 Girls’ Central American Championship.
Belize finished with a record of three wins and two losses, earning 14 points, and now awaits the result between Nicaragua and Guatemala to determine if they will reach the podium.
Akili Jones BIZ
Belize dominated in attacks 35-21, blocks 2-0, and serves 13-4, with Sara Safa contributing 4 aces. El Salvador committed 25 unforced errors compared to 24 from their opponents.
Emaun Marín and Akili Jones led Belize with 14 points each; for El Salvador, Katya Cunza scored six points.
Emanun Marín BIZ
José Fontes, coach of Belize: “As I said at the start of the tournament, our goal was to grow individually and as a team, and we progressed. Yesterday, we had a tough match that we solved 3-1, and today, the first two sets were relatively easy, but we struggled in the third. In the end, we managed to recover. Overall, it was a good tournament; we gave playing time to 12 out of 14 players, and this will be important for their future in the sport.”
Pedro Rivas, coach of El Salvador: “This is the first time this age category has been introduced, and I believe NORCECA and AFECAVOL made the right call by taking this initiative. We have a lot of work ahead as a country to continue identifying and training more girls of this age group. It was a closely contested tournament, with final positions decided in the last matches, which is commendable for all the countries. The girls’ inexperience and nerves were evident, but this serves as an excellent learning experience for them.”
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 28, 2024.- Amanda Campos was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy at the First AFECAVOL U17 Girls’ Central American Championship, after helping Costa Rica claim the title undefeated.
Campos, an opposite hitter, was the third-highest scorer of the tournament with 70 points, consisting of 61 attacks, five blocks, and four aces.
Also from Costa Rica, Nadia Granados received the Best Setter award, and Charlotte Martínez was recognized as the 2nd Best Blocker.
Belize took home the most individual awards, with opposite hitter Akili Jones standing out as Best Server, 2nd Best Attacker, and Best Scorer. Dasialynn Thurton was named Best Libero and Best Digger, while her teammate Emaun Marín earned the award for Best Spiker.
Melissa Guerra from Guatemala was recognized as Best Opposite, with her teammate Harumi Monney winning Best Receiver. María Evans of Nicaragua secured the award for Best Blocker.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 27, 2024.- Costa Rica pulled off almost a miracle to defeat Nicaragua 3-2 (25-22, 19-25, 18-25, 26-24, 15-9) on the penultimate day of the 1st Central American U17 Girls’ Championship of AFECAVOL.
Nicaragua had a 21-13 lead in the fourth set, which would have secured their fourth victory of the tournament, but Costa Rica had other plans. Little by little, they pressed until tying the score at 23 and taking the match to the fifth set after a spectacular 26-24 comeback.
Costa Rica
In the fifth set, Costa Rica took advantage of the confusion of the home team, which couldn’t find a way to stop the spikes of Luciana Vargas, Nicole Leiva, and Amada Campos, as well as the strong serving of the Costa Ricans.
With this victory, Costa Rica now needs to secure their match against Honduras at 4:00 p.m. to claim the gold medal undefeated. Meanwhile, Nicaragua will face Guatemala at 6:30 p.m. to compete for the silver medal, and Belize will seek to enter the medal tally in their match against El Salvador.
Nicaragua was superior in attack with 57-35, both teams tied in serving with 11, and Costa Rica was better in blocking with 10-5, with the home team committing 47 unforced errors compared to the winners’ 32.
Costa Rica’s top player was Campos with 13 points, followed by Leiva with 12 and Vargas with 11. Nicaragua’s best scorers were Luisa Ríos with 12, Lucía Columna with 11, and Ana Carolina Rodríguez, also with 11.
Costa Rica block
Nadia Granados, Costa Rica captain: “We were super nervous at several points during the game, but both teams responded very well. In the fourth set, I think we were behind, but we managed to pull through with maturity and a cool head. Yes, I feel super proud, especially with the entire crowd against us, there was a lot of pressure, but it’s an incredibly strong sense of pride. We still have one more win to secure tomorrow and give it our last effort”.
