SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 5, 2026. – Puerto Rico secured a place in the semifinals of the women’s volleyball tournament at the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026 with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-21) victory over Mexico.
With the win, Puerto Rico advanced to the semifinals, while Mexico will compete in the classification matches for fifth through eighth places.
Although Puerto Rico won in straight sets, the match was far more competitive than the final score indicated. In the opening set, Mexico battled back from a four-point deficit and applied pressure late, but the Puerto Ricans held their advantage to take the lead.
The second set remained tightly contested, with both teams exchanging points and staying within striking distance throughout. However, Puerto Rico once again responded in the decisive moments, relying on its strong blocking to move within one set of victory.
Mexico continued to challenge in the third set behind the offensive leadership of Sofía Maldonado, but Puerto Rico capitalized on its play through the middle and solid defense to close out the match and secure its place in the semifinals.
Puerto Rico built its victory around its blocking, holding a 12-6 blocking advantage while also leading 3-1 in service aces. Although Mexico finished with a 41-35 edge in attacks, the Mexicans also committed more errors (25-18).
Middle blocker Diana Reyes led Puerto Rico with 13 points, including a match-high six blocks. Decelise Champion added 11 points. For Mexico, Sofía Maldonado once again led her team with 15 points and was the only Mexican player to reach double figures.
Puerto Rican middle blocker Diana Reyes credited the team’s collective effort for reaching the semifinals.
“We still had a little thorn from the Final Four that was recently held in Puerto Rico. This time we all followed the game plan the coaches gave us, and that made a huge difference because they really weren’t able to play their game. The energy and chemistry within the team were key. We stayed united regardless of the score, and that helped us tremendously.”
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