COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 10, 2026. – Mexico defeated Costa Rica in straight sets 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-19) in the quarterfinals, advancing to the semifinals of the NORCECA U-21 Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Mexico will face the United States in the semifinals after the Americans advanced directly by finishing first in Pool A, dropping only one set during the preliminary round.
Mexico controlled the match from the opening set, building comfortable leads with an efficient offense and consistent serving. Costa Rica showed more resistance in the third set behind the scoring of Nhya Barley, but the Mexicans remained in control to seal the victory in straight sets.
Aitana Tanguma led Mexico’s offense with 14 points, followed by Angélica Torres with 8 and Kiara Ramírez with 6.
For Costa Rica, Nhya Barley was the match’s top scorer with 16 points, while Charlotte Martínez added 8 and Amelie Jenkins finished with 5.
Mexico held the advantage in attacks (42-27), blocks (6-5), and service aces (6-5), controlling the offensive rhythm throughout the match.
Eduardo Murguía, Mexico’s coach: “I’m happy with the team. We made some adjustments, including lineup rotations, that have worked well since our previous match. This is a national team, so every player is ready to contribute, and I’m pleased with the work they’ve been doing.”
Ciro Zoratti, Costa Rica’s coach: “The match unfolded exactly as we expected because Mexico is a strong team and we’re not at our best right now. We tried to make adjustments during the match, but we couldn’t find solutions. Credit to Mexico—they played very well and deserved the victory.”
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