Seminar: “Mental Performance” for the Dominican Female Age-Group Teams 

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, April 3, 2024. – A seminar on “Mental Performance” was held for the Dominican Female Age-Group National teams at the FIVB/NORCECA Regional Development Center led by Dr. Jovanny Montero, PhD, National Volleyball Mental Coach. 

The seminar was focused on working on various strategies for Team Building and Conflict Management to strengthen the bond between the players and improve communication within the team. 

The athletes had the opportunity to attend psycho-sport discussions that provide the necessary tools for conflict resolution in the sports context, highlighting the importance of effective communication and teamwork, so that they can identify, understand, and resolve conflicts constructively. 

In addition, practical activities were carried out, including a group dynamic where the players shared their strengths and weaknesses, and recommendations were provided for their improvement. This allows for strengthening group cohesion, facilitating more open and effective communication among team members. 

The players showed greater commitment to teamwork and a greater willingness to address conflicts, which contributes to the team’s ability to face the challenges of the game, as well as the team’s success in future competitions, creating more confidence, collaboration, and a better performance.

The Cangrejeras swept Valencianas again

JUNCOS, Puerto Rico, April 2, 2024.-  Santurce Cangrejeras (2-0) swept Juncos Valencianas (0-2) once again in the second game of the A semifinal of the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF).

Santurce achieved the victory 25-16, 25-17, and 25-23, at the Rafael G. Amalbert Coliseum in Juncos.

The capital team has won six consecutive sets in the series and tonight left Juncos’ offense without players in double digits again.

Andrea Rangel and McKenzie Adams scored 12 points each; Neira Ortiz and Helena Havelkova contributed 11 points each. Shirley Florián added eight points. Turkish player Yeliz Baza did not play today. Setter Carli Lloyd made 18 assists, 10 digs, and five points, two of them in blocks. Libero Deborah Seilhammer made 26 digs and eight passes.

For Juncos, Keishlyann Sánchez and Sh’Diamond Holly scored eight points each; and seven points from Kara McGhee. Setter Belle Morgan made 14 assists, 12 digs, and one point. Libero Madison Cruzado made 11 digs and 17 passes.

Semifinal A will continue on Wednesday, April 3 at 8:15 p.m. at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey.

Semifinal A

Saturday, March 30      Juncos (0-3) Santurce

Monday, April 1            Santurce (3-0) Juncos

Wednesday, April 3       8:15 p.m. Juncos at Santurce

Friday, April 5               8:15 p.m. Santurce at Juncos

Sunday, April 7             8:15 p.m. Juncos at Santurce (DSN)

Tuesday, April 9           8:15 p.m. Santurce at Juncos (DSN)

Thursday, April 11        8:15 p.m. Juncos at Santurce (DSN)

(*DSN – If necessary)

Semifinal B begins Wednesday in Corozal

The Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation announced that the schedule for the B semifinal series will begin this Wednesday, April 3.

Atenienses will visit the two-time champions Pinkin at the Carmen Zoraida Figueroa court in Corozal, home of the monarchs. The champion played the regular season at the José “Pepín” Cestero court in Bayamón, due to the remodeling work being done in Corozal.

Wednesday, April 3       8:15 p.m. Manatí at Corozal (Carmen Zoirada Figueroa Court)

Saturday, April 6           8:15 p.m. Corozal at Manatí

Sunday, April 7              7:00 p.m. Manatí at Corozal (Carmen Zoirada Figueroa Court)

Tuesday, April 9            8:15 p.m. Corozal at Manatí

Thursday, April 11         8:15 p.m. Manatí at Corozal (DSN)

Friday, April 12             8:15 p.m. Corozal at Manatí (DSN)

Sunday, April 14           7:00 p.m. Manatí at Corozal (DSN)

(*DSN – If necessary)

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

Sydney Hilley Earns Weekly League Honors

April 2, 2024.- After leading her team to two victories last week, Sydney Hilley of the Omaha Supernovas is the Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week presented by Franklin Sports. She is the second Omaha player in the past four weeks to garner weekly recognition.

Hilley averaged 12.2 assists across seven sets, including a franchise-record 51 assists in a win over the Grand Rapids Rise. She followed that effort with a 35-assist performance in a three-set sweep against the Vegas Thrill.

The Brooklyn Park, Minn.-native also turned in a strong defensive performance, recording 15 digs versus the Rise before adding 11 more digs in the match with the Thrill. The stats equate to a 3.7 digs per set mark in the two outings. Hilley’s setter dump attack has become a timely maneuver as she tallied five kills on seven attacks against Grand Rapids while chipping in another kill versus Vegas.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues on Tuesday, April 2 when Omaha travels to San Diego to take on the Mojo.

2024 Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week Presented By Franklin Sports

DatePlayer  
April 2Sydney Hilley, Omaha Supernovas, S
March 26Asjia O’Neal, Columbus Fury, MB
March 19Alisha Glass Childress, Vegas Thrill, S
March 12Brooke Nuneviller, Omaha Supernovas, OH
March 5Anna Lazareva, Atlanta Vibe, OPP
February 27Reagan Cooper, Columbus Fury, OH
February 20Emiliya Dimitrova, Grand Rapids Rise, OPP
February 13Adora Anae, Orlando Valkyries, OH
February 6Leah Edmond, Atlanta Vibe, OH
January 30Alli Linnehan, Atlanta Vibe, OH     

Díaz and Alayo win another Silver at a Beach Pro Tour Challenge event

SAQUAREMA, Brazil, April 1, 2024. – The Cuban duo of Noslen Díaz and Jorge Luis Alayo secured the silver medal at the Challenge Beach Pro Tour World Beach Volleyball event held last weekend in Saquarema, Brazil, marking their second consecutive silver at this level.

The Cubans fought hard against hosts George Souto and Andre Loyola, who needed three sets (21-18, 17-21, 19-17) in the gold medal match.

Díaz and Alayo amassed five victories against two defeats, matching their outstanding performance from the previous week in Recife, where they also claimed a silver medal after losing in the final to a Brazilian pair (Evandro and Arthur).

The Cuban team began their journey to the final in elimination group B. They lost to hosts Vinicus Freitas and Frank Heitor (18-21, 14-21), but stayed alive by defeating Ukrainians Sergiy Popov and Eduard Reznik (19-21, 21-17, 15-12).

With a record of 1-1, they advanced to the round of 18 and defeated brothers Javier and Joaquín Bello, who represent Great Britain, in a 2-1 sets victory (21-18, 22-20).

In the round of 16, they won 2-1 (22-20, 19-21, 16-14) against renowned Brazilians Pedro Solberg and Gustavo Carvalhaes, advancing to the quarterfinals where they defeated Austrians Julian Hört and Alexander Horst 2-0 (21-14, 21-17).

**Saquarema Challenge – Final Results**

The next Challenge tournament of the season is set to take place in Guadalajara, Mexico, from April 11-14.

Santurce takes first game of Semifinal A in three sets against Juncos

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 31, 2024. – The leverages were felt on Saturday night at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey, in front of a large crowd that gathered for the first game of the Semifinal A Series of the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF).

Santurce Cangrejeras needed 90 minutes to defeat Juncos Valencianas in three sets.

The capital team secured their first victory with 25-16, 25-16, and 25-18.

Turkish player Yeliz Baza was the top scorer for Cangrejeras with 18 points, 15 in attacks, two in blocks, one ace, and eight digs; American reinforcement Mckenzie Adams contributed 11 points, 10 in attacks, one block, 10 digs, and nine passes; Czech player Helena Havelkova helped with 10 points, eight in attacks, two blocks, seven digs, and 11 passes; and Puerto Rican Neira Ortiz with nine points, seven in attacks, and two blocks. American setter Carli Lloyd made 14 assists, 10 digs, and four points, two of them in direct serves.

For Juncos, which did not have players in double digits, Amethyst Harper was the best offensive player with nine points, all in attacks, and 11 passes; Kara McGhee with seven points, six in attacks, and one ace; Elissa Alcántara with five points.

The Semifinal A series between Santurce Cangrejeras and the Juncos Valencianas will continue on Monday, April 1 at 8:00 p.m. at the Rafael G. Amalbert Coliseum in Juncos.

Semifinal A

Saturday, March 30       Juncos (0-3) Santurce

Monday, April 1            8:15 p.m.   Santurce at Juncos

Wednesday, April 3       8:15 p.m.   Juncos at Santurce

Friday, April 5               8:15 p.m.   Santurce at Juncos

Sunday, April 7             8:15 p.m.   Juncos at Santurce (DSN)

Tuesday, April 9            8:15 p.m.   Santurce at Juncos (DSN)

Thursday, April 11         8:15 p.m.   Juncos at Santurce (DSN)    

(*DSN – If necessary)

 On another note, the quarterfinal series A between Manatí Athenians (2-1) and Changas (1-2) will continue on Sunday, March 31at 7:00 p.m. with the fourth game at the Gelito Ortega court in Naranjito.

Manatí will seek to conclude the series to advance to the semifinals against the two-time champions Pinkin from Corozal; however, Naranjito will defend their territory with the mission of tying this battle to force a fifth and decisive game.

Series A

Sunday, March 24          Naranjito (1-3) Manatí

Tuesday, March 26        Manatí (3-1) Naranjito

Thursday, March 28      Naranjito (3-1) Manatí

Sunday, March 31         7:00 p.m.   Manatí at Naranjito

Monday, April 1            8:00 p.m.   Naranjito at Manatí (DSN)

(*DSN – If necessary)

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

27 Successful at FIVB Beach Volleyball Course

SCARBOROUGH, Trinidad and Tobago, March 29, 2024. – The Trinidad and Tobago Volleyball Federation (TTVF) announced the successful completion of the international Beach Volleyball Coaching Course at the Courland Beach Volleyball Facility, which took place from March 24-28 and was conducted by Mr. Rick Bevis a Professor at the Vancouver Island University in Canada with the support of the experienced local coach, Mr. David Thomas.

TTVF President, Daymian Stewart who chaired the closing ceremony expressed his delight and vision for the sport of beach volleyball in this country. The TTVF has a plan to qualify to the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. He also promised his former hometown more events including the growing Trinbago Beach Volleyball Tour and possibly a next continental Tour before year end at the new world class facility.

Stewart emphasized the importance of all stakeholders working together for the young people of our country and was thankful for the presence of the representatives of the Ministry of Sport and Community Development, SPORTT, Tobago House of Assembly and the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic committee.

SPORTT Board of Director Ms. Dianne Ruthlyn Antoine delivered positive greetings for the Minister of Sport and Community Development giving encouragement to the TTVF on its initiative.

THA’s Administrator Ms. Camille Trim of the Division of Community Development, Youth Development and Sport also addressed the ceremony and invited the TTVF to use the facility more.

Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee General Secretary Ms. Annette Knott presented some gifts to the instructors and also expressed her pleasure with the event and the vision of the TTVF.

Mr. Rick Bevis of Vancouver Island University, Canada, the instructor assigned by the international body FIVB was very complementary to the TTVF on its vision and could not resist expressing his willingness to return to help in executing the Beach Volleyball Development plans.

Twenty-Seven (27) of the candidates were successful in there practical and theoretical assessment. They received their certification during the closing ceremony. Thirteen (13) of the successful candidates were from Tobago, there were also two guest participants from Grenada and St. Vincent courtesy scholarships from the continental body NORCECA.

The TTVF express their gratitude to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, The Tobago House of Assembly, E-IDCOT, Zen Sanctuary Condos, YMCA, FIVB, CAZOVA and NORCECA for all the support.

Juan Carlos Núñez appointed Head Coach of Puerto Rico Women’s National Team

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 28, 2024 – The Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation announced the appointment of Juan Carlos Núñez, who returns for the third time as the head coach of the Senior Women’s National Team.

Núñez will be back in the position he held until 2016, after leading Puerto Rico to its first Olympic qualification in women’s indoor volleyball, securing a spot in the Rio Olympics.

Núñez, who has been the most successful coach in the women’s National League, will assume the role of head coach of the national team for the third time (2005-2008 / 2015-16).

It was informed that the Senior Women’s National Team has scheduled the NORCECA Final Four (June 5-10) in Puerto Rico this summer, followed by the NORCECA Final Six (June 21-30) in the Dominican Republic; the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Challenge Cup in July, and the Women’s Pan American Cup (August 21-31) in Mexico.

Núñez replaces Fernando Morales, who was announced last week as the head coach of the South Korean National Team.

“I’m a bit surprised because after the 2016 Olympics, I wasn’t involved in anything related to the National Program. I was away until last year when they called me to coach the women’s Under-17 team, which was the project I wanted to get involved in, and we managed to qualify for the World Championship in this age-group last year in Honduras, which will be held this year from August 17 to 24 in Lima, Peru” said Núñez.

“Since there is no conflict between the tournaments of the women’s Under-17 national team and the Senior team, this opportunity arose, and I am grateful to the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation”,  said Núñez, who will lead both teams. “I have always said that there are two difficult positions, with a lot of pressure, criticism, and controversy, which are: being the head coach of the National Basketball Team and the Senior Women’s National Volleyball Team. And I accept this with great seriousness and responsibility as I am accustomed to” he emphasized.

Núñez’s coaching staff includes José Mieles as his assistant; Sheila Alicea (statistics); Félix Gordillo (physiotherapist), and Roberto Rivera (fitness coach).

“Now comes the process of meetings to schedule and set start dates to work towards the upcoming tournaments like the Final Four, which will be held in Puerto Rico in June”,  Núñez concluded.

USA Volleyball Announces Schedules, Coaches for ’24 Female Age-Group Teams

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, March 28, 2024.- USA Volleyball has announced the coaches and support staff for 2024 U.S. girls and women’s age-group national teams.

Each NORCECA competition listed below will serve as a qualifier for the 2025 FIVB World Championship in that respective age group. Additionally, USA Volleyball’s National Team Development Program (NTDP) has confirmed training blocks and coaching staffs for each continental championship and the Collegiate National Team program.

The Women’s Collegiate National Team will train in Anaheim, California, alongside members of the U.S. Women’s National Team as they prepare for the Paris Olympic Games.

2024 U21 NORCECA Women’s Continental Championship

Team: Women’s U21 National Team (Born in 2005 or younger)

Competition Dates: June 23-July 1 in Toronto, Canada

Training Dates: June 14-22 in Anaheim, California

Head Coach: Heather Olmstead, BYU

Assistant Coach: Alex Dunphy, Stanford

Assistant Coach: Jaylen Reyes, Nebraska

Performance Analyst: Virginia Pham, USC

Athletic Trainer: Rachel Menze, CSUN

Team Leader: Courtney Smith

2024 U19 NORCECA Girls Continental Championship

Team: Girls U19 National Team (Born in 2007 or younger)

Competition Dates: July 12-20 in Honduras

Training Dates for 20 athletes: June 8-13 in Anaheim, California

Training Dates for 12 athletes selected for competition: July 8-11 in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Head Coach: Jamie Morrison, Texas A&M

Assistant Coach: Michelle Chatman, LOVB

Assistant Coach: Keegan Cook, Minnesota

Performance Analyst: Margaret Eppright, LOVB

Athletic Trainer: Cherryl Bueno

Team Leader: Kyle Thompson, Maryland

Women’s Collegiate National Team

Training Dates: June 30-July 6 in Anaheim, California

Head Coach: Chris McGown, Gold Medal Squared

Assistant Coach: Suzie Fritz, LOVB

Assistant Coach: Danielle Scott, LOVB

Assistant Coach: TBD

Performance Analyst: Michael Bouril, Purdue

Athletic Trainer: Cherryl Bueno
Team Leader: Alex Purvey

The mission of the National Team Development Program (NTDP) is to identify, recruit and accelerate the development of high-potential junior volleyball players for the ultimate purpose of strengthening our national team programs to achieve sustained competitive excellence.

O’Neal Garners Latest Weekly Accolades

March 27, 2024.-The Southlake, Texas-native led her team to a 1-1 week, highlighted by a victory over league-leading Atlanta, which stopped the Vibe’s five-match winning streak. She had 34 points for the week, finishing with 4.25 per set.

The Southlake, Texas-native led her team to a 1-1 week, highlighted by a victory over league-leading Atlanta, which stopped the Vibe’s five-match winning streak. She had 34 points for the week, finishing with 4.25 per set.

Returning from an injury in the match against Grand Rapids, O’Neal put down 13 kills, the second-most on her team. She followed with 17 kills versus Atlanta, recording an efficient .556 attack percentage. She also notched two aces during her play last week.

2024 Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week Presented by Franklin Sports

Date                             Player                                                                                                                 

March 26                    Asjia O’Neal, Columbus Fury, MB

March 19                    Alisha Glass Childress, Vegas Thrill, S

March 12                    Brooke Nuneviller, Omaha Supernovas, OH

March 5                       Anna Lazareva, Atlanta Vibe, OPP

February 27               Reagan Cooper, Columbus Fury, OH

February 20               Emiliya Dimitrova, Grand Rapids Rise, OPP

February 13               Adora Anae, Orlando Valkyries, OH

February 6                  Leah Edmond, Atlanta Vibe, OH

January 30                  Alli Linnehan, Atlanta Vibe, OH   

Para mayor información visita  ProVolleyball.com 

Juncos swept the series against Caguas and advanced to the LVSF semifinals

JUNCOS, Puerto Rico, March 25, 2024 – Valencianas de Juncos (3-0) qualified for the semifinal series of the Women’s Volleyball Superior League of Puerto Rico (LVSF) by defeating Criollas de Caguas (0-3) in the third game of the quarterfinals of the 2024 tournament.

The victory came in four sets 25-27, 25-19, 25-22, and 29-27, for Valencianas, at the Rafaek G. Amalbert Coliseum in Juncos.

Juncos secured their ticket to the semifinal undefeated, 3-0 sweeping the series against Caguas; and will now face the leaders of the regular series, Cangrejeras de Santurce. The A semifinal will begin on Saturday, March 30, at 8:15 p.m. at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey.

Valencianas made 11 direct services against Caguas, seven of them from Keishlyann Sánchez who had a streak of three consecutively in the second set. In addition, Juncos achieved 14 points in blocks, two of them in the fourth set to tie the scoreboard (27-27), and take the lead, 28-27. Point 29, the winning point for Juncos, came from a kill error by  Criollas’ reinforcement, Nia Parker-Robinson.

Amethyst Harper and Kara McGhee contributed 17 points each in Valencianas’ victory. Harper scored 15 in attacks, one block, one ace, 14 digs, and 14 passes; McGhee made 11 in attacks, five in blocks, and one ace; Sánchez helped with 13 points, four in attacks, two blocks, seven direct services, 13 digs, and eight passes; Elissa Alcántara ended the night with 12 points, 10 in attacks, one block, one ace, and 13 digs; and Sh’ Diamond Holly with 11 points, seven in attacks, and four in blocks.

For Caguas, the top scorer was Haley Bush with 20 points, 16 in attacks, three blocks, one ace, four digs, and 10 passes; Nia Parker-Robinson made 14 points, 12 in attacks, one block, one ace, and 14 digs; Janice Leao with 13 points, seven in attacks, and six in blocks; Breanna Edwards with 11 points, all in attacks, 11 digs, and 10 passes; and Diana Reyes with 10 points, all in attacks.

Series A: Atenienses claim the first one

Atenienses de Manatí (1-0) dominated in four sets against the Changas de Naranjito (0-1) in the first match of the Series A of the quarterfinals of the LVSF.

The sets of the victory for Atenienses ended 25-22, 26-24, 23-25, and 25-19, at the Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu Coliseum in Manatí.

The American reinforcements Zoe Weatherington and Taylor Borup achieved 21 points each for Manatí. Weatherington scored 19 points in attacks, two in blocks, and 17 digs; Borup with 14 points in attacks, six in blocks, one ace, 14 digs, and 26 passes; captain Karla Santos returned to the game today with 15 points, 14 in attacks, one ace, 15 digs, and six passes; and Claudio Dillon with eight points.

For Naranjito, Génesis Collazo was the top scorer with 21 points, 20 in attacks, one ace, and 17 digs; Kayla Lund scored 19 points, all in attacks, 18 digs, and nine passes; Adanna Rollins with 13 points, 10 in attacks, three in blocks, 17 digs, and 22 passes; and Kianna Schmitt with 11 points, nine in attacks, and two in blocks.

The Series A continues on Tuesday, March 26, starting at 8:15 p.m. when the Atenienses visit the Changas at 8:15 p.m. at the Gelito Ortega court in Naranjito.

The quarterfinal series are a maximum of five games (5-3).

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

Two-time champions Pinkin de Corozal reach Semifinals

BAYAMÓN, Puerto Rico, March 20, 2024 – The national champions Pinkin de Corozal (14-10) narrowly defeated  Valencianas de Juncos (11-13) on the final day of the 2024 regular season of the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF), securing the second position and a direct ticket to the semifinals.

Corozal won 25-18, 25-20, and 25-13, at the José “Pepín” Cestero court in Bayamón.

The champions earned the three points they needed to reach 39 points and bring their record to 14-10, just like Atenienses, but Corozal won the series 3-1 against Manatí and secured the second spot and the last vacancy in the semifinals alongside the leaders Cangrejeras de Santurce (19-5).

Corozal did not have the reinforcement of Emma Clothier, who was on the bench but did not play.

Dominican reinforcement Yanlis Feliz was the top scorer for the champions with 22 points, 19 in attacks, two in blocks, one ace, 10 digs, and 12 passes; Daly Santana contributed with 13 points, all in attacks, seven digs, and eight passes; Isabella Bergmark with seven points, four in attacks, and three blocks; and Génesis Castillo and Adriana Rodríguez with six points each.

No players for Juncos scored double digits. Elissa Alcántara and Sh’ Diamond Holly each scored eight points.

The Pinkin return to Corozal

In a communication sent to the team representatives, the tournament director of the LVSF, José “Picky” Servera, announced that the representative of the champions, Lillibeth Rojas, “informed us that her team will return to play their matches in Corozal regardless of tonight’s result”.

Pinkin played the entire 2024 regular season at the Pepín Cestero court in Bayamón due to renovations being carried out at the Carmen Zoraida Figueroa court in Corozal.

Quarterfinals begin Thursday in Juncos

Valencianas de Juncos will host the Criollas de Caguas this Thursday, March 21, starting at 8:00 p.m. at the Rafael G. Amalbert Coliseum for the start of the quarterfinal Series B of the LVSF.

The quarterfinal series will be played up to a maximum of five games (5-3).

FIVB And Volleyball World Select the Philippines as Host Country for Prestigious Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025

March 20, 2024.- The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and Volleyball World are delighted to announce the selection of the Philippines as the host country for the highly anticipated FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in 2025. The event is scheduled to take place from 12 to 28 September and will bring together the world’s top 32 volleyball teams vying for the championship title.

The Philippines emerged as the successful bidder amidst an extremely competitive field of potential hosts. The final decision was made following a rigorous evaluation process where the FIVB and Volleyball World found the Philippine bid to be particularly strong; with its emphasis on ensuring a continued growth of the event and the country’s commitment to the development of volleyball globally.

“This prestigious event will not only inspire a new generation of athletes but will also help to encourage increased participation in sport at all levels in the country and wider region,” stated FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F°. “We are confident that the Philippines, supported by our innovative Volleyball Empowerment programme, will host an extraordinary World Championship that will leave a lasting legacy and help to cultivate an even brighter future for our sport globally.”

“It is with great excitement that we announce the Philippines as the host for the Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025,” said Finn Taylor, CEO of Volleyball World. “This decision underscores our dedication to expanding volleyball’s global footprint and engaging with fans worldwide. The Philippines, with its proven track record of hosting major volleyball events and passionate fanbase, is well-positioned to deliver an exceptional championship that will showcase the best of the sport.”

Finn Taylor CEO of Volleyball World and Dr. Ary S. Graça F° FIVB President

The Philippine bid was led by the country’s government. The collaboration between key executives, several administrative departments, the country’s Secretary of Tourism, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) and private stakeholders played a pivotal role in securing the bid and demonstrating the country’s readiness to host a world-class sporting event.

