COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 8, 2026.– The Dominican Republic remained unbeaten at the 2026 NORCECA Women’s U21 Pan American Cup after defeating the U.S. Virgin Islands in straight sets, 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-10), on Wednesday at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.
The victory improved the Dominican Republic’s record to 2-0 in the preliminary round, while the U.S. Virgin Islands dropped to 0-2.
The Dominicans controlled the match from start to finish, holding advantages in attacks (33-22), blocks (7-1), and service aces (8-4).
The Dominican Republic and Costa Rica will meet on Thursday to determine the winner of Pool B. The first-place team will advance directly to the semifinals, while the second-place finisher will play in the quarterfinals.
Rayni Mondesí led all scorers with 13 points, while Julie Arias added 8. Ambar Hernández and Cristal Mercedes chipped in 5 points apiece.
For the U.S. Virgin Islands, Kinsley Taylor, Brielle Nestor, and Avielle Lewis each scored 5 points.
Alexandre Ceccato, Dominican Republic coach: “We played better today. The girls were more relaxed and maintained a good rhythm throughout the match. Now our focus shifts to Costa Rica, a match that will determine a place in the semifinals.”
Rafael Isaac, U.S. Virgin Islands coach: “We didn’t get the win, but we played much better than in our previous match. We reduced our errors, and that’s the objective—to keep improving the team’s level. Tomorrow we’ll work on the areas where we struggled and continue moving forward.”
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