Dominican Republic Reaches U21 Pan Am

Cup Semifinals with Comeback Victory

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 9, 2026. – The Dominican Republic rallied after dropping the opening set to defeat Costa Rica 3-1 (24-26, 25-17, 25-14, 25-19) and secure a direct berth in the semifinals of the 2026 NORCECA Women’s U21 Pan American Cup at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.

After Costa Rica edged the opening set in a tightly contested finish, the Dominicans regrouped and took control of the match, winning the next three sets comfortably to claim first place in Pool B and advance directly to Saturday's semifinals, while Costa Rica moves on to Friday's quarterfinals.

The Dominican Republic showcased a balanced offense, placing four players in double figures. Rayni Mondesí led the team with 20 points, followed by Virelys Rivera with 19, while Ambar Hernández and Cristal Mercedes each added 12.

Costa Rica's Nhya Barley finished as the match's leading scorer with 26 points, while Charlotte Martínez and María Venegas contributed 10 points apiece.

The Dominicans held the advantage in attacks (57-45), blocks (8-7), and service aces (9-4).

Alexandre Ceccato, Dominican Republic head coach: "It was a tough match because the girls know how to play, but sometimes they hesitate when executing plays. Costa Rica is a good team and managed to win the first set, but we made adjustments, bounced back, and closed out the match."

Ciro Zoratti, Costa Rica head coach: "Today we played against a great Dominican Republic team. They have a good serve, good defense, and a good attack. We managed to win the first set, and I think we played better than I expected. Full credit to the Dominican Republic."