Senator of the Philippines Pia Caytano stated “Our successful bid to host the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship further reinforces our country’s track record in staging world-class events. With the support and commitment of both our government, and the private sector, we can be certain that it will be a fantastic spectacle.

As a former national volleyball athlete myself, I am excited that the highest level of men’s volleyball competition will be staged in our very own country, to a nation that loves the sport with passion. We get to bring this international competition to the Philippines, for the Filipino people to witness it first-hand. It has been my personal advocacy to make sports more accessible, especially to our youth. We also have the honor of welcoming 32 teams as well as a global audience where they can experience world-renowned Filipino hospitality and colorful Filipino culture. I have always believed that sports can transform communities and change lives. It has the power to bring together a country and other nations. This is one of those opportunities. Our country is a volleyball-loving country. And it is with great pleasure that we welcome FIVB and Volleyball World to the Philippines.”

As part of the event, the Philippines’ Secretary of Tourism will integrate the “LOVE THE Philippines” promotional campaign, highlighting the country’s beauty and hospitality to a global audience. This campaign will serve as a key element in promoting the Philippines not only as the host of the Volleyball Men’s World Championship but also as a premier tourist destination.

“The Philippines’ hosting of this global volleyball event bolsters our sports tourism portfolio, driving economic growth, highlighting the country’s diverse array of tourism offerings that promise a truly unforgettable Philippine Experience,” stated Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco. “We are eager to showcase to the international volleyball community the many reasons to Love the Philippines: from our award-winning destinations, our mega biodiversity, our deep well of culture and heritage, the tapestry of traditions and talents across our islands, and the warmth and hospitality of the Filipino people. We reiterate the Department of Tourism’s full support and commitment to ensure the successful hosting of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Championship in 2025.”

PNVF President Ramon Suzara proudly stated “If there is one thing that we, Filipinos, can do well, it is to equally give every team the best conditions so that they can fully focus on the competition and the championship trophy; to make them feel at home right in our own home. For this, I am ready, our team is ready, the Philippines is ready to boldly face the challenge and to fulfil the dream, as we work collectively to serve volleyball. If you love volleyball then you will surely love the Philippines. See you all in 2025!”

Stay tuned for further updates as we embark on this exciting journey to bring the Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025 to the Philippines!

About the FIVB The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), together with its National Federations, is the sole, global volleyball regulatory body responsible for all forms of volleyball and its development. With its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, the FIVB works closely with all stakeholders of the global Volleyball Family to promote and develop the sport worldwide. Established in 1947, the FIVB is committed to supporting the growth of national teams and athletes across the globe through world-leading development programmes like Volleyball Empowerment. The FIVB is part of the Olympic Movement, contributing to the success of the Olympic Games.

About Volleyball World Volleyball World is a new partnership between the FIVB and the CVC Capital Partners aimed at driving growth, innovation, and investment in volleyball around the globe. Its goal is to create an integrated ecosystem connecting all volleyball stakeholders (fans, athletes, corporate partners) together through both digital and live events.  Volleyball World is responsible for the commercial operation of key volleyball and beach volleyball international events, including: the World Championships, Volleyball Nations League, Olympic Qualifiers and Beach Pro Tour.

About the Philippine National Volleyball Federation The PNVF, also known as Volleyball Philippines, is the national governing body for volleyball in the Philippines. With a vision to elevate Philippine volleyball to new heights, the PNVF is focused on ensuring the sustainability of volleyball programmes across all stakeholder groups.

Fernando Morales Makes History in Puerto Rican Volleyball

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 19, 2024. – March 18, 2024, will be a historic day for Puerto Rican volleyball, with Fernando Morales signing on as the new coach of the Korean national women’s team.

Morales opens a unique door in this sport as he becomes the first coach born in the island to work with a national team from another country.

“It was a very difficult decision to leave Puerto Rico after so many years as a player, assistant coach, and coach. But it’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass on, and it’s a big step for my career”,  explained Morales.

Morales will make his debut on May 14 in the FIVB Nations League when he faces China. In the first phase, his other opponents will be Brazil, Dominican Republic, Canada, United States, Serbia, and Thailand.

Leading Puerto Rico last summer, Morales achieved an historic victory against the Dominican Republic in the Pan American Cup, where he later won the silver medal. He also won a silver medal in the 2021 at the NORCECA Championship and a silver medal in the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador.

His work in the Korean peninsula will begin next month. “Training begins on April 15, so in less than a month, we’ll be there working together with Jesús (Echevarría)”.  Echevarría, who worked with Morales in the Puerto Rican national team and at the University of Evansville, will be his assistant in Korea.

His agreement in Korea will last for the next three years until the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. “My agreement is for three years, but their plans are to have someone for two cycles; everything will be analyzed in due time”, concluded the former player with 15 seasons in Europe.

Glass Childress Selected For Weekly Award

March 19, 2024.- After helping her team record the first reverse sweep in league history, Alisha Glass Childress has been named the Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week presented by Franklin Sports. She is the first Vegas Thrill player to earn recognition this season.

The first setter in league history to earn weekly accolades, Glass Childress averaged 11.2 assists in the tight five-set victory over Grand Rapids. The native of Leland, Mich. boasted a total of 56 assists, while helping her hitters to 10 points in the decisive fifth set, a 15-12 victory for the Thrill.

Glass Childress racked up 10 digs, three block touches and four kills in the five-set match. She leads the league in assists with 520 on the season.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues on Wednesday, March 20 when Grand Rapids plays at Columbus.

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com  

2024 Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week Presented By Franklin Sports

Date                             Player                                                                                              

March 19                     Alisha Glass Childress, Vegas Thrill, S

March 12                     Brooke Nuneviller, Omaha Supernovas, OH

March 5                       Anna Lazareva, Atlanta Vibe, OPP

February 27               Reagan Cooper, Columbus Fury, OH

February 20               Emiliya Dimitrova, Grand Rapids Rise, OPP

February 13                Adora Anae, Orlando Valkyries, OH

February 6                  Leah Edmond, Atlanta Vibe, OH January 30                 Alli Linnehan, Atlanta Vibe, OH     

Santurce closed out their regular series as the absolute leaders with 58 points

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 19, 2024. – The Santurce Cangrejeras (19-5) concluded their participation in the regular series of the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) with their tenth consecutive victory and a direct ticket to the semifinals.

Santurce defeated Naranjito Changas (8-16), who ended their four consecutive winning streak, but not their qualification for the 2024 postseason.

The sets of the victory for Santurce were 25-14, 25-16, and 25-18 at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey.

Cangrejeras earned three points, totaling 58 points to finish the regular season as absolute leaders in the standings.

McKenzie Adams was the top scorer for Santurce with 16 points, 14 in attacks, two in blocks, seven digs, and six receptions; Neira Ortiz contributed 12 points, eight in attacks, and four in blocks; Yeliz Basa with 10 points, all in attacks, and seven digs; and Andrea Rangel with nine points, all in attacks.

For Naranjito, there were no players in double digits. The best offensive player was Andrea Serra with nine points, all in attacks, nine digs, and nine receptions.

The action in women’s volleyball continues on Tuesday, March 19, with the last match of the LVSF regular series when the two-time champions Pinkin de Corozal host the Valencianas de Juncos at 8:00 p.m. at the José “Pepín Cestero” court in Bayamón. This match will decide the second position and the direct pass to the semifinals between Manatí and Corozal.

Manatí has already finished their regular series matches. Corozal needs to win in three or four sets against Juncos to earn three points and tie 39 points with Manatí and a record of 14-10; but the champions would remain in second place because they won the series 3-1 against the Atenienses. If Corozal wins in five sets or loses, Manatí retains the second position and the direct pass to the semifinals.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

U13-Volley Fest 2024 concludes in Suriname

PARAMARIBO, Suriname, March 17, 2024.- The first U13-Fest of the Surinamese Volleyball Association (Suvobo) has come to an end. Coordinator Eric Aikman looks back positively on the pilot. “It’s all about the kids. They enjoyed it and learned from it,” Aikman emphasizes. He admits that there is always room for improvement in terms of organization and that it was a good learning moment for everyone.

The first U13-Volley Fest was open to schools, clubs as well as private clubs. For the boys, Survos, Yelyco and Bazooka were the participating clubs and for the girls, Survos participated with several teams. The mixed teams were always a mix of the three clubs and players of Survos.

“Organizationally, we can or should do much better, but I think we have learned that from this”.

Annual character

“In the coming year, we are going to organize it again anyway and bigger,” says Suvobo chairman Lionel Blokland. Aikman hopes that more teams will participate. The Volley Fest ended on Saturday afternoon after four weekends in the Ismay van Wilgen Sports Hall.

Blokland liked it. “Some of the kids were ahead of the rest, but during the game everything seemed to be on one level. The parents really enjoyed it too,” Blokland continues. Aikman believes that introducing children to competitive sports at an early age can only have long- term benefits for their level. “In a few years, we will be able to participate in international tournaments with better teams.”

Learned from it

Aikman continues to insist that things can and must always be better. “Organizationally, we can or should do much better, but I think we learned that from this. It gets better.” Blokland points out that Suriname, especially as far as men are concerned, has risen considerably in position in the region and internationally.

“We notice from playing within South America that the reality check is there and the introduction to the sport is getting younger and younger, because you have to have follow- up in categories that are higher. We first prepared the framework for this group (VT-1 and possibly VT-2) and we need to make a good organization around it.”

The winners have all had medals and cups. The champions in the boys and girls received three vouchers from McDonalds and SRD 400.

Final Ranking

Boys: 1. Yelyco, 2. Survos, 3. Bazooka

Girls: overall winner: Survos; Mix: 1. Survos, 2. Yelyco, 3. Bazooka

Changas secure the classification and eliminate the Mets

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico, March 17, 2024. – The Naranjito Changas (8-15) achieved their goal of qualifying for the postseason of the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF), by defeating the Caguas Criollas (9-14) in four sets at the Roger Mendoza court.

The sets of the match ended 22-25, 29-27, 25-21, and 16-13 in favor of the visitors.

Naranjito earned three points to reach 29, which eliminates the Guaynabo Mets (9-15), who lost in the minimum against Santurce in their last match of the regular series.

With the 29 points, Changas, under the direction of Luis “Feñito” Rodríguez, move from seventh place to fourth, tying with the Criollas. Naranjito has one match left on Monday 19 against Santurce.

Kayla Lund was the top scorer for Naranjito with 20 points, 18 in attacks, two in blocks, 20 digs, and nine receptions; Adanna Rollins helped with 19 points, 15 in attacks, three in blocks, one ace, 17 digs, and 18 receptions; and Génesis Collazo with 18 points, 16 in attacks, one block, one ace, and 17 digs.

For Caguas, Adeola Owokoniran with 20 points, 17 in attacks, three in blocks, four digs, and 19 receptions; Nia Parker-Robinson with 16 points, 15 in attacks, one block, and 17 digs; and Chareika Carrión with 12 points, nine in attacks, two in blocks, one ace, 20 digs, and nine receptions.

Santurce reached 55 points at the top

Santurce Cangrejeras (18-5) secured their ninth consecutive victory of the tournament after defeating the Guaynabo Mets (9-15) in three sets (25-23, 25-18, and 25-20).

Santurce, which already has a direct pass to the semifinals, remains the leader with 55 points, while Guaynabo finished the regular season and was eliminated after Naranjito’s victory against Caguas in four sets.

American McKenzie Adams made a big debut as the top scorer for the Cangrejeras with 16 points, 15 in attacks, one block, four digs, and four receptions; Yeliz Basa contributed 14 points, 11 in attacks, two in blocks, and one ace; Neira Ortiz with 12 points, seven in attacks, and five in blocks; and Helena Havelkova with 11 points, eight in attacks, two in blocks, and one ace.

For Guaynabo, Haley Bush was the only player in double digits with 16 points, 15 in attacks, and one block; Stephanie Rivera and Naya Gross with eight points each.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

Nuneviller Earns First League Honor For Supernovas

March 12, 2024.- For the first time in 2024, a player from the Omaha Supernovas has captured weekly accolades as Brooke Nuneviller has been selected as the Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week.

The opposite hitter recorded a season-high 20 kills on a season-best .313 hitting percentage in her team’s five-set victory over Orlando on Saturday. She also collected 18 digs to post her seventh straight double-double and eighth overall this year.

The Supernovas’ team captain also registered her fifth ace and fifth block of the inaugural campaign. Nuneviller finished with 22 points on the night to increase her overall total to 139 points in 34 sets in 2024.

Nuneviller played her best when it counted most, adding five kills on six swings for a .667 hitting percentage in the decisive fifth set as the Supernovas finished the match off with a 15-6 set victory.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues on Thursday, March 14 when Atlanta travels to Omaha for a battle of the two teams tied for first place in the league standings.

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com  

2024 Weekly Awards

Date                             Player                                                                      

March 12                     Brooke Nuneviller, Omaha Supernovas, OH

March 5                       Anna Lazareva, Atlanta Vibe, OPP

February 27               Reagan Cooper, Columbus Fury, OH

February 20               Emiliya Dimitrova, Grand Rapids Rise, OPP

February 13               Adora Anae, Orlando Valkyries, OH

February 6                 Leah Edmond, Atlanta Vibe, OH January 30                 Alli Linnehan, Atlanta Vibe, OH          

Lima will be the Host City of the 2027 Pan American Games

MIAMI, United States, March 12, 2024 .- In a close vote at the Extraordinary General Assembly, the Peruvian capital was chosen by the member countries of Panam Sports with 28 votes in favor, as the city that will host the continental event.

“We are happy for this triumph. We will work to make everyone’s experience the best they have had, and you have the absolute devotion of more than 33 million Peruvians. Thank you for trusting us”, said the President of the Peruvian Olympic Committee, Renzo Manyari.

After two intense months of candidacy, today the city that will organize the next Pan American Games 2027 was finally chosen.

At 9:00 am (ET), the Extraordinary General Assembly of Panam Sports began, which featured the official presentations of the candidate cities Lima and Asunción from Miami, United States.

Both cities had a 40-minute presentation led by the Presidents of the Olympic Committees of Peru and Paraguay, Renzo Manyari and Camilo Pérez respectively. They showed videos, messages from their main authorities, and then submitted questions from participating member countries.

After that, the virtual voting took place, a process that was handled by the British company Lumi. After a few minutes, the President of the Legal Commission of Panam Sports, Michael Chambers, handed the envelope of the winning city to the highest authority of the continental organization.

“The city that will host the next Pan American Games 2027 with 28 votes in favor is… Lima, Peru”, said the President of Panam Sports, Neven Ilic.

Joy erupted among the representatives of Lima and throughout Peru. After organizing the XVIII Pan American Games in 2019 in a great way, the most important multi-sport event of the continent returns to Peruvian lands in 2027.

“I want to highlight the transparency of the process and the brotherhood of both nations that competed healthily for the right to host the 2027 Pan American Games. I want to congratulate Lima, the Peruvian Olympic Committee, and its president Renzo Manyari, and all of Peru for this tremendous achievement. A few years ago, they made an entire continent vibrate and today, with more experience and spectacular infrastructure, they want to repeat or improve the success achieved in 2019”,  said the President of Panam Sports, Neven Ilic.

“I also take this opportunity to congratulate Paraguay and President Camilo Pérez. They are doing a great job with Paraguayan sports and their athletes, so my call is for them to continue growing and developing. They have a tremendous challenge ahead with the Pan American Junior Games in 2025, where I am sure they will be great hosts for the entire continent”, added Ilic.

For his part, the President of the Peruvian Olympic Committee was emphatic in stating that “We are happy for this triumph. We will work to make everyone’s experience the best they have had, and you have the absolute devotion of more than 33 million Peruvians. Thank you for trusting us. Thanks also to President Dina Boluarte and her unwavering support for this candidacy. Together We Win!”

Lima or Asunción? The Americas Elect the Host City of the 2027 Pan American Games

Tomorrow, March 12, the city that will host the continental event in 2027 will be elected in a vote in which all the National Olympic Committees members of Panam Sports will participate.
 
A total of 40 countries will participate in the Extraordinary General Assembly, with a total of 52 votes. Panam Sports Channel will be the official and exclusive channel for this election.

Miami, March 11, 2024.- We are just a few hours away from announcing the host city of the next 2027 Pan American Games.
 
This Tuesday, at the Extraordinary General Assembly of Panam Sports that will be held virtually for all member countries, the election that will define the winning city will be carried out.
 
The Executive Board and representatives of the candidate cities of Lima and Asuncion will be in Miami. The rest of the participants, Presidents and Secretaries General of the National Olympic Committees, will connect by zoom.
 
Each of the candidate cities will have 40 minutes to make a presentation to the Assembly, and then time will be given for questions and answers from the member countries.
 
After the presentations from Lima and Asuncion, the vote will be held. There are 40 member countries with a total of 52 votes, as the Constitution provides that each country that has hosted the Pan American Games is entitled to two votes.
 
The election of the host city will be carried out by secret ballot. The winning candidate city will need a majority of votes cast by the NOC members of Panam Sports present at the General Assembly with the right to vote.
 
“We are very happy with the way that this process has turned out. There is a lot of expectation, as we have two great cities of our continent competing for the honor of hosting the 2027 Pan American Games. I am sure that whoever wins this Tuesday will give everything for the success of our Games”, said the Panam Sports President, Neven Ilic.
 
To ensure the transparency and success of the process, Panam Sports hired the services of renowned British company Lumi, an expert in virtual elections that has worked with the International Olympic Committee and International Federations.

It should be noted that the Extraordinary General Assembly in which the host city of the 2027 Pan American Games will be elected will be broadcast live and exclusively for the entire world through the Panam Sports Channel, starting at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern time).
 
The following is the detailed program of the Extraordinary General Assembly:
 
• Opening of the Extraordinary General Assembly. Remarks by Jimena Saldaña, Secretary General of Panam Sports and Roll Call
• Welcome remarks by President Neven Ilic
• Panam Sports Evaluation Commission Report
• Questions and answers
• City 1 – Presentation
• Questions and answers
• City 2 – Presentation
• Questions and answers
• Voting
• Remarks by President Neven Ilic and announcement of the voting’s results
• Remarks by the President of the National Olympic Committee of the elected city
• Closing remarks
• Closing of the Extraordinary General Assembly
 
Note: The order of presentation of the candidate cities will be determined through a draw that will be held today, March 11, 2024, at the Executive Board meeting

NORCECA Female International Referees Share their stories to Celebrate International Women’s Day

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, March 8, 2024.- To celebrate and recognize International Women’s Day 2024, the NORCECA Volleyball Confederation Refereeing  Commission hosted a virtual session “Sharing Our Story” to Inspire and Include NORCECA Female International Referees.

Guy Bradbury, president of the NORCECA Refereeing Commission, highlighted this was the second occasion that NORCECA female international referees had the opportunity to speak about their experiences refereeing at an international level, how they’ve been inspired in doing so and promoting inclusion in volleyball.

Julie Voeck of the United States, member of the NORCECA Refereeing Commission, was the moderator of the virtual session that was divided into two panels.

The first panel was taking a moment to listen to Suzanne Lowry, FIVB International Beach Volleyball Referee and USA National Referee, who spoke about officiating as First Referee for the outdoor match in Nebraska, United States with more than 94,000 spectators, an event in August that set a new world record for the most highly attended women’s sporting event in history. 

Suzanne shared her experience sharing how she prepared before the match, the atmosphere and her vivid feelings about the great responsibility and excitement taking part in this great historic event that exposed volleyball to the world, which inspired young girls that aspire to become athletes, coaches and referees. “This was life changing for my career, it gave a sense of awe, pride and inspiration”.

The second panel was a “Q&A” session with the new International Referee Candidates who participated in the Beach Volleyball and Volleyball International Referee Course that took place in January in Puerto Rico, who shared their journeys to becoming a NORCECA International Referee. Among them  Rebecca Johannes – PUR (beach), Rochelle Artwell – JAM (beach), Chantal Kasters – SUR (indoor), Breanna Spain – USA (indoor), Ana Marlenis Rodriguez – DOM (indoor) and Diana De la Mora – MEX (beach).

Guy explained that 55 Female International Referees are part of NORCECA and continues to grow, “NORCECA is the only Confederation in the world that is developing International Referee Courses and 54% of the participants during the International Referee Course held in January were female”.

In her closing words, Julie stated “we enjoyed this gathering to celebrate women, inspiring inclusion and their amazing journey full of meaningful moments, which have led us to become a family”.

While Guy thanked each and everyone for their commitment as referees in NORCECA, which have led them to take time from their families, work and friends “as a Confederation we send you our appreciation to help grow volleyball in NORCECA. Happy whistling”.

Atlanta’s Lazareva Collects Weekly Award

March 5, 2024.- For the third time this season, an Atlanta Vibe player has earned weekly recognition after Anna Lazareva was selected as Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week.

The opposite hitter led her team to a 2-1 week, including back-to-back sweeps as the Vibe moved  into a tie for first place in the league standings. In three matches overall, she tallied 56 points, 49 kills, 41 digs, six blocks and three aces.

She started off the week with a double-double of 15 kills and 20 digs in a loss to Omaha before recording 12 kills and nine digs in a win over Vegas. Lazareva then finished strong, posting 20 kills and 14 digs while hitting at a .326 clip in Atlanta’s victory over San Diego.

For the week, she notched averages of 6.2 points, 5.4 kills, 4.6 digs and 0.7 blocks. Players from the Vibe have now collected three of the six weekly honors presented so far in the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation season.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues on Saturday with three matches – Columbus at Grand Rapids (Noon ET), Vegas at Atlanta (7 p.m. ET) and Omaha at Orlando (7 p.m. ET).

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com   

2024 Weekly Awards

Date                             Player                                     

March 5                       Anna Lazareva, Atlanta, OPP

February 27               Reagan Cooper, Columbus, OH

February 20               Emiliya Dimitrova, Grand Rapids, OPP

February 13               Adora Anae, Orlando Valkyries, OH

February 6                  Leah Edmond, Atlanta Vibe, OH

January 30                 Alli Linnehan, Atlanta Vibe, OH     

Santurce, Naranjito, and Corozal win in Puerto Rico’s Women’s Superior League

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 3, 2024 – Santurce Cangrejeras (12-5) achieved a quick victory in three sets (25-19, 25-20, and 25-16) against Juncos Valencianas (9-9) at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey.

With the win, Santurce earned three points to stay at the top of the overall standings of the 204th Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) tournament with 37 points and distance themselves from the Manatí Atenienses (33).

Andrea Rangel was the only player with double digits for the Cangrejeras with 16 points, 14 on attacks, two on blocks, and six digs. Helena Havelkova contributed nine points, five on attacks, four on blocks, six digs, and 11 passes; Nancy Carrillo and Neira Ortiz with eight points each.

For Juncos, Elissa Alcántara scored 12 points, seven on attacks, one block, and four direct serves; Amethyst Harper with 11 points, eight on attacks, two on blocks, one ace, eight digs, and 11 passes; and Sh’ Diamond Holly with six points, four on attacks, and two blocks.

Pinkin defeat the Criollas

The two-time champion Pinkin of Corozal (11-7) dominated the Criollas of Caguas (8-10) in four sets to claim three points and move up to the third position in the overall standings with 29 points.

Corozal defeated Caguas 18-25, 25-23, 25-14, and 25-17 at the Pepín Cestero court in Bayamón.

After losing the first set, the champions managed to recover at home and in front of their fans to take the next three sets and win the match at home.

Corozal, which did not have Daly Santana tonight, had Emma Clothier as its top scorer with 18 points, 16 on attacks, and two on blocks; Yanlis Feliz with 13 points, 10 on attacks, two on blocks, one ace, 10 digs, and eight passes; Isabella Bergmark with 12 points, 10 on attacks, and two on blocks; 10 from Seliann Concepción, nine of them on attacks, one ace, eight digs, and 15 passes; and setter Julianna Askew with seven points, two on attacks, three on blocks, two direct serves, 13 digs, and 11 assists.

