SAN SEBASTIÁN, Puerto Rico, January 19, 2026.– The two-time champions Caribes de San Sebastián successfully defended the Luis Aymat Cardona Coliseum and earned their first victory of the Men’s Volleyball Superior League (LVSM) Final Series, defeating the Cafeteros de Yauco in four sets (20-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-21).
San Sebastián was coming off two intense five-set losses, but Monday night brought a different turn. From the opening whistle, a more stable, more connected, and above all more confident team was evident. That was echoed by middle blocker Pedro Nieves, a key figure in the victory, as he reflected on the change in attitude shown by the Caribes.
“First of all, grateful to God. This is a spectacle that fills me with great joy. These are two great teams that reached the final for a reason,” he said, while acknowledging the opponent’s push. “My respect always to the Cafeteros de Yauco. They hadn’t reached a final in years, and they have that hunger to beat us. They’re a team that battles hard. I think the difference today was that we believed more in ourselves. We know things will happen; we’re human and we’ll make mistakes, but we look for ways to stay united as a family.”
On what they need to do to return from Yauco with the series tied, Nieves was clear: “Stay calm, don’t get distracted by things that are not under our control. Focus on what we can do and trust the game plan.”
With the match tied at one set apiece, the third set became a point-by-point battle. The final tie came at 23-all, when San Sebastián closed the set with an effective middle attack by Nieves and a double contact called on Cafeteros attacker Juan Felipe Castañeda, who attempted to return the ball on the third touch.
In the fourth set, the Caribes’ aggressive serving and the combined offense of Pelegrín Vargas and Corey Chavers—who scored 22 and 18 points respectively—tilted the balance in favor of the hosts. Nieves added 11 points, including four blocks.
For the Cafeteros, setter Kevin Rodríguez acknowledged the difficulty of the match, though he did not hide his frustration with certain moments of the game. “We’re in their house; we knew it was going to be a tough match, and it was. They did what they had to do: defend their home. We were going to play hard, but the errors hurt us a bit at key moments,” he said.
Rodríguez also reacted to officiating situations, without using them as an excuse. “I don’t agree with what happened with the referees, but that’s not an excuse. We had the game in our hands,” he stated before looking ahead to the next matchup. “We need to be a little more patient and leave the referees alone. Patience is the key to this series. When we come back here, minimizing errors and those counterattacks will be important in tough moments. With that, we can come away with the win.”
For Yauco, the offense was led by Brandon Rattray (17 points), Juan Felipe Castañeda (12), and Diego Negrón (10).
The series, scheduled as a best-of-seven, will continue this Wednesday, January 21, at the Raúl “Pipote” Oliveras Coliseum, home of the Cafeteros, starting at 8:00 p.m.
Upcoming matches:
– Wednesday, January 21: San Sebastián at Yauco (8:00 p.m.)
– Friday, January 23: Yauco at San Sebastián (8:00 p.m.) (if necessary)
– Sunday, January 25: San Sebastián at Yauco (7:00 p.m.) (if necessary)
– Tuesday, January 27: Yauco at San Sebastián (8:00 p.m.) (if necessary)
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