SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, July 24, 2026. – Mexico claimed the bronze medal at the NORCECA Girls’ U19 Continental Championship with a 3-1 (25-12, 25-23, 21-25, 25-18) victory over Puerto Rico, displaying greater consistency throughout the match to secure a place on the podium.
Mexico took control from the opening set with a dominant performance. Although Puerto Rico raised its level to challenge in a closely contested second set, Mexico responded to extend its advantage. Puerto Rico pulled one set back by winning the third, but the Mexicans regained control early in the fourth set and managed the lead the rest of the way to seal the victory and the bronze medal.
With the result, Mexico earned its fifth bronze medal in the history of the NORCECA Girls’ U19 Continental Championship, in addition to the two silver medals it has won in the tournament.
Mexico held the advantage in the match’s key statistical categories, leading Puerto Rico in attacks (38-32) and blocks (9-5). Puerto Rico finished ahead in aces (6-3) but conceded more points on unforced errors (30-20).
Karen González and Isabella Gallardo led the Mexican offense with 17 and 16 points respectively.
For Puerto Rico, Anabella Valentín was the top scorer with 13 points. Carinialys Román added 12, while Arianna Pantojas and Anna Aquino contributed 10 points apiece.
After securing the bronze medal, Karen González said: “We always gave our best. We are warriors, and we never stopped fighting. With this medal, we achieved another one of our goals.”
Puerto Rico head coach Leira Ortiz commented: “We always come to compete and to achieve the best possible result. We wanted to reach the podium, and we had the opportunity to do it, but we never found our rhythm. We committed too many unforced errors, and in the end, they made the difference.”
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