For Caguas, Nia Parker-Robinson with 14 points, all on attacks; Adeola Owokoniran contributed 13 points, 10 on attacks, two on blocks, one ace, five digs, and 17 passes; and Chareika Carrión and Janice Leao with nine points each.

Naranjito surprises Guaynabo

Changas de Naranjito (3-14) earned three points tonight by defeating the Guaynabo Mets (7-11) in four sets at the Gelito Ortega court.

The sets for the Naranjito were 25-18, 18-25, 28-26, and 25-23.

Adanna Rollins was the top scorer of the match and for Changas with 25 points, 21 on attacks, four on blocks, 13 digs, and 11 passes; Kiana Schmitt with 16 points, 13 on attacks, and three on blocks; Génesis Collazo with 14 points, 12 on attacks, two on blocks, and 20 digs; and Kayla Lund with 13 points, 11 on attacks, one block, one ace, 23 digs, and 17 passes.

For Guaynabo, Kyla Swanson with 16 points, 14 on attacks, and two on blocks; Karina Ocasio with 15 points in her return to the court with nine points on attacks, four blocks, two direct serves, and 12 digs; and Haley Bush with 15 points, 11 on attacks, four on blocks, six digs, and 18 passes.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

Rules of the Game Update Seminar for Referees in Panama

CHITRÉ, Panama, March 3, 2024. – The Panamanian Volleyball Federation, FEPAVOL, held a three-day Rules of the Game Update Seminar for Referees from March 1-3 in the city of Chitré, Herrera, Panama.

In a joint effort between FEPAVOL and the FIVB/NORCECA Regional Volleyball Development Center in Santo Domingo, 46 national referees attended a seminar of a total of 24 hours sessions under the direction of Professor José Luis Jiménez Lao, member of the NORCECA Referee Commission.  

Prof. Jiménez Lao provided technical assistance and explained that the seminar was divided into two theoretical sessions and one practical session, “many technical questions and concerns regarding the rules of the game were clarified, as well as administrative topics, in order to guide referees in the use of procedures during matches”.

Profesor Jose Luis Jimenez Lao during seminar

In addition, participants learned about the technical forms available on the FIVB, NORCECA, and AFECAVOL websites.

“Our goal with these training sessions is for all referees to apply the international standards clearly regulated by the FIVB and improve their performance”,  added Jiménez Lao.

Successful First Independence Volleyball Cup in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, February 27, 2024. – In one of its first competitive activities, the Dominican Volleyball Association in Puerto Rico held the first Independence Cup over the weekend.

The Independence Volleyball  Cup is part of the Dominican Republic Independence festivities during February. The Patriotic Day of the neighboring country is  on February 27.

The event featured a guest team from the Dominican Republic who were the ‘Primas’ de Villa Tapia, who emerged as champions after dominating in the final. The Garabito, Yeye Clinic and TOVC teams also participated.

 In the final, Villa Tapia defeated TOVC 25-23, 25-21.

 “It was a great event, very happy to be the first one organized by the Association. There was a great atmosphere with four teams, and on Sunday we had a visit from Dominican Republic’s Consul, Cesar Cedeño, who stayed the whole day,” said the president of the Dominican Volleyball Association in Puerto Rico, Rafael Paniagua.

 The other results of the Cup were: Las Primas  vs. Garabito (25-8, 25-7), TOVC vs. Yeye Clinic (25-22, 21-25, 17-15), Las Primas  vs. TOVC  (26-24, 22- 25, 25-23) and TOVC vs. Garabito (25-14, 22-25, 15-6).

The Dominican Volleyball Association in Puerto Rico was founded on July 8, 2022 and is member of the Dominican Volleyball Federation (FEDOVOLI).

The Executive Committee sworn in by Ramon Alexis García (President of FEDOVOLI) is made up, together with Paniagua, of Adalberto Bejarán, Executive Vice President; Yeddys Pérez, technical vice president; Atty. Carlos Beltrán Ríos, general secretary; Dr. Carlos Pérez, treasurer; Atty. Viviana Diaz Saviñón, recording secretary; Karina Rivera, logistics; Juan Garabito Matos, first member, Dr. Ángeles Alonso, second member and Atty. Carlos Beltrán, advisor.

NORCECA/FIVB Regional Development Center Announces 2024 Courses

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, February 27, 2023 – The NORCECA/FIVB Regional Volleyball Development Center in Santo Domingo announces the upcoming courses to be held in-person and in both languages.

International Courses for Volleyball Coaches

Level 1: May 7-11

Level 3: June 4-11

Level 2: October 1-5

International Courses for Beach Volleyball Coaches

Level 1: August 20-24

Continental Courses for Physical Education Teachers

Date: October 23-25

For more information and registration, please email centrofivb_rdom@yahoo.es or text via  WhatsApp at 809-563-5642.

Columbus’ Reagan Cooper Tabbed For Weekly Honors

February 27, 2024.- After leading her team to three straight victories for the first time this season, Columbus’ Reagan Cooper has been named Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week.

The outside hitter led the Fury in kills in all three matches, starting with a season-high 22 kills versus Omaha on Wednesday. She followed that effort with 15 and 21 kills in back-to-back wins over the Vegas Thrill. In the second match against the Thrill, she notched eight kills in the fourth set alone.

Cooper also recorded a season-best 15 digs in the home win over Vegas and tallied 33 overall in the three matches. She led the team in both points and kills for the week.

The native of Rowlett, Texas was the second-round pick for Columbus in the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation draft in December.

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com  

2024 Weekly Awards

Date                             Player                                     

February 27                Reagan Cooper, Columbus, OH

February 20                Emiliya Dimitrova, Grand Rapids, OPP

February 13                Adora Anae, Orlando Valkyries, OH

February 6                  Leah Edmond, Atlanta Vibe, OH

January 30                 Alli Linnehan, Atlanta Vibe, OH       

Manatí returned to the top of Women’s volleyball in Puerto Rico

MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, February 26, 2024 – The Manatí Atenienses (11-5) returned to the top of the standings in the 2024 Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) season, defeating Juncos Valencianas (7-8) tonight in four sets.

Manatí added three points tonight to accumulate 29, one more than the Santurce Cangrejeras (28) and jump to the first position.

Atenienses prevailed with scores of 25-13, 25-18, 24-26, and 25-14, in the match held at the Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu Coliseum in Manatí.

For Manatí, Taylor Borup with 21 points, 18 in attacks, two in blocks, one ace, eight digs, and 12 passes; Zoe Weatherington with 16 points, 13 points, two blocks, one ace, and 11 digs; and Karla Santos with 13 points, 10 in attacks, three blocks, 14 digs, and 11 passes.

For Juncos, Elissa Alcántara scored 18 points, 16 in attacks, and two in blocks; Kara McGhee with 14 points, 10 in attacks, and four in blocks; and eight points from Amethyst Harper.

Pinkins won the “Mountain Duel” for the third time

The two-time champion Pinkins from Corozal (9-6) won the “Mountain Duel” for the third time tonight against Changas (2-12), at the Gelito Ortega court in Naranjito.

All three matches between these two teams have gone to five sets. Only one remains to conclude the series of this duel.

The champions dominated their rivals 25-22, 21-25, 24-26, 25-23, and 16-14.

With the victory, Corozal (24 points) takes off in third place by two points from the Criollas (22).

Dominican reinforcement Yanlis Feliz was the top scorer for Corozal with 21 points, 18 in attacks, two in blocks, one ace, 18 digs, and 23 passes; Daly Santana helped with 19 points, 15 in attacks, two blocks, two direct services, 23 digs, and 24 passes; Emma Clothier contributed 17 points, 14 in attacks, and three in blocks; and Isabella Bergmark with 14 points, eight in attacks, and six in blocks.

For Naranjito, Adanna Rollins with 31 points, 26 in attacks, four in blocks, and one ace, 14 digs, and 20 passes; Génesis Collazo, who made her debut tonight in the Changas uniform, helped with 18 points, 14 in attacks, four in blocks, and 15 digs; Kiana Schmitt with 14 points, 12 in attacks, and two blocks; and Kayla Lund with 11 points, all in attacks, 13 digs, and 14 passes.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

International Level I Volleyball Coaches Course was assessed successful

HAVANA, Cuba, February 25, 2024. – The International Level I Volleyball Coaches Course was assessed successful, with Cuban Iván Ruiz Bacallao emerging as the top performer.

After five days of intense sessions of theoretical and practical classes and tests, the 29 candidates happily passed their exams, with 13 of them coming from Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Sri Lanka.

Nelson Ramírez, director of the NORCECA-FIVB Regional Volleyball Development Center in Santo Domingo, stated, “It has been a great experience and satisfaction due to the level of organization of the Cuban Federation presided over by Ariel Sainz”.

“Everything went as planned, with perfect coordination, excellent personnel from the Cuban Federation, active participation from the students, all of whom passed due to the quality of their work, and the assistance of the national and youth teams, who acted as demonstrators during classes”.

“We are very pleased, and NORCECA, led by president Cristóbal Marte, is always ready to support the Cuban Federation in these training initiatives, and there is the possibility of Cuba hosting a Level III course”, he emphasized.

Nelson Ramirez Director NORCECA-FIVB Regional Volleyball Development Center

Meanwhile, Antonio Rizola, an FIVB Instructor who for the second year has been conducting an International Level I Course in this city, expressed his joy and excitement at returning to a country that means a lot to the world of volleyball.

“I am privileged. I am sure that these students from this course, who, like last year’s, have shown themselves to be very willing, polite, and technically skilled, will represent volleyball well in the world. I thank Ariel Sainz and Nelson Ramírez for their confidence in sending me back to Cuba”.

Young Iván Ruiz, on the other hand, thanked the Cuban Federation and INDER for the opportunity to improve and grow as a coach to pass on knowledge to his students.

“I also appreciate the dedication of the instructors and support staff for the success of the course, and it is a gift to my students from the Cerro Pelado Sports Initiation School in the province of Camagüey, who represent the purpose of my life in this wonderful sport” he stated.

Ariel Sainz, head of the FCV, expressed his joy at the satisfaction of the students, Rizola, and Ramírez for the course results, attention to detail, organization, and content.

“This further commits us, and we are already thinking about growing in terms of participants and instructors in the future. Last year, 35 Cubans graduated, and now 16, which creates a pool of professionals who will continue to serve the Federation to maintain a successful path for volleyball in our country” he said.

During the closing ceremony, Cuban instructors Justo Morales and Argelio Hernández were recognized for their support in the class program content.

Seminar “Dangers of Doping” at Regional Development Center

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, February 23, 2024.- Dr. Victor Figueroa, President of the NORCECA Medical Commission, conducted a workshop about the dangers of doping and the use of prohibited substances for members of the Dominican women’s team at the FIVB-NORCECA Regional Development Center in Santo Domingo.

As the world of sports continues to evolve and push the boundaries of human achievement, an educational program is necessary for athletes’ welfare as part of their preparation for high-level competitions.

Dr. Figueroa addressed the dangers of doping to reaffirm NORCECA’s commitment to clean and ethical sportsmanship in accordance with the World Anti Doping Agency -WADA- and the FIVB.

Participants learned about banned substances, methods to enhance athletic performance,  dietary or nutritional supplements, all which  pose significant health risks to athletes. From performance-enhancing drugs to blood doping and beyond.

The health risks associated with doping may destroy an athletic career, jeopardizing their physical well-being. The use of banned substances can lead to a range of adverse effects, including but not limited to cardiovascular issues, liver damage, hormonal imbalances, and psychological disturbances. Moreover, the quest for athletic excellence at any cost can exact a toll on mental health, leading to anxiety, depression, and addiction.

When athletes resort to unfair means to gain an advantage, they betray the principles of fair play and integrity that lie at the heart of athletic competition.

Athletes, coaches, administrators, and governing bodies must work together to raise a culture of clean sport and ensure a level playing field for all competitors.

Dr. Figueroa emphasized on the need for education and support initiatives to empower athletes with the knowledge and resources to make informed decisions and resist the temptation of doping.

International Level I Volleyball Coaches Course opens in Havana

HAVANA, Cuba, February 21, 2024 – The 2024 International Level I Volleyball Coaches Course was opened in Havana with the participation of 29 coaches from seven countries. This is the second time the course has been hosted at the National School of Volleyball.

Roberto León Richard, president of the Cuban Olympic Committee (COC), welcomed all participants and highlighted the presence of 13 coaches from six nations, as well as the respected instructor Antonio Rizola from Brazil, and Nelson Ramírez, director of the FIVB-NORCECA Regional Development Center in Santo Domingo, who will serve as supervisor.

“Our Olympic Committee feels very proud and satisfied to have this level of participation in a seminar of great importance for international and Cuban volleyball” he said.

He emphasized the significance for Cuban sports, noting that based on the experienced president of the Cuban Volleyball Federation, Ariel Sainz, similar courses could be developed in other well-known and high-level sports such as boxing and judo, especially in combat disciplines, where the island has a rich history of success.

Professor Ramírez communicated a message on behalf of Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, president of NORCECA, who is also executive Vice President of the FIVB, wishing them success in achieving the course objectives.

“Our development center was founded in 1997, and its initial support came from instructors from Cuba, which undoubtedly strengthened us”, he acknowledged.

He recalled the contributions of Argelio Hernández, Jorge Pérez Vento, and Justo Morales, praising Morales’  reference book and his willingness to collaborate. Ramírez also highlighted Morales’ work over the years in a development program across English-speaking islands, as well as in Central America and the Caribbean.

“Our Regional Development Center was established by the FIVB, and out of the 12 worldwide, only those in Thailand, Argentina, and Santo Domingo remain operational, with Santo Domingo being recognized as the most active”, he said.

Ramírez appreciated these courses in Cuba, with the previous one held last year, and emphasized the importance of continuing such development programs to expand volleyball knowledge in Cuba at the Level I range, enabling promotion within national technical teams in the future.

“But you must work alongside your national federation, strengthening your country’s efforts, always in collaboration with them because that support is crucial and desired”, he urged all participants from Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Sri Lanka, and Cuba.

Professor Rizola expressed his joy in learning that three of his students from the previous year, including the top performer Mario Izquierdo, are now part of the coaching staff at the National School of Volleyball.

“I want to thank the authorities for being in Cuba, which has always been my reference point. I can’t recall an international Level I course with the presence of a president of the Olympic Committee of that country. Thank you for this new opportunity; it’s an honor to share my experiences with you because I learn much more from you”, he declared.

The opening ceremony concluded with an emotional moment as four giant posters were unveiled in the lobby of the National School of Volleyball, honoring those who have dedicated their lives to Cuban volleyball: Eugenio George, architect of the Morenas del Caribe; and Olympic champions Regla Torres, Mireya Luis, and Yumilka Ruiz, all inducted into the Hall of Fame in the U.S. City of Hoyoke, Massachusetts.

Grand Rapids’ Dimitrova Selected For Weekly Accolade

February 20, 2024.- A stellar effort in the only Grand Rapids match of the week has led to league honors for Emiliya Dimitrova, who has been chosen as the latest Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week.

The opposite hitter turned in an impressive performance as the Rise regained first place in the league with a 3-2 home victory over the Atlanta Vibe. She recorded a match-high 26 kills while having only three attack errors on 58 swings for a season-best .397 hitting percentage.

The native of Shuman, Bulgaria added two blocks and an ace for a total of 29 points – tied for the second-most individual points in a league match. She also had 22 digs versus Atlanta to notch her third double-double of the year.

For the season, Dimitrova has 66 kills – with at least 12 in every match. She also boasts 57 total digs, with at least eight in each outing. The Rise return to action on Friday, March 1 when they travel to face Orlando at Addition Financial Arena.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues Wednesday when Columbus hosts Omaha in its first home match of the 2024 campaign.

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com 

2024 Weekly Awards

Date                             Player                                     

February 20                Emiliya Dimitrova, Grand Rapids, OPP

February 13                Adora Anae, Orlando Valkyries, OH

February 6                  Leah Edmond, Atlanta Vibe, OH

January 30                  Alli Linnehan, Atlanta Vibe, OH        

Fourth consecutive victory for Cangrejeras in Puerto Rico’s Women’s Superior League

JUNCOS, Puerto Rico, February 18, 2024.- Santurce Cangrejeras (9-3) closed out the week perfectly by securing their fourth consecutive victory in the regular series of the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF).

The capital’s team defeated Valencianas (6-5) in three sets (25-22, 25-22, and 25-18) at the Rafael G. Amalbert Coliseum in Juncos.

With this win, the Cangrejeras maintain their lead in the first position with 26 points.

The quartet of reinforcements for Cangrejeras led the team’s offense, with Turkish player Yeliz Basa leading with 14 points, 13 in attacks, one block, and nine digs; Czech player Helena Havelkova with 11 points, all in attacks, eight digs, and 15 passes; Cuban player Nancy Carrillo with 11 points, 10 in attacks, and one block; and American setter Carli Lloyd with six points, three in blocks, 12 digs, and 10 assists.

For Juncos, Keishlyann Sánchez was the only player scoring double digits with 11 points, seven in attacks, three in blocks, one ace, 13 digs, and four passes. Eissa Alcántara and Kara McGhee each had nine points.

Criollas climb to third place by defeating Pinkin

Caguas Criollas (6-5) defeated the two-time champions Pinkin de Corozal (6-6) in three sets to rise to the third position with 19 points, two more than the reigning champions.

Caguas secured the victory at home with scores of 25-21, 25-21, and 25-19 at the Roger Mendoza court.

The night belonged to Janice Leao, who was the only player scoring double digits with 10 points, five in attacks, five in blocks, and one ace. Adeola Owokoniran, Diana Reyes, and Chareika Carrión each scored seven points. American reinforcement Nia Parker had to leave the game in the second set after a fall when the scoreboard was 13-10 in favor of Corozal. Parker did not return to the court for the rest of the night.

For Corozal, Emma Clothier was the top scorer with 11 points, 10 in attacks, and one ace; Yanlis Feliz with 10 points, nine in attacks, one block, 11 digs, and 11 passes; and Isabela Bergmark with eight points, six in attacks, one block, one ace, and nine digs.

Another victory for the Mets as they climb to fifth place

Guaynabo Mets (5-8) rose to fifth place in the standings after defeating Atenienses (8-4) in four sets on Saturday, at the Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu Coliseum in Manatí.

The metropolitan victory ended 25-18, 25-23, 20-25, and 25-21.

Reinforcement Haley Bush was the top scorer for Guaynabo with 20 points, 19 in attacks, one block, 16 digs, and 16 passes; Naya Gross contributed with 16 points, 11 in attacks, and five in blocks. Stephanie Rivera added nine points, eight in attacks, one block, 12 digs, and 12 passes; and Kayla Swanson with eight points. Setter Savanna Vach made 21 assists, 21 digs, and two points.

For Manatí, captain Karla Santos was the top scorer with 18 points, 17 in attacks, one block, 28 digs, and 24 passes; Taylor Borup helped with 16 points, 15 in attacks, and one block; Zoe Weatherington with 13 points, 11 in attacks, one block, and one ace; and Claudia Dillon with nine points.

Guaynabo now sits in fifth place with 16 points, and Juncos dropped to sixth with 15 points.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

In five sets, the victory of Cangrejeras against champions Pinkin

BAYAMÓN, Puerto Rico. February 16, 2024. – Cangrejeras de Santurce (8-3) and the two-time champions Pinkin de Corozal (6-5) starred in a five-set battle at the Pepín Cestero court in Bayamón, where the visitors took the win and defended the top position in the overall standings of the 2024 Puerto Rican Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF).

Corozal was leading 8-6 when the fifth set change of sides came; apparently, this change favored Santurce greatly. Cangrejeras managed a six-point rally to turn the score in their favor, 12-8; a definitive advantage that led them to win the set, 15-10, and the match.

Santurce prevailed with 25-17, 20-25, 25-23, 24-26, and 15-10.

With the two points, Santurce remains at the top of the standings with 23 points, as Manatí (22 points) – although victorious – also earned two points for winning in five sets against Naranjito.

Santurce’s Czech reinforcement, Helena Havelkova, stood out on the court with 31 points, 23 in attacks, six in blocks, two direct services, 13 digs, and 20 passes; Turkish player Yeliz Basa contributed with 15 points, all in attacks, and 11 digs; and Cuban player Nancy Carrillo added 14 points, 13 in attacks, and one block.

For Corozal, Dominican player Yanlis Feliz scored 21 points, 18 in attacks, three in blocks, 18 digs, and 25 passes; Emma Clothier with 16 points, all in attacks; and Isabella Bergmark with 14, nine in attacks, and five in blocks.

Pinkin earned one point with this defeat in five sets, and they remain alone in third place with 17 points and a 6-5 record.

Manatí wins the duel in Naranjito in five sets

Atenienses de Manatí (8-3) defeated Changas at the Gelito Ortega court in a thrilling five-set match that ended 23-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-11, and 15-8.

Karla Santos was the top scorer for Atenienses with 22 points, 21 in attacks, one ace, 19 digs, and 18 passes; Zoe Weatherington with 20 points, 15 in attacks, four in blocks, one ace, and 11 digs; Claudia Dillon with 11 points, seven in attacks, one block, and three direct serves; and 10 for Taylor Borup with nine in attacks, one block, 13 digs, and 10 passes. Setter Nicole Drewnick made 21 assists, 12 digs, and six points, four in attacks, and two direct services.

For Naranjito, Adana Rollins scored 16 points, 13 in attacks, three in blocks, 12 digs, and 13 passes; Kayla Lund with 14 points, all in attacks, 12 digs, and six passes; and Andrea Serra with 14 points, 12 in attacks, one block, one ace, 14 digs, and 15 passes.

Guaynabo ends Juncos undefeated streak at home

The Mets de Guaynabo (4-8) secured their fourth victory of the season by defeating Valencianas (6-4) in four sets, thus ending their undefeated streak at home at the Rafael G. Amalbert Coliseum in Juncos.

After losing the first set, 23-25, the Mets recovered and reacted to take the next three sets, 25-24, 25-23, and 25-21.

With the victory, Guaynabo collected three crucial points for a total of 13, two less than Juncos (15), who occupies the fifth position.

Stephanie Rivera was the top scorer for the Mets with 20 points, 17 in attacks, two blocks, one ace, 15 digs, and 11 passes; Norian Ceballos helped with 13 points, 12 in attacks, one block, and 16 digs; Legna Hernández with 10 points, seven in attacks, one block, two direct serves, 20 digs, and six passes; Kayla Swanson and Naya Gross with nine points each.

For Juncos, Kara McGhee with 11 points, 10 in attacks, and one ace; Sh’Diamond Holly and Keishlyann Sánchez with 10 points each; and nine from Elissa Alcántara.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

Cangrejeras reached first position in Puerto Rico’s Women’s Superior League

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, February 14, 2024.- Santurce Cangrejeras (7-3) reached the top of the overall ranking of the 2024 Puerto Rican Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) last night, defeating Criollas de Caguas (5-5) in five sets at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey.

Santurce prevailed with 25-19, 16-25, 19-25, 25-15, and 15-10, earning two valuable points (21) that propelled them from second place to the first position, over Atenienses de Manatí (7-3, 20 points).

Caguas, on the other hand, despite obtaining one point and tying with 16 points just like the champions Pinkin de Corozal, drops to fourth place with one more defeat and one less victory. Corozal is at 6-4, and Caguas at 5-5.

In last night’s match, Turkish player Yeliz Basa scored 31 points, 29 in attacks, one block, one ace, and 15 digs for Cangrejeras. Neira Ortiz contributed with 12 points, eight in blocks; and Czech player Helena Havelkova with 12 points, 11 in attacks, one block, eight digs, and 22 passes.

The Pinkin stop the Mets’ streak

The two-time champions Pinkin de Corozal (6-4) stopped the Mets de Guaynabo (3-8) after defeating them in three sets, to end the locals’ two-game winning streak.

Corozal team earned three important points defeating their opponents 25-22, 25-22, and 25-21 at the Mario “Quijjote” Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo.

