SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, September 22, 2026.- The Dominican Republic opened its title defense with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-23) victory over Trinidad and Tobago in the first match of Pool B at the Men’s U23 Pan American Cup, held at the Palacio de los Deportes Carlos “El Famoso” Hernández.
Three Dominican players scored in double figures. Malik Zahir Britton led all scorers with 20 points, Antonio de Jesús added 13, and captain Ronny Molina finished with 12.
For Trinidad and Tobago, Jahreef Miguel led the team with 14 points, followed by Michael Burkett with 12.
The Dominican Republic controlled the opening set from start to finish. Although Trinidad and Tobago responded with some successful attacks, its unforced errors made things easier for the Dominicans.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with the Dominican Republic taking an early lead and never giving it up. The third was more closely contested, as Trinidad and Tobago kept the pressure on until the closing stages, but the Dominicans responded in the final points to secure the set and the match.
The Dominican Republic held a 40-36 advantage in attacks, 5-2 in blocks and 3-0 in aces. Trinidad and Tobago committed 27 unforced errors, compared to 18 by the Dominicans.
On Wednesday, the Dominican Republic will face the United States at 3:00 p.m., while Trinidad and Tobago will have a rest day.
Ronny Molina, Dominican Republic Captain: “We’ve been training together for some time now. We get along well and know how to position ourselves on the court. In matches like this, we made things difficult for ourselves toward the end, but we managed to pull through by staying composed and playing smart. It may have looked easy from the outside, but it was quite a challenging match.”
Nicholas Williams, Trinidad and Tobago Captain: “I think it was a good first performance, especially at the beginning of the tournament. We fought well, although we lacked focus at certain moments of the match. Other than that, the team handled things well, and we look forward to the matches ahead.”