Coaches Share Expectations Ahead

of the 2026 Women’s Pan American Cup

LEÓN, Guanajuato, Mexico, September 10, 2026.- The coaches of the ten teams competing in the 2026 NORCECA Senior Women’s Pan American Cup shared their expectations and objectives ahead of the tournament, which will be held from September 11-18 at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

In addition to competing for the title, the tournament awards FIVB World Ranking points to NORCECA teams that do not participate in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and is part of the qualification pathway to the Lima 2027 Pan American Games, although it does not provide direct qualification to the Games.

Matthew Krueger, Canada Head Coach: “We were here last year for the U23 Pan American Cup, so several of our athletes have already played on this court. We’re very excited to be back. It has been a long summer of training for some of the athletes, and this is their first and only competition of the summer, so they’re really looking forward to competing against some very good teams. We love León, we’re happy to be back, and we’re excited to compete”.

Jefferson Arosti, Cuba Assistant Coach: “This is a very important competition where we will look to earn as many points as possible toward qualifying for international events in 2027 and 2028, including the Lima Pan American Games.”

Marcos Kwiek, Dominican Republic Head Coach: “We are very happy to be back in León; they are excellent hosts, and Mexico always treats us very well. We have brought a young team, with many players who have not yet had the opportunity to play with the senior national team, so this is a group we are developing for the future. We want to perform as well as possible and compete for a medal. The Pan American Cup is a very exciting competition, and we will fight in every match to achieve our goal.”

William Fernández, Guatemala Head Coach: “We are very happy to be competing at this level; it has been many years since we last had this opportunity. The team is very motivated and proud to be here. We are well prepared, with a very young and united group that is eager to perform well and show the best version of ourselves at this event.”

Nicola Negro, Mexico Head Coach: “It has been a long season. We are missing some players due to injuries and study commitments, but we have a good team. Our main objective is to earn points toward qualifying for the 2027 World Cup. After this, we have the Final Six, where we will look to defend or improve on our previous finish. As for the Pan American Cup, our goal is to improve on the fifth-place finish we had here in León two years ago.”

Claudia Noguera, Nicaragua Head Coach: “For Nicaragua, competing in events at this level is a great opportunity. It gives us the chance to face high-level teams and also motivates our players to remain committed to preparing even harder for future competitions. We have brought a young team, with players who recently competed in the U23 Pan American Cup, because we see this as part of our project toward the Central American Games.”

José Mieles, Puerto Rico Head Coach: “The team is doing well, although we are a little tired because of the number of tournaments we have played. We have brought practically the same team that competed throughout the summer, with the exception of Decelise Champion, Shara Venegas and Diana Reyes. Our goal is to reach the podium.”

Erik Sullivan, USA Head Coach: “We arrived in the gym about two weeks ago. It’s a little different group than we had this summer. Some of the athletes have been in the gym with us all summer training, and we also have some new athletes, so it’s a different mix. But it’s a good group that we’re very excited about, and we’re excited to give them an opportunity to compete. We’re looking forward to the tournament. Our expectations are always to win gold, but it’s going to be very challenging, and we look forward to it.”

Yanini Antonio Capuzzi, Venezuela Head Coach: “We have brought a very young team that we are preparing for the U19 South American Championship. We are aware that this is a senior-level competition, but our goal is for our players to adapt to this level of play and be as well prepared as possible for the South American Championship. We will give our best to be as competitive as possible and achieve good results.”