With this victory, Corozal rises to third place with 16 points.

Dominican reinforcement Yanlis Feliz was the top scorer for the champions with 15 points, 13 in attacks, two blocks, 12 digs, and nine passes; Saraí Álvarez and American player Emma Clothier with 12 points each; and 11 points from Isabella Bergmark.

For Guaynabo, Kayla Swanson scored 15 points, 11 in attacks, two in blocks, and two service aces; Naya Gross with 13 points, 10 in attacks, and three in blocks; and Stephanie Rivera with 10 points, nine in attacks, and one ace.

The Mets were coming off two consecutive victories after defeating the Atenienses de Manatí last Saturday in four sets 25-23, 25-22, 27-29, and 25-21.

Quick victory for Juncos in Naranjito

Juncos Valencianas (6-3) defeated Naranjito Changas (1-9) with scores of 25-20, 25-21, and 25-22 in less than 90 minutes.

Reinforcement Kara McGhee was the top scorer of the match and for Juncos with 17 points, eight in attacks, seven in blocks, and two service aces; Elissa Alcántara contributed with 14 points, 10 in attacks, and four in direct serves; and Keishlyann Sánchez and Amethyst Harper with eight points each.

For Naranjito, Kayla Lund scored 13 points, 11 in attacks, and two blocks; and Adana Rollins with 10 points.

For more information visit  Fedpurvoli.com

Orlando’s Anae Tabbed For League Weekly Honor

February 13, 2024.- Two strong performances by the Orlando Valkyries’ Adora Anae have earned her the latest Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week honor.

The outside hitter helped her team to a 1-1 week, as she led both teams in points in each outing while starting every set. Against the Vegas Thrill, she recorded 18 points (13 kills, two blocks, three aces) as Orlando notched its first victory of the season. Anae also had 12 digs in the match.

The native of Laie, Hawaii followed that effort by leading both teams in points, kills and aces by tallying 30 points versus Atlanta. A total of 26 came from her kills (26), aces (3) and blocks (1) while she added 14 digs to that performance. The Valkyries dropped a close 3-2 decision to the Vibe.

For the season, Anae has posted totals of 69 points, 57 kills, 45 digs and five blocks. The Valkyries return to action on Friday when they host Columbus at Addition Financial Arena.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues over this coming weekend with five matches slated over three days (Thursday, Friday and Sunday).

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com 

VNL to Expand to 18 Teams in 2025

No relegation in 2024 and no more core and challenger teams as of next year

The Volleyball Nations League will expand to 18 teams per gender as of 2025 and the participants will no longer be divided into core and challenger teams.

No team will be relegated at the end of the VNL 2024 season, while the winners of the 2024 Volleyball Challenger Cup and the highest-placed teams in the FIVB Men’s and Women’s Volleyball World Ranking not yet qualified will join the VNL 2025 action.

For more information visit Volleyball Nations League

As of the 2025 edition, the core and challenger team statuses will be abolished and the bottom-placed team in the competition’s final standings in each gender will be relegated, to be replaced by the respective highest-ranked team in the world for the following VNL season.

With the expanded number of participating teams, there will be a new structure of the Preliminary Phase schedule. What will remain the same as now is that each participating team will play 12 matches spread across three competition weeks. However, there will be three pools per week played at three different venues with six teams each. The number of competition days will be reduced from six to five per week.

The players will also benefit from an additional week of rest. There will be no VNL competition for either gender during the week after the second competition week in the men’s tournament.

In this new format, a total of 216 matches will take place during the Preliminary Phase, which brings the total number of games per season to 232, including the quarterfinals, the semifinals and the medal matches in both genders. There will be no change in the format of the Final Rounds.

Only the 2028 edition will feature a yet-to-be-determined condensed format to align with the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

These changes, involving an extended VNL footprint around the world, a more streamlined competition schedule, additional recovery and preparation time for the teams, and greater commercial potential, are expected to enhance the VNL experience for athletes, fans, host cities and all other stakeholders alike. The aim is to ensure the VNL remains a world-class spectacle through continued improvements to the fan experience both on TV and in person.

Guaynabo repeats victory against Caguas and wins in five sets

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico, February 11, 2024 – The Guaynabo Mets (2-7) achieved their second victory of the 2024 Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) season, once again against Criollas de Caguas (5-4) in five intense sets played at the Roger Mendoza Court in Valle de Turabo.

Guaynabo fell in the first two sets 20-25 and 17-25 against Caguas but recovered to come from behind and win the next three with 27-25, 25-21, and 15-6.

In the fifth set, the Mets started 7-0 and at the side change dominated, 8-1. From there on, Guaynabo did not look back until closing the set and the match in their favor.

This is the Mets’ first victory under the direction of José Mieles, and they come out of the basement with seven points for sixth place with a record of 2-7.

Guaynabo, who did not have Karina Ocasio, who was injured in the match against Santurce, and had the reinforcement player Haley Bush as their top scorer with 26 points, 23 in attacks, three in blocks, nine digs, and 15 passes; Naya Gross contributed 20 points, 19 in attacks, and one block; and Norian Ceballos with 18 points, all in attacks, and 15 digs. Stephanie Rivera helped in the victory with nine points, 29 digs, and 29 passes.

For Caguas, Treyaunna Rush scored 18 points, 16 in attacks, and two blocks; Nia Parker-Robinson with 14 points, 13 in attacks, one ace, 20 digs, and five passes; Janice Leao with 12 points, eight in attacks, and four in blocks; and Diana Reyes with 10 points, five in attacks, three blocks, and one ace.

Corozal won the second “Mountain Duel”

Two-time champions Pinkin of Corozal (5-4) and the Changas of Naranjito (1-8) played five sets again in the second edition of this year’s “Mountain Duel” and they took the victory once more.

Corozal won with 22-25, 25-29, 25-28, 18-25, and 15-9, in Daly Santana’s debut.

Naranjito was leading the fifth set, 7-4, when Corozal coach Freddy Vázquez, called a timeout. Upon return, four consecutive errors by Changas gave Pinkin the advantage, 8-7, for the side change. Saraí Álvarez scored point nine, 9-7. Naranjito immediately called a timeout, but the motivation of the champions was already sky-high and they made their presence felt on the court, especially Daly Santana, who scored three of Corozal’s last five points, including the direct serve for the victory.

For Corozal, Dominican reinforcement Yanlis Feliz scored 17 points, 16 in attacks, one block, 14 digs, and 16 passes; Isabella Bergmark added 17 more, 10 in attacks, and seven in blocks; Emma Clothier with 15 points, 10 in attacks, and five in blocks; and Daly Santana with 12 points, 10 in attacks, one block, one ace, 11 digs, and 16 passes.

For Naranjito, American reinforcement Adana Rollins achieved 21 points, 18 in attacks, three in blocks, 13 digs, and 14 passes; Kayla Lund with 19 points, 17 in attacks, two blocks, 12 digs, and 19 passes; and Kiana Schmitt with 14 points, 11 in attacks, and three direct serves.

Before the match between Corozal and Naranjito at the Pepín Cestero Court in Bayamón, a posthumous tribute was paid to the former Pinkin player and National Team member, Pilar Vázquez, who passed away on Saturday.

Additionally, the Secretary General of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (FPV), Gerardo Negrón, presented a plaque to Saraí Álvarez of Corozal for reaching and surpassing the milestone of 5,000 points in the LVSF.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com 

Athenians refuse to leave the top of Women’s Superior Volleyball League

MANATÍ, Puerto Rico, February 10, 2024.- The Athenians of Manatí (7-2) obtained three points after defeating the two-time champions Pinkin of Corozal (4-4) in four sets, to remain as leaders of the overall ranking of the 2024 Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF).

Athenians took the victory with scores of 26-24, 25-20, 22-25, and 25-21, in the match held at the Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu Coliseum in Manatí.

With the triumph, Manatí added three points for a total of 20, one more point than Santurce Cangrejeras (6-3), who also won in three sets against Guaynabo, to remain in second place.

For the Athenians, captain Karla Santos was the top scorer with 22 points, 20 in attacks, one block, one ace, 25 digs, and 20 passes; Taylor Borup helped with 18 points, 17 in attacks, and one block; Zoe Weatherington with 13 points, 10 in attacks, three blocks, and 13 digs; and Claudia Dillon with 11, nine points in attacks, and two blocks.

For Corozal, Dominican reinforcement Yanlis Feliz with 21 points, 19 in attacks, two blocks, 25 digs, and 35 passes; Emma Clothier with 16 points, 12 in attacks, two blocks, and two direct serves; Isabella Bergmark contributed 13 points, seven in attacks, and six in blocks.

Cangrejeras in three against the Mets

Santurce (6-3) defeated the Mets (1-7) in three sets: 25-12, 25-13, and 25-21, at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey.

Santurce’s Turkish reinforcement, Yeliz Basa, scored 20 points, 18 in attacks, one block, and one ace; Czech Helena Havelkova made 13 points, nine in attacks, three blocks, one ace, 11 digs, and 15 passes; and Cuban Nancy Carrillo helped with seven points, all in attacks. Neira Ortiz did not play.

For Guaynabo, reinforcement Haley Bush with 12 points, 11 in attacks, one block, five digs, and 10 passes; and Naya Gross with nine points, six in attacks, and three in blocks.

Criollas rise to third place

Criollas de Caguas (5-3) achieved an important victory in the minimum of sets (3-0) against Changas (1-7), to add three points and rise to third place in the overall ranking with 14 points.

The Criollas sextet prevailed 25-20, 25-23, and 26-24, against Changas at Gelito Ortega court in Naranjito.

Nia Parker-Robinson was the only player with double digits for the Criollas with 16 points, 12 in attacks, one block, three direct serves, seven digs, and eight passes. Chareika Carrión and Treyaunna Rush contributed eight points each. Caguas made 11 blocking points and eight direct serves in the match.

For Naranjito, American reinforcement Adana Rollins was also the only player with double digits with 13 points, 12 in attacks, and one ace; Alejandra Argüello made seven points; and Anneclaire Ter Brugge and Kiana Schmitt with six points each.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

Jamaica to host 2024 CAZOVA U19 Boys and Girls Championships

KINGSTON, Jamaica, February 9, 2024.- Jamaica has been named as the hosts of the 2024 Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) U19 Boys and Girls Championships. The highly anticipated tournament is scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 5, 2024, and will unfold at the prestigious G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport in Spanish Town, St Catherine.

The confirmation of Jamaica as the host country and the specified dates came through a letter from CAZOVA President Mushtaque Mohammed, as revealed by the Jamaica Volleyball Association (JAVA) in a press release on Thursday.

“It was a very simple choice,” said Mushtaque Mohammed. “Jamaica is one of the national federations who sent in a bid to host, and the bid was very much completed in terms of meeting all the requirements”.

“They have met the requirements in terms of having a facility, they have provided a schedule and a timeline for all the activities that would take place and that particular venue, GC Foster, has a history of hosting previous Caribbean volleyball events”, he added.

Jacqueline Cowan, president of the Jamaica Volleyball Association (JAVA), said that Jamaica’s bid being accepted by CAZOVA is a significant decision for the association as it provides a massive opportunity for the development of volleyball in Jamaica.

Cowan explained that JAVA will be hoping that this year’s tournament will be the perfect platform for the under-19 teams to make that next step in their careers.

“It is significant for us because we’re always trying to ensure that people are aware of our sport,” she explained. “Bringing it to Jamaica will give the public the opportunity to come to GC Foster and see the development that is taking place with our youngsters and will also see how we can transition the U19 team to the next age-group competition, so we’re quite pleased to be able to host it.”

This marks a significant milestone for Jamaica as it marks the first international volleyball event to be hosted since the onset of the global pandemic.

Jamaica has a rich history of hosting successful volleyball events, having previously organized the CAZOVA U18 Girls and U19 Boys Championships in 2019 at the G.C. Foster College. The Senior Women’s CAZOVA Championship took place in 2017 at the National Indoor Sports Centre, while the CAZOVA U19 Boys Championship in 2015, held at G.C. Foster saw Jamaica emerging as champions, securing the nation’s first-ever international volleyball title at any level.

The Caribbean Island has also been a host for high-profile beach volleyball events, including the Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualification in 2015 and 2016, as well as the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tournaments in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Edmond’s strong performance earns Weekly accolades

COLUMBUS, Ohio / FRISCO, Texas, February 6, 2024. – A second week of League action results in a second weekly award for the Atlanta Vibe as Leah Edmond has been tabbed as the latest Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week.

The outside hitter helped the Vibe to a sweep of the San Diego Mojo in the Atlanta home opener, as her team improved to 3-0 on the season. She tallied 16 kills in only three sets (5.3 per set), hitting at a .407 clip.

A native of Lexington, Ky., she was dominant in the match, recording 20 points (aces + kills + blocks) while adding season-highs with two aces and two blocks.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues in week three as the Vegas Thrill play their first match of the season at Omaha on Wednesday, followed by Grand Rapids at Atlanta on Friday and Vegas at Orlando on Saturday. Fans can purchase tickets now via links on the schedule of the official Pro Volleyball Federation website.

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com 

Changas Win and climbed out of the basement

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, February 5, 2024. – The first victory for Changas de Naranjito (1-6) in the 2024 Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) season came on Sunday, as they defeated Mets at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo.

With this win, Naranjito earned three points, climbing out of the basement, and securing the sixth position with six points and a record of 1-6. Meanwhile, Guaynabo dropped to the bottom with five points and a record of 1-6.

Changas secured the victory with 25-20, 25-29, 14-25, and 25-21.

American reinforcement Kayla Lund was Chagas top scorer with 18 points, including 17 in attacks, one ace, and 20 digs. Adana Rollins and Andrea Serra contributed 16 points each, while Kiana Schmitt added 10 points.

For Guaynabo, Karina Ocasio scored 18 points, on 15 attacks, one block, and two direct serves; Haley Bush contributed 17 points, with 15 in attacks, two blocks, 10 digs, and 13 passes; and Naya Gross scored nine points.

Atenienses don’t give away first place

Atenienses de Manatí maintained top position of the LVSF standings with an impressive comeback, securing a victory in five sets against Cangrejeras de Santurce.

Manatí lost the first two sets but guided by 33 points from Zoe Weatherington, 22 from Karla Santos, and 17 from the new reinforcement, Taylor Borup, they managed to recover and win the next three sets, clinching the triumph to stay at the top of the tournament.

Atenienses won with 33-35, 20-25, 25-15, 27-25, and 15-5 in the match held at the Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu Coliseum in Manatí.

Atenienses hold a 6-2 record and 17 points in the first position, while Santurce dropped to second place with 5-3 record and 16 points.

With a 6-0 rally, the Atenienses took the lead 8-2 in the fifth set. Later, they extended their advantage to 10-3, prompting Santurce to call their second timeout. Weatherington delivered the final blow for her 33rd point, closing the set and securing the victory at 15-5.

Weatherington excelled with 33 points, including 29 in attacks, two in blocks, two direct serves, and 12 digs. Captain Karla Santos contributed 22 points, with 16 in attacks, five in blocks, one ace, 28 digs, and 20 passes. Borup made her debut in Manatí’s uniform with 17 points, including 16 in attacks, one block, nine digs, and 13 passes. Claudia Dillon added 14 points, with 13 in attacks and one block.

Turkish reinforcement Yeliz Basa once again was the only player with double digits for Santurce, scoring 27 points, all in attacks. Czech players Helena Havelkova and Neira Ortiz each acored nine points.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com 

Cangrejeras tie with Atenienses in the first place

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, February 4, 2024.- Cangrejeras of Santurce tied for the first position in the overall standings of the 2024 Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) of Puerto Rico, with Atenienses of Manatí after defeating Valencianas of Juncos in three sets.

Santurce and Manatí both have a 5-2 record and 15 points. They are set to face off on Sunday, to determine the top spot.

Cangrejeras secured a significant victory with consecutive set wins, finishing 25-15, 25-16, and 25-17 at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey.

With this result, Juncos dropped to the third position with 5-3 record and no additional points.

Turkish reinforcement Yeliz Basa was the standout player of the match, contributing 21 points for Cangrejeras, including 19 in attacks, one block, and one ace. American setter Carli Lloyd added eight points, three in attacks, five in blocks, along with 10 digs and nine assists. Czech player Helena Havelkova and Kanisha Jiménez each scored seven points.

Santurce excelled with 14 points in blocks, crucial in stopping Valencianas’ offensive efforts.

Keishlyann Sánchez scored nine points for Juncos, Amethyst Harper added eight points, and Elissa Alcántara contributed six.

Pinkin beat Criollas in five sets 

The two-time champions Pinkin of Corozal (4-3, 11 points) triumphed in thrilling five-sets against Criollas of Caguas (4-3, 11 points) at the Roger Mendoza court. Corozal secured the victory with 25-22, 15-25, 25-23, 19-25, and 15-9.

Dominican reinforcement Yanlis Feliz led Pinkin with 20 points, including 16 in attacks, three blocks, one ace, 14 digs, and 13 passes. American player Emma Clothier contributed 16 points, with 11 in attacks, four in blocks, and one ace. Saraí Álvarez and reinforcement Isabella Bergmark each scored 12 points.

For Caguas, Nia Parker scored 24 points, with 19 in attacks, four in blocks, and one ace. Treyaunna Rush added 11 points, including eight in attacks and three blocks. Janice Leao and Chareika Carrión contributed 10 points each. Corozal and Caguas both scored 15 points in blocks during the match.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

AFECAVOL Confirms Working Commissions

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, February 1, 2024. – AFECAVOL Executive Committee and Delegates held a Virtual Session to confirm the Working Commissions, a structure which was established in November 2020.

“Working together for the well-being of our region has been a constant effort by AFECAVOL members”,  said AFECAVOL President, Félix Sabio, in his opening words. “As we start a new year, we ask for the Working Commissions of AFECAVOL to review their performance to strengthen their functions with the knowledge of each of its members”.

AFECAVOL replicated the Working Commissions of NORCECA, aiming to structure the path towards volleyball development and its members, who are projected to expand their knowledge beyond the Central American region.

Félix Sabio emphasized that this year, the NORCECA Congress will be held, where its Working  Commissions will be confirmed, “all NORCECA Commissions have members from AFECAVOL who will be reaffirmed during the congress, and proposals for new members will be presented from our region, providing opportunities for their professional development”.

During the session, coordinators for each AFECAVOL Working Commission were confirmed: Sports Organization Commission: Lic. Félix Sabio; Technical and Coaching Commission: Prof. René Quintana; Development Commission: Ing. Allan Sharp; Beach Volleyball Commission: Ing. Bertha Cuadra; Referee Commission: Prof. Marvin Mora; Press Commission: Lic. Carolina Rivas; VIS Commission: Ing. Judith Sandino; Medical Commission: Dr. Juan Carlos Rodas; Marketing Commission: Lic. Cinthya Velásquez; Legal Commission: Mr. Carlos Enrique Santis; Athletes Commission: Luis Membreño

The importance of the benefits of NORCECA and FIVB support plans for National Federations was highlighted during the meeting, which aims to progressively reduce the competitive gap among the Zonal Associations.

Each Working Commission will present its proposals on February 22 to meet its objectives for the year, which has many competitions and elaborating a schedule that allows proper preparation is a must,  taking in account that each Commission member will undertake their task responsibly.

Félix Sabio concluded the session expressing his gratitude for the commitment of all delegates, stating, “this will be a year of many successes for Central American volleyball”.

Pinkin earn their third consecutive victory in the Puerto Rican Women’s Superior Volleyball League

BAYAMÓN, Puerto Rico, January 31, 2024. – The two-time champions Pinkin de Corozal (3-2) secured their third straight win of the 2024 season in the Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF), defeating the Mets de Guaynabo (1-4) last night at the José “Pepín” Cestero court in Bayamón.

Corozal prevailed with sets 25-13, 25-18, 14-25, and 25-17.

Dominican reinforcement Yanlis Feliz continues to contribute on the court for the Corozal team, assisting last night with 21 points, including 18 in attacks, two in blocks, one ace, 22 digs, and 19 passes. Americans Emma Clothier and Isabella Bergmark each scored 13 points, while Saraí Álvarez from Mayagüez contributed 11 points, all in attacks.

For Guaynabo, Karina Ocasio scored 23 points, including 22 in attacks and one block; Naya Gross with 15 points, 13 in attacks and two blocks; and seven from Haley Bush.

Naranjito falls short again

The Changas de Naranjito (0-5) lost their fifth game of the 2024 season, the third consecutively in three sets, this time against Valencianas de Juncos (4-2).

Valencianas, at the Rafael G. Amalbert Coliseum in Juncos, secured the victory 25-17, 20-25, 25-15, 15-25, and 15-6.

Elissa Alcántara was the best offensive player for Juncos with 16 points, including 15 in attacks and one block; Amethyst Harper with 12 points, nine in attacks, two blocks, one ace, 10 digs, and 11 passes; Kaycee Ryan O’Dell with 11 points, nine in attacks, and two blocks; Sh’Diamond Holly and Keishlyann Sánchez with 10 points each, and Sabelle Rose Morgan with nine points.

For Changas, Adanna Rollins stood out with 22 points, 21 in attacks and one block; Kayla Lund with 13 points; Andrea Serra with 11 points; and Alejandra Argüello with nine points, five of them in blocks.

Caguas recovers and wins in five sets at the Clemente

Nia Parker Robinson made her debut last night in the Criollas uniform (4-2) and led the offense of the Caguas team to a five-set victory over Cangrejeras de Santurce (3-2).

The set scores concluded 25-22, 30-32, 22-25, 25-19, and 15-11 in favor of Criollas.

Parker Robinson, who arrived in Puerto Rico on Sunday night, shone in her first appearance with Criollas and contributed 24 points, including 21 in attacks, two blocks, one ace, 11 digs, and 8 passes.

Also, the Turkish reinforcement Treyaunna Rush added 22 points, 20 in attacks, two in blocks, and 16 digs; Janice Leao with 14 points, six in attacks, six blocks, and two direct serves; Chareika Carrión with 14 points, all in attacks, six digs, and 18 passes; and Diana Reyes with 10 points, four in blocks.

Turkish reinforcement Yeliz Basa was the top performer for Cangrejeras with 25 points, including 23 in attacks, two blocks, and 12 digs; Czech Helena Havelkova with 16 points, 12 in attacks, one block, three direct serves, nine digs, and 14 passes; Cuban Nancy Carrillo with 10 points, eight in attacks and two blocks; American Carly Lloyd with nine points, four in attacks, four in blocks, one ace, and 27 assists; and Neira Ortiz with eight points, seven in attacks and one block.

Women’s volleyball action rests on Wednesday, January 31.

For more information visit Fedpurvoli.com

Linnehan Earns First Pro Volleyball Federation Weekly Honor

COLUMBUS, Ohio / FRISCO, Texas – The Atlanta Vibe have started the season with two wins and have now earned the first award in league history as Alli Linnehan has been recognized as the first Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week.

The outside hitter started every set of both five-set matches for the Vibe, posting 2.0 kills per set in the victories over Omaha and Orlando. She led the team with 23 digs in the team’s win over the Valkyries, the most of any Atlanta outside hitter this past week.

Linnehan also tallied two blocks at Omaha and three at Orlando, also the highest mark of any Vibe player over the two-match span. In those two matches overall, she finished with 39 digs, 20 kills and two assists while recording a total of 26 points.

The native of Floyds Nobs, Ind. also scored the first point in the history of Pro Volleyball Federation with a kill on Omaha’s home floor in a match where she went on finish with 13 kills overall.

Pro Volleyball Federation action continues in week two as Atlanta opens it home slate by hosting the San Diego Mojo on Thursday, February 1, followed by San Diego then traveling to Omaha on Saturday, February 3.

For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com 

Nearly 25K turn out for First Week of Action

COLUMBUS, Ohio / FRISCO, Texas – The first three matches are in the books and the fans have turned out in droves during the first week of competition for Pro Volleyball Federation. In three matches, nearly 25,000 fans attended the action for the premier women’s volleyball league in North America.

