Guatemala Finishes Seventh with Victory in Santo Domingo 2026

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 30, 2026. – Guatemala concluded its campaign in the men’s volleyball tournament of the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026 with a convincing 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-19) victory over Suriname to finish in seventh place.

After a closely contested opening set, the Guatemalans settled into their rhythm, showing greater consistency in every aspect of the game and taking control of the next two sets to earn their first victory of the tournament and close their campaign on a positive note.

Guatemala held the advantage in attacks (42-34) and blocks (8-5), while Suriname edged in aces with a narrow 2-1 advantage in aces. The Guatemalans also limited their unforced errors to just 11 points, compared to 24 committed by their opponents.

Outside hitter José Pablo Pérez led Guatemala’s offense with 14 points, while team captain and outside hitter Carlos López added 12. For Suriname, outside hitter Anfernee Lee A Leong was the only player to score in double figures with 13 points.

Guatemala’s head coach Reider Lucas highlighted the experience gained throughout the tournament and his team’s progress.

“It has been a highly competitive tournament and a valuable learning experience for our team. I think the only match in which we did not perform at the level we expected was against Cuba. This group has continued to mature, and I believe better results will come for us,” he said. Reflecting on the victory, he added, “We are happy with the win.”

Suriname’s head coach Carlos Orta Fellove, meanwhile, was disappointed that his team was unable to maintain the level it showed early in the match.

“Only in the first set did my team really compete. I expected them to face Guatemala with the same intensity they had shown against other teams, but that was not the case. Today, our level dropped,” he said.