Dominican Republic survives five-set battle

against Suriname for ninth place

LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.– The Dominican Republic survived a five-set battle to defeat Suriname 3-2 (25-13, 25-15, 23-25, 24-26, 15-11) and secure ninth place at the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

The Dominicans closed the tournament with a record of three wins and three losses, while Suriname finished with 1-4, settling for tenth place.

After dominating the first two sets with ease, the Dominican Republic endured Suriname’s push that forced a tight tie-break. Suriname took a two-point lead in the third set and, with great momentum, extended the match into a decisive fifth set, where the Dominicans finally prevailed thanks to their blocking and steadier performance.

The Dominican team made the difference at the net with a 19-8 blocking advantage, in addition to being more effective in attack (62-60), service (4-1), and committing fewer unforced errors (21-27).

Dominican Republic’s team captain Héctor Cruz was the top scorer of the match with 24 points (20 attacks, 3 blocks, and one ace). Ronny Molina added 20 points (19 attacks, one block), while Luther Molina contributed 15.

Four players of Suriname scored in double digits: Shemar Jameson with 19 points, Gianni Ritfeld with 13, Zefanio Breinburg with 12, and Keven Sporkslede with 11.

Dominican Republic’s head coach Alexander Gutiérrez said about the tournament: “This tournament was a gain for the boys who don’t have much experience and who must take responsibility. Consequently, that lack of experience causes complications against lower-level teams unnecessarily. We are going to keep working and pushing to be well prepared for the Central American Games.”