SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 1, 2026. – Eight national teams are set to begin their quest for the women’s volleyball title at the Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, as the region’s best squads prepare for six days of competition that promise high-level matches and valuable NORCECA Continental Ranking points.
Competition will run from August 2 to 7 at the Professor Ricardo Gioriver Arias Volleyball Palace. On the eve of the tournament, the head coaches shared their expectations, assessed the level of the field, and outlined the objectives their teams hope to achieve in Santo Domingo.
Head Coach of Colombia, Guilherme Schmitz Vieira: “We arrive highly motivated after competing in the South American Cup, where we earned qualification for the Olympic qualifying tournament for our zone in Rio de Janeiro. We know this will be a high-level competition with very strong opponents, so we will have to perform at our best in every match.”
Head Coach of Costa Rica, Ciro Zoratti: “I took over as head coach in May, so we have had very limited time to prepare for this tournament. It has been a challenge because our national championship is still underway, with clubs training and competing every week. Fortunately, thanks to the Costa Rican Volleyball Federation, the league was paused last week, allowing us to train together for four consecutive days. We know the level of this tournament will be very high, and we are in a difficult pool. However, I have told the players that our focus must be on our performance rather than the results. For us, this tournament is not only an important competition but also a valuable experience for the athletes. It is another step in our development process and will help us prepare for upcoming events.”
Head Coach of Cuba, Luizomar De Moura: “First of all, it is an honor to serve as the head coach of a national team like Cuba, a responsibility once held by some of the greatest figures in world volleyball, such as Eugenio George. I am very proud of that. We completed part of our preparation here in the Dominican Republic, and I would like to thank the country for welcoming us ahead of the tournament. I took over the team a year ago, and this is the first time I have had several weeks preparing the group. We hope to achieve a good result in this competition.”
Head Coach of the Dominican Republic, Marcos Kwiek: “We are very excited to play the Games at home. Our fans always give us tremendous support, and we have to know how to handle that pressure. We have learned that all the tickets have been sold out, which shows how eager people are to watch our players. We want to maintain the level of play we have been showing. We know we are one of the teams expected to contend for a medal, but every team comes here aiming for a place on the podium. In a short tournament like this, we cannot underestimate any opponent. We have to be prepared to face every challenge because everyone is here to compete. We finished the VNL playing well, we arrive in good form, we have maintained our work, and we hope to deliver a strong performance.”
Head Coach of Mexico, Nicola Negro: “Our goal is to fight for a medal. We know it will not be easy because there are several very strong teams, so we expect a very open battle for the podium. We arrive in the middle of a very demanding season with numerous commitments. We began in June with the Final Four, now we are competing at the Central American and Caribbean Games, and afterward we will have four more major events.”
Head Coach of Puerto Rico, Juan Carlos Núñez: “We are going to see a tournament of a very high level. There are several national teams with a real chance of winning a medal, which makes this an extremely demanding competition. For us, fighting for a medal is a great motivation, and we are approaching this challenge with great seriousness because, in addition to being the most important multi-sport event in our region, it also serves as excellent preparation for one of the year’s most important tournaments: the NORCECA Senior Continental Championship, which serves as a qualifier for the FIVB Volleyball World Championship and the Olympic Qualification Tournament.”
Head Coach of Trinidad and Tobago, Gideon Dickson: “We had a very good preparation cycle. We brought back some of our experienced athletes to blend them with our younger emerging talent. We hope to be competitive every time we step onto the court. We haven’t competed at this level for some time, so this tournament marks a fresh start in our new cycle and an opportunity to earn the valuable points we need to move up in the NORCECA Continental Ranking.”
José Vásquez, President of the Venezuelan Volleyball Federation: “Our preparation has included several stages. First, we competed in the South American Cup, and now we are looking forward to the Central American and Caribbean Games, which will provide excellent preparation for our next event, the South American Olympic Qualifying Tournament. We are in a rebuilding process, with a balanced roster made up of 80 percent young players from the new generation and 20 percent more experienced athletes. This is a team with a great attitude and a strong desire to compete.”
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