The week started with a record crowd of 11,624 filling the CHI Health Center for the inaugural league match. The crowd was treated to a thrilling five-set victory as the Atlanta Vibe registered the first road win in Pro Volleyball Federation history with a 3-2 tally over he Supernovas.

Action continued on Thursday with the League’s first sellout crowd as 7,805 fans watched from Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids. The home fans left happy as the Grand Rapids Rise recorded a 3-0 sweep over the Columbus Fury.

The final match of the week saw another five-set nail-bitter with Atlanta posting its second road victory in the young season with a 3-2 win over the Orlando Valkyries. The teams played in front of 5,284 fans at Addition Financial Arena.

Overall, the attendance for the week totaled 24,713 – an average of 8,238 fans through three contests. The numbers include a record for a women’s professional volleyball match in the United States and a sellout crowd.

Play continues in week two as Atlanta opens it home slate with the San Diego Mojo on Thursday, February 1, followed by San Diego then traveling to Omaha on Saturday, February 3.

For more information, visit  ProVolleyball.com

First Pro Volleyball Federation Match Sets Attendance Record

OMAHA, Nebraska, January 2024 – The first match has been played and the first record has been broken as 11,624 fans filled the CHI Center in Omaha for the first match in Pro Volleyball Federation history on Wednesday January 24. The attendance mark from the contest between the Atlanta Vibe and Omaha Supernovas sets a record for a women’s professional volleyball match in the United States.

“What a fantastic turnout by volleyball fans for our first match,” boasted Jen Spicher, CEO of Pro Volleyball Federation. “Every past, current and future volleyball player throughout the country should be proud to see this support for a sport we all love so much.”

The previous high attendance for a women’s professional volleyball match in the United States was 10,213 fans at an Olympic qualifier on January 9, 2016. The contest, held at Pinnacle Arena in Lincoln, Neb. was a 3-0 U.S. Women’s National Team victory over the Dominican Republic. It concluded the NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament and earned the USA a berth in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

“This historic moment is all about the players and our amazing fans who are making this dream a reality,” said Omaha Supernovas co-owner Danny White. “It’s an honor to host the inaugural match and allow Nebraskans to set the bar high.”

Omaha co-owner Chris Erickson added, “It is an honor to provide these athletes an opportunity to showcase their talents at the world-class level, here in Nebraska and throughout the United States. Tonight’s attendance of our League’s inaugural match proves that the time for professional volleyball in America is now.”

The day was one of many highlights for volleyball – led by two of the highest-profile women leaders in the state. The First Lady of Nebraska, Suzanne Pillen, read a proclamation declaring today “Professional Volleyball Day” in Nebraska. In addition, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert presented the Supernovas’ owners a Key to the City.

“Playing in the first match in Pro Volleyball Federation history is a testament to the work both of our organizations have done to build a platform that allows our top-level athletes to shine,” said Colleen Craig, owner of the Atlanta Vibe. “The volleyball community really showed out here for this monumental moment in volleyball history and we feel so grateful to be a part of it.”

ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION Pro Volleyball Federation is REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation begins play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America. For more information, visit  ProVolleyball.com

Amazing National Volleyball Opening in Trinidad & Tobago

Saturday, January 20, 2024.- The Trinidad and Tobago Volleyball Federation opened the Volleyball National Championship with the U15 Girls Championship at the hall of the Aranguez North Secondary School in Aranguez.

This inaugural division proved to be a success as Eight (8) teams served off for the U15 crown. Glamorgan Volleyball entered three (3) teams,  Southern United Volleyball Academy two (2) teams, with Karasu Volleyball Club, JMVP, and West Side Stars each feeling a team of athletes born after January 1st, 2009, with a total of 118 athletes competing.

The Caribbean will host the first U15 Championship this year and as part of the 2026 U17 World Championship qualification process. In Trinidad & Tobago, the Head Coach selection process for developmental teams is very simple. The winning Club has the opportunity to nominate a duly qualified Head Coach for the U15 National Team to represent Trinidad and Tobago.

Results of Day 1

Group A – Glamorgan 1, Southern United 2, Karasu and Glamorgan 3.

GLA 1 vs GLA 3 – 21/3, 21/4

SUV 2 vs KAR – 15/21, 21/12, 14/16

GLA 1 vs SUV 2 – 21/8, 21/9

KAR vs GLA 3 – 21/15, 12/21, 16/14

SUV 2 vs GLA 3 – 21/18, 21/20

GLA 1 vs KAR – 21/4, 21/13

Group B – West Side Stars, Southern United 1, JMVP and Glamorgan 2.

WSS vs GLA 2 – 21/18, 21/2

SUV 1 vs JMV – 19/21, 19/21

WSS vs SUV 1 – 21/11, 21/12

JMV vs GLA 2 – 21/14, 21/19

SUV1 vs GLA 2 – 12/21, 16/21

WSS vs JMV – 21/6, 21/11

The Playoffs will continue Sunday 21st January 2024 at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sporting Arena in Tacarigua from 9:00 am.

#13 KAR vs GLA 2 – Quarter Finals

#14 JMV vs SUV 2 – Quarter Finals

#15 WSS vs Winner of #13 – Semi-Finals

#16 GLA 1 vs Winner of #14 – Semi-Finals

#17 GLA 3 vs SUV 1 – 7th place

#18 Loser of #13 vs Loser of #14 – 5th place

#19 Loser of #15 vs Loser of #16 – 3rd place

#20 Winner of #15 vs Winner of #16 – Finals

Starting Monday 22nd January 2024 will be the National Secondary Schools Championship U14, U16, and Open Boys and Girls.

The remaining categories for this Volleyball Season will be:

U15 Boys

U19 Boys and Girls

Super League A & B Division

Corporate League

Development Festival

Premier League

Continental Referee Courses Opening ceremony

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, January 19, 2024. – With the participation of 18 Indoor Volleyball referees and 10 Beach Volleyball referees, the continental referee courses were inaugurated at the Olympic housing facilities in Puerto Rico and the Beach Volleyball courts in the city of Guayama.

These courses are sponsored by the NORCECA Confederation, led by Cristóbal Marte, and the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation, presided by Dr. César Trabanco, under the coordination of the NORCECA/FIVB Regional Volleyball Development Center directed by Professor Nelson José Ramírez.

Indoor Referees

During his opening speech, Dr. Trabanco expressed, “I am pleased with the confidence that NORCECA has placed in the Puerto Rican Federation to host these important courses, with the participation of referees from 14 member countries of our Confederation and I am committed  to always support the Development Center in organizing more training sessions like these”.

Professor Nelson Ramírez said, “knowledge is the key to development, and therefore, Cristóbal Marte is willing to provide NORCECA’s support. I appreciate the effort of the Puerto Rican Federation for hosting more training courses”.

Beach Volleyball Referees

In their opening remarks, instructors Guy Bradbury and Andre Trottier also stated that as soon as they were notified by Professor Ramírez about these courses, they accepted the invitation to come to Puerto Rico, a country with a great tradition in the world volleyball family, to share their knowledge and experiences in refereeing within NORCECA and the FIVB, expressing their desire for all participants to achieve their goals”.

Guy Bradbury instructor

The course will conclude on January 24 with the presentation of certificates to the participants.

Andre Trottier, instructor

Exciting Duels Set As The VNL 2024 Match Schedule Is Released

The top teams on the planet will battle in the last major event before the Paris Olympics from May 14 to June 30.

The 16 women’s and men’s national teams that will compete in the Volleyball Nations League 2024 are now aware of when and against which opponent their campaigns in the sixth edition of the tournament will start as the event’s match schedule has been unveiled.

The VNL 2024 will go from May 14 to June 30, with 104 matches in each gender taking place across nine different countries in what is going to be the last major international tournament before the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Watch the VNL 2024 live and on demand on VBTV.

The first match of the VNL 2024 will reunite the women’s teams of Bulgaria and the Netherlands, which will meet in Antalya, Türkiye, on May 14, at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT). The next day in the Turkish city will be filled with remarkable matches too, with France playing their first-ever VNL match against Germany, at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT), three hours before reigning champions Türkiye and MVP Melissa Vargas start their title defense against Asian powerhouse Japan.

Tokyo Olympic silver medallists Brazil will also be at home in the opening week of the VNL 2024, with the likes of Gabriela ‘Gabi’ Guimaraes and Thaisa Menezes hosting seven national teams at the iconic Maracanãzinho, in Rio de Janeiro, and will have a pair of tough matches, facing Olympic champions the United States on May 17, at 21:00 local time (00:00 GTM), and reigning world champions Serbia two days later, at 10:00 local time (13:00 GMT).

The second week of action for the women will be held in Macau, China, and Arlington, the United States. The Asian city will be the stage for the highly-anticipated continental duel between Thailand and China, which is scheduled for June 1, at 19:30 local time (11:30 GMT), while fans at the American city will be gifted with the encounter involving USA and Türkiye, on June 2, at 15:00 local time (20:00 GMT).

United States in action at the 2023 VNL

The end of the Preliminary Phase for the women will be in Asia, with Japan and Hong Kong, China, hosting the matches. Still looking to qualify for the Paris Olympics, Italy and new head coach Julio Velasco will be in Japan and will have a critical match against Tijana Boskovic-led Serbia on June 16. In Hong Kong, the most-anticipated duel will feature Türkiye and Brazil, on the same day, at 17:00 local time (9:00 GMT).

Volleyball Nations League 2024 – Match Schedule

France to feature on the men’s opening match

Olympic champions France will be on the court for the opening match of the VNL 2024 for the men, as Earvin Ngapeth and his teammates will face Bulgaria in an all-European duel held in Antalya on May 21, at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT). Three hours later, hosts Türkiye will start their first VNL campaign against Canada. Antalya will also see the debut of defending champions Poland, who will be on the court for the first time on May 22, at 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT), against the United States.

In the first week, the men will also be playing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where captain Bruno Rezende and his compatriots will play Italy in a rematch of last year’s Volleyball Olympic Qualifying Tournament encounter that qualified the South Americans for the Paris Games – the match will be held on May 26, at 10:00 local time (13:00 GMT).

Japan and the Canadian city of Ottawa will welcome the second week of action for the men. Led by captain Yuki Ishikawa, the Asians, who last year won their first-ever VNL medal, taking bronze, will play on the first day of matches, June 4, meeting continental rivals Iran, at 19:20 local time (10:20 GMT). In Canada, one of the most exciting matches should be the one between France and Italy, set to take place on June 5, at 20:00 local time (00:00 June 6, GMT).

Ottowa host of the 2023 VNL

After enormous success in 2023, the Philippines will host a pool again this year and one of the matches scheduled to be held in Manila is the one between Japan and the United States, on June 23, at 19:00 local time (11:00 GMT). The Slovenian capital Ljubljana will also be a host city in 2024 and will be the stage of the match involving the home team and Italy on June 22, at 20:30 local time (18:30 GMT).

The VNL 2024 will also play a major role in determining the last national teams that will qualify for the Paris Olympics. The result of each match of the tournament’s Preliminary Phase will impact the FIVB Volleyball World Rankings, which will determine the teams to occupy the last five spots in this year’s Games.

Get your VNL merchandise now by clicking here

Sync the VNL 2024 with your calendar here

2024 In Focus: U19 Beach And U17 Indoor World Championships Set For 2024

China to host FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships while the inaugural FIVB Volleyball U17 World Championships hosts will be named soon.

Age group World Championships in both volleyball and beach volleyball will be part of the 2024 FIVB competition calendar, providing opportunities for young athletes to compete on the international stage. The 2024 FIVB U19 Beach Volleyball World Championships will take place in China from 27 August to 1 September, while the inaugural editions of the FIVB Volleyball U17 World Championships for both genders will be held in August at venues that will be confirmed at a later stage.

2024 FIVB U19 Beach Volleyball World Championships

The 18th edition of the FIVB U19 Beach Volleyball World Championships will be organised in the ancient city of Shangluo in central China, where a 2,000-seat centre court and four side courts will welcome athletes and spectators from all over the world.

The event will take place from 27 August to 1 September. 32 teams per gender will join the main draw action in Shangluo. They will be split into eight round-robin pools of four for the first stage of the main draw tournament. The pool winners will advance directly to the round of 16, while the pool runners-up and the third-placed teams will enter the playoff bracket from the round of 24.

2024 FIVB U17 Volleyball World Championships

The inaugural editions of the FIVB Volleyball Girls’ and Boys’ U17 World Championships will take place in August 2024, with the hosts for these historic events to be confirmed at a later stage.

A total of 16 youth national teams will compete in each of the two newly-introduced biennial FIVB tournaments over seven competition days.

For the first stage of each U17 World Championship, the teams will be split into four single round-robin pools of four and their places in the final pool standings will determine their starting positions in the single elimination, consisting of round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals at each level of the playoff bracket.

Nelson Ramírez confident in a successful plan for the Regional Development Center

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, January 19, 2024. – Professor Nelson Ramírez, Director of the NORCECA-FIVB Regional Volleyball Development Center in the Dominican Republic, expresses confidence in a successful plan of activities for the Center in 2024.

Under the slogan “Knowledge is the Key to Development”, Nelson Ramírez embarks on a new beginning of training programs offered by the Regional Center, “year after year, the Regional Center provides the necessary support to carry out activities that contribute to the growth, development, and improvement of volleyball in the region; this year is no exception, I am confident that all the program scheduled will be once again a successful one”.

With the sponsorship of NORCECA and FIVB, the 2024 activity plan already includes a variety of courses for coaches, referees, and physical education teachers who will have the opportunity to strengthen their knowledge through new tools that they can implement in their countries.

The training programs provided by the Regional Center are led by FIVB-certified instructors with extensive experience in indoor and beach volleyball.

Professor Ramírez urges National Federations to promote the activities of the Regional Center and make new proposals to strengthen the development of volleyball in their countries.

“Just as we have started in Puerto Rico with two courses for Continental indoor and beach volleyball Referees from January 19-25, and soon we will be in Cuba to offer an International Level I Coaches Course from February 18-25, I encourage more countries to host training sessions, courses or workshops” said Professor Ramírez.

The effort made by participants in these courses, putting in intense work and gaining experience, is recognized by the Regional Center with certificates and diplomas that enrich  their resume.

Professor Ramírez concluded by saying, “our development will lead us to greater achievements”.

Regional Development Center starts Referee courses in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, January 18, 2024. – The NORCECA-FIVB Regional Volleyball Development Center will begin the continental courses for indoor and beach volleyball referees this Friday in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with the participation of representatives from ten countries.

The courses will run from January 19 to 24, with the support of the North, Central American, and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA, along with the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation, at the Olympic Housing and the beach volleyball courts in Guayama.

Meeting room for theorical sessions

Dr. César Trabanco, president of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation, expressed his immediate approval to host these important training workshops upon receiving the proposal to host both courses from the director of the Regional Center Professor Nelson Ramírez and NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte.

Professor Ramírez expressed his satisfaction to be conducting these courses on the “Island of Enchantment”, home to one of the best continental tournaments. He highlighted that the instructors for the courses will be Guy Bradbury, president of the NORCECA Referee Commission, and André Trottier, member and beach volleyball coordinator of the same Commission. Additionally, both are members of the FIVB World Referee Commission.

Inspection Beach Volleyball court

With this activity, the NORCECA Confederation and the Development Center starts to prepare referees who will officiate in the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games to take place in the Dominican Republic.

Jacqueline Cowan appointed to Olympic Programme Commission

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, January 16, 2024.- Jacqueline Cowan, President of Jamaica Volleyball Association, was recently appointed to be a member of the Olympic Programme. Commission.

Jackie, member of the NORCECA Board of Administration, was elected member of the Olympic Porgramme Commission this past August, a commission that has the responsibility for analyzing Summer, Winter and Youth Olympic Games programmes, which forms proposals for consideration by the IOC Executive Board.

This important commission makes sure that the Olympic programme remains relevant to young people by ensuring innovation and adapting to modern tastes and new trends, while respecting the history and tradition of the sports by thoroughly evaluating the sports and events in close cooperation with the respective International Federations.

In addition to developing a programme that maximizes the popularity of the Olympic Games while containing costs and complexity.

Jackie is also the First Vice President of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), post to which she was elected in 2021, becoming the fist female to hold this post in the history of the JOA. She also is Chair of the JOA Women’s Commission, General Secretary of Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) and member of the NORCECA Sports Organizing Commission.

2024 In Focus: Stakes Higher Than Ever At This Year’s VNL With Olympic Qualification On The Line

The race is on for the remaining Olympic spots which will be decided after the Preliminary Phase of the tournament.

The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) will once again get the national team volleyball season underway in 2024. In its sixth edition, the event will start earlier than usual, with the women’s competition beginning on 14 May and the men’s tournament on 21 May.

Additionally, with five Olympic Games Paris 2024 tickets per gender still up for grabs, the VNL Preliminary Phase will serve as the final opportunity for teams to accumulate vital FIVB World Ranking points. It is set to be a hotly contested competition, as teams strive not only to secure their spot in the Olympics but also to pursue success in the VNL and build momentum before the Games.

The VNL will feature 16 women’s and 16 men’s elite national teams competing in the Preliminary Phase for one of seven available spots in the VNL Finals, which will be hosted in Łódź, Poland for the men’s finals. The host of the VNL Women’s Finals will be announced at a later stage.

In each gender, the Preliminary Phase will consist of six eight-team pools spread across three competition weeks at six different venues. Each team will play a total of 12 games, accruing wins and points towards the overall standings, contributing towards advancement to the Finals. Each Final Round will consist of quarterfinals, semifinals and medal matches.

Women’s VNL 2024

Paris 2024 Olympic hosts France earned the right to participate in the women’s VNL 2024 for the first time, after their triumph at the VCC 2023. They will join another four challenger teams – Bulgaria, Canada, the Dominican Republic and 2023 bronze medalists Poland – as well as the 11 core teams – three-time champions and reigning Olympic champions the USA, 2022 winners Italy, 2023 winners Türkiye, 2023 runners-up China, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Serbia and Thailand – in the 2024 edition of the competition.

Women’s 2024 VNL Pool Overview

Champions Türkiye will start the defense of their title in front of the home fans in Antalya. The other pool of the first competition week, from 14 to 19 May, will be hosted by Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Then, Macau in China and Arlington, Texas in the USA will set the stage for the pools of the second competition week from 28 May to 2 June. Finally, Hong Kong in China and a Japanese venue that will be announced at a later stage will welcome the deciding third competition week battles from 11 to 16 June.

The Finals will be played from 20 to 23 June.

Men’s VNL 2024

Türkiye will make their men’s VNL debut after winning the VCC in 2023.

VNL 2021 winners Brazil, 2022 winners and reigning Olympic champions France, 2023 medalists Poland, the USA and Japan, as well as Argentina, Germany, Iran, Italy and Serbia, are the core teams who are set to fight for the spots in the 2024 Finals.

Men’s 2024 VNL Pool Overview

The men’s competition will serve off on 21 May, also in Antalya and Rio de Janeiro. The first competition week will last through 26 May. The VNL will then travel to the Canadian capital Ottawa and a Japanese city to be announced at a later stage for the second competition week from 4 to 9 June. The fans in the capitals of Slovenia and the Philippines – Ljubljana and Manila, respectively – will enjoy the opportunity to witness the third competition week matches live.

The VNL Men’s Finals will begin on 27 June in Łódź, Poland. The medal matches will be played on 30 June. Besides the Polish, will compete in the VNL 2024 Finals the seven best national teams in the Preliminary Phase. The VNL Finals will be held in a single elimination format, starting with the quarterfinals and ending with the medal matches.

2024 In Focus: Excitement Builds For Olympic Games Paris 2024

Seven teams per gender have already secured their spots at Paris 2024, while team rosters are also set to expand to 13 with addition of non-competing athlete.

The women’s and men’s volleyball tournaments at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 are set to be a key highlight of the year ahead. The 16th Olympic volleyball competition will get underway from 27 July to 11 August at the South Paris Arena, situated within Paris Expo, with the world’s best on the hunt for gold.

Having made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 1964, volleyball will grace the Olympic stage for the 16th time and for its first-ever appearance at a Games held in the French capital. The South Paris Arena, nestled in the heart of the city, will provide the stage for a fierce competition between 12 women’s and 12 men’s teams, all with one objective in mind – Olympic glory.

The FIVB has also confirmed that, for the first time in the history of the Olympic volleyball competition, each team participating in the Games will be entitled to include one non-competing (AP) athlete to replace an athlete for medical reasons. As such, team rosters will increase from 12 to 13 athletes.

The decision follows extensive consultation between the FIVB and IOC with a view to increase roster sizes closer to those of the FIVB’s main events to allow teams greater flexibility and team depth. AP athletes are non-competing athletes accredited by the IOC and serve as a last-minute replacement if an athlete is unable to compete due to injury or illness. The replaced athlete shall not be allowed to compete for the remainder of the competition.

While the 13th athlete will be able to attend matches and train with the team, they will not be accommodated in the Olympic Village unless additional support is granted by the respective National Olympic Committee. More information on the AP athlete procedure will be provided in a to-be-released updated version of the Competition Regulations of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 volleyball tournament.

The Drawing of Lots (DoL) process for Paris 2024 has also been confirmed. The twelve qualified teams will be ranked according to their position in the World Ranking on 17 June 2024 for the women’s teams and 24 June 2024 for the men’s teams.

As the host team, France is seeded 1st and will be placed in the top position of Pool A. The two top ranked teams seeded 2nd and 3rd will be placed at the top of Pools B and C respectively. The remaining nine teams will be distributed across three bowls of three teams each based on their position in the World Ranking and drawn for their seed line by line applying the serpentine system.

The competition format for the Olympic volleyball tournament has also been confirmed

The competition format for the Olympic volleyball tournament has also been confirmed

Hosts France, who have automatically qualified for both tournaments, will be looking to ride the wave of home support to victory. The men’s national team, led by Tokyo 2020 Most Valuable Player Earvin Ngapeth (pictured in the main photo), will also have the opportunity to defend its first-ever Olympic volleyball title from the most recent edition of the Games.

Another six teams per gender have already secured their spots at the Games through the FIVB Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifiers held in 2023. On the women’s side, the Dominican Republic, Türkiye, United States, Serbia, Brazil and Poland earned the right to compete at Paris 2023. 

Teams already qualified for the women’s Olympic volleyball competition

Teams already qualified for the women’s Olympic volleyball competition

The men’s national teams of Germany, the USA, Poland, Brazil, Japan and Canada have also booked their tickets to the Games. 

Teams already qualified for the men’s Olympic volleyball competition

Teams already qualified for the men’s Olympic volleyball competition

The final Olympic line-up will be officially completed with another five teams per gender, based on the FIVB Volleyball World Ranking after the end of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2024 Preliminary Phase, with priority given to countries from continents that do not yet have teams qualified for the Games to guarantee the principle of universality.

For the teams that just missed out on an Olympic ticket at last year’s tournament, it is still all to play for with the Women’s VNL Preliminary Phase set to get underway on 14 May while the Men’s on 21 May.

The Paris 2024 Volleyball Qualification System and Competition Regulations can be found in more detail in both English and French here.

NORCECA held its 2023 Executive Committee and Board of Administration Meeting

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, December 21, 2023. – NORCECA held its 2023 Executive Committee and Board of Administration Virtual Meeting, where the working reports for the past two years (2022-2023) were discussed.

NORCECA President, Mr. Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz,  delivered the welcoming remarks, highlighting a fruitful 2023 from all perspectives, “I am very pleased that we were able to complete the competition calendar, allowing NORCECA to rebound from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by establishing a marketing strategy and providing support to all the National Federations”.

The Executive Committee and Board of Administration members had the opportunity to review and discuss NORCECA’s annual activity report, which included two multi-sport competitions, the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador  and the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago. Additionally, the first editions of the Under-17 Continental Championships in both genders and the NORCECA Under-23 Beach Tour.

President Marte Hoffiz presented a proposal for the NORCECA classification system for the FIVB World Championship, which will be further analyzed for its approval.

