Mexico Moves to 2-0 at Men’s U21 Pan American Cup

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, June 24, 2026. – Mexico earned its second consecutive victory at the Men’s U21 Pan American Cup by defeating the Dominican Republic in straight sets, 3-0 (25-12, 25-23, 25-18), at the Teodoro Palacios Flores Gymnasium in Guatemala City.

With both teams unbeaten, Mexico and the United States will meet in the final day of pool play to determine the winner of Pool A and the direct berth to the semifinals. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, still seeking their first victory, will battle for a place in the quarterfinals.

Despite making several changes to its starting lineup, Mexico controlled the key skills, leading 41-31 in attacks, 5-3 in blocks and 4-1 in service aces. Mexico also capitalized on 25 Dominican errors while conceding 18 points on its own mistakes.

Eduardo Garza paced the Mexican offense with 12 points, followed by Carlos Grajeda with 10. Malik Britton led the Dominican Republic with 13 points.

Mexico established control from the opening set, racing to a 10-2 lead with middle blocker Daniel Cravioto anchoring the defense at the net and neutralizing the attacks of Franklyn Reyes and Malik Britton. The Mexicans remained in command throughout the set to claim a comfortable 25-12 victory.

The lineup adjustments did not affect Mexico's rhythm in the second set, as it built a 19-12 advantage. The Dominican Republic responded with four consecutive points, fueled by two kills from Britton, a block by Wayner Compres on Luis Ayala, and another attack by Compres to cut the deficit to 19-16. Led by Britton, the Dominicans stayed within striking distance until the closing stages, but a powerful attack by Carlos Grajeda gave Mexico set point at 24-22. After a Mexican service error, Eduardo Garza finished the set with a kill to put Mexico ahead two sets to none.

The third set opened as a much more evenly contested battle. Mexico pulled away 11-7 with a block by David Partida on Rubel Montilla. The Dominicans answered with consecutive points through Britton and a Mexican error, but Mexico quickly regained control and extended its lead to 20-12. Eduardo Escoto sealed the 25-18 victory with a service ace.

Mexico head coach Erick Hernández highlighted the opportunity to give playing time to every member of his squad. “We needed everyone to have the opportunity to play. It's important for every player to experience being on the court and learn how to respond under pressure. I think they did a great job against a strong opponent that really challenged us. Tomorrow against the United States, it will be essential to get good rest, stay focused, and avoid making mistakes”.

Dominican Republic captain Melvin de Jesús Albino reflected on the defeat. “I think the main reason for the loss was our lack of energy. We woke up too late. We need to get some rest before facing Venezuela tomorrow, but most importantly, we have to come into the match with a positive mindset”.