Puerto Rico Upsets Defending Champions

Cuba in Santo Domingo 2026

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 25, 2026. – Puerto Rico delivered the first major upset of the men's volleyball tournament at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo by defeating defending champions Cuba 3-1 (32-30, 25-22, 14-25, 25-23) in the final match of the opening day of Pool A.

Puerto Rico opened its campaign with a victory and will face Venezuela (1-0) on the second day of Pool A action, while Cuba will look to bounce back against Guatemala (0-1).

Although Cuba held the advantage in every skill—attacks (52-43), blocks (15-10), and aces (6-5)—its 38 unforced errors proved costly. Puerto Rico, which gave away 27 points on errors, capitalized on the key moments to earn a valuable opening victory.

The match opened with a thrilling first set that extended to 32-30 in Puerto Rico's favor. The Puerto Ricans carried that momentum into the second set, winning 25-22. Cuba responded emphatically by taking the third set 25-14, but Puerto Rico regained control in a tightly contested fourth set and closed out the match 25-23.

Klistan Lawrence led Puerto Rico's offense with 16 points, while Jair Santiago and Pelegrín Vargas each added 14.

Cuba was led by captain Miguel Ángel López with 16 points. Alexis Wilson contributed 14 points and Roamy Alonso finished with 13.

Puerto Rico captain Arnel Cabrera credited his team's mental preparation and the support of their fans.

"We came into this match mentally prepared. We knew it was going to be a tough battle. Our physical and mental preparation for a match like this was fundamental, and we executed when it mattered most. The Puerto Rican fans who came to support us inspired us and helped us represent Puerto Rico the way we should. We're focused on our game plan. We didn't prepare for any particular opponent; instead, we want to make every team play our style, and today it worked."

Cuba head coach Jesús Ángel Cruz expressed his disappointment with the result but remained confident his team can recover.

"Our objective was to win the match. No team wants to start a tournament with a loss; it's a negative way to begin. We'll work hard to win our remaining two pool matches and get back on track with the goal of reaching the final."