PONCE, Puerto Rico, August 25, 2026.- Mexico earned its second victory at the NORCECA Men’s Final Six after dropping the opening set and winning the next three to defeat host Puerto Rico 3-1 (17-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-22) at the Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium.
Both teams now hold a 2-1 record.
With the match tied at one set apiece, Puerto Rico and Mexico were level at 19-19 in the third after an attacking error by Diego González from the right side. The final tie came at 20-20 before Mexico moved ahead 22-20 on a service error by Pelegrín Vargas and an ace from Miguel Ángel García. Mexico maintained control from there to take the set 25-21.
The fourth set followed a similar pattern, with the teams staying close through the final stretch. Antonio Feliciano tied the score at 21-21 with an ace, but Mexico responded with a 4-1 run to close the set 25-22 and secure the victory.
Yasutaka Sanay led Mexico with 13 points, followed by Axel Téllez with 12, Diego González with 11, and Franky Hernández with 10.
For Puerto Rico, Klistan Lawrence and Pedro Molina scored 14 points each, while Ismael Alomar added 13 and Pelegrín Vargas contributed 11.
Puerto Rico held the advantage in attacks (49-44) and aces (7-6), while both teams recorded 7 blocks. Mexico, however, committed 22 errors compared to Puerto Rico’s 35.
Miguel Ángel García – Mexico
“It feels really good to beat Puerto Rico at home because there have been times when they have beaten us in Mexico, so winning here is very satisfying. It means we have worked very well.
“I think the key was our serving and teamwork throughout the match. Both teams had ups and downs, but we managed to stay a little more consistent, strong, and united. With this result, we hope to reach the semifinals and from there aim for the podium and, obviously, the gold medal.”
Mexico will face Canada this Wednesday, while Puerto Rico will take on Guatemala.
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