Havana, September 19 (RHC) – The Cuban women’s volleyball team finished in sixth place at the XXIII Pan American Cup, held in León, Guanajuato, Mexico, after losing in three sets to Canada on the final day of the tournament, in which the United States was crowned champion.
According to the website www.norceca.net, the Cuban women’s volleyball team, coached by Brazilian Luizomar de Moura, lost to Canada on Friday with scores of 22-25, 20-25, and 16-25. They conceded 23 points due to errors, while their opponents committed 21.
Official team statistics for the match show Canada’s superior performance in attack (44 points to Canada’s 34) and blocking (6-1), while the teams were tied in service (2-2).
Emoni Bush of Canada was the top scorer with 18 points, while Evilania Martinez Luis (15) and Whitney James Marin (10) led the way for Cuba.
Mexico finished with the bronze medal, defeating Puerto Rico 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-23, 28-26), while the United States took the gold with a 3-0 victory (28-26, 25-19, 25-18) over the Dominican Republic.
The tournament awards points for the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) world ranking.
Recently, Luizomar de Moura’s team won the bronze medal at the North, Central American and Caribbean Continental Championship (NORCECA) and qualified for the 2027 World Championship.
With that precedent, another strong performance was expected, although the Cuban team’s head coach is currently missing some of the players who earned third place at the NORCECA tournament.
Among those absent are Gretell Moreno, who was selected as the best setter at the continental event, and Diaris Pérez, the fifth-highest scorer.
Also absent from the Mexican team are Greisy Finé and Dezirett Madan, key players in the attack, along with Claudia Tarín and Regla Flavia Martínez.
These unfortunate absences are due to several players signing professional contracts and various personal situations.
The current roster includes setters Brenda Mía Ferrer Nold and Sheyla Oliva Macaro, opposite hitter Yalain Regla de la Peña González, outside hitters Whitney James Marín, Evilania Martínez Luis, and Alejandra Gómez Chacón, middle blockers Jessica Aguilera Carbajal, Dayana Martínez Hernández, Laura Suárez Hernández, and Daima del Río Preval, and liberos Yanisleidis Sánchez Vinent and Zunel Díaz León.
Among those present, Yalain Regla de la Peña, the best opposite hitter in NORCECA, and Yanisleidis Sánchez, the best libero and best defender, stand out for their performance.
Laura Suárez, Dayana Martínez, Evilania Martínez, Whitney James, Brenda Mía Ferrer, and Jessica Aguilera also remain on the roster, joined by Daima del Río, Sheyla Oliva, Alejandra Gómez, and Zunel Díaz.
A strong performance would solidify their progress in the NORCECA standings, while negative results against lower-ranked teams could lead to the loss of some of their recently earned points.
