ALAJUELA, Costa Rica, July 26, 2025.- The Dominican Republic claimed fifth place at the Women’s U21 Pan American Cup after defeating Mexico 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-19) in the tournament held at the Profesor Jorge Luis Solera Gymnasium of the Monserrat Sports Complex in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
The match started as a back-and-forth battle with no clear dominance from either team. After point 15, Mexico managed to pull ahead, but the Caribbean squad tied the score at 22 and took the set, leading with 17 attack points and 4 blocks.
The second set mirrored the first, with alternating control and increasingly contested points featuring longer rallies. The Dominican Republic took command in the third set.
The Dominicans outperformed in attacks (45-37) and blocks (8-4), while Mexico held the edge in serving (6-2).
Victoria Firpo of the Dominican Republic finished the match with 16 points, including 11 attacks, 4 blocks, and 1 ace, while Julie Millaray Arias contributed 12 points. For Mexico, Paula Miranda scored 13 points, with 9 attacks, 1 block, and 3 aces.
Mexico will face Puerto Rico on Sunday, July 27 at 1:00 p.m. to compete for sixth and seventh place in the tournament.
After the match, Dominican Republic’s Brazilian head coach Alexandre Ceccato commented, “In the end, it was a good result for me. The team is good; it’s a U19 squad, and finishing fifth is not bad. My intention was to be among the top four teams in the tournament, but it wasn’t possible. Next Sunday, we’re off to Indonesia to play the World Championship in this category.”
English 
Spanish