Dominican Republic Overcomes Cuba in

Hard-Fought Battle at NORCECA U19

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, July 20, 2026. – The Dominican Republic prevailed over Cuba 3-1 (25-19, 25-13, 21-25, 25-22) in a hard-fought battle in its opening match of the NORCECA Girls' U19 Continental Championship.

The Dominican Republic with a 1-0 win-loss record, matching the United States atop Pool A. The two teams will meet on the third day of competition to determine the group winner.

Cuba, meanwhile, concluded pool play with its second defeat and will now await the outcome of the remaining matches to learn its opponent for the next phase, where the final tournament positions will be determined.

The Dominican Republic appeared to be on its way to a comfortable victory after taking the first two sets. However, Cuba rallied to claim the third set and extended the battle into the fourth, where the Dominicans responded in the decisive moments to secure the victory.

The Dominicans held the advantage in attacks (50-30), while Cuba led in blocks (13-9) and aces (6-5). However, the Cubans gave away 32 points on unforced errors compared to 30 by the Dominican Republic.

Rayni Mondesí led the Dominican offense with 23 points, while Leandry Almonte added 14. For Cuba, Amanda Mayor finished with a team-high 17 points, followed by Yusdely Cabrera with 10.

After the match, Dominican Republic head coach Marcelo Cezarano said: "It was a very difficult match. At this age level, you can play very well in one set and then suddenly your level drops in the next. We made too many mistakes. We won the first two sets, then our level declined, but we managed to make the necessary adjustments. In the end, it was a well-played match."

Cuba head coach Enrique Larrazaleta commented: "It was a very closely contested match. We weren't able to execute the game we wanted, but this experience will help us in future competitions so our players can maintain their focus and handle pressure better."