GUADALAJARA, Jalisco, September 17, 2025. – Host nation Mexico kept their undefeated record intact with a commanding 3-0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-22) victory over Cuba at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s Final Six at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara.
Mexico will face the United States on Thursday in a clash of undefeated teams (3-0). Cuba will go up against Canada as both teams look for their first victory. The top four teams at the end of pool play advance to the crossover semifinals.
Mexico came from behind to take control of the opening set, jumping ahead 11-9 thanks to three consecutive blocks by Jocelyn Urias on Evilania Martínez. Offensively, Sofia Maldonado and Samantha Bricio led the charge, while Cuba’s Whitney James put up a strong effort but could not slow Mexico’s momentum.
The home team cruised through the second set with dominant play. Melanie Parra added firepower with powerful spikes to build an 18-7 lead. Karina Flores’ strong defense and blocking neutralized Dezirett Madan and Martínez as Mexico closed the set convincingly.
Cuba fought hard to stay alive, taking a 12-9 lead behind James and Laura Suárez. Yalain de la Peña extended Cuba’s advantage to 14-10. Mexico responded with composure, rallying from a six-point deficit (14-20) behind Urias’ blocking and service aces, combined with key kills from Flores and late Cuban errors. Bricio sealed the sweep with a powerful kill followed by an attack error from Cuba.
Mexico outperformed Cuba in every skill category, leading in attacks (31-28), blocks (12-4), and aces (7-2). Mexico committed 18 errors compared to Cuba’s 25.
Sofia Maldonado once again led Mexico’s offense and was the only player to reach double digits, finishing with 17 points. Karina Flores added 9 points, including a match-high 5 blocks. Whitney James led Cuba with 9 points.
Mexico’s captain Jocelyn Urías spoke about the comeback in the third set: “I stayed calm, I knew what I had to do on the court and that I needed to stay focused. We were very solid. It feels great to come from behind and win. As a team, we made a mental shift.”
Cuba’s top scorer Whitney James said: “In the third set we focused on minimizing errors and tried to extend the match. Mexico stayed technically sound, they did a good job with their serving and took advantage of our struggles.”
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