Tag: Volleyball

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 31, 2025.– Canada staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Cuba 3-2 (21-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-22, 15-9) in a thrilling semifinal match of the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup at the Domo de la Feria in León, securing their first-ever berth in the tournament’s final.

In an explosive, leveled battle, both teams traded points throughout the match, keeping the scores razor-close. Cuba controlled the first two sets, but Canada rallied in the third, leading from start to finish and forcing a fourth set. Riding the momentum, the Canadians pushed the game into a decisive tiebreak, where Taylor de Boer sealed the historic victory with a spectacular block.

“This team is so awesome, we never give up when our backs are against the wall – the next player steps up. I think we are a full team, and it showed today,” said an excited Matt Krueger, Canada’s Head Coach. “Those lessons that we’re learning are starting to pay off and that’s incredible for volleyball in Canada. Cuba is an incredible team; they are the defending champs for a reason; they were in control for the majority of the game. We just made one switch, with Taylor coming into the game and she showed up.”

Key player Taylor de Boer, who was instrumental in Canada’s comeback, reflected on the team’s grit: “After being down we came out and said we’re against the wall, so we’re giving everything, we’ve got nothing to lose and our story isn’t over, so we had to write ourselves.” She added, “I couldn’t do any of it without the support of my team.”

With this victory, Canada advances to their first Women’s U23 Pan American Cup final.

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 31, 2025. – In a thrilling battle, the United States defeated Mexico 3-2 (20-25, 27-25, 25-20, 21-25, 15-10) in the semifinals of the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

With the victory, the U.S. will play for the gold medal for the first time in the history of the event, facing Canada, which also advanced after a tight five-set battle against Cuba. The bronze medal will be decided between Mexico and Cuba.

The match was evenly contested from start to finish. Mexico dominated the first set with a solid attack, while the United States responded in the second with a more aggressive offense, sealing the set with an ace from Lauren Rumel.

In the third set, strong reception from libero Emily Kilka allowed the U.S. to find more gaps and take the lead on the scoreboard.

Mexico refused to back down and, fueled by the home crowd, forced a fifth set thanks to Aimé Topete’s attacks, who held a four-point lead in the fourth set.

In the tiebreak, middle blocker Ifennamaka Cos-Okpalla led the U.S. with her blocking, supported by Jurnee Robinson’s reach over the net and Chloe Chicoine’s effectiveness, doubling Mexico in points 10-5. Although Aimé Topete saved a match point (14-9), it was a powerful spike from Eva Hudson that sealed USA’s historic berth to the championship match.

“We just thought we’re going to grind this out. Mexico is a great team and loves to rally, we knew it was going to be hard, so we were just going to go out swinging. I think we were a little intimidated by the crowd at the beginning. We found our flow and comfort from each other” said Eva Hudson who scored the winning point for the U.S.

Head Coach Marie Zidek said “Mexico is a very intelligent team; they played with very high quality over long periods of time. I thought we had some nice service runs which created two-three points of space, and our blocks had a couple of more touches. Mexico is a tremendous team, I just can’t believe we won.  

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 31, 2025. – Nicaragua earned an exciting victory in the Central American clash by defeating Costa Rica 3-2 (25-22, 25-21, 23-25, 19-25, 15-13) at the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup being held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

On the final day of competition, Nicaragua will play for fifth place against the Dominican Republic, while Costa Rica will face Suriname for positions seven and eight.

Costa Rica refused to give up and showed great character to push the match to a fifth set. With a more effective attack and well-organized defense, the Costa Ricans seized every opportunity to recover and stay in the fight, rallying to force a deciding set after trailing by two.

Nicaragua displayed composure in the tiebreak, coming back from a five-point deficit (3-8) to tie at 10 and surge to victory. Their solid blocking was key in neutralizing Costa Rica’s main attacker, Ivanny Blackwood, while Marcela Martínez led the Nicaraguan offense.