Kareen Richard, Costa Rica coach: “Many had already given up on that fourth set, but the courage and pride of these players came through. We also had to make some tactical adjustments in the third set, including moving the opposite player to the middle, and although the results didn’t show at first, it paid off in the end. I also want to highlight the players who came off the bench and changed the course of the game. As I told them this morning, the team is 12 players, it’s 12, and it’s great to be able to look at the bench and find solutions.”
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 27, 2024. – Belize (2-2) earned an important victory that keeps their medal hopes alive by defeating Honduras (0-4) 3-1 (25-12, 25-17, 18-25, 25-14) with one match left in the First AFECAVOL U17 Central American Girls’ Championship.
Belize’s powerful serve caused significant damage to Honduras, with Sara Safa scoring 7 aces out of her team’s total of 16, leading that skill 16-9. Belize led in attacks 41-25, while Honduras had the edge in blocking 4-1.
Emaun Marín with 17 points was Belize’s top scorer, followed by Ikili Jones with 13 and Safa with 10; for Honduras, Ruth Villegas finished with 11.
Belize
On Saturday, in the final day of competition, El Salvador faces Belize at 1:30 p.m., while Honduras will take on Costa Rica at 4:00 p.m.
Emaun Marín, Belize’s top scorer: “I feel it could have been better, and I think there are many things we all need to work on. What was different for me today was that I stepped up when I saw the short balls and read the game better. I’m 14 years old and I just started playing volleyball about three years ago (in 2021)”.
José Fontes, Head coach of Belize: “Another important victory as we aim for a medal. I think, since we’re here, that’s the goal. The girls came out a bit pressured, and a good serve from Honduras complicated things for us. They improved their game and got back into competition. In the end, they secured the crucial win to keep our medal hopes alive”.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 27, 2024.- Guatemala (2-2) returned to winning ways by defeating El Salvador (1-3) 3-0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-20) at the start of the fourth day of the First Central American U17 Girls’ Championship of AFECAVOL.
Guatemala’s serving made the difference in the match, applying pressure with their serves, forcing their opponents into unforced errors, and preventing strong attacks, which allowed them to counterattack. In total, Guatemala scored 17 direct points from serves compared to three from their opponents.
For Guatemala, captain Regina Porres finished with 13 points, including six from serves, and Andrea Garcés contributed 10 points, with four direct service points. Tatiana Gómez led El Salvador with seven points. El Salvador committed 27 unforced errors, compared to 31 from the winners. Guatemala outperformed in attacks (28-16) and blocking (3-2).
On Saturday, the last day of competition, El Salvador faces Belize at 1:30 p.m., while Guatemala plays Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m.
Katherine Vaughn GUA
Regina Porres Garrido, captain of Guatemala: “We are super happy with our result. We worked really hard to win 3-0, and we got the result we wanted. Our attitude has been really important, and we tried to put it into action today. We always aim to keep a positive attitude. Tomorrow, we face Nicaragua, and we’ll give it our all on the court.”
Julio Domínguez, coach of Guatemala: “This category is about development, so it’s important for the players to perform and confirm what they’ve been training, regardless of the result. For the International Federation, the U19 category is where things become more formal, but we believe we’re following the right process to keep competing in future tournaments”.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 26, 2024.- Nicaragua (3-0) battled to a 3-1 victory (26-24, 25-16, 20-25, 25-21) over Belize (1-2) to close out the third day of the inaugural AFECAVOL U17 Central American Girls’ Championship.
Belize missed two set points in the first set, leading 24-22, but eventually lost 24-26, which energized Nicaragua to come out strong in the second and third sets.
The match was closely contested, with both teams going on scoring runs, but Nicaragua finished stronger, particularly with effective serves that threw their opponents off balance.
