SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, July 21, 2026. – The United States secured its place at the 2027 FIVB Girls’ U19 World Championship by advancing directly to the semifinals of the NORCECA Continental Championship after defeating the Dominican Republic in straight sets 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-14) in the final match of Pool A.
With a perfect 2-0 record, the United States finished atop Pool A, earning a direct berth to the semifinals and one of the four NORCECA qualification spots for the U19 World Championship.
The Americans must now await the conclusion of pool play to determine whether they finish as the first or second-best pool winner, which will decide their semifinal opponent.
The Dominican Republic finished second in Pool A with a 1-1 record and advanced to the quarterfinals, where it will compete for one of the remaining two semifinal berths and World Championship spots.
The opening set remained close until the score was tied at 14-14, when the United States took control and never looked back. The Americans maintained the pressure throughout the next two sets, gradually extending their lead to complete the straight-set victory.
The United States held the advantage in attacks (33-21), blocks (7-4), and aces (7-2), while also committing fewer errors, conceding 23 points compared to the Dominican Republic’s 28.
The American offense was well balanced, with Willtrace Ngoh leading the scoring with eight points, followed by Shayala Rautenberg with seven, while three other players contributed six points each.
For the Dominican Republic, Shanty Pérez and Rayni Mondesí led the offense with eight points apiece.
Following the victory, United States captain Ireland Real said: “It was great to secure this win because it allowed us to finish first in our pool. I’m really excited about this team, and I feel we’ve done a great job so far. Against the Dominican Republic, our blocking and staying true to our style of play were the keys.”
Dominican Republic captain Rayni Mondesí commented: “We gave our best in this match. We have to recognize that the United States is a very tall team, and that made things difficult for us. We also needed better communication and more confidence in every play.”
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