TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, May 30, 2026. – Costa Rica defeated Dominican Republic 3-2 (25-11, 25-15, 11-25, 18-25, 15-9) on Saturday to secure seventh place at the Girls’ U17 Pan American Cup in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Costa Rica concluded the tournament with a 2-3 record, while Dominican Republic finished in eighth place with 0-3.
Costa Rica dominated the opening set, led by the offensive efficiency of Victoria Cobeña, Luciana Vargas, and Charlotte Martínez. Despite efforts from Shanty Pérez and team captain Leandry Almonte, Costa Rica’s strong blocking pressure allowed them to control the match and take the set comfortably.
The Dominican Republic settled into the second set and kept the score tied at 10-10. Costa Rica then surged ahead with a two-point advantage (12-10) after Vargas blocked Paola De Jesús and followed with a powerful kill. Costa Rica never relinquished the lead, combining solid blocking with effective attacking to move ahead 2-0.
The Dominican Republic responded in the third set with aggressive serving that disrupted Costa Rica’s rhythm. Pérez and Almonte became more effective offensively, while Paola De Jesús gained confidence at the net, helping the Caribbean side build a commanding 20-9 lead on the way to extending the match.
The fourth set followed a similar pattern, with the Dominican Republic opening on a 4-0 run behind the leadership of Pérez and Almonte. Costa Rica narrowed the gap from 6-13 to 9-13 through consecutive points, including a block from Vargas on De Jesús, but could not complete the comeback. Guided by Pérez and supported by De Jesús, the Dominicans forced a decisive fifth set.
Costa Rica took control early in the tiebreaker, jumping to a 9-3 lead with key blocks from Esmeralda Ugalde and Martínez that neutralized the Dominican attack. Cobeña remained relentless at the net, helping extend the advantage to 11-6. Costly Dominican errors down the stretch allowed Costa Rica to close out the victory.
Costa Rica held the advantage in kills (50-38) and blocks (10-8), while Dominican Republic led in service aces (11-8). Both teams committed a similar number of unforced errors, with Costa Rica recording 28 and Dominican Republic 26.
Costa Rica’s Luciana Vargas led all scorers with 21 points. Charlotte Martínez added 16 points, Esmeralda Ugalde contributed 14, and Victoria Cobeña finished with 11 points.
For Dominican Republic, Shanty Pérez was the top scorer with 17 points, including a match-high five aces. Leandry Almonte added 13 points, while Paola De Jesús Dionicio contributed 12 points.
Kareem Richards, Head Coach of Costa Rica, said after the match: “The Dominican Republic is a powerhouse, and we knew they would respond. Our team, despite having a lead, became unsettled. In the end, they managed to follow instructions and found courage; beyond technique, it was courage, the belief and the feeling that we can compete. It was a good result for a group like this.”
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