The 2026 Women's NORCECA Volleyball Championship was the 29th edition of the Women's NORCECA Volleyball Championship, a biennial international volleyball tournament organised by the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) for national women's volleyball teams in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The tournament took place from August 21 to 26. It was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, marking the sixth time the competition has been held in the country, after 1977, 1985, 1995, 2001 and 2003.
The top three finishers, excluding the United States and Canada, qualified for the 2027 FIVB Women's Volleyball World Cup. The top four teams, excluding United States, also advanced to a separate tournament to decide the continental spot to the 2028 Summer Olympics.
The Dominican Republic was the three-time defending champion, most recently defeating the United States 3–2 in the 2023 final in Quebec City.
Canada won their first title after defeating the United States 3–2 in the final. For the first time in 15 years, Cuba entered the podium after defeating the Dominican Republic 3–0 in the third place match. The competition witnessed the first 25–0 set in international volleyball history, with Mexico winning the third set against Trinidad and Tobago by that scoreline.
Year change On June 22, 2023, the (FIVB) announced a comprehensive restructuring of the international calendar for the 2025–2028 cycle. As part of this overhaul, continental championships shifted from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years, beginning in 2026. The structural change was implemented to prioritize athlete health and recovery by reducing calendar congestion, as well as to streamline the qualification pathways for major global tournaments such as the FIVB World Cup and the Olympic Games.
Teams Eight teams are taking part. All teams from the 2023 edition are present alongside Trinidad and Tobago, who appeared in 2021. Brackets indicate their world ranking before the tournament.
(11) (52) (34) H (13) (22) (25) (unranked) (4)
Pools composition Pool APool B (H)
Schedule ScheduleRoundMatchdayDatePreliminary roundAll matches August 21–23, 2026Knockout stageQuarterfinals August 24, 2026Semifinals August 25, 20263rd place & Final August 26, 2026
Venue All games are being played at the Pabellón Ricardo Gioriver Arias, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The venue was used for the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games and 2003 Pan American Games. The arena was recently renovated and used for volleyball competitions at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games. Santo DomingoPabellón Ricardo Gioriver AriasCapacity: 3,500
Referees The following 8 referees were selected for the tournament.
Charles Andrew Robb Cinthya Hernandez Rojas Lourdes Perez Perez Yuri R. Ramirez Ortiz Luis Gerardo Macias Walter Hugo Vera Mechan Ricardo Ferreira Hector Ortiz
Format The teams were drawn into two groups of four. The group winners advance directly to the semifinals. The second and third-placed teams from both groups advance to the quarterfinals. The bottom teams are dropped into the 7th place match.
Preliminary round
The schedule was announced on August 17, 2026. All times are Atlantic Time (UTC-04:00). Match won 3–0 or 3–1: 3 match points for the winner, 0 match points for the loser Match won 3–2: 2 match points for the winner, 1 match point for the loser
Tiebreakers Number of matches won Match points Sets ratio Points ratio If the tie continues as per the point ratio between two teams, the priority will be given to the team which won the match between them. When the tie in points ratio is between three or more teams, a new classification of these teams in the terms of points 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be made taking into consideration only the matches in which they were opposed to each other.
Pool A
Pool B
Final round All times are Atlantic Time (UTC-04:00).
Quarterfinals
5th-8th semifinals
Semifinals
7th place match
5th place match
3rd place match
Final
Final standings
Awards
The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament:
Most valuable player Kacey Jost Best spikers Simone Lee Decelise Champion Best scorer Decelise Champion Best middle blockers Geraldine González Chiaka Ogbogu Best setter Gretell Moreno Best opposite Yalain De La Peña Best libero Yanisleidis Sánchez Best digger Yanisleidis Sánchez Best receiver Abagayle Guezen Best server Paola Rivera
Statistics
Top 5 Scorers RankNamePoints1 Decelise Champion2 Yalain De La Peña3 Grecia Castro4 Sofía Maldonado5 Diaris Pérez Logan Eggleston
Notable statistics Most points in a set: 27–25 (Fourth set in Puerto Rico 2–3 Cuba, August 21) Fewest points by a team in a set: 25–0 (Third set in Mexico 2–3 Trinidad and Tobago, August 23) Longest game: 2 hr 40 min (Puerto Rico 2–3 Cuba, August 21) Shortest game: 56 min (United States 3–0 Trinidad and Tobago, August 21; Mexico 3–0 Trinidad and Tobago, August 23) Most points scored by a player in a game: 34 (Decelise Champion vs Mexico, August 26) Highest attended game: 3,300 (Dominican Republic 3–1 Puerto Rico, August 23) Lowest attended game: 20 (Trinidad and Tobago 0–3 Costa Rica, August 26)
2028 Summer Olympics qualifier Unlike other continental championships, whose champions qualify directly for the Olympic Games, the NORCECA utilized a separate qualification process. The top four eligible teams—excluding the United States, which qualified automatically as the host nation—competed in a single-elimination tournament to determine the NORCECA representative for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Semifinals
3rd place match
Final
See also 2026 AVC Women's Volleyball Continental Championship 2026 Women's African Nations Volleyball Championship 2026 Women's European Volleyball Championship 2026 Women's South American Volleyball Championship
References
Matchday reports Women's NORCECA Championship ReferencePreviewDay 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6
2028 Olympic Qualification ReferencePreviewDay 1[ Day 2]
External links