Cuba's Women's Volleyball Team Beats Puerto Rico in Santo Domingo 2026 Opener

August 3, 2026

Cuba's women's national volleyball team opened play at the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games with a straight-sets win over Puerto Rico, 25-19, 25-22, 25-23, in Santo Domingo.

The match, held at Palacio Ricardo Arias, saw the Cuban side lean on quick offensive transitions and sharp hitting, mixing tight cross-court diagonals with fast attacks to control the game from the first set.

Yalain de la Peña led all scorers with 15 points, followed by Diaris Pérez with 13, Laura Suárez with 8 and Evilania Martínez with 6. For Puerto Rico, no player reached double digits by a wide margin; Decelise Champion topped the hosts' offense with 9 points.

The result gave Cuba its first win of the women's volleyball tournament at the Games.