Teams Enter Men’s Volleyball Tournament

in Asunción 2025 with High Expectations

ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay, August 16, 2025.– The teams competing in the men’s volleyball tournament of the II Junior Pan American Games Asunción 2025, to be held from August 17 to 22 at the Paraguayan Olympic Committee (COP) Arena, arrive with great expectations.

At stake in this event is a berth to the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima for the tournament champion, as well as for the highest-ranked team from the opposite continental confederation that does not win the gold medal.

Before the start of the competition, the technical meeting took place with the participation of Dominican double Olympic champion Félix Sánchez, a member of the Panam Sports Technical Commission and Athletes’ Commission, alongside officials from the Pan American Volleyball Union.

Diego Ferreira, Delegate of Argentina: “We came with solid preparation. This season, with several international competitions (U21 World Championship, Senior World Championship), assembling a roster was challenging. We carried out a dedicated effort throughout the year. We are confident we can deliver a high level of volleyball for the fans who come to enjoy the Junior Pan American Games.”

Lucas Müller, Delegate of Brazil: “We had a long preparation, about three months. This competition is part of the national team’s season, and I believe we are very strong to reach the final. We came to defend the title, Brazil always plays to win tournaments.”

César Lovera, Coach of Colombia: “The first objective is to get through the group stage. We believe we have a chance to move on to the next round, and from there we hope to play the best tournament possible. Preparation was short due to overlap with the U21 World Championship and the Senior Pan American Cup. The group is strong and ready to compete for a good performance at the Junior Pan American Games.”

Darian Ferrer, Coach of Cuba: “We will aim for the best possible result. One of our goals is to fight for a spot on the podium. We ask the boys to enjoy the competition, to take it one match at a time and to feel good, because from there, results will come.”

Alexander Gutiérrez, Coach of Dominican Republic: “For us this is a tough tournament; we’re in a group that everyone expects the medalists to come from. This will allow us to measure ourselves against the powerhouses Brazil and Argentina, to see how far we still need to go to keep progressing and consolidating as we move forward. We just had a good tournament at the U23 Pan American Cup, and we will try to do our best, fighting in every match to see if we can advance to the next round. This is a long-term project, and a good result doesn’t mean we’re already established, it means we’re on the right path.”

Reider Lucas, Coach of Guatemala: “This is a beautiful competition, with a very high level and well-prepared teams; it is the prelude to the senior national teams. We come with the goal of finishing the group stage in a position that allows us to advance to the next round and improve on our performance from the last edition.”

Renato Soares, Coach of Mexico: “We arrived two days ago and are eager to start the competition. We are ready to do our best. The group we’re in is theoretically not as difficult as the other, and we must face three important matches to move into the next round. We will try to finish first in the group, that’s our first goal, though it will be a very tough challenge.”

Ronald Sarti, Coach of Paraguay: “Paraguay is a developing team, a process we began two years ago with my arrival in 2023 to prepare for the Junior Pan American Games. It’s a young group with little experience but a strong desire to compete. We’ve worked hard and seriously to arrive in the best possible shape, and I believe we’ve succeeded because they have improved. We have a team ready to compete; you will see a different Paraguay, a young and hungry team. Even though we’re the least experienced nation, we will compete and give our all to represent the country in the best way possible.”