Dominican Republic has secured its place at the top of Pool B and progressed directly to the women’s volleyball tournament semifinals. The defending champions showcased their skill and strength by overpowering Colombia with a 3-0 win (25-14, 25-18, 25-20) on Monday, at the Arena Parque O’Higgins.
The Dominican Republic maintained an undefeated record in Pool B, leaving Colombia to settle for fourth place. Although Colombia improved their performance in the second and third sets, the Dominicans’ powerful serves (14-4) and overall playstyle proved too challenging. Yonkaira Peña, the Dominican Republic’s outside hitter, was a standout performer with 13 points, comprised of 9 kills and 4 service points. Colombian opposite Sofía Cuartas managed 12 points, showcasing 10 kills, one block, and one ace.
On the other hand, Mexico surprised the audience with a remarkable 3-1 victory (24-26, 25-21, 25-15, 25-18) against the hosts, Chile. The match, held on Monday night at the Arena Parque O’Higgins, saw Mexico recover impressively from an initial set defeat. With a 2-1 record, Mexico clinched the second spot in Pool A, pushing Chile to the third.
The game was intense with Mexico showing a significant advantage in attacking points (64 to 39) and slightly edging Chile in blocks (9-8). Grecia Castro, the Mexican outside hitter, emerged as a star performer by scoring a tournament-high of 27 points. Following Tuesday’s quarterfinals, Mexico is set to face Puerto Rico, while Chile will take on Argentina. The victors will advance to Wednesday’s anticipated semifinals.