In 2023, NORCECA established a historic long-term partnership for eight years (2023-2030) with MIKASA to be the official ball for Volleyball and Beach Volleyball competitions within the Confederation. The Under-19 Men’s Pan American Cup held in Guatemala in March was the first official event to use MIKASA.

The reports from all NORCECA working commissions were presented after a detailed discussion of its Financial Statements audited by the external firm Ernst & Young.

NORCECA has been a pioneer in volleyball development programs, a model adopted by the FIVB to create the Volleyball Empowerment program with a larger budget.

Regarding refereeing, NORCECA is the only Confederation simultaneously conducting refereeing courses for Volleyball and Beach Volleyball, aiming to maintain refereeing standards through an education program for the integration of new referees, along with refresher courses for the development of active referees.

Among the responsibilities of the sports organization committee, NORCECA conducted several inspections before the two multi-sport events held this year, leading to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the organizing committee and ensuring the success of both competitions.

According to the discussions during the working session, it was highlighted that time, patience, and a dedicated group of volleyball enthusiasts are required to achieve success, which will help National Federations must find ways to face various challenges to attain it.

NORCECA is in continuous growth, and there is a need to enhance its structure, leading to a subsequent session to analyze various proposals from the FIVB legal commission  for constitutional changes which arose during the meeting.

An important change took place in 2023 with the implementation of the statistical software Volley Station, prompting various training sessions and an induction plan for the members of the VIS and Statistics commission and the Refereeing commission to adapt to the changes made in the e-score sheet.

A review of the 2024 Volleyball and Beach Volleyball competition calendar highlighted the classification system for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The session concluded with the announcement of the XXVII NORCECA Congress, scheduled to be held in Punta Cana from July 6 to 7, 2024. The next NORCECA Board of Administration session is set for July 5.

Mushtaque Mohammed Reelected: CAZOVA Embraces Continuity

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, December 17, 2023.- TTO’s Mushtaque Mohammed was reelected as president of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) at the electoral congress held at The Brix Hotel, in Port of Spain on Sunday 17th December 2023.

The congress in determining the new board to guide CAZOVA until 2027, witnessed a spirited contest between the incumbent President, Mushtaque Mohammed of Trinidad & Tobago, and Ms. Margarette Graham, the Treasurer of CAZOVA from Haiti.

Board of Directors

The congress was attended by 12 of 14 National Federation members and was held under the supervision of North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz.

The associations present included Aruba, Bonaire, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname, Barbados, Bahamas, US Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The members of the new executive committee include the reelected trio of Cayman Islands’ Kennedy McGowan (First Vice-President); Bonaire’s Gisette Emer (Second vice-president), Jamaica’s Jacqueline Cowan (Secretary General) and Board Member Filomena Daniel-Curiel of Aruba along with newly appointed Bahamian Kurtwood Green (Treasurer), and Board Member, Mark Lewis of Barbados.

In addition, Martinique’s Phillipe Lirus was appointed by the CAZOVA Board  as an Honorary Board Member and TTO’s Volleyball Federation President, Daymian Stewart also retained his post as CAZOVA’s Executive Director.

With an active calendar year scheduled for 2024, the membership was encouraged to participate in the various events and to consider hosting both CAZOVA Beach and Indoor competitions. There will also be an emphasis in assisting the National Federations in improving their administration and governance structures. In closing, the CAZOVA members unanimously agreed to support President Marte Hoffiz in his bid for reelection as NORCECA President, with an election to take place in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in July 2024.

President Marte, in his remarks congratulated the new Board and pledged his support in continuing to work with CAZOVA, to further develop volleyball in the zone.

Successful Conclusion to the 2023 ECVA Congress in St. Kitts

St. KITTS, December 10, 2023.- The 2023 Congress of the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) reached a successful conclusion on Sunday at the St Vincent Meeting Room at the St Kitts Marriott. Delegates convened for insightful discussions, key decisions, and the election of officers, marking a momentous occasion for volleyball in the Eastern Caribbean.

One of the significant outcomes of the Congress was the unanimous approval of the addition of U19 men and women indoor editions scheduled for December 2024 in St. Maarten. This expansion signals a commitment to nurturing young talent in the region. The ECVA affirmed its support for the participating national federations, emphasizing collaboration and shared growth.

In the final session, the election of officers took place, reflecting a harmonious continuation of leadership. President Glenn Quinlan (St. Kitts & Nevis), Vice President Sabinah Clement (British Virgin Islands), Secretary General Shayne Felicien (St. Lucia), and Treasurer Wilbur Harrigan (Antigua & Barbuda) were returned unopposed. Additionally, member Elvin Henriquez (St. Eustatius) secured victory over challenger Leonardo Romeo (Sint Maarten) by an 8 – 5 vote, demonstrating the democratic process within the ECVA.

NORCECA President Cristobal Marte Hoffiz administered the oath of office to the newly elected executive, emphasizing their commitment to working in the best interest of the zone without fear or favor. This moment symbolizes a new chapter in the leadership of ECVA, dedicated to advancing volleyball in the Eastern Caribbean.

To celebrate the successful conclusion of the Congress, delegates will partake in a fun event this evening. They will boat over to St. Kitts’ sister island, Nevis, for a delightful dinner, fostering camaraderie and unity among the volleyball community.

St. Kitts Welcomes the 2023 ECVA Congress

ST. KITTS & NEVIS, December 9, 2023. – The picturesque island of St. Kitts hosted the highly anticipated 2023 Congress of the East Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA). Organized by the Amateur Volleyball Association of San Cristobal, this Congress serves as a vital meeting for the East Caribbean volleyball community.

Under the coordination of President Glenn Quinlan, who also holds the positions of ECVA President and NORCECA Vice President, the event showcased a harmonious blend of collaboration and shared dedication to the sport. Distinguished guests, including NORCECA Confederation President Cristobal Marte Hoffiz, provided valuable insights into the regional volleyball scenery.

The elective Congress will feature crucial elections for key ECVA positions, with Glenn Quinlan as the current president, Vice President Sabinah Clement (BVI), Secretary General Shayne Felicien (LCA), Treasurer Wilbur Harrigan OBE, and member Elvin Henríquez (EUX). Their roles are fundamental in guiding the course of volleyball in the East Caribbean region.

Marking a significant return to in-person meetings since 2019, delegates engaged in discussions on the 2024 competition schedule, conducted comprehensive reviews of the activities carried out in 2022 and 2023, and expressed gratitude for the valuable contributions of member federations. The exchange of ideas underscored the collective commitment of East Caribbean nations to the growth and development of volleyball.

Representatives from Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Eustatius, Saba, Anguilla, Saint Martin, the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, and the hosts, San Kitts and Nevis, gathered to foster unity and camaraderie.

The 2023 ECVA Congress celebrated past achievements while laying the groundwork for an exciting future for volleyball enthusiasts throughout the East Caribbean.

PHOTO GALLERY ECVA 2023 CONGRESS

VNL 2024 to take the Elite of the Sport to Four Continents

The Volleyball Nations League 2024 will take the elite of international volleyball to nine countries and four continents during six weeks from May to June, when the Preliminary Phase of the sixth edition of the tournament will take place.

The top 16 female and male national teams in the planet will compete in Asia, Europe, North America and South America before the best eight in each gender battle for titles in the VNL Finals. The women will play from June 20-23 and the men from June 27-30, just a few weeks before the start of the Paris 2024 Olympics, in cities yet to be determined.

Watch the VNL 2024 live and on demand on VBTV.

Besides the host cities (venues will be announced soon), the composition of the six men’s and women’s pools for the Preliminary Phase was also announced, setting up some exciting duels between the top national teams in every corner of the globe.

WOMEN’S VNL 2024 POOL OVERVIEW

The women will be the first to get on the court, competing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Antalya, Türkiye, from May 14-19. One week later, the men will start their campaigns at the same locations.

From Europe and South America, the VNL 2024 will head to Asia and North America. The women will play in Macau and Arlington, Texas, USA (the host city of last year’s VNL Finals), from May 28-June 2, with the men battling in Japan (with the host city to be confirmed), and Ottawa, Canada, from June 4-9.

The Preliminary Phase will come to an end for the women from June 11-16, with pools hosted in Hong Kong and Japan. In the following week, the men will complete their schedules in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and Manila, the Philippines.

The top seven teams in each gender will advance to the VNL Finals, as well as the host countries.

MEN’S VNL 2024 POOL OVERVIEW

The 16 women’s national teams competing in the VNL 2024 will be Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Thailand, defending champions Türkiye and the United States.

The men’s title will be contested by Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cuba, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, defending champions Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Türkiye and the United States.

Olympic Spots in Play

The VNL 2024 will also play a major role in determining the last national teams that will qualify for the Paris Olympics. The result of each match of the tournament’s Preliminary Phase will impact the FIVB Volleyball World Rankings, which will determine the teams to occupy the last five spots in next year’s Games.

As of now, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, Poland and the United States are guaranteed on the men’s side while Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Poland, Serbia, Türkiye and the United States have qualified among the women – host country France will also be represented on both genders.

FIVB Executive Committee Looks Ahead To Volleyball’s Bright Future

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, November 30, 2023.- The FIVB Executive Committee this week hosted a hybrid meeting to discuss the latest innovations and achievements in sport while looking ahead to the bright future of volleyball with many new and important initiatives explored.

With the Continental Confederation Presidents joining from the FIVB Headquarters, the FIVB Executive Committee heard updates on volleyball and beach volleyball events and were also presented with the latest information from Volleyball World by its CEO, Finn Taylor.

2023 has been a very successful year for volleyball and beach volleyball, with the sports captivating audiences globally through a series of world-class competitions. These competitions included the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), Beach Pro Tour, Beach Volleyball World Championships, Olympic Qualification Tournaments and various age-group events.

In his opening remarks, FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F° also shared the latest achievements through the revolutionary Volleyball Empowerment and Development programmes, stating:

“Over the past decade, we have not only transformed the reality of our sport by introducing a range of innovations on and off the field of play, but we have also provided opportunities to all 222 National Federations through our revolutionary programmes of Volleyball Empowerment and Development!

“Since 2017, the FIVB has approved a total of 840 projects from 194 National Federations across all five Continental Confederations. This support totals an investment of more than CHF 23 million. These projects are delivering great results, which we consistently share with you through the FIVB website and newsletters. All the data is transparently available through the FIVB Project Dashboard Data Visualisation tool.”

The FIVB Executive Committee also discussed the next steps on launching the FIVB Foundation and announcing the detailed Volleyball Calendar 2025-2028.

Volleyball Calendar 2025-2028 Approved By The FIVB Board Of Administration

All You Need To Know About The 2025-2028 Volleyball Calendar!

FIVB Foundation To Be Launched In 2023!

Additionally, the FIVB Executive Committee approved the re-location of Luxembourg from the Small Countries Zonal Association (SCA) to the Middle European Volleyball Zonal Association (MEVZA) following the approval of the CEV Board of Administration.

Soon Continental Volleyball and Beach Volleyball Refereeing Course

PONCE, Puerto Rico, November 29, 2023 – The NORCECA/FIVB Regional Volleyball Development Center announces the Continental Volleyball and Beach Volleyball Refereeing Course to be held in Ponce, Puerto Rico from January 19 to 24, 2024.

As part of the training activities conducted by the NORCECA/FIVB Regional Volleyball Development Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the Continental Volleyball and Beach Volleyball Refereeing Course will be carried in person in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico.

The course will be conducted in both English and Spanish. Those interested should contact the Development Center directly for more details:

Email: centrofivb_rdom@yahoo.es

WhatsApp: +1-809-563-5642

Dibanhi Barrera is the MVP of NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 26, 2023.- Mexican libero Dibanhi Barrera received the highest honors after being named the Most Valuable Player MVP of the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ Under-17 Continental Championship at Gymnasium Jorge Galeano in Tegucigalpa Honduras.

Dibanhi Barrera was awarded also as the Best Libero, Best Defense and Best Receiver of the event, after Mexico triumphed as the First-Ever NORCECA U17 Champion.

Along with Dibanhi, Mexico’s team captain Aitana Rettke was recognized as the Best Second Spiker, Yliana Zuñiga the Best Opposite and Gabriela Garza the Best Server.

Puerto Rican Sara Lozano received the distinction as Best Spiker.

The Best Blocker and Best Second Blocker went to Dominican Caroline Rodriguez and Keyling Olivas of Nicaragua respectively.

The Best Setter was awarded to Megan Hunter of Canada and the Best Scorer of the event was Salet Castillo of Cuba.

Best Players

Mexico First-Ever NORCECA U17 Champion with a five-set comeback against Puerto Rico

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 26, 2023. – Mexico is the First-ever NORCECA Girls’ U17  Sub-Champion in a comeback five-set victory 3-2 (23-25, 23-25, 27-25, 25-21, 15-5) against Puerto Rico at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Mexico finishes the event with a 5-1 record, and Puerto Rico with 4-1, both qualifying for the 2024 FIVB World Championship. The third World Championship ticket went to Canada, who won the bronze medal match against the Dominican Republic.

Mexico outperformed Puerto Rico with a 67-57 advantage in attacks, 15-9 in blocks, and 8-2 in aces. Mexico scored 23 points on Puerto Rico’s unforced errors but gave away 33.

Mexican opposite hitter Yliana Zúñiga, led all scorers with 28 points, on 24 kills and 4 blocks. Team captain Aitana Tanguma contributed 24 points, on 13 kills, a match-high of 7 blocks and 4 aces. While outside hitter Kenia Martínez added 16 kill points.

Puerto Rico’s captain, Kalia Alvarado, led her team with 26 points on 25 kills and one ace. Outside hitter Sara Lozano contributed 24 points on 21 kills and 3 blocks, and Diangelie González tallied 13 points.

Mexico, Puerto Rico y Canadá

Mexico made a formidable recovery from a two-set deficit after both teams traded the lead during the first four sets. Puerto Rico bounced back from a six-point deficit (8-14) in the second set with blocks from Natashja Soto and Victoria Camacho, accompanied by Kalia Alvarado’s kills. Mexico took the lead with Yliana Zúñiga and Brenda Esquivel offense, but after a series of errors, Puerto Rico closed the set. Mexico forced a fourth set and then the tie-break with an ace and a kill  from team captain Aitana Tanguma, respectively. Mexico dominated the fifth set, jumping to an 8-0 lead with their powerful attacks and precise blocks.

Mexico’s captain, Aitana Rettke Tanguma, said, “We never thought we were going to lose. We had a clear goal of winning the gold medal, and we weren’t going to give up. I changed my position to middle, to fight with all my heart to take home the gold medal. I asked the coach to use me as a middle blocker to contribute to my team because I’ve only been playing as outside hitter for five months”.

Mexico’s coach, Ignacio Sánchez, expressed, “We played well throughout the entire match. We couldn’t close in the first sets because we were making a lot of mistakes with our middles, so we decided to take a risk and switch Aitana’s position, and we had revolutionary results for the team. We came in with a mindset to win the gold medal. The match was highly contested. This is a great group of girls who worked well together with the coaching staff”.

Canada Takes NORCECA U17 Bronze and Last Ticket to FIVB Worlds defeating Dominican Republic

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 26, 2023. – Canada won the bronze medal and the last ticket to the 2024 FIVB World Championship over the Dominican Republic 3-1 (28-30, 28-26, 25-23, 28-26) in the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Canada finishes the tournament 4-1 and qualifies for the 2024 FIVB World Championship as one of the three finalists. Dominican Republic finishes 3-3.

This was Canada’s second time defeating Dominican Republic in the event, also in three sets in pool-play.

Canada outscored the Dominican Republic with a 53 to 46 advantage in attacking points and 10 to 7 in points from serves. The Dominicans led in blocks 13-11 and made fewer unforced errors, 35 to 39.

Natalie Wahlgren CAN

Middle blocker Ella Hope led Canada as the top scorer of the match with 26 points on 17 kills, 4 blocks, and 5 aces. Dara Obeid, also middle blocker, contributed 17 points on 13 kills and 4 blocks. Outside hitter Alexia Corneo collected 11 points on 9 kills and two aces.

For the Dominican Republic, the leading scorer was outside hitter Virelys Rivera with 16 points on  13 kills, 2 blocks, and oneace. Opposite hitter Isabella Cerda and team captain Estel Santos added 16 and 14 points, respectively.

The match was a party of points with teams trading the lead. All three sets had a dramatic finish. Canada bounced back from the loss in the first set, using short touches that unsettled the Dominican Republic and then using targeted serving. Canada recovered from a three-point deficit (21-24) when the Dominican Republic was one point away from forcing a tie-break, with Dasia Smith serving and kills.

After the victory, Canada’s coach Amy Wilson said, “We knew the Dominican Republic was going to come out real tough and we knew that we have to stay patient through the roller coaster. We had played the Dominican Republic before, so we stuck to our game plan with a few little tweaks and it worked for us”.

Costa Rica beats Cuba with five-set comeback  for Fifth place at NORCECA U17

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 26, 2023. – Costa Rica defeated Cuba coming from a two-set deficit 3-2 (15-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-20, 15-11) for the fifth place in the first NORCECA Girls’ Under-17 Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

This time, it was Costa Rica who recovered from a two-set deficit; in the preliminary round, the same happened, but the Caribbeans took the win. Both teams conclude the tournament with two wins and four losses.

Costa Rica led in service points (8-7) and scored 43 points from Cuba’s errors against 31. Cuba dominated in attacks (51-46) and blocks (11-4).

Nicole Leiva CRC

Costa Rica’s outside hitter Michelle Arias led with 15 points (14 kills, one ace). She was joined by Dayna Barrantes with 13 points (9 killss, 3 blocks, one ace) and Lilliam Vargas with 10 points (8 attacks, 2 aces).

Cuban outside hitter Salet Castillo Valdes was the top scorer of the match with 19 points (16 kills, one block, one ace). Middle blocker Lizt López contributed 17 points (13 kills, 4 blocks), and team captain Yesica Brito added 14 points (12 kills, 2 blocks).

Thanks to Cuba’s errors, combined with the effective attacks of Michelle Arias and Dayna Barrantes, Costa Rica comfortably won the third set and took control of the game from there onwards. In the fourth set, the score was tied numerous times, but Costa Rica forced the tie-break with an ace from Lilliam Vargas. Costa Rica started the fifth set with a powerful serve from team captain Nadia Granados, taking a 5-0 lead, and then scoring all over the place to reach a 9-1 advantage. Costa Rica grew stronger while Cuba appeared erratic. Costa Rica sealed the victory after losing a match point from Cuba’s captain, Yesica Brito.

Nadia Granados, captain of Costa Rica said, “Our attitude was really good, we recovered our confidence coming from losing two sets. It was a nice rematch”.

Docquier Umaña, Head coach of Costa Rica said “We had a worthy tournament, the girls battled hard, and they deserve all the merit. We are going back to Costa Rica with motivation to keep working”.

Nicaragua sweeps Honduras for Seventh place

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 26, 2023. – Nicaragua defeated Honduras in straight sets 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-20), finishing in seventh place in the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ Under-17  Championship in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Nicaragua concluded the event with two wins and four losses. This was the second occasion that Nicaragua defeated Honduras in the tournament. Honduras closed with a 0-5 record.

Nicaragua secured victory over Honduras with advantages of 38-15 in attacks, 5-3 in blocks, and 8-5 in aces. Both teams committed 24 unforced errors.

Brisa Bermudez NCA

Setter Brisa Bermudez and middle blocker Karen Bird from Nicaragua each scored 9 points. Middle blocker Keyling Olivas contributed 8 points.

For Honduras, opposite hitter Nicole Velasquez and outside hitter Ruth Villegas scored 6 points each.

 Claudia Noguera, Head coach of Nicaragua, commented, “Both teams gave their all. My girls knew how to obey and maintain concentration throughout the game. It was a good experience to face teams of a higher level; it was a great learning opportunity, and now they know they have to continue their preparation”.

Honduras’ coach, Marcos Sugiyama, expressed, “Our idea was to see how our process was going, at what level we were. We must work on many things. Today, I think we didn’t enjoy the game, and there was a lack of concentration, perhaps due to the results. It’s good that we can continue the process because we are just starting, and I’m glad the players could see the level of competition”.

Puerto Rico to face Mexico for NORCECA U17 Gold and Qualifies to World Championship

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 25, 2023. – Puerto Rico defeated Dominican Republic 3-1 (25-22, 25-19, 18-25, 29-27) in semifinals to face Mexico for the gold medal at  the NORCECA Girls’ Under-17  Championship in Tegucigalpa and qualified to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Puerto Rico, along with Mexico, earned two of the three slots for the World Championship. In the pool-play, Puerto Rico defeated Mexico in straight sets.

Dominican Republic will face Canada on Sunday for the bronze medal and for the last spot in the World Championship. Canada defeated the Dominican Republic in four sets in the first phase of the event.

Despite Dominican Republic finishing with advantages in attacks (51-49), blocks (11-9), and direct aces (9-4), Puerto Rico won the semifinal capitalizing on 35 errors compared to 22 of their own.

Sara Lozano PUR

Puerto Rico’s outside hitter Sara Lozano was the top scorer of the match with 21 kill points. Team captain Kalia Alvarado contributed 15 points on  14 attacks and one block. Outside hitter Diangelie González added 14 points on 9 attacks, 2 blocks, and 3 aces.

Dominican opposite hitter Isabella Cerda led her team with 16 points, including 10 kills and a match-high of 5 aces. Estel Santos and Caroline Rodriguez contributed 14 and 12 points respectively.

Despite the Dominican Republic dominating with blocks from Mondesi and Rodriguez, Puerto Rico recovered from a three-point deficit (13-16) to take the first set with a kill point from Lozano.

Puerto Rico led with a four-point advantage (14-10) in the second set, which they maintained with the offensive efforts of Sara Lozano and Diangelie González and benefiting  from consecutive errors by the Dominican Republic.

In the third set, led by Isabella Cerda and taking advantage of Puerto Rico’s errors, Dominicans held   a seven-point lead (16-9). Cerda closed the set 25-18 with an ace.

In the fourth set, with three consecutive service points from Isabella Cerda and two kills from Cristal Mercedes, the Dominican Republic reached set point (24-19), but Puerto Rico snatched the victory in a dramatic finish at 29-27.

Juan Carlos Nuñez, the coach of Puerto Rico, said, “These games between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are filled with a lot of emotion due to the history we bring. I am proud of these girls for accepting the challenge; they have followed the game plan for the 5 and a half weeks we’ve been together. Puerto Rico managed to pressure the service in those final points to come from behind, to close with the victory, they (Dominican Republic) are a strong group but lack ball control”.

Wilson Sánchez, coach of the Dominican Republic said, “It was a match filled with many emotions because of the rivalry between our countries. Unfortunately, we couldn’t use our starting setter because she wasn’t feeling well, and the team was mentally blocked. We fought; we had an advantage in the first set that we lost, as well as in the fourth with 24-20. The players couldn’t handle the nerves to close it. Tomorrow, we’ll fight for the last ticket to the World Championship”.

Mexico Qualifies for Worlds and NORCECA U17 Gold Medal Match

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 25, 2023. – Mexico qualified to the 2024 FIVB World Championship and the gold medal match of the NORCECA Girls’ Under-17 Continental Championship defeating Canada 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 25-16) on Saturday in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Mexico earned one of the three tickets to the 2024 World Championship and will compete for gold against Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic. Canada will vie for the bronze medal against the loser and the last ticket to the World Championship.

Mexico prevailed with a 50-41 advantage in kills and 7-4 aces. Canada outperformed Mexico in blocks 9-5. Mexico conceded 30 points on unforced errors, while Canada had 35.

Mexican opposite hitter, Yliana Zuñiga, led all scorers with 21 points on 19 kills, one block, and one ace. Team captain Aitana Tanguma and middle blocker Kiara Ramirez contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Natalie Wahlgren CAN

For Canada, outside hitters Natalie Wahlgren and Alexia Corneo scored 12 and 11 points, respectively. Middle blocker Dara Obeid added 10 points.

