SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, September 25, 2026.- A strong 21-point performance by outside hitter Stanley Grant led Costa Rica into the semifinals of the Men’s U23 Pan American Cup with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-23) victory over Dominican Republic.
Costa Rica now awaits the result of the match between Mexico and El Salvador to determine whether it will face Guatemala or the United States in the semifinals.
Grant led Costa Rica’s offense with 21 points, while captain Ignacio Morales added 15. For Dominican Republic, Malik Britton scored 15 points and Ronny Molina contributed 14.
Costa Rica comfortably controlled only the second set. The first and third sets were closely contested and could have gone either way, but the Costa Ricans executed better in the decisive moments to close out both sets and secure the victory.
Costa Rica held the advantage in all scoring categories, leading 47-38 in attacks, 5-2 in blocks and 4-1 in aces.
Stanley Grant, outside hitter of Costa Rica: “I’m very happy with the result. We dedicate this achievement to everyone who came out to support us, to my parents, to my teammates’ parents and to all Costa Ricans. This victory belongs to the entire team, and I enjoy sharing these moments with them. We’re very happy, and tomorrow in the semifinals, we’re going to give everything we have.”
Jorge Arturo Solano, head coach of Costa Rica: “I’m very happy for the players, who have made many sacrifices to get here. They deserve it. This is the best thing that could have happened to us,” he said.