SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 25, 2026. – The Dominican Republic opened its campaign in the men’s volleyball tournament of the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026 with a commanding 3-0 (25-19, 25-10, 25-13) victory over Suriname in the final match of Pool B’s opening day.
The hosts will face Colombia (1-0) in the second day of Pool B action, while Suriname (0-1) will take on Mexico (0-1).
The Dominican Republic held the advantage in every major statistical category, leading Suriname in attacks (35-19), blocks (9-5), and aces (6-1). The home team also displayed greater consistency, committing just 17 unforced errors compared to Suriname’s 25.
After a closely contested opening set, the Dominicans raised their level significantly to dominate the second set 25-10. The home side remained in control throughout the third set, combining an efficient offense with strong serving pressure to close out the match with a 25-13 victory.
Moisés Ortíz led the Dominican offense with 12 points, while Alexis Cruz added 10.
For Suriname, Anfernee Lee A Leong was the team’s leading scorer with seven points.
Dominican Republic libero Enger Mieses said: “We have a squad with many young players who have been given opportunities since the Final Four tournament as part of our preparation for this competition. In this first match, the opening set was very competitive and Suriname really challenged us. We know the level of the tournament will keep increasing each day, and that first set was a good indication of what we can expect throughout the rest of the competition.”
Suriname captain Keven Sporkslede said: “This was our first international match of the year, and we were hoping for a better start. We believe we will adapt to the level of competition in the matches ahead and continue improving one game at a time.”
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