Mexico recovered from a four-point deficit (0-4) at the start of the first set, later they went on trading points with Canada and closed with a comfortable five-point lead.

Mexico won the second set dramatically with an attack from Brenda Esquivel after losing four set points due to a service error, two powerful attacks, and a block from Canada.

Canada took a four-point lead in the third set (11-7) and won with a kill from Natalie Wahlgren, despite losing two set points due to a service error and an ace from Mexico.

Mexico started the fourth set with a six-point lead (13-7), and with the offense led by Zúñiga, along with Esquivel and Tanguma, maintained the advantage until the end, winning the match with a service error from Canada.

Ignacio Sánchez, Head coach of Mexico expressed “We reached the goal to qualify to Worlds, we still have the gold medal in mind. I think losing to Puerto Rico in pool-play taught us a lot. Today Mexico did a good job in defense, we were more decisive in other matches, but today we played with intelligence, knowing that Canada is very disciplined and they don’t give away points easily”.  

Megan Hunter, captain of Canada said “Even though we didn’t end up winning, we’re going to keep up pulling the pedal because we still got a chance to qualify for the World Championship. Tomorrow we’re going to play as hard as we can. I think our confidence wasn’t there today and we can always improve communication”.

Cuba will face Costa Rica for fifth place at NORCECA U17

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 25, 2023.- Cuba will face Costa Rica for fifth place in the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship after defeating Honduras in straight sets 25-16, 25-8 and 25-7 on Saturday in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

In pool-play, Cuba beat Costa Rica in dramatic five-sets after recovering from a two-set deficit, setting the stage for a rematch for the “Ticas”. Honduras will play against Nicaragua for seventh place, having already lost to Nicaragua in three sets in the preliminary round.

Cuba dominated Honduras with an overwhelming advantage in attacks (37-10) and aces (20-2), also leading in blocks (4-1). Honduras committed fewer unforced errors (14-18).

Salet Castillo CUB

The top scorer of the game was Cuban Salet Castillo Valdes with 19 points on 10 kills, 3 blocks and impressive 6 aces. Middle blocker Lizt López also contributed to the win with 13 points, and team captain Yesica Brito with 11 points.

Honduras surprised Cuba at the start of the first set, reaching 13 points even, Cuba quickly recovered and dominated the match entirely.

 “We gained momentum after being down in the first set, and in the end, we won as planned. We were dominant. We already faced Costa Rica, and what happened once won’t happen twice; we are going for the victory” said setter Naomis Rosabal.

Costa Rica beats Nicaragua to play for fifth place

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 25, 2023.- Costa Rica beat Nicaragua 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-22) at the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ Under-17 Championship on Saturday at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

On Sunday, Costa Rica Nicaragua will play for fifth place against the winner between Honduras and Cuba; Costa Rica Nicaragua goes against the loser for seventh place.

Costa Rica’s tough serves were key in prevailing against Nicaragua, with an 11-3 advantage; they also led in kills 42-33 and scored on 19 opponent errors. Nicaragua held a 5-3 margin in blocks and benefited from 23 Costa Rican errors.

Nathalia Zavaleta CRC

Opposite hitter Lilliam Vargas topped Costa Rica with 14 points on 12 kills and 2 aces. Outside hitter Michelle Arias contributed with 11 kill points and Nicole Leiva chipped in with 9 points.

Middle blocker Keyling Olivas led Nicaragua with 9 points on 6 kills and 3 blocks. Middle blocker Karen Bird and setter Franchesca Viera added 8 points each.

Costa Rica came from behind in the first set (10-14) and the second (6-11). Costa Rica started the third with an overwhelming ten-point advantage (13-3), but Nicaragua never gave up, scoring six points in a row while down 8-17, to level the scores at 20. Costa Rica finally won 25-22.

Costa Rica’s captain, Nadia Granados, said, “We were behind in the first two sets because of our attitude. When we started to lift our spirits, things improved, and so did the score. In the last set, we were concerned about the big lead we had, and they were able to catch up, but fortunately, we recovered to secure the victory. Tomorrow, we need to be more consistent in our game and not settle down”.

“We showed that we can fight. Unfortunately, we didn’t rise until the end of the game, and we should have done it from the first two sets. We got discouraged very quickly, and we couldn’t achieve the victory we desired so much” said the captain of Nicaragua, Lucía Columna.

Mexico makes it to NORCECA U17 Semifinals beating Cuba

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 24, 2023.- Mexico made to the semifinals of the NORCECA Girls’ Under-17 Championship after beating Cuba 3-0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-19) on Friday at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Mexico will face Canada in Friday’s first semifinal for a chance to reach the gold medal match and qualify for the 2024 FIVB World Championship. In the other semifinal, Dominican Republic plays Puerto Rico.

Also on Friday, Cuba will play in the classification match for positions 5 to 8 against Honduras; and Nicaragua goes up against Costa Rica.

Mexico outperformed Cuba in every skill of the game, attack (45-22), block (6-3), and service (11-3). Cuba committed fewer unforced errors (13-18).

Aitana Rettke MEX

The top scorer of the match was Mexico’s captain, Aitana Tanguma, with 19 points on 15 kills, two blocks, and two aces. Also contributing to Mexico’s victory were middle blocker Brenda Esquivel and outside hitter Kenia Martínez, with 11 points each.

Salet Castillo once again led Cuba with 11 points.

Mexico faced little resistance from Cuba, securing the first set with a comfortable lead. In the second set, Cuba jumped to a six-point lead (7-1), but Mexico managed to recover with their service and capitalize on Cuba’s errors to tie the score at 14 points. Tanguma and Martínez’s attacks then helped Mexico stay ahead. In the third set, setter Gabriela Garza’s serves were crucial in closing the win.

Setter, Gabriela Garza, about coming behind in the second set said, “Attitude was everything; the desire to win motivated us to fight harder”. About the victory, she added, “Mexico did everything right, defense, serves, blocks, spikes, reception. Tomorrow, we hope for a good match against Canada”.

Yesica Brito, captain of Cuba, said, “It’s a very tough defeat. The team lacked focus due to the pressure of what the match meant. Mexico is a very strong team; I congratulate them”.

Dominican Republic advances to NORCECA U17 Semifinals

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 24, 2023. Republic advanced into the semifinals of the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-14) victory over Nicaragua in Friday’s quarterfinals at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Dominican Republic with 3 wins and one loss will face Puerto Rico in Saturday’s semifinals, aiming to reach the title match and win one of the three berths to qualify to the 2024 FIVB World Championship. Nicaragua (1-3) will play for positions 5 to 8.

Dominican Republic led 38-22 in kills and 9-3 in blocks, while Nicaragua led  4-1 in serves. Both teams committed a similar number of errors, Dominican Republic with 23 and Nicaragua with 27.

Opposite hitter Rayni Mondesi scored 14 points on 10 attacks, 3 blocks, and one ace for the Dominican Republic. Team captain, Estel Santos, added 10 points on 9 attacks and one block.

Rayni Mondesi DOM

Franchesca Viera led Nicaragua with 7 points.

After trading points in the beginning of the first set, Dominicans benefited from Nicaragua’s errors to jump to a comfortable six-point lead (14-8) and then taking control with assertive kills. In the second set teams were tied up to point 18, finally Dominican Republic took a two-point advantage with blocking defense to remain on top. With opposite Rayni Mondesi offense, Dominicans led the third set from the start to finish.

Rayni Mondesi from the Dominican Republic said, “Nicaragua gave us a good battle at the beginning, with good reception and communication. We advanced thanks to our powerful attack and improved our communication on the court, encouraging each other the entire time”.

“We maintained pressure at the beginning of the game because we had a lot of energy and fought for a victory, unfortunately, it didn’t happen. The Dominican Republic was more tactical in the third set, attacking against our block and scoring through the spaces we left uncovered over the net” said Francesca Viera from Nicaragua.

Canada defeats Dominican Republic and wins a direct ticket to Semifinals

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 23, 2023.- Canada defeated Dominican Republic 3-1 (25-16, 25-19, 19-25, 25-21) and secured a direct ticket to the semifinals of the NORCECA Girls’ U17  Continental Championship in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Canada claimed the top spot in Pool A undefeated (3-0) to advance to Saturday’s semifinals. The Dominican Republic, finishing in second place (2-1), will play in the quarterfinals on Friday.

The top three finishers in the event will qualify for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Canada led in attacking points 44-39, while the Dominicans controlled blocking points 9-8 and service points 15-14. Canada scored on 28 errors from the Dominican Republic and conceded 18.

Natalie Wahlgren CAN

Outside hitter Natalie Wahlgren led Canada with 15 points, accompanied by middle blockers Ella Hope and Dara Obeid, each contributing 13 points.

Estel Santos was the top scorer for the Dominican Republic with 17 points, and Ana Encarnación added 12, including 9 aces.

“As a team we really stepped up, especially when we were in a little bit of trouble in serve-receive and we were able to keep it together. There was a little bit of confidence in the third set. Now we have a rest day to get ready for the semifinals” said Natalie Wahlgren, Canada’s top scorer.

Dominican Estel Santos said, “We improved the serve and reception in the third set, and there was greater unity. Tomorrow, we need to practice blocking and assistance to face the next game; I think that’s what we lack. Personally, I feel that I attacked well”.

Puerto Rico moves into Semifinals undefeated

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 23, 2023. – Puerto Rico advanced undefeated to semifinals after beating Honduras 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-15) in the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ U17  Championship on Thursday at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Puerto Rico won Pool A and earned a direct ticket to Saturday’s semifinals. Mexico (2-1) and Nicaragua (1-2) will compete in the quarterfinals on Friday against the Dominican Republic and Cuba, respectively.

Honduras, fourth place in Pool A, will play for positions 5 to 8.

The top three places in the event qualify for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Puerto Rico finished with a 40-13 advantage in attacks and 11-3 in service points. Honduras controlled the blocking category 4-2. Puerto Rico capitalized on 22 points from Honduras’ errors and committed 18.

Kalia Alvarado PUR

Outside hitters Sara Lozano and Kalia Alvarado led Puerto Rico’s offense with 11 points each. Setter Natashja Soto scored a match-high of 5 aces.

Middle blocker Lila Madrid was Honduras’ top attacker with 7 points.

Carla Mercado, libero of Puerto Rico said, “We kept our composure, controlled the ball well, and were able to manage the game. We worked more through the middle, and the reserve players did a great job, preparing us for what’s coming in the tournament. We took the opportunity to practice things to be ready for the semifinal”.

Lila Madrid, the best attacker of Honduras, expressed, “It was a very tough game; Puerto Rico is a well-prepared team. My team gave everything and did their best on the court. I feel our defense was very good; we blocked, attacked, and celebrated every point with all our hearts”.

Mexico improves 2-1 defeating Nicaragua and waits for final position in Pool A

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 23, 2023 .- Mexico defeated Nicaragua 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-13), improving their record to 2-1 and awaiting their final position in Pool A of the first NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Mexico (2-1) and Nicaragua (1-2) will have to wait for the result between Puerto Rico (2-0) and Honduras (0-2) to determine their final position. The first place of the pool advances directly to the semifinals, while the second and third will play in Friday’s quarterfinals.

The NORCECA U17 Championship grants three slots to the FIVB World Championship to be held in 2024.

Mexico comfortably outperformed Nicaragua with a 42 to 19 advantage in attacks and a 12 to 1 lead in service points. Nicaragua led in blocks 6 to 4. Both teams committed 17 unforced errors.

Aitana Rettke MEX block

Mexico’s top scorers were opposite Yliana Zuñiga with 17 points on 11 kills  and a match-high of 6 aces, outside hitter Aitana Tanguma with 11 points on 8 kills, 2 blocks, and one ace, and middle blocker Brenda Esquivel with 9 points.

Keyling Olivas once again led Nicaragua with 7 points.

Mexico’s middle blocker Brenda Esquivel said, “Our attack was decisive, I am very satisfied with how well we did. The team needs to improve communication because we lose many balls due to our lack of communication”.

Denixa Zeledon, Nicaragua’s libero, said, “We needed to receive better; that made it difficult to score points from attacks. We will wait for the result of the next game, but I believe we will advance to the quarterfinals. We will fight every game”.

Cuba advances to quarterfinals with comeback win in five sets over Costa Rica

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 23, 2023. – Cuba advanced to the quarterfinals with a comeback win in five sets 3-2 (14-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-20, 18-16) over Costa Rica on Thursday at the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Cuba secured a dramatic victory, recovering from a two-set deficit to finish third place in Pool B with a 1-2 record. Costa Rica, with a 0-3 record, will compete for positions five to eight.

The NORCECA U17 Continental Championship grants three spots to the FIVB U17 World Championship in 2024.

Salet Castillo CUB

Outside hitter Salet Castillo scored an impressive 38 points (34 kills, 2 blocks, one ace) leading  Cuba’s victory. Middle blocker Lizt Lopez contributed 14 points on 9 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 aces. Team captain Yesica Brito added 12 points on 8 kills, one block, and three aces.

Costa Rica’s top scorer was Nicole Leiva with 17 points on 12 kills, one block, and four aces. Opposite hitter Lilliam Vargas scored 14 points on 11 kills and 3 aces, while outside hitter Dayna Barrantes contributed 13 points on 9 kills, three blocks, and one ace.

Cuba outperformed Costa Rica in attacks 56-50. Costa Rica had the advantage in serves 14-10 and gave away fewer points from errors (29-37). Both teams scored 7 points from blocks.

Salet Castillo from Cuba said, “We supported each other, encouraged ourselves because we knew we could do more. Even though we were losing two sets, we saw that we had the possibility of beating Costa Rica. We attacked harder to advance and compete for a medal”.

Dayna Barrantes from Costa Rica stated, “We came in with a hundred percent attitude and showed that we can play well. We lost focus and lacked confidence. It was a great game; we fought despite one of our players getting injured during warm-up (middle blocker Amanda Campos)”.

Mexico powers past Honduras in first victory at NORCECA U17

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 22, 2023. – Mexico powered past Honduras 3-0 (25-9, 25-10, 25-6) in their first victory at the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship being held at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

With a 1-1 record in Pool A, Mexico will face Nicaragua, who also holds a 1-1 record, on Thursday, while Honduras, with a 0-2 record, will go up against undefeated Puerto Rico.

The NORCECA U17 championship qualifies three teams for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Yliana Zuniga – Cyntia Palomo MEX

Mexico dominated with a significant 38-7 lead in attacks and 14-2 in blocks. Honduras outperformed Mexico 3-0 in blocks. Mexico gave away 13 points on unforced errors, while Honduras totaled 23.

Mexico used its entire lineup, with opposite hitter Yliana Zúñiga as the top scorer of the match with 10 points. Middle blocker Brenda Esquivel contributed 8 points.

Dibanhi Barrera, libero of Mexico said, “We felt very confident on the court. There was a lot of communication among us. With yesterday’s defeat, we came in more united today, we did things well, and felt good. I think we worked the attack very well, we performed well in that aspect”.

Puerto Rico remains unbeaten after a straight set win against Nicaragua

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 22, 2023. – Puerto Rico defeated Nicaragua 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-17) to remain undefeated in the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

The event, taking place from November 21 to 26, grants three berths for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Puerto Rico maintains an undefeated 2-0 record in Pool A and will finish the preliminary round on Thursday against the hosts Honduras. Nicaragua holds a 1-1 record and will face Mexico to advance to the next round.

After a strong start in the first set, Nicaragua surprised Puerto Rico with effective blocks, jumping to a four-point advantage (13-9) in the second set. Puerto Rico regrouped, took better control of the game, and closed it in three straight sets.

Puerto Rico celebrates

Puerto Rico dominated every skill of the game, kills (40-22), blocks (9-7), and aces (10-6); in addition to committing one less error (15-16) than Nicaragua.

Puerto Rico’s top scorers were Sara Lozano with 18 points on 17 kills and point from serves, Diangelie González with 10 points on 5 kills, 4 blocks, and one ace, and Kaila Alvarado with 9 points from attacks.

Keyling Olivas and Francehsca Viera, each with 9 points, were the top scorers for Nicaragua.

Sara Lozano from Puerto Rico said, “In the second set when Nicaragua took the lead, we had to communicate better to regain our game rhythm. I believe our unity has been crucial to staying undefeated. We will give our all to win tomorrow and finish with a strong attack”.

Keyling Olivas from Nicaragua mentioned, “We needed to be more effective in reception to maintain the advantage we had in the second set. We got a bit discouraged. We hope to advance to the next round”.

Dominican Republic dominates Cuba with Serves at NORCECA Sub-17

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 22, 2023. – Dominican Republic defeated Cuba 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 25-15), dominating with a 15-6 advantage in serves and maintaining their undefeated record at the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship being held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

With the victory, Dominican Republic has a 2-0 record in Pool B and will face Canada (2-0) on Thursday to advance directly to Saturday’s semifinals. Cuba (0-2) will go against Costa Rica (0-2) for the third place in pool and a spot in the quarterfinals.

The tournament qualifies the top three teams for the FIVB World Championship in 2024.

In addition to dominating in serves, Dominican Republic outperformed Cuba 39 to 25 in attacks and 6-5 in blocks. Cuba limited their errors to 17, while the Dominicans committed 21.

Caroline Rodriguez and Virelys Rivera de DOM block

Three Dominican players scored double digits, outside hitter Virelys Rivera leading with 16 points (12 attacks, 4 aces), opposite Rayni Mondesi with 13 points (9 attacks, one block, 3 aces), and team captain Estel Santos with 12 points (10 attacks and 2 aces).

Cuban outside hitter Salet Castillo Valdes was the only player with double digits, scoring 14 points on 12 kills, one block, and ace.

Dominican team captain, Estel Santos, said, 2The first set was very close; I think we were too confident. We were able to press with the serve, as we did in the previous game; that’s what has kept us going, along with our friendship and good spirit”.

Cuba’s top scorer, Salet Castillo, said, “Our reception failed us a lot. I think we put too much pressure on ourselves because this is our first international competition. The attack went well, and I think we could have won the match”.

Canada undefeated at NORCECA U17 with Win over Costa Rica

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 22, 2023. – Canada triumphed 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 21-25, 25-16) over Costa Rica to remain undefeated in the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

This is the first Continental Championship in the category and grants three slots to the FIVB World Championship to be held in 2024.

Canada holds a 2-0 record in Pool B and will face the Dominican Republic on Thursday in the last day of the pool-play. Costa Rica has two losses and will conclude Pool B against Cuba.

Costa Rica pressed in the first set, forcing Canada to lose seven set points (24-12) before securing the victory at 25-19. Costa Rica won the third set, taking the lead 19-16 and forcing a fourth set that Canada ultimately won.

Canadá

Canada comfortably outperformed Costa Rica 60-33 in attacks and 7-5 in blocks. Costa Rica finished with an 8-6 margin in service points. Canada benefited from Costa Rica’s 32 errors and committed 23 of their own.

Middle blocker Ella Hope contributed 19 points to Canada’s victory, with 13 kills, 3 blocks, and 3 aces. Outside hitters Natalie Wahlgren and Beatrice Pengelly contributed with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Middle blocker Amanda Campos and outside hitter Nicole Leiva, with 11 points each, were the top scorers for Costa Rica.

Ella Hope, leading scorer of Canada expressed “Both teams fought really well and we came together as a team, communicating better. In the third set, it was a good game, it was back and forth, both teams were fighting really hard”.  

Amanda Campos, top scorer of Costa Rica said “We fought every point. We counterattacked Canada in the third set with a good attitude, despite being taller than us. We didn’t get the result, but we never gave up”.

Nicaragua sweeps Honduras on day one at NORCECA Girls’ U17

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 21, 2023. – Nicaragua defeated Honduras 3-0 (25-17, 25-7, 25-14) on the first day of the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship that began on Tuesday at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

The event, taking place from November 22 to 26, qualifies the top three teams for the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

On the second day of competition in Pool A, Nicaragua (1-0) will face Puerto Rico (1-0), and Honduras (0-1) will play against Mexico (0-1).

Ana Rodriguez NCA

From the second set onward, Nicaragua had no major difficulty in defeating Honduras, with a 29-13 superiority in attacks and 13-2 in aces.  Both teams scored 5 points on blocks. Nicaragua scored 28 points from Honduras’ unforced errors and committed 18.

Nicaragua’s middle blocker Karen Bird led all scorers with 12 points (6 kills, 3 blocks, 3 aces), followed by Franchesca Viera with 10 points (5 kills, one block, 4 aces).

For Honduras, middle blocker Lila Madrid topped with 6 points.

Lucía Columna, captain of Nicaragua, said, “We knew how to adapt well and avoided making many mistakes. The spirit was what I liked the most about my team.

“I think our attitude failed us; we came in strong in the first set, but then we faded. We hope to have more spirit tomorrow and hold our heads high to represent our country” said the captain of Honduras, Camila Figueroa.

Canada opens NORCECA Girls’ U17 with a tie-break win against Cuba

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 21, 2023.- Canada defeated Cuba in a tie-break 3-2 (26-28, 25-18, 16-25, 25-11, 15-9) to open their campaign in Pool B at the NORCECA Girls’ U17 Championship in Tegucigalpa, Honduras at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.

This is the first edition of the event that runs from November 21 to 26 and grants three slots to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

In Pool B action on day two, Canada (1-0) will face Costa Rica (0-1) and Cuba (0-1) plays against Dominican Republic (1-0).

It was a roller coaster performance for both teams, where Canada started leading all five sets. Canada forced the fifth set capitalizing on their effective serves.

Canada led in every skill of the game, kills (50-35), blocks (8-5) and aces (19-13). Cuba scored on 28 Canadian errors and gave away 30.

Beatrice Pengelly CAN block

Outside hitter Beatrice Pengelly was Canada’s top scorer with 21 points on 15 kills, one block and a match-high of 5 aces. Outside hitter Natalie Wahlgren added 12 points on 8 kills, one block and three aces, joined by opposite Dasia Smith with 11 points on 5 kills, two blocks and four aces.

On Cuba’s side, outside hitter Salet Castillo scored 21 points on 15 kills, two blocks and four aces, and team captain Yesica Brito contributed 12 points on 8 kills and four aces.

“This match was amazing even though we came out not strong on serves. We came out strong in the end and the fifth set was so live; we were so hype and it was a great win. Our communication can be better” said Beatrice Pengelly.

Yesica Brito, captain of Cuba indicated “Honestly, I think the nerves contributed to performing with ups and downs, because it’s the first time we travel outside to represent Cuba. Tomorrow we will recover with our attacks which are our best weapon”.

Dominican Republic gets NORCECA Girls’ U17 underway beating Costa Rica

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 21, 2023.- Dominican Republic beat Costa Rica 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-18) to get the first edition of the Girls’ U17 NORCECA Continental Championship underway on Tuesday at Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

The event that runs from November 21 to 26 will qualify the top three finishers to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

On Wednesday, the Dominican Republic will play Cuba and Costa Rica goes up against Canada.

Costa Rica took an early three-point lead in the first two sets, leveling the scores to 20 points in the first and 17 in the second. Dominican Republic managed to stabilize their rhythm of play until the third set where they jumped quickly to a six-point lead (10-4) to grab their first Pool B victory.

Dominicans 11 to 4 advantage in serves were too much for Costa Rica. Dominican Republic also held advantage in blocks 7-4 and committed fewer unforced errors (25-28). Both teams leveled in 29 points from attacks.

Dominican Republic celebrates

Dominican outside hitter Virelys Rivera led her team with 13 points on 9 kills, a match-high of 5 blocks and 4 aces. Opposite hitter Rayni Mondesi followed with 11 points on 7 kills and 4 aces.

Middle blocker Amanda Campos led Costa Rica with 13 points on 8 kills, 2 blocks and 3 aces. Outside hitter Dayna Barrantes and opposite Lilliam Vargas added 7 points each.

Estel Santos, captain of Dominican Republic said “Our serves were weak in the first and second sets, that’s why the scores were too close. We started to push with serves in the third and we improved our receiving. We are glad to open with a win”.

