Mexico secured a silver medal and the Dominican Republic claimed bronze at the recent NORCECA Men’s Final Four tournament held in Puebla. Both teams have significantly benefited from the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program, which provides crucial support for national federations. Puerto Rico ultimately clinched the gold medal in the competition.
The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program has provided substantial financial backing to these nations. Mexico`s national volleyball and beach volleyball teams have received a total of $1,328,000 in coaching support, alongside an additional $115,000 for volleyball equipment. Brazil`s Carlos Schwanke currently leads Mexico`s men`s national team as head coach. Similarly, the Dominican Republic’s national volleyball teams have also received a total of $1,108,500 in coaching support, with $58,500 specifically allocated to their men`s squad, which is trained by Jose Gutierrez Sanchez.
The three-day NORCECA Men’s Final Four, hosted at the BUAP Arena in Puebla, featured a single round-robin format. Mexico began strongly with a close 3-0 victory against Guatemala (27-25, 28-26, 30-28), followed by another dominant 3-0 sweep over the Dominican Republic (25-19, 25-18, 25-19) in their second game.
Meanwhile, Puerto Rico also showcased impressive performances, securing straight-set wins against both the Dominican Republic (3-0: 26-24, 25-20, 25-21) and Guatemala (3-0: 25-21, 25-16, 25-19).
As a result, the final day of the competition featured direct contests for both the championship title and the bronze medal.
First, the Dominican Republic secured their spot on the podium by defeating Guatemala 3-1 (25-22, 25-20, 20-25, 25-21). The final match saw hosts Mexico and Puerto Rico battle through an intense five-set thriller. Despite Mexico taking the lead twice, Puerto Rico ultimately triumphed 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-17, 15-9) to claim the championship title.
Mexican coach Carlos Schwanke expressed satisfaction despite the final outcome: “I’m happy, although a little disappointed with the ending, because we started very well, playing at a great pace, but I think we also felt the pressure of playing at home and without having played any previous preparation matches for this tournament. This is part of a fairly long process, because we’re preparing a team that will be a winner in no time. As this is the first event with this coaching staff, I’m satisfied. We realize there are many players with great potential. We need to integrate some, who are recovering from injuries, but I think it’s a good team.”
Pedro Molina, Puerto Rico’s 26-year-old outside hitter and captain, was honored as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and also received the Best Server award.
The Dream Team for the tournament included:
- Setter: Luke Ramirez (Dominican Republic)
- Opposite: Andy Leonardo (Guatemala – also Best Scorer)
- Outside Hitters: Isaias Aguirre (Mexico – also Best Receiver) and Pelegrin Vargas (Puerto Rico)
- Middle Blockers: Jason Hernandez (Guatemala) and Axel Tellez (Mexico)
- Libero: Josue Gonzalez (Guatemala – also Best Digger)
Tournament Overview
Comprehensive results, statistics, and standings for the NORCECA Men’s Final Four were made available through official channels.
Oliver Wrenwick 
Finley Blackwood