María Roa, captain of Nicaragua, highlighted the team’s effort: “It was a hard-fought victory. The team lost focus at times, our energy dropped, and we couldn’t close it in three sets. We played together and the trust in our coach helped us get back on the path to victory. Costa Rica improved their energy a lot as the match went on. We are very happy because we have already improved on the position we finished in at the last Cup; it’s a great achievement for Nicaragua.”

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 31, 2025. – Dominican Republic advanced to the match for fifth place at the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup after a convincing 3-0 (25-13, 25-5, 25-11) victory over Suriname at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

The Dominican team will conclude their participation facing the winner of the match between Costa Rica and Nicaragua in the final day of action, while Suriname will play for positions 7-8 against the loser.

This was the second time in the tournament that the Dominicans defeated Suriname, repeating the straight-set result from the preliminary round.

Dominican Republic dominated the match with a wide margin in attacks (45-13) and service points (4-0), while both teams scored three points from blocks. The Caribbean squad committed 13 unforced errors compared to Suriname’s 23.

Opposite hitter Katielle Alonzo led the Dominican offense with 16 points, all from attacks, the top scorer in the match and the only player to reach double digits.

Setter Selanny Puente expressed her satisfaction with the team’s performance: “I felt very excited to distribute the match. Today we came in determined to win, we didn’t care about the opponent. We planned for the game to be over in three sets and we achieved the goal. We’re going all out tomorrow as well.”

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 30, 2025.- Canada secured a spot in the semifinals of the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup after defeating the Dominican Republic in a thrilling five-set battle, 3-2 (25-20, 19-25, 12-25, 25-21, 15-9) at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

The match was marked by long rallies and constant lead changes. In the first set, Canada pulled away 16-13 thanks to the offense of Raya Surinx and Lucy Borowski, while Madyson Saris controlled the net to secure the set.

The Dominican Republic responded in the second set, taking an early 7-2 lead with the power of Alondra Tapia and Katielle Alonzo to even the score. In the third, the Dominicans dominated from the start with an 8-1 run that left Canada with no answer, moving ahead in the match.

However, the fourth set told a different story. Led by Veronica Dickson, Borowski, and Surinx, Canada jumped to a commanding 10-0 advantage that set the tone. In the decisive fifth set, Jessica Andrews shined in both attack and blocking, teaming up with Madyson Saris to stop the Dominican Republic and seal the victory.

Despite conceding 44 points from unforced errors, Canada’s offensive edge (64-44 in attacks) was decisive, as well as leading 7-6 in blocks. The Dominican Republic held the advantage in aces 5-3 and committed 22 unforced errors.

Raya Surinx, Canada’s outside hitter, was the top scorer of the match with 23 points, while Madyson Saris and middle blocker Jessica Andrews each added 13. For the Dominican Republic, Alondra Tapia finished with 19 points and Katielle Alonzo with 18.

With this result, Canada advances to the semifinals and awaits its next opponent. The Dominican Republic will compete for positions 5 through 8.

“It was a rollercoaster” commented Matt Krueger, head coach of Canada. “The theme of this week for us is learning lessons and growing from those lessons, and I think we have done throughout the four games. When we went high, we went low and we learned from that and we made our changes, and we won. The challenge today was to stick to our game plan” he added.

Wagner Pacheco, Head Coach of the Dominican Republic, said: “It was a match with many highs and lows. At the moment, our team is like that because we have very young players. One of our outside hitters is only 17 and still in development. The team did everything it could; they fought, failed, and made mistakes. That’s volleyball.”

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 30, 2025. – Mexico advanced to the semifinals of the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup after decisively beating Costa Rica 3-0 (25-11, 25-9, 25-13) at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

With this victory, the hosts will face the United States in the semifinal. In the other bracket, defending champions Cuba will take on Canada in a rematch of the intense pool play match that Cuba won in five sets.

