Puerto Rico earn World Cup 2027 spot

Puerto Rico emerged as the fifth NORCECA team to secure a spot at the 2027 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Cup, after the hosts of the event - Canada and the Unites States - and the teams that finished third and fourth at the 2026 NORCECA Women's Volleyball Continental Championship – Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Reigning world champions Italy are also already qualified as such.

On the last day of the NORCECA continental competition on Wednesday, Puerto Rico won the fifth-place match against Mexico in a five-set battle and that success propelled them to next year’s World Cup and to this week’s Olympic qualifier to be held at the same venue in Santo Domingo. The race for the NORCECA berth at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games continues with the participation of the top four teams in the NORCECA Championship final standings (outside Olympic hosts USA) – Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico – on Friday and Saturday.

After finishing third in Pool B of the continental tournament in the Dominican Republic and losing their quarterfinal match to USA, Puerto Rico continued in the race for the last available ticket to the World Cup.

In a fifth-place semifinal, they hammered out a 3-0 (25-7, 25-5, 25-5) shutout of Trinidad & Tobago on Tuesday, and followed up with a hard-fought 3-2 (25-16, 23-25, 23-25, 25-17, 15-11) victory over Mexico in the deciding match for the fifth place.

The NORCECA Championship title was conquered by Canada, who triumphed on top of the podium in Santo Domingo after a 3-2 (25-23, 25-23, 20-25, 18-25, 15-10) victory over World Cup co-hosts USA. It was a historic success for Canada. Previously in the competition, they had collected two silvers and 11 bronzes, but the 2026 gold constitutes the country’s first continental title.

Cuba took the bronze after producing a 3-0 (26-24, 25-17, 25-18) sweep of the third-place match against hosts Dominican Republic and returned to the NORCECA Championship podium for the first time in 15 years.

In Tuesday’s semifinals, Canada achieved a 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-17) shutout of Cuba, while USA put together a 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-10) victory over the home team.

Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the eight-team continental competition.

Santo Domingo will now host the deciding matches of the continental Olympic qualification for LA 2028. In Friday’s semifinals, Canada will meet Puerto Rico, while Cuba and the Dominican Republic will lock horns again to determine Saturday’s finalists, who will battle it out for the Olympic ticket.

NORCECA Women's Volleyball Continental Championship and Qualifier: schedule and results

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