CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 12, 2025. – Puerto Rico advanced to the fifth-place match at the U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup after defeating Suriname in straight sets 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-16) on Saturday at the Gymnasium of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) in Cuernavaca.
The Puerto Rican team will face the winner of the match between Panama and Chile on Sunday, the final day of the tournament.
Despite some ups and downs, Puerto Rico managed to stop Suriname’s comeback attempt in the second set, staying on course to secure a straight-set victory.
The Boricuas led in attacks (42-32) and blocks (13-6). Both teams scored two aces, while Puerto Rico committed fewer unforced errors (16 compared to Suriname’s 18).
Outside hitter Gustavo Álvarez led all scorers with 16 points (14 attacks, one block, one ace), followed by team captain Jean Paul González with 14 points (10 attacks, 4 blocks). Middle blocker Fernando Castello also contributed 10 points, standing out with a match-high 6 blocks.
For Suriname, Gianni Ritfeld led the offense with 14 points (11 attacks, 2 blocks, one ace), and Javier Nasibdar added 10 points.
Puerto Rican libero Ignacio Cruz shared his thoughts after the win: “There were ups and downs in all three sets, but I think Suriname made some good adjustments in the second set, especially on defense. In the end, we came out with the win, and tomorrow we’ll give it everything we’ve got to finish strong.”
The U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup concludes Sunday with the final placement matches.
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