Mexico dominated from start to finish, leaving Costa Rica with few opportunities to respond. The home team outperformed in attacks 47-17, blocks 5-0, and service aces 1-0, while committing fewer errors than their opponents (16-22).

Mexico’s captain and middle blocker María Ximena Cruz was the top scorer of the match with 11 points, including 10 attacks and one block. Aitana Rettke followed with 9 points on 7 attacks, one block, and one ace.

For Costa Rica, Ivanny Blackwood once again stood out as the most effective player with 7 points.

The Women’s U23 Pan American Cup semifinals will be played this Thursday, where Mexico will aim to capitalize on their home advantage against the United States, while Cuba and Canada are set to revive one of the most thrilling clashes from the group stage.

Cassandra Simental, Mexico’s libero, said, “We were strong in attack, our serve was more consistent, and our blocking was effective. We came in aiming for a spot in the semifinals, and we achieved it. Tomorrow, we want to put on a great performance against the United States; we are prepared and want to reach the final. I hope we can be just as strong as we were today.”

Costa Rica’s outside hitter Tatiana Rodríguez said, “We are a very young team and didn’t have the opportunity to spend much time together. I feel we’ve done a good job reaching this stage of the tournament. We faced a great opponent, the home team, and in the end, it was a tough match.”

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, July 30, 2025.- Dominican Republic earned its second victory in as many matches at the U23 Men’s Pan American Cup being held at the Domo Polideportivo in Guatemala City.

The Dominicans defeated Belize 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-23) to keep their unbeaten streak alive in Pool B. Belize, on the other hand, suffered its second loss. On Thursday, July 31, the group stage concludes with Dominican Republic facing Mexico at 2:00 p.m. and Belize taking on the United States at 4:00 p.m.

Dominican Republic managed to stay a couple of points ahead throughout the first set to close it out. The second set was much more comfortable for the Caribbean team, who built a solid lead early on. The third set was the most contested, but in the end, the Dominicans prevailed.

The Caribbean squad dominated in every skill of the game, leading in attacks (41-35), blocks (8-4), and aces (5-2).

José Figueroa stood out for the Dominican side with a total of 16 points (15 on attacks). Albert Molina contributed 12 points and Antonio de Jesús added 10.

For Belize, captain Kaelen Ingram earned top honors as the match’s leading scorer with 18 points, all on attacks. Eleazar Mejía followed with 11 points.

Dominican captain Luther Rosario said, “We are a team that has been working hard for a long time, and we feel very good and proud to represent our country. We are very happy to have won our second match and tomorrow we will aim to secure first place to go straight to the semifinals. We are staying focused, taking it one match at a time.”

Belize’s captain Kaelen Ingram shared, “Honestly, I’m very happy with the results in this tournament, but at the end of the day, if the guys gave everything they could on the court.  There was passion, sweat, and hard work, then I’m satisfied with my team and I’m satisfied with myself.”

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 29, 2025.– With an exciting 3-1 (31-29, 21-25, 25-20, 27-25) victory over Mexico, Cuba secured first place in Pool B and a direct ticket to the semifinals of the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

Mexico, second in the pool, will play the quarterfinals on Tuesday against Costa Rica. Canada finished in third place, while Nicaragua ended in fourth.

The first set was a high-intensity show that went into extra points, with both teams missing set opportunities. A block by Yalain De La Peña against Andrea Félix sealed the set for Cuba, 31-29.

In the second set, Mexico responded strongly, jumping to a 5-0 lead thanks to Marcela Herrera’s attack and a block, combined with Cuban errors. With Aimé Topete leading the offense, Mexico closed the set 25-21 to even the match.

Cuba regained control in the third, capitalizing on ten Mexican errors and with Claudia Tarín leading the attack, took the set 25-20.

The fourth set remained thrilling until the end, with multiple tied scores. With Cuba ahead 24-22, Katherine Ramírez saved Mexico with two consecutive kills to tie it at 24. After another tie at 25, a kill from Tarín and a block by Lisbeysis Hernández against Topete sealed the Cuban victory 27-25.

