The Dominican Republic clinched a 3-1 victory over Mexico in Pool A of the XXI Women’s Pan American Cup on Monday. The match, held at the Domo de la Feria, saw the Dominicans win with set scores of 25-21, 25-20, 26-28, and 25-16.
The Dominican squad demonstrated superior performance in attacks (47-43) and blocks (19-11), though Mexico outperformed them in serves (7-2). Despite committing 33 unforced errors compared to the Dominican Republic’s 24, Mexico’s efforts were led by outside hitter Grecia Castro with 15 points, supported by Uxue Guereca and Jocelyn Urías, each contributing 12 points.
Dominican outside hitter Madeline Guillen was the standout with 17 points, including 15 attacks and 2 blocks. Middle blocker Candida Arias also played a crucial role, notching 11 points and a match-high of 9 blocks.
In other action in Pool B, the United States continued their unbeaten run with a commanding 3-0 win over Puerto Rico (25-14, 25-20, 25-15). Kendall Kipp led the U.S. with 18 points, including 16 kills, while Veronica Perry added 16 points. Puerto Rico’s top scorer, Neira Ortiz, had 7 points.
Argentina’s victory over Chile was marked by a dramatic comeback in the first set, with Argentina ultimately winning 25-23, 25-13, and 25-08. Elina Rodríguez and Candelaria Herrera each scored 11 points for Argentina.
Canada recovered from a first-set loss to defeat Peru 3-1 (22-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-23). Abagayle Guezen and Lucy Borrowski led Canada with 18 points each. Peru’s Aixa Vigil was their top scorer with 14 points.
Colombia dominated Suriname with a 3-0 win (25-4, 25-12, 25-9), leading in all scoring categories. Valerín Carabali and Valentina Gaviria were key for Colombia, scoring 9 and 7 points, respectively.
The Women’s Pan American Cup serves as a qualifying event for the 2025 Women’s Pan American Cup, the 2025 NORCECA Women Continental Championship, and the 2027 Pan American Games. The tournament runs from August 18-25, with teams competing in two pools before advancing to the knockout stages.
The preliminary rounds will conclude on August 22, with the quarterfinals and classification rounds taking place on August 23, and the semifinals and medal matches scheduled for August 24 and 25. Argentina, the reigning champions, and the United States, the most successful team in the Cup’s history, are among the favorites as the tournament progresses.
