Puerto Rico Heads to Semifinals after Five-Set Win over Canada

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, November 7, 2025 – Puerto Rico bounced back to beat Canada in an intense five-set thriller (25-20, 21-25, 15-25, 28-26, 15-10) to advance to the semifinals of the 2025 NORCECA Girls’ U17 Continental Championship, taking place at the Gimnasio Nacional in San José, Costa Rica.

Puerto Rico secured their spot among the top four teams of the tournament that serves as qualifier for the 2026 FIVB age-group World Championship, continuing their quest for a medal.

Puerto Rico will await the outcome of the quarterfinal match between Mexico and Costa Rica to determine their semifinal opponent, while Canada will compete for classification positions 5 through 8.

Puerto Rico capitalized on 42 Canadian errors, compared to 32 of their own. Both teams recorded 9 aces, while Canada held the edge in kills (51-47) and blocks (14-6).

For Puerto Rico, Carinialys Román led with 18 points (16 kills, 2 aces), followed by Daniela Echeandía with 10 points (7 kills, 3 aces). Canada had four players reach double digits: Elaina Grover (18), Shayla Byrnell (16), Chloe Dumont (14), and Winji Magdi (13).

Puerto Rico took the first set with a strong finish after leading 18-14, as Anna Aquino’s kill brought them to set point and a service error by Canada closed it 25-20.

Canada bounced back in the second set with steady serves from Chloe Dumont and offensive power from Byrnell and Magdi, taking it 25-21. They extended their momentum in the third, dominating with their blocking and attacking for a 25-15 win.

Puerto Rico regrouped in the fourth set, with Echeandía and Viveca García energizing the team. The set was tight until the end, with Sengstack’s kill tying it at 16 and Puerto Rico capitalizing on Canadian errors to edge out a dramatic 28-26 win, forcing a decisive tiebreak.

In the fifth set, Canada jumped ahead 4-0 behind Ella Grapentine’s serves and Dumont’s offense, but Puerto Rico fought back with Román’s kills to level the score at 4 points. From there, they never looked back, maintaining their defensive intensity and sealing the victory 15-10 with Aquino’s final kill.

Carinialys Román, Puerto Rico’s top scorer, said: “It was a very intense match. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We focused on following our coaches’ instructions to recover and get the win. Our serve and passing stabilized in the last two sets, and that gave us the push we needed.”

Puerto Rico’s coach, Ernesto Ricolt, commented after the victory: “It was a very tough match, with ups and downs. We managed to fight back in the fourth set and won it to tie the match. The girls worked very well. It was a good experience for them and for us as well.”