SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 4, 2026. – Cuba secured its place in the quarterfinals of the women’s volleyball tournament at the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026 with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-15) victory over Costa Rica in the final Group B match.
With the win, Cuba finished the preliminary round with a 2-1 record and advanced to the knockout stage, while Costa Rica will compete in the classification matches for fifth through eighth places.
Cuba controlled the first two sets with a solid performance in attack and blocking. However, Costa Rica took a 7-3 lead in the third set through improved defensive coordination and a more aggressive offense. The Cubans responded immediately, tied the score at 7-7, and regained control of the match to close out the victory in straight sets.
Cuba held a 41-25 advantage in attacks and dominated at the net with an 8-0 edge in blocks. Costa Rica held a slight advantage in service points, recording four aces to Cuba’s two. Cuba also capitalized on 23 Costa Rican errors while conceding 18 points on its own errors.
Yalain De La Peña led Cuba’s offense with 12 points, while Nhya Barley also scored 12 points for Costa Rica.
Cuba’s Whitney James highlighted the team’s accomplishment of reaching the next round.
“So far, we’ve accomplished our objective. This match allowed all of our players to contribute on the court and gain playing time. We were able to use the entire roster because everyone will be important in the next round.”
Costa Rica’s Tannia Carazo emphasized her team’s improvement.
“I think we felt much more comfortable today. Defensively, we’ve been performing well. We played better as a team and were more aggressive offensively. Now we’ll prepare for what’s ahead.”
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