Jaycee Usher BIZ
Belize was slightly better in attack, 46-45, while Nicaragua led in blocking, 6-3. Both teams were even in serving, with 10 aces each. Nicaragua committed 25 unforced errors, compared to 37 by Belize.
Nicaragua’s top scorers were Luisa Ríos and Lucía Columna with 12 points each, Karen Bird with 11, and Franchesca Viera with 10. For Belize, Emaun Marín led with 21 points, and Akili Jones added 18.
On Friday, during the fourth day of competition, Belize will face Honduras at 4:00 p.m., while Nicaragua and Costa Rica will play for the undefeated record at 6:30 p.m.
Claudia Noguera, Head coach of Nicaragua: “Belize is one of the countries that has improved significantly in volleyball development over the past few years, and this was an important match. They pushed us to the limit, but the girls managed to stay focused, which is great for our morale ahead of tomorrow’s match against Costa Rica”.
José Fontes, Head coach of Belize: “Emotional control was key in today’s match. Nicaragua is a very solid team in all aspects of the game. I even think we were slightly better at serving. We played a strong first and third set, and the fourth set was close until the end. We take away this positive experience and know that we need to keep working hard for better results”.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 26, 2024.- El Salvador pulled off a great comeback, winning 3-1 (22-25, 25-18, 25-11, 25-23) against Honduras to secure their first victory in the inaugural AFECAVOL U17 Central American Girls’ Championship.
Honduras came into the first set energized, winning 25-22 with strong blocking and effective serves. However, El Salvador shook off that initial blow and returned to convincingly win the second and third sets, capitalizing on their rivals’ mistakes, as Honduras struggled to find a response.
In total, Honduras committed 47 unforced errors, while El Salvador had 36. El Salvador dominated in attack (39-25) and service (9-8), while Honduras led in blocking (8-2), with five effective blocks from Virginia Herdocia.
For El Salvador, Adriana Vargas scored 11 points and Katya Cunza added 10. Herdocia was the top scorer for Honduras with 12 points.
On Friday, during the fourth day of competition, El Salvador will face Guatemala at 1:30 p.m., and Honduras will play Belize at 4:00 p.m.
Enny Ramos de Honduras
Pedro Rivas, Head coach of El Salvador: “We have been playing against two teams of almost our level, Guatemala and Belize, teams in our range. We’ve been working toward improving our game, which comes with match volume and experience. The team has been progressing, and today we saw the result against Honduras, who are also on our level. Honduras is a very resilient team that gave us trouble, but thanks to the talent of the girls, we managed to overcome the situation. After the first set, which was a bit complicated, we wanted to see how the team would perform, and we found our rhythm, which we maintained throughout the following sets, and ultimately, we won”.
Cristiam Rodríguez, Head coach of Honduras: “Honestly, we had different expectations for this match. Losing in this way is a bit difficult. We made too many unnecessary errors, and El Salvador took full advantage and deserved the win. With girls this age, it’s tough sometimes. The preparation might be good, but internally, we don’t always know how they’re feeling. We’ll try to change that for the upcoming matches. I believe it’s also part of the growth in this age group. We’re looking forward to giving the younger girls, who are still U15, more experience, so that in the future, in this age group, the outcome may be different”.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 26, 2024.- Costa Rica (3-0) pushed to the limit to defeat a fierce Guatemala (1-2) with a 3-1 victory (25-17, 17-25, 25-23, 25-23) at the start of the third day of the inaugural AFECAVOL U17 Central American Girls’ Championship.
Costa Rica’s unbeaten streak was in jeopardy due to Guatemala’s intensity, as they fought and pressured throughout the match. However, Costa Rica’s focus and ability to win key points once again secured them the victory.
Amanda Campos with 11 points, along with Luciana Vargas and Nicole Leiva with 9 points each, were the best performers for Costa Rica. For Guatemala, Melissa Guerra and Regina Porres led with 13 points each, followed by Natalia Pérez with 12 points.
