LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 29, 2025.- Cuba defeated Guatemala 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-23) in a classification match for positions 7 to 10 at the Senior Men’s Pan American Cup, held at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
With the victory, Cuba moves on to compete for positions 5 to 8, while Guatemala will play in the bracket for places 9 to 12.
The match was closely contested, with both teams staying within reach on the scoreboard. In the first set, Guatemala saved three set points (19-24) with the offense and blocking of Andy Leonardo, before an error and a kill by Carlos Yoandrys Charles sealed the set for Cuba.
In the second frame, Guatemala held a three-point lead (14-11) behind the blocking of Andy Leonardo and Gerardo González, but Cuba responded through the attacks of Thiago Suárez and Yusniel González, combined with errors from the Central American squad.
The third set remained tied until 13 points apiece, when Cuba gained a slight edge with the contribution of Endriel Pedroso. Guatemala caught up again at 19-all, but in another tight finish, the Cubans closed the match.
Cuba led in attacks 46-32 and in aces 4-2, while both sides were even in blocking with 6 apiece. Guatemala committed fewer errors (19 to Cuba’s 27).
Carlos Yoandrys Charles led Cuba’s offense with 19 points, followed by Thiago Suárez with 13 and Endriel Pedroso with 12. For Guatemala, Andy Leonardo was the top scorer with 18 points.
Cuban outside hitter Yusniel González said: “We didn’t play with the usual intensity because we came here with an objective and things didn’t work out as expected, so it’s hard to keep the spirit high. Still, we continue defending Cuba’s honor and will face every match with responsibility to achieve the best possible position.”
Guatemala’s libero Josué González stated: “We gave our best and I’m sad about the result. The opponent was very tough and knew how to close the sets. We managed to keep the score close all the time. We will keep working.”
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