Three spots to World Championship available in Colorado

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado USA (September 25, 2017) – The biennial NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship, a 2018 FIVB World Championship qualification tournament, takes place Sept. 26 to Oct. 1 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Due to a force majeure, the original 12-team tournament has been reduced to a 10-team field as Puerto Rico and Cuba were unable to travel to the United States due to recent hurricanes in the Caribbean. The tournament will now award three vacancies to the FIVB World Championship.

Cuba and Puerto Rico will compete in a separate four-team FIVB World Championship qualification tournament later this fall. The tournament will also include the fourth- and fifth-place teams at the NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship.

The revised NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship has two groups of three teams and one group of four teams that are scheduled for September 26-28. The USA, Dominican Republic and Guatemala are part of Group A, while Canada, St. Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago are in Group B. The preliminary round matches for Group A and B will be played in the Main Competition Hall (Sports Center I). Group C, which will be played in Sports Center II, has Costa Rica, Martinique, Mexico and St. Vincent.

Quarterfinals and 7-10 classification matches are scheduled for September 29. Semifinals plus classification 5-8 and ninth-place match will take place on September 30. The tournament concludes on October 1 with the medal matches, along with fifth- and seventh-place matches.

In total, NORCECA will have five entries into the 2018 FIVB Men’s World Championship, which takes place Sept. 10-30 in Bulgaria and Italy.

Canada captured the 2015 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship and is the reigning champion. The Canadians are aiming for their second overall NORCECA title. The U.S. did not compete in the most recent edition in 2015, which was a qualifier into the 2016 Olympic Games and the Americans had already earned its berth. The USA has won five of out the last seven NORCECA Men’s Continental Championships, and nine total titles. Cuba has won a record 14 NORCECA Championships.

NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship Preliminary Round Groups

Group A: Dominican Republic, Guatemala, United States

Group B: Canada, St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago

Group C: Costa Rica, Martinique, Mexico, St. Vincent

NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship Podium Finishes

Year: Gold | Silver | Bronze

1969: CUB | MEX | USA

1971: CUB | USA | MEX

1973: USA | CUB | CAN

1975: CUB | MEX | USA

1977: CUB | MEX | USA
1979: CUB | CAN | MEX

1981: CUB | USA | CAN

1983: USA | CAN | CUB

1985: USA | CUB | CAN

1987: CUB | USA | CAN

1989: CUB | CAN | USA

1991: CUB | USA | CAN

1993: CUB | USA | CAN

1995: CUB | USA | CAN

1997: CUB | USA | CAN

1999: USA | CUB| CAN

2001: CUB | USA| CAN

2003: USA | CAN | CUB

2005: USA | CUB | CAN

2007: USA | PUR | CUB

2009: USA | CUB | PUR

2011: CUB | USA | CAN

2013: USA | CAN | CUB

2015: CAN | CUB | PUR