Costa Rica capitalized on 41 points from opponent errors, while committing 23. They also outperformed in blocking, 6-4. Guatemala led in attacks, 49-41, and in serving, 12-4.
On Friday, during the fourth day of competition, Guatemala will face El Salvador at 1:30 p.m. and Costa Rica will take on Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m.
Costa Rica
Amanda Campos Monge, Costa Rica’s top scorer: “We knew it wouldn’t be an easy match, we were mentally prepared for that. We worked on it for several days and handled it very well. Guatemala played excellently, they complicated things for us in the second set, but we stayed mentally strong and managed to secure the victory. It’s a great feeling to look at the stands and see our families supporting us. It’s incredibly satisfying to know they will always be there for us through thick and thin”.
Regina Porres Garrido, Guatemala’s captain: “We had this match in our sights, and we’ve been working hard because we knew its importance. We gave it our all, with a lot of energy and everything we had, but unfortunately, we couldn’t get the victory. Losses teach us a lot, and we will always keep moving forward”.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 25, 2024.- Nicaragua needed four sets, 3-1 (25-6, 17-25, 25-11, 25-15), to defeat a battling Honduras in the closing match of the second day of the First AFECAVOL U17 Central American Girls’ Championship.
After a dominant first set for Nicaragua, 25-6, Honduras started the second set strong, leading 7-1 thanks to their effective serving, which disrupted the defense and attack of the home team. Honduras’ lead was enough to survive several comebacks from the Nicaraguan side, who fell short and lost the set 17-25.
Karen Bird NCA
In the third and fourth sets, Nicaragua regained their strength, particularly with their serving, achieving double digits in aces (outscoring Honduras 18-6 in serves) for the second consecutive match, while also leading in attacks 35-19 and blocks 8-4.
The top scorer was Nicaragua’s Lucía Columna with 15 points, followed by Emely Gutiérrez with 13 (including six aces) and María Ebank with 10 (five blocks). For Honduras, Luna Janania had 7 points and Virginia Herdocia 6.
On Thursday, on day three, Honduras will play El Salvador at 4:00 p.m., and Nicaragua will face Belize at 6:30 p.m.
Denixa Zeledón, captain of Nicaragua: “I’m very satisfied with the work we did. It was a tough match because Honduras has strong defense and attack, which made things difficult for us, but we were able to get the result. We’ve improved a lot in reception and defense thanks to our coaches”.
Karen Bird NCA
Claudia Noguera, Head coach of Nicaragua: “It was a good win, and it’s important to secure victory even if we lose a set. I think the girls became anxious and lost concentration, but in the end, we regained the rhythm of the game. We’ve been focusing on our serving, which is fundamental in this sport, and things are going well”.
Cistiam Rodríguez, Head coach of Honduras: “Today’s match was very satisfying; we played better than yesterday, won a set, but unfortunately didn’t secure the victory. However, I think it shows progress as a team despite missing a key player. The level of competition in this tournament is high, and sometimes the girls can’t control their emotions because they’re so young, but it’s gratifying to see them improve with each match”.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 25, 2024. – Costa Rica earned their second victory by defeating El Salvador 3-0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-19) on the second day of the First AFECAVOL U17 Central American Girls’ Championship.
At times, El Salvador put pressure on Costa Rica, staying tied until the second technical timeout (16), but from then on, Costa Rica maintained composure and relied on their serve, which once again made the difference.
Costa Rica celebra victoria
Costa Rica led in attacks 44-24, in blocks 4-1, and in serves 11-3, with seven aces from Nicole Leiva and three from Nadia Granados, though they committed more unforced errors with 23 to El Salvador’s 16.
Leiva was Costa Rica’s top scorer with 14 points, and Campos added 13, the same as Charlotte Martínez. For El Salvador, Tatiana Gómez finished with seven points.
