The second day of the NORCECA Women's Continental Championship in Santo Domingo was entirely marked by clean victories. Canada and the USA continued without losing a set in Pool A, Puerto Rico achieved its first success in Pool B, and the host Dominican Republic won the important clash with Cuba.
Canada crushed Trinidad and Tobago with many changes in the squad
Canada achieved its second consecutive victory after crushing Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 (25:10, 25:6, 25:5). Giovanni Guidetti used the huge difference in class to make a serious rotation and give more playing time to players who were not among the main figures in the first match against Mexico. The changes did not affect the result in any way – the Canadians allowed their opponent to score only 21 points in the entire match.
Hilary Howe was the top scorer with 16 points, Ana Smrek added 15, and Nyadoll Throsby finished with 10. For Trinidad and Tobago, Tia Wilson scored 4 points. The match lasted only 54 minutes.
Thus, Canada recorded a second success without losing a set and remained undefeated in Pool A before the direct clash with the USA for first place.
Puerto Rico returned to the fight after a clean victory over Costa Rica
After the 2-3 defeat to Cuba on the first day, Puerto Rico responded with a convincing 3-0 victory over Costa Rica (25:20, 25:15, 25:15).
The Puerto Ricans had superiority in all key elements that brought direct points. They won the attack 43:26, blocking 9:5, and direct points from service 7:3.
Ivania Ortiz was the top scorer with 11 points – 7 from attack, 1 from block, and 3 aces. Decelis Champion added 9, and Ana Jusino – 7. For Costa Rica, Lakisha Thompson and Sofia Arroyo finished with 9 points each.
The victory leveled Puerto Rico's balance to 1-1 before the last match in the group against the host Dominican Republic.
The USA also continues without losing a set
The USA achieved a second consecutive clean victory, this time against Mexico – 3-0 (25:19, 25:20, 25:17). The Americans gradually asserted their superiority and did not allow their opponent to get a real chance to win a set.
Avery Skinner was the top scorer for the winners with 14 points, and Logan Eggleston added 11. For Mexico, Uxue Guereca finished with 12 points, and Grecia Castro – with 10.
The Mexicans had their good periods. In the third set, they led 5:2, but the Americans responded with four consecutive points and gradually regained control.
The USA and Canada now have two wins each and no lost sets, which makes their direct match a contest for first place in Pool A.
The Dominican Republic took the derby against Cuba
The most serious clash of the program pitted the Dominican Republic against Cuba. The hosts achieved a clean 3-0 victory and recorded their second success in the tournament. Brayelin Martinez was the top scorer for the winners with 14 points, while for Cuba, Yalain Regla de la Peña finished with 16.
Unlike the crushing victory over Costa Rica at the start, this time the Dominican Republic met much more serious resistance. Cuba came into the match after their dramatic 3-2 success over Puerto Rico, but the hosts managed to win the decisive rallies and close the match in three sets.
The tournament in Santo Domingo is also of key importance for the distribution of quotas for the next major international competitions. The championship provides three spots for the 2027 World Championship, but the USA and Canada are not participating in this battle, as they are co-hosts of the championship and already have guaranteed participation. This means that the three NORCECA quotas will be distributed among the remaining six teams.
The Continental Championship is also linked to the Olympic qualification for Los Angeles 2028. After its conclusion, the four highest-ranked teams, excluding the USA, will participate on August 28 and 29 in a separate qualification tournament in Santo Domingo, the winner of which will receive NORCECA's Olympic quota. The Americans are not participating in this battle, as they are already confirmed for the Olympics as the host of the Games.