Nadia Granados, captain of Costa Rica said “I think attitude marked the difference from the third set to the first two. We had more energy in the first and second sets, and we turned it off in the third. We fought strong against a good opponent. We will correct some tactical aspects for our next match”.

Puerto Rico downs Mexico in straight sets to start NORCECA Girls’ U17

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 21, 2023. – Puerto Rico defeated Mexico in straight sets 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-19) to start the first NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

The top three teams in the tournament will earn a spot to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.

Puerto Rico (1-0) will face Nicaragua on Wednesday, while Mexico (0-1) will play against the host team, Honduras.

Puerto Rico earned its first victory in Group A coming from behind (11-15) in the first set and dominating Mexico in the next two, despite Mexico’s efforts to extend the match.

Puerto Rico finished with a lead of 44 to 38 in attacking points, 7 to 4 in blocking points, and 5 to 2 in points from serves. Both teams committed 20 unforced errors.

Puerto Rico celebrates

The top scorer of the match was Puerto Rican Diangelie González with 21 points on 18 attacks, one block, and two aces. Outside hitter Sara Lozano ended with a record of 14 points on 13 attacks and one ace. Team Captain Kalia Alvarado contributed 11 points on 10 attacks and one ace.

Mexico’s captain, Aitana Tanguma, scored 15 points on 14 attacks and one ace, accompanied by middle blocker Brenda Esquivel with 11 points on 10 attacks and one block.

“We recovered from being behind in the first set by improving concentration, communication, and passing. We also gained confidence. It feels great to represent the country and secure a first victory”, said Puerto Rico’s captain, Kalia Alvarado.

“I know we have the team to have won the match. Confidence failed us a bit; confidence in the teammate beside us. We will bounce back because we have the goal of winning the gold medal”, said Mexico’s captain, Aitana Tanguma.

Three World Championship Tickets Up for Grabs at NORCECA Girls’ U17 in Honduras

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 20, 2023.- Eight national teams will battle in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, at the first edition of the NORCECA Girls’ Under 17 Continental Championship to earn three tickets to the inaugural FIVB Age-Group World Championship to be held in 2024.

The head coaches had the chance to give their first statements on the eve of the competition.

Amy Wilson, Head Coach of Canada: “Our team prepared by coming together and practicing, we also did some sessions on zoom for team bonding as we are spread out from across the country.  What I expect from this event is some self-growth, self-improvement within our athletes as well as our coaching staff, to continue to work hard and to get to the play-offs”.

Nicolás Docquier, Head Coach of Costa Rica: “We have prepared very well, the girls have been in competition in our local tournaments and that gives us an advantage. We haven’t had many days together, nevertheless, the athletes are committed to the team, it’s a new experience for them and for me as head coach. We are excited, happy and we will give our all on the court”.

Rogelio Goytizolo, Head Coach of Cuba: “It’s really good that we are going to inaugurate a competition that had never been held before in the area. We are seeking an improvement in the performance of the women’s team in Cuba, and it is very important to do it from the bases, creating a higher level of competitiveness. We hope to gain the best results from the competition. We are here to book a ticket to the World Championship; the girls are coming with high hopes to accomplish it”.

Wilson Sánchez, Head Coach of Dominican Republic: “Being the first edition of this age-group event and considering that the players are younger, there will be a lot of pressure among them, but we hope to have a nice tournament regardless of that. Since there are no preparation matches, we will solve any difficulties that arise along the way. In this age-group, players want to show their abilities, so it will be a very nice tournament, and we are asking them to enjoy it, doing their best. The goal as a country, given the level of the Dominican Republic has shown, is to reach the finals”.

Marcos Sugiyama, Head Coach of Honduras: “The team has been training hard for the past month and a half, and we are making changes so that the athletes stop thinking like they do in school training, to that of training in a national team; it has been positive to change the story we are building. The goal is to battle every day, play well every day, and be close to those national teams that win championships, the journey is long, but we are ready to battle”.

Ignacio Sánchez, Head Coach of Mexico: “We are coming well, we have worked hard. We have selected players from all across the country, doing scouting during our national festivals. We think the team is strong enough to compete for a berth for Worlds and a medal”.

Claudia Noguera, Head Coach of Nicaragua: “Like everyone in this tournament, the team is new, but we have four players who have competed in Central American events, in addition to their growth they have undergone in our national Under-19 league, and that brings a bit of experience. All of them are enthusiastic to represent the country in a first event of this age-group, which is important for the development of young athletes in Central American and NORCECA”.

Juan Carlos Nuñez, Head Coach of Puerto Rico: “This is a valuable opportunity to be here at this tournament, it’s the first time we call this age-group in Puerto Rico. It is a valuable opportunity to be in a tournament like this; its is the first call in Puerto Rico for this age-group. We are bringing talented girls, but due to the timing of the tournament, there were difficulties in gathering them and training for such an event. The athletes come from playing in the school tournament in Puerto Rico and have been active individually. As a team, we were together for a month, but not every day. I always set high goals, so we will aim to be in the top three positions”.

Félix Sabio reelected President of AFECAVOL

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, November 18, 2023. – Mr. Félix Ambrosio Sabio González of Honduras was reelected President of the Association of Central American Volleyball Federations AFECAVOL for the 2024-2028 term during the 2023 Ordinary and Election General Assembly held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on November 18.

The seven National Volleyball Federations of Central America chose Félix Sabio for a second term as the President of the Zonal Association, a member of the NORCECA Volleyball Confederation.

The AFECAVOL Executive Committee is composed as follows:

President: Félix Sabio González, Honduras

First Vice President: Bertha Cuadra Cuadra, Nicaragua

Second Vice President: Allan Sharp, Belize

General Secretary: Carlos Enrique Santis Rangel, Guatemala

Treasurer: Shean Jyh Liou, El Salvador

First Vocal: Carlos Echandi, Costa Rica

Second Vocal: Marco Pérez, Panama

To the center Lic. Cristobal Marte President of NORCECA and Felix Sabio President of AFECAVOL, others members of the Board of Directors AFECAVOL

ALBUM FLICKR

The Ordinary General Assembly had the active participation of NORCECA President, Mr. Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, who addressed the assembly, commending AFECAVOL’s work in 2023, stating, “Among the three Zonal Associations of NORCECA, AFECAVOL is an example of development and organization in our region. Its members have faced and overcome adversities in each of their countries, and with the work and assistance of NORCECA, they have managed to overcome them”.

President Marte Hoffiz emphasized congratulating AFECAVOL for fulfilling its competition schedule and ensuring the development of volleyball in Central America.

“AFECAVOL is an institution that has looked after the development of the zone and not just an individual country. In that sense, the evaluation by NORCECA is positive”, added Marte Hoffiz.

During the working session, the 2023 reports from the Presidency, Treasury, and Administrative Secretariat of AFECAVOL were approved. Additionally, working commissions presented reports for 2023 and proposals for 2024.

President Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz also presented the NORCECA Presidency report and informed the assembly that he would run for the NORCECA Presidency in the upcoming 2024 Congress for his last four-year term according to the FIVB constitution.

One of the highlights during the session was President Sabio´s new initiative and approval to create the AFECAVOL Women’s and Men’s Volleyball Final Four senior events, where the top four countries in the AFECAVOL ranking will compete.

In the 2024 plans, is the effort to organize the Central American Beach Volleyball Tour and incorporate it into the NORCECA Tour.

The host countries for the 2024 Competitions were also decided (dates to be confirmed).

Volleyball:

– VI Central American Women’s U-23 Championship *rescheduled* (born in 2002) – El Salvador

– I Central American Girls’ U17 Championship (born in 2008) – Nicaragua

– I Central American Boys’ U17 Championship (born in 2008) – Costa Rica

– XV Central American Women’s U19 Championship (born in 2006) – Honduras

– XV Central American Men’s U19 Championship (born in 2006) – El Salvador

– XX Central American Women’s U21 Championship (born in 2004) – Belize

– XX Central American Men’s U21 Championship (born in 2004) – Panama

– I Central American Men’s Final Four Championship – Guatemala

– I Central American Women’s Final Four Championship – Costa Rica/Nicaragua/Honduras

Beach Volleyball:

– The AFECAVOL Executive Committee will session in a future date to decide dates, integrate events into the NORCECA Tour, and determine the host countries and dates for U17 and U19 Central American Championships.

President Félix Sabio expressed his gratitude for the commitment and support of all members in January 2020, just two months after the global Covid-19 pandemic declaration.

President Félix Sabio’s message was of gratitude for the AFECAVOL members’ commitment to support and contribute to his presidency when he took the position in January 2019, just two months before the global Covid-19 Pandemic was declared.

“We took on challenges and overcame them. We will continue to be a reference in NORCECA as the most active, organized, and forward-thinking Zonal Association. A lot of events are scheduled for 2024, where we will add four new events to our competition calendar, which I am convinced will be a success”, said Félix Sabio.

He also informed the assembly that AFECAVOL’s upcoming Assemblies will take place in November and concluded the session by thanking the trust and support of NORCECA President Cristóbal Marte and NORCECA General Director Arateide Cáceres”.

Maximiliano Aponte of Puerto Rico MVP of NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 12, 2023.- Maximiliano Aponte, outside hitter for Puerto Rico, was selected the Most Valuable Player “MVP” of the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship that concluded on Sunday at Manuel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Aponte was handed the award during the closing ceremony after Puerto Rico was crowned champion. Aponte was also awarded as the Second Best Spiker.

Also from team Puerto Rico, Fernando Castello was selected the Best Blocker, Erick Vazquez the Best Opposite, outside hitter Adrian Carrillo the Best Receiver and Ignacio Cruz the Best Libero and Best Digger. 

Emi Diaz of Mexico received the awards for Best Spiker, Best Server and Best Scorer. His teammate middle blocker was granted the Second Best Blocker award.

The Best Setter was Cuban Yothuel Vergara.

Individual awards

Puerto Rico Wins NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 12, 2023.- Puerto Rico defeated Mexico 3-1 (25-23, 24-26, 25-16, 25-20) to win the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship on Sunday at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico.

Puerto Rico finished the event with a 5-0 record and Mexico with 5-1. Both teams, along with Cuba,  qualified to the 2024 FIVB Boys’ U17 World Championship, as the three top finishers of the NORCECA U17 Championship.  

Puerto Rico’s 14-7 advantage in blocks were crucial in winning the gold medal match, as well as their 30 points on Mexico’s errors. Both teams leveled in 51 kill points. Mexico held a 7-4 margin in aces and scored on 20 opponent errors.

Opposite hitter Erick Vazquez of Puerto Rico scored a match-high of 25 points on 23 kills and two blocks. Middle blocker Fernando Castello contributed to the win with 15 points on match-high of 9 stuff blocks and 6 kills. Outside hitter Adrian Carrillo added 11 points.

Puerto Rico Campeon

Outside hitter Emi Diaz led Mexico with 21 points on 17 kills, 5 blocks and a match-high of 4 aces. Opposite hitter Ricardo Gonzalez contributed 18 points on 17 kills and one ace.

Puerto Rico dominated the first set mainly with their tough kills, but Mexico managed to tie at 23 points with González’s attack and Villalobos’ block. However, Puerto Rico closed the set with an ace from Aponte. Mexico leveled the match winning the second after losing a set point to Castello’s block. Puerto Rico controlled the third set, establishing a significant lead from the beginning (11-6), against an erratic opponent, and sealed the victory in the fourth set led by Vazquez and Castello, this last one secured the gold medal point with a stuff block”.

Gustavo Alvarez, captain of Puerto Rico said “It’s really exciting to win in front of the fans, a gym at its full capacity and it’s an honor to win the tournament, I really liked the tournament. I believe our serves and defense were very effective to take the win”.

Cuba takes NORCECA U17 Bronze and final berth to Worlds

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 12, 2023.- Cuba took the final berth for the 2024 FIVB World Championship winning the bronze medal 3-0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-22) over Costa Rica at the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship on Sunday at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Cuba finished the tournament with 3-2 record and qualified to the first edition of the Under-17 Boys’ FIVB World Championship as one of the top three finishers. Costa Rica ends 3-3.

Cuba outperformed Costa Rica 45 to 27 in attacking points, 6 to 2 in points from blocks and 6-0 in aces. Cuba scored on 18 opponent errors and handed out 13.

Yosdani Medina led Cuba scoring 16 points on 13 kills, one block and two aces. Middle blocker Julio Acosta added 10 points and team captain Byron Herrera tallied 9.

Julian Soto CRC

On Costa Rica’s side, middle blocker Julian Soto De Franco led with 13 points, while opposite Ignacio Morales and middle blocker Derek Farley registered 6 points each.

The most contested set was the third, when Costa Rica trailed from a three-point deficit (19-22) on effective serves and Cuban errors for a close finish.

Byron Herrera Cuba’s captain said “Costa Rica played good volleyball and so did we. We achieved our goal of qualifying to Worlds and we also wanted the gold medal, but it didn’t happen; it will be next time”.

Costa Rica’s captain Gabriel Córdoba said “We gave our best during the tournament, we never were an easy opponent, this is a historic fourth place for Costa Rica. We need to collect more experience to win a medal in the future”.

Honduras ends eighth place over Suriname

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 12, 2023. – Honduras closed the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship in eighth place over Suriname 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-23, 25-22) on Saturday at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Honduras finished with a 1-4 record for position eight and Suriname 1-5 for position nine. In the preliminary round, Honduras had lost to Suriname in five sets.

Honduras was better in attacks (41-38) and in aces (7-3), while Suriname led in blocks (9-6). Honduras committed one error less than Suriname (40-41).

Honduras

Honduras’ team captain Saul Coca, was the top scorer of the match with 20 points on 17 attacks and 3 blocks, followed by the outside hitter Esdras Ramírez with 13 points.

Three players from Suriname scored double digits, led once again by opposite Javier Nasibdar with 14 points, and outside hitters Issaiah Olijfveld and Mathew Lie Ten with 13 and 11 points respectively.

After losing the first set, Suriname quickly took a 17-9 lead to tie the match, winning the second set, but Honduras wasn’t surprised and managed to win the next two sets with advantages from the start.

Saul Coca, captain of Honduras, commented on the previous match against Suriname, “We were able to learn from our mistakes, we noticed that Suriname’s high balls ended in touches, so we adjusted to defend better. We are happy to take the victory”.

Roberto Benschop, captain of Suriname said “It was a fun tournament, a great learning experience for me and my team. The match could have gone better, I think compared to the previous one, we had too many mistakes”.

Mexico beat Cuba to play for  NORCECA Boys’ U17 Title

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 11, 2023.- Mexico beat Cuba 3-1 (22-25, 28-26, 27-25, 25-20) to play for the title of the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Mexico will face Puerto Rico in the gold medal match; both qualified to the 2024 FIVB World Championship.  Cuba goes against Costa Rica for bronze and the last berth for Worlds according to FIVB regulations.

Mexico prevailed on points from serves 11-3 and scoring 31 points on Cuba’s errors. Cuba held advantages in kills 52-48 and a slight 13-12 margin in blocks. Mexico gave away 28 points on unforced errors.

Opposite hitter Ricardo Gonzalez of Mexico scored a match-high of 22 points on 20 kills, one block and one ace. Outside hitters Emi Yanixan Diaz and Oskar Gonzalez contributed 17 and 15 points respectively. Diaz on 15 kills and two aces, and Gonzalez on 10 kills, two blocks and two aces.

Daniel Fajardo MEX

Cuba’s top scorers were middle blocker Julio Acosta with 17 points on 11 kills, 5 blocks and one ace, captain Byron Herrera with 16 points on 13 kills and 3 blocks, and outside hitter Andy Marrero with 14 points.

Despite Mexico’s efforts trailing on four points (16-21), Cuba won the first set benefiting from Mexico’s errors, in addition to Marrero and Acosta attacks.

México won the second and third sets in a dramatic fashion. Closing set two on a kill by Emi Diaz and an ace by Tomás Villalobos; and the third set, after losing two set points, was sealed with a powerful attack from Oskar Gonzalez.

The teams tied at 12 in the fourth, but from there on, Mexico remained on top, closing on a service error from Cuba.

Mexico’s coach, Denis Omar Rivera, said about the victory, “It was a nail-biting game. Mexico adjusted, pressured Cuba with the serves, and played with heart, which was the team’s defining characteristic. The support from the fans was spectacular; it gave us goosebumps. We are very grateful for that”.

Cuba’s coach, Mario Izquierdo, expressed, “It was all about tactical errors; the team made a lot of mistakes in the tactical approach we had planned to face Mexico. Mexico knew how to exploit our weaknesses and secured the victory. Now we have to fight for the bronze and the berth for the  World Championship because there are only three slots available”.

Puerto Rico reaches NORCECA Boys’ U17 Final beating Costa Rica

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 11, 2023.- Puerto Rico beat Costa Rica 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-19) in semifinals to reach the gold medal match of the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship in Gymnasium Miguel Hidalgo of Poza Rica, Mexico.

Puerto Rico will face the winner between Mexico and Cuba for the gold medal, while Costa Rica goes against the loser for the bronze medal.

Four players led Puerto Rico with double digits, outside hitter Maximiliano Aponte (15), middle blockers  Fernando Castello (11) and Jorge Suarez (11), and opposite hitter Erick Vazquez (10).

Derek Farley led Costa Rica with 10 points, Ignacio Morales added 9 points.

Fernando Castello PUR

Puerto Rico was superior to Costa Rica in every skill of the game, kills (43-31), blocks (7-4) and aces (6-4). Costa Rica committed one less error than Puerto Rico (19-20).

The first set had a quicker pace. Puerto Rico closed the second set after missing five set points (25-14). Costa Rica in the third set rallied from seven points (10-22) with good defense and opponent errors.

Puerto Rico’s libero, Ignacio Cruz, said after the victory, “We had a faster game at the beginning. Our attitude declined, and that affected our rhythm. We were always putting pressure on Costa Rica, even though they recovered at some point. I think for tomorrow, we need to improve our passing and blocking; I believe we can win the gold medal”.

José Gutiérrez, libero of Costa Rica, said, “We had many ups and downs because we faced a tough opponent; at times, we did very well. I think we had too many errors in defense and reception. We are still going to fight for the bronze”.

Guatemala fifth place in five-setter comeback against Dominican Republic

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 11, 2023.- Guatemala with a five-set comeback 3-2 (23-25, 14-25, 27-25, 25-21, 15-9) victory of Dominican Republic finished fifth place at the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship on Saturday at the Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Guatemala finished the event with 3-2 record and Dominican Republic with 1-3 for positions five and six respectively.

Guatemala recovered from a two-set deficit to control Dominican Republic 49-46 in kills and 10-5 in blocks. Dominican Republic held a significant 13-3 advantage in aces. Guatemala ended with one unforced error less than Dominican Republic (41-42).

Luis Mendizabal, Guatemala’s team captain, led his team with 19 points on 16 kills and 3 aces. Also contributing to the win, outside hitter Juan Carlos Menendez and middle blocker José Quintana added 12 points each.

Daniel Fernandez DOM

Dominican outside hitter Malik Britton was the leading attacker in the match with 25 points on 22 kills, two blocks and one ace, accompanied by middle blocker Marvin Rodriguez with 17 points and team captain Allen Baldera with 14 points.

Dominican Republic snatched the first set from Guatemala recovering from a seven-point deficit (4-11). Britton and Rodriguez took charge of Dominican Republic’s offensive in winning a comfortable second set. Guatemala forced another set, winning a contested third set. The Central Americans kept on strong with Mendizabal and Asencio up to the tie-break win.

Edvin López, head coach of Guatemala said, “We neutralized their most powerful player (Britton). The athletes were able to analyze the game after losing the first two sets and applied themselves well. There were players we had to motivate to keep them from losing concentration”.

Victor Bermudez, head coach of Dominican Republic, said, “I think our physical condition took a toll on us. We started very well, but we couldn’t keep the pace. They (Guatemala) were more consistent, and that’s why they took the victory”.

Nicaragua finish seventh at NORCECA Boys’ U17

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 11, 2023.- Nicaragua defeated Suriname 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-12) to finish seventh place at the first edition of the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship on Saturday at Gymnasium Miguel Hidalgo in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Nicaragua ends the event with 1-3 record and seventh place. Suriname will face Honduras on Sunday for positions 8-9.

Nicaragua’s huge 41-12 advantage in attacks was to thank for in its straight set victory over Suriname. Nicaragua also led 9-2 in aces, while Suriname held a slight 3-2 advantage in blocks. Both teams committed 23 unforced errors.

Suriname

Outside hitter Bradley Cordon from Nicaragua led all scorers with 21 points, on 19 kills and two aces. Joshuan Rivas and Ismael Martinez added 9 and 8 points respectively.

Javier Nasibdar topped Suriname with 9 points.

Jorge Mena, coach of Nicaragua said, “Developing this age-group is very beneficial, and it was a nice tournament. Unfortunately, we were in a tough group. We fought hard, and each match was a learning experience for the boys. We were confident in winning this match based on what we had observed from Suriname. We hope to work more with this new generation and age-group, getting fully involved in Central America for the upcoming tournaments”.

Mexico Wins Pool A undefeated; Costa Rica takes second place

POZA RICA, Mexico, November 10, 2023.- Mexico defeated Guatemala 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-21) to win Pool A undefeated and Costa Rica finished second in the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Continental Championship on Friday at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

On Saturday, Mexico faces Cuba in semifinals and Costa Rica (3-1) goes up against Puerto Rico. Guatemala (2-2) will play for fifth place against Dominican Republic.

Mexico held a 43-25 advantage in kills and a 7-3 margin in aces. Both teams were leveled to 7 points in blocks. Guatemala committed fewer unforced errors 18 to 23.

Outside hitter Emi Yanixan Diaz led Mexico with 19 points on 17 kills and two aces, joined by opposite hitter Ricardo Rivera with 12 points on 9 kills, one block and two aces.

Guatemala’s top scorer was outside hitter Jose Asencio with 10 points.

Ricardo Gonzalez GUA

Mexico comfortably took the first set and then closed a tight second set after losing two set points. Guatemala capitalized on Mexico’s errors and with good defense jumped to a seven-point lead (11-4) in the third set, however gained momentum leveling the score to 12 with strong kills and sealed the win.

Manuel Delgado, setter of Mexico, said, “We recovered from being seven points down in the second set because we couldn’t score on kills; our passing failed. I feel that today we played relaxed because yesterday we secured a spot in the World Championship. Guatemala pressured us; I think they were the toughest team we faced. In the end, we got the result. We need to improve our attitude for the semifinal and start strong”.

Guatemala’s top scorer, José Asencio, said, “We made a great effort against a great opponent. I believe we could have done more; we failed in reception. Tomorrow, we want to win fifth place”.

Costa Rica beats Suriname and waits for final position in Pool A

POZA RICA, M3xico, November 10, 2023.- Costa Rica beat Suriname 3-0 (25-7, 25-10, 25-10) and waits to determine its final position in Pool A at the NORCECA Boys’ U17 Championship being held at Miguel Hidalgo Gymnasium in Poza Rica, Mexico.

Costa Rica with 3-1 record in Pool A will wait for the result between Mexico and Guatemala to see if they advance to semifinals.

Suriname (1-3) finished fourth in Pool A to face Nicaragua on Saturday for seventh place; the loser will play for positions 8 to 9 against Honduras on Sunday.

Costa Rica outperformed Suriname in kills (47-11), in blocks (6-0) and aces (5-2), committing 14 errors against 17.

Julian David Soto de Franco CRC

Costa Rica’s middle blocker Julian Soto topped all scorers with 16 points on 15 kills and one block. Jean Carlo Vega and Derek Faley added 11 points each.

Costa Rica was dominant over Suriname, maintaining a sizable lead throughout the entire match.

Julian Soto, Costa Rica’s top scorer, said, “We came with a plan to play with quick balls and open the sides and today we executed it well, achieving a good result. We’ll wait to see what position we end up in. Thankfully, things have gone well”.

 Isaiah Olijfveld from Suriname expressed, “We didn’t block, the defense fell apart”.

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