On Thursday, on day three, Costa Rica will play Guatemala at 1:30 p.m., and El Salvador will face Honduras at 4:00 p.m.
Kareem Richard, Head coach of Costa Rica: “Thank God we were able to get the victory. It was a bit difficult, but we understand that this is normal at this level. The positive thing is how the girls managed to bounce back after hitting a rough patch. Now we need to keep growing, and that’s what this age group is for – to keep learning and developing our future national team athletes”.
Pedro Rivas, Head coach of El Salvador: “We thought we were better prepared to compete a bit more against Costa Rica. We made a lot of mistakes in the first set, which cost us, but we tried to turn things around. The girls gained confidence and shook off their nerves by the third set. We know they’re young, for some this is their first event, so it was a good result. I’m proud of the girls for putting Costa Rica, a well-prepared team, under pressure”.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 25, 2024.- Belize secured their first victory by defeating Guatemala 3-1 (25-17, 25-21, 26-28, 25-21) at the start of the second day of the AFECAVOL U17 Central American Girls’ Championship.
Belize showed more organization and strength in attack, especially with captain Akili Jones, who scored 27 points, six of them from serves. Emaun Marín finished with 19 points, four of them from blocks and 14 from attacks. For Guatemala, Melissa Guerra ended with 13 points, and Natalia Pérez with 9.
Belice celebra triunfo
Belize outperformed in attack 41-34, in blocks 10-4, while Guatemala took the advantage in serves 13-11. Belize committed 39 errors compared to Guatemala’s 36.
On Thursday, on the third day of competition, Guatemala will face Costa Rica at 1:30 p.m., and Belize will play against Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m.
Akili Jones, captain of Belize: “We enjoyed today’s match. We are very excited, it’s our first win of the tournament, and we’re really hoping to win more. Yesterday we were off our game; we didn’t play at our best level. Today, we regrouped and played harder”.
Akili Jones de Belice remata
José Fontés, Head coach of Belize: “Yes, it was a hard-fought victory, but it’s a very important one, especially because, as I’ve said from the beginning, the goal is to keep growing and improving our game. Today, we did very well in the first two sets, the first one was played well and very effectively with our serve. Afterward, we dropped off a little, but that’s normal in these types of events and at this age. A very important factor is that we played with two athletes, one aged 15 and the other 13, on the court, and that makes me very happy with how they handled the situations at such a young age”.
Julio Dominguez, Head coach of Guatemala: “This tournament was created to develop the level in the region, and that’s how it is: you win some, you lose some. But today, we saw a very high level for this age group. I believe the team needs to make more tactical adjustments, become more disciplined, so they can keep fighting for the medals. We have a situation with the players where emotions play a very important role. But we’re going to keep fighting, trusting in God that we’ll stay strong because we still have more matches ahead”.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, September 2025.– USA Volleyball is pleased to announce that it has hired John Speraw to serve as its president and Chief Executive Officer, starting on October 1.
Prior to becoming the eighth CEO of USA Volleyball, Speraw has served as head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team since 2013 and has been part of the team’s leadership for almost two decades.
“My journey with USA Volleyball began in 1997 as an assistant coach for the World University Games team,” Speraw said. “Reflecting on the teams, players, staff and experiences over the years, I am filled with immense gratitude. To now be entrusted with the opportunity to lead USA Volleyball as president and CEO is both a profound honor and deeply humbling.
“This journey has deepened my passion for this organization—representing our country, advancing the sport, and elevating the experience for everyone involved.
“I am sincerely grateful to the USA Volleyball Board of Directors for this honor and responsibility. I am ready to lead. I am ready to serve.”
Speraw’s coaching and leadership roles within USA Volleyball bring a unique blend of executive vision, recognition of the diverse and complex ecosystem of the sport and expertise in the international scene.
His strategic vision of the sport’s evolution is critically important as USA Volleyball prepares for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympics in Los Angeles and the 2032 Games in Brisbane, Australia.