Cuba dominated at the net with a 15-8 blocking advantage, while Mexico led in attacks 62-57. Both teams scored 3 aces, with Cuba committing fewer errors (26-29).

Cuba’s offense was led by outside hitter Claudia Tarín with 21 points (18 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace), followed by opposite Yalain De La Peña with 20 (15 attacks, 5 blocks) and captain Whitney James with 12 points, all on kills.

For Mexico, Aimé Topete topped all scorers with 23 points (22 kills, 1 ace), while Marcela Herrera contributed 12 points.

Cuba’s Coach, Wilfredo Robinson, pointed out, “Mexico put up strong resistance, I congratulate them. Cuba, despite the difficulties of getting here, has been consolidating as the competition has progressed. Today our reception and blocking were good, in fact, all the elements of the game worked.”

Mexico’s Coach, Luis León, commented on his team’s performance, “We made too many mistakes. Yesterday we showed a different team than the one that faced Cuba today, and that cost us the first place in the group and a direct ticket to the semifinals. We still have the same goal of reaching the final.”

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 29, 2025.- Canada secured its spot in the quarterfinals of the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato, after defeating Nicaragua in straight sets 3-0 (25-12, 25-, 25-) and will now face the Dominican Republic in the next round.

With this result, Canada finished third in Pool B, while Nicaragua will compete in the classification matches for positions 5 through 8.

Jessica Andrews’ effective blocking was key in the first set, combined with Madyson Saris’ offensive contribution, to give Canada a comfortable win in the opening frame. In the second set, the Canadian offense continued to dominate, with Veronica Dickson joining the attack.

In the third set, Nicaragua attempted to respond with Karen Bird leading the charge and tying the score at 5-5 in the early points, but defensive errors allowed Canada to pull ahead 14-7 and cruise to victory.

The stats reflected Canada’s dominance in every skill: 40-12 in attacks, 11-1 in blocks, and 9-3 in aces. Nicaragua committed fewer unforced errors (15-23).

Canada’s Veronica Dickson with 15 points (11 attacks, 2 blocks, 2 aces) and Madyson Saris with 11 (9 attacks, 2 aces) were the top scorers of the match. Jessica Andrews stood out with 5 successful blocks.

Canada’s head coach Matt Krueger said: “We come to these tournaments for experiences and for lessons. We’ve learned some lessons and had some great experiences, so today was a great game. We came out and played well and we were focused all day. Tomorrow we are excited for the challenge against the Dominican Republic.”

Nicaragua’s head coach Claudia Noguera stated: “Canada is a very tall team with strong blocking and attacking. We are going to try to improve for what’s ahead. The goal is to finish in a better position than last tournament, and I believe it is very possible to achieve it.”

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 29, 2025.- The United States earned its third consecutive straight-set victory by defeating Costa Rica 3-0 (25-18, 25-10, 25-10), clinching a direct ticket to the semifinals of the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup being held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

With this result, the United States finished first in Pool A and now awaits its opponent for Thursday’s semifinal round. Costa Rica, on the other hand, will play the quarterfinals against the winner between Canada and Nicaragua on Wednesday.

From the opening set, Jurnee Robinson pushed her team ahead with a 13-9 lead, supported by Chloe Chicoine to close the frame, despite a strong offensive performance by Costa Rican opposite Ivanny Sey Blackwood.

In the second set, after making changes to their lineup, the American blocking was key in stopping the Central American offense and maintaining control of the game. The third set followed the same pattern, with the U.S. returning to its starting lineup to seal the 3-0 win.

The United States dominated in attacks with a  huge 50-20 advantage and also led in blocks 6-2. Neither team recorded any service aces. The U.S. committed 16 unforced errors compared to Costa Rica’s 19.

Only two players scored in double figures: Jurnee Robinson was the match’s top scorer with 14 points for the U.S., playing in the first and third sets; while Ivanny Sey Blackwood led Costa Rica with 11 points.

