LEÓN, Guanajuato, Mexico, June 13, 2026.- Defending champion Puerto Rico remained unbeaten at the 2026 NORCECA Men’s Final Four after defeating Guatemala in straight sets, 3-0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-21), at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato. The victory kept Puerto Rico on course to successfully defend their title, while Guatemala battled throughout the match and pushed them in the final two sets.
Puerto Rico will face host Mexico on the tournament’s final day, while Guatemala will take on the Dominican Republic.
The opening set was closely contested at the beginning, with the score tied at 9-9 before Puerto Rico pulled behind Ismael Alomar, Klistan Lawrence and Jair Santiago. Guatemala fought through the efforts of Carlos López and Andy Leonardo Blanco, but Puerto Rico built a comfortable 20-14 advantage and sealed the set with an ace by Axel Meléndez.
Guatemala made a strong start in the second set, racing to a 4-0 lead thanks to López’s attacks and a series of Puerto Rican errors. Pablo Pérez and Blanco kept Guatemala in front until Puerto Rico rallied to level the score at 8-8. A block by Alomar on López and additional Guatemalan errors helped Puerto Rico move ahead 12-10. Lawrence continued to lead the offense, but Guatemala stayed within striking distance. With the score tied at 22-22, Puerto Rico capitalized on two Guatemalan attacking errors to close out the set and move ahead two sets to none.
Puerto Rico controlled the third set from the start, opening a 12-6 lead while head coach Jamille Torres rotated his lineup. Guatemala, also using substitute players, mounted a late charge as Puerto Rico missed four match points. Jason Hernández sparked the comeback with a kill and a block on Janluar Figueroa, followed by a kill from Javier Lucero. However, Gustavo Álvarez delivered the decisive attack to secure Puerto Rico’s victory.
Puerto Rico held the advantage in blocks (9-4) and service aces (5-0), while Guatemala led in attacks (37-34). Puerto Rico also benefited from 27 Guatemalan errors while committing 19 of its own.
Outside hitter Klistan Lawrence led Puerto Rico with 11 points, while middle blocker Jason Hernández paced Guatemala with 10 points, as the only players to reach double figures.
After the match, Lawrence said: “Guatemala stayed very close in the last two sets because we lost concentration. We relaxed a little, and they took advantage of the opportunities we gave them. We knew we would come away with the victory. Tomorrow against Mexico will be a long, exciting match with a full gym, and may the best team win”.
Hernández reflected on Guatemala’s performance: “We stayed close because we came into the match with a lot of confidence after yesterday’s result. We could have done more, but our attitude did not help us. I am very grateful to the players who came off the bench because they did a great job, and we were still able to battle in the last two sets. Tomorrow we will fight hard against the Dominican Republic”.
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