Speraw is also the founder of First Point Volleyball, an organization dedicated to supporting the growth of boys’ and men’s volleyball across the country.
USA Volleyball Board of Directors Chair Dave Gentile expressed gratitude for everyone involved in the extensive six-month search process for a new CEO.
“What a wonderful cadre of potential leaders that worked through the interview process,” Gentile said. “All of our finalists were highly talented on many fronts, and we thank them for their interest in and support of USA Volleyball.
“The search group composed of key USA Volleyball Board members concluded that John’s overall sport acumen, demeanor, energy, leadership skills and vision for the future of the sport were clearly aligned with the Board’s expectations for the next generation of USA Volleyball.
“Along with the full Board and staff, I look forward to working closely with John over the next several years as he prepares the organization for LA28 and beyond. We are also confident that John’s leadership will always have the mission and role of USA Volleyball as the National Governing Body of the sport of volleyball at the forefront of all we do.”
Besides coaching the U.S. Men’s Team, Speraw has been the head men’s volleyball coach at UCLA since 2012 and guided the Bruins to the NCAA Division I-II National Championship in 2023 and 2024.
Prior to UCLA, Speraw coached UC Irvine men’s volleyball (2002-12) and directed the Anteaters to three NCAA National Championships in six years.
He played middle blocker for the Bruins from 1992-95 and was a member of two national championship teams. He graduated from UCLA in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology and molecular genetics
Speraw and wife Michelle live in Southern California with their two children, Hailey and Brooklyn.
September 25, 2024.- The North, Central America, and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA and the volleyball community is deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Yuko Arakida on September 16, 2024, at the age of 70; pivotal member of Japan’s national women’s volleyball team, helping secure the gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy.
Known for her charismatic leadership, tireless work ethic, and remarkable ability to build strong relationships within the global sporting community.
NORCECA president Cristrobal Marte Hoffiz expresses his condolences for the passing of his dear and esteemed colleague, her loss resonates profoundly within the volleyball community and beyond.
Ms. Arakida was a highly respected figure in various Olympic and sports organizations, including the Japan Volleyball Association (JVA), FIVB, Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), and the Olympic Council of Asia, where she once chaired the OCA Athletes’ Committee. She also played a significant role in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Organizing Committee.
In Japan’s sports governance Ms. Arakida held several key roles, serving as head of the JVA’s training operations, a director of the JOC, and a program member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). She played a crucial role in Japan’s successful bid for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, serving as both Director and Vice President of the organizing committee. Additionally, she held positions as Executive Vice President of the Japan Softball Association and President of the Japan National Radio Gymnastics Federation.
NORCECA extends their heartfelt condolences to Ms. Arakida’s family, friends, and colleagues, as well as the Japan Volleyball Association, and all who were fortunate enough to know and work alongside Yuko. Together, we honor her memory and continue her legacy in the world of volleyball.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 24, 2024. – Nicaragua opened with a 3-0 victory (25-12, 25-09, 25-19) against El Salvador in the closing match of the first day of the AFECAVOL U17 Central American Girls’ Championship.
The home team took advantage of their strong serve, scoring 16 points, with Brisa Bermúdez contributing 5 aces and Emely Gutiérrez adding three more. Nicaragua dominated in serving 16-2, in attacking 32-20, and 3-1 in blocking, also benefiting from 24 opponent errors, compared to their own 17.
Gutiérrez finished with nine points for Nicaragua, while Lucía Columna, Brisa Bermúdez, and Karen Bird each tallied eight points. For El Salvador, Tatiana Gómez scored five points.
Karen Bird de Nicaragua ataca
On Wednesday, during the second day, El Salvador faces Costa Rica at 4:00 p.m., and Nicaragua will play against Honduras at 6:30 p.m.
