Costa Rica Secures Quarterfinal Berth

at Men’s U21 Pan American Cup

 

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, June 25, 2026. – Costa Rica secured its place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Men’s U21 Pan American Cup with a commanding 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-20) victory over Nicaragua on Thursday at Teodoro Palacios Flores Gymnasium in Guatemala City.

 

With a 2-1 record, Costa Rica advanced to the knockout stage and awaits the outcome of the Canada-Guatemala match to determine its final standing in Pool B. Nicaragua, which finished winless in pool play, will compete in the classification matches for fifth through eighth places.

 

Costa Rica controlled the Central American matchup by leading 31-21 in attacks, 12-5 in blocks, and 6-0 in aces. The Costa Ricans also capitalized on 26 Nicaraguan errors while committing 18 of their own.

 

Stanley Grant led Costa Rica with 14 points, followed by Ignacio Morales with 10. Nicaragua's top offensive performer was Inti Zapata.

 

Costa Rica established control from the opening set behind the powerful attacks of Edser Barrantes and Stanley Grant, quickly building a seven-point advantage. Nicaragua responded through Inti Zapata and Elías Zeledón but was unable to slow the Costa Rican momentum, as the winners capitalized on their opponents' errors to take the opening set.

 

The second set followed a similar pattern. Although Zapata found openings in the Costa Rican defense, Costa Rica strengthened its blocking and defensive system through Roberto Zúñiga, Denzel Jiménez, and Jeremy Vanega to extend its lead and move within one set of victory.

 

Nicaragua showed greater resistance late in the third set, scoring three consecutive points, including a block by Álvaro Quesada on Ignacio Morales. However, Costa Rica remained in control and sealed the victory with a kill by Stanley Grant followed by a powerful ace from Morales.

 

Costa Rica's leading scorer, Stanley Grant, reflected on his team's performance throughout the pool stage: “Today was a Central American match, and there's always a rivalry. It wasn't easy, but fortunately we managed to control it in three sets. Against Guatemala, a tough team playing at home, we were able to impose our game. Against Canada, we started well but gave them the opportunity to gain confidence, and that cost us. Now it's time to give everything in the quarterfinals to reach the semifinals”.

 

For Nicaragua, Anthony Huete said: “It was a very difficult match for us. I think we could have achieved a better result. Everyone had the opportunity to play, and that was important. We gave everything and stayed united as a team. We know we can perform much better, and we'll prove it at the U21 Central American Championship in Panama”.