SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 29, 2026. – Dominican Republic held its composure in the decisive moments to defeat Guatemala 3-1 (25-15, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23) and advance to the fifth-place match of the men’s volleyball tournament at the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026.
The host team will face Venezuela for fifth place, while Guatemala will take on Suriname in the seventh-place match.
After controlling the opening set, the Dominican Republic was challenged by a determined Guatemala side that evened the match and kept both the third and fourth sets close. The home team, however, relied on its strong blocking at key moments to regain control and seal the victory.
Blocking proved to be the decisive factor, with the Dominican Republic holding an 11-6 advantage. Guatemala finished with a narrow edge in attacks (55-53), while both teams recorded two aces. The Guatemalans, however, committed 31 unforced errors compared to 22 by the Dominican Republic, a difference that ultimately proved costly.
Adrián Figueroa led the Dominican offense with 24 points, while Moisés Ortíz added 16 and Luis Reinoso contributed 11.
Guatemala was led by Pablo Pérez with 16 points. Andy Leonardo scored 15 before leaving the match with an injury in the fourth set, while Jason Hernández also finished with 15 points and Christian Álvarez added 10.
“We stayed focused throughout the match, and that was key to earning the victory. We played as a unit, and although our level dropped at times, we were able to recover. God willing, tomorrow we’ll finish the tournament in fifth place,” said Moisés Ortíz after the win.
Guatemala’s Pablo Pérez said, “It was an intense match. The Dominican Republic kept applying pressure; they’re a strong team. We were out of sync in the first set, but we managed to recover. Losing Andy affected our concentration a bit. Tomorrow we’ll go out looking for the victory.”
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