SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 26, 2026. – Mexico earned its first victory in the men’s volleyball tournament at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-22) win over Suriname in a hard-fought Pool B match.
With the result, Mexico improved to a 1-1 record and will conclude pool play on Monday against host Dominican Republic. Suriname, still seeking its first win, will face Colombia in its final preliminary-round match.
Although the scoreline showed a straight-set victory, Suriname pushed Mexico throughout the contest, keeping both the second and third sets close. Mexico responded in the key moments, relying on an effective offense and solid blocking to secure an important win.
Mexico held advantages of 40-30 in attacks and 9-7 in blocks, while Suriname edged the service category with four aces to Mexico’s three. The teams committed a similar number of unforced errors, with Mexico finishing with 24 and Suriname with 23.
Opposite Franky Hernández led Mexico with 16 points, while outside hitter Mauro Fuentes contributed 13. Suriname’s opposite Meson Anakaba was the match’s leading scorer for his team with 15 points.
Mexico’s opposite Franky Hernández said: “It was a demanding match. We focused on correcting our mistakes, improving our passing, attacking against the block, staying organized, and playing a little smarter. Personally, I focused more on my serve to help the team. Everyone did their job well.”
Looking ahead to Monday’s match, he added: “We know the Dominican Republic is a very strong opponent, and playing at home makes them even tougher. It will be a great challenge to try to beat the host nation.”
Suriname’s opposite Meson Anakaba commented: “We put pressure on Mexico, but unfortunately our unforced errors cost us too many points. We could have won the match if we had stayed a little more focused and consistent. It was a very close match, and now we have to learn from it for our next game.”
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