Claudia Noguera, coach of Nicaragua: “At the beginning, the girls were a bit nervous, but that’s normal in this age group. Later, they started to focus well, began doing their job, and played as they are used to. This victory is important because it’s positive for the team to get a good result on the first day. This game gave us the opportunity to see what options we have for the upcoming matches. We know this age group is very evenly matched, and we will always focus on each game”.
Pedro Rivas, coach of El Salvador: “Honestly, the work we did with the girls paid off. We started with an advantage against Nicaragua, but like all the teams in this tournament, these are girls playing for the first time, almost 80% of the team, and in the end, it takes its toll. The anxiety of the Salvadoran girls caused them to make mistakes, but I think the first and third sets were of a good level. In the second set, our team dropped a lot emotionally, but we managed to lift it in the third set, almost forcing a fourth”.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 24, 2024.- Guatemala earned an important 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-21) victory over Honduras thanks to an effective serve, in the second match of the opening day of the First AFECAVOL U17 Central American Girls’ Championship.
Honduras maintained pressure throughout the match, but Guatemala responded at key moments with their strong serving, earning 12 points, including five from Katherine Vaughn and four from Natalia Pérez.
Guatemala outperformed in attack 35-24 and in serving 12-4, although Honduras led in blocking 5-2. Guatemala made 30 unforced errors, compared to 26 by Honduras.
Andrea Garcés scored 12 points, Vaughn contributed 10, and Melissa Guerra added 9 for Guatemala; meanwhile, Honduras had Nicole Velásquez with nine points.
This Wednesday, on the second day of competition, Guatemala faces Belize at 1:30 p.m., and Honduras takes on Nicaragua at 6:30 p.m.
Regina Porres, captain of Guatemala: “We are very happy with this result, we have been working hard for a long time, and we must keep pushing, always putting in full effort. We knew how to handle the pressure from Honduras, especially with our serves, which are very effective, and that helped us maintain the lead”.
Katherine Vaughn de Guatemala remata
Julio Domínguez, coach of Guatemala: “Starting off like this is important for the team because, first, it’s a new category, and traditionally, the first game in any tournament is always unpredictable. But thank God the girls showed the tactical discipline that was needed, along with a positive attitude to secure a 3-0 win. The inconsistencies were expected because they are young but thank God, we were able to control the game”.
Cristiam Rodriguez, coach of Honduras: “It’s challenging to be at this stage with such young girls. We know there can be many errors in this age group, but I am very pleased despite the loss, as I can see their development, and I know things will improve even more in the future. We know they’re not immune to mistakes; we missed key points at the end of each set, but we will improve as the tournament progresses”.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 24, 2024.- Costa Rica started strong with a 3-0 victory (25-14, 25-16, 25-23) against Belize in the opening match of the First Central American U17 Girls’ Championship by AFECAVOL.
The Costa Rican team showed solid blocking and attacking, and although Belize put pressure in the third set, Costa Rica finished strong with good defense to secure the match point.
Jimena Alfaro libero y Nicole Leiva de Costa Rica intentan salvar el balón
Amanda Campos was Costa Rica’s top scorer with 18 points, eight of them in the first set, while Michelle Arias added 10. For Belize, Akili Jones recorded 12 points.
Costa Rica outperformed Belize in attacks 37-28, also in blocks 4-0, while both teams were tied in service points with six each. Belize committed 28 unforced errors compared to Costa Rica’s 19.
On Wednesday, during the second day of competition, Belize will face Guatemala at 1:30 p.m., and Costa Rica will play against El Salvador at 4:00 p.m.
Nadia Granados, captain of Costa Rica: “We are super excited because this was our goal, to win. We are very motivated because we’ve worked hard for this. Now we have more matches coming up, and we will keep working hard. I think we handled the nerves and anxiety of the first match well, we were able to control our emotions and close out the game”.
