Empowerment funded Mexico and Puerto Rico medal at NORCECA Women’s Final Six

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Sep 28, 2026
Empowerment funded Mexico and Puerto Rico medal at NORCECA Women’s Final Six

Benefiting from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment support, hosts Mexico and Puerto Rico picked up silver and bronze at last week’s NORCECA Women’s Volleyball Final Six held in Zinacantepec. Defending champions United States won the continental tournament for the third time in the history of the competition.

Mexico’s national teams in volleyball and beach volleyball have been the beneficiaries of a total of USD 1,648,000 combined in coach support from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment so far. In addition, USD 115,000 in volleyball equipment has been granted to the Mexican federation. Italian coaches Nicola Negro and Giulia Palazzo have been working with Mexico’s women’s national volleyball teams. The Federacion Puertorriquena de Voleibol has been granted USD 84,000 in FIVB Volleyball Empowerment coach support for their women’s volleyball national team, trained by Juan Carlos Nunez and Jose Mieles. The federation’s volleyball department has also received USD 75,000 in equipment.

The NORCECA Women’s Volleyball Final Six in Mexico started off with a round-robin phase, from which USA emerged undefeated in five matches, Mexico finished runners-up on a 4-1 win-loss record, and Puerto Rico took third on 2-3, edging Cuba and the Dominican Republic on points.

In the semifinals, Mexico mastered a 3-0 (25-10, 25-19, 25-9) victory over Puerto Rico (pictured in the main photo; source: norceca.net), while USA defeated Cuba by 3-1 (25-17, 22-25, 25-17, 25-21).

The Americans dominated the gold medal showdown and beat Mexico by 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-22), leaving the opponents with silver, their third in the history of the competition.

Puerto Rico bounced back from their semifinal loss with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-23) sweep of the third-place game against Cuba and earned their second bronze medal in the NORCECA Women’s Volleyball Final Six history.

Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Canada took the places from fourth to sixth in the final standings.

USA’s 23-year-old setter Rachel Fairbanks claimed the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, while Mexico’s Sofia Maldonado collected as many as four individual awards – for Best Scorer, for Best Server, for Best Receiver and the first outside hitter spot on the Dream Team. The symbolic ideal seven of the tournament also included setter Ella Powell (USA), opposite Dariana Hollingsworth (Puerto Rico), outside hitter Eva Hudson (USA), middle blockers Neira Ortiz (Puerto Rico) and Geraldine Gonzalez (Dominican Republic), and libero Yaneirys Rodriguez (Dominican Republic). The latter also grabbed the Best Digger award.

2026 NORCECA Women’s Volleyball Final Six: results, standings and statistics

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