Mexico Opens NORCECA Girls’ U19 Continental

Championship with a Win

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, July 19, 2026. – Mexico opened its campaign at the NORCECA Girls’ U19 Continental Championship with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-15) victory over the U.S. Virgin Islands in the first match of Pool B.

Mexico had to work hard to take a closely contested opening set, as the U.S. Virgin Islands kept the score tight until the final stretch. From the second set onward, Mexico took control behind a solid blocking performance and more effective serving, imposing its rhythm to secure the victory without further difficulty.

Mexico built its win with strong performances in blocking (14-11) and serving (8-3). Although the teams were nearly even in attacks (33-32), Mexico was more consistent, committing only 14 unforced errors compared to 23 by the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Karen González led Mexico’s offense with 16 points, followed by Isabella Gallardo with 12.

For the U.S. Virgin Islands, Kinsley Taylor was the top scorer with 10 points, while Avielle Lewis added nine.

After the match, Mexico head coach Ignacio Ramírez said: “It is always important to start with a win so the girls can gain confidence. We still need to adjust a few details, but we started on the right foot, which was what we expected. We maintained our system of play and adapted it according to their game because we did not know them, but the team handled it well.”

U.S. Virgin Islands head coach Isaac Raphael said: “Mexico delivered a very solid performance. I have to recognize the fighting spirit of my players; however, our main issue was the number of unforced errors, which affected the team’s momentum. Our serving and reception have improved, but the errors we made remain a major challenge that we need to correct if we want to compete.”