Puerto Rico Wins Over Dominican Republic

in First Match of NORCECA Men's Final Four

PUEBLA, Mexico, July 25, 2025 – In the first match of the NORCECA Men's Final Four, Puerto Rico defeated the Dominican Republic 3-0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-21) at the BUAP Arena.

With an opening point by Pelegrin Vargas, the top attacker in this match with 13 total points, the scoring opened in favor of Puerto Rico. The Dominican Republic reacted immediately, outscoring their opponent at the start of the first set, which was tied 24-24 and decided in the final points in favor of Puerto Rico with an ace from their captain, Pedro Molina.

In the second and third sets, Puerto Rico showed superiority in attack, blocking, and serving from the start, securing victory in an exciting match. Puerto Rico outscored its opponent 42-35 in attack points, 8-4 in effective blocks, and 4-2 in aces. Dominican Republic hitter Héctor Cruz added 14 total points, 13 on attacks and one on serve. For Puerto Rico, opposite Klistan Lawrence tied his teammate Vargas with 13 points, 9 on attacks, 3 blocks, and 1 serve.

Captain Pedro Molina scored 9 points for his team. At the end of the match, he commented: "We've been preparing for this all summer and are very confident about what's coming.

Like in all tournaments, it's a bit difficult for us to get into the swing of things here because of the altitude we're at. But as the match progressed, we found our rhythm, and I know that with each passing set, we're feeling better and more confident. Very excited for the upcoming matches."

For Dominican Republic, captain Henry Tapia said: “We started well, with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, but these are matches that make us realize how we're really doing. The reception didn't help, nor did the ball distribution.

Personally, I recognize that, knowing my potential, I know I needed to give more of myself to the team, but sometimes we get discouraged by some mistakes that make us lose focus of the game.”

Tomorrow, Puerto Rico will face Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic will face the host team, Mexico. Live broadcasts of the matches can be viewed on the Mexican Volleyball Federation's YouTube page.