SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 6, 2026. – Venezuela recovered after dropping the opening set to defeat Costa Rica 3-1 (23-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-9) and advance to the fifth-place match of the women’s volleyball tournament at the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026.
Venezuela will face Mexico for fifth place, while Costa Rica will play Trinidad and Tobago for seventh place.
Costa Rica finished the opening set strongly after a slow start that saw Venezuela build an early lead. The Costa Ricans rallied with solid offensive play to take the set. From the second set onward, Venezuela settled into its rhythm, becoming more consistent in attack and at the net. The South Americans controlled the fourth set from start to finish, limiting Costa Rica to just nine points to seal the victory.
Venezuela held the advantage in every major scoring category, leading 53-44 in kills, 11-6 in blocks, and 5-3 in aces. They also committed fewer unforced errors than Costa Rica (20-29).
Meriyen Maiz led all scorers with 22 points for Venezuela. Isabella Sibada added 16 points, while Mariangel Vivas contributed 13. Costa Rica’s Nhya Barley paced her team with 13 points.
Meriyen Maiz said her team needed time to recover after the demanding quarterfinal match.
“It took us a while to find our rhythm. Yesterday’s match left us mentally and physically tired, and Costa Rica is a team that never gives up and always puts up a good fight. We were able to get into the match and win it. Tomorrow will be a rematch against Mexico, and we’re going to give it everything we have.”
English 
Spanish