ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay, August 20, 2025.- Cuba secured a spot in the semifinals of the Men’s Volleyball Tournament at the II Junior Pan American Games Asunción 2025 with a straight-set victory over Colombia 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-22) at the Paraguayan Olympic Committee Arena (COP)
Cuba will face Brazil in the semifinals, while Argentina and Mexico will battle in the other semifinal matchup. Colombia moves on to play Paraguay in the classification round for positions 5 to 8.
From the very beginning, Cuba imposed its rhythm, jumping to a quick 10-3 lead with the effective serving of middle blocker Thiago Suárez and Alejandro González, combined with Colombia’s struggles in reception against the Cuban power attack.
Colombia responded early in the second set with a two-point lead (5-3) led by captain Jhon Mosquera. However, Cuba quickly tied and pulled ahead, never allowing Colombia to overtake them. A late attack by Mosquera brought Colombia within 21-23, but an error from the same player and a kill by Yusniel González sealed the second set for Cuba.
The third set was close, tied at 9 points, but once again Cuba pulled ahead, capitalizing on Colombian reception errors. A strong serve from Dainer Ocoro gave Colombia hope at 22-23, but Cuba closed with a spike from Bryan Camino and another Colombian mistake to seal the match.
Cuba’s blocking was a key factor, dominating 12-3, along with the edge in attacks (47-37) and service points (4-3). Colombia committed one less error overall (12-13).
Thiago Suárez and Yusniel González led Cuba with 15 points each, with Suárez recording an impressive 7 blocks. Alejandro González added 10 points to the win.
For Colombia, captain Jhon Mosquera was the top scorer of the match with 17 points, followed by Ronnie Mosquera with 10.
Cuba’s libero, Dayron Gallego, said: “Colombia has the characteristic that after losing the first set, they lift their spirits; they’re a team that, if you let them advance, they gain more focus and get ahead. We had a few inaccuracies, maybe nerves. Tomorrow we’re going all out against Brazil, I think we have the tools to beat them, even though in the first match against them we couldn’t come away with the victory. Every day we’re getting better.”
Colombia’s coach, Iván Lovera, said: “I believe my team is increasingly understanding the rhythm we’re playing at; they improve from the start of matches toward the end. It’s motivating to play against a high-level opponent like Cuba. The boys did very well, and the progress comes from the conviction that we have the ability to play at this level, despite being very young. In the end, we were able to enjoy ourselves and play some great volleyball.”
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