Colombia Opens Santo Domingo 2026 with

a Five-Set Comeback over Mexico

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 25, 2026. – Colombia staged an impressive comeback to defeat Mexico 3-2 (21-25, 23-25, 25-12, 25-20, 15-9) in the opening Pool B match of the men's volleyball tournament at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo.

After dropping the opening two sets, Colombia responded with authority to turn the match around. Beginning in the third set, the Colombians raised the intensity at the net and found greater consistency on offense to dominate the remainder of the match. The winning point came on a Mexican service error in the tie-break.

On the second day of Pool B action, Colombia will face hosts Dominican Republic, while Mexico will look to rebound against Suriname.

Colombia made the difference primarily at the net, outblocking Mexico 16-5. The Colombians also held slight advantages in attacks (48-43) and aces (6-5), while committing one fewer error than their opponents (38-39).

Miguel Ángel Martínez led Colombia with 29 points, while Leandro Mejía added 17, including a match-high six blocks.

For Mexico, Diego González finished with 13 points, followed by Josué López with 10.

Colombian captain Leandro Mejía praised his team's composure after rallying from two sets down. "I think we played well throughout the entire match. We didn't change anything after falling behind by two sets. We actually played those sets well, but we were too anxious. We managed to calm down, kept playing the same game with greater composure, and it worked. It's great to start a tournament with a victory."

Mexico captain Said Bravo regretted his team's inability to protect its two-set lead. "We stopped doing many things well on the court, and Colombia took advantage. They were a little more effective on offense. We struggled with our reception late in the match at key moments. Now it's time to focus on the next match."