Emily Klika, U.S. libero said after the match “This match was a really good opportunity for us to get in our rhythm going into the semifinals. Everyone got a chance to play and contribute, so that was big because we’re going to need them to face bigger matches. We are very excited, and we want to compete for a medal for the USA, you can expect a lot of girls playing with energy, effort and heart”.

Costa Rica’s head coach, Kareem Richards, reflected on the group stage saying, “My team went from less to more. Even though we won the first match and lost the next two, there was clear progress in the athletes’ game. The goal is to keep growing; this is a great opportunity, and we will continue working.”

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 29, 2025.- Dominican Republic wrapped up the group stage of the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup with a convincing 3-0 (25-4, 25-11, 25-7) victory over Suriname at the Domo de la Feria de León, Guanajuato.

With this result, the Dominicans finished Pool A with a 2-1 record and advanced to the quarterfinal round. Suriname, with a 0-3 record, will compete in the classification round for positions 5-8.

The Caribbean squad dominated the stats: 33-10 in attacks, 8-3 in blocks, and 5-0 in service points.

Alondra Tapia led the offense with 13 points (11 attacks, 2 blocks), followed by Ambar Hernández with 10 points (6 attacks, 2 blocks, 2 aces).

Kirssy Fernández, Dominican Republic’s libero, highlighted: “We finished the group stage with a convincing win. We have adjusted several things since our first match, such as our serving, because our goal is to reach the final.”

On the other hand, Suriname’s libero Ketura Heijmans commented: “I expected more from us. I think we should have played better today; we did better against the United States. We need to improve our communication skills for our upcoming matches and defend more.”

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 28, 2025.- Mexico continued its strong performance at the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup with a straight-set victory over Canada 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-16) at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato, improving to a 2-0 record in Pool B.

With this result, Mexico and Cuba will face off on Tuesday in an unbeaten showdown for the top spot in the pool and a direct ticket to the semifinals, while Canada will seek its first win against Nicaragua to advance to the quarterfinals.

Mexico took control from the very beginning. In the first set, Mexico built leads of 11-6 and then 14-9, closing comfortably 25-17 thanks to the pressure from the service line, led by Aitana Rettke and Ashly Morales, which disrupted Canada’s reception.

In the second set, Canada tried to respond with attacks from Madyson Saris and serves from Veronica Dickson, closing the gap to 16-17, but Mexico stayed composed and sealed the 25-20 with Aimé Topete’s offense, supported by Jimena Salinas and Andrea Félix on the attack.

The third set was total domination by Mexico, which quickly jumped to a 14-7 lead and never looked back, finishing 25-16.

Mexico outperformed Canada in kills (39-31) and blocks (8-7), while both teams scored three points from the service line. The key difference was Canada’s 25 unforced errors that benefited Mexico.

Mexico’s Aimé Topete led all scorers with 13 points (11 kills, 2 blocks), followed by Andrea Félix with 11 (10 kills, 1 block). For Canada, Raya Surinx and Madyson Saris led with 8 points each.

Mexican captain María Ximena Cruz highlighted the importance of the victory: “It was a decisive win. We worked as a team without getting anxious because we knew it was an important match that puts us in first place in the pool. Against Cuba we are going for the direct ticket to the semifinals, it will be a tough one and we will stay focused on our game.”

Canada’s team captain, Delaney Watson expressed: “I think we had pieces where we were really great. We are a new team together and we just got to learn to stick up together. The goal tomorrow is to win and advance to the quarterfinals, we’ll work on our game plan and do our best”.

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 28, 2025.- Cuba continued its strong performance at the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup, defeating Nicaragua 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-16) at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato, to remain undefeated.

Cuba now holds a 2-0 record in Pool B, while Nicaragua falls to 0-2. In the final day of pool play, Cuba will face Mexico, while Nicaragua will take on Canada.

