SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, September 22, 2026.- Mexico earned a hard-fought 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-14, 25-19) victory over Nicaragua in the opening match of the 2026 Men’s U23 Pan American Cup at the Palacio de los Deportes Carlos “El Famoso” Hernández in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Mexico held the advantage in attacks (55-36) and blocks (9-6), while Nicaragua had a slight edge in aces (3-2). Both teams committed 32 unforced errors.
The first set remained close, with Mexico holding a two-point lead for much of the way. It was after reaching 16 points that the Mexicans managed to extend their advantage and take the set 25-19.
Nicaragua bounced back in the second set, surprising Mexico by building a significant lead. The Mexicans narrowed the gap down the stretch, but a service error on the decisive point allowed Nicaragua to level the match with a 25-23 win.
In the third set, Nicaragua lost setter Cristopher Castillo to an injury that kept him out for much of the set. Mexico capitalized on Nicaragua’s difficulties in organizing its offense, taking control and claiming the set 25-14.
Mexico maintained its advantage in the fourth set and closed out the match 25-19 to secure its first victory of the tournament.
Fernando Cadena and Diego Ruiz led Mexico’s offense with 17 points apiece, while Nahum Vásquez added 14. For Nicaragua, Alejandro Ocampo finished with 16 points and Taushaun Hooker contributed 15.
Mexico (1-0) will face Costa Rica on Wednesday, September 23, at 5:00 p.m., while Nicaragua (0-1) will have a rest day.
Diego Ruiz, Mexico’s Captain: “We made a lot of unforced errors, especially on serves. I think it’s part of finding our rhythm. We’ll keep improving little by little and give it our all. Our goal is to reach the final and, why not, win the gold medal.”
Yader León, Nicaragua’s Captain: “We really regret our setter’s injury, especially at a moment when the team was beginning to find its rhythm. That doesn’t mean we’ll stop fighting. We’ll look to regroup and get a positive result in our next match.”