Guatemala Returns to Men’s U23 Pan American Cup Semifinals

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, September 24, 2026.- Guatemala defeated Grenada 3-0 (25-13, 25-12, 25-9) to return to the semifinals of the Men’s U23 Pan American Cup. The Guatemalans had not reached this stage since 2018, when they won the bronze medal.

Guatemala capitalized on Grenada’s 39 unforced errors to earn a convincing victory that secured a direct berth to the semifinals. The Guatemalans finished Pool C undefeated with two victories, while El Salvador closed with a 1-1 record and Grenada went winless.

Guatemala advanced to the semifinals as the best-ranked winner of the three pools, followed by the United States, which also earned a direct berth. Costa Rica finished as the third-best pool winner and will compete in the quarterfinals.

In the team statistics, Guatemala held a slim 27-25 advantage in attacks and a 6-4 edge in blocks, while also leading 5-0 in aces.

Saúl Álvarez was the only player in the match to score in double figures, leading Guatemala with 13 points, including three blocks.

Guatemala will have a rest day on Friday, September 25, while the classification and quarterfinal matches will be played:

Ninth Place: Trinidad and Tobago vs. Grenada – 3:00 p.m.
Quarterfinal: Costa Rica vs. Dominican Republic – 5:00 p.m.
Quarterfinal: El Salvador vs. Mexico – 7:00 p.m.

Reider Lucas, head coach of Guatemala: “The match turned out to be quite comfortable for us. That was what we were looking for, to keep the match from getting complicated. We are very happy, and now it’s time to prepare for the semifinal and give everything we have in that match.”