New Challenge, Same Goal at the NORCECA Women’s Final Six

ZINACANTEPEC, Mexico, September 20, 2026. – Just days after competing at the 2026 Women’s Pan American Cup in León, Guanajuato, six teams are ready for a new challenge as the NORCECA Women’s Final Six gets underway on September 21 at the Unidad Deportiva Juan Fernández Albarrán in Zinacantepec, Estado de México.

Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States will compete through September 27, bringing different objectives to the tournament. While Pan American Cup champion USA looks to continue its winning form, the other teams aim to build on their recent performances, develop their players and pursue a place on the podium.

Ahead of the competition, the six head coaches shared their expectations for the tournament, highlighting the challenges of competing in back-to-back events and the opportunities this new competition presents for their teams.

Carolyn O’Dwyer, Canada Head Coach: “This is a completely different group from the one that competed at the Pan American Cup. Canada is being represented by the University of Alberta, one of our top collegiate programs. It will be a valuable experience for these athletes and certainly a challenging tournament, but we are looking forward to seeing how the team develops throughout the competition. We have a young group with limited international experience. A few players have competed at the U19 and U21 levels, but this will be their first experience at the senior international level. There will definitely be a learning curve, and we are excited to see how they grow throughout the tournament.”

Luizomar de Moura, Cuba Head Coach: “Our main goal is to continue the rebuilding process of the Cuban national team. That is why competing in high-level tournaments like this one is essential. It allows our players to adapt to the demands of international competition and strengthen our project, tournament after tournament. At the Pan American Cup, we used two very young setters, and it is important for them to gain playing time and receive support from the attackers as they continue to mature. Every international experience is a valuable opportunity for their development as players and for the growth of the team.”

Marcos Kwiek, Dominican Republic Head Coach: “The competition will be more selective compared to the Pan American Cup, with only six teams participating. With the exception of Canada, which is fielding a different roster, all the teams are familiar with one another. However, this is a new competition, and the players arrive with a different mindset. We played at a good level at the Pan American Cup and achieved our goal. Now we hope to continue improving, keep working, and provide new opportunities for our players to develop individually, which is one of our main objectives.”

Juan Carlos Núñez, Puerto Rico Head Coach: “This is our final tournament of the year, and we arrive after a long summer that began with the Final Four in May. Many of our players are dealing with physical and emotional fatigue, but we are here to complete our competition schedule and compete with the highest possible expectations. Our goal is to finish among the top four teams and have the opportunity to compete for a medal. We are also looking to earn valuable world ranking points in the matches where we have the opportunity to do so, as well as NORCECA ranking points that will help us in our pursuit of qualification for the Pan American Games.”

Nicola Negro, Mexico Head Coach: “This is the final competition of a very demanding schedule. We arrive after a Pan American Cup that required a lot of energy, and we could have up to seven matches ahead of us if we reach the finals. That is why managing our players’ workload throughout the week will be essential, along with staying focused and taking it one match at a time.”

Erik Sullivan, USA Head Coach: “New challenge, same goal. We’re excited to be competing again. Our team always enjoys the opportunity to play and compete at this level. Now that the teams know each other a little better after the Pan American Cup, I think this tournament will be even more interesting. It’s another great opportunity for us, and our goal remains the same: to win the tournament.”