Claudia Basilia Tarin and team captain Whitney James led the Cuban offense in the first set, keeping their team ahead despite Nicaragua’s tough defense and long rallies in which María Roa stood out.

In the second set, the teams remained tied until 6-6, but a solid block by Karen Bird and an attack from Marcela Martínez brought Nicaragua within 19-22 before Cuba closed the set.

Cuba controlled the third set from start to finish, although Nicaragua never stopped fighting defensively.

The Cuban attack made the difference with 31 points to 18, also leading in blocking (7-4) and service aces (6-3).

Whitney James and Claudia Tarin were Cuba’s top scorers with 11 and 10 points respectively, while Lianet García contributed 4 blocks. For Nicaragua, Gilmary Smith scored 6 points.

Cuban captain Whitney James said: “After yesterday’s match that went to five sets, today we tried to consolidate some things we need to face Mexico tomorrow. One of them is our connection with the setters.”

Nicaragua’s captain María Roa commented: “We looked good, and our mentality was better today. Several of us had the experience of last year’s Cup and we are motivating the new players. We came here to fight and to show we can put on good performances like we did today. We need to be more focused and put in more effort.”

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 28, 2025.- Dominican Republic claimed their first win at the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup after defeating Costa Rica 3-0 (25-9, 25-9, 25-14) on the second day of Pool A action at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

Both teams now hold one win and one loss in the standings.

From the start, the Caribbean side set the pace, taking a 5-1 lead in the opening set, forcing Costa Rican head coach Kareem Richards to call an early timeout. The gap widened quickly to 12-5, with the Dominicans dominating in every skill.

Costa Rica attempted to respond in the second set by attacking against the block, but the Dominican squad maintained control. The third set followed the same storyline, with Dominican Republic firmly in command.

Dominican Republic led the stats with a wide margin of 40-17 in attacks, 8-1 in blocks, and 4-1 in aces. They also capitalized on 23 Costa Rican unforced errors while committing only 13 themselves.

Opposite Katielle Alonzo, outside hitter Alondra Tapia, and middle blocker Estrella Puente commanded the Dominican offense with 9 points each. For Costa Rica, Ivanny Blackwood topped all scorers with 10 points.

Katielle Alonzo highlighted her team’s unity after the match, “We dominated all aspects of the game. We played together as always. We want to keep winning; even though we lost to the United States yesterday, it was a very good match.”

Ivanny Blackwood acknowledged the challenge of the match, “This game was much tougher than yesterdays. Dominican Republic is a strong opponent; they have better reach, power, and overall physical conditions than we do. We expected a tough match, but we hoped for a better score. We haven’t been together for long, and there are still things to improve.”

On the final day of pool play, Dominican Republic (1-1) will face Suriname (0-2), while Costa Rica (1-1) will close against the United States (2-0).

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 28, 2025.- The United States earned their second consecutive victory at the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup with a convincing 3-0 (25-10, 25-13, 25-7) win over Suriname at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

With this result, the Americans remain undefeated in Pool A with a 2-0 record, while Suriname is still searching for their first win after two days of competition.

The United States showed complete dominance, outscoring Suriname in every category: 43-15 in attacks, 5-0 in blocks, and 10-1 in aces. Both teams were close in unforced errors, with the winners committing 14 to Suriname’s 17.

Outside hitter Norah Sis of the United States led all scorers with 15 points, tallying 13 kills and 2 aces. Middle blocker Cara Cresse added 11 points, including 9 kills and 2 blocks.

Suriname’s team captain, Lisse Chontelle, led her side with six points.

In the third and final day of pool play, the United States will face Costa Rica, while Suriname will take on the Dominican Republic.

Nora Sis, top scorer of the match said after the win, “We have another game under our belt which is important. Today we controlled our side of the net well and we put a lot of pressure on them with our serving, which allowed us to have good control in defense and transitioning as well”.

