SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 7, 2026.- Dominican Republic made history in front of its home crowd by claiming its seventh consecutive women’s volleyball gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games, defeating Colombia 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-21) in the gold medal match of the 25th edition of the Games, Santo Domingo 2026.
In a packed Ricardo Gioriver Arias Volleyball Palace, with fans chanting “¡Vamos Reinas!” in support of Las Reinas del Caribe, Dominican Republic extended its historic streak to seven consecutive titles at the Games.
The gold medal also made the Dominican Republic the most successful women’s volleyball team in the history of the Central American and Caribbean Games, reaching nine gold medals and surpassing Cuba’s eight titles. The Dominicans have also won one silver and four bronze medals.
Dominican Republic took control of the match from the opening set. Their pressure from the service line and strength at the net allowed them to build a lead and keep Colombia at a distance on their way to a 25-19 win.
The second set followed a similar pattern. Colombia tried to stay within reach, but the Dominicans once again imposed their game in the second half of the set to repeat the 25-19 score and move within one set of making history in front of their home crowd.
Colombia put up its strongest resistance in the third set. The score remained close for much of the set, reaching a 14-14 tie before Dominican Republic began to pull away. The Dominicans entered the closing stretch with a 23-20 advantage and eventually reached championship point at 24-21.
With the entire Volleyball Palace on its feet, Jineiry Martínez brought the tournament to an end with a block on Laura Olaya for the 25-21 victory, setting off the celebration for Las Reinas del Caribe and the Dominican fans.
Blocking was one of the key elements in Dominican Republic’s victory, with a 12-5 advantage and also led 8-2 in aces. The champions committed 17 unforced errors compared to Colombia’s 21, while the Colombians held a slight 35-34 edge in attacks.
Yonkaira Peña led the Dominican offense with 16 points, while Gaila González contributed 13. For Colombia, Ivonne Montaño was the top scorer with 14 points.
For Colombia, the silver medal was the second medal in its history in women’s volleyball at the Central American and Caribbean Games. Both have been silver medals, and on both occasions, Colombia faced Dominican Republic in the gold medal match.
Dominican Republic head coach Marcos Kwiek highlighted his team’s concentration throughout the competition and the work they put in to live up to their status as favorites.
“We entered the competition as favorites. We played a very focused tournament. Sports are won on the court, not before and not after. We showed that we are at a good level. Today we celebrate, and tomorrow we will continue working for what lies ahead,” Kwiek said.
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