Coaches talk about their teams ahead

of the Women’s U21 Pan American Cup

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 6, 2026 – A total of eight national teams completed the preliminary inspection and credentialing process on Monday ahead of the 2026 NORCECA Women’s U21 Pan American Cup, which will take place from July 7 to 12 at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.

The United States enters the tournament seeking its fourth consecutive title in a competition that also features Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Belize, Costa Rica, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Dominican Republic.

In addition to awarding NORCECA Ranking points toward qualification for the 2027 Continental Championship, the tournament will also serve as part of the qualification pathway to the 2028 FIVB U21 Women’s World Championship.

The coaches of the eight participating teams shared their thoughts on their squads during the preliminary inquiry.

Raphael Isaac, U.S. Virgin Islands coach: "We are a young team with players who lack experience, so I hope this will be a strong tournament to help prepare us, especially for Costa Rica next week. I also hope the players continue to improve as the tournament progresses."

Tama Miyashiro, United States coach: "One of the advantages of hosting a tournament like this is playing in front of our home crowd while continuing to contribute to the growth of the sport. We'll also face teams we don't play very often, so I'm excited to see how we perform, especially since this group hasn't been together for very long. I think success will depend on which team adapts the quickest during the preliminary round."

Alexandre Ceccato, Dominican Republic coach: "Our expectation is to continue developing these young players, so they gain valuable experience for future competitions while trying to play the best tournament possible."

Nelissa Ramírez, Belize coach: "To be honest, I'm very proud of how far we've come. We've been practicing twice a day from Monday through Friday, so our expectations are high because the girls have worked incredibly hard, and we hope to have a great tournament."

Ciro Zoratti, Costa Rica coach: "This is my first tournament with the U21 team. We've only had two training sessions before this event, so I see this as a long-term project. There are strong teams here, and we'll have to give everything we have, but I hope the girls perform well on the court."

Iván Márquez, Venezuela coach: "We come into the tournament with high expectations. We know this is a unique opportunity for some of these girls to represent our country, especially considering the current situation back home. That gives us even more motivation to perform well and bring some joy to our people."

Eduardo Murguía, Mexico coach: "We are highly motivated and eager to begin this Pan American Cup. We've been placed in a very competitive pool with Canada, the United States, and Venezuela, so we'll do our best to finish as high as possible in the standings and then see how the knockout stage unfolds."

Matthew Krueger, Canada coach: "I'm excited about the tournament. I have a group that has been with me for the past four years—this is my second cycle with them—so I want to see how much they've grown under my guidance. The competition promises to be fierce, and we want to put in the best performance possible."