Kareem Richard, coach of Costa Rica: “It’s always extremely important to start with a win. Belize is a good team, with a great coaching staff, and they always have good physical conditions. Our technique and tactics made the difference because, at this age, the first game is always challenging, even for a coach. But the girls responded well, and we have an excellent group.”
José Fontes, coach of Belize: “Our goal is to grow, and I believe we did that because the team looked different between the first and third sets. We had some issues in defense, but I’m satisfied, especially with what we did in the third set, as we were up against Costa Rica, a great team.”
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, September 23, 2024. – The first Central American U17Girls’ Championship, organized by the Association of Central American Volleyball Federations (AFECAVOL), offers a great opportunity to witness emerging talents and the ongoing development of youth volleyball in the region.
The coaches of the six competing teams emphasized the importance of such a tournament for this age group, as it marks the first competitive steps for these players.
José Fontes, Head coach of Belize: “Belize’s expectations are to see our players grow, as they don’t have much competitive experience. The first thing we will demand is that they improve and have the right attitude both on and off the court. It’s a great opportunity for all of them to grow and start learning what competition is about”.
Belize
Julio Dominguez, Head coach of Guatemala: “This is a very important category because it forms the foundation for our federations, as athletes for future national teams will come from here. We are eager and enthusiastic to begin this competition, which we expect to be very balanced. We thank AFECAVOL for taking the initiative to launch this age group”.
Guatemala
Pedro Rivas, coach of El Salvador: “This is a new tournament for the region, and we are very happy that AFECAVOL decided to host this event for girls in this age group. We are prepared to compete, and we hope to surprise other teams. We know all the countries are strong, but we will do our best”.
El Salvador
Cristiam Rodríguez, Head coach of Honduras: “We’ve come with a solid process, and we hope to perform well and secure a spot on the podium. I believe this category is very important because the development of girls at this age is more challenging. There are more mistakes, and more corrections are needed, so being in competition will help us a lot. We all want to perform well, and it’s going to be a great tournament”.
Honduras
Claudia Noguera, Head coach of Nicaragua: “Our goal is to represent our country with dignity. We have a group of talented young players, and we hope to be fighting for a spot on the podium. This age group is essential because it marks the beginning of an athlete’s career, and their development at this stage is key to achieving a good playing rhythm as they transition to adulthood”.
Nicaragua
Kareem Richard, Head coach of Costa Rica: “Our expectations are very high. Costa Rica always strives to be a reference point, and we have worked on both technical and tactical aspects to ensure a good performance in this inaugural tournament for this age group. The girls are excited, as is the coaching staff, and we are eagerly waiting for the event to start”.
Costa Rica
The tournament will be held from Tuesday to Saturday at the Volleyball Gymnasium of the Sports Institute (IND) in Managua, with matches starting at 1:30 p.m. On Tuesday, the opening ceremony will take place before the third match (6:30 p.m.), with local authorities in attendance.
PARAMARIBO, September 21, 2024 – Following the conclusion of the 2024 Men’s U23 Pan American Cup, NORCECA announced that Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Guatemala have qualified for the Men’s Volleyball tournament at the II Junior Pan American Games to take place in 2025 in Asunción, Paraguay.
The announcement was made by NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz during the closing ceremony of the Men’s U23 Pan American Cup, held from September 16 to 21 in Paramaribo, Suriname.
The four teams secured their spots in the continent’s most important youth sports event, organized by Panam Sports, after completing the two-stage qualification process established by the NORCECA Confederation.
The first stage took place during the 2023 Men’s U23 Pan American Cup held in Havana, Cuba, where Cuba emerged as the champion and the Dominican Republic as the runner-up, earning the first two NORCECA tickets.
The qualification was completed with Mexico and Guatemala, as they were the highest-ranked NORCECA teams not yet qualified from the 2024 Men’s U23 Pan American Cup, securing the final two berths.
The four teams now set their sights on Asunción 2025 and will continue their preparation to achieve success on the Junior Pan American stage.
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