Puerto Rico outlasts Dominicana in a thriller

to book a ticket to the final.

PONCE, Puerto Rico, October 10th, 2025.- Puerto Rico defeated Dominican Republic in an epic five-set battle (25-27, 32-30, 31-33, 25-22, 15-11) to book a ticket to the championship match of the NORCECA Men’s Final Four at the Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium.

This will be Puerto Rico’s first appearance in the tournament’s gold medal match.

Puerto Rico will face defending champion the United States in the gold medal match while Dominican Republic will take on Mexico for bronze.

Dominican Republic started strong, taking a 7-3 lead before coach Jamille Torres from Puerto Rico called a timeout to adjust the tactics. Puerto Rico gained momentum and closed the gap to 13-14, keeping the set tight and forcing extra points. The Dominican Republic sealed the set with a solid block, winning 27-25.

It was a battle in the second set, with both teams trading the lead throughout. Two attacks from Adrian Figueroa gave the Dominican Republic the first set point, but Jamal Ellis of Puerto Rico took charge and tied it at 24-24. Both teams kept fighting, but two consecutive errors from the Dominican Republic handed the set to Puerto Rico, 32-30.

The game continued with high adrenaline and outstanding offensive performances from both teams. The third set was tied 22 times, but the Dominican Republic ultimately prevailed, winning in extra points, 33-32.

As in the previous sets, the score remained close during the early stages of the fourth. It was tied at 17-17 when two powerful attacks from Puerto Rico’s Pedro Molina gave the home team a two-point edge. Puerto Rico maintained the lead to win the set 25-22 and force a fifth set.

Puerto Rico took an early 3-0 lead in the tiebreak, and although the Dominican Republic tried to keep up, the Puerto Ricans didn’t hold back and maintained their advantage midway through the set (8-4). The host team stayed focused despite the Dominicans closing the gap to 10-9. Puerto Rico closed the match with a 15-11 win.

Puerto Rico led in attacks (74-71) and serves (10-2), but the Dominican Republic was more effective in blocks (14-10) and committed fewer unforced errors (34) than Puerto Rico (36).

Jamal Ellis led Puerto Rico’s offense with 30 points (25 attacks, 2 blocks, and 3 aces) and a 62% success rate in attack, followed by outside hitter Pedro Molina with 28 points. Opposite Adrian Figueroa of the Dominican Republic was the match’s top scorer with 32 points (28 attacks, 3 blocks, and 1 ace), posting a 56% success rate in attack, while his teammate Luis Reinoso added 21 points.

Jonathan Rodriguez, middle blocker of Puerto Rico: “It was a long match, the Dominican Republic came out with a very clear offense. We had difficulty stopping their attackers, but we managed to come back and close out the match. We showed great perseverance, despite the long rallies that kept us from winning the point, but we managed to recover and win in the fifth set. Tomorrow we must practice, improve our blocking skills, and impose our serves. We must prepare well with a view to beating the United States.”

Jamal Ellis, opposite hitter of Puerto Rico: “We knew the Dominican Republic was an opponent that always gave us a fight, and we knew we couldn’t let our guard down. In the end, we did what was necessary to close out the sets, keeping our heads high and staying united. Now we need to rest and come back focused and ready for tomorrow’s match against the United States.”

Enger Miéses, libero of Dominican Republic: "We knew it was going to be a great game. We're teams that play each other in every competition, and we know each other very well. From the start, we knew we were going to put on a good performance. The unity with which we've maintained ourselves throughout the competition has made a difference. Even though our team doesn't have all its regular players, the unity and dedication with which we decided to take the field made the difference. Now we need to rest. Tomorrow will be a mental game against Mexico, and just like today, what will decide the game for us is minimizing our errors.