Suriname’s Lisse Chontelle spoke about her team “I like the confidence of my team. We are trying to go to the next level. The team is not stressed on the field, and we are going for the best”.

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 27, 2025.- Mexico opened the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup with a commanding 3-0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-8) victory over Nicaragua at the Domo de la Feria in León.

The hosts showcased their offensive strength, recording 39 successful attacks against Nicaragua’s 15. They also outperformed in blocking (8-5) and serving (9-1). Unforced errors were similar on both sides, with Mexico committing 15 and Nicaragua 19.

Opposite Andrea Félix led all scorers and was the only player to reach double digits with 10 points, while Gilmary Smith topped Nicaragua with 6 points.

On the second day of Pool B action, Mexico (1-0) will face Canada (0-1), while Nicaragua (0-1) takes on Cuba (1-0).

After the victory, Mexico’s head coach Luis León stated: “It’s always good to start the tournament with a win. As the competition progresses, teams will demand more from us. This victory gives us confidence and rhythm. Tomorrow we’ll face Canada; we watched them against Cuba, and they have good qualities, especially physical ones.”

Nicaragua’s head coach Claudia Noguera highlighted the challenge of playing the hosts: “Facing the home team was not easy. We have a young squad built for our future project. We will keep working to improve throughout the tournament.”

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 27, 2025.- Costa Rica made a strong start in Pool A of the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup, sweeping Suriname 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-18) at the Domo de la Feria in León.

Suriname came out firing, taking an early 11-5 lead in the opening set behind the unstoppable scoring of middle blocker Shomantla De Graven. Costa Rica remained patient, rallying to tie the score at 18 and capitalizing on Suriname’s 11 unforced errors to secure the set.

The Central American side built a comfortable lead in the second set (18-10) and maintained control to close the match in straight sets.

Costa Rica held a 36-29 advantage in kills and led 8-4 in aces, while Suriname was stronger at the net with an 8-4 edge in blocks. Costa Rica also benefited from 27 errors by Suriname, while committing 15 of their own.

Costa Rica’s opposite hitter Ivanny Sey Blackwood topped all scorers with 14 points, all on kills. Outside hitter Cailynn Griffith led Suriname with 9 points.

Costa Rica (1-0) will face the Dominican Republic (0-1) next, while Suriname (0-1) will meet the United States (1-0).

Kareem Richards, head coach of Costa Rica, said after the match, “The first set was normal because the first match is always tough, and Suriname was able to follow the game plan they had prepared. What I want to highlight is my team’s ability to bounce back and then finish the match in a calmer way.”

Miguel Misidjang, head coach of Suriname, reflected  “We were winning at the beginning of the game and then we started making unforced errors that killed the game. The players stopped believing in themselves, but still, I am proud of the girls. I know we can come out and play better in the next games”.

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 27, 2025. – The United States opened the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup with a straight-set victory over the Dominican Republic 3-0 (27-25, 25-19, 25-21) at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

The first set was a tight back-and-forth battle with no clear dominant team. USA  reached set point at 24-22, but a surprise set and a kill from Alondra Tapia tied the score at 24-24. After another tie at 25-25, the U.S. capitalized on two set points as opposite hitter Jurnee Robinson delivered back-to-back plays, first scoring on an attack and then sealing the set with a block.

The United States adjusted their blocking in the second set, pulling ahead 14-8 and maintaining control to take the frame comfortably. The third set mirrored the first with both teams trading points, but the U.S. closed strong to secure the sweep.

USA held the advantage in kills (43-35) and blocks (9-5), while the Dominican Republic edged slightly in aces (3-2). Both sides committed a similar number of errors, with the U.S. at 22 and the Dominican Republic at 23.

Jurnee Robinson led the Americans with 13 points, including a match-high five blocks and eight kills. Outside hitter Eva Hudson and middle blocker Ifennamaka Cos-Okpalla contributed 10 points each.

For the Dominican Republic, opposite hitter Katielle Alonzo scored a match-high of 15 points, supported by outside hitter Alondra Tapia with 10.

