Dominican Republic Came Out on Top Chile in four sets

XALAPA, Mexico, September 4, 2024. - Dominican Republic defeated Chile 3-1 (21-25, 25-11, 25-20, 25-20), improving their record 2-0 in Pool A of the Women's U23 Pan American Cup in Xalapa, Veracruz.

The Dominican Republic (2-0) and Cuba (2-0) will face off on Thursday for the top spot in the pool and a place in the semifinals. Chile (0-2) will play against Costa Rica (0-2) for third place and a chance to advance to the quarterfinals.

The Dominican Republic bounced back from losing the first set, defeating Chile thanks to their superiority in blocking (10-3) and benefiting from 40 Chilean errors compared to their own 20. They also held a slight edge in attacks (37-36). Chile dominated in serves (10-9).

With double-digits, Alandra Tapia (18 points), Geraldine González (16 points), and Florangel Terrero (14 points) led the Dominican Republic to victory.

 González scored a match-high of 6 blocks.

Chilean Petra Schwartzman led all scorers with 19 points, while her teammate Dominga Aylwin contributed 11 points.

Chile won the first set after coming back from a three-point deficit (7-10) with a block by María Nielsen and a serve by Francisca Vásquez; the lead shifted back and forth throughout the set. With the offense of Alondra Tapia and Florangel Terrero, the Dominican Republic rebounded, jumping to a huge lead in the second set (14-6). Geraldine González’s block stopped Chile's efforts, allowing the Dominican team to tie the match with a convincing 25-11. The Dominicans maintained control in the third set, but the Chileans stayed close with attacks and strong serves from Petra Schwartzman. In the fourth set, González’, Tapia, and Terrero blocks were key to securing the win.

Alondra Tapia, top scorer of Dominican Republic: “It was hard for us to get into our rhythm. The team worked hard, and we supported each other to recover, along with the coaching staff. Our team is working on improving, getting better, because there are new players who are still developing. The pressure of coming from behind helps us improve. Personally, I need to be more responsible with my role on the team and give my best. Tomorrow will be a very fun and dynamic match against Cuba”.

Petra Schwartzman, top scorer of Chile: “In the first set, we came out with more determination, more intention, and they gave us more points on errors. The Dominican Republic got more organized in the second set, and it was hard for us to get back into our rhythm. The goal is to win as many matches as we can; we haven’t been able to win the first two, but tomorrow we will give it our all. It's time to turn the page and play well”.