LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 31, 2025.- Cuba claimed seventh place at the eighteenth edition of the Men’s Pan American Cup after defeating Puerto Rico 3-1 (25-20, 19-25, 25-23, 25-21).
Cuba finished the tournament with a 3-3 record, while Puerto Rico ended with 2-4, placing seventh and eighth respectively.
It was a close match, with neither team able to dominate clearly. Cuba took the first set, while Puerto Rico controlled the second after point 10, relying on its blocking to even the score. In the third, despite the Puerto Ricans holding a two-point lead late in the set, Cuba closed it out by capitalizing on their opponent’s errors. In the fourth, the Cubans took definitive control to secure the victory.
Cuba led in attacks 52-41, while Puerto Rico dominated blocking 13-8. Both teams scored 2 service points and committed a similar number of errors: Cuba 33, Puerto Rico 32.
For Cuba, Yusniel González and Endriel Pedroso led the scoring with 14 points each, followed by Thiago Suárez with 11. On Puerto Rico’s side, opposite hitter Jamal Ellis topped all scorers with 16 points, Pedro Molina added 13, Ángel Rivera tallied 11 including a match-high 5 blocks, and Peligrín Vargas contributed 10.
Both head coaches acknowledged that their pre-tournament objectives were not achieved.
Cuba’s coach, Darienn Ferrer: “Cuba did not do well in this tournament, it was not the objective we were expecting. We came away with a victory over Puerto Rico for the best position we could rescue. We leave with more experience. We must improve in many aspects.”
Puerto Rico’s coach, Jamille Torres: “We have a lot to learn. This is a young team that is growing. This is a step forward, not the result we were looking for. We leave here with much to learn and much to contribute for the players.”
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