Pool A next match USA faces Suriname, Dominican Republic against Costa Rica.

The U.S. Head Coach, Marie Zidek commented after the win “It was a tough opponent. Dominican Republic plays a very intelligent game and early on they were exposing our block and getting a lot of kills. We made an adjustment in the second set to position a little bit different on defense, which helped us and then our arms found the ball a little bit better”.

Wagner Pacheco, Head Coach of the Dominican Republic, expressed his satisfaction, “The girls played well. This is our first match of the year, just imagine what we can achieve. It was a good game, I’m really happy.”

LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 26, 2025.- The 2025 U23 Women’s Pan American Cup, to be held from July 27 to August 1 at the Domo de La Feria in León, Guanajuato, marks the beginning of the qualification path for the third Junior Pan American Games in 2029.

For the teams from the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA), the U23 Pan American Cups, both women’s and men’s, held in 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028, will award ranking points valid for qualification to the 2029 Junior Pan American Games. The qualification process will close on December 31, 2028.

On this matter, the coaches shared their thoughts:

Matthew Krueger, Head Coach of Canada: “The goal of this tournament and the summer for NextGen (that’s how we call our program) is to get them ready to play a possible senior team. We’ve been training since the beginning of June, we had some tryouts beforehand, and we’ve been working hard. I’m excited to see how our girls can compete against the best in our conference and it’s going to be a good challenge for us”.

Kareem Richards, Head Coach of Costa Rica: “We have several objectives, both short and medium-term. Due to the number of competitions Costa Rica is currently participating in, we don’t have the full roster that will go to the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción. In the short term, for the players who are going to Asunción, we want them to gain the necessary experience to stand out in Paraguay. In the long term, we aim to continue identifying and developing those athletes who can make the leap to the senior national team.”

Wilfredo Robinson, Head Coach of Cuba: “We are aiming to keep the crown, that’s our dream. The players are excited about the responsibility they’ve been given. If reaching the final isn’t possible, we want to win a medal. This is a great opportunity to prepare for the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción.”

Wagner Pacheco, Head Coach of the Dominican Republic: “It will be a very tough competition; there are teams with a very high level. We had scrimmage matches with Mexico and Cuba, and both teams are well-prepared and look strong. This is the first time the United States is taking part in this competition, and they always have a very good level. Only a couple of my players here will not be competing in the Junior Pan American Games.”

Luis León, Head Coach of Mexico: “This is the group that will compete in Asunción in a few days. This tournament worked out perfectly to prepare us for the Junior Pan American Games. The goal is to reach the finals, fight for a spot on the podium, and I believe we have the team to compete.”

Claudia Noguera, Head Coach of Nicaragua: “We come well-prepared and highly motivated for the competition, which we know has a very high level. It is important for Central American countries to participate in tournaments against higher-level teams because that prepares the athletes for the future. We believe that the development of our region has risen due to participating at higher levels, and the teams’ pace and playing systems have greatly improved.”

Miguel Misidjang, Head Coach of Suriname: “The preparation of Suriname was good, we’ve been practicing for about three months, and we just finished second place in the CAZOVA U23 event, which has been good leading into this tournament. We are missing two players that couldn’t attend, because of other commitments. What we are looking for in this tournament, knowing upfront that other countries are much stronger, is a development campaign. We are focused on developing each player and the team, which is young, but we want them to have the experience”.

Marie Zidek, Head Coach of the United States: “This is the U.S. first time we’re competing in this tournament, we needed to get organized. We are very excited to be here; it’s a great opportunity for our players to continue to perform in high-level competitions against many countries that play a strong game. This is a difficult age group, some players are in university, some are transitioning first year Pro, but we are excited about the potential to compete and more players developing in the pipeline is our goal. We will focus on bringing a strong game for ourselves, trying to produce as many points as possible and then we will have to adapt to the teams we face”.