Costa Rica Defeats Virgin Islands to Advance to Fifth-Place Match

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 11, 2026. – Costa Rica earned a convincing straight-set victory over the U.S. Virgin Islands, 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-16), in the 5-8 classification round of the NORCECA U21 Women's Pan American Volleyball Cup at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.

With the win, Costa Rica advances to Sunday's fifth-place match, while the U.S. Virgin Islands will compete for seventh place.

Costa Rica controlled the match from start to finish behind a balanced offensive effort, as Nhya Barley, Charlotte Martínez, and María Venegas each scored 15 points each.

For the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mckaylah Mattis and Avielle Lewis led the scoring with 5 points apiece, while Kinsley Taylor and Brielle Nestor added 4 each.

Costa Rica held clear advantages in attacks (46-20) and service aces (7-3), while the U.S. Virgin Islands narrowly edged the blocking category (6-5).

Ciro Zoratti, Costa Rica's head coach: "We had a bad match last night, and when that happens, a team loses confidence and it almost feels like starting over. I'm pleased with how the girls responded today. They played much better, regained their confidence, and now our focus is on preparing for the next match."

Raphael Isaac, U.S. Virgin Islands head coach:
"I'm a bit disappointed with our defense because we still have a lot of work to do. We are improving, but there are still aspects we need to develop. The players are young, and I'd like to see them perform at a higher level. Overall, I'm